INTRAVENOUS CONTAINER SUPPORT

SUPPORT DE CONTENANT DE LIQUIDE POUR PERFUSIONS INTRAVEINEUSES

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
An intravenous fluid container carrier includ-
ing an elongated telescopic device having an outer
tubular shell within which is positioned an extension
rod spring loaded to retract the rod into the tubular
shell, an anti-rotation device to prevent rotation
of the tubular shell with respect to the extension rod,
and a rod locking device to hold the extension rod
locked in any position between full extension out of
the shell and full retraction within the shell. The
locking device is releasable by a spring loaded actu-
ation collar surrounding the shell proximate to the
lower end thereof. The upper end of the extension rod
is formed with a loop for suspension from a ceiling
track mounted carrier, from a wall mounted bracket, or
from a floor supported stend or carrier. A pair of ver-
tically spaced collars are locked to the tubular shell
at the top and near the bottom, each collar having
pivotally secured thereto four arms for carrying an
intravenous fluid container, each arm being pivotable
between a detented use position extending outward
away from the tubular shell and a detented storage
position extending closely parallel to the tubular
shell.

Claims

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THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An elongated telescopic carrier device for suspend-
ing intravenous fluid containers or the like, comprising
in combination,
a) an elongated hollow tubular shell having upper
and lower ends,
b) an extension rod slidably disposed within said
tubular shell with one end of said rod extending
out of said upper end of said tubular shell and
the other end of said rod being disposed within
said tubular shell,
c) retaining means preventing said extension rod
from being completely withdrawn from said tubular
shell,
d) locking actuator means operatively coupled to
said extension rod effective when actuated in a
first way to release said extension rod for move-
ment of the latter out of and into said tubular
shell, and effective when actuated in a second
way to lock said extension rod at least against
movement out of said tubular shell,
e) biasing means coupled to said extension rod
effective to constantly bias said rod for movement
into said tubular shell, and
f) support means carried by said tubular shell for
suspending fluid containers therefrom.
2. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said biasing means comprises a spring coupled at one
place to said extension rod and coupled at another
place to said locking actuator means.
3. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
a part of said locking actuator means is intercoupled
with said tubular shell.
4. A carrier device as described in claim 1 further

including anti-rotation means coupled to said exten-
sion rod effective to prevent more than a predeter-
mined amount of relative rotation between said ex-
tension rod and said tubular shell.
5. A carrier device as described in claim 1 further
including anti-rotation means coupled to said exten-
sion rod effective to prevent more than a predetermined
amount of relative rotation between said extension rod
and said tubular shell, said anti-rotation means when
operative engaging a part of said locking actuator
means.
6. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said locking actuator means comprises an actuator
ring extending around the periphery of said tubular
shell with the plane of said ring substantially ortho-
gonal to the longitudinal tubular axis, whereby said
locking actuator means is readily actuatable from any
peripheral position.
7. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said locking actuator means comprises, a manually
operable actuator at least a part of which is external
to said tubular shell, an actuating rod at least a
part of which is disposed within said tubular shell
and which is coupled to said manually operable actu-
ator, and a lock plate coupled to said actuating rod
and releasably lockingly engaged with said extension
rod, said lock plate being released from locking en-
gagement with said extension rod by said actuating
rod when said manually operable actuator is actuated
in a first way.
8. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said locking actuator means comprises, a manually
operable actuator at least a part of which is external

to said tubular shell, an actuating rod at least a
part of which is disposed within said tubular shell
and which is coupled to said manually operable actu-
ator, and a lock plate coupled to said actuating rod
and releasably lockingly engaged with said extension
rod, said lock plate being released from locking en-
gagement with said extension rod by said actuating
rod when said manually operable actuator is actuated
in a first way, said manually operable actuator com-
prising an actuator ring extending around the periphery
of said tubular shell with the plane of said ring sub-
stantially orthogonal to the longitudinal tubular axis,
whereby said locking actuator means is readily actu-
atable from any peripheral position.
9. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein a
part of said locking actuator means is intercoupled
with said tubular shell, and wherein said biasing means
comprises a spring coupled at one place to said exten-
sion rod and coupled at another place to said locking
actuator means.
10. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein a
part of said locking actuator means is intercoupled
with said tubular shell, and wherein said biasing means
comprises a spring coupled at one place to said exten-
sion rod and coupled at another place to said locking
actuator means, and further including anti-rotation
means coupled to said extension rod effective to prevent
more than a predetermined amount of relative rotation
between said extension rod and said tubular shell.
11. A carrier device as described in claim 1
a) wherein a part of said locking actuator means
is intercoupled with said tubular shell,
b) wherein said biasing means comprises a spring
coupled at one place to said extension rod and

11
coupled at another place to said locking actu-
ator means,
c) wherein said locking actuator means comprises
a manually operable actuator at least a part of
which is external to said tubular shell, an actu-
ating rod at least a part of which is disposed
within said tubular shell and which is coupled
to said manually operable actuator, and a lock
plate coupled to said actuating rod and releas-
ably lockingly engaged with said extension rod,
said lock plate being released from locking en-
gagement with said extension rod by said actua-
ting rod when said manually operable actuator is
actuated in a first way, and
d) further including anti-rotation means coupled
to said extension rod effective to prevent more
than a predetermined amount of relative rotation
between said extension rod and said tubular shell.
12. A carrier device as described in claim 1
a) wherein a part of said locking actuator means
is intercoupled with said tubular shell,
b) wherein said biasing means comprises a spring
coupled at one place to said extension rod and
coupled at another place to said locking actu-
ator means,
c) wherein said locking actuator means comprises,
a manually operable actuator at least a part of
which is external to said tubular shell, an
actuating rod at least a part of which is disposed
within said tubular shell and which is coupled to
said manually operable actuator, and a lock plate
coupled to said actuating rod and releasably lock-
ingly engaged with said extension rod, said lock
plate being released from locking engagement with

12
said extension rod by said actuating rod when
said manually operable actuator is actuated in
a first way, said manually operable actuator
comprising an actuator ring extending around the
periphery of said tubular shell with the plane
of said ring substantially orthogonal to the
longitudinal tubular axis, whereby said locking
actuator means is readily actuatable from any
peripheral position, and
d) further including anti-rotation means coupled
to said extension rod effective to prevent more
than a predetermined amount of relative rotation
between said extension rod and said tubular shell,
said anti-rotation means when operative engaging
a part of said locking actuator means.
13. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said support means carried by said tubular shell for
suspending fluid containers therefrom comprises a
plurality of support arms swingably coupled to said
tubular shell for movement between a use position in
which said arms extend outward away from said tubular
shell and a storage position in which said arms lie
substantially parallel to and closely alongside of
said tubular shell.
14. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said support means carried by said tubular shell for
suspending fluid containers therefrom comprises,
a) a plurality of support arms swingably coupled
to said tubular shell for movement between a use
position in which said arms extend outward away
from said tubular shell and a storage position
in which said arms lie substantially parallel
to and closely alongside of said tubular shell, and
b) detent means effective to releasably latch said

13
support arms in said use position.
15. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said support means carried by said tubular shell for
suspending fluid containers therefrom comprises,
a) a plurality of support arms swingably coupled
to said tubular shell for movement between a
use position in which said arms extend outward
away from said tubular shell and a storage posi-
tion in which said arms lie substantially paral-
lel to and closely alongside of said tubular
shell, and
b) detent means effective to releasably latch
said support arms in said storage position.
16. A carrier device as described in claim 1 wherein
said support means carried by said tubular shell for
suspending fluid containers therefrom comprises,
a) a plurality of support arms swingably coupled
to said tubular shell for movement between a
use position in which said arms extend outward
away from said tubular shell and a storage
position in which said arms lie substantially
parallel to and closely alongside of said
tubular shell,
b) detent means effective to releasably latch
said support arms in said use position, and
c) detent means effective to releasably latch
said support arms in said storage position.
17. A carrier device as described in claim 12 wherein
said support means carried by said tubular shell for
suspending fluid containers therefrom comprises,
a) a plurality of support arms swingably coupled
to said tubular shell for movement between a use
position in which said arms extend outward away
from said tubular shell and a storage position

14
in which said arms lie substantially parallel
to and closely alongside of said tubular shell,
b) detent means effective to releasably latch
said support arms in said use position, and
c) detent means effective to releasably latch
said support arms in said storage position.
18. A carrier device as described in claim 16 wherein
said detent means are formed from resilient material
which at least partially surrounds a region of each
said support arm proximate to the region where each
said arm is swingably coupled to said tubular shell.

Description

\
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1 This invention relates generally to intravenous
fluid container carriers such as are used in hospitals,
and more particularly, relates to a novel intravenous
fluid container carrier which includes a quick adjust-
ment mechanism for vertically positioning the intra-
venous fluid containers,and detent devices for stabi-
lizing the carrier arms in both storage and use positions.
The carrier according to the invention is rela-
tively light in weight and very compact, being slim in
cross sectional diameter and lengthwise contractible for
ease of storage and shipment. It is made of stainless
steel and plastic and can be autoclaved for sterilization.
As illustrated it can hold up to nine intravenous fluid
containers simultaneously. An anti-rotation feature is
built into the carrier to prevent tangling o~ the intra-
venous fluid lines.
Briefly, the carrier according to the i~ventio~
is an elongated telescopic device having an outer tubu-
lar shell within which is positioned an extension rod
spring loaded to retract the rod into the tubular shell,
and a rod locking device to hold the extension rod
locked in any position between full extension out of
the shell and full retraction within the shell. The
locking device is releasable by a spring loaded actu-
ating collar surrounding the shell proximate to thelower end thereof.
The upper end of the extension rod is formed
with a loop for suspension from a ceiling track mounted
carrier, from a wall mounted bracket, or from a floor
supported stand or carrier. A pair of vertically spaced
collars are locked to the tubular shell at the top and
near the bottom, each collar having pivotally secured
thereto four arms for carrying an intravenous fluid
container, each arm being pivotable between a detented
use position extend~ng outward away from the tubular
, . ~

~;2 ~
1 shell and a detented storage position extending closely
parallel to the tubular shell.
A primary object of the invention is to provide
a novel sterilizable intravenous fluid container car-
rier which is compact and light in weight for ease ofstorage and shipment.
Another object of the invention is to provide a
novel carrier as aforesaid which is continuously adjust-
able in length to almost twice its compacted length, and
which includes an anti-rotation device.
A further object of the invention is to provide
a novel carrier as aforesaid including a novel length
adjusting lock mechanism.
Yet another object of the invention is to pro-
vide a novel carrier as aforesaid in which the carrierarms are positively detented in both their use and stor-
age positions.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention
will become clear from a reading of the following speci-
fication in conjunction with an examination of the appendeddrawings, wherein:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the carrier infull extended position suspended from a cei]ing track
and shown supporting a ?air of intravenous fluid con-
tainers;
Figure 2 is a perspective of the carrier in itsunextended condition and with the carrier arms in both
use and storage positions;
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through
the carrier as would be seen when viewed on line 3-3
of Figure 2;
Figures ~ through 10 are sectional views through
the carrier as would be seen when viewed on the lines
4-4 through 10-10 on Figure 3;
Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of

355~
1 the extension lock which appears in the phantom el-
lipse on Figure 3 marked Fig. 11; and
Figure 12 is a horizontal jump section as would
be seen when viewed along line 12-12 on Figure 11.
In the several figures, like elements are de-
noted by like reference characters.
Referring now to the drawings, and first to
Figures 1 and 2, there is seen the intravenous fluid
container carrier according to the invention designa-
ted generally as 20 including an elongated hollow
tubular shell or casing 21 within which is positioned
an extension rod 22 terminating at its upper end in
a hanger loop 23 supported from a track carrier 24
movable in a ceiling track 25. Secured to the upper
end of the tubular shell 21 by set screws 26 is a
collar 27 carrying a set of support arms 28 from one of
which is carried an intravenous fluid container 29.
Spaced upward à short distance from the lower end of
the tubular shell 21 and secured thereto by set screws
30 is a second collar 31 carrying a second set of

8SS4~
l support ~rms 28 from one of which is also carr:i.ecl an
intravellous fluid container 29. The upper end of the
extension rod 22 below the hanger loop 23 passes through
and is secured to a stop block 32 by means of a pin 33.
The lower end of tubular shell 21 is closed by a plug
hook 34 secured to the shell by a pin 35. The manually
operable exterior ring 36 of the extension rod locking
mechanism actuator is positioned about the lower end
of the tubular shel.l 21 just below the lower collar 31.
Considering now Figures 3 through 12, and
principally Figure 3, the previously described struc-
tures are visible in so.newhat more detail, as well as
further views which illustrate the operation of the
extension rod locking mechanism, the anti-rotation de-
vice, and the support arms detent structures. Con-
sidering first the extension rod locking mechanism and
re~erring to Figures 3 l~nd 8 through 12, there is seen
an L-shaped actuating rod 37 extending through the
shell 21 substantially parallel to the extension rod 22
and having a lower horizontal leg 38 extending outward
through a slot 39 in the tubular shell 21 and terminat-
ing within a bore ~0 in the locking actuator exterior
ring 36. The actuating rod 37 extends upward within
the tubular shell 21, passing loosely through a bore 41
in the guide plug 42 through which the extension rod
22 freely passes, and terminates in a reduced dia-
meter neck 44 surmounted by an enlarged head 45.
The neck ~l4 is disposed in a slot 46 in a friction
lock plate 47 through a hole 48 through which passes
the extension rod 22.
Held ~aptive to the lower end of the extension
rod 22 by means of pin 49 is one end of extension spring
50 the other end of which is secured by a pin 51 within
a bore 52 formed in the upper end of the interior cylin-
drical plug portion 53 of the locking actuator. Disposed

~ 2~3~54~
1 within the lower bore 54 of the locking actuator in-
terior plug 53 is the upper end of a compression spring
SS the lower end of which is seated in a bore 56 in
the upper end of plug hook 34. The compression spring
50 biases the locking actuator plug 53 upward until
it is restrained from further upward movement by the
lower leg 38 of the actuating rod which engages the
upper end of slot 39 in the wall of tubular shell 21.
The spring 50 biases the extension rod 22 downward
into the interior of the tubular shell 21.
With the lDcking mechanism parts as shown in
Figures 3, 11 and 12, the extension rod 22 is friction-
ally wedge locked by the lock plate 47 against moving
upward out of the tubular shell 21, which latter is
accordingly prevented from being pulled downward to
lower the containers 29. In order to release the lock,
the locking actuator exterior ring 36 is pulled downward
which cau~es the actuating rod 37 to be moved downward
within the tubular shell 21 to thereby pull the friction
locking plate 47 down into a horizontal position. This
allows the hole 48 in the lock plate to align with the
extension rod 22 so that the latter can slide upward
out of the shell 21 against the restraining force of
extension spring 50.
At the desired extension the actuator ring 36
is released which immediately causes the friction lock
plate 47 to be restored to -the position shown in Figures
3, 11 and 12, which wedge locks the extension rod 22
against further outward movement. The extension rod 22
is withdrawn back into the tubular shell 21 with the
assistance of the spring 50 by simultaneously pulling
down on the actuator ring 36 and lifting the shell 21.
The required lifting force is m:inimized by the contrac-
tion force of the extension spring 50.
The anti-rotation device is best seen in Figures

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1 3 and 5 and is formed by the actuating rod 37 and pins
57 and 58 which are projected through the extension
rod 22 just above and below the guide plug 42, which
latter is retained in position by the pins. As best
~en in Figure 5, the pin 57, and also pin 58, does
not engage the inside wall of the tubular shell 21
but is of sufficient length that a ninety degree rota-
tion of the extension rod 22 in either direction within
the shell 21 causes the pins to engage against the side
of the actuating rod 37 ~hich then prevents further
rotation of the extension rod 22. This device prevents
winding and unwinding of the spring 50, and tangling of
the tubing leading from the intravenous fluid containers
hung on the various support arms.
Referring now tn Figures 3 through 7 for details
of the support arms detent structures, it is seen that
each of the support arms 28 is retained in its collar
27 or 31 by a pin 59 for pivoting movement between a
support position extending outward from the tubular shell
21 and a storage position extending parallel to the tubu-
lar shell 21. As best seen in Figures 3, 4 and 6, each
arm 28 is disposed within a channel 60 having a pair
of resilient flaps or lips 61 presenting horizontally
inward toward one another at an elevation above the
floor of the channel equal to the diameter of the sup-
port arm. These flaps 61 are the "use position"
detents and overlie a portion of the surface of the arms
2-8 when the arms are in their down or use position and
are resiliently opened as the arms are pushed up into
storage position, all as best seen in Figure 6.
Also disposed within each channel 60, as best
seen in Figures 3, 6 and 7, are a pair of resilient
flaps or lips 62 presenting vertically inward toward
one another and spaced from the inner wall of the chan-
nel at a distance equal to the diameter of the support

~ ~ 8`~
l arm. These flaps 62 are the storage posikion detentsand embrace a portion of the surface of the arms 28
when the arms are in their up or storage position and
are resiliently opened as the arms are pushed down
into use position.
Having now described the invention in connection
with a particularly illustrated embodiment thereof, it
will be understood that modifications and variations
of the invention may now naturally occur to those
normally skilled in the art, and accordingly it is
intended to claim the invention broadly as well as speci-
fically as indicated by the appended claims.

Representative Drawing