Patient Transport Apparatus For Transporting A Patient Over Disturbances In Floor Surfaces

A patient transport apparatus for transporting a patient over disturbances in floor surfaces, the patient transport apparatus comprising:

• a support structure comprising a base frame and a patient support surface, and a hydraulic unit coupled to the patient support surface to adjust a height of the patient support surface relative to the base frame;
• wheels coupled to the support structure;
• an accumulator including a piston slidable within a cylinder, the accumulator being configured to, in an energy-absorbing mode, absorb energy as the wheels move over the disturbances in the floor surfaces;
• and
• a controller configured to control a valve to allow hydraulic fluid to pass into the accumulator as the wheels move over the disturbances in the floor surfaces in the energy-absorbing mode.

A patient transport apparatus for transporting a patient over disturbances in floor surfaces, the patient transport apparatus comprising:

• a support structure comprising a patient support surface, and a hydraulic unit coupled to the patient support surface to adjust a height of the patient support surface relative to the floor surfaces;
• wheels coupled to the support structure;
• an accumulator including a piston slidable within a cylinder, the accumulator being configured to absorb energy as the wheels move over the disturbances in the floor surfaces;
• and
• a controller configured to control a valve to allow hydraulic fluid to pass into the accumulator as the wheels move over the disturbances in the floor surfaces.