Patent Application
20070056105
The present invention generally relates to examination tables and, more particularly, to shielding a patient occupying an examination table from leakage current.
Medical examination tables are conventionally provided with various electrical components. One such common component includes one or more electrical outlets for plugging in accessories. Despite their convenience and utility, outlets on tables may be a source of leakage current. Leakage current is the current that can flow through a protective ground conductor to ground. In the absence of a grounding connection, leakage current could seek ground through a path that includes a patient's body.
This undesirable phenomenon is addressed conventionally by including an isolation transformer on the power supply to an accessory receptacle. The ground from the accessory receptacle is typically tied to the chassis of the table. Arranged as such, leakage current from the accessory seeks the transformer's secondary, and not earth ground. That is, leakage current from the accessory electrical receptacle seeks the secondary of the isolation transformer instead of an earth ground, thereby protecting patients and operators from closing the grounding circuit and receiving an electrical shock or other injury. Despite their effectiveness, however, such isolation transformers add complexity and additional manufacturing costs to tables so equipped. There is consequently a need for an improved manner of grounding leakage current.
Embodiments of the present invention address the problems of the prior art by isolating the accessory receptacle from the table chassis and running a second power cord complete with a ground from the accessory receptacle to an electrical power source. Another cord that may be grounded to the table chassis may be used to power the remaining electrical components of the examination table. The two cords may be connected together with molded loops or other conjoining connectors to keep the cords together. The conjoined cord feature is simpler and less expensive than isolation transformer approaches, while providing the necessary patient protection from leakage current.
From the foregoing disclosure and the following more detailed description of various embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a cost savings in the manufacturing of examination tables with accessory receptacles. Particularly significant in this regard is the potential the invention affords for providing a method of attaching the accessory receptacle that is less expensive and less complex than using an isolation transformer. Additional features and advantages of various embodiments will be better understood in view of the detailed description provided below.
These and further features of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following description and drawings wherein:
It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the conjoined cords as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes of various components, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate visualization and clear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, for example, for clarity or illustration.
Accessory electrical receptacles 32 are conventionally mounted to the examination table 10. The accessory electrical receptacles 32 are connected to the secondary side of an isolation transformer 34. The primary side of the isolation transformer 34 is connected to the power supply 28. The accessory electrical receptacles 32 are grounded to the chassis of the examination table 12. Leakage currents from the accessory electrical receptacles 32 seek the secondary of the isolation transformer 34 instead of an earth ground, thereby protecting patients and operators from closing the grounding circuit and receiving an electrical shock or other injury.
Referring now to
From the forgoing disclosure and detailed description of certain embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications, additions, and other alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of the present disclosure, that the examination table may have many different components and configurations. Other electrical components of the examination table could be directly connected to power sources with the conjoined electrical power cord configuration. The embodiment that was discussed was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the present invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the benefit to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
