DIRECTIONAL WHEEL LOCK ASSEMBLIES AND COTS HAVING DIRECTIONAL WHEEL LOCK ASSEMBLIES

1 . A directional wheel lock assembly comprising:

a pedal;

a linking rod coupled to the pedal;

an actuation plunger comprising an upper opening;

an actuation pin disposed through the upper opening of the actuator plunger, wherein the linking rod is coupled to an end of the actuation pin;

an actuation plate comprising a recess and an opening within the recess, wherein the actuation plunger is positioned within the opening; and

a wheel lock plate comprising a lock opening, wherein the wheel lock plate is operable to be coupled to a wheel.

2 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

actuation of the pedal into a locked position pushes the linking rod such that the linking rod rotates the actuation pin, which causes the actuation pin to drop into the recess and lower the actuation plunger into the lock opening of a wheel lock plate to prevent a swivel motion of the wheel, and

actuation of the pedal into an unlocked position pulls the linking rod such that the linking rod rotates the actuation pin, which causes the actuation pin to raise out of the recess and raise the actuation plunger from the lock opening of the wheel lock plate to allow the swivel motion of the wheel.

3 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wheel lock plate comprises a tapered wall that in part defines the recess.

4 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 3 , wherein the actuation pin slides along the tapered wall when transitioning between the locked position and the unlocked position.

5 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation plunger has an end having a shape that corresponds with a shape of the lock opening.

6 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation pin is orthogonal to the actuation plunger.

7 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second pedal, a second linking rod, a second actuation plunger, a second actuation pin, a second actuation plate, a second wheel lock plate, and a cross-bar, wherein the cross-bar is coupled to the first pedal and the second pedal such that actuation of one of the first pedal and the second pedal actuates the other of the first pedal and the second pedal.

8 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the linking rod comprises a bent portion that is bent around a portion of the actuation plate having the recess.

9 . The directional wheel lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the linking rod is such that the pedal is operable to be offset from the wheel by a distance that is greater than or equal to ten centimeters.

10 . A wheeled device comprising:

a frame;

a base frame coupled to the frame;

a first pair of wheels coupled to the frame and a second pair of wheels coupled to the frame;

a directional wheel lock assembly comprising:

a pedal;

a linking rod coupled to the pedal such that the pedal is configured to be offset from a wheel;

an actuation plunger comprising an upper opening;

an actuation pin disposed through the upper opening of the actuator plunger, wherein the linking rod is coupled to an end of the actuation pin;

an actuation plate comprising a recess and an opening within the recess, wherein the actuation plunger is positioned within the opening; and

a wheel lock plate comprising a lock opening, wherein the wheel lock plate is operable to be coupled to a wheel.

11 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein:

actuation of the pedal into a locked position pushes the linking rod such that the linking rod rotates the actuation pin, which causes the actuation pin to drop into the recess and lower the actuation plunger into the lock opening of a wheel lock plate to prevent a swivel motion of the wheel, and

actuation of the pedal into an unlocked position pulls the linking rod such that the linking rod rotates the actuation pin, which causes the actuation pin to raise out of the recess and raise the actuation plunger from the lock opening of the wheel lock plate to allow the swivel motion of the wheel.

12 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein the wheeled device is an emergency cot.

13 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein the wheel lock plate comprises a tapered wall that in part defines the recess.

14 . The wheeled device of claim 13 , wherein the actuation pin slides along the tapered wall when transitioning between the locked position and the unlocked position.

15 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein the actuation plunger has an end having a shape that corresponds with a shape of the lock opening.

16 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein the actuation pin is orthogonal to the actuation plunger.

17 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein the directional wheel lock assembly further comprises a second pedal, a second linking rod, a second actuation plunger, a second actuation pin, a second actuation plate, a second wheel lock plate, and a cross-bar, wherein the cross-bar is coupled to the first pedal and the second pedal such that actuation of one of the first pedal and the second pedal actuates the other of the first pedal and the second pedal.

18 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein the linking rod comprises a bent portion that is bent around a portion of the actuation plate having the recess.

19 . The wheeled device of claim 10 , wherein the linking rod is such that the pedal is operable to be offset from the wheel by a distance that is greater than or equal to ten centimeters.