# US 10,478,548 B2 · Hospital support poles with onboard power units > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,548 B2 - Document ID: US10478548B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/566,946 - Filed: 2016-03-18 - Published: 2018-05-17 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-16 - Assignees: Skytron, LLC - Applicants: Skytron, LLC - Inventors: Samuel A. Blankenship; Peter B. Blankenship; Richard Baumhardt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478548B2 ## CPC - A61M 5/1415: {Stands, brackets or the like for supporting infusion accessories} - A61G 12/007: {mounted on the floor, e.g. tracks} - A61M 2209/084: Supporting bases, stands for equipment - F16M 11/42: with arrangement for propelling the support {stands on wheels} - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) - F16M: FRAMES, CASINGS OR BEDS OF ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS, NOT SPECIFIC TO ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; STANDS; SUPPORTS ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention relate to poles with wheels with an onboard power unit that be longitudinally fixed in place and positioned about a medial position of the pole or may be configured to rise and lower in concert with wheels supporting the floor when on the floor and that can hold medical and/or accessory equipment, typically in a clinical or hospital environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical accessory support pole, comprising: an elongate pole body defining a longitudinal pole axis; a plurality of wheels attached to the pole body; and an onboard power unit held by the pole body, comprising: a housing having a downwardly extending cylindrical channel surrounding a segment of the pole body, the housing further including a neck that angles out to a receptacle surface and then merges into a vertical segment that extends up and/or down a vertical distance to define a cord compartment; a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart electrical receptacles; and a power cord in electrical communication with the electrical receptacles extending outward from the housing; wherein the cord compartment is rotatable inside the housing about the longitudinal pole axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, further comprising a power cord retraction mechanism held by the housing in communication with the power cord to allow automatic or semi-automatic retraction of the power cord into the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein the power cord has a length of between 5-12 feet, and, in a fully or partially retracted configuration, a length of the power cord resides inside the housing in stacked circular layers about the cylindrical channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The pole of claim 2, wherein the retraction mechanism comprises a rotation coupler in communication with a compartment holding a length of the power cord. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein the pole is a transformable pole having a plurality outwardly extending legs holding a respective wheel, wherein the transformable pole has a first extended configuration with the legs extending outward away from the pole body with the wheels on a floor and a second configuration where the legs are retracted to reside closer to the pole body and the wheels are lifted off the floor, and wherein the onboard power unit is configured to longitudinally slide up and down in concert with a base as the legs retract and extend, respectively. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, further comprising at least one cord grip attached to the pole body, the cord grip comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart and longitudinally extending accessory cord channels for holding segments of longitudinally extending accessory power cords. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrical receptacles has an externally visual color that is different from one or more other of the electrical receptacles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein the power unit housing is rotatable about a vertical pole axis of the pole body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein one or more of the electrical receptacles has a different socket orientation from another of the electrical receptacles. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein one or more of the electrical receptacles can be rotated to provide a desired socket orientation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein the housing has an angled outer surface that extends away from the cylindrical channel and merges into a vertical outer wall, and wherein the angled outer surface is angled at between 30-60 degrees from horizontal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein the pole comprises wings held by an upper portion of the pole body and a base held adjacent the wheels, and wherein the housing resides a distance above the wheels by between 3-6 feet to reside closer to the wings of the pole than the base. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The pole of claim 1, wherein the pole body comprises a docking alignment key member circumferentially extending between 15-45 degrees and longitudinally extending between 1-5 inches of a segment of the pole body, wherein the segment of the pole body with the key member has a diameter that is less than a diameter of at least an adjacent lower portion of the pole body, wherein the housing resides a distance above the wheels by between 3-6 feet to reside above the key member, and wherein the housing comprises an outer wall that extends radially outward a greater distance from the pole body than the key member. ### Claim 14 A medical accessory support pole, comprising: an elongate pole body defining a longitudinal pole axis; a base attached to a lower portion of the pole body comprising a plurality outwardly extending legs; a plurality of wheels attached to the legs, wherein the legs have a first extended configuration with the legs extending outward away from the pole body with the wheels on a floor and a second configuration where the legs are retracted to reside closer to the pole body and the wheels are lifted off the floor; and an onboard power unit attached to the pole body, comprising: a housing having a downwardly extending cylindrical channel surrounding a segment of the pole; a plurality of electrical receptacles spaced apart around a circumference of the longitudinal pole axis; a power cord in electrical communication with the electrical receptacles extending outward from the housing; and a power cord retraction mechanism held by the housing in communication with the power cord to allow automatic or semi-automatic retraction of the power cord into the housing, wherein the power cord has a length of between about 5 feet and about 12 feet, and, in a fully or partially retracted configuration, a length of the power cord resides inside the housing in stacked circular layers about the cylindrical channel, wherein the onboard power unit is configured to longitudinally slide up and down in concert with the base as the legs retract and extend, respectively. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The pole of claim 14, wherein the housing is rotatable about the pole body, and wherein the housing comprises a power cord compartment that is configured to rotate inside the housing about the pole. ### Claim 16 A medical accessory support pole, comprising: an elongate pole body defining a longitudinal pole axis; a base attached to a lower portion of the pole body comprising a plurality outwardly extending legs; a plurality of wheels attached to the legs, and wherein the legs have a first extended configuration with the legs extending outward away from the pole body with the wheels on a floor and a second configuration where the legs are retracted to reside closer to the pole body and the wheels are lifted off the floor; and an onboard power unit attached to the pole body, comprising: a housing having a downwardly extending cylindrical channel surrounding a segment of the pole; a plurality of electrical receptacles spaced apart around a circumference of the longitudinal pole axis; a power cord in electrical communication with the electrical receptacles extending outward from the housing; and a power cord retraction mechanism held by the housing in communication with the power cord to allow automatic or semi-automatic retraction of the power cord into the housing, wherein the power cord has a length of between about 5 feet and about 12 feet, and, in a fully or partially retracted configuration, a length of the power cord resides inside the housing in stacked circular layers about the cylindrical channel, wherein the pole comprises wings held by an upper portion of the pole body, and wherein the housing resides a distance above the wheels by between 3-6 feet to reside closer to the wings of the pole than the base. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The pole of claim 16, wherein the pole body comprises a docking alignment key member circumferentially extending between 15-45 degrees and longitudinally extending between 1-5 inches about a segment of the pole body, wherein the segment of the pole body with the key member has a diameter that is less than a diameter of at least an adjacent lower portion of the pole body, wherein housing resides above the key member, and wherein the housing comprises an outer wall that extends radially outward a greater distance from the pole body than the key member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The pole of claim 16, wherein the housing is rotatable about the pole body, and wherein the housing comprises a power cord compartment that is configured to rotate inside the housing about the pole. ### Claim 19 A method of providing power to hospital equipment, comprising: providing a substantially vertical hospital support pole with a plurality of rollers and/or casters and comprising an on-board power shroud with a plurality of electrical receptacles; rolling the hospital support pole across a floor; extending a power cord held in stacked circular layers inside a cord compartment of the on-board power shroud to have an exposed length, the stacked circular layers surrounding a segment of the hospital support pole; and plugging in the power cord to an electrical receptacle of a hospital electrical circuit to power the receptacles of the on-board power shroud, then optionally, in response to a user unplugging the power cord, automatically retracting the exposed length of the power cord back into the cord compartment, and/or optionally electromechanically or mechanically automatically raising the hospital support pole so that the rollers and/or casters are off floor before, during or after plugging in the power cord.