The present invention is directed to stands for intravenous (IV) units, and more particularly to stands capable of being stored in such a manner so as to reduce the amount of space required during storage.
There are many styles of portable intravenous stands available today. In general, the intravenous stand includes a base support having a set of wheels or the like and a bar extending upward from the base, wherein the intravenous delivery unit is suspended from the bar and is capable of accompanying the user during movement. The intravenous stand is preferably designed such that it is resistant to tipping over. In most cases, such a design includes a sufficiently broad base support. Unfortunately, unless the broad base support is capable of being collapsed, storage of the intravenous stands requires a substantial amount of floor space. Alternatively, the intravenous stands may be stacked upon each other during storage, however it would be preferable if lifting the stand was not required.
The present invention is directed to addressing these and other matters.
The present invention is directed to an intravenous stand including a base support that facilitates storage of multiple intravenous stands within close proximity to each other.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the portable intravenous stand includes a base member having a plurality of segments that substantially lie within a first plane, and a plurality of rotating members operatively connected—e.g., bolted, welded, press-fit, snap-fit, and any other attachment mechanism known to one of ordinary skill in the art that is used to connect such cooperating components—to the base member. An outrigger member is connected between two adjacent segments of the base member, wherein the outrigger member includes a portion thereof being higher than a portion of the plurality of segments, which facilitates the positioning of another similarly configured portable intravenous stand proximate thereto and under the outrigger member. Preferably, a support is integral to the outrigger member and capable of maintaining a pole member substantially perpendicular to the first plane.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the portable intravenous stand comprises a base member including a plurality of segments substantially lying within a first plane, wherein the plurality of segments further include a main segment having a first and second end and preferably extending through the stand's center of mass; a first adjacent segment having a first and second end, wherein the first end of the first adjacent segment being operatively connected to the first end of the main segment; a first rotating member being operatively attached to the base member proximate the connection of the main segment and the first adjacent segment; a second adjacent segment having a first and second end, wherein the first end of the second adjacent segment being operatively connected to the second end of the main segment; a second rotating member being operatively attached to the base member proximate the connection of the main segment and the second adjacent segment; a third rotating member being operatively attached to the base member proximate the second of the first adjacent segment; a fourth rotating member being operatively attached to the base member proximate the second end of the second adjacent member; a pair of concentric circles lying within the first plane, wherein the first and second rotating members lying upon a circumference of a first circle and the third and fourth rotating members lying upon a circumference of a second circle; and, a support integral to the base member and capable of maintaining a pole member substantially perpendicular to the first plane.
Alternatively, the embodiment further comprises a third adjacent segment having a first and second end, wherein the first end of the third adjacent segment being operatively connected to the second end of the first adjacent segment; a fifth rotating member being operatively attached to the base member proximate the second end of the third adjacent segment; a fourth adjacent segment having a first and second end, wherein the first end of the fourth adjacent segment being operatively connected to the second end of the second adjacent segment; and, a sixth rotating member being operatively attached to the base member proximate the second end of the fourth adjacent segment; a third concentric circle lying within the first plane wherein the fifth and sixth rotating member essentially lie upon the circumference of the third circle.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the concentric circles have the same circumference such that the first, second, third, fourth, and any additional rotating members essentially lie upon the same circle and are preferably spaced about the circumference an equal distance apart from each other.
In another embodiment, a portable intravenous stand comprises a base member including a plurality of segments, wherein the plurality of segments further comprise a first segment having a first end and a second end; a second segment having a first end and a second end wherein the first end of the second segment is operatively attached to the first end of the first segment forming a first junction lying within a first plane; an outrigger member having a first end and a second end wherein the outrigger member first end is operatively attached to the first junction; a first rotating member operatively attached proximate the second end of the first segment; a second rotating member operatively attached proximate the second end of the second segment; a third rotating member operatively attached proximate the second end of the outrigger member wherein the first, second and third rotating members are within a second plane parallel to and lower than the first plane; a circle lying within the second plane, wherein the first, second and third rotating members essentially lie upon a circumference of the circle; and a support integral to the base member and capable of maintaining a pole member substantially perpendicular to the first plane.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sturdy and sufficiently stable portable intravenous stand that includes a base capable of cooperating with bases of other similarly constructed portable intravenous stands such that the area required to store the portable intravenous stands is significantly less than those portable intravenous stands used today.
These and other aspects and attributes of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the following drawings and accompanying specification and claims.
Having thus generally described the nature of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings showing, by way of illustration, preferred embodiments in which:
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As shown in all the figures, the present invention contemplates utilizing various amounts and varieties of segments 14, outrigger members 18, and rotating members 16. That is, the base member 12 can include two or more segments 14 of flat or rounded stock made of metal, non-metal, plastic, polymer, rubber, composite, solid, non-solid, and combinations thereof. See
In other embodiments of the present invention shown in
At least two adjacent segments 14, having first and second ends, extend from proximate junction 27. The first ends of adjacent segments 14 are attached to the outrigger member 18 first end proximate junction 27. At least a portion of the adjacent segments 14 is elevated and perhaps inclined toward the elevated junction 27. The angle of inclination can be similar to the incline of outrigger member 18. Rotating members 16 can be attached proximate the adjacent segment second ends.
The junction 27 is elevated above the outrigger member 18 and adjacent segments 14 second ends such that the center of mass is in a first plane and the second ends are in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The elevated junction 27 facilitates the passage of outrigger member 18 of another similarly configured portable intravenous stand 10 under the junction 27 and positioning of the stands 10 in close proximity. See
In all embodiments of the present invention including the outrigger member 18 extending between at least two segments 14 of the base member 12—e.g.,
In yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in
As shown in FIGS. 21-23—and which is also applicable to the various embodiments of the present invention shown throughout the figures—a pair of rotating members can be attached to the base member 12, wherein the pair of rotating members lie upon a circumference of a circle 40 that lies parallel to the plane 22 wherein the circle's center is preferably aligned with the center of the support 19, which is preferably proximate to the stand's 10 center of mass 24. Additional rotating members can further be attached to the base member 12 and also located about the circumference 40 and preferably an equal distance apart from each other along the path of the circumference.
Referring back to
It is to be noted however that not all rotating members 16 need to be located proximate the circumference 40, but rather can be spaced a different distance from the support 19. In other words, other rotating members, preferably in pairs, can be positioned about another circle having a different circumference that is concentric with the first circumference 40 about the support 19, or the center of mass 24 of the stand 10; but where the concentric circumferences have different diameters (see
It is to be understood that additional embodiments of the present invention described herein may be contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed. While specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.
The present invention is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/469,863 filed May 11, 2012, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/287,535 filed Oct. 10, 2008, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/998,863 filed Oct. 12, 2007, entitled Storable Intravenous Stands; and the contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140166828 A1 | Jun 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60998863 | Oct 2007 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13469863 | May 2012 | US |
Child | 14187943 | US | |
Parent | 12287535 | Oct 2008 | US |
Child | 13469863 | US |