BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the hose support system shown secured in place under a bed, the hose support system including the base, support arm and flexible arm.
FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of one embodiment of the hose support system shown secured in place under a bed, the hose support system including the base, support arm and flexible arm.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the support arm, the joint connecting cap, the joint connecting sleeve, and the moveable joint.
FIG. 4 is a close up view of the support arm and the joint connecting cap.
FIG. 5 is an exploded, partially cut-away view of the support arm, the joint connecting cap, the joint connecting sleeve, and the moveable joint.
FIG. 6 is an assembled cut-away view of the support arm, the joint connecting cap, the joint connecting sleeve, the moveable joint and the flexible arm.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the support arm, the joint connecting cap, the joint connecting sleeve, the moveable joint and the flexible arm.
FIG. 8 is a close up view of the flexible arm connectors in a connected configuration.
FIG. 9 is a close up view of the male and flexible arm connectors in an unconnected configuration.
FIG. 10 is a cut-away view of the flexible arm connectors in a connected configuration.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the base and support arm of the hose support system.
FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the base showing the base housing, the extended legs and the leg caps.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the hose support system shown secured in place under a bed, the hose support system including the base, support arm and flexible arm, with CPAP air hose being attached to the flexible arm.
FIG. 14 is a close up perspective view showing the CPAP air hose attached by the clips to the flexible arm.
FIG. 15 is a close up perspective view showing the CPAP air hose attached by the distal end clip to the flexible arm.
FIG. 16 is a close up of the end of the flexible arm with a distal end clip attaching the CPAP air hose to the flexible arm.
FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the air mask interface and the air mask.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the air mask interface connected directly to an air mask.
FIG. 19 is a top view of the air mask interface.
FIG. 20 is an exploded side view of the air mask interface.
FIG. 21 is a side view of a CPAP air hose attached to the flexible coupling cylinder of the air mask interface.
FIG. 22 is a side perspective view of an air mask attached to a connection elbow.
FIG. 23 is a side exploded view of an air mask attached to a connection elbow, a redirective connection elbow, the base on the flexible coupling cylinder of the air mask interface.
FIG. 24 is a side view of an air mask with a connection elbow attached to the redirective connection elbow attached to the air mask interface.
FIG. 25 is a side view of an air mask which is attached to another embodiment of an air mask interface comprising a first elbow connector which is attached to a second elbow connector.
FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an air mask which is attached in another embodiment of an air mask interface comprising a ball and socket interface.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. The use of the term “attached” is meant that the elements listed as attached to each other are either secured to each other, affixed to each other, attached to each other, or integral to each other (i.e., present in the same piece).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention provides a hose support system that can be used to support hoses, tubes, wires, cables, etc., from medical devices. The hose support system is best show in FIGS. 1-17.
In one embodiment, the hose support system 10 comprises a base 12, support arm 14, a moveable joint 16, and a flexible arm 18.
The base unit 12 consists of a housing connected to a leg unit for placing under a mattress that a patient lies on, and a central extension unit that is attached to a support arm. The leg section can be any structural arrangement that would provide support to the base unit 12. The leg section can be a flat board or panel arrangement or can consist of extended legs. One embodiment of the base 12 can be seen in FIGS. 11-12. In this embodiment the base 12 comprises a base housing 20, a pair of extended legs 22, and leg caps 24. The components of the base 12 can be made of any sturdy material, including but not limited to, plastic, metal, ceramics, or other composites. The base housing 20 has a central extension 26 which has an aperture to receive one end of the support arm 14, and two angled extensions 28, each angled extension having an aperture to receive an extended leg 22. The central extension 26 of the base unit can suitably be disposed at any angle with respect to the extended legs 22. The extended legs 22 are received by the angled extensions 28 on one end of the extended legs 22. The other end of the extended legs 22 can be capped by leg cap 24 sections. The extended legs 22 can be attached to the base housing 20 by a friction fit with the angled extensions 28. The extended legs 22 may alternatively be attached by way of any standard interlocking tab means, or may be screwed into the angled extensions 28 by a threaded arrangement. The leg caps 24 can also be attached to the extended legs 22 by a friction fit, standard interlocking tabs, a screwed threaded arrangement, or any other connection arrangement. When the hose support system 10 is being used, the extended legs 22 of the base 12 are placed between the mattress and box spring of the bed the patient is sleeping on. The leg caps 24 of the base 12 help aid the extended legs 22 from slipping out from the mattresses. Alternative embodiments may allow for the base of the delivery system to attach, for example but not limited to, a medical device, a table next to a patient's bed, the patient's headboard or the ceiling above the patient's bed.
One end of the support arm 14 has a first and second end. The first end is received by the central extension 26 of the base housing 20. This connection, in one embodiment, can be a movable joint connection. The support arm can be made of any sturdy material such as plastic, metal, ceramics, or other composites. The second end of the support arm 14 is attached to the moveable joint 16. The arrangement is best shown in FIGS. 3-6. In one embodiment, the end of the support arm 14 is connected to a joint connecting cap tube 30. The joint connecting cap tube 30 has a sleeve section 100 having an inside 102 and a collar section 104. The support arm 14 is received by the inside 102 of the sleeve section 100. In one embodiment this connection can be a tab connection as shown in FIG. 4, or can be a friction fit, screwed threaded arrangement, or any other suitable connection.
The movable joint portion 16 has a joint 32, a stem 34 and a flexible arm receiving section 36. In one embodiment, the stem 34 of the moveable joint 16 is secured to the support arm 14 by way of a joint connecting sleeve 38. This arrangement is best shown in FIG. 6. The joint connecting sleeve 38 has an outer collar 40 having an inside 106 and an outside 108, and an inner collar 42 having an inside 110 and an outside 112. The stem 34 of the movable joint 16 is received by the inside 106 of the inner collar 42 and an aperture in the support arm 14. A portion of the joint connecting cap 30 is captured between the outside 112 of the inner collar 42 and the inside 106 of the outer collar 40 of the joint connecting sleeve 38. In another arrangement, the stem 34 can be connected to the support arm 14 by a friction fit, a tabbed connection, a screwed threaded arrangement, or any other suitable connection. The stem could also, alternatively, be connected to the joint connection cap tube 30 or joint connecting sleeve 38 by any such arrangement. The movable joint portion 16 may be adjusted and moved to obtain an ideal position for hose delivery to the patient. The joint 32 may be a ball joint, a flexure joint, a spring joint or any other type of movable joint suitable to maximize the effectiveness of the hose delivery system.
The flexible arm receiving section 36 of the movable joint 16 is designed to receive and secure the flexible arm 18. Suitably, the flexible arm receiving section 36 allows for the detachment of the flexible arm 18 for ease of travel and storage. The flexible arm 18 can be connected to the arm receiving section 36 by a friction fit, standard interlocking tabs, a screwed threaded arrangement, or any other connection arrangement.
The flexible arm 18 can suitably be one piece, or consist of a number of pieces, allowing the flexible arm to be collapsible for easy portability. The flexible arm 18 is suitably made from any durable flexible material, such as plastic, graphite composites, or other suitable material. When the flexible arm 18 is comprised of multiple sections 44, the sections 44 may be inflexible, but connected by at least one flexible joint such that the multiple sections 44 are flexible relative to each other. At least one flexible joint may be made from any durable flexible material, such as plastic, graphite composites, or other suitable material. The flexible joint may include, but not be limited to, a ball and socket joint, a hinged joint, an accordion-fold joint, a spring-type joint, a swivel joint, or a pivot joint or any other suitable joint.
Alternatively, when the flexible arm 18 is comprised of multiple sections 44, the sections 44 can be connected by male 46 and female 48 connecting sections. This arrangement is best shown in FIGS. 7-10. The male connecting section 46 comprises a connection collar 50 and an elongated shaft 52. The female connection section 48 comprises a connection collar 50 that has a hollow portion that is designed to receive the elongated shaft 52 of the male connecting section 46. One of the connection collars 50 has a male threaded portion 54 and the other has a female threaded portion 56. These portions 54, 56 can be screwed together to connect the sections 44 of the flexible arm 18.
A hose 60 can be secured to the flexible arm 18 by means of clips 62. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the clips 62 comprise an arm securing section 150, which receives a portion of the flexible arm 18, and a hose securing section 152 which clips to a portion of the hose 60. The fasteners of the flexible arm 18 can also include a distal end clip 154, as shown in FIGS. 15-16. The distal end clip 154 has an arm securing section 156 which receives a portion of the flexible arm 18. The distal end clip 154 also comprises a hose clamp section 158 which has a first hose receiving section 160 which is connected to the arm securing section 156 at one end and is hingedly connected to a second hose receiving section 162 on the other end. The second hose receiving section 162 has an aperture 164 designed to receive a tab 166 on the arm securing section 156 of the distal end clip 154. When the tab 166 is snapped into the aperture 164, the second hose receiving section can be locked into place around a portion of the hose 60. The distal end clip 164 is suitably positioned between an intermediate stopping section 168 and an end stopping section 170 of the flexible arm 18. This positioning stops the distal end clip 164 from sliding down the flexible arm 18. Alternatively, the hose 60 can be connected to the flexible arm 18 by any other suitable fastener means, including an enclosure that encircles the hose 60 that is closed by Velcro, a snap, an interlocking tab arrangement, or other suitable fastener arrangements. The flexible arm 18 holds the hose 60 off the bed and allows the hose 60 to slide through the clips 62 to constantly adjust to a patient's hose 60 needs.
In another embodiment of the invention, the invention provides a flexible air mask interface 70 between a breathing mask 72 and an air hose 60. This aspect of the invention is best shown in FIGS. 17-24. The flexible air mask interface 70 comprises a base 74 and a flexible coupling cylinder 76 connected to the base 74 at one end and the air hose 60 at another end. The base 74 of the flexible air mask interface 70 can also have small holes 82 that allow excess air to escape. The flexible coupling cylinder 76 is made from flexible material, including but not limited to corrugated material, that allows the cylinder 76 to bend in any direction. The flexible cylinder 76 can be made from any diameter necessary for the desired flexibility. The base 74 is designed in a way that it can rotate 360 degrees around the latitudinal axis of the base.
In one embodiment, the base 74 of the interface can be connected directly to a breathing mask 72. In another embodiment the base 74 connects to a redirective connection elbow 78 that is connected to the standard connection elbow 80 of a breathing mask 72. The redirective connection elbow 78 can be made of any sturdy material such as plastic.
In another alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 25, the air mask interface can be comprised of at least two elbow connectors. A first elbow connector 84 is connected to an air hose 60 and a second elbow connector 86 is connected to the breathing mask 72. Each end of the elbow connectors 84, 86 can be rotationally connected to either each other, the air hose 60 and/or the breathing mask 72. Each elbow can provide 360 degrees of rotation in two dimensions, so that when they are attached to each other they provide 360 degrees of three dimensional rotation. This allows for the freedom for the breathing mask 72 to be moved without tangling the air hose 60.
In yet another alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 26, the air mask interface can be comprised of a ball and socket interface 88 that is connected to an air hose 60 at one end and the breathing mask 72 at the other end. The ball and socket interface 88 allows for 360 degrees of three dimensional free rotation. This allows for the freedom for the breathing mask 72 to be moved without tangling the air hose 60.
When the flexible air mask interface 70 of the invention is used with the hose support system 10 of the present invention, the air hose 60 extends straight up from the air mask interface to the flexible arm 18 of the hose support system 10. In this arrangement, regardless of user movement in any direction, the air mask interface moves continuously to point in an upward direction, eliminating pull or drag caused by the pivot movement that is necessary when using a standard elbow connection 80. The flexibility and continuous upward pointing allows for a smooth, unnoticeable transition for the user when moving from one position to another.
Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or figures. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Patent Application
20080078397
