# US 12,109,157 B2 · Overhead arm assembly for patient bed > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,157 B2 - Document ID: US12109157B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/510,769 - Filed: 2023-11-16 - Published: 2024-03-14 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-17 - Assignees: Hill-Rom Services, Inc. - Applicants: Hill-Rom Services, Inc. - Inventors: Robert M. Zerhusen; Jonathan K. Moenter; Joshua L. Meyer; Robert D. Ross; John G. Byers; Matthew R. Knue - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109157B2 ## CPC - A61G 7/05: Parts, details or accessories of beds (devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 {; mattresses A47C27/00}) - A61G 7/0503: {Holders, support devices for receptacles, e.g. for drainage or urine bags (hanging-up devices for infusion A61M5/1414 )} - A61G 12/00: Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food {(service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00)}; Prescription lists - A61G 12/002: {Supply appliances, e.g. columns for gas, fluid, electricity supply (vertical ducts or channels for receiving utility lines E04F17/08; installations of electric cables or lines, wall trunking H02G3/0431; structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles F21V33/0068; stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles F16M11/00; buildings for public purposes E04H3/08)} - A61G 12/008: {mounted on a mobile base, e.g. on a trolley} - F16M 11/041: {Allowing quick release of the apparatus} - F16M 11/08: around a vertical axis {, e.g. panoramic heads (F16M11/12 takes precedence)} - F16M 11/2014: {around a vertical axis (F16M11/2035 takes precedence)} - F16M 13/02: for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle - H01R 13/7135: {with ground fault protector (H01R13/7132 takes precedence)} - A61G 2203/20: Displays or monitors - A61G 2203/78: for clamping - F16M 2200/065: with a special structure, e.g. reinforced or adapted for space reduction - H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction - 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 - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract An overhead arm assembly for a patient support apparatus includes a user interface device. The user interface device has a support structure for supporting a personal digital assistant and a charging port for personal digital assistant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An overhead arm assembly for a patient bed, the overhead arm assembly comprising a first L-shaped arm having a first bottom end configured to couple to the patient bed, a second L-shaped arm, a third arm pivotably interconnecting the first and second L-shaped arms, and a patient interface unit suspended from a bottom region of the second L-shaped arm, wherein the overhead arm assembly has a use position in which the first and second L-shaped arms are pivoted with respect to the third arm such that the patient interface unit is suspended for use by a patient on the patient bed, wherein the overhead arm assembly has a transport position in which the first and second L-shaped arms are collapsed together such that the patient interface unit is situated adjacent a substantially vertical portion of the first L-shaped arm, wherein the overhead arm assembly has a T-shaped configuration in the transport position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The overhead arm assembly of claim 1, further comprising a clip coupled to the substantially vertical portion of the first L-shaped arm, a substantially vertical portion of the second L-shaped arm being received by the clip when the overhead arm assembly is in the transport position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The overhead arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the third arm is situated above the first and second L-shaped arms, a first pivot joint assembly is provided at a first end of the third arm to pivotably interconnect the third arm and the first L-shaped arm, a second pivot joint assembly is provided at a second end of the third arm to pivotably interconnect the third arm and second L-shaped arm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The overhead arm assembly of claim 3, further comprising a first flexible pad attached to the first pivot joint assembly and a second flexible pad is attached to the second pivot joint assembly, the first and second pads serving as anti-skid feet when the overhead arm assembly is detached from the patient bed and turned upside down and resting on a floor for storage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The overhead arm assembly of claim 1, further comprising a strain relief attached to the substantially vertical portion of the first L-shaped arm and further comprising an electrical cable that is routed from the patient interface unit through the first and second L-shaped arms and the third arm and that exits the substantially vertical portion of the L-shaped arm behind the strain relief. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The overhead arm assembly of claim 5, further comprising a first connector at a distal end of the cable, the first connector being configured to mate with a second connector included on the patient bed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The overhead arm assembly of claim 6, wherein the first connector is a 90 degree male D-sub connector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The overhead arm assembly of claim 7, wherein the second connector is a female connector situated on a downwardly facing surface of the bed such that the first connector is moved upwardly to mate with the second connector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The overhead arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the first bottom end of the first L-shaped arm includes a coupler configured to couple the first L-shaped arm to a frame of the patient bed and wherein the coupler includes a detent to control the position of the coupler relative to the frame of the patient bed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The overhead arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the patient interface unit includes a housing having a first side and a second side, wherein the patient interface unit includes a support structure positioned on the second side, the support structure being configured to support personal digital assistants of varying sizes, wherein the support structure includes a fixed base and a movable clamp, and wherein the movable clamp is movable relative to the fixed base with a locking mechanism resisting movement of the movable clamp away from the base. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The overhead arm assembly of claim 10, wherein the movable clamp includes an actuator that releases the movable clamp for movement away from the base. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The overhead arm assembly of claim 11, wherein the movable clamp comprises a first bias member that biases the locking mechanism to a locked position and a second bias member that biases the locking mechanism to a released position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The overhead arm assembly of claim 12, wherein first bias member has a bias that is greater than the second bias member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The overhead arm assembly of claim 12, wherein the first bias member comprises a torsional spring. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The overhead arm assembly of claim 14, wherein the second bias member is integrally formed in the locking mechanism. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The overhead arm assembly of claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism includes a lock that has a pair of arms, the arms formed to include catches, and the locking mechanism further includes guides that are each engaged by the respective arms. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The overhead arm assembly of claim 13, wherein the guides include serrations engaged by the catches on the arms. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The overhead arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the patient interface unit includes a first flex circuit overlay attached thereto, the first flex circuit overlay being selected from a plurality of different flex circuit overlays, the first flex circuit overlay having buttons for controlling a first set of features of the patient bed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The overhead arm assembly of claim 18, wherein the first flex circuit overlay includes a dead front nurse call button that is illuminated and visible in response to the patient bed being in communication with a nurse call system and that is not illuminated and substantially not visible in response to the patient bed not being in communication with the nurse call system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The overhead arm assembly of claim 18, wherein the first flex circuit overlay includes a stay in bed indicator that is illuminated in response to a bed exit or patient position monitoring system of the patient bed being enabled and that is not illuminated in response to the bed exit or patient position monitoring system of the patient bed not being enabled.