Patent Application
20120272553
The present invention generally relates to a customizable display in the form of a mountable sign and a method for selectively and securely displaying interchangeable, critical information in the form of indicia, text and/or color coding, such as a patient information sign used in healthcare environments.
Interchangeable signs that are selectively manipulated by designated personnel are particularly advantageous in environments where information is critical to the safety of persons and/or the property itself. For example, in healthcare environments, such as hospitals, relaying important patient information is paramount to lowering the rate of avoidable medical errors. Transmission of relevant information is obviously necessary to improve health outcomes, but is also necessary to meet legal, professional and ethical requirements. It is common for healthcare systems to have built-in redundancies and methods to prevent caregiver errors. A prominent display of critical information is also crucial to aid non-clinical persons in supporting, evaluating and advancing patient care. Examples of non-clinical persons include those involved in the administration of the facility as well as visitors to the healthcare facility. As part of such systems, prominently displayed signs that are easily interpreted can be effective tools to convey important information to healthcare providers and the general public to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety and medical outcomes. It is imperative, particularly when the information is more critical to medical outcomes, for the sign to convey information that is current, reliable and the same across various applications. Each piece of information displayed should have clear meaning and acceptable practices associated with it.
More specifically, hospitals manage patient information electronically through the use of integrated computer systems and computer terminals. However, not all personnel, and certainly not visitors, have access to such systems. Additionally, patient charts are often used to convey specific information about a particular patient, but the physical chart must be accessible and those obtaining the chart must have the experience to interpret them. Moreover, conveying information among hospital personnel is critical both among the healthcare staff currently assisting the patient and those that will come into contact with the patient in the future, such as on subsequent hospital shifts. There remains a need to convey basic, yet very important, information about the patient to each person coming into contact with the patient, be it to provide care, administrative services, or even just visiting. Important patient information, in many cases, must be brought to the attention of all who encounter the patient or the patient's room.
In a hospital setting, for example, critical patient information might include notice that no visitors are allowed or that an interpreter is required. It might also be critical for hospital personnel and visitors to know that masks and gowns are required or to see the nurses' station before entering. Notification that no flowers are permitted or that the patient has a latex allergy may also be critical information that must be displayed. Other examples include that the patient cannot receive anything by mouth or that the patient possesses a fall risk. In certain circumstances, this information is important, and even critical, and should be prominently displayed for all those that approach the patient's room or the patient. And this information should be displayed in a manner that is consistent across various applications as part of a system of transmitting information. Moreover, it is important that the signs possess a degree of integrity so that they may provide a reliable manner of transmitting information. Unintentional and/or unauthorized alteration of the sign must, therefore, be discouraged and even prevented.
U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 2010/0199532 sets forth a messaging sign having plates and a reversible locking system. The sign according to the prior application consists of a frame formed of various layers positioned in a facing relationship so as to define slots on an outer surface of the frame. Plates bearing indicia are inserted into the slots and secured in place by locking members in the concealed position (that is, fully within the frame). A cover is rotatably mounted to the frame so that the sign may be opened by pivoting the cover to expose the concealed plates. When the plates are concealed within the frame and behind the cover, there is no external indicator of the possible indicia to be displayed, that is, they are fully concealed. Each locking member of each plate must be manually depressed individually to permit the plate to be extended beyond the border of the frame to display those particular indicia.
Such signs are not limited to the healthcare industry. As another example, in industrial settings, interchangeable signs can be used to keep employees informed and to warn of potential dangers to persons and/or property. The signs can display indicia or written content representing, for example, the need for protective eyewear, the presence of propane or other flammable material, the presence of biohazardous materials, high voltage or arc flash areas, moving forklifts, or a food preparation area. It is relevant in such settings to provide a sign which is easily recognizable, which bears standardized warnings in the form of indicia, and which is securely interchangeable by designated personnel. Other settings may also warrant selectively interchangeable and secured signboards, but for the sake of discussion, use of such signs in the healthcare industry will be explained in detail below.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention obviates shortcomings of the prior art by providing a customizable sign for securely displaying critical information and a method of displaying the information. The display is in the form of a sign that may be mounted to a wall or other structure. The sign includes a cover and a frame assembly. The frame assembly includes frame members secured to one another to form a unitary frame. The frame members are uniquely configured so as to define channels including a locking channel and a fastening channel.
The frame assembly supports one or more horizontal tracks which are secured to the frame members. The tracks include a longitudinally extending, medial flange and a pair of retention tracks extending along side edges thereof. One or more slides, including flanges and shoulders, are provided and cooperate with a respective track. Sufficient tolerances are provided such that the slides move from a concealed position to an extended position along the tracks. The slides support indicia plates which bear the critical information in the form of text, indicia, and/or color coding. Each slide also includes an indicia coupling secured on a rear side thereof which permits the indicia plates to be readily removed and altered and which also cooperates with a locking system to securely display the customized information.
The locking system is provided for preventing unauthorized or unintentional manipulation of the slides within the frame assembly. More specifically, the locking system is positioned within the locking channel of the frame and includes an obscurely positioned actuating pin which, according to one embodiment, extends beyond the frame. The locking system includes a spring which biases the locking system in a locked position and one or more locking elements. The locking elements are configured to mate with one another such that elements may be joined together to achieve a customizable length to accommodate signs with a various number of slides. The locking elements include one or more locking pins which cooperate with the locking guides defined by the indicia coupling.
According to the illustrated embodiment, when a cover is positioned on the frame assembly, the actuating pin is obscured from view. To alter the customizable display, a user must be aware of the obscure position of the actuating pin, reach behind the cover to depress the actuating pin with one hand and then, with the other hand, manipulate the slides so as to display the desired information. According to alternative embodiments, the actuating pin may otherwise be obscured, or even concealed, such as being recessed within the frame. One object of the present invention is to provide a sign that may be easily and securely customizable by providing a locking system which may be unlocked in one step, i.e., by depressing the obscurely positioned actuating pin, wherein substantially all, or a predetermined set, of the slides are released from the locked position and all of the slides are free to move along the respective track. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sign with information that may be the same across various applications. Another objective is to provide a sign that is easy to customize by an authorized user. This is achieved, in one aspect, by the present invention which provides a sign wherein a portion of the each slide extends beyond the edge of the cover such that the authorized user can determine which slides to extend upon unlocking the frame assembly. This is achieved in another aspect, by providing a sign wherein the indicia plates are easily positioned and removed, for example, pulled in an out in a sliding motion, to provide a customizable display. These and other objectives are achieved by the present invention as explained more fully in detail below.
The present invention will now be described in detail hereinafter by reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described; rather, this detailed description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and practice. A customizable display 10 in the form of a sign is illustrated in the various figures.
As shown in
Each slide 15 displays a preselected, and interchangeable indicia plate 40, and is individually moveable between a concealed position 12, shown in
Indicia plates 40 contain the critical information to be securely displayed. Indicia plates 40 may contain text and/or indicia in the form of symbols as shown in the various figures for use in healthcare environments. Of course, the invention described herein is not limited to the precise text or symbols displayed, but rather is provides as exemplary for the sake of discussion. Indicia plates can also be color-coded. By way of example, for use in a healthcare setting, it may be desirable to utilize the same text, symbols and colors consistently across all application and on each sign 10 utilized as part of a comprehensive information system. According to a preferred embodiment, indicia plates 40 are formed of a pre-printed plastic material. Alternatively, indicia plates 40 may be formed of paperboard or relatively lightweight metal such as aluminum. Indicia plates 40 need not be pre-printed. For example, a wipeable surface for non-permanent marking may be provided. Moreover, the front surface of slides 15 may integrally display relevant information such as when is not desirable to alter the information optionally displayed.
A plurality of tracks 24 are secured to frame assembly 16 by fastening means 33, such as adhesive strips. Tracks 24, once secured to frame assembly 16, define the rear surface of the sign 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in
Slide 15 supports indicia plate 40 on a forward side thereof and indicia coupling 18 on its rear side. Slides 15 are configured to positively engage tracks 24. As shown in
Indicia plate 40 is optionally secured to the front side of slide 15 with known fasteners, such as, e.g., adhesive strips 46, shown in
Indicia coupling 18 is secured to slide 15 by adhesive and, according to a preferred embodiment illustrated in
Indicia coupling 18 is preferably pliable to enable the display 10 to be customizable in that various indicia plates 43 may be provided and selectively assembled onto the sign 10. As best shown in
Frame 22 includes top 25, bottom 26, first side 27 and second side 28 members. Each member has substantially the same configuration except that second side member 28 has a configuration which is modified by an additional manufacturing step. Alternatively, second side member 28 may be uniquely extruded.
Referring to
Second side member 28 shown differs in that it is formed with an additional step wherein the frame member is sheared along line A-A shown in
Locking system 20 prevents unauthorized or unintentional display of any indicia plate 40. This is prevented by providing an obscure, hidden locking system 20 which requires knowledge of the method to display the various indicia plates 40 supported on slides 15. According to the embodiment illustrated in
More specifically, locking system 20 includes one or more elongate locking members 60 shown in
Once the desired locking system 20 length is achieved, either by joining two or more locking members 60 or utilizing one locking member 60, the uppermost proximal connection member 64 not engaged with a corresponding distal connection member 65 is removed, such as merely by being manually snapped off of the main body of locking member 60 as shown in
Locking member 60 also includes at least one, and preferably two or more, locking pins 62 extending outwardly from a front surface thereof. As shown in
Locking system 20 is received within locking channel 58 defined by second side member 28 of frame 22. As shown in
To actuate the locking system 20 whereby slides 15 may move relative to tracks 24, that is, between the concealed and extending positions, pressure is applied to the bottommost distal connecting member 65 that forms an actuating pin 70. Of course, it is within the scope of the present invention to provide an additional member (not shown) attached to the distal connecting member 65 to provide a more prominent actuating pin under certain circumstances. Actuating pin 70 extends through and beyond the bottom frame member 26. An aperture 83, shown in
Locking system 20 cooperates with indicia coupling 18 to prevent unintentional sliding of slide 15 relative to track 24. As shown in
Referring to
Locking system 20 prevents unintentional movement of slide 15 as follows. Referring to
Upon depression of spring 68 by forces applied to the exposed actuating pin 70, with regard to slides in the fully extended position, locking pin 62 would slide upward, in the direction of spring 68. Forces may be applied manually or, for heightened security, a specialized tool (not shown) may be provided to manipulate a concealed actuating pin 70. With reference to
Alternatively, when slide 15 is concealed, with respect to
In both the fully extended and concealed positions, further sliding of slides 15 will be precluded by locking pin 62 extending into either the proximal or distal locking guide whereby additional forces applied in the direction along the length of slide 15 would not move slide 15. In the fully extended position, complete removal of slide 15 from track 24 is precluded by a blocking device, such as set screw 52. As shown in
Regarding
According to a preferred embodiment, of sign 10 includes frame members 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 which form frame 22, track 24, and slide 15 are made of aluminum and formed by any conventional method, such as extrusion methods. Indicia coupling 18, according to a preferred embodiment, is formed of an inherently flexible material; such as an acrylic styrene acrylonitrile (ASA) that is preferably injection molded. Of course, any material and/or process resulting in the members having the aforementioned configurations and achieving the desired controlled tolerances between adjacent parts may be utilized.
Also provided herein is a method for securely displaying information utilizing sign 10 including frame assembly 16. Frame assembly 16 is selected and assembled so as to include the desired number of slides 15. As such, frame assembly 16 may have any desired length. Also within the scope of the present invention, is the provision of slides 15 having varying lengths as opposed to all slides having the same length as shown. As shown in the various Figures, four slides are provided, but as is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, it is within the scope of the present invention to provide one or any number of slides. Moreover, although slides 15 are shown to extend from one side 28 of frame assembly 16, a pair of frame assemblies 16 may be positioned in a side-by-side manner and appropriately connected by conventional means so that slides 15 extend from both side edges of frame assembly 16. Sign 10 may include a right hand frame assembly 16 wherein second side member 28 forms the right side of frame 22 as shown, for example, in
The method according to the present invention therefore includes the steps of providing frame assembly 16 having a right hand or left hand frame 22 with a selected number of slides 15. Frame members 25, 26, 27 and 28 are assembled and secured by angle plates 30 as described above. The selected number of tracks 24 is applied to frame 22 and the corresponding number of slides 15 to each track 24. Prior to slide 15 being positioned on track 24, indicia coupling 18 is secured to slide 15 by locking set screw 52 secured to the appropriate locking guide 75 (depending upon whether it is a right hand or left hand sign 10).
The method also includes assembling locking system 20 by connecting a corresponding number of locking members 60. The upper most proximal connecting member 64 is removed and the locking system 20, including spring 68 and connected locking members 60, are positioned within locking channel 58 of the second side frame member 28 of frame 22. The method further includes the step of providing a set of indicia plates 40 having predetermined wording, images, and/or color imprinted thereon. Thereafter, selecting the appropriate indicia plate 40 to be positioned in the selected slide 15. Each selected indicia plate 40 is positioned in a slide 15 when slide 15 is in a substantially extended position and pressure is applied manually to grip 45 of coupling 18 as shown in
When all indicia plates 40 are positioned, sign 10 may be manipulated by the user applying upward pressure to actuating pin 70 which is discretely positioned behind cover 11 as shown in
Cover 11 may be secured to frame assembly 16 by conventional means such as by screws which cooperate with apertures positioned along frame 22. The sign 10 is of appropriate overall dimensions so that it may be positioned outside of a hospital room, for example, and meet all applicable standards, such as HIPPA. The sign 10 may also be used in combination with another sign to convey a more detailed set of information. For instance, one sign 10 may be positioned outside of the room, in the hallway, and another sign 10 positioned inside the room. Sign 10 may also be mounted on a self standing structure or frame rather than a wall.
In the drawings and the specification, there has been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.
