Patent Application
20110068562
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a medication cart and more particularly to a medication cart which may be used in hospitals, rest homes, nursing homes or the like to conveniently deliver medication to patients therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medication carts are commonly used in rest homes, nursing homes and hospitals to deliver medications to individual patients located throughout the facility. Applicants believe that the medication carts of the prior art are not easily maneuverable since only a pair of handles are normally provided on opposite sides of the cart. Further, the medication carts of the prior art are not believed to provide sufficient countertop space thereon to enable the efficient dispensing of the medications and preparing the necessary documentation relating to the dispensing of the medications. Further, it is believed that the prior art medication carts do not provide a means for conveniently supporting files in a selectively movable fashion above the countertop portion of the cart.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A medication cart is described which includes an upstanding housing or cabinet having upper and lower ends and which includes a wheeled base, a front portion, a back portion, a right side portion, a left side portion, and a generally horizontally disposed countertop portion. Preferably, the wheels of the base of the cart are caster wheels and have brakes associated therewith. The housing has a first upstanding post at the juncture of the left side portion and the front portion, a second upstanding post at the juncture of the front portion and the right side portion, a third upstanding post at the juncture of the left side portion and the back portion, and a fourth upstanding post at the juncture of the back portion and the left side portion. Each of the first, second, third and fourth posts have upper ends which define hand gripping portions which enable a person to grasp one or two of the gripping portions to maneuver the housing. The front portion of the housing has a plurality of selectively movable medication drawers positioned therein which are slidably movable from a closed position beneath the countertop portion to an open position. The left side portion of the housing has a receptacle support removably secured thereto which includes one or more receptacles therein. The right side portion of the housing has a pair of trash receptacles selectively removably mounted thereon.
A vertically disposed support member is selectively positioned within one of the first, second, third and fourth posts and has a support arm pivotally secured thereto about a vertical axis. The support arm supports a file or computer supporting device thereon so that files or a laptop computer may be movably positioned above the countertop. A tray is selectively movably mounted on the housing and which is movable from a vertically disposed stowed position to a horizontally disposed operative position.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved medication cart.
A further object of the invention is to provide a medication cart which includes upstanding posts at the corners thereof which define hand gripping portions at the upper ends thereof which enable the cart to be easily maneuvered in various directions.
A further object of the invention is to provide a medication cart which includes an auxiliary countertop or tray which is selectively movable between a vertically disposed stowed position to a horizontally disposed operative position.
A further object of the invention is to provide a medication cart which is convenient to use.
A further object of the invention is to provide a medication cart which is aesthetic in appearance.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.
Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.
The medication cart of this invention is referred to generally by the reference numeral 10 and includes a cabinet or housing 12 having an upper end 14 and a lower end 16. Housing 12 includes a front portion 18, back portion 20, left side portion 22, right side portion 24, wheeled base portion 26 including wheels 27, and a countertop 28 with a recessed portion or area 30.
Housing 12 also includes a first upstanding post 32, a second upstanding post 34, a third upstanding post 36 and a fourth upstanding post 38 at the corners thereof. Posts 32, 34, 36 and 38 are hollow and have a unique shape as illustrated in the drawings. The unique shape of the posts 32, 34, 36 and 38 provide gripping portions 40, 42, 44 and 46 at the upper ends thereof respectively which are ergonomically designed so that a person may easily grasp the posts as illustrated in
The numeral 48 refers to drawers which may be of different sizes as illustrated in
The numeral 50 refers to a receptacle mount which is selectively removably secured to the left side portion 22 of housing 12 and which has one or more receptacle components therein such as a sharps container or the like. As seen in drawings, the front portion of the receptacle mount 50 has a pair of doors 52 which are lockable. One or more trash receptacles 54 are detachably secured to the right side portion 24. As seen in
Preferably, post 38 has an opening 70 formed therein which receives a support post 72 therein with the upper end of post 72 being positioned above the upper end of the housing 12. Support arm assembly 74 is selectively movably mounted on the support post 72 so that file/computer support plate 76 may be selectively movably positioned with respect to the housing. Support plate 76 can support a laptop computer 78 or a file tray 88 which has an upstanding lower lip 83 so that the files 84 thereon will not slip therefrom.
Preferably the wheels 27 of the cart have brakes 80 thereon. Preferably, the drawers 48 may be locked in their closed position by means of a conventional lock assembly 82.
Although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
