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AssigneeHill-Rom Services, Inc.
InventorsGerald D. Eckstein, Christopher M. George, Raymond C. Gould, David W. Hornbach, Ken Q. Rudolph, Michelle Walker, Robert Mark Zerhusen
Estimating the term…
An overbed table includes a table portion and a telescoping support column. The column includes an outer column portion and an inner column portion. The inner and outer column portions have surfaces adjacent each other. A bearing cage is oriented between the adjacent surfaces of the inner and outer column portions. Bearings are captured between the surfaces and the bearing cage. The bearings engage the surfaces to promote projection of the inner column portion from, and retraction of the inner column portion into, the outer column portion. The overbed table also includes a first table section supported by the column for movement horizontally with respect to the column, and a second table section coupled to the first table section and the column such that movement of the second table section results in sliding movement of the first table section.
An overbed table including a table portion and a telescoping support column including an outer column portion and an inner column portion, a table portion coupled to one of the outer and inner column portions, a base coupled to the other of the outer and inner column portions, the inner and outer column portions having bearing surfaces adjacent each other, a bearing cage oriented between the adjacent bearing surfaces of the inner and outer column portions, and bearings captured between the surfaces and the bearing cage, the bearings having bearing surfaces engaging the bearing surfaces to promote projection of the inner column portion from, and retraction of the inner column portion into, the outer column portion.
An overbed table including a table portion and a telescoping support column including an outer column portion and an inner column portion, a table portion coupled to one of the outer and inner column portions, a base coupled to the other of the outer and inner column portions, the inner and outer column portions having surfaces adjacent each other, a bearing cage oriented between the adjacent surfaces of the inner and outer column portions, and bearings captured between the surfaces and the bearing cage, the bearings engaging the surfaces to promote projection of the inner column portion from, and retraction of the inner column portion into, the outer column portion, wherein the surfaces include bearing races, the bearings captured between the races and within the cage, and wherein the bearings include roller bearings having axes of rotation, the axes of rotation of some of the bearings making non-zero angles with respect to the axes of rotation of others of the bearings.
An overbed table including a table portion and a telescoping support column including an outer column portion and an inner column portion, a table portion coupled to one of the outer and inner column portions, a base coupled to the other of the outer and inner column portions, the inner and outer column portions having surfaces adjacent each other, a bearing cage oriented between the adjacent surfaces of the inner and outer column portions, and bearings captured between the surfaces and the bearing cage, the bearings engaging the surfaces to promote projection of the inner column portion from, and retraction of the inner column portion into, the outer column portion, wherein each of the inner and outer column portions includes two surfaces adjacent two surfaces of the other of the inner and outer column portions, two bearing cages, one of the bearing cages oriented between each pair of adjacent surfaces.
An overbed table including a table portion and a telescoping support column including an outer column portion and an inner column portion, a table portion coupled to one of the outer and inner column portions, a base coupled to the other of the outer and inner column portions, the inner and outer column portions having surfaces adjacent each other, a bearing cage oriented between the adjacent surfaces of the inner and outer column portions, and bearings captured between the surfaces and the bearing cage, the bearings engaging the surfaces to promote projection of the inner column portion from, and retraction of the inner column portion into, the outer column portion, each of the surfaces including a rack, a pinion on the cage for engaging both racks as the outer and inner column portions move relative to each other, each of the surfaces further including a bearing race, the bearings captured between the races and within the cage, the bearings including roller bearings having axes of rotation, the axes of rotation of some of the bearings making non-zero angles with respect to the axes of rotation of others of the bearings.
An overbed table including a frame, a first table section supported by the frame for movement horizontally with respect to the frame, and a second table section pivotally coupled to the first table section by a first pivotal coupling and to the first table section and frame by a releasable coupling such that movement of the second table section results in sliding movement of the first table section.
The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the first table section is further supported by the frame for movement between a generally vertical position and a generally horizontal position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Tables with tops of variable height: telescopic guides
Supported from table, floor or wall: c-shaped bed tables, e.g. foldable
Tables
Term ended 13 Apr 2021 (estimated)
This invention relates to overbed tables, and particularly, to overbed tables with telescoping columns and more than one table top.
A number of different types of overbed tables are known. There are, for example, the overbed tables illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,473,997, 4,715,295, and 3,854,428, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. No representation is intended that a complete search has been made of the prior art or that no better art than that listed is available, and no such representation should be inferred. This listing shall not be construed to be an admission that the listed references are, or are considered to be, material to patentability.
According to one aspect of the invention, an overbed table includes a table portion and a telescoping support column. The column includes an outer column portion and an inner column portion. A table portion is coupled to one of the outer and inner column portions. A base is coupled to the other of the outer and inner column portions. The inner and outer column portions have surfaces adjacent each other. A bearing cage is oriented between the adjacent surfaces of the inner and outer column portions. Bearings are captured between the surfaces and the bearing cage. The bearings engage the surfaces to promote projection of the inner column portion from, and retraction of the inner column portion into, the outer column portion.
The invention may best be understood by referring to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a telescoping column incorporated into an overbed table of the general type used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities;
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective phantom view of a telescoping column constructed according to the invention;
An overbed table 10 includes a base 12, a telescoping support column 14, which when combined with base 12 forms a frame or telescoping support column apparatus 15 to support first and second table sections 16 and 18. First and second table sections 16 and 18 are mounted at an upper end of support column 14. Base 12 is somewhat I-shaped in plan view and is provided at its four corners with casters 20 which permit convenient positioning of overbed table 10. Telescoping support column 14 extends upward from base 12 at an angle of, for example, 0° to 10° or so to vertical so that support column 14 can be positioned between a bed rail (not shown) and a mattress (not shown) positioned to lie on a bed frame (not shown).
Column 14 includes an inner column portion 22 and an outer column portion 24. Inner and outer column portions 22, 24 include adjacent surfaces 26, 28 and 30, 32, each of which is provided with a rail 34. In one embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, surface 36 of each rail 34 which lies adjacent a respective surface 26, 28, 30, 32 is provided with a tongue 38 which engages in a groove 40 formed in respective surface 26, 28, 30, 32. In another embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 2-3, surface 36 of each rail 34 which lies adjacent a respective surface 26, 28, 30, 32 is provided with spaced pairs of cylindrical projections or pins 42 which engage recesses or passages 44 formed in respective surface 26, 28, 30 or 32 to mount rail 34 to respective surface 26, 28, 30 or 32. Of course, other suitable mounting techniques, such as threaded fasteners, rivets, or the like, can be used to secure rails 34 to surfaces 26, 28, 30, 32. In the illustrated embodiments, however, rails 34 “float” adjacent their respective surfaces 26, 28, 30, 32 on elastomeric sheets 46 (FIG. 4) which are disposed between surfaces 36 of rails 34 and respective surfaces 26, 28, 30, 32.
On its side opposite surface 36, each rail 34 includes at least one, and in one illustrative embodiment, two, longitudinally extending, somewhat V-shaped bearing race(s) 48. A rack 50 (FIG. 6) can be provided on each rail 34, for example, between its bearing races 48. A bearing cage 52 includes openings 54 for retaining generally right circular cylindrical bearing rollers 56 in longitudinally spaced-apart relation between facing races 48 of two rails 34. Adjacent rollers 56 are oriented with their axes of rotation angled substantially 90° to each other and substantially 45° to the major surfaces 57 of the cage 52. Openings 58 (FIG. 5) in cage 52 are provided with axles 60 for rotatably supporting pinion gears 62. When a cage 52 with its rollers 56 and gears 62 is assembled between two rails 34, teeth 63 of gears 62 mesh with teeth 64 of racks 50 of both rails 34. This engagement, plus elastomeric sheets 46, where tolerances make such sheets 46 necessary or desirable, snubs or damps the telescoping motion of column portions 22 and 24 with respect to each other.