Hospital bed having caster braking alarm
View Patent ↗A patient support is connectable to an external power source. The patient support includes a bedframe supported on a floor, a plurality of wheels coupled to the bedframe, and a brake configured to prevent the bed from moving on the floor. The brake is moveable between a braked position and an unbraked position. The patient support also includes a controller configured to activate an alarm when the brake is moved to the unbraked position when the bed is connected to the external power source.
1. A patient support adapted to be connected to an external power source, the patient support comprising
a bedframe supported on a floor,
a plurality of wheels coupled to the bedframe,
a brake configured to prevent the bedframe from moving on the floor, the brake being moveable between a braked position and an unbraked position, and
a controller configured to activate an alarm when the brake is moved to the unbraked position when the patient support is connected to the external power source, wherein the alarm comprises an audible alarm.
2. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wheels comprise casters in contact with the floor.
3. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the brake includes a lever supported by the bedframe and moveable between the braked and unbraked positions by a user's foot.
4. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the audible alarm is included as part of a control panel coupled to the bedframe.
5. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the alarm further comprises an indicator light.
6. The patient support of claim 5 , wherein the indicator light flashes to provide a warning not to move the patient support until disconnected from the external power source.
7. The patient support of claim 5 , wherein the indicator light is included as part of a control panel coupled to the bedframe.
8. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the brake includes an electrical contact configured to send a signal to the controller when the brake is moved from the unbraked position to the braked position.
9. The patient support of claim 1 , further comprising a battery enable switch that allows a caregiver to operate electrically controlled functions of the patient support using battery power when the patient support is disconnected from the external power source.
10. The patient support of claim 9 , wherein the bedframe includes a siderail and the battery enable switch is mounted to the siderail.
11. The patient support of claim 9 , further comprising a pendant controller and the battery enable switch is mounted to the pendant controller.
12. A patient support adapted to be connected to an external power source, the patient support comprising
a bedframe supported on a floor,
a plurality of wheels coupled to the bedframe,
a brake configured to prevent the bedframe from moving on the floor, the brake being moveable between a braked position and an unbraked position, and
a controller configured to activate an alarm when the brake is moved to the unbraked position when the patient support is connected to the external power source, and
a battery enable switch that allows a caregiver to operate electrically controlled functions of the patient support using battery power when the patient support is disconnected from the external power source, wherein if the patient support is disconnected from external power and the battery enable switch has not been used for a threshold time period, the patient support is placed in a sleep mode.
13. The patient support of claim 12 , wherein the threshold time period is about 20 minutes.
14. The patient support of claim 12 , wherein during sleep mode, the electrically operable functions of the patient support are disabled.
15. A patient support adapted to be connected to an external power source, the patient support comprising
a bedframe supported on a floor,
a plurality of wheels coupled to the bedframe,
a brake configured to prevent the bedframe from moving on the floor, the brake being moveable between a braked position and an unbraked position, and
a controller configured to activate an alarm when the brake is moved to the unbraked position when the patient support is connected to the external power source, wherein the brake includes a lever supported by the bedframe and moveable between the braked and unbraked positions by a user's foot.
16. A patient support adapted to be connected to an external power source, the patient support comprising
a bedframe supported on a floor,
a plurality of wheels coupled to the bedframe,
a brake configured to prevent the bedframe from moving on the floor, the brake being moveable between a braked position and an unbraked position, and
a controller configured to activate an alarm when the brake is moved to the unbraked position when the patient support is connected to the external power source, wherein the alarm comprises an indicator light, wherein the indicator light flashes to provide a warning not to move the patient support until disconnected from the external power source.
17. The patient support of claim 16 , wherein the indicator light is included as part of a control panel coupled to the bedframe.
18. A patient support adapted to be connected to an external power source, the patient support comprising
a bedframe supported on a floor,
a plurality of wheels coupled to the bedframe,
a brake configured to prevent the bedframe from moving on the floor, the brake being moveable between a braked position and an unbraked position,
a controller configured to activate an alarm when the brake is moved to the unbraked position when the patient support is connected to the external power source, and
a battery enable switch that allows a caregiver to operate electrically controlled functions of the patient support using battery power when the patient support is disconnected from the external power source, wherein the bedframe includes a siderail and the battery enable switch is mounted to the siderail.
19. A patient support adapted to be connected to an external power source, the patient support comprising
a bedframe supported on a floor,
a plurality of wheels coupled to the bedframe,
a brake configured to prevent the bedframe from moving on the floor, the brake being moveable between a braked position and an unbraked position,
a controller configured to activate an alarm when the brake is moved to the unbraked position when the patient support is connected to the external power source
a battery enable switch that allows a caregiver to operate electrically controlled functions of the patient support using battery power when the patient support is disconnected from the external power source, and
a pendant controller and the battery enable switch is mounted to the pendant controller.