Medical patient transport and care apparatus

A patient transport and care apparatus for use when transporting human or animal hospitalized patients in a hospital environment without significant imposition on the patient, said patient transport and care apparatus comprising:

• an upstanding, skeletal frame structure having a plurality of wheels mounted thereto for rolling surface contact, said frame structure defining a patient support area, and including a superstructure projecting upwardly beyond said patient support area;
• means for supporting a patient for transport on said apparatus, said patient support means selectively mountable to said frame structure and movable between a storage disposition and a patient support disposition;
• means for lifting said patient support means, said lifting means being mounted to said superstructure and including an electric motor, means for selectively operatively connecting said lifting means to said patient support means and control means for selectively controlling said electric motor to cause vertical movement of said patient support means when said patient support means is operatively connected to said electric motor;
• and
• means for weighing a patient, said Weighing means being mounted to said frame structure in association with said lifting means, and including a load cell operatively connected to said patient support means, said load cell producing an electric signal proportional to the gravitational force exerted on said patient support means for displaying a numerical value associated with said gravitational force responsive to input from said load cell.

A patient transport and care apparatus for use when transporting human or animal hospitalized patients in a hospital environment without significant intrusion on the patient, said patient transport and care apparatus comprising:

• an upstanding skeletal frame structure having a plurality of wheels mounted thereto for rolling surface contact, said frame structure defining a patient support area and including a superstructure projecting upwardly beyond said patient support area, said frame structure having an open end portion being sized and configured to selectively contain a floor-standing patient support structure otherwise disassociated with said apparatus by rolling movement into and out of a generally surrounding relationship with the patient support structure;
• a patient support platform formed from flexible sheet material and selectively supportable along side edges thereof by said frame structure, said platform being selectively movable transversely across said patient support area between a storage disposition and an extended disposition for patient support;
• a lifting assembly mounted to said superstructure in a spaced vertical relationship with said platform, said lifting assembly including an electric motor operatively connected to a pair of support braces, said support braces being selectively attachable to and detachable from said platform and pivotably mounted to said superstructure for movement between a stowage disposition and a disposition for selective attachment to and detachment from said platform;
• and
• a control assembly for selectively controlling said motor to cause vertical movement of said platform when said platform is connected to said support braces.