HK1088527B - Ambulance cot loading and unloading device - Google Patents

Description

Loading and unloading device for ambulance cot

Technical Field

The invention relates to a device and a method for loading and unloading a cot of an ambulance, and to a support device for a cot of an ambulance, which is used in particular in ambulances.

Background

Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel are required to handle the combined weight of the patient and the ambulance cot during the various stages of inserting the ambulance cot into the cargo area of the ambulance. In some instances, it is desirable for a first EMS person to lift the head end of the ambulance cot into the cargo area so that when the base structure of the ambulance cot is collapsed, the wheels of the head end rest on the floor surface of the cargo area, thereby requiring a second EMS person to lift the combined weight of the ambulance cot and the patient at the foot end of the ambulance cot during completion of insertion of the ambulance cot into the cargo area. The same requirement exists when an ambulance cot with a patient is removed from a cargo area. In some cases, as a result of this method of lifting and inserting and moving, there is a risk of back injury to the EMS personnel. In addition, when the ambulance cot is spaced from the ground during insertion or removal from the cargo area, there is a risk of injury to the patient on the ambulance cot when EMS personnel are injured and are unable to support the ambulance cot and the patient thereon. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an ambulance cot loading and unloading device and method of completion, and an ambulance cot support device within an ambulance, which would reduce the likelihood of patient injury during transport.

Disclosure of Invention

The objects and purposes of the present invention are achieved by providing a loading and unloading device for an ambulance cot which utilizes elongated guide rails configured to be mounted on a floor surface of a cargo area of an ambulance. The cart is supported on the elongated rail for movement relative to the rail. The cart is arranged to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position and is arranged to be fully contained within the cargo area when the cart is not in the first position. The ambulance cot has a collapsible and stretchable base and a patient support panel mounted on the base. The cart and ambulance cot are provided with a coupling mechanism configured to couple and fixedly hold the ambulance cot to the cart.

Drawings

Other objects and uses of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of this type of device upon reading the following description and viewing the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the interior of the cargo area of an ambulance incorporating the loading and unloading apparatus of an ambulance cot of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, with the ambulance cot loading and unloading device moved from the loading position within the cargo area shown in FIG. 1 to a deployed position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but with the ambulance cot loading and unloading device removed;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the loading and unloading device of the ambulance cot in the deployed position;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the ambulance cot loading and unloading device in an installed and locked position within the cargo area of the ambulance;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view similar to FIG. 5 with the loading and unloading device in an unlocked condition;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the circular region indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 7 and shows the locking pin in a locked position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 except the latch has been shifted to an unlocked position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the loading and unloading device of the ambulance cot in the installed position;

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the loading and unloading device of the ambulance cot with the cart and the elongated boom in the deployed position;

FIG. 12 is a partial view of the innermost end of the loading and unloading device of the ambulance cot;

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the loading and unloading device of the ambulance cot;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the circled area of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is similar to FIG. 14 except that the locking device is transferred to a locked position;

FIG. 16 is similar to FIG. 15 except that the locking device is shifted to an unlocked position;

FIG. 17 is a schematic side view of a cart and an elongated boom;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the ambulance cot of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a top view of the head end of the ambulance cot;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged detail view of the connection between the ambulance cot and the cart;

FIG. 21 is a schematic view of the start of an ambulance cot installation procedure;

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 21 with the trolley and boom moved to a deployed position ready to receive an ambulance cot;

FIG. 23 is a view similar to FIG. 22 with the ambulance cot engaged with the cart;

FIG. 24 is a view similar to FIG. 23, with the ambulance cot fully supported on the cart and associated boom;

FIG. 25 is a view similar to FIG. 24, with the base of the ambulance cot translated to a position ready for insertion into the cargo area of the ambulance;

FIG. 26 is a view similar to FIG. 25 with the ambulance cot and cart partially advanced into the cargo area of the ambulance;

FIG. 27 is a view similar to FIG. 26, with the stroller and ambulance cot inserted fully into the interior of the cargo area of the ambulance;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the elongated rail and associated structure at the foot end of the ambulance cot;

FIG. 29 is an enlarged side view of the engaged elongated rail and foot end of the ambulance cot;

FIG. 30 is a side view of the start of the removal sequence;

FIG. 31 is a view similar to FIG. 30, with the ambulance cot partially withdrawn from the cargo area;

FIG. 32 is a view similar to FIG. 31 with the base portion of the ambulance cot positioned above the ground;

FIG. 33 is a view similar to FIG. 32 with the base portion of the ambulance cot extended;

FIG. 34 is a view similar to FIG. 33 with the base of the ambulance cot fully extended with its wheels supported on the ground;

FIG. 35 is a view similar to FIG. 34 with the ambulance cot separated from the loading and unloading mechanism of the ambulance cot.

Detailed Description

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of an ambulance cot loading and unloading device 10 of the present invention positioned on a floor surface 11 of a cargo area 12 of an ambulance 13. Figure 2 shows the ambulance cot loading and unloading device in a deployed position wherein the distal end 14 of the elongated boom 16 extends to a position outside the cargo area 12. Within the conventional load carrying area 12 are a plurality of floor members 17 (fig. 3). These plates are arranged in a more or less standard array within each cargo area of the ambulance to which the loading and unloading device 10 of the ambulance cot of the present invention can be connected.

More specifically, the ambulance cot loading and unloading device 10 includes an elongated track 15 formed by a pair of elongated and parallel conduits 18 and 19, the conduits 18 and 19 having a plurality of mounting plates interconnecting the conduits at a plurality of locations along their length. The mounting plates 21 are spaced apart at a distance equal to the distance between the base plates 17 shown in fig. 3 so that the pipes 18 and 19 are fixed to the bottom surface 11 using the mounting plates 21.

The ambulance cot loading and unloading device 10 includes a cart 22 movable along the length of the conduits 18 and 19. The cart includes a pair of sleeves 23 and 24 that encase the conduits 18 and 19, respectively, and a plate 26 that interconnects the sleeves 23 and 24 (fig. 12). As shown in fig. 12, a lock lever 27 is also attached to and extends between the sleeves 23 and 24. The cart 22 also has a pair of upstanding bearing seats 28 provided on the sleeves 23 and 24 respectively.

The rightmost mounting plate 21 in figure 1 includes a plate 31 having an electrical connector 32 centrally mounted thereon, the electrical connector 32 being connected to the electronic system under the floor member 17 of the ambulance. An electrical connector 33 is centrally located on the latch lever 27 and is arranged to mate with the electrical connector 32 when the trolley 22 reaches the rightmost position of the conduits 18 and 19.

One end of the elongate boom 16 is pivotally secured to the bearing blocks 28 and 29 by any convenient structure for which an axle may be provided. The shaft is indicated by reference numeral 34. One end of the elongated boom adjacent the shaft 34 includes an upstanding hook structure 36 with the hook structure opening toward the distal end 14 of the elongated boom 16. As shown in fig. 17, two sets of toggle locks 38 and 39 are provided on the interior 37 of the hook formation 36. Each set of toggle levers 38 and 39 is pivotally mounted on the elongate boom 16 and is arranged to be movable in the manner suggested in figures 14, 15 and 16. Each toggle lever 38 and 39 includes a torsion spring that drives the toggle levers 38 and 39 to the position shown in figures 1 and 17 (not shown). When an item is moved into the interior 37 of the hook formation 36, as will be described in more detail below, each toggle lever 38 and 39 will rotate anticlockwise so that its long leg 41 can be moved to an upright position against the urging of the torsion spring. The latch 42 will move into a slot 43 provided in each toggle lever to secure the long leg 41 in the upright position, preventing withdrawal of the article. A first manually engageable handle 44 is connected to the latch 42 by an elongate link 46 for movement of the latch so that it can be moved away from the slot 43 to enable the torsion spring to return the respective toggle levers 38 and 39 to the position shown in figure 17. A second manual engagement handle 45 is connected to the elongate link 46 by a link 50 (fig. 17) to provide a second position and to facilitate removal of the pin 42 from the second position so that it can be removed from the slot 43 to enable the torsion spring to return the respective toggle levers 38 and 39 to the position shown in fig. 17.

A recess 47 is provided adjacent the distal end 14 of the elongate boom 16 in which a set of electrical contacts 48 are provided. The electrical contacts 48 may be electrically connected to the electrical contacts 33 described above. The function of the set of electrical contacts 48 will be described in more detail below.

The boom 16 may pivot about an axis 34. An electric hoist 49 is connected to and extends between the plate 26 and the underside of the boom 16. The electric hoist 49 is extendable and retractable to effect pivotal movement of the elongate boom in a manner that will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. A toggle switch 51 is mounted near the distal end 14 and, in operation, extension or retraction of the lifting mechanism 49 is effected by an electrical connection provided between the switch 51 and a drive motor of the lifting mechanism 49. If desired, a height sensor 52 (FIG. 11) may optionally be provided near the distal end 14 of the boom 16 to provide an indication of the distance between the underside of the boom 16 and the ground.

The underside of the elongate hanger bar 16 is provided with a projection 53 arranged to receive a socket 54 in the elongate track 15 defined by the conduits 18 and 19. It is desirable to locate the socket 54 on the mounting plate 21 so that when the elongate boom 16 is lowered to the position of fig. 4, the cart 22 will not be able to move relative to the conduits 18 and 19 by accommodating the projection 53 therein. When the elongated boom 16 is raised to the position shown in fig. 17, the projections 53 will move out of the receptacles 54, facilitating manual movement of the cart 22 along the length of the conduits 23, 24.

In this particular embodiment, no drive mechanism is employed to drive the cart 22 along the length of the conduits 18 and 19. However, it is envisioned that such a drive mechanism may be provided and is within the scope of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 10, a centrally located electrical connector 56 is provided on a mounting plate 57 at the end of the rail 15 remote from the electrical connector 32. The electrical connector 56 connects to the electronics system on the ambulance. When the cart 22 is in the position shown in fig. 10, no electrical power is provided. As a result, operation of the toggle switch 51 will not cause the jack mechanism 49 to operate. On the other hand, when the cart 22 is moved to the left, the cart 22 is provided with electrical connectors 60 (fig. 12) which are engageable with the electrical connectors 56 to provide electrical power to the toggle switch 51 to effect polarity reversal of the drive motor of the lifting mechanism 49 and corresponding raising and lowering of the boom 16 is effected only when the elongate boom 16 is in the deployed position as shown in fig. 2 and 11.

When the cart 22 is in the position of fig. 10, it is normally locked to the elongated rail 15 defined by the conduits 18 and 19. The locking mechanism 58 used is described in detail in fig. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The locking mechanism 58 includes a pin 59 (fig. 8) supported for vertical movement. The pin includes a roller 61 rotatably secured to the bottom end of the pin 59. A plate 62 having a recess 63 therein is secured to the elongate guide rail, for example to one of the mounting plates 21, so that the pin 59 can move vertically into and out of the recess 63. When the pin 59 is received in the groove 63 as shown in fig. 8, the cart 22 will not be able to move due to the interconnection of the pin 59 and the rail thereon.

The interior 37 of the hook-like formation 36 on the boom 16 is provided with an object detector 66. When an item is in the interior 37, the item detector 66 will hinge downward as shown in FIG. 6. A linkage 67 is provided to allow the pin 61 to be lifted from the recess 63 when the object detector 66 is moved to the position of figure 6. On the other hand, when the trolley 22 is located intermediate the ends of the elongate track formed by the conduits 18 and 19, i.e. in the position shown in figure 10, and when there is no object present in the interior 37 of the hook-like formation 36, the pin will effect a locking of the trolley 22 in position so that there will be no corresponding unintentional movement of the trolley relative to the elongate track 15 when the vehicle is in motion.

When it is desired to move the cart 22 from the position of fig. 1 to the left to the position of fig. 2, the operator will grasp the handle 68, easily manipulate the elongated boom 16 and pull in the leftward direction as viewed in fig. 2, pulling the cart 22 to the position shown in fig. 2. However, before the cart 22 is so moved, the pin 59 needs to be removed from the groove 63. This is accomplished by operating a handle 69 located at the left end of the catheter 16 as shown in fig. 10. Handle 69 is connected to an elongate rod 71 which extends through the interior of conduit 19 as shown in figures 5, 6 and 7. An elongated rod 71 is spring centered and connected to a cam having an inclined cam surface 73 facing the roller 61. Thus, when the handle 69 is pulled in a left direction, the elongated rod 71 will be pulled in a left direction against the spring urging force, bringing the cam surface 73 into engagement with the roller 61 and causing the roller 61 to roll on the inclined surface 73, pulling the pin 59 out of the groove 63.

An ambulance cot 80 (fig. 18) is provided for mounting and dismounting from the loading and unloading device 10 of the ambulance cot as described above. The details of the construction of an ambulance cot 80 are disclosed in U.S. patent No.5537700, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The head end 81 and foot end 82 of the ambulance cot 80 described in the aforementioned patent are modified as described below. More specifically, the head end 81 is modified to include a roller 83 rotatably mounted on a rotatable shaft orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the ambulance cot 80. At the foot end 82, the assist handle described in the aforementioned patent is modified to include a foot lift bar 84 (fig. 28 and 29) and an additional hand grip 86, the hand grip 86 being attached to the foot end 82 of the ambulance cot 80 to facilitate the operation of the ambulance cot by a service person.

The ambulance cot 80 is further modified to include a mid-section link 87 having a set of electrical contacts 88 thereon, the set of electrical contacts 88 being configured to interconnect with the electrical contacts 48 on the boom 16. The connector 87 is also arranged to fit snugly within the recess 87 in which the electrical contacts 48 are disposed.

The ambulance cot 80 is further modified to include a handle 91 interconnected by a connector (not shown) to an interface 92 adjacent the connector 87. The abutment 92 is arranged to engage the handle 44 on the elongate boom in response to manual operation of the handle 91. In this particular embodiment, the handle 91 is reciprocally supported within an elongated slot 93 formed in the foot end 82 of the ambulance cot 80, and as the handle 91 reciprocates within the slot 93, the abutment 92 will also reciprocate to effect movement of the handle 44.

A three position toggle switch 94 is provided near the handle 86 at the foot end 82 of the cot 80. Slightly forward of the foot end 82 is a receiving chamber 96 in which is received an electric motor 97 (fig. 18) and a rechargeable battery pack 98 which supplies electrical power to the motor in a manner controlled by the toggle switch 94 as previously described. The battery pack 98 is configured to be replaced without tools and may be one or more batteries. The motor 97 may be a conventional dc drive motor that rotatably drives the input shaft of a hydraulic pump that is configured to be connected by a fluid circuit to a hydraulic cylinder whose extendable and retractable rod is connected to the movable cross member of the cot 80 for powered raising and lowering of the cot base 99. The battery 98 can be charged when power is supplied to the electrical contacts 88. In addition, only when the electrical contacts 48 and 88 are engaged, the three-position toggle switch 94 may control battery power to the lifting mechanism 49 to effect the raising and lowering movement of the boom 16, as described in more detail below. The structure of the base 99, which is foldable and extendable, is essentially the same as the base described in the aforementioned patents, and therefore, a more detailed discussion thereof is not believed necessary.

Referring to FIG. 21, when it is desired to mount an ambulance cot 80 to the cargo area 12 of an ambulance 13, it is desired to deploy the loading and unloading device 10 of the ambulance cot so that the distal end 14 of the elongated boom 16 extends rearwardly and lowers from the cargo area as shown in FIG. 22. The foregoing operation can be accomplished by the service person pulling the handle 69 rearwardly so that the handle moves the elongate rod 71 and cam 72 rearwardly (fig. 8 and 9), engaging the inclined surface 73 on the cam 72 with the roller 61, and lifting the pin 59 upwardly from the groove 63. This operation unlocks the cart 22 from the elongated rails. The attendant can then grasp the handle 68 at the distal end 14 of the boom 16 to move the cart 22 rearwardly from the position shown in fig. 21 to the position shown in fig. 22. In the position shown in fig. 22, electrical contacts 60 on the cart 22 (fig. 12) will be connected to the electrical connector 56 for future power supply from the cart 13 to the toggle switch 51 and enable control of the motor of the lifting mechanism 49 for extension or retraction of the lifting mechanism 49 to effect raising or lowering of the boom 16 relative to the cart 22. As shown in figure 22, due to the need to load the ambulance cot 80 into the load area 12 of the ambulance 13, the toggle switch 51 will effect lowering of the boom 16 to a position where the protrusion 53 enters the receptacle 54 on the elongated rail, effectively locking the cart 22 and holding the cart 22 in place while the ambulance cot 80 is installed.

The attendant then moves the ambulance cot 80 and the wheel-supported base 99 until the roller at the head end of the ambulance cot engages the inclined upper surface of the boom 16 and rolls into the interior 37 of the hook-like structure 36. At this time, as shown in fig. 23, the front support wheels 101 move into an engaged state and rest on the bottom surface 11 of the cargo area 12 of the ambulance 13. When the roller 83 enters the interior 37 of the hook formation 36, the toggle levers 38 and 39 will move clockwise from the position shown in figure 17 to the position in which the long legs 41 (figure 17) are upright to effect the securing of the roller 83 within the interior space 37 of the hook formation 36. The latch 42 is received in the slot 43 to secure the toggle lever 39 in the locked position with the long leg 41 extending in a vertically upward manner. At this point, the head end 81 of the ambulance cot 80 is locked to the loading and unloading device 10 of the ambulance cot. In addition, the roller 83 has pressed the object detector 66 against the interior 37 of the hook-like formation, and the raising is effected by the link 67 of the latch 61. The toggle switch 94 is then operated to change it from the "intermediate" state (fig. 18) to the "retracted base" state, effecting battery power to the motor 97 and effecting retraction of the base 99 as shown in fig. 24. Since the distance between the hook 36 and the recess 47 in the boom 16 is equal to the distance between the roller 83 and the link 87 of the cot 80 when the base 99 is retracted, the ambulance cot 80 will first be lowered about the axis defined by the roller 83 received in the hook 36 until the link 87 is received in the recess 47 of the boom 16 so that the contacts 88 and 48 can contact each other. At this point, the "retracted base" state of the toggle switch 94 may take the place of the toggle switch 51, such that the toggle switch 94 in the "retracted base" state may effect extension of the hoist mechanism 49, and thus elevation of the boom 16 from the fig. 24 position to the fig. 25 position. The toggle switch 94 remains in the "retracted base" position until the base 99 is fully folded and all six wheels of the ambulance cot 80 are aligned with the floor 11 within the cargo area 12 of the ambulance 13. Thereafter, the attendant may simply push on the foot end 82 of the ambulance cot 80 to assist in moving the ambulance cot 80 and the interconnected carts 22 from the position shown in FIG. 26 to the position shown in FIG. 27. During this movement the electrical contacts 56 and 60 separate and when the cart 22 reaches the position shown in figure 27, the electrical contacts 32 and 33 will be interconnected so that the battery 98 on the ambulance cot 80 can be charged by the electrical system of the ambulance 13 through the electrical connection provided by the interconnected contacts 48 and 88. When the cart 22 is moved toward the rearmost position shown in fig. 27, the lock lever 27 (fig. 12) will be receivable within the cart locking mechanism 102. The cart locking mechanism 102 includes a pair of laterally spaced hook structures 103, each hook structure 103 including an interior space 104 that facilitates receipt of the lock lever 27 of the cart 22. Toggle levers 106 are associated with each hook formation 103 and are rotatable against the urging of a torsion spring, not shown, so that the horizontal leg shown in figure 12 is displaced to a vertical upright position to secure the locking lever 27 in position. In fig. 14, 15 and 16, the change in position of the toggle lever 106 is shown.

The ambulance cot foot end locking system 107 is connected to the elongated rails 18, 19 (fig. 10) and is identical in form to the stroller locking mechanism 102. That is, each foot end locking system 107 of the ambulance cot includes a pair of laterally spaced hook formations 103 and a toggle lever 106 which is biased to rotate to the position shown in figure 10 by a torsion spring. Thus, when the cot lift bar 84 (fig. 28) is moved to the right, the lift bar 84 causes the toggle lever 106 to move in the manner shown in fig. 14, 15, and 16. Latch mechanism 108 engaging toggle lever 106 in all four positions effects locking of toggle lever 106 in the raised position shown in fig. 15, similar to the arrangement described previously between latch 42 and set toggle levers 38, 39. The ambulance cot 80 is now secured within the cargo area 12 of the ambulance 13 at four spaced locations defined by the spaced hook-like structures 103 as shown in figure 10. In addition, the head end 81 of the ambulance cot 80 is secured to the cart 22 by the hook-like structure 36 and the associated set of toggle levers 38, 39.

Referring now to figure 30, when it is desired to remove the ambulance cot 80 from the cargo area 12 of the ambulance 13, the forward push handle 69 overcomes the centering spring force not shown in this figure, as shown in figures 14, 15 and 16, causing the elongated rod 71 to unlatch the latch 108, and the torsion spring moves the toggle lever 106 from the position of figure 15 to the position of figures 14 and 16, thereby deploying the lift rod 84 and the lock lever 27. The attendant may then pull on the lift bar 84 or handle 86 at the foot end 82 of the ambulance cot 80 to effect movement of not only the ambulance cot 80, but also the cart 22 from the position shown in figure 30 through the position shown in figure 31 to the position shown in figure 32. In this position, the contacts 56 and 60 are re-engaged so that power from the battery 98 on the ambulance cot can be connected to the toggle switch 94 of the ambulance cot so that the attendant can operate the switch to the "base stretch" position while effectively operating the lifting mechanism 49 to retract and lower the boom 16 from the position shown in fig. 32 to the position shown in fig. 33 and extend the base 99 from its fully retracted position shown in fig. 32 and 33. As shown in fig. 33, although the boom 16 has reached the lowermost position, the service person continues to operate the toggle switch 94 by holding the toggle switch 94 in its "base-stretched" position, the base 99 will continue to extend until all four wheels engage the ground as shown in fig. 34, and the link 87 is raised out of the recess 47 in the boom 16, separating the electrical contacts 48 and 88. In this position, during removal of the ambulance cot 80, the wheels 101 of the head end 81 of the ambulance cot 80 remain engaged with the floor 11 of the cargo area 12 of the ambulance 13 as shown in figure 34. Thereafter, the handle 91 at the foot end 82 of the ambulance cot 80 is slid forward in the elongated slot 93 and the interconnecting abutment 92 abuts the handle 44 of the elongated boom 16 and effects disengagement of the toggle levers 38, 39 to release the rollers 83 from the hook 36 of the stroller 22. Alternatively, the handle 45 may be manually operated to remove the ambulance cot 80 from the cart 22.

The ambulance cot 80 is now disengaged from the ambulance cot loading and unloading device 10 and is free to be removed from the ambulance on the wheel-supported base 99 as shown in figure 35.

Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, may still be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, all or a portion of selected electrical contacts may be replaced with electronic devices, such as proximity switches or radio frequency actuated devices that do not require actual contact between components, to achieve the desired electronic communication. In addition, the suspension rod and the light cot can be lifted up before the base is folded during the installation process. Similarly, during removal, the base may be fully deployed prior to lowering of the boom.

Claims (73)

1. An ambulance cot having a wheel-supported base and ambulance cot loading and unloading device combination, especially for ambulances, comprising:

an elongated guide rail configured to mount to a fixed surface of a cargo area of the ambulance;

a cart supported for movement relative to the elongate guide track between a first position and a second position, the cart being movable to a position adjacent an entrance into the cargo area when in the first position and additionally being arranged to move to a position spaced from the entrance when not in the first position;

a connection mechanism of the cart configured to interconnect the ambulance cot and the cart and fixedly retain the ambulance cot on the cart;

an energy consuming device on the cart that effects at least one of two vertical movements of the ambulance cot when the ambulance cot is connected to the cart by the connection mechanism and when the ambulance cot is moved out such that the wheel-supported base of the ambulance cot is spaced directly above the ground without being obstructed by other structures, one vertical movement being aligning the wheels of the wheel-supported base with the bottom surface of the cargo area prior to placing the ambulance cot into the cargo area; alternatively, vertical movement of the wheel supported base of the ambulance cot to assist engagement of the wheels with the ground after the ambulance cot is removed from the cargo area; and

a first device of the ambulance cot configured to activate the energy consuming device when the linkage interconnects the ambulance cot and the cart and fixedly holds the ambulance cot on the cart;

wherein the cart includes an elongated boom secured to the cart and configured to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position, the elongated boom moving vertically relative to the cart to accommodate varying loading and unloading conditions of the ambulance cot.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the energy consuming device comprises an electric motor that, when operated, effects vertical movement of the elongated boom.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said elongated boom is provided with a manually operated first switch interconnected between an energy source on said ambulance and said energy consuming device to facilitate a service person's controlled reversal of energy from said energy source provided to said motor to effect movement of said elongated boom in a service person selected vertical direction.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein the manually operated first switch is disposed near a distal end of the elongated boom.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the manually operated first switch provided on the elongated boom is provided to be replaced by a function of the first device of the ambulance cot.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the first device is disposed near a foot end of the ambulance cot, and wherein a head end of the ambulance cot is disposed in connection with the connection mechanism.

7. The combination of claim 3 wherein said ambulance cot comprises a collapsible and expandable base, a patient support plate mounted on said base, a motor and interconnected batteries on said ambulance cot, said motor when electrically operated effecting collapsing or expansion of said base.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein the cart includes a second device connected to the first switching circuit;

wherein the ambulance cot includes a third device in communication with the second device when the ambulance cot is fixedly held on the cart and only when the base is folded from the extended position.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said first device of said ambulance cot comprises a manually operated second switch interconnected between said battery and said motor for facilitating a service person to effect a controlled reversal of polarity of electrical energy supplied to said motor to effect folding or unfolding of said base of said ambulance cot independently of electrical communication between said second device and a third device.

10. The combination of claim 7, wherein the elongated boom is configured to move vertically relative to the cart in response to activation of the energy consuming device, the ambulance cot including a second device, the cart including a third device, the second and third devices configured to communicate when the ambulance cot is fixedly retained on the cart and only when the base is collapsed from its extended position; and

wherein the first device of the ambulance cot is a manually operated second switch configured to replace a function of the manually operated first switch when the third device is in communication with the second device such that a service person can control a reversal of energy provided to the energy consuming device to effect movement of the elongated boom in a vertical direction selected by the service person manually operating the manually operated second switch.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the manually operated second switch is disposed near a foot end of the ambulance cot, a head end of the ambulance cot being disposed to connect to the elongated boom and the ambulance cot first fastening assembly.

12. The combination of claim 10, wherein the elongated rail includes a fourth device disposed near an end of the elongated rail corresponding to the first position of the cart, the fourth device being coupled to an energy source on an ambulance, the cart including a fifth device disposed in communication with the fourth device only when the cart is positioned at the end of the elongated rail such that the elongated boom is vertically movable only when the cart is positioned at the end.

13. The combination of claim 1, wherein the cart is free to move longitudinally of the elongated rail when the elongated boom is raised, the cart being fixedly locked to the elongated rail in response to the elongated boom being in a lowered position.

14. The combination of claim 1, wherein the cart is arranged to move freely in a longitudinal direction of the elongated rail.

15. The combination of claim 1, wherein the elongated rail comprises a second device connected to an energy source on the ambulance by an electrical circuit, the second device disposed in communication with a third device separate from the elongated rail.

16. The combination of claim 15, wherein the third device is disposed on the cart.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the second means is located near an end of the elongated rail corresponding to the second position of the cart such that the second means is in communication with the third means when the cart is in the second position.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein said ambulance cot comprises a fourth device connected to a battery by an electrical circuit; and

the fourth device is configured to communicate with the third device to charge the battery with energy provided by the energy source of the ambulance when the ambulance cot is fixedly held on the cart.

19. A support device for a cot of an ambulance, particularly for ambulances, comprising:

an elongated guide rail configured to mount to a fixed surface of a cargo area of the ambulance;

a cart supported for movement relative to the elongate guide track between a first position and a second position, the cart being arranged to be movable to a position adjacent an entrance into the cargo area when the cart is in the first position and further arranged to be movable to a position spaced from the entrance position when the cart is not in the first position; the cart is additionally configured to move the ambulance cot out so that the wheel-supported base of the ambulance cot is spaced directly above the ground without being obstructed by other structures; and

a fastening assembly of an ambulance cot mounted on the cart configured to releasably retain an ambulance cot thereon at all positions of the cart on the elongated rail;

wherein the cart includes an elongated boom secured to the cart and configured to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position, the elongated boom moving vertically relative to the cart to accommodate varying loading and unloading conditions of the ambulance cot.

20. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said elongated boom is fixed to said cart for pivoting about a pivot axis extending normal to a theoretical vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of said elongated guide rail.

21. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 19 wherein said elongated rail comprises a first device connected to an energy source on the ambulance by an electrical circuit, said first device being placed in electrical communication with a second device separate from said elongated rail.

22. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 21 wherein said second device is disposed on said cart.

23. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 22 wherein said first device is located near an end of said elongated rail corresponding to said second position of said cart such that said second device is in communication with said first device when said cart is in said second position thereof.

24. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 19, wherein said cart comprises an electric motor on board said cart, said electric motor operative to effect vertical movement of said elongated boom; and

a manually operated first switch is connected between the motor and an energy source on the ambulance to allow the attendant to controllably reverse the energy supplied to the motor to allow the elongated boom to move in a vertical direction selected by the attendant.

25. The ambulance cot support device of claim 24 wherein said manually operated first switch is disposed near a distal end of said elongated boom.

26. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 19 wherein said elongated rail comprises a first device located near an end of said elongated rail corresponding to said first position of said cart; the first device is connected to an energy source on the ambulance, and the cart includes a second device configured to communicate with the first device only when the cart is positioned at the end of the elongated rail, such that the elongated boom is vertically movable only when the cart is positioned at the end.

27. The ambulance cot support according to claim 19 wherein said cart is free to move longitudinally of said elongated rail when said elongated boom is raised; the cart is fixedly locked to the elongated rail in response to the elongated boom being in the lowered position.

28. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 19 wherein said fastening assembly of the ambulance cot comprises an ambulance cot first fastening assembly disposed with a fastening assembly of a cart, and said cart is further configured to releasably connect with a fastening assembly of said cart only when said cart is in said second position.

29. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 28 wherein said cart comprises a first horizontal bar extending along an axis orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of said elongated guide rail; and

wherein the fastening assembly of the cart comprises a first pair of laterally spaced hooks configured to lock onto the first horizontal bar at laterally spaced locations.

30. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 29 wherein said ambulance cot first fastener assembly additionally disposed on said elongated rail proximate a location corresponding to said first position of said cart, said ambulance cot first fastener assembly comprising a second pair of laterally spaced hooks.

31. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 30, wherein a manually operated release lever is disposed on said elongated rail adjacent a location corresponding to said cart in said first position to effect simultaneous unlatching of said first pair of hooks and said second pair of hooks.

32. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 19 wherein said ambulance cot fastener assembly comprises a first fastener assembly of an ambulance cot disposed on said elongated rail proximate a location corresponding to said first location of said cart, said first fastener assembly of said ambulance cot comprising a first pair of laterally spaced hooks.

33. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said cart further comprises a cart position locking device locking said cart to said elongated rail intermediate a first position and a second position of said cart, a distal end of said elongated boom being located adjacent an end of said elongated rail corresponding to said first position of said cart.

34. The ambulance cot support device of claim 33 wherein said distal end of said elongated boom is provided with a handle.

35. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 34, wherein a manually operated release lever is provided on said elongated rail adjacent a location corresponding to said cart in said first position, said release lever being configured to effect unlocking of said cart from said elongated rail when said cart is in said intermediate position.

36. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 33 wherein said cart comprises an ambulance cot detector configured to detect whether said ambulance cot fastening assembly secures said ambulance cot on said cart, said ambulance cot detector additionally configured to prevent said cart position locking device from locking said cart to said elongated rail.

37. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said elongated boom includes a sensing device to monitor the distance between said elongated boom and the ground supporting said ambulance at all vertically adjustable positions of said elongated boom.

38. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 19 wherein said cart is free to be manually moved longitudinally of said elongated rail between a first position and a second position.

39. A support device for a cot of an ambulance, particularly for ambulances, comprising:

an elongated guide rail configured to mount to a fixed surface of a cargo area of the ambulance;

a cart supported for movement relative to the elongate guide track between a first position and a second position, the cart being arranged to be movable into proximity with an entry location into the cargo area when the cart is in the first position and further arranged to be movable into a position spaced from the entry location of the cargo area when the cart is not in the first position; the cart is additionally configured to move the ambulance cot out so that the wheel-supported base of the ambulance cot is spaced directly above the ground without being obstructed by other structures; and

a fastening assembly of an ambulance cot configured to fixedly retain the cart and the ambulance cot relative to a fixed surface of the cargo area only when the cart is in the second position;

wherein the cart includes an elongated boom secured to the cart and configured to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position, the elongated boom moving vertically relative to the cart to accommodate varying loading and unloading conditions of the ambulance cot.

40. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said elongated boom is fixed to said cart for pivoting about a pivot axis extending normal to a theoretical vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of said elongated guide rail.

41. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 39 wherein said elongated rail comprises a first device connected to an energy source on the ambulance by an electrical circuit, said first device disposed in communication with a second device separate from said elongated rail.

42. The ambulance cot support device of claim 41 wherein said second device is disposed on said cart.

43. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 42, wherein said first device is located near an end of said elongated rail corresponding to said second position of said cart, said second device being in communication with said first device when said cart is in said second position thereof.

44. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 39 wherein said fastening assembly of said ambulance cot is additionally co-located with a fastening assembly of a cart, said cart additionally being configured to releasably connect with said fastening assembly of said cart only when said cart is in said second position.

45. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 44, wherein said cart comprises a first horizontal rod extending along an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said elongated rail; and

wherein the fastening assembly of the cart comprises a first pair of laterally spaced hooks configured to lock onto the first horizontal bar at laterally spaced locations.

46. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 45, wherein said ambulance cot fastener assembly is disposed on said elongated rail proximate a location corresponding to said first position of said cart and comprises a second pair of laterally spaced hooks.

47. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 46, wherein a manually operated release lever is disposed on said elongated rail adjacent to a location opposite said cart in said first position to effect simultaneous unlatching of said first pair of hooks and said second pair of hooks.

48. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 39 wherein said ambulance cot fastener assembly is disposed on said elongated rail proximate a location corresponding to said first position of said cart, said ambulance cot fastener assembly comprising a first pair of laterally spaced hooks.

49. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said cart further comprises a cart position locking device locking said cart to said elongated rail intermediate a first position and a second position of said cart, a distal end of said elongated boom being located proximate an end of said elongated rail corresponding to said first position of said cart.

50. The ambulance cot support device of claim 49 wherein said distal end of said elongated boom is provided with a handle.

51. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 39 wherein said cart comprises an electric motor on board said cart, said electric motor operating to effect vertical movement of said elongated boom; and

wherein a manually operated first switch is connected between the motor and an energy source on the ambulance to facilitate a service person in effecting a controlled reversal of energy supplied to the motor to effect movement of the elongated boom in a vertical direction selected by the service person.

52. The ambulance cot support device of claim 51 wherein said manually operated first switch is disposed proximate a distal end of said elongated boom.

53. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 52, wherein said elongated rail comprises a first device located near an end of said elongated rail corresponding to said first position of said cart and said first device is connected to an energy source on the ambulance, said cart comprising a second device configured to communicate with said first device only when said cart is positioned at said end of said elongated rail, such that said elongated boom is vertically movable only when said cart is positioned at said end.

54. The ambulance cot support according to claim 39 wherein said cart is free to move longitudinally of said elongated rail when said elongated boom is raised, said cart being fixedly locked to said elongated rail in response to said elongated boom entering a lowered position.

55. The ambulance cot support device as claimed in claim 54, wherein a manually operated release lever is disposed on said elongated rail in proximity to a location opposite said cart in said first position, said release lever being configured to effect unlatching of said cart from said elongated rail when said cart is in an intermediate position.

56. The ambulance cot support device according to claim 39,

the elongated boom includes a sensing device that detects the distance between the elongated boom and the ground supporting the ambulance from all vertical adjustment positions of the elongated boom.

57. The ambulance cot support device as recited in claim 39, wherein said cart is freely manually movable in a longitudinal direction between said first and second positions of said elongated rail.

58. A method of loading a wheel supported ambulance cot into an ambulance, the ambulance cot having a base that is collapsible and extendable, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an elongated guide rail on a fixed surface of a cargo area of an ambulance;

positioning a cart such that the cart is supported by the elongated rail and is movable relative to the elongated rail between a first position and a second position, the cart being movable to a position adjacent an entrance into the cargo area when in the first position and being movable to a position spaced from the entrance when not in the first position;

providing a connection mechanism of a cart to interconnect the cart and an ambulance cot and to fixedly hold the ambulance cot on the cart;

providing an elongated boom on the cart, the elongated boom being secured to the cart and configured to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position, the elongated boom moving vertically relative to the cart to accommodate varying loading and unloading conditions of the ambulance cot;

deploying the cart to an installation position;

moving the ambulance cot toward and into engagement with the cart, the cart additionally configured to move the ambulance cot out such that a wheel-supported base of the ambulance cot is spaced directly above the ground without being obstructed by other structures;

folding the base to achieve full support of the ambulance cot on the stroller; and

moving the cart and connected ambulance cot into the cargo area of the ambulance.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said deploying step comprises the steps of: deploying the cart to a position vertically spaced from a ground surface supporting the ambulance, and the steps of: tilting an elongated boom on the cart downward toward the ground from a position parallel to a bottom surface of the load carrying area.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said folding step further comprises the steps of: raising the elongated boom to a position above a bottom surface of the cargo area and connecting with the ambulance cot.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the lifting step and the base folding step occur simultaneously after the wheels are disengaged from the ground.

62. A method of removing a wheel supported ambulance cot having a base that is collapsible and expandable, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an elongated guide rail on a fixed surface of a cargo area of an ambulance;

positioning a cart such that the cart is supported by the elongated rail and is movable relative to the elongated rail between a first position and a second position, the cart being movable to a position adjacent an entrance into the cargo area when in the first position and being movable to a position spaced from the entrance when not in the first position;

providing a connection mechanism of a cart to interconnect the cart and an ambulance cot and to fixedly hold the ambulance cot on the cart;

providing an elongated boom on the cart, the elongated boom being secured to the cart and configured to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position, the elongated boom moving vertically relative to the cart to accommodate varying loading and unloading conditions of the ambulance cot;

moving an ambulance cot connected to a cart with a folded base out of the ambulance cargo area such that the foldable and extendable bases of the ambulance cot are spaced directly above the ground without being obstructed by other structures;

extending said base such that said wheels engage said ground and effect support of said ambulance cot on said wheels; and

moving the ambulance cot on the wheels in a direction until the ambulance cot disengages from the cart.

63. The method of removing a wheel supported ambulance cot according to claim 62, wherein said step of extending comprises the step of tilting an elongated boom on said cart from a position on a bottom surface of said cargo area downwardly toward the ground.

64. The method for removing a wheel supported ambulance cot according to claim 63, wherein said extending step and said tilting step occur simultaneously with the extending of said base, said tilting step terminating when said wheels engage said ground.

65. An ambulance cot receivable through an access opening in a cargo area of an ambulance, comprising:

an elongated guide rail configured to mount to a fixed surface of a cargo area of the ambulance;

a cart supported for movement relative to the elongate guide track between a first position and a second position, the cart being movable to a position adjacent an entrance into the cargo area when in the first position and additionally being arranged to move to a position spaced from the entrance when not in the first position;

a docking structure on the ambulance cot configured to effect removal of the ambulance cot such that a base supported by the wheels of the ambulance cot is spaced directly above the ground without being obstructed by other structures when the ambulance is connected to a loading and unloading mechanism of the ambulance cot;

the cart including an elongated boom secured to the cart and configured to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position, the elongated boom moving vertically relative to the cart to accommodate varying ambulance cot loading and unloading conditions;

a wheel supported base;

a patient support plate mounted on the wheeled base;

an energy-consuming device for varying the distance between the wheeled base and the patient support plate;

a first rechargeable energy source located on the ambulance cot and configured to supply energy to the energy consuming device to effect the change in the distance, the first rechargeable energy source comprising a remotely located connection on the ambulance cot and configured to connect energy from the first rechargeable energy source to a second energy source to effect charging of the first energy source.

66. The ambulance cot as claimed in claim 65 wherein said rechargeable first energy source is a battery and said energy consuming device is an electric motor.

67. The ambulance cot as claimed in claim 65, wherein said rechargeable first energy source comprises a switch connected between said rechargeable first energy source and said energy consuming device to facilitate a control operation of the energy provided to said energy consuming device by a service person to effect said change in distance.

68. The ambulance cot as claimed in claim 67 wherein said rechargeable first energy source is a battery and said energy consuming device is an electric motor.

69. The ambulance cot as claimed in claim 65, wherein said remotely located attachment means is affixed to at least one of said patient support plate and said wheel supported base.

70. An ambulance cot receivable through an access opening in a cargo area of an ambulance, comprising:

an elongated guide rail configured to mount to a fixed surface of a cargo area of the ambulance;

a cart supported for movement relative to the elongate guide track between a first position and a second position, the cart being movable to a position adjacent an entrance into the cargo area when in the first position and additionally being arranged to move to a position spaced from the entrance when not in the first position;

the cart including an elongated boom secured to the cart and configured to extend to a position outside the cargo area when the cart is in the first position, the elongated boom moving vertically relative to the cart to accommodate varying ambulance cot loading and unloading conditions;

a wheel supported base;

a patient support plate mounted on the wheeled base; and

the docking structure on the ambulance cot is arranged to be connected with a loading and unloading mechanism of the ambulance cot; the docking structure is further configured to effect removal of the ambulance cot such that the wheel-supported base of the ambulance cot is spaced directly above the ground without being obstructed by other structures when the ambulance is coupled to the loading and unloading mechanism of the cot.

71. The ambulance cot as claimed in claim 70, wherein said docking structure comprises at least two docking structures spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of said ambulance cot.

72. The ambulance cot according to claim 71, wherein one of said docking structures is located near a head end of said ambulance cot and the other docking structure is located intermediate the head end and foot end of said ambulance cot.

73. The ambulance cot as claimed in claim 72, wherein both of said two spaced apart docking structures are positioned on said patient support plate.