US 11,883,333 B2
Patient transport apparatus with controllable auxiliary wheel assembly
William D. Childs, Plainwell, MI (US); Kevin M. Patmore, Plainwell, MI (US); Marco Constant, Portage, MI (US); and Brian Tessmer, Mattawan, MI (US)
Assigned to Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/845,106.
Application 17/845,106 is a continuation of application No. 16/870,096, filed on May 8, 2020, granted, now 11,395,777.
Application 16/870,096 is a continuation of application No. 16/007,591, filed on Jun. 13, 2018, granted, now 10,682,269, issued on Jun. 16, 2020.
Application 16/007,591 is a continuation of application No. 15/386,593, filed on Dec. 21, 2016, granted, now 10,045,893, issued on Aug. 14, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/270,704, filed on Dec. 22, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0313508 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61G 7/012 (2006.01); A61G 1/02 (2006.01); A61G 7/05 (2006.01)
CPC A61G 1/0268 (2013.01) [A61G 1/0237 (2013.01); A61G 1/0275 (2013.01); A61G 7/0506 (2013.01); A61G 7/0507 (2013.01); A61G 7/0516 (2016.11); A61G 2203/12 (2013.01); A61G 2203/16 (2013.01); A61G 2203/32 (2013.01); A61G 2203/36 (2013.01); A61G 2203/40 (2013.01); A61G 2203/44 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A patient transport apparatus for transporting a patient over a surface, the patient transport apparatus comprising:
a base;
support wheels coupled to the base and swivelable about swivel axes;
an auxiliary wheel assembly coupled to the base and comprising first and second auxiliary wheels configured to move between a plurality of wheel positions, the auxiliary wheel assembly further comprising an actuator operably coupled to the first and second auxiliary wheels to move the first and second auxiliary wheels between the plurality of wheel positions;
a sensing system comprising a sensor to detect a motion condition of the patient transport apparatus; and
a controller coupled to the sensing system and to the actuator, the controller being configured to drive the actuator to move the first and second auxiliary wheels between the plurality of wheel positions based on the motion condition of the patient transport apparatus.