Modular System For Constructing Hospital Walls

Abstract

A modular wall system is provided for use in a healthcare facility to divide the available floor space into rooms and to support hospital equipment module. The system includes a plurality of frame units configured to rest on a floor and extend vertically upwardly. The frame units form a grid of vertically and laterally spaced apart wall spaces having a predetermined height and a predetermined width. A plurality of modules is configured to be positioned in the wall spaces to form a wall.

1 . A modular wall system for use in a healthcare facility, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of frame units arranged in a side-by-side relationship, and a plurality of hospital equipment modules coupled to the frame units to form a wall of the healthcare facility.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of hospital equipment modules includes any one or more of the following: a patient care module, a family zone module, a hygiene zone module, a footwall module, a clinical wall module, a door module, a windows module, a fold-out bed module, a vital signs module, and an equipment storage module.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frame units form a grid of vertically and laterally spaced apart wall spaces having a predetermined height and a predetermined width, the plurality of modules are configured to be positioned in the wall spaces to form the wall.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the plurality of modules have a width substantially equal to a multiple, including one, of the predetermined width of the wall spaces and having a height substantially equal to a multiple, including one, of the predetermined height of the wall spaces.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each frame unit has a plurality of connection points spaced apart from each other by a predetermined height and a predetermined width to form a grid, the plurality of modules is coupled to the frame units at the connection points to form the wall.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein at least some of the plurality of modules have a width substantially equal to a multiple, including one, of the predetermined width of the connection points and having a height substantially equal to a multiple, including one, of the predetermined height of the connection points.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5 , comprising a plurality of supporting members configured to be detachably coupled to the frame units at the connection points, wherein the plurality of modules is configured to be coupled to the supporting members to form the wall.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein each module includes at least one pair of oppositely disposed guide tracks sized to receive an associated pair of oppositely disposed supporting members.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein a length of at least some of the supporting members is substantially equal to the depth of the associated modules.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each frame unit includes a pair of vertical members and a pair of horizontal members extending between the vertical members, the vertical members of each frame unit have a plurality of connection points spaced apart from each other by a predetermined height and a predetermined width to form a grid, and a plurality of modules is configured to be coupled to the connection points to form the wall.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of connection points include a first plurality of connection points facing a front side of the wall and a second plurality of connection points facing a back side of the wall, a first plurality of modules is coupled to the first plurality of connection points, and a second plurality of modules is coupled to the second plurality of connection points.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of supporting members configured to be detachably coupled to the plurality of connection points, wherein the plurality of modules is configured to be coupled to the plurality of supporting members to form the wall.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the vertical and horizontal members of the frame units have access openings through which utility lines are routed for supplying utilities to at least some of the modules coupled to the frame units.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the utility lines include any one or more of the following: medical gas, oxygen, water, sewer and electricity lines.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the vertical and horizontal members of each frame unit define an interior space, and the interior space is filled with sound and/or thermal insulation material.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the hospital equipment module is a clinical wall module comprising any one of the following: a worksurface module, a light module, a supply pass-through module, a drawer pass-through module, a waste pass-through module, a door module and a window module.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the hospital equipment module is a hygiene zone module comprising any one of the following: a hand washing module, a hand washing and storage module, a shower module, a paper towel dispenser module, a hand dryer module, a mirror module, a towel bar module, a trash bin module and a grab bar module.  
   
   
       18 . A system for constructing walls in a healthcare facility, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of frame units, each frame unit including a pair of vertical members and a pair of horizontal members extending between the vertical members, the vertical members of each frame unit having a plurality of connection points spaced apart from each other by a predetermined vertical distance and a predetermined horizontal distance to form a grid, and    a plurality of modules coupled to the frame at the connection points to form a wall.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18  comprising a plurality of supporting members configured to be detachably coupled to the vertical members at the connection points, wherein the plurality of modules are coupled to the supporting members to form the wall.  
   
   
       20 . A clinical wall for use with a modular wall system comprising a plurality of frame units configured to form a grid of vertically and laterally spaced apart wall spaces having a predetermined height and a predetermined width, the clinical wall comprising a plurality of modules configured to be positioned in the wall spaces, wherein at least one of the clinical wall modules is a pass-through module.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the clinical wall separates a first space from a second space, and the pass-through module is accessible from both the first and second spaces.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first space is a patient room and the second space is any one of the following: an adjoining corridor and an adjoining room.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the pass-through module comprises any one of the following: a supply pass-through module, a drawer pass-through module and a waste pass-through module.