US 12,208,045 B2
Techniques for determining a pose of a patient transport apparatus
Aaron Douglas Furman, Kalamazoo, MI (US); Chad Conway Souke, Vicksburg, MI (US); Thomas Alan Puvogel, Kalamazoo, MI (US); and Joshua Alan Mansfield, Lawton, MI (US)
Assigned to Stryker Corporation, Portage, MI (US)
Filed by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/381,726.
Application 18/381,726 is a continuation of application No. 17/562,308, filed on Dec. 27, 2021, granted, now 11,826,297.
Application 17/562,308 is a continuation of application No. 16/271,117, filed on Feb. 8, 2019, granted, now 11,246,781, issued on Feb. 15, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/628,522, filed on Feb. 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0041680 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61G 7/10 (2006.01); A61G 1/02 (2006.01); A61G 1/052 (2006.01); A61G 7/012 (2006.01); A61G 7/018 (2006.01); A61G 7/16 (2006.01); A61G 13/02 (2006.01); A61G 13/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61G 7/1046 (2013.01) [A61G 1/02 (2013.01); A61G 1/052 (2013.01); A61G 7/012 (2013.01); A61G 7/018 (2013.01); A61G 7/1013 (2013.01); A61G 7/16 (2013.01); A61G 13/02 (2013.01); A61G 13/06 (2013.01); A61G 2203/30 (2013.01); A61G 2203/40 (2013.01); A61G 2203/44 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A patient transport apparatus comprising:
a wheel assembly with a wheel arranged for movement along ground surfaces;
a support frame with a patient support deck defining a patient support surface;
a channel formed extending along the support frame between a first end and a second end, with the channel being at least partially curved;
a frame assembly coupled between the support frame and the wheel assembly and comprising an actuator coupled to a slidable member disposed in and movable along the channel to place the support frame in a plurality of different positions relative to the wheel assembly via operation of the actuator, the plurality of different positions including a maximum raised position defined with the slidable member arranged adjacent to the first end of the channel, and a maximum lowered position defined with the slidable member arranged adjacent to the second end of the channel;
a sensor configured to detect the slidable member in the channel and produce a reading; and
a controller coupled to the sensor and to the actuator to move the support frame between the plurality of different positions relative to the wheel assembly, with the controller configured to receive the reading from the sensor, determine the position of the slidable member in the channel based on the reading, and determine the position of the support frame relative to the wheel assembly based on the determined position of the slidable member.