Device for receiving, transporting and storing pieces of furniture

Abstract

A device for receiving, transporting and storing pieces of furniture includes a movable support rack and a lifting apparatus fastened to the movable support rack, wherein it is possible to lift a first piece of furniture using the lifting apparatus such that a second piece of furniture can be arranged below the first piece of furniture that has been lifted by the lifting apparatus. The movable support rack includes a locking apparatus for locking the second piece of furniture on or in the movable support rack. The support rack includes a base frame that is open at a front side such that the device can receive the pieces of furniture at the front side of the base frame.

Claims

1. Device for receiving, transporting and storing pieces of furniture, comprising a movable support rack and comprising a lifting apparatus fastened to the movable support rack, wherein it is possible to lift a first piece of furniture using the lifting apparatus such that a second piece of furniture can be arranged below the first piece of furniture that has been lifted by the lifting apparatus, wherein the movable support rack comprises a locking apparatus for locking the second piece of furniture on or in the movable support rack, wherein the device comprises a cover that seals a space in the device intended for the pieces of furniture that can be received therein, such that a disinfectant introduced into the device remains within the cover, and wherein the device comprises a disinfectant supply apparatus, wherein the disinfectant supply apparatus is able to introduce the disinfectant into the cover of the device such that the pieces of furniture arranged in the device can be disinfected by the disinfectant.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the support rack comprises a base frame that is open at a front side such that the device can receive the pieces of furniture at the front side of the base frame.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the locking apparatus can be moved from a receiving position, in which the pieces of furniture can be received on the front side of the device, into a locking position, in which a receiving opening made on the front side of the movable support rack is restricted.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the support rack comprises transport rollers arranged on the base frame.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the support rack comprises receiving rails, into which the piece of furniture can be slid.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the support rack comprises a peripheral top frame.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting apparatus comprises a group of at least two engagement elements arranged on opposite sides of the support rack, wherein it is possible to bring the group of engagement elements into engagement with the first piece of furniture, and wherein each engagement element in the group of engagement elements is operatively connected to a drive apparatus by mechanical actuation means, such that the first piece of furniture can be lifted by the lifting apparatus by operating the drive apparatus.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the lifting apparatus comprises at least two guide rails that are arranged on the sides of the support rack and are each assigned to an engagement element, wherein each engagement element is forcibly guided by the assigned guide rail, wherein the at least two engagement elements are operatively connected to the drive apparatus.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the at least two engagement elements are pivotally mounted on the associated guide rail.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical actuation means of the lifting apparatus are cable elements.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least two separately operable groups of at least two engagement elements each, such that the device can lift at least two pieces of furniture.

12. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises an energy storage device for operating the drive apparatus.

13. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises outer cladding that surrounds the device in regions.

14. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is adapted for use for hospital beds.

15. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device does not exceed a maximum height of 1.9 metres, a maximum width of 1.1 metres and a maximum length of 2.3 metres.

16. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a connection apparatus, for introducing the disinfectant into the device from outside the cover.

17. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a monitoring apparatus, wherein it is possible to record furniture information regarding the pieces of furniture arranged in the device by means of the monitoring apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, some embodiments of the concept of the invention which are shown in the drawings are explained in greater detail. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 to 3 are each a schematic view of different embodiments of a device according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a cover of the device having a disinfectant supply apparatus connected to the cover, and

(4) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a detail of the device shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention. The device 1 comprises a movable support rack 2. The support rack 2 comprises a base frame 4 that is open at a front side 3 of the device 1 and is arranged close to a base surface of the support rack 2 on the floor. Transport rollers 5 are attached to the base frame 4, by means of which rollers the support rack 2 can be moved over the floor.

(6) The support rack 2 further comprises a top frame 6 arranged at a distance from the base surface on the floor. The base frame 4 and the top frame 6 are interconnected by vertical struts 7. A locking device 8, which is constructed as a pivotable bar in the embodiment shown here, is arranged on one of the struts 7 arranged on the front side 3 along an edge. The bar can be pivoted upwards and positioned against the strut 7 in order to open up the front side 3 and make it possible to introduce a piece of furniture into the interior space surrounded by the support rack 2. The bar can also be pivoted into a horizontal position and can be attached to an opposite strut 7 by its free end in order to retain, in the support rack, a piece of furniture located in the interior space in said support rack 2.

(7) A lifting apparatus 9 is attached to the support rack 2. The lifting apparatus 9 comprises four engagement elements 10, which are designed as hooks here. The lifting apparatus 9 further comprises actuating elements 11, by means of which the engagement elements 10 are operatively connected to a drive apparatus 12. In the embodiment shown by way of example, the actuating elements 11 are cable-hoist apparatuses comprising cable elements and pulleys 13. The drive unit 12 is an electric motor. In order for it to be possible to use the embodiment of the device 1 shown here on a mains network independently of a permanent connection, the device 1 comprises an energy storage device 14, which is designed as a rechargeable battery.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the device 1. In this embodiment of the device 1, the top frame 6 and the base frame 4 are interconnected by four lateral surface elements 15. The lateral surface elements 15 each comprise a guide rail 16. An engagement element 10 is forcibly guided in each of the guide rails 16. The engagement elements 10 are support elements that are pivotally mounted on the assigned guide rail 16. In this embodiment, the locking apparatus 8 comprises two pivotable bars.

(9) The device 1 shown in FIG. 2 also comprises receiving rails 17 that are arranged immediately above the floor. A piece of furniture, for example a hospital bed which can itself be moved on wheels, can be slid into the receiving rails 17 and thus can be mounted in the device 1 at a distance from the floor and can be moved together with the support rack 2.

(10) By way of example, FIG. 3 is a front view of a third embodiment of the device 1. A first piece of furniture 18 is arranged in the device 1 so as to be lifted by a first group 19 of engagement elements 10 and a second piece of furniture 20 is arranged in said device so as to be lifted by a second group 21 of engagement elements 10, so as to be one above the other within the support rack 2. A third piece of furniture 22 is arranged below the second piece of furniture 20. The three pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22 are hospital beds in this case. The pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22 comprise furniture transport rollers 23. The third piece of furniture 22 is locked in the transport rack 2 by a locking apparatus 8, such that the two pieces of furniture 18, 20 received in the device 1 and the third piece of furniture 22 can be transported in the device 1 at the same time.

(11) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a cover 24 that seals the usable volume of the device 1 and has a disinfectant supply apparatus 25 connected to the cover 24. For the sake of clarity, the support rack 2 surrounded by the cover 24 and comprising the lifting apparatus 9 attached to the support rack 2 is not shown in FIG. 4, wherein the cover 24 surrounds the support rack 2 and the pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22 received therein. The cover 24 comprises a cover door element 26, which is open for receiving the pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22. Furthermore, the cover 24 comprises a cover door element frame 27, three cover side-wall elements 28, a cover roof element 29, and a cover floor element 30. Once the pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22 are received and the cover door element 26 is closed, the cover 24 seals the device 1 from the surroundings. The cover 24 may be designed to be able to be lowered to the floor by means of the cover floor element 30 for receiving the pieces of furniture 18, 30, 22.

(12) The disinfectant supply apparatus 25 is connected to the connection apparatus 32 of the device 1 by means of a disinfectant tube 31, wherein the connection apparatus 32 forms a closable opening in the cover 24, through which the disinfectant supplied by the disinfectant supply apparatus 25 can be introduced into the usable space surrounded by the cover 24. In the embodiment of the device 1 shown here, the disinfectant supply apparatus 35 is constructed separately from the device 1 in the form of a transportable misting system. For decontaminating the pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22, a disinfectant can be introduced into the cover 24 of the device 1 by means of the disinfectant supply apparatus 25. A user can input a furniture identification number for the relevant piece of furniture 18, 20, 22 to be received in the device 1 on a touch-sensitive dot-matrix display element of a monitoring apparatus 33.

(13) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a detail of the embodiment of the device 1 shown in FIG. 4. The monitoring apparatus 33 comprises a display element 34 and a control apparatus 35. In the embodiment of the device 1 shown here, the display element 34 is constructed as a dot-matrix display and the control apparatus 35 is designed as a keypad. The monitoring apparatus 33 comprises a reader 36 for contactlessly reading out the furniture identification number stored on a transponder of the pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22. The furniture identification number and a position of the pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22 received in the device 1 can be displayed on the display element 34, for example. Furthermore, a duration and a retraining time for a disinfection process taking place within the device 1 can be displayed on the display element 34. The monitoring apparatus 33 also comprises a positioning module 37. For example, the positioning module may be a receiving apparatus for satellite-based positioning, such as a global positioning system (GPS). The positioning module may also be a receiving apparatus for a local area network, wherein it is possible for the position of the device to be determined by determining a distance and optionally an angle relative to a large number of stationary base stations of the local area network with a known location of the respective base station.

(14) Furthermore, the monitoring apparatus 33 comprises a communication apparatus 38, by means of which the monitoring apparatus 33 can wirelessly communicate with external communication devices or a central logistics facility. The communication apparatus 38 may for example be realized with the external communication devices or with the central logistics facility in a data-transmitting manner over a mobile-communications connection. For example, a position of the device 1 or the furniture identification number of the pieces of furniture 18, 20, 22 received by the device 1 can be transmitted to the external communication devices or the central logistics facility by the device 1. In this way, the device 1 can be used to make it easier to centrally manage the hospital beds.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(15) 1 Device 2 Support rack 3 Front side 4 Base frame 5 Transport rollers 6 Top frame 7 Struts 8 Locking apparatus 9 Lifting apparatus 10 Engagement elements 11 Actuation elements 12 Drive apparatus 13 Pulleys 14 Energy storage device 15 Surface element 16 Guide rails 17 Receiving rails 18 First piece of furniture 19 First group of engagement elements 20 Second piece of furniture 21 Second group of engagement elements 22 Third piece of furniture 23 Furniture transport rollers 24 Cover 25 Disinfectant supply apparatus 26 Cover door element 27 Cover door element frame 28 Cover side-wall elements 29 Cover roof element 30 Cover floor element 31 Disinfectant tube 32 Connection apparatus 33 Monitoring apparatus 34 Display element 35 Control apparatus 36 Reader 37 Positioning module 38 Communication apparatus