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US 12,752,572 B2Granted
Caster having status indicator light
AssigneeHill-Rom Services, Inc.
InventorsJustin Freese, Robert Mark Zerhusen, David C. Newkirk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A patient support apparatus includes a frame, a plurality of wheels, and a status indicator light assembly coupled to at least one of the plurality of wheels. The status indicator light assembly is configured to provide notice to surrounding areas regarding a status of a plurality of casters included in the plurality of wheels.
Claims20
A patient support apparatus comprising:
- a frame positioned above a floor,
- a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame, the plurality of wheels including a plurality of casters, and
- a status indicator light assembly coupled with at least one of the plurality of wheels and configured to change between a first mode in which the status indicator light assembly illuminates a first visual indicator on the at least one of the plurality of wheels in response to the plurality of casters being in a brake mode during which movement of the plurality of casters is prevented and a second mode in which the status indicator light assembly illuminates a second visual indicator different than the first visual indicator on the at least one of the plurality of wheels in response to the plurality of casters being in a non-brake mode during which the plurality of casters are free to move.
A patient support apparatus comprising:
- a frame positioned above a floor,
- a siderail coupled to the frame and moveable between a raised position and a lowered position,
- a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame, the plurality of wheels including a plurality of casters that are moveable between a brake mode in which movement of the plurality of casters is prevented and a non-brake mode in which movement of the plurality of casters is permitted, and
- a status indicator light assembly coupled with each of the plurality of wheels and configured to change between a first mode in which the status indicator light assembly illuminates a first visual indicator on each of the plurality of wheels in response to a plurality of safety features of the patient support apparatus being enabled and a second mode in which the status indicator light assembly illuminates a second visual indicator different than the first visual indicator on each of the plurality of wheels in response to at least one of the plurality of safety features of the patient support apparatus being disabled,
- wherein the plurality of safety features includes the plurality of casters, the siderail, and/or the frame.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- coupling a status indicator light assembly to a plurality of wheels of a patient support apparatus,
- determining a status of a plurality of casters included in the plurality of wheels,
- in response to determining that the status of the plurality of casters is a brake mode, changing the status indicator light assembly to a first mode in which the status indicator light assembly illuminates a first visual indicator on at least one of the plurality of wheels, and
- in response to determining that the status of the plurality of casters is a non-brake mode, changing the status indicator light assembly from the first mode to a second mode in which the status indicator light assembly illuminates a second visual indicator on the at least one of the plurality of wheels different than the first visual indicator.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.