A patient transport apparatus comprises a support structure. The support structure comprises a base, a frame, and a patient support surface to support a patient. The patient transport apparatus also includes a first and a second caster assembly respectively coupled to the support structure to facilitate movement of the support structure along a floor surface, with the first caster assembly comprising a first brake assembly and the second caster assembly comprising a second brake assembly. The patient transport apparatus also includes an actuator assembly operatively coupling the first and second brake assemblies, with the actuator assembly comprising a first and second actuator respectively operatively coupled to the first and second brake assemblies. The actuator assembly further comprises a cable assembly interconnecting the first and second actuator that places the operatively coupled first and second brake assemblies in the braked state or the unbraked state.

A patient transport apparatus includes a base, a patient support deck, a plurality of wheels, a plurality of brakes, and an electro-mechanical braking system. The electro-mechanical braking system includes a linkage, a manual actuator, and an electrical braking assembly. The linkage is operatively coupled to the brakes to place the brakes in a braked state, a released state, or other state. The manual actuator moves the linkage manually to place the brakes in one of the states. The electrical braking assembly includes an actuator assembly that moves the linkage with electrical power to place the brakes in one of the states.

To be self-propelled in a simple configuration and to perform manual operation smoothly and briskly. A driving wheel includes: a base portion; a rotating shaft (first shaft) rotatably provided with respect to the base portion; a rotation member rotatably provided around the rotating shaft; a drive shaft (second shaft) provided on the rotation member orthogonally to the rotating shaft; a drive wheel provided on the rotation member and rotatable around the drive shaft; a drive unit provided on the rotation member and configured to rotationally drive the drive wheel; and a lock mechanism configured to permit rotation of the rotation member with respect to the base portion, and meanwhile, to deter the rotation of the rotation member with respect to the base portion.

A laundry treatment apparatus including a plurality of swivel casters. Two of the swivel casters are braked swivel casters. One of the swivel casters other than the braked swivel casters is a vertically adjustable swivel caster. The braked swivel casters restrain translational movement of the laundry treatment apparatus across a floor. The vertically adjustable swivel caster can help fix the position of the laundry treatment apparatus so as to restrain rocking and twisting of the laundry treatment apparatus.

A rolling device having a bearing housing accommodating a wheel axle, a drive motor with first and second motor parts for conduction of relative rotation between a wheel element and the wheel axle, end portions of the wheel axle being connected to axle support members in an eccentric position displaced from the center line of the axle support members, and locks operable between an unlocked position allowing rotation of the axle support members relative to the bearing housing, and a locking position preventing the rotation of the axle support members, wherein in the unlocked position, the motor conducts rotation of the axle support members and wheel axis for displacement of the wheel element by an eccentric movement between an extended position where at least a portion of the wheel element projects outside the bearing housing and a retracted position where the wheel element is located inside the bearing housing.

In a method for monitoring an electromagnetically actuable brake, which has an energizable coil that interacts with a tractive electromagnet situated so as to be linearly movable, and a vehicle having an electromagnetically actuable brake, the current flowing through the coil is acquired, the acquired current value in particular being conveyed to an evaluation unit, the voltage applied at the coil is intermittently increased, and a relative position of the tractive electromagnet with respect to the coil is determined from the thereby induced current characteristic, in particular the characteristic of the current rise, it is particularly determined from the ascertained position whether the brake is in the applied state or in the released state, the tractive electromagnet in particular is arranged as a permanent magnet or has a permanent magnet.

A robotic surgery cart has a pair of rear wheel assemblies and a pair of front wheel assemblies. A brake assembly for the robotic surgery cart includes a gearbox interposed between and connected to the pair of rear wheel assemblies by rotatable shafts. Elongate actuators extend between and interconnect the rotatable shafts and brake mechanisms for the front wheel assemblies. A pedal lever is rotatably coupled to the gearbox and can rotate clockwise by pressing one portion of the pedal lever and can rotate counterclockwise by pressing another portion of the pedal lever. Rotation of the pedal lever causes the gearbox to rotate the rotatable shafts to substantially lock the pair of rear wheel assemblies, and substantially simultaneously causes a translation of the elongate actuators to actuate the brake mechanisms of the front wheel assemblies, such that the wheels of the front and rear wheel assemblies brake substantially simultaneously.

A patient transport apparatus includes a base, a patient support deck, a plurality of wheels, a plurality of brakes, and an electro-mechanical braking system. The electro-mechanical braking system includes a linkage and an electrical braking assembly. The linkage is operatively coupled to the brakes to place the brakes in a braked state, a released state, or other state. The electrical braking assembly includes an actuator assembly that moves the linkage via a driving member. A user interface includes an input control for user engagement. A brake control circuit includes a hold circuit to generate an enable signal with a predetermined voltage in response to the user engagement with the input control, maintain the enable signal for a predetermined period following user disengagement with the input control, and operate the actuator assembly with the enable signal to move the driving member within the predetermined period.

A caster wheel brake system for a mobile support system such as a cart or other wheeled structure is operable to selectively secure caster wheels against rolling rotation. The system includes a caster wheel assembly and a braking mechanism mounted nearby. A pair of brake actuation inputs, such as handles or levers, can be secured to the cart and independently operated to rotate a rotator link, which in turn rotates a brake-actuating link. Rotation of the brake-actuating link deactivates the braking mechanism to allow rolling rotation of the caster wheels. Optionally, the operation of one of the handles to deactivate the braking mechanism has no effect on the other handle.

A person support apparatus includes a base frame with a plurality of caster wheel assemblies, each of the caster wheel assemblies including a caster brake actuator movable between a total braking position and a non-braking position. A linkage system is coupled to the caster brake actuators for controlling the caster brake actuators and is operable to move the caster brake actuators between their total braking positions and their non-braking positions. The linkage system is configured to compensate for tolerances in the linkage system wherein the linkage system can control the caster brake actuators to simultaneously move between their total braking positions and their non-braking positions.