GB2418195A

GB2418195A - Telescopic gantry unit

Info

Publication number: GB2418195A
Application number: GB0420880A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Greaves; Martin Roberts-Jones
Original assignee: CHILTERN INVADEX Ltd
Current assignee: CHILTERN INVADEX Ltd
Priority date: 2004-09-20
Filing date: 2004-09-20
Publication date: 2006-03-22
Also published as: WO2006032837A1; GB0420880D0

Abstract

A telescopic gantry unit (1) is disclosed for suspending a patient hoist, comprising a top beam section (2) for attachment to a gantry (7), and an elongate carriage (3) that suspends a hoist-supporting unit (4). The carriage (3) is in slidable contact with the top beam section (2) to an extent that the carriage (3) is moveable in either direction parallel to and optionally beyond the length of the top beam (2). A patient hoist apparatus is also disclosed comprising the telescopic gantry unit (1) and two or more support gantries (7) engaged with the unit (1). The apparatus can be easily constructed by a single person and its components are compact, so as to be able to be fitted in a family vehicle.

Description

1 2418195 Telescopic Gantry Unit The present invention relates to a unit,

or section, of a gantry and, in particular such a unit that is telescopic in action. The present invention also relates to apparatus comprising such a telescopic gantry unit for use as a means for supporting a patient hoist.

Hoists for lifting patients are well known and may be used, for example, for moving bedridden patients out of bed and into, say, a wheelchair or commode beside their bed. Typically in the past such hoists have been supported by rails attached to the ceiling of the room in which the bed is situated, so that the hoist mechanism can be moved across the room from a position overhanging the bed to a desired position, for example, overhanging a wheelchair to the side of the bed.

Such rails are cumbersome to secure to the ceiling, especially if the bed is a large double bed, which means that the desired range of movement of the hoist across the room is correspondingly large. Further, these types of rails are suitable at best for patients who have chronic, or longlasting, illnesses, since securing the rails to the ceiling is a relatively permanent measure.

In addition, it is known to provide one or more braces extending from floor to ceiling that can support a fixed length cross beam as a gantry for supporting hoists for patients. Typically a roller system is used to engage a rail structure that extends along the cross beam, such that the hoist is attached to the roller system and can thus slide across the ceiling above the room. Again, such apparatus is relatively cumbersome and permanent to erect, particularly since the crossbeam is required to be several meters long in order to provide the hoist with a sufficient range of movement.

One aim of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art devices for supporting patient hoists. In particular, the present invention seeks to provide a system that allows for ease of erection, for example by a single person, of apparatus that can also be compactly stored and transported, yet allows a wide range of movement for the hoist.

Thus, according to one aspect, the present invention provides a telescopic gantry unit as claimed in claim 1.

Together, the top beam section and carriage can be arranged either to be a compact shape for storage and transportation, or can instead form an extended assembly to allow a supported hoist to reach extremes of movement across the top of a gantry of which the telescopic gantry unit is part.

Because the carriage slides along the top beam section, any hoist attached to the carriage will similarly slide across the ceiling under which the top beam section is arranged.

Preferably, the hoist is also able to slide along the structure of the carriage, thus providing the assembly with an even greater range of movement between target destinations, for example bed and wheelchair.

As a safety measure, the extremes of motion of each component of the assembly may be anchored by restrainer means, for example by cables, wires, or rope, and so forth.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a patient hoist apparatus as claimed in claim 7.

Thus, the telescopic gantry unit as described above may be held above its target destinations by way of two or more support gantry units. Preferably, the telescopic gantry unit only makes up part of the total top beam of the whole apparatus, since its telescopic extension requires additional supported lateral gantry either side of its length.

Further, according to a third aspect, the present invention provides a kit as claimed in claim 10.

The kit of the invention is particularly suited for construction by the minimum of personnel since the main section of the constructed apparatus' cross beam is represented by the compact and easy to handle telescopic gantry unit. The kit is also easy to store and transport, again because its component pieces are manageable and compact.

Additional preferred features according to the invention are apparent from the accompanying subsidiary claims.

The present invention will now be described by way of the following nonlimiting embodiment, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a partial, side perspective view of a telescopic gantry unit according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates an end view of the unit shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a partial view of the engagement of the unit shown in Figures 1 and 3 with a support gantry, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 depicts a hoist and gantry apparatus incorporating the unit(s) shown in Figures 1-3 with a patient hoisted above a bed; and Figure 5 shows the apparatus shown in Figure 4 with the patient hoisted to the side of the bed above a wheelchair.

Figure 1 shows a telescopic gantry unit 1, which is also shown in Figure 2. This unit 1 comprises a top beam unit 2 with two ends that each engages a support gantry unit 7.

The top beam unit 2 supports a carriage 3 that can slide along the length of the top beam unit 2. Although any type of sliding mechanism could be used, the embodiment shown in the figures uses a captivated system 5 of rollers 6 which are held within rails formed within the structure of the engaging surfaces of the lope beam unit 2 and the carriage 3. s

The carriage 3 itself supports a hoist-supporting unit 4 to which a patient hoist can be attached. In the embodiment shown, the hoistsupporting unit 4 also slides, but with relation to the carriage along further rollers 6. s

The rollers are typically constructed of nylon. The top beam unit 2 and carriage are typically constructed of extruded aluminium, whereas the support gantry units and hoist-supporting unit are usually made of steel.

Figure 3 illustrates the engagement of the top beam unit 2 with a support gantry unit 7 via a sprung loaded pin locking mechanism 8. Many other locking mechanisms are envisaged as being usable.

Figures 4 and 5 show a kit of the telescopic gantry unit I and support gantry units 7 in a fully constructed format to provide a patient hoist apparatus. Whilst Figure 4 shows the telescopic gantry unit 1 in its midposition with the patient hoist above the bed 9, Figure 5 illustrates the extreme end-position of the telescopic gantry unit 1 with the hoist fully slid across to above a wheelchair 10.

Thus, the present invention provides an improved gantry unit that can be easily used with other components to be constructed into a patient hoist apparatus for patients that have less permanent needs in this respect.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A telescopic gantry unit for suspending a patient hoist,

comprising: (i) a top beam section for attachment to a gantry; and (ii) an elongate carriage that suspends a hoist supporting unit; wherein the carriage is in slidable contact with the top beam section to an extent that the carriage is moveable in either direction parallel to and optionally beyond the length of the top beam.
2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slidable contact of said carriage 0 allows the hoist supporting unit to move between extreme positions beyond either end of the length of the top beam section.
3. A unit as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carriage is in slidable contact with the top beam section via a system of rollers being captivated within rails formed within the structure of the top beam section, said rails being of shape reciprocal to that of the rollers.
4. A unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hoist-supporting unit is in slidab]e contact with the carriage, such that the hoistsupporting unit is relatively movable in a direction parallel to the length of the carriage and along the entire length of the carriage.
5. A unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the s]idable movement of the hoist- supporting unit is effected by a plurality of rollers in contact with both the hoist supporting unit and the carriage.
6. A unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the extremes of motion of the carriage with respect to the top beam section's length are limited by one or more restraint means, optionally wherein said restraint means is/are cable(s) fixed to both the carriage and the top beam section.
7. A patient hoist apparatus comprising: (i) a telescopic gantry unit as claimed in any preceding claim; and (ii) two or more support gantries in supportive engagement with said lo telescopic gantry unit.
8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the telescopic gantry unit forms only a section of the longitudinal length of the uppermost beam of the apparatus.
9. An apparatus as claimed in either claim 7 or claim 8, wherein each support gantry engages the telescopic gantry unit by way of a spring loaded locking pin.
10. A kit comprising a telescopic gantry unit as claimed in one of claims 1-6 and two or more support gantries for forming an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7-9.
11. A kit as claimed in claim 10 being capable of assembly by a single person and/or of being transported in a family vehicle.
12. A unit, assembly or kit as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.