Aeromedical ambulance equipment and methods
The invention provides aeromedical ambulance equipment. In some embodiments, the equipment includes a module base comprising a mount assembly having an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration. The mount assembly preferably can be adjusted between the unlocked and locked configurations by a tool-free operation. In addition, certain embodiments provide a module base having an advantageous system for releasably locking a stretcher onto the module base.
1 . An aeromedical ambulance module configured to be mounted in an aircraft, the aeromedical ambulance module comprising a module base that has a front side, a rear side, a top side, a bottom side, a feet-side end, and a head-side end, the module base having a length and a width, the length of the module base extending from the feet-side end to the head-side end, and the width of the module base extending from the front side to the rear side, wherein the length of the module base is greater than the width of the module base, and the module base includes two latches configured to releasably secure a stretcher onto the module base, each of the two latches having a retracted position and an extended position, the module base further comprising an actuator operably coupled with the two latches, the actuator being movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, such that each of the two latches is configured to move from the retracted position to the extended position in response to movement of the actuator from the unlocked position to the locked position, the module base further including an indexing arrangement that comprises two shoulders configured to respectively receive two mount portions on a bottom side of the stretcher, wherein the two shoulders are located adjacent the rear side of the module base, whereas the two latches are located closer to the front side of the module base than to the rear side.
2 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the actuator is a single-motion actuator that is configured to move between the unlocked position and the locked position in response to a tool-free operation.
3 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a lever configured to move pivotally when the actuator moves between the unlocked position and the locked position.
4 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the module base has a top side, and each of the two latches when in the extended position projects upwardly from the top side of the module base.
5 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 4 wherein the top side of the module base comprises a generally planar top wall configured to supportably receive a bottom side of the stretcher, the top side of the module base having two openings in the generally planar top wall through which the two latches extend respectively when in the extended position.
6 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the two latches being are centered on a common axis extending along the length of the module base.
7 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the two latches when in the retracted position are inside the module base.
8 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the two latches are respectively spaced inwardly of the head-side and feet-side ends of the module base by at least 10% of the length of the module base.
9 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 8 wherein the two latches are respectively spaced inwardly of the head-side and feet-side ends of the module base by at least 15% of the length of the module base.
10 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the module base is in a mounted position within an aircraft having a seat track, such that the module base is attached removably to two spaced-apart rails of the seat track, whereby the module base is adjacent to a floor of the aircraft.
11 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the two latches are configured to pivot away from each other when they each move from the retracted position to the extended position.
12 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the aeromedical ambulance module further includes the stretcher, the stretcher has a top side and a bottom side, and the bottom side of the stretcher has two bars to which the two latches respectively are engaged releasably, the two bars extending along a length of the stretcher, the stretcher having a head side and a feet side, the head side and the feet side being on opposite ends of the stretcher, such that the length of the stretcher extends from the head side to the feet side.
13 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 12 wherein the module base and the stretcher are configured to allow the stretcher to be releasably locked on the module base with the head side of the stretcher adjacent either the head-side end or the feet-side end of the module base, such that aeromedical ambulance module has two operatively-mounted configurations: one with the head side of the stretcher adjacent the head-side end of the module base, the other with the feet side of the stretcher adjacent the head-side end of the module base.
14 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 13 wherein the stretcher has mount bars on each lateral half of the stretcher.
15 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the two latches are each configured to pivot upwardly and rearwardly, so as to move toward the rear side of the module base, when they each move from the unlocked position to the locked position.
16 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 15 wherein the actuator comprises a lever received in an upright track extending in an upright direction along the front side of the module base.
17 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 16 wherein each of the two latches comprises a curved bar.
18 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 16 wherein each of the two latches comprises a bar having a circular cross section, the top side of the module base has two openings each with a circular shape, and each bar projects through a corresponding one of the two openings when the two latches are each in the extended position.
19 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the actuator includes a detent, the detent configured to releasably hold the actuator in place when the actuator is in the locked position.
20 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 19 wherein the detent comprises a pin that is moveable axially between engaged and disengaged positions.
21 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the two latches are configured to releasably secure the stretcher onto the module base by releasably engaging two mount bars on the bottom side of the stretcher that are elongated parallel to, or substantially parallel to, a length of the stretcher.
22 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 21 wherein the two shoulders are configured to respectively receive the two mount portions on the bottom side of the stretcher, where the two mount portions on the bottom side of the stretcher are elongated parallel to, or substantially parallel to, the length of the stretcher.
23 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the module base comprises a housing of aluminum, titanium, or tungsten.
24 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the module base is composed of machined and formed sheets, plates, and bars of aluminum, titanium, or tungsten.
25 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein the front side of the module base includes an instrument panel, and the actuator is on the front side of the module base.
26 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 25 wherein the instrument panel on the front side of the module base includes one or more of supply outlets for oxygen, air, and vacuum.
27 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 25 wherein the actuator on the front side of the module base is adjacent the top side of the module base.
28 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 1 wherein one of the two shoulders is adjacent the head-side end of the module base, whereas the other of the two shoulders is adjacent the feet-side end of the module base.
29 . An aeromedical ambulance module configured to be mounted in an aircraft, the aeromedical ambulance module comprising a module base that has a front side, a rear side, a top side, a bottom side, a feet-side end, and a head-side end, the module base having a length and a width, with the length of the module base extending from the feet-side end to the head-side end, and the width of the module base extending from the front side to the rear side, wherein the length of the module base is greater than the width of the module base, and the module base includes two latches configured to releasably secure a stretcher onto the module base, each of the two latches having a retracted position and an extended position, and wherein the two latches are located closer to the front side of the module base than to the rear side, the module base further comprising an actuator operably coupled with the two latches, the actuator being movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, such that each of the two latches is configured to move from the retracted position to the extended position in response to movement of the actuator from the unlocked position to the locked position, wherein the module base further comprises a mount pin having a retracted position and an extended position, the mount pin when in the extended position projecting upwardly from the top side of the module base, such that the mount pin when in the extended position is configured to be received in an aperture in a bottom side of the stretcher, and the mount pin when in the retracted position is retracted inside the mount base.
30 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 29 wherein the mount pin and each of the two latches are configured to move from the retracted position to the extended position in response to movement of the actuator from the unlocked position to the locked position.
31 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 30 wherein the aeromedical ambulance module further includes the stretcher, the stretcher has a top side and the bottom side, the actuator is in the locked position, the bottom side of the stretcher has two bars to which the two latches respectively are engaged releasably, and the mount pin is received in the aperture in the bottom side of the stretcher.
32 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 14 wherein the two bars on the bottom side of the stretcher to which the two latches respectively are engaged releasably are elongated parallel to, or substantially parallel to, a length of the stretcher, the stretcher having a head side and a feet side, the head side and the feet side being on opposite ends of the stretcher, such that the length of the stretcher extends from the head side to the feet side.
33 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 29 wherein the module base further comprises two seating shoulders configured to respectively receive two mount portions on a bottom side of the stretcher, and the two seating shoulders are closer to the rear side of the module base than to the front side.
34 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 12 wherein the mount pin is closer to the front side of the module base than to the rear side.
35 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 29 wherein module base includes a top wall that is devoid of exposed openings other than: (i) a gap between the top wall and each latch, and (ii) a gap between the top wall and the mount pin.
36 . The aeromedical ambulance module of claim 29 wherein the top side of the module base comprises a generally planar top wall having an aperture from which the mount pin projects when in the extended position, and the mount pin when in the retracted position is retracted entirely inside the mount base.