Infant bed hydraulic tilt mechanism

Abstract

An infant care center that includes a standing, vertical frame and has an infant bed that is suspended outwardly from the vertical frame. The infant bed is adapted to retain the infant and is readily adjustable to a plurality of positions devised for the infant. The bed itself is tiltable about an axis to the various positions and a unique tilt mechanism allows the degree of tilt to be easily selected and then locked into position by attending personnel. The tilt mechanism includes a double acting piston assembly that secures the frame to a point on the infant bed remote from the axis about which the bed is tiltable. The double acting piston assembly includes a piston operable within a cylinder and which divides the cylinder into two variable chambers. Each chamber has a part to introduce and remove hydraulic fluid therefrom and a closed circuit joins the parts so that fluid normally can move from one chamber to the other or the piston travels within the cylinder to move the tilt position of the infant bed. A valve is conveniently located for such personnel to open or close the closed circuit to the flow of hydraulic fluid such that when the valve is open, the infant bed may be moved to the desired position and the valve then closed to prevent further movement of the piston and therefore the infant bed is locked into that desired position.