Steering system for heavy mobile medical equipment

A mobile medical equipment system comprising:

• a mobile base to movably support medical equipment, the mobile base including
• a chassis having a left side, a right side, a front side, and a back side;
• at least one non-steerable wheel coupled to the chassis near the front side, the at least one non-steerable wheel rotates to roll the mobile medical equipment system over a floor;
• a first steerable wheel and a second steerable wheel spaced apart and pivotally coupled to the chassis near the back side, the first and second steerable wheels to steer the mobile medical equipment system around the floor;
• and
• a steering system coupled to the chassis and the first and second steerable wheels, the steering system to receive directional input from a user, the steering system to couple the directional input to the first and second steerable wheels, the steering system including
• a pair of angled arms having a pair of cam follower slots, a first angled arm of the pair of angled arms coupled to the first steerable wheel and a second angled arm of the pair of angled arms coupled to the second steerable wheel,
• a pair of ground links spaced apart and pivotally coupled to the chassis, the pair of ground links having a pair of cam followers inserted into the pair of cam follower slots of the pair of angled arms,
• a sliding bar pivotally coupled to the pair of ground links, and
• a tiller link pivotally coupled to the sliding bar.

A mobile medical equipment system comprising:

• a mobile base to movably support medical equipment, the mobile base including
• a chassis having a left side, a right side, a front side, and a back side;
• at least one non-steerable wheel coupled to the chassis near the front side, the at least one non-steerable wheel to rotate to roll the mobile medical equipment system over a floor;
• a first steerable wheel and a second steerable wheel spaced apart and pivotally coupled to the chassis near the back side, the first and second steerable wheels to steer the mobile medical equipment system around the floor;
• and
• a steering system coupled to the chassis and the first and second steerable wheels, the steering system including
• a first cam plate pivotally coupled to the chassis, the first cam plate having a first cam follower slot and a first angled arm coupled to the first steerable wheel to pivot and form a first wheel angle;
• a second cam plate spaced apart from the first cam plate and pivotally coupled to the chassis, the second cam plate having a second cam follower slot and a second angled arm coupled to the second steerable wheel to pivot and form a second wheel angle;
• a first short link pivotally coupled to the chassis, the first short link having a first cam follower inserted into the first cam follower slot to pivot the first cam plate;
• a second short link spaced apart from the first short link and pivotally coupled to the chassis, the second short link having a second cam follower inserted into the second cam follower slot to pivot the second cam plate;
• a long link pivotally coupled to the first short link and the second short link, the long link to convert a lateral sweeping motion into parallel pivotal motions of the first short link and the second short link;
• a tiller link pivotally coupled to the chassis and the long link, the tiller link to pivot to receive the directional input of the user and laterally sweep the long link.