Mobile lift-assisted patient transport device for field use

A lift-assisted mobile device for transporting patients from one location to another, comprising:

• a patient supporting frame for supporting a patient;
• an undercarriage for supporting said patient supporting frame, said undercarriage including a rectangular frame having a first portion and a second portion slidably connected to said first portion so as to move horizontally relative to one another, two arms connected between said first and second portions and disposed in parallel with said first and second portions and a scissors linkage having two legs and each leg having a first end connected to said patient supporting frame and a second end connected to said first and second portions, respectively, for connecting said rectangular frame to said patient supporting frame in a manner such that vertical movement of said patient supporting frame relative to said rectangular frame produces corresponding horizontal movement of said portions of said rectangular frame relative one another between a first position where said patient supporting frame is adjacent said undercarriage and a second position where said patient supporting frame is remote from said undercarriage;
• and
• lift-assisting means disposed between said first and second portions of said rectangular frame and connected to said arms for causing said first and second portions to move horizontally relative to one another and thereby cause said patient supporting frame to move vertically with respect to said rectangular frame, wherein when said patient supporting frame is in said second position, said first and second portions are disposed in an inner position with respect to one another and when said patient supporting frame is in said first position, said first and second positions are extended outwardly with respect to one another, said lift-assisting means comprising a collapsible air bag connected vertically between said rectangular frame and said patient supporting frame, a tank of compressed air for actuating said bag in response to depression of said switch, and at least one tension spring biasing said two portions of said rectangular frame to move horizontally towards and away from one another;
• and
• at least one switch operably connected to said lift-assisting means adapted to be depressed by an operator to actuate said lift-assisting means, whereby manual height adjustment of said patient supporting frame relative to said rectangular frame is avoided, wherein depression of said switch causes said patient supporting frame to be raised or lowered when said undercarriage is resting on a supporting surface and causes said undercarriage to be raised or lowered when said undercarriage is not resting on a supporting surface.

A lift-assisted mobile device for transporting patients from one location to another, comprising:

• a patient supporting frame for supporting a patient;
• an undercarriage for supporting said patient supporting frame at a first position adjacent the ground and a second position substantially elevated above the ground, said undercarriage including a rectangular frame having two portions which move horizontally relative to one another and a scissors linkage which connects said rectangular frame to said patient supporting frame in a manner such that vertical movement of said patient supporting frame relative to said rectangular frame produces corresponding horizontal movement of said portions of said rectangular frame relative one another;
• lifting-assisting means disposed between said two portions of said rectangular frame for causing them to move relative to one another and thereby cause said patient supporting frame and said rectangular frame to move vertically with respect to each other, said lift-assisting means comprising a collapsible air bag connected vertically between said rectangular frame and said patient supporting frame, a tank of compressed air for actuating said bag in response to depression of said switch, and at least one tension spring biasing said two portions of said rectangular frame to move horizontally towards and away from one another;
• and
• at least one switch operably connected to said lift-assisting means for depression by an operator to actuate said lift-assisting means, whereby manual height adjustment of said patient supporting frame relative to said rectangular frame is avoided, wherein depression of said switch causes said patient supporting frame to be raised or lowered when said undercarriage is resting on a supporting surface and causes said undercarriage to be raised or lowered when said undercarriage is not resting on a supporting surface.