EP0253333A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Drive design for mobile x-ray units
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1987-07-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-07-10
Abstract
Abstract A control system for providing power to independently driven wheels (l2, l4) of a power driven cart (l0) for transporting medical diagnostic equipment. A manually engageable handle (l6) is mounted to the cart in a position allowing a person to exert a manual force on the handle in a direction in which it is desired for the cart to move. Force sensors (38, 40) are coupled to the handle to sense the manual force applied to it in a plane parallel to the plane on which the cart is to be moved. The force sensors (38, 40) provide signals representative of the magnitude and direction of the manual force applied to the handle in forward, reverse and turning directions. Electronic circuits (26, 28) are coupled to the force sensors for providing control signals to motors driving the wheels of the cart for independently controlling direction and velocity of movement of the cart.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael John Pajerski
- 👤 Steven James Gray
- 👤 Gerald Kenneth Flakas
- 👤 Dennis John Cotic
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 10:24
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B6/00; A61B6/44; A61B6/4476; A61B6/4482; A61B6/4405; B; B62; B62D; B62D11/00; B62D11/02; B62D11/04; B60; B60L; B60L2200/00; B60L2200/30; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20012
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
A control system for providing power to at least one pair of independently driven wheels of a power driven cart for transporting medical diagnostic equipment, the control system comprising: a manually engageable handle having first and second ends and being mounted to the cart in a position allowing a manual force to be exerted on the handle substantially in a direction in which movement of the cart is desired; force responsive means coupled to said handle for sensing the manual force applied to said handle in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to said direction of movement, said force responsive means providing signals representative of the magnitude and direction of the manual force applied to each of said first and second ends of said handle; and means responsive to the signals for actuating the control system to provide the power to the driven wheels independently for controlling the direction and velocity of movement of the cart.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
A control system for providing power to at least one pair of independently driven wheels of a power driven cart for transporting medical diagnostic equipment, the control system comprising: a manually engageable handle having first and second ends and being mounted to the cart in a position allowing a manual force to be exerted on the handle substantially in a direction in which movement of the cart is desired; force responsive means coupled to said handle for sensing the manual force applied to said handle in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to said direction of movement, said force responsive means providing signals representative of the magnitude and direction of the manual force applied to each of said first and second ends of said handle; and means responsive to the signals for actuating the control system to provide the power to the driven wheels independently for controlling the direction and velocity of movement of the cart.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
The control system of claim l wherein said handle comprises a bar having pivotable mounts at each of said first and second ends, said force responsive means including first and second cantilevered arms each having one end fixedly mounted to the cart adjacent a corresponding one of said first and second ends of said handle, a second end of each of said arms being coupled to a corresponding one of said pivotable mounts, the manual force applied to said handle being translated into a bending moment to said arms.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
The control system of claim 2 wherein said arms each have a predefined bending area and including: a pair of strain responsive electrical resistance means attached to opposite sides of said bending area, said resistance means having the property of varying its electrical resistance in response to bending at said bending area; and electrical circuit means responsive to variations in said resistance means for providing the signals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The control system of claim 3 wherein said circuit means comprises a Wheatstone bridge having said resistance means connected to form two legs of said bridge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
The control system of claim l wherein said force responsive means comprises at least one Hall effect sensor coupled to one of said handle and said cart and a magnetic means coupled to the other of said handle and said cart, said sensor being arranged to provide said force responsive signals in responsive to relative displacement of said handle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The control system of claim l wherein said handle includes force responsive means coupled to each of said first and second ends.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The control system of claim 6 wherein said force responsive means comprises a Hall effect sensor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The control system of claim 7 wherein said force responsive means comprises magnet means attached to each of said first and second ends of said handle, said Hall effect sensors being positioned adjacent said magnet means and attached to said cart.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The control system of claim 8 wherein said handle is attached to said cart by vertically extending relatively stiff spring members, said spring members deflecting horizontal to allow displacement of said handle in proportion to the applied force.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
160 words
l0. An electrically powered medical diagnostic equipment cart comprising: at least first and second wheels positioned on opposite sides of the cart first and second electric drive motors coupled in driving relationship to at least first and second said wheels; first and second motor speed control circuits connected to supply electrical power to first and second said motors so as to drive them in both a forward and reverse direction, respectively; a manually engageable handle coupled to the cart through first and second strain responsive means at opposing ends of said handle, said force responsive means providing indications of the direction and degree of force at each end of said handle in response to a manually applied force; first and second means each responsive to the indications from said force responsive means for generating magnitude and direction signals to respective ones of said speed control circuits for effecting motion of the cart in accordance with force on said handle, respectively.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
160 words
l0. An electrically powered medical diagnostic equipment cart comprising: at least first and second wheels positioned on opposite sides of the cart first and second electric drive motors coupled in driving relationship to at least first and second said wheels; first and second motor speed control circuits connected to supply electrical power to first and second said motors so as to drive them in both a forward and reverse direction, respectively; a manually engageable handle coupled to the cart through first and second strain responsive means at opposing ends of said handle, said force responsive means providing indications of the direction and degree of force at each end of said handle in response to a manually applied force; first and second means each responsive to the indications from said force responsive means for generating magnitude and direction signals to respective ones of said speed control circuits for effecting motion of the cart in accordance with force on said handle, respectively.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
88 words
The equipment cart of claim 5 wherein said handle comprises a bar having pivotable mounts at each of said first and second ends, said force responsive means including first and second cantilevered arms each having one end fixedly mounted to the cart adjacent a corresponding one of said first and second ends of said handle, a second end of each of said arms being coupled to a corresponding one of said pivotable mounts, the force applied to said handle being translated into a bending moment to said arms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
81 words
The equipment cart of claim l0 wherein said handle comprises a finite length bar having magnet means attached to opposite ends thereof, said force responsive means including Hall effect sensors mounted to said cart adjacent said magnet means, deflection of said handle causing relative displacement between said magnet means and an adjacent one of said sensors, said sensors being responsive to displacement of said magnet means for providing said indications of said direction and degree of force applied to said handle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The equipment cart of claim l2 wherein said handle is attached to said cart by vertically extending relatively stiff spring members, said spring members deflecting horizontal to allow displacement of said handle in proportion to the applied force.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
145 words
A wheeled cart for medical diagnostic equipment comprising: a plurality of selectively energizable dynamoelectric machines associated with the wheeled cart and each including rotor means coupled in driving relation with at least one of the wheels of the wheeled cart and operable generally for rotation in one direction and another direction opposite the one direction upon the selective energization of said dynamoelectric machines, respectively; and means associated in circuit relation with said dynamoelectric machines and operable generally for selectively energizing said dynamoelectric machines to effect at least generally conjoint rotation of said rotor means in either the one direction or the another direction and also to effect at least generally conjoint rotation of at least one of said rotor means in one of the one and another directions and at least another of said rotor means in the other of the one and another directions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
145 words
A wheeled cart for medical diagnostic equipment comprising: a plurality of selectively energizable dynamoelectric machines associated with the wheeled cart and each including rotor means coupled in driving relation with at least one of the wheels of the wheeled cart and operable generally for rotation in one direction and another direction opposite the one direction upon the selective energization of said dynamoelectric machines, respectively; and means associated in circuit relation with said dynamoelectric machines and operable generally for selectively energizing said dynamoelectric machines to effect at least generally conjoint rotation of said rotor means in either the one direction or the another direction and also to effect at least generally conjoint rotation of at least one of said rotor means in one of the one and another directions and at least another of said rotor means in the other of the one and another directions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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