Portable patient lift
An apparatus for lifting and moving a patient including a cart assembly with at least one drive wheel assembly secured thereto, a carriage assembly that is rotatably secured to the cart assembly, the carriage assembly including a lift assembly with a support arm, a patient support device operably secured to the support arm, and a counterweight assembly, the counterweight being movable along a longitudinal axis of the carriage assembly.
1 . An apparatus for lifting and moving a patient, the apparatus comprising: a cart assembly including a frame; a pair of wheel assemblies secured to the frame of the cart assembly; a carriage assembly including a frame, the carriage assembly being operably secured to the cart assembly; a lift assembly including a support arm with a proximal end secured to a front end of the frame of the carriage assembly; a patient support device operably secured to a distal end of the support arm; and a counterweight assembly including a plurality of counterweights supported on the carriage assembly, wherein the plurality of counterweights are selectively movable along a longitudinal axis of the carriage assembly, wherein the longitudinal axis of the carriage assembly extends parallel or substantially parallel to a horizontal surface, wherein the carriage assembly is rotatable with respect to the cart assembly.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the counterweight assembly further comprises: a sled on which the plurality of counterweights are disposed a plurality of rollers secured to the sled; and at least one elongated rail disposed on a top surface of the carriage assembly, wherein a longitudinal axis of each elongated rail of the at least one elongated rail is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carriage assembly, and wherein each of the plurality of rollers is in rolling contact with a corresponding elongated rail of the at least one elongated rail.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of rollers comprises a first pair of rollers and a second pair of rollers, wherein the at least one elongated rail comprises a first elongated rail and a second elongated rail, and wherein the first pair of rollers is in rolling contact with the first elongated rail and the second pair of rollers is in rolling contact with the second elongated rail.
4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the counterweight assembly further comprises a linear actuator configured to move the plurality of counterweights fore and aft with respect to the longitudinal axis of the carriage assembly.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the linear actuator further comprises a lead screw assembly including a lead screw and a handle operably connected thereto, wherein rotation of the handle in a clockwise direction moves the sled in a first direction and rotation of the handle in a counter-clockwise direction moves the sled in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lift assembly further comprises a rotatable drum, an elongated flexible member having a proximal end operably secured to the rotatable drum, and a distal end secured to the patient support device, wherein rotation of the rotatable drum in a clockwise direction causes the elongated flexible member to be wound around the rotatable drum, thereby moving the patient support device vertically in a first direction, and wherein rotation of the rotatable drum in a counter-clockwise direction causes the elongated flexible member to be un-wound from the rotatable drum, moving the patient support device vertically in a second direction that is opposite the first vertical direction.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the lift assembly further comprises a lift motor that is operably secured to the rotatable drum and configured to selectively rotate the rotatable drum in the clockwise and the counter-clockwise directions, and wherein the elongated flexible member of the lift assembly comprises a flat strap.
8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a vertical height of the support arm is adjustable.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing assembly having a bottom plate secured to the cart assembly, a top plate secured to both the carriage assembly and the bottom plate, and a plurality of rollers disposed between the top plate and the bottom plate.
10 . An apparatus for lifting and moving a patient, the apparatus comprising: a cart assembly including a frame; a pair of powered wheel assemblies secured to the frame of the cart assembly; a lift assembly including a support arm that is operably secured to the cart assembly; a patient support device operably secured to the support arm; and a counterweight assembly including a plurality of counterweights, wherein the plurality of counterweights are selectively movable along a longitudinal axis of the cart assembly, wherein the longitudinal axis of the cart assembly extends parallel or substantially parallel to a horizontal surface, wherein the counterweight assembly further comprises: a sled on which the plurality of counterweights is disposed; a plurality of rollers secured to the sled; and at least one elongated rail operably mounted to the cart assembly, and wherein each of the plurality of rollers is in rolling contact with a corresponding elongated rail of the at least one elongated rail.
11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of rollers comprises a first pair of rollers and a second pair of rollers, wherein the at least one elongated rail comprises a first elongated rail and a second elongated rail, and wherein the first pair of rollers is in rolling contact with the first elongated rail and the second pair of rollers is in rolling contact with the second elongated rail.
12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the counterweight assembly further comprises a linear actuator configured to move the plurality of counterweights with respect to the longitudinal axis.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the linear actuator further comprises a lead screw assembly including a lead screw and a handle operably connected thereto, wherein rotation of the handle in a clockwise direction moves the sled in a first direction, and wherein rotation of the handle in a counter-clockwise direction moves the sled in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.
14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the lift assembly further comprises a rotatable drum, a lift motor that is operably secured to the drum and configured to selectively rotate the rotatable drum in a clockwise and a counter-clockwise direction, an elongated flexible member having a proximal end operably secured to the rotatable drum, and a distal end secured to the patient support device, wherein rotation of the rotatable drum in the clockwise direction causes the elongated flexible member to be wound around the rotatable drum, thereby moving the patient support device vertically in a first direction, and wherein rotation of the rotatable drum in the counter-clockwise direction causes the elongated flexible member to be un-wound from the rotatable drum, thereby moving the patient support device vertically in a second direction that is opposite the first vertical direction.
15 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each powered wheel assembly of the pair of powered wheel assemblies is secured to a corresponding side of the frame of the cart assembly and includes a drive motor and a drive wheel operably secured thereto.
16 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a carriage assembly that is rotatably secured to the cart assembly, wherein the support arm of the lift assembly includes a proximal end that is secured directly to the carriage assembly, and wherein the plurality counterweights are movable axially in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the carriage assembly.
17 . An apparatus for lifting and moving a person, the apparatus comprising:
a cart assembly including a frame;
a plurality of wheels secured to the frame of the cart assembly;
a carriage assembly including a frame, the carriage assembly being operably secured to the cart assembly, the carriage assembly being rotatably mounted to the cart assembly such that the carriage assembly is rotatable about a vertical axis independently of the cart assembly, wherein the vertical axis is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a horizontal surface;
a lift assembly including a support arm with a proximal end secured to the frame of the carriage assembly; and
a support device for the person operably secured to a distal end of the support arm.
18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels is a powered wheel.
19 . The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a counterweight assembly including one or more counterweights supported on the carriage assembly such that the one or more counterweights are configured to rotate with the carriage assembly about the vertical axis independently of the cart assembly.