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A brake system for a medical device, such as a cot, stretcher, bed, wheeled chair, or other medical device, includes a pin and toothed wheel arrangement wherein the selective insertion of a pin between teeth on the toothed wheel brakes the system, while the removal of the pin from between the teeth

A brake system for a medical device, such as a cot, stretcher, bed, wheeled chair, or other medical device, includes a pin and toothed wheel arrangement wherein the selective insertion of a pin between teeth on the toothed wheel brakes the system, while the removal of the pin from between the teeth unbrakes the system. Multiple pins may be used with a single toothed wheel wherein the pins are offset from each other relative to the teeth so that, when one pin is inserted between teeth, the other pin is at least partially blocked from being inserted between the teeth. This effectively increases the resolution of the toothed wheel. The toothed wheel may be axially spaced from wheel(s) that roll on the ground. When so spaced, the toothed wheel, and all of the braking components associated therewith, may be enclosed within a housing separate from the rolling wheel(s).

대표청구항 ▼

1. A chair for transporting patients, said chair comprising: a frame;a seat supported on said frame;a back rest supported by said frame and positioned adjacent a rear edge of said seat, said back rest providing support for a back of a patient seated in said chair;a plurality of wheels coupled to sai

1. A chair for transporting patients, said chair comprising: a frame;a seat supported on said frame;a back rest supported by said frame and positioned adjacent a rear edge of said seat, said back rest providing support for a back of a patient seated in said chair;a plurality of wheels coupled to said frame to allow said chair to roll,a brake pedal rotatable about a pivot axis and adapted to brake a set of said wheels when the brake pedal is rotated about the pivot axis in a first circular direction; anda release pedal rotatable about the pivot axis and adapted to unbrake said set of wheels when the release pedal is rotated about the pivot axis in the first circular direction, wherein said brake pedal and said release pedal are interconnected such that pressing said brake pedal rotates the brake pedal in the first circular direction and causes the release pedal to rotate in a second circular direction, and pressing said release pedal rotates the release pedal in the first circular direction and causes the brake pedal to rotate in the second circular direction, the first circular direction being opposite to the second circular direction. 2. The chair of claim 1 wherein said brake pedal and said release pedal are positioned side-by-side at a location rearward of the pivot axis. 3. The chair of claim 2 further including a toggle link coupled to said brake pedal and said release pedal, the toggle link adapted to rotate one of the brake pedal and release pedal in the first circular direction when the other of the brake pedal and release pedal rotates in the second circular direction. 4. The chair of claim 3 further including a pair of handles attached to said frame, said handles adapted to allow a caregiver to push said chair. 5. The chair of claim 4 wherein said set of wheels includes a pair of rear wheels, and said brake pedal and said release pedal are positioned between said pair of rear wheels. 6. The chair of claim 1 further including a first toothed wheel coupled to a first one of said set of wheels; a second toothed wheel coupled to a second one of said set of wheels;a first pin selectively positionable between teeth on said first toothed wheel;a second pin selectively positionable between teeth on said second toothed wheel;a first biasing member adapted to urge said first pin between teeth on said first toothed wheel when said brake pedal is pressed; anda second biasing member adapted to urge said second pin between teeth on said second toothed wheel when said brake pedal is pressed. 7. The chair of claim 6 wherein said frame includes a first rear leg to which said first one of said set of wheels is coupled and a second rear leg to which said second one of said set of wheels is coupled. 8. The chair of claim 7 wherein said first pin, said first toothed wheel, and said first biasing member are enclosed within said first rear leg; and said second pin, said second toothed wheel, and said second biasing member are enclosed within said second rear leg. 9. The chair of claim 5 further including: a toothed wheel coupled to one of said set of wheels;a first and second pin adapted to be selectively positioned between teeth on said toothed wheel, said first and second pins arranged so that only one of said first and second pins can be positioned between said teeth at a time; anda biasing member adapted to urge at least said one of said first and second pins between teeth on said toothed wheel when said brake pedal is pressed. 10. The chair of claim 9 wherein said frame includes a rear leg to which said one of said set of wheels is coupled, and said first and second pins and said biasing member are all enclosed within said rear leg. 11. The chair of claim 10 further including a wheelie roller coupled to a lower end of said rear leg. 12. The chair of claim 1 further including: a toothed wheel coupled to an axle about which one of said wheels in said set of wheels rotates, said toothed wheel being coupled to said axle at a first location that is spaced apart from a second location on said axle where said one of said wheels is attached to said axle;a pin adapted to be selectively positioned between teeth on said toothed wheel; anda biasing member adapted to urge said pin between teeth on said toothed wheel when said brake pedal is pressed. 13. The chair of claim 12 further including a clamp positioned at said first location, said clamp adapted to clamp said toothed wheel to said axle. 14. The chair of claim 13 wherein said one of said wheels is attached to said axle via a keyed surface and threads defined on said axle. 15. A chair for transporting patients comprising: a frame;a seat supported on said frame;a plurality of wheels adapted to allow said chair to roll;a toothed wheel coupled to at least one of said plurality of wheels whereby said toothed wheel and said at least one of said plurality of wheels rotate together;a first pin selectively positionable between teeth on said toothed wheel, said first pin preventing said at least one of said plurality of wheels from rotating when positioned between teeth on said toothed wheel;a second pin selectively positionable between teeth on said toothed wheel, said second pin preventing said at least one of said plurality of wheels from rotating when positioned between teeth on said toothed wheel, said first and second pins being positioned such that only one of said first and second pins is able to be positioned between said teeth at a time;a biasing member adapted to urge both said first and second pins between teeth on said toothed wheel;a release pedal positioned behind said seat and rotatable about a pivot axis, said release pedal adapted to overcome said biasing member when said release pedal is pressed; anda brake pedal positioned behind said seat and rotatable about said pivot axis, said brake pedal adapted to release said release pedal when said brake pedal is pressed, said brake pedal and said release pedal both being positioned behind said pivot axis. 16. The chair of claim 15 further including: a second toothed wheel coupled to a second one of said plurality of wheels whereby said second toothed wheel and said second wheel rotate together;a third pin selectively positionable between teeth on said second toothed wheel, said third pin preventing said second wheel from rotating when positioned between teeth on said second toothed wheel;a fourth pin selectively positionable between teeth on said second toothed wheel, said fourth pin preventing said second wheel from rotating when positioned between teeth on said second toothed wheel, said third and fourth pins being positioned such that only one of said third and fourth pins is able to be positioned between said teeth on said second toothed wheel at a time;a second biasing member adapted to urge both said third and fourth pins between teeth on said second toothed wheel; andwherein the release pedal is adapted to overcome said second biasing member when said release pedal is pressed. 17. The chair of claim 15 further including a first brake finger and a second brake finger, said first pin mounted to said first brake finger and said second pin mounted to said second brake finger, wherein said biasing member is adapted to urge said first and second brake fingers toward each other. 18. The chair of claim 17 wherein said biasing member is a spring and said spring stores more potential energy when both of said first and second pins are not engaged with teeth on said toothed wheel, and said spring stores less potential energy when one of said first and second pins is inserted between teeth on said toothed wheel. 19. The chair of claim 17 further including a brake cam mounted to a rotatable brake shaft, the brake shaft and brake cam adapted to rotate in a first circular direction in response to the brake pedal being pressed and to rotate in a second circular direction in response to the release pedal being pressed, the brake cam positioned to contact the first and second brake fingers and urge the first and second fingers apart when the release pedal is pressed. 20. The chair of claim 17 wherein said toothed wheel and said at least one of said plurality of wheels are mounted to a common axis, said toothed wheel is axially spaced on said common axis from said at least one of said plurality of wheels, said common axis is different from said pivot axis, and said first and second brake fingers rotate about first and second axes, respectively, that are different from both said common axis and said pivot axis. 21. The chair of claim 20 wherein said toothed wheel, said first and second brake fingers, and said biasing member are enclosed within a housing and said at least one of said plurality of wheels is positioned outside of said housing. 22. A chair for transporting patients comprising: a frame;a seat supported on said frame;a plurality of wheels adapted to allow said chair to roll;a toothed wheel coupled to at least one of said plurality of wheels whereby said toothed wheel and said at least one of said plurality of wheels rotate together;a brake finger;a pin mounted to said brake finger and selectively positionable between teeth on said toothed wheel, said pin preventing said at least one of said plurality of wheels from rotating when positioned between teeth on said toothed wheel;a first biasing member adapted to urge said brake finger toward said toothed wheel and to urge said pin between teeth on said toothed wheel;a brake cam mounted to a rotatable brake shaft, the brake cam positioned to contact the brake finger and urge the brake finger away from the toothed wheel when the brake cam is rotated to a first position and to allow the brake finger to move toward the toothed wheel when the brake cam is rotated to a second position;a pedal adapted to toggle the brake cam between the first and second positions, said pedal adapted to overcome the urging of said first biasing member when the brake cam is in the first position, and to not resist the urging of said first biasing member when the brake cam is in the second position; anda second biasing member adapted to urge said brake cam toward said first position when the brake cam is in the first position and to urge said brake cam toward said second position when the brake cam is in the second position. 23. The chair of claim 22 wherein said first biasing member provides all of the force needed to insert said pin between teeth on said toothed wheel. 24. The chair of claim 23 wherein said first biasing member is a spring that stores potential energy when the brake cam is in the first position and releases potential energy when the brake cam is in the second position. 25. The chair of claim 24 further including a back rest supported by said frame and positioned adjacent a rear edge of said seat, said back rest providing support for a back of a patient seated in said chair. 26. The chair of claim 22 further including: a second toothed wheel coupled to a second one of said plurality of wheels;a second brake finger;a second pin mounted to said second brake finger and selectively positionable between teeth on said second toothed wheel; anda third biasing member adapted to urge said second brake finger toward said second toothed wheel and to urge said second pin between teeth on said second toothed wheel;a second brake cam positioned to contact the second brake finger and urge the second brake finger away from the second toothed wheel when the second brake cam is in a first position and to allow the second brake finger to move toward the second toothed wheel when the second brake cam is in a second position; anda fourth biasing member adapted to urge said second brake cam toward its first position when the second brake cam is in its first position and to urge said second brake cam toward its second position when the second brake cam is in its second position. 27. The chair of claim 26 further including: a third pin mounted to a third brake finger and selectively positionable between teeth on said toothed wheel; anda fourth pin mounted to a fourth brake finger and selectively positionable between teeth on said second toothed wheel. 28. The chair of claim 27 wherein said pin and said third pin are positioned at offset locations relative to the teeth of said toothed wheel such that when one of said pin and said third pin is able to be inserted between teeth on the toothed wheel, the other of said pin and said third pin will be at least partially blocked by a tooth from being positioned between teeth on the toothed wheel; and wherein said second and fourth pins are positioned at offset locations relative to the teeth of said second toothed wheel such that when one of said second and fourth pins is able to be inserted between teeth on the second toothed wheel, the other of said second and fourth pins will be at least partially blocked by a tooth from being positioned between teeth on the second toothed wheel. 29. The chair of claim 27 wherein the first biasing member urges the brake finger and third brake finger toward each other, and the third biasing member urges the second brake finger and fourth brake finger toward each other. 30. The chair of claim 29 further including a second pedal and a toggle link coupled to the pedal and the second pedal, the toggle link adapted to pivot one of the pedal and second pedal in a particular direction when the other of the pedal and second pedal pivots in a direction opposite the particular direction.