Ambulance cot with kickstand

Abstract

An ambulance cot comprising a kickstand having a lowered position and a raised position is disclosed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to ambulance cots and in particularly, to a multi-level roll-in ambulance cot having a kickstand. [0002] Ambulance cots typically comprise an essentially rectangular patient support frame with wheeled collapsible-leg assemblies enabling the stretcher to be stowed or loaded into the back of an ambulance. Examples of such prior art cots are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,097,941, 4,192,541, 4,767,148, 5,537,700, and 5,575,026. Although the prior art cots have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all aspects. [0003] Patients transported on an ambulance cot often need to be weighed as part of a medical check upon admittance to a hospital or other health care facility. Due to the size of the wheelbase of a cot and the size of platform scales generally found in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, or rehabilitation centers, patients typically must either stand on the platform scale or...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004] It is against the above background that the present invention provides a kickstand to a cot construction. Cot constructions of the present invention include a cot frame supported by a stable wheeled undercarriage, which permits the cot frame to be raised and lowered to a plurality of positions of use. The kickstand is provided to the wheeled undercarriage, and may be situated in at least raised and lowered positions. The kickstand when placed in the lowered position lifts one of the two pairs of wheels provided to the wheeled undercarriage into the air. By lifting one of the two pairs of wheels, the kickstand reduces the footprint of the wheeled undercarriage upon a support surface such that a patient situated upon the cot may be conveniently weighed on a platform scale.

Problems solved by technology

Although the prior art cots have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all aspects.

For many of these individuals, standing or being transferred from the ambulance cot to a wheelchair is difficult, or impossible, to accomplish.

Consequently, forgoing the weighing of such patients has become commonplace, which can degrade the quality of medical care provided to them.

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