Abstrict An incubator arranged for developing a warm air curtain (30) across
the opening created when the access door (22) of the incubator is
opened.
Claims I claim:
1. An incubator comprising:
a base having an infant support and three air flow passage means
for permitting air flow between the space beneath said infant support
and the space above said infant support, the first and second air
flow passage means opening at opposite ends of said infant support
and the third air flow passage means opening at the front side of
said infant support;
a hood surmounting said base and adapted to enclose said infant
support and said air flow passage means, the front wall of said
hood having an access door movable between a closed position and
an open position;
a source of conditioned air within said base and below said infant
support;
means for circulating said conditioned air from below said infant
support into said hood through said first and third air flow passage
means and back to below said infant support through said second
air flow passage means;
and sealing means responsive to movements of said door for sealing
said third air flow passage means when said door is in said closed
position and for uncovering said third air flow passage means when
said door is in said open position.
2. An incubator according to claim 1 wherein said first, second
and third air flow passage means include elongated openings in said
base extending along said opposite ends and said front side of said
infant support.
3. An incubator according to claim 1 wherein said third air flow
passage means include a chamber beneath said infant support which
communicates with said source of conditioned air.
4. An incubator according to claim 2 wherein said sealing means
include:
(1) an elongated strip shaped and dimensioned approximately equal
to said elongated opening extending along said front side of said
infant support and pivotally mounted along a longitudinal edge of
said strip on a longitudinal edge of said opening extending along
said front side; and
(2) control means coupled to said elongated strip and engaged by
said access door when said door is in said closed position for maintaining
said elongated strip in a position of sealing said elongated opening
extending along said front side of said infant support when engaged
by said access door and for urging said elongated strip to uncover
said elongated opening extending along said front side of said infant
support when said control means are disengaged from said access
door.
5. An incubator according to claim 4 wherein said third air flow
passage means includes a chamber beneath said infant support having
an input communicating with said source of conditioned air and an
output communicating with said opening at said front side of said
infant support.
6. An incubator comprising: a base having an infant support and
defining a space therein below said infant support;
a hood surmounting said base and adapted to enclose an infant resting
on said support and defining a space above said infant support,
the walls of said hood being spaced from said infant support and
forming a plurality of air flow passages therebetween, said hood
having an access door and one of said air flow passages extending
along said door;
a source of conditioned air within said base and below said infant
support;
means for circulating said conditioned air between said spaces
beneath and above said infant support through said air flow passages;
and air flow control means responsive to movements of said access
door for blocking said air flow passage extending along said door
when said door is closed and for opening said air flow passage extending
along said door when said door is open.
7. An incubator according to claim 6 wherein said access door is
mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis.
8. An incubator according to claim 7 wherein said access door pivots
downward upon opening and upward upon closing.
9. An incubator according to claim 6 wherein said hood is rectangular
in cross-section and two of said air flow passages are located at
opposite ends of said hood.
10. An incubator according to claim 9 wherein conditioned air is
directed upward through one of said air flow passages at an end
of said hood and through said air flow passage extending along said
access door and drawn downward through the other of said air flow
passage at an end of said hood.
11. An incubator according to claim 10 wherein said air flow passages
are elongated openings.
12. An incubator according to claim 11 wherein said base includes
a chamber beneath said infant support having an input communicating
with said source of conditioned air and an output communicating
with said air flow passage extending along said access door.
13. An incubator according to claim 12 wherein said air flow control
means include:
(1) a member pivotally movable to selectively uncover and close
said air flow passage extending along said access door; and
(2) a mechanism coupled between said member and said access door
and responsive to movements of said door to uncover said air flow
passage extending along said door when said door is opened and to
close said air flow passage extending along said door when said
door is closed.
14. An incubator comprising:
a base having an infant support and a plurality of air flow passage
means for permitting air flow between the space beneath said infant
support and the space above said infant support, one of said air
flow passage means opening along a lateral edge of said infant support;
a hood surmounting said base and adapted to enclose said infant
support and said air flow passage means, a lateral wall of said
hood extending along said lateral edge of said infant support and
having an access door movable between a closed position and an open
position;
a source of conditioned air within said base and below said infant
support;
means for circulating said conditioned air from below said infant
support into said hood and back to below said infant support through
said plurality of air flow passage means;
and means responsive to movements of said access door for closing
said one air flow passage means when said access door is in said
closed position and for opening said one air flow passage means
when said access door is in said open position.
15. An incubator according to claim 14 having three air flow passage
means, said one air flow passage means passing conditioned air from
below said infant support into said hood, a second air flow passage
means opening at one end of said infant support and passing conditioned
air from below said infant support into said hood, and a third air
flow passage means opening at a second end of said infant support
and passing conditioned air from said hood back to below said infant
support.
16. An incubator according to claim 14 wherein said one air flow
passage means include a chamber beneath said infant support which
communicates with said source of conditioned air.
17. An incubator according to claim 16 wherein said one air flow
passage means includes a baffle which defines an upper surface of
said chamber.
18. An incubator according to claim 17 wherein said baffle is mounted
on said base along the rear edge of said baffle.
19. An incubator according to claim 18 wherein said means for closing
and opening said one air flow passage means include:
(1) spring means for urging said baffle upward to open said one
air flow passage means; and
(2) a mechanism moveable with said access door for engaging said
baffle to move said baffle downward against said spring means to
close said one air flow passage means and for releasing said baffle
to permit said baffle to move upward to open said one air flow passage
means. Description TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates, in general, to incubators and, in
particular, to an infant incubator arranged to reduce the effect
of opening an access door in the hood of the incubator while an
infant is to be isolated from outside influences.
BACKGROUND ART
An infant incubator is a medical unit which provides a controlled
environment for a premature, or otherwise delicate or sick infant.
The incubator isolates the infant from the outside atmosphere which
might be the source of infections or which might be inadequate to
aid the infant in overcoming his difficulity.
Many infant incubators are provided with means for gaining access
to the infant to enable giving aid and attention to the infant while
he remains within the incubator. Typically, such means may include
armholes or access ports in one or more side walls of the hood of
the incubator through which those attending to the infant may slip
their hands and arms to reach the infant. In certain situations,
in the care of the more critically ill infant, it is desirable to
provide for more complete access to the infant than is possible
by the use of an armhole type of access port. This may be accomplished
by providing an access door in the hood. Ordinarily the opening
of an access door will not produce significant physiological effects
on the infant if the door remains open for a relatively short period
of time. However, for certain operative procedures which require
longer periods of access to the infant, the environment within the
hood may be altered because of the time the access door is held
open.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a new and improved incubator.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an incubator
having means for reducing the effect of opening an access door in
the hood of the incubator.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an incubator
in which the means for reducing the effect of opening an access
door in the hood are simple in construction and add relatively little
to the overall cost of the incubator.
An incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention,
includes a base having an infant support and a plurality of air
flow passage means for permitting air flow between the space beneath
the infant support and the space above the infant support. One of
the air flow passage means opens along a lateral edge of the infant
support. The incubator also includes a hood surmounting the base
and adapted to enclose the infant support and the air flow passage
means. A lateral wall of the hood, extending along the lateral edge
of the infant support, is provided with an access door which is
movable between a closed position and an open position. The incubator
further includes a source of conditioned air within the base and
below the infant support and means for circulating the conditioned
air from below the infant support into the hood and back to below
the infant support through the plurality of air flow passage means.
Also included in the incubator are means responsive to movements
of the access door for closing the air flow passage means extending
along the lateral edge of the infant support when the access door
is in the closed position and for opening this air flow passage
means when the access door is in the open position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Referring to the drawings:
FIGS 1A and 1B are front and side views, respectively, of a preferred
embodiment of an incubator constructed in accordance with the present
invention with the access door closed;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and side views similar to FIGS. 1A and
1B with the access door open;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1B;
FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of an incubator constructed
in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of
an incubator constructed in accordance with the present invention;
and
FIG. 7 is a vertical section of the FIG. 6 incubator.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,713 is incorporated herein by reference to
supplement the disclosure of various components of an incubator,
the details of which do not form part of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, an incubator, constructed
in accordance with the present invention, includes a base 10 having
an infant support 12 and a plurality of air flow passage means for
permitting air flow between the space beneath the infant support
and the space above the infant support. The base contains various
units which develop the desired environment within the incubator.
Infant support 12 may include a mattress support and mattress upon
which an infant may rest. For additional details on an infant support
which may be used and the manner in which it may be mounted on the
base, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,713.
The air flow passage means may include openings 14 and 16 located
at the head and foot ends, respectively, of base 10 and infant support
12 and a third opening 18 at the front side of the base and the
infant support, shown most clearly in FIG. 2B. Openings 14, 16 and
18 are elongated, narrow openings which extend around three sides
of infant support 12. Openings 14, 16, and 18 place the spaces above
and below infant support 12 in free communication with each other,
whereby air flow between these spaces is permitted. U.S. Pat. No.
3,335,713 provides additional details about openings 14 and 16,
while opening 18 is considered in greater detail hereinafter.
The incubator of the invention also includes a hood 20 surmounting
base 10 and adapted to enclose an infant resting on the infant support.
Hood 20, as shown, is rectangular in cross-section. The front wall
portion of hood 20 has an access door 22 movable between a closed
position illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B and an open position illustrated
in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In particular, access door 22 is mounted for
pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. The door pivots downward
upon opening and upward upon closing. Hood 20 may be mounted on
base 10 so that the hood as a whole may be raised by pivotal movement
about a hinge running along the top of the rear wall of the base.
For additional details about the hood and its mounting, reference
again is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,713.
An incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention,
also includes a source of conditioned air within base 10 and below
infant support 12. U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,713 shows apparatus which
may be used to develop the desired environment within the incubator.
Briefly, this apparatus includes an air inlet, filters, heater,
oxygen supply, humidifier and other components for producing conditioned
air of the proper temperature, oxygen content and humidity.
The FIG. 1 incubator further includes means for circulating the
conditioned air from below infant support 12 into hood 20 and back
to below the infant support through openings 14 and 16. Such means
may include, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,713, suitable fans,
ducting and the like, whereby conditioned air is forced up into
hood 20 through opening 14 and drawn down into base 10 through opening
16 as shown by arrows 21 in FIGS. 1A and 2A. In addition, conditioned
air is directed toward opening 18 as shown in FIG. 2B.
An incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention,
further includes means responsive to movements of access door 22
for sealing opening 18 when the door is in the closed position shown
in FIGS. 1A and 1B and for uncovering opening 18 when the door is
in the open position shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIGS. 3, 4 and 5
show in detail the manner in which conditioned air is delivered
to opening 18 and the means which effect the sealing and uncovering
of this opening. Conditioned air is forced through a plurality of
slots 23 in a deck 24 into a chamber 26 beneath infant support 12.
Air flow through opening 18 is controlled by a member, in the form
of an elongated strip 28, which is movable to selectively uncover
and close opening 18 and a linkage mechanism coupling between strip
28 and access door 22. In particular, elongated strip 28, shaped
and dimensioned approximately equal to opening 18, extends along
the front side of infant support 12 and is pivotally mounted along
one of its longitudinal edges on a longitudinal edge of opening
18. So long as strip 28 is in the position shown in FIG. 4 and shown
in solid lines in FIG. 5, opening 18 at the output of chamber 26
is sealed and the conditioned air in chamber 26 is blocked from
passing through opening 18. When strip 28 moves to the position
shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5, opening 18 is uncovered and the
conditioned air moves from chamber 26 through opening 18 as shown
by arrows 30 in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 5. At the same time, conditioned
air continues to be circulated between the base and the hood through
openings 14 and 16 as indicated in FIG. 2A.
The position of strip 28 is controlled by a mechanism which is
coupled between the strip and access door 22 and is actuated by
the access door. In particular, when access door 22 is in the closed
position, a bracket 32 on a door hinge 34, to which door 22 is secured,
engages a spring member 36 to move the spring member downwardly
to maintain the spring member in the position shown in FIG. 4 and
shown in solid lines in FIG. 5. Spring member 36 is secured at its
opposite end to the underside 38 of the infant support. Spring member
36 carries a hook 40 which engages a hook 42 on strip 28. So long
as spring member 36 is held in the position shown in FIG. 4, strip
28 is in position to seal opening 18.
When access door 22 is opened and door hinge 34 moves to the position
shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5, bracket 32 no longer engages spring
member 36, thereby permitting the spring member to move to the position
shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5. This movement causes hook 40 on
spring member 36 to engage the underside of strip 28 and pivot the
strip, about a hinge 44, to the position shown in dashed lines in
FIG. 5. This permits conditioned air to move from chamber 26 through
opening 18 to form a curtain of conditioned air across the door
opening. The disposition of strip 28 enhances the air flow to form
this curtain. Some of the conditioned air moving upward through
opening 18 flows out of the incubator as shown in FIG. 2B, while
the remainder stays in the incubator and flows into the main stream
being circulated upward through opening 14 and downward through
opening 16.
When access door 22 is moved to the closed position, bracket 32
on door hinge 34 engages spring member 36 to return the spring member
to the position shown in FIG. 4. As spring member 36 moves downwardly,
hook 40 is drawn downwardly. Hook 40, in turn, draws hook 42 downwardly
to move strip 28 toward the position at which opening 18 is sealed.
At a suitable point in the movement of strip 28, hooks 40 and 42
become disengaged and strip 28 moves into the sealing position from
the effect of gravity.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second preferred embodiment of the present
invention. Components in FIGS. 6 and 7 which are similar to components
in FIGS. 1-5 have been given the same reference numerals. The difference
between the second embodiment of the invention and the first resides
in the manner in which the curtain of conditioned air is formed
when access door 22 is opened.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the
air flow passage which extends along the front edge of infant support
12 is formed by a baffle 50 which is mounted for pivotal movement
about a pivot rod 52. Baffle 50 is shown in a raised position in
FIG. 6 and in dashed lines in the raised position in FIG. 7. With
the baffle in this position deck 24 may be cleaned or the baffle
may be removed from the incubator by slipping the hooked rear edge
of the baffle from under pivot rod 52. The pivot rod is secured
to deck 24 by a pair of flanges 54 and 56 which, in turn, are fastened
to the deck by suitable means. Flanges 54 and 56, baffle 50 and
deck 24 define chamber 26 below infant support 12.
Secured along both side edges of baffle 50 are springs 58 and 60.
Each of these springs is fastened to the bottom surface of the baffle
and is bent to extend through respective slots 62 and 64 at the
side edges of the baffle. The arrangement of baffle 50 and springs
58 and 60 is such that the baffle tends to spring upwardly to the
position shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 7 while corners 58a and
60a of the springs maintain contact with deck 24. Bent tabs 58b
and 60b of the springs limit the upward movement of the baffle caused
by the springs. With baffle 50 in the upper position shown by the
dot-dash lines in FIG. 7, the air flow passage extending along the
front edge of infant support 12 is open and conditioned air passing
upward through slots 23 to chamber 26 is delivered to this open
air flow passage to form an air curtain. This condition exists when
access door 22 is open.
When access door 22 is closed, bracket 32 on door hinge 34, to
which door 22 is secured, engages a pair of strips 66 and 68 which
are fastened to the upper surface of baffle 50 at the edges of the
baffle and extend through slots 70 and 72, respectively, at the
edges of the baffle. The closing movement of access door 22 causes
baffle 50 to move downwardly against the action of springs 58 and
60. With access door 22 closed, baffle 50 is in the position shown
by the solid lines in FIG. 7 and the air flow passage extending
along the front edge of infant support is closed.
While in the foregoing there have been described preferred embodiments
of the invention, it should be understood to those skilled in the
art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing
from the true spirit and scope of the invention as recited in the
claims. |