Rescue cage, and hoisting rescue vehicle equipped therewith
10463892 ยท 2019-11-05
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B66F11/044
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
E06C5/04
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E06C7/16
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
E06C5/04
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
The invention relates to a rescue cage (4) for a hoisting rescue vehicle (1) having a turntable ladder (3), comprising a cage base (5), a cage barrier (6) and at least one column-type support element (7) that projects from the cage base (5) and is located in the outer peripheral region of the cage base (5). A first receiving device (15) is arranged or formed on the cage base (5) in the area of the support element (7). On the side facing the cage base (5), the support element (7) includes a first connecting element (16) that is connected to the first receiving device (15) in such a way as to be detachable as required. The invention further relates to a hoisting rescue vehicle (1) equipped with a rescue cage (4) of said type as well as a person holding unit.
Claims
1. A rescue cage for a hoisting rescue vehicle, the rescue cage comprising: (a) a cage base having an outer peripheral region; (b) a cage front end connected to the cage base; (c) a left-hand cage side connected to the cage base; (d) a right-hand cage side connected to the cage base; (e) a cage rear end connected to the cage base; wherein the cage front end, the left-hand cage side, the right-hand cage side and the cage rear end form a cage barrier, wherein the cage barrier comprises at least one first support element projecting out from the cage base and being disposed in the outer peripheral region of the cage base, wherein the at least one first support element has a first end facing the cage base and a plug-in pin, the plug-in pin being connected to the first end of the at least one first support element; (f) at least one first receiving device comprising a sleeve provided or disposed on the cage base in a region of the at least one first support element; and (g) an accessory comprising at least one accessory connecting element; wherein the plug-in pin is detachably connected to the sleeve, and wherein the sleeve is detachably connected to the at least one accessory connecting element of the accessory after detachment of the at least one support element and the plug-in pin from the sleeve; wherein a front barrier section of the cage barrier comprises at least three front handrail sections, the three front handrail sections comprising a right handrail section, a left handrail section, and a middle handrail section; and wherein the right handrail section and the left handrail section are configured to pivot up and out of an access opening located in said cage front end after disengaging from the middle handrail section.
2. The rescue cage according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism formed by a first locking element and a second locking element engaged with one another; wherein the first locking element is disposed or provided on the plug-in pin and the second locking element is provided on the sleeve, or the first locking element is disposed or provided on the at least one accessory connecting element of the accessory and the second locking element is disposed or provided on the sleeve; and wherein the first and second locking elements are configured to engage with one another when the plug-in pin and the sleeve or the accessory connecting element and the sleeve are in a mutually connected position.
3. The rescue cage according to claim 1, further comprising at least one spacer element; wherein the sleeve is configured to be detachably connected to the at least one accessory connecting element of the accessory with the at least one spacer element connected in between.
4. The rescue cage according to claim 1, further comprising a second receiving device; wherein the sleeve and the second receiving device are mutually spaced apart.
5. The rescue cage according to claim 4, wherein the cage barrier further comprises a second support element, wherein the second support element is attachable to the second receiving device, and wherein the first and second support elements are connectable to one another by the middle handrail section extending between the first and second support elements.
6. The rescue cage according to claim 1, wherein the at least one support element has a second end remote from the cage base and a second receiving device in a region of the second end.
7. The rescue cage according to claim 1, wherein the access opening extends from the at least one first support element into a region of the left-hand cage side or a region of the right-hand cage side.
8. The rescue cage according to claim 1, further comprising at least one actuator.
9. The rescue cage according to claim 8, further comprising a coupling device; wherein the actuator is detachably connected to the accessory by the coupling device.
10. The rescue cage according to claim 1, wherein the accessory is selected from the group consisting of ramps and person holding units.
11. The rescue cage according to claim 1, wherein the accessory comprises a person holding unit having a detachable ramp.
12. The rescue cage according to claim 11, wherein the ramp is of a pivotable design.
13. The rescue cage according to claim 12, further comprising a locking mechanism; wherein the ramp has a plurality of pivoted positions and is lockable in at least one of the pivoted positions by the locking mechanism.
14. A hoisting rescue vehicle comprising: (a) a chassis; (b) a turntable ladder having a ladder set or a telescopic or articulated mast having a ladder set; and (c) the rescue cage according to claim 1, wherein the rescue cage is retained on an end of the ladder set remote from the chassis.
Description
(1) These are highly simplified, schematic diagrams illustrating the following:
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(11) Firstly, it should be pointed out that the same parts described in the different embodiments are denoted by the same reference numbers and the same component names and the disclosures made throughout the description can be transposed in terms of meaning to same parts bearing the same reference numbers or same component names. Furthermore, the positions chosen for the purposes of the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc., relate to the drawing specifically being described and can be transposed in terms of meaning to a new position when another position is being described. The expression in particular as used below should be understood as meaning one possible, more special embodiment or more specifically defined object, although not necessarily a preferred embodiment of that object.
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(13) However, the hoisting rescue vehicle 1 could also have a telescopic ladder or articulated mast instead of the turntable ladder. The rescue cage 4 is usually disposed at an end of the ladder set of the turntable ladder 3 remote from the chassis 2 and rotating or pivoting system 3 and can be pivoted and moved accordingly for moving to and from the deployment site and when being deployed for its intended purpose.
(14) Hereafter, the rescue cage 4 alone is illustrated and described although no further details will be given as to how it is retained and mounted on the turntable ladder 3. In describing the design of the rescue cage 4, reference will also be made to the relevant standards and the corresponding terminology will be used as far as possible.
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(16) The cage barrier 6 may comprise, for example, a handrail, baseboards in the region of the cage base 5, a top guardrail and/or several additional uprights 30 or columns. The additional uprights 30 in this example of an embodiment are disposed in the side region of the rescue cage 4. The upright or uprights 30 are usually permanently connected to the rescue cage 4, in particular its cage base 5. In this respect, it should be noted that the disposition of the support element or elements 7 as well as the upright or uprights 30 illustrated here is just an example and any other layout is also possible. It would also be possible for the cage barrier 6 to be made up of only support elements 7 that can be removed or of individual parapet units formed by the support elements 7. For this embodiment in which the cage barrier 6 is made up entirely of support elements 7, the entire cage barrier 6 can be removed from the cage base 5.
(17) To provide access inside the cage barrier 6 making it possible to get onto the cage base 5, one or more closable access openings 8, 8, 8 may be provided or arranged in the region of the cage barrier 6. The access opening 8, 8, 8 may be designed so that it can be closed off by means of a trapdoor, a folding ladder, a sliding door, a folding door 46, 48 or such like, for example. The handrail may additionally be disposed above the access opening 8, 8, 8. The at least one closable access opening 8, 8 in this example of an embodiment is disposed in the region of the cage front end 9, although it may also be disposed in the corner region and/or on another cage side of the cage barrier 6.
(18) The cage barrier 6 in this example of an embodiment is disposed in the region of a cage front end 9, in the region of a left-hand and/or right-hand cage side 10, 11 and optionally also in the region of a cage rear end 12. A front barrier section of the cage barrier 12 can include at least three front handrail sections including a left handrail section 42, a middle handrail section 14, and a right handrail section 44.
(19) The rescue cage 4, in particular its cage barrier 6, also comprises at least one but preferably several of the column-type support elements 7. The column-type support element or elements 7 extend up from the cage base 5 and are disposed on it in the outer peripheral region of the cage base 5. In this particular example of an embodiment, two support elements 7 are disposed in the region of the cage front end 9 in its middle section 13, and in order to impart additional strength and form a frame element, especially in the region of their ends remote from the cage base 5, they may be connected to one another by means of at least one middle handrail section 14 extending between themin this particular example of an embodiment by a bar. However, the middle handrail section 14 may be provided in the form of some other component, for example a sheet metal part, a flat bar or similar. This being the case, it is possible to provide an integral parapet unit (shown in
(20) The support element or elements 7 has/have a height or length such that they extend from the cage base 5 to approximately the region of the handrail. The latter is disposed at least 1.1 m above the standing surface defined by the cage base 5. This height is the standard currently in force and any modification must conform to this stipulation.
(21) As described above, a folding ladder may be provided between the two in particular column-type support elements 7 which closes off the gap constituting the access opening when in the folded-in position. Furthermore, at least one other closable access opening 8, 8 may be provided, extending from the at least one support element 7 into the region of the left-hand cage side 10 and/or the right-hand cage side 11. The at least one closable access opening 8, 8 is preferably provided on both sides of the at least one support element 7 respectively. However, there may be multiple access openings 8, 8 namely in the corner region and/or at least one of the other cage sides 10 to 12.
(22) In this particular example of an embodiment, the other access openings 8 disposed on either side of the two column-type support elements 7 can each be closed by means of an inwardly opening folding door or pivoting door.
(23) In order to provide virtually free access to the rescue cage 4 from its cage front end 9 and make the cage barrier 6 open at the front starting from the cage base 5, at least one first receiving device 15 is provided on the cage base 5 in the region of the at least one support element 7, preferably two support elements 7.
(24) The at least one column-type support element 7 has a first connecting element 16 on its end facing the cage base 5. The first connecting element 16 can be connected to the first receiving device 15 such that it can be released as and when necessary. Accordingly, the, or in this particular example of an embodiment the two support elements 7 in the region of the cage front end 9 can be removed from the rescue cage 4 as and when required. This removal may be by taking them away or by a sliding or pivoting movement. If two or more such support elements 7 are provided, a separate first receiving device 15 is also provided or disposed in the region of the cage base 5 for each one of the support elements 7.
(25) Furthermore, the at least one other access opening 8, 8 on either side of the column-type support elements 7 closed by the folding door 46, 48 or pivoting door can also be opened by a pivoting movement.
(26) Now that it is possible to open up the cage barrier 6 around a certain part of its extension by removing at least individual ones of the support elements 7, an accessory 17 having a complementary part can be retained in the at least one first receiving device 15 that has now been freed up. The accessory 17 may be selected from the group comprising floodlights, high-pressure blowers, water cannon or holders therefor, ramps, person holding units such as a stretcher holding device, stretcher chair holding device or wheelchair holding device.
(27) As may be seen from
(28) At least one accessory connecting element 18 is provided or disposed on the person holding unit. In order to retain or secure the person holding unit on the rescue cage 4, the accessory connecting element 18 can be connected to the first receiving device 15 so as to be detachable as and when necessary. The person holding unit may also have a pivot bearing so that the relative angular position of the person holding unit can be adjusted within certain limits relative to the longitudinal orientation of the ladder set of the turntable ladder 3. This is done by the operator or rescue worker during the process of fitting the stretcher with the patient to be transported. A certain amount of adjustment can be made depending on the position of the rescue cage 4 relative to the direction in which the stretcher will be transferred.
(29) In addition, the column-type support element 7 may have an upper receiving device 19 in the end region remote from the cage base 5see
(30) In order to make it easier to push the stretcher together with the patient onto the person holding unit, an actuator 20 may be provided on the rescue cage 4, in the region of the cage rear end 12 and/or directly on the person holding unit. The actuator 20 may be provided in the form of a winch, a chain block, a pulley block, a linear drive, a spindle drive, a rack and pinion drive, a pressure-operated drive or a deflection roller or such like. The pressure-operated drive may be a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, for example. However, the actuator 20 may also be connected to a drive unit in a driving relationship to apply the necessary force. The combination of the person holding unit with the actuator 20 may optionally be construed as an independent invention in its own right. If the actuator exerts a traction force, it may also be described as a traction drive.
(31) In order to retain or secure the actuator 20 on the rescue cage 4, a column-type support element 7 or an upright 30 could also be provided in the region of the cage rear end 12, for example, and the actuator 20 can then be connected to an upper receiving device 19 disposed or arranged at the top end region of the support element 7 or upright 30 so that it can be detached as necessary. To this end, for this embodiment not shown the actuator 20 would also have to be equipped with at least one connecting element which can then be connected to the upper receiving device 19 so as to be detachable as necessary.
(32) However, the actuator 20 could also be connected to a first receiving device 15 provided especially for it in the floor area of the rescue cage 4. In addition, however, the actuator 20 could be connected to the accessory 17 by means of a coupling device 31 that can be released as necessary and/or to the rescue cage 4. The actuator 20 is used to move the stretcher or carrier, wheelchair or stretcher chair together with a person on it more easily and with less force onto the person holding unit, in particular stretcher holding device, wheelchair holding device or stretcher chair holding device, in particular by pulling. The stretcher or carrier, wheelchair or stretcher chair may generally also be referred to as transport means which, by design, can be moved onto and accommodated on a person holding unit of a corresponding design. This is usually done by pulling.
(33) It would also be possible to provide a ramp 32 on the accessory 17 if provided in the form of a person holding unit, in particular the stretcher holding device, which in particular can be releasably retained. The ramp 32 may also be of a pivotable design so that it can be set in different positions relative to the person holding unit, in particular the stretcher holding device. In addition, the ramp 32 is equipped so that it can be locked in at least one of its pivoted positions by means of a locking mechanism 33.
(34) The person holding unit may be of various different types and its design adapted to the respective requirements. In order to accommodate a stretcher, based on different designs depending on size to cater for different sizes and/or body mass or weight of patients, it can generally be referred to as a stretcher holding device or stretcher support. Due to the possibility of being able to make the cage barrier 6 virtually open and to do so preferably in the region of the cage front end 9 as well as the fact that the person holding unit is disposed close to the floor, the medical or rescue worker is in a much better position to take care of the person being carried, in particular the patient. This is particularly the case if it is necessary to initiate lifesaving emergency procedures immediately in the rescue cage 4 as it is being moved down. To this end, the patient is preferably accommodated in the rescue cage 4 with his head and shoulder region pointing towards the cage rear end 12. The legs can therefore extend out beyond the cage front end 9 at the end remote from the cage rear end 12 but are supported by the stretcher and the person holding unit. For resuscitation purposes, the medical or rescue worker is then able to assume a much more ergonomic position requiring less force when administering cardiac massage than is the case if the person holding unit were disposed above the handrail.
(35) As may best be seen from
(36) When at least one of the support elements 7 together with its first connecting element, e.g. plug-in pin, has been removed from the first receiving device 15, the first receiving device 15 is now free to receive another connecting element. As described above, therefore, an accessory 17 which is needed can be connected by means of its at least one accessory connecting element 18 to the first receiving device 15 specially provided for it. To prevent any unintentional release and/or to provide additional fixing, the first locking element 21 may also be provided or disposed on the at least one accessory connecting element 18. This can then likewise engage with the second locking element 22 disposed or provided on the first receiving device 15 to form the locking mechanism 23. The accessory 17 can therefore be locked or fixedly retained.
(37) To enable the accessory 17, in particular the person holding unit in the form of a stretcher holding device, to be supported at a predefined distance above the standing surface formed by the cage base 5, it would also be possible for the at least one accessory connecting element 18 of the accessory 17 to be connected to the first receiving device 15 so as to be releasable when necessary with a spacer element connected in between, although this is not illustrated. The design of the at least one spacer element may be similar to the design of the support element 7 but of a shorter or lesser length or height or may also be of a longer design.
(38) The support element 7 is usually tubular. The first connecting element 16 may be provided in the form of a plug-in pin 24, for example, which is connected to the end of the support element 7 facing the cage base 5. The plug-in pin 24 may extend into the tubular support element 7 by means of a centering shoulder 25. The end region of the plug-in pin 24 may be of a conically or wedge-shaped tapering design, at least in certain sections. Furthermore, an end face 26 of the support element 7 may be supported in the axial direction on what is usually a flange-type shoulder 27 of the plug-in pin 24. The shoulder 27 may serve as a supporting part for the entire support element 7 affording axial support on the first receiving device 15.
(39) The first receiving device 15 is provided in the form of a sleeve 28 having a three-dimensional shape in its interior which approximately complements that of the plug-in pin 24. This enables the plug-in pin 24 and the support element 7 connected to it to be received in the first receiving device 15 and hence centered to a certain degree. In the axial direction, the sleeve 28 may be supported on a flange 29 provided on it or integral therewith.
(40) Another possible embodiment of the accessory 17 in the form of a person holding unit would be a wheelchair holding device or stretcher chair holding device. This is illustrated on a simplified basis in
(41) In this example of a rescue cage 4 in conjunction with a turntable ladder 3 in particular, it is possible, by opening up the cage barrier 6 as necessary, to accommodate a person seated on a wheelchair or stretcher chair in the rescue cage 4 more easily without the person together with the wheelchair or stretcher chair having to be lifted into the rescue cage 4 over the handrail. If then being transported in the rescue cage 4, additional retaining or safety devices will have to be provided to prevent either the stretcher together with patient or the wheelchair with the person seated on it from falling off.
(42) In this connection, however, it should be noted that to ensure the safety of the emergency or rescue worker or several of them, at least one but preferably several retaining elements are provided, distributed around the rescue cage 4, in particular in the region of the cage barrier 6, to which the rescue worker or rescue workers can secure themselves, e.g. by means of a safety element such as a safety rope or similar, so that they do not fall off the rescue cage 4 when it is open at the front.
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(44) In the case of the rescue cage 4 illustrated in
(45) If a control device for effecting the movement of the rescue cage 4 is disposed in the rescue cage 4 itself in the region of the cage barrier 6, for example, it is possible to fit the ramp 32 eccentrically relative to the width of the rescue cage 4. However, it is also possible for the ramp 32 itself to be mounted on the cage base 5 so as to be pivotable in a plane parallel therewith. Furthermore, the viewing direction of the person accommodated in the rescue cage and seated on the wheelchair or stretcher chair can be freely selected as required. In this particular example of an embodiment, the viewing direction is from the cage rear end 12 in the direction towards the cage front end 9.
(46) The diagram in
(47) Accordingly, a person seated in a wheelchair or stretcher chair can be easily and effortlessly accommodated in the rescue cage as required. Additional aids such as the actuator 20 described above may be used for assistance.
(48) The embodiments illustrated as examples represent possible variants of the rescue cage 4, and it should be pointed out at this stage that the invention is not specifically limited to the variants specifically illustrated, and instead the individual variants may be used in different combinations with one another and these possible variations lie within the reach of the person skilled in this technical field given the disclosed technical teaching.
(49) Furthermore, individual features or combinations of features from the different embodiments illustrated and described may be construed as independent inventive solutions or solutions proposed by the invention in their own right.
(50) The objective underlying the independent inventive solutions may be found in the description.
(51) Above all, the individual embodiments of the subject matter illustrated in
(52) For the sake of good order, finally, it should be pointed out that, in order to provide a clearer understanding of the structure of the rescue cage 4, it and its constituent parts are illustrated to a certain extent out of scale and/or on an enlarged scale and/or on a reduced scale.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS
(53) 1 Hoisting rescue vehicle 2 Chassis 3 Turntable ladder 4 Rescue cage 5 Cage base 6 Cage barrier 7 Support element 8, 8, 8 Access opening 9 Cage front end 10 Left-hand cage side 11 Right-hand cage side 12 Cage rear end 13 Middle section 14 Middle handrail section 15 First receiving device 16 First connecting element 17 Accessory 18 Accessory connecting element 19 Upper receiving device 20 Actuator 21 First locking element 22 Second locking element 23 Locking mechanism 24 Plug-in pin 25 Centering shoulder 26 End face 27 Shoulder 28 Sleeve 29 Flange 30 Upright 31 Coupling device 32 Ramp 33 Locking mechanism 34 Auxiliary element 42 Left handrail section 44 Right handrail section 46 Left folding door 48 Right folding door