Travel stretcher for transporting a patient, in particular for use at large events

The invention relates to a travel stretcher for transporting a patient, in particular for use at large events, comprising a travel frame, provided with wheels, and comprising a privacy screen for the patient.

Travel stretchers have been used for some years to rescue patients on the sites of large events. These have superseded the use of motorised vehicles such as patient transport ambulances and emergency ambulances. This was due to safety concerns arising when a vehicle with a special signal had to make its way through crowds. There was therefore a switch to travel stretchers a number of years ago, for example at the Oktoberfest in Munich.

In environments of this type, both the medical staff and the patient face significant problems.

To give the patient a minimum of private space, he has to be shielded from the environment (onlookers, drunken visitors etc.) in so far as possible, meaning that a privacy screen is required for this type of travel stretchers. Nevertheless, the patient should not feel confined or constrained. In addition, it should be possible to remove the privacy screen rapidly and compactly so as to allow rapid access to the patient in an emergency. Some free head room should also be provided. A removable privacy screen which has to be stored alongside the stretcher in use is unfavourable because of the generally very cramped place of use. Moreover, the patient should not be injured further as a result of the privacy screen being attached.

The travel stretcher also has to be configured for a wide range of patients, from infants to the overweight.

Transporting patients suffering from a fracture or head injury poses a further problem. They have to be transported with as little shaking as possible, and this places high requirements on the chassis and on the stretcher rest. For patients with cardiovascular problems, the upper body has to be raised. The privacy screen should nevertheless provide sufficient freedom for the head.

So as to be able to provide qualified assistance during use, the medical staff need to bring medical equipment (emergency backpack, oxygen unit, sanitary products, ECG etc.) and personal equipment with them. The travel stretcher should provide safe storage space for all of these items. Nothing may be lost. It should further be ensured that the equipment is protected from any bodily fluids emerging from the patient.

The travel stretcher should be of a particular weight and a particular width so as not to fall over. Nevertheless, it should have high manoeuvrability so as to be able to be pushed into any position in fixed tents and exhibition halls. In addition, it should be possible for a single person to push and steer the travel stretcher in an emergency.

The currently used travel stretchers can only meet these requirements unsatisfactorily, and moreover have a number of further constructional defects, and this has a negative effect on handling during use and thus on the safety of the people involved. This applies primarily to the handling of the privacy screen, during which there is the potential for the patient to be injured, to the weight of the travel stretcher, to suitable holding of the patient and to the steering and constitution of the chassis. The object of the present invention is therefore to develop a travel stretcher of the aforementioned type in such a way that the adjustment work for the privacy screen, which is required for transport and obstructive during treatment, can be made more efficient, and the patient can be transported and treated with greater comfort and at lesser expense.

In a travel stretcher for transporting a patient, in particular for use at large events, comprising an undercarriage provided with wheels and comprising a privacy screen for the patient, this object is achieved according to the invention in that the privacy screen is vertically displaceable on the undercarriage.

As a result of the solution according to the invention, the privacy screen can be adapted to the relevant conditions in a simple manner, since it is possible to adjust the privacy screen, which is required for transport and obstructive during treatment, efficiently. The patient can be transported and treated with greater comfort and at lesser expense. If required, the privacy screen can rapidly and simply be lowered compactly in the undercarriage and extended to the desired height again if needed. It also does not require any additional space during use.

The dependent claims contain advantageous developments and configurations of the invention.

In an advantageous development, the privacy screen comprises a frame and an awning attached to the frame.

The frame advantageously comprises a substantially rectangular base frame, to which guide rods are fixed, which are guided vertically in guide sleeves arranged on the undercarriage. This results in a substantially box-shaped privacy screen, which completely encloses the patient and protects him from curious stares. The privacy screen can also be lowered compactly in the undercarriage and extended to the desired height if needed.

Preferably, two guide sleeves are arranged at each end face of the undercarriage.

The privacy screen can thus be moved or displaced vertically, in such a way that a patient can be transferred or get on or off without any obstacle.

To provide easy displacement of the privacy screen, sliding sleeves are arranged in the guide sleeves.

In a preferred development, latch elements are provided, by means of which the guide rods can be fixed in the guide sleeves. In this way, the privacy screen can be fixed at different heights and adapted to the relevant situation.

To guarantee raising of the patient's upper body, in a preferred configuration the base frame is provided with a substantially U-shaped mounting frame in one end region thereof.

This mounting frame is advantageously mounted pivotably via the free ends of the legs thereof on the base frame, and provided in the region of the ends of the legs thereof remote from the free ends with supports which are guided in the guide rods.

For fixing the mounting frame at the desired height, the supports are fixably guided in the guide rods.

Advantageously, the frame is provided with handles, which can be used both for sliding the privacy screen up and down and for pushing the travel stretcher.

In a preferred configuration, the awning is removably connected to the frame. In this way, the awning can also be removed from the frame as a whole, for example for cleaning purposes.

Advantageously, the awning is connected to the frame via snap fastener, hook-and-loop or other easily releasable connections, in such a way that the awning can be removed rapidly and simply.

In an advantageous development, the awning comprises a cover part and peripheral side parts, in such a way that the patient is protected from all sides.

The cover part can preferably be folded away to the side. Thus, when the privacy screen is lowered, the patient can be placed on the travel stretcher without difficulties. Subsequently, the privacy screen can be raised and the cover part can be closed again.

As a result of the disclosed awning configuration having a cover which can be folded away to the side, the patient does not have to stand up specially for the privacy screen to be lowered, since the awning is hanging on the support frame, arranged around the undercarriage and thus tidied away by the folded-away cover when the privacy screen is lowered.

In a preferred configuration, at least one side part can be folded away. In connection with the rapidly removable cover part which can be folded away, this also makes rapid access to the patient possible both from the side and from above in emergency situations and during transport.

If, in a preferred development, the side parts are fixed to the base frame by one longitudinal edge and to the undercarriage by an opposite longitudinal edge, this results in a particularly low space requirement for the lowered privacy screen.

Advantageously, the awning may be provided with reinforcing elements, to give it greater inherent stability.

In a preferred configuration, a trough is arranged under the privacy screen on the undercarriage, and is provided with a standardised stretcher receiving system for receiving standardised patient stretchers. In this way, virtually all currently conventional stretchers can be used on the trough without conversion (Stryker, Stollenwerk, disaster stretcher), making rapid and flexible replacement possible. The trough additionally protects the items brought along under the stretcher from the patient's bodily fluids. Moreover, patients can be removed from the travel stretcher together with the stretcher without difficulty.

To make it possible to transport patients suffering in particular from a fracture or head injury with as little shaking as possible, in a preferred development the trough is mounted on the undercarriage via damping elements.

The damping elements may preferably be adjustable so as to be adapted to the respective body weight of the patient.

Stops may also be provided which limit the swing of the damping elements.

So as to achieve maximum possible travel comfort and prevent breakdowns due to broken glass or the like in so far as possible, in an advantageous embodiment the wheels of the undercarriage are provided with soft solid rubber tyres.

If at least some of the wheels are provided with brakes, the wheels are mounted on the undercarriage pivotably about a vertical axis and/or at least some of the wheels are provided with directional locks, the manoeuvrability of the travel stretcher according to the invention can be increased. As a result, the travel stretcher is highly manoeuvrable but can still be manoeuvred safely by a single person.

Preferably, grips are provided on the undercarriage for moving the travel stretcher over obstacles such as kerbs.

In a preferred embodiment, a storage space, which is equipped with a load restraint, is provided in the undercarriage under the trough. In this way, items of equipment which are brought along can be stored safely without the possibility of being lost.

Overall, the configuration according to the invention of the travel stretcher results among other things in the following advantages:

• Flexible privacy screen which is safe to handle
• Optimum patient access by way of flexible awning system
• Compatible with virtually all stretchers used by emergency services and disaster management
• Easy removal of the stretcher from the trough
• Protection of items of equipment from emerging bodily fluids by the trough
• Patient transport with reduced shaking as a result of soft solid rubber tyres and integrated damping elements
• Manoeuvrability of the travel stretcher by a single person
• Good manoeuvring of the travel stretcher by way of side grips
• Secured accommodation of items of equipment

Further details, features and advantages of the invention may be taken from the following description by way of the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1

is a perspective overall view of a travel stretcher according to the invention with the privacy screen raised,

Fig. 2

is a perspective overall view of the travel stretcher according to the invention with the awning removed,

Fig. 3

shows the undercarriage of the travel stretcher according to the invention,

Fig. 4

shows details of the undercarriage,

Fig. 5

shows the frame of the privacy screen,

Fig. 6

shows details of the frame,

Fig. 7

shows a latch element,

Fig. 8

is a side view of the awning of the privacy screen,

Fig. 9

shows the travel stretcher according to the invention with the privacy screen in various positions,

Fig. 10

shows the travel stretcher according to the invention with the privacy screen fully lowered,

Fig. 11

shows the trough used in the travel stretcher according to the invention,

Fig. 12

shows details of the mounting of the trough, and

Fig. 13

is a partial view of the storage space located on the travel stretcher.

Fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the travel stretcher 1 according to the invention.

The travel stretcher 1 basically consists of an undercarriage 2, a trough 3 fixed to the undercarriage 2 for receiving a stretcher 4, and a privacy screen 5.

The undercarriage 2, shown in detail in Fig. 3, is formed by a tubular frame which is mounted on wheels 6. At an upper level, the undercarriage 2 comprises two spars 7, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the undercarriage 2 and are provided with vertically extending guide sleeves 8 at the respective ends thereof. At a lower level, the undercarriage 2 is provided with a storage space 9, in which medical or personal items of equipment can be stored. Further, grips 10 (Fig. 10) are preferably arranged on the undercarriage 2 in the region of the end-face ends, so as to be able to lift the travel stretcher 1 to overcome obstacles.

The privacy screen 5 basically consists of a frame 11 and an awning 12 spanning the base frame 11.

The frame 11, shown in detail in Fig. 5, is formed by a substantially rectangular base frame 13, which is provided in the region of the corners thereof with guide rods 14, which are guided in guide sleeves 8, which are arranged on the undercarriage 2 and preferably provided with sliding sleeves. As a result, the frame 11 and thus also the privacy screen 5 can be displaced vertically with respect to the undercarriage 2 or a stretcher 4 mounted on the trough 3.

In an end region, the base frame 13 is provided with a substantially U-shaped mounting frame 15, which is mounted pivotably via the free ends of the legs thereof on the base frame 13. In the region of the ends of the legs thereof remote from the free ends, the mounting frame 15 is provided with supports 16, which are fixably guided in the guide rods 14.

By means of the mounting frame 15, the required freedom for the head of a patient lying on the stretcher 4 can be provided.

The frame 11 is provided with handles 17, which are preferably attached in the end and/or side region of the frame 11.

The awning 12, which is removably connected to the frame 11, specifically via a snap fastener, hook-and-loop or other easily releasable connection, comprises a cover part 18 and peripheral side parts 19 (Fig. 9). The cover part 18 can be folded away to the side, in such a way that free access to the patient lying on the stretcher 4 is possible from above.

Moreover, the awning 12 comprises at least one side part 19 which can be folded away, in such a way that free access to the patient from the side is also possible.

Fig. 9 shows various positions of the privacy screen. On the left of Fig. 9 the privacy screen 5 is fully closed, in the centre the cover part 18 is folded away, and on the right of Fig. 9 the privacy screen 5 is completely lowered, in such a way that the cover part 18 an the side part 19 hang down on the side of the undercarriage 2.

The side parts 19 may be fastened to the base frame 13 by one longitudinal edge and to the undercarriage 2 by an opposite longitudinal edge

Moreover, the awning 12 may be provided with reinforcing elements 20 (Fig. 8), for example in the form of glass-fibre-reinforced plastics material rods, to give it better dimensional stability.

By way of the handles 16 arranged on the frame 11, the privacy screen 5 can be displaced vertically with respect to the undercarriage 2 or the stretcher 4 and thus in effect lowered in the undercarriage 2. For locking the privacy screen 5 at the desired height, latch elements 21 are provided (Fig. 7).

Alternatively, the guide rods 14 may also be held in the guide sleeves 8 by static friction.

The latch element 21 may for example be in the form of a latch bolt, which is held in a particular position by a groove (Fig. 7).

Similar latch elements 21 may also be used for fixing the supports 16 in the guide rods 14.

The trough 3, which is mounted in the upper region of the undercarriage 2, serves to receive conventional stretchers 4, which may for example be secured there by means of a snap lock. As can be seen from Fig. 11, the trough 3 comprises hooks 22 and locking levers 23 for this purpose. Moreover, the trough 3 is preferably provided with a drain 24 in one corner, in such a way that fluids or cleaning agents can drain off.

To ensure that the patient is held with as little shaking as possible, the trough 3 is mounted on the undercarriage via preferably adjustable damping elements 25. Moreover, stops 26 are provided (Fig. 12), which limit the swing of the damping elements.

The wheels 6 of the undercarriage 2 are provided with soft solid rubber tyres, which on the one hand make it possible to transport the patient with as little shaking as possible, but on the other hand cannot be damaged by broken glass or the like.

The wheels 6, which are mounted on the undercarriage 2 pivotably about a vertical axis, are provided with directional locks 27 at the head end of the travel stretcher 1 and with brakes 28 at the foot end of the travel stretcher 1. As a result, good manoeuvrability of the travel stretcher 1 is ensured even when the travel stretcher 1 is only moved by a single person.

The storage space 9 arranged at a lower level of the undercarriage 2 is provided with a load restraint 29, which may consist of nets, baskets, straps etc.

The above description of the present invention is purely for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications are possible within the context of the invention, without departing from the scope of the invention and equivalents thereof.

List of reference numerals

1

Travel stretcher

2

Undercarriage

3

Trough

4

Stretcher

5

Privacy screen

6

Wheels

7

Spars

8

Guide sleeve

9

Storage space

10

Grip

11

Frame

12

Awning

13

Base frame

14

Guide rod

15

Mounting frame

16

Support

17

Handle

18

Cover part

19

Side part

20

Reinforcing element

21

Latch element

22

Hook

23

Locking lever

24

Drain

25

Damping element

26

Stop

27

Directional lock

28

Brake

29

Load restraint