1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved patient treatment table for supporting a patient laying in a generally horizontal position for chiropractic treatment and the like at an elevated level above a floor surface. The table of the present application is an improvement on the patient treatment table shown and disclosed in copending U.S. patent application for a Patient Treatment Table, filed Mar. 21, 1985, under Ser. No. 714,486, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a patient treatment table having a safety system incorporated therein for preventing inadvertent damage or injury to persons and equipment as the table structure is being moved. In addition, the new and improved safety system of the present invention is especially adapted for use with a Patient Treatment Table of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,110 and/or copending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 739,988, filed May 31, 1985, and also assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the years, patient treatment tables for chiropractic manipulation of patients lying on a table surface in a generally horizontal position have been greatly improved. With the advent of power driven systems for moving the table surface between different levels and for tilting the table surface from a horizontal position toward an upstanding position to facilitate a patient in mounting and dismounting from the table have greatly improved the efficiency of a chiropractor in handling patients of different size and weight. However, a problem sometimes encountered with modern day patient treatment tables is the danger of pinching or injuring a finger, hand, foot, leg or limb of a person or child as the table is lowered and/or raised.