Ventilator, care cart and motorized transport each capable of nesting within and docking with a hospital bed base

Apparatus for powered transport of a hospital bed, the bed having a generally Y-shaped base with casters thereon, one end of which has a pair of spaced arms, comprising:

• a base with casters thereon, said apparatus base being adapted to nest within the spaced arms of the Y-shaped hospital bed base and to dock thereto;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said apparatus base;
• means mounted on said apparatus base for powering said drive wheel;
• means mounted on said apparatus for controlling said drive wheel;
• handle means connected to and extending upwardly from said apparatus base for steering said apparatus;
• and
• resilient means operable between said apparatus and the bed for exerting a downward force on said drive wheel to reduce a tendency of said drive wheel to slip on a floor surface.

Apparatus for powered transport of a hospital bed, said apparatus being adapted to be docked to the bed at one end thereof and substantially within a footprint of the bed, said apparatus comprising:

• a base with casters thereon;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said apparatus base;
• means mounted on said apparatus base for powering said drive wheel;
• means mounted on said apparatus for controlling said drive wheel;
• handle means connected to and extending upwardly from said apparatus base for steering said apparatus;
• and
• resilient means operable between said apparatus and the bed for exerting a downward force on said drive wheel to reduce a tendency of said drive wheel to slip on a floor surface.

Apparatus for powered transport of a hospital bed, the bed having a base with casters, comprising:

• a base with casters thereon, said apparatus base being adapted to cooperate with the bed base and to dock thereto;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said apparatus base;
• a power source mounted on said apparatus for powering said drive wheel;
• a controller mounted on said apparatus for controlling said drive wheel;
• handles connected to and extending upwardly from said apparatus base for steering said apparatus;
• and
• a resilient member operable between said apparatus and the bed for exerting a downward force on said drive wheel to reduce a tendency of said drive wheel to slip on a floor surface.

Apparatus comprising:

• A hospital bed comprising:
• a base with casters, said base being generally Y-shaped and having a stem portion and a pair of spaced arms extending from said stem portion, each said spaced arm having a laterally diverging portion and a longitudinal portion generally parallel a longitudinal axis of said stem portion, said laterally diverging portions having first ends connected to said stem portion and laterally spaced across its stem portion;
• and
• a motorized transport comprising:
• a base with casters on a rear end,
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on a lower fork connected to said base, said lower fork positioning said drive wheel forwardly of and below said base,
• an upwardly projecting gas spring connected to said lower fork, said gas spring having a lower end pivotally connected to said fork and a roller rotatably mounted to an upper end of said gas spring, said upper end of said gas spring being pivotally connected to a first end of a link, said link having a second end pivotally connected to said fork,
• a motor mounted on said base for powering said drive wheel,
• handles extending upwardly from said base for steering said transport and bed,
• whereby said transport is adapted to dock between said spaced arms and to said stem, and to be removably secured thereat, said lower fork and drive wheel being positioned below said stem, and whereby said roller is forced downwardly against the resistance of said gas spring as said transport is docked to said bed base and as said roller rolls under said stem portion of said bed base, said gas spring developing a downward force on said drive wheel reducing a tendency of the drive wheel to slip on a floor surface.

Apparatus comprising:

• a hospital bed having first and second ends;
• and
• a motorized transport removably docked to and substantially within a footprint of said bed at one of said ends for assisting a care provider in rolling said bed from place to place;
• said bed having a generally Y-shaped base with casters thereon one end of which has a pair of spaced arms, said motorized transport comprising:
• a base with casters thereon, said transport base being adapted to nest within said spaced arms of said Y-shaped hospital bed base and to dock thereto;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said transport base;
• means mounted on said transport base for powering said drive wheel;
• means mounted on said transport for controlling said drive wheel;
• and
• handle means connected to and extending upwardly from said transport base for steering said transport.

Apparatus comprising:

• a hospital bed having first and second ends;
• and
• a motorized transport removably docked to and substantially within a footprint of said bed at one of said ends for assisting a care provider in rolling said bed from place to place;
• said bed having a generally y-shaped base with casters thereon, one end of which has a pair of spaced arms, said motorized transport comprising:
• a base with casters thereon, said transport base being adapted to nest within said spaced arms of said Y-shaped hospital bed base and to dock thereto;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said transport base;
• means mounted on said transport base for powering said drive wheel;
• means mounted on said transport for controlling said drive wheel;
• handle means connected to and extending upwardly from said transport base;
• and
• resilient means operable between said motorized transport and said bed for exerting a downward force on said drive wheel to reduce a tendency of said drive wheel to slip on a floor surface.

Apparatus comprising:

• a hospital bed having a base with casters thereon, said bed having first and second ends;
• a piece of medical equipment having a base with casters thereon, said piece of medical equipment being removably docked to and substantially within a footprint of said bed at said first end, said piece of equipment including means for providing life support to a patient situated atop said bed;
• and
• a motorized transport having a base with casters thereon, said transport being removably docked to and substantially within a footprint of said bed at said second end, said motorized transport for assisting a care provider in rolling said bed from place to place.

A motorized transport for assisting a care provider in rolling a bed from place to place, comprising:

• a base with casters on a rear end;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on a lower fork connected to said base, said lower fork positioning said drive wheel forwardly of and below said base;
• an upwardly projecting gas spring connected to said lower fork, said gas spring having a lower end pivotally connected to said fork and a roller rotatably mounted to an upper end of said gas spring, said upper end of said gas spring being pivotally connected to a first end of a link, said link having a second end pivotally connected to said fork;
• a motor mounted on said base for powering said drive wheel;
• and
• handles extending upwardly from said base for steering said transport and the bed;
• whereby said transport is adapted to dock to a bed having a generally Y-shaped base having a stem portion and a pair of spaced arms extending from the stem portion, and to be removably secured thereat, said lower fork and drive wheel being adapted to be positioned below the stem, and whereby said roller is forced downwardly against the resistance of said gas spring as said transport is docked to the bed base and as sail roller rolls under the stem portion of the bed base, said gas spring developing a downward force on said drive wheel reducing a tendency of said drive wheel to slip on a floor surface.

Apparatus comprising:

• a hospital bed comprising:
• a base with casters, said base being generally Y-shaped and having a stem portion and a pair of spaced arms extending from said stem portion, each said spaced arm having a laterally diverging portion and a longitudinal portion generally parallel a longitudinal axis of said stem portion, said laterally diverging portions having first ends connected to said stem portion and laterally spaced across said stem portion,
• a latch bar mounted atop said stem portion between said laterally diverging portions of said spaced arms;
• and
• a motorized transport comprising:
• a base with casters on a rear end,
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on a lower fork connected to said base, said lower fork positioning said drive wheel forwardly of and below said base,
• a latching finger pivotably mounted on an upper fork connected to said base, said upper fork positioning said latching finger forwardly of and above said base,
• a motor mounted on said base for powering said drive wheel,
• handles extending upwardly from said base for steering said transport and bed,
• whereby said transport is adapted to dock between said spaced arms and to said stem, and to be removably secured thereat, said upper fork being positioned above said stem, said lower fork being positioned below said stem, said pivoting latching finger latching over said latch bar, and said drive wheel being positioned beneath said stem.

A motorized transport for assisting a care provider in rolling a bed from place to place comprising:

• a base with casters on a rear end;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on a lower fork connected to said base, said lower fork positioning said drive wheel forwardly of and below said base;
• a latching finger pivotably mounted on an upper fork connected to said base, said upper fork positioning said latching finger forwardly of and above said base;
• a motor mounted on said base for power said drive wheel;
• and
• handles extending upwardly from said base for steering said transport and a bed;
• whereby said transport is adapted to dock to a bed having a generally Y-shaped base having a stem portion and a pair of spaced arms extending from the stem portion, and to be removably secured thereat, said upper fork adapted to be positioned above the stem, said lower fork adapted to be positioned below the stem, said pivoting latching finger adapted to latch to a latch bar mounted atop the stem, said drive wheel adapted to be positioned below the stem.

Apparatus for powered transport of a hospital bed, the bed having a generally Y-shaped base with casters thereon, one end of which has a pair of spaced arms, comprising:

• a base with casters thereon, said apparatus base being adapted to nest within the spaced arms of the Y-shaped hospital bed base and to dock thereto;
• a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said apparatus base;
• a power source mounted on said apparatus for powering said drive wheel;
• a controller mounted on said apparatus for controlling said drive wheel;
• and
• handles connected to and extending upwardly from said apparatus base for steering said apparatus.