Bed with interconnectable barrier elements

A bed has two safety barrier elements arranged along a common side. Each barrier element (19, 21) is linked to the bed frame (11) by two hinged arms (25, 26; 35, 36) forming a deformable parallelogram mechanism, but only one (19) comprises means of locking in the up position (49), whereas attachment means (45, 46) are installed between the adjacent ends of the two barrier elements for selectively constituting a barrier consisting of a single piece.

This application claims priority under 35 USC §119 to French application (serial number 08 55419) filed on Aug. 5, 2008.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a patient bed equipped with two lateral safety barriers (also known as half barriers or barrier elements) arranged along a common lengthwise side of said bed. The invention more particularly relates to an improvement enabling a coupling of the two barrier elements, in order to make such a system easier to use and more functional.

BACKGROUND

A patient bed equipped with two lateral barriers, namely a head lateral barrier element and a foot lateral barrier element, arranged on a common lengthwise side of its frame is known to the prior art. When the two barrier elements are in the upright position, they adjoin one along the extension of the other and prevent the patient from falling. However, they are independently moveable relative to each other so that an exit space can be opened, enabling the patient to get up under his or her own power if his or her condition permits it. Typically, the head barrier element is left in the raised position and the foot barrier element is lowered. The patient can then sit on the edge of the bed and stand up, using at least the head barrier element for support.

The independence of the two barrier elements, however, multiplies the manipulations for the medical staff in comparison with the simplicity of a system comprising only one long barrier. The factory price is also increased because a mechanism for locking in the up position must be provided for each barrier element.

SUMMARY

The invention proposes a two barrier element system enabling the patient to get out of the bed but nonetheless having the same advantages of simplicity of design and use as a single long barrier.

The fundamental idea of the invention consists of provision of a two barrier element system in which only one barrier element is equipped with a mechanism for locking in the up position relative to the bed. The other barrier element is capable of pivoting freely but hooks and locks with the barrier element equipped with a locking mechanism relative to the bed.

The invention relates more particularly to a patient bed comprising a bed frame and two lateral safety barrier elements arranged along a common lengthwise side of said frame, namely a head barrier element and a foot barrier element, wherein each barrier element is linked to the bed frame by two hinged arms forming a deformable parallelogram mechanism, characterized in that only one of the barrier elements comprises means for locking in the up position and further characterized in that between adjacent ends of the two barrier elements are installed connection means for selectively joining them one in the extension of the other so as to constitute a barrier consisting of a single piece and capable of being manipulated as such.

Preference is given to the head barrier element being the barrier element comprising the means of locking in the up position.

According to another advantageous characteristic, at least one of the barrier elements comprises a laterally tiltable part pivot—mounted about a lower horizontal axis of said main frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The patient bed illustrated consists of a bed frame11equipped with a rectangular support frame13on which resides a mattress (not shown). The bed frame11is equipped with a headboard15and a footboard17, which extend crosswise.

At least one of the lengthwise sides of the bed frame is equipped with two lateral barriers19,21. One of these is a head barrier element19, one end20of which is adjacent to the head of the bed when it is in the raised position as shown inFIG. 1, and the other is a foot barrier element21, which adjoins and extends the head barrier element in the raised position.

Each barrier element19,21is displaceable between an up position and a down position by translation-rotation in its own plane by means of a deformable parallelogram mechanism.

More precisely, the head barrier element19is linked to the bed frame11by two hinged arms25,26. The barrier element consists of a main frame27equipped with a horizontal cross member28to which the two upper ends of the two arms25,26are hinged. The lower ends of said arms are hinged to a cross member30of the bed frame disposed below the rectangular support frame13.

In an analogous manner, the foot barrier element21is linked to the bed frame by two hinged arms35,36. It consists of a main frame37equipped with a horizontal cross member38to which the two upper ends of the two arms35,36are hinged. The lower ends of said arms are hinged to a cross member40of the bed frame disposed below the rectangular support frame13. Typically, the barrier elements can be moved to the up position (FIG. 1) for complete protection of the patient. Both of them can also be moved to the retracted, down position (FIG. 2) in order to care for the patient, or to move a gurney next to the bed for transferring the patient.

According to an essential characteristic of the invention, only one of the barrier elements, in this case the head barrier element19, comprises means for locking in the up position. The foot barrier element21is freely displaceable in a movement imposed by the two arms35,36.

In addition, connection and hooking means45,46are installed between the adjacent ends of the two barrier elements19,21in order to selectively join them one in the extension of the other in order to constitute a barrier consisting of a single piece. With the two barrier elements thus joined together, the long barrier that they constitute can be manipulated as if it were structurally a single piece.

In the example shown, the means for locking the head barrier element in the up position consist of a retractable stop mechanism49and the corresponding main frame27, wherein said stop mechanism is arranged between said main frame and one of the aforesaid arms.

Furthermore, according to the example, each barrier element19,21comprises a laterally tiltable part51,53pivot-mounted about a lower horizontal axis of the corresponding main frame27,37. When they are separated from each other, and more particularly by the foot barrier element being closest to the footboard, an exit space is opened, allowing the patient to get out of the bed under his or her own power by sitting on the edge of the bed and then standing up. During this phase, the barrier elements19,21(or at least the head barrier element19) serve as hand holds for the patient. When at least one such barrier is in the up position but with its tiltable part outwardly deployed as shown inFIG. 4, the patient has a secure and comfortable hand hold for standing up. The lateral offset of the support point improves the patient's balance while moving from the sitting position to the standing position. This deployment of the tiltable parts51,53outwardly displaces the support points in front of the patient. The projection of the center of gravity of the patient's body thus remains within a polygon of support delimited by the feet and the projection of the support point or points to the floor.

The upper horizontal bar57,59of each tiltable part constitutes a handhold for the patient. As for the foot barrier element, the upper horizontal bar59is fastened to two parallel rods61,62capable of sliding in two parallel tubular uprights63,64, respectively, of the tiltable part37. In this manner, the upper horizontal bar59of the tiltable part of the foot barrier element21can be aligned roughly at the same level as the upper horizontal bar57of the tiltable part of the head barrier element19even when the foot barrier element is lowered. In this case, the exit space50is opened between the two barrier elements, roughly in the center of the bed, and the patient has two tilted handhold elements to use for standing up.

Given that the two tiltable parts51,53are adjacent when the two barrier elements19,21are hooked together, said connection and hooking means45,46allowing the subjugation of the foot barrier element to the displacement of the head barrier element are arranged between the two adjacent ends of these two tiltable parts. When the two barrier elements are raised, the two tiltable parts are realigned one in the extension of the other and in the same plane as the main frames of said barrier elements.

The main frame27of the head barrier element consists of a horizontal tubular element60which forms the pivot axis of the tiltable part51, a lower side62of which comprises an extension rotatably engaged and mounted in the tubular element60. The latter forms a type of support bearing for the tiltable part. In an analogous manner, the main frame37of the foot barrier element consists of a horizontal tubular element65which forms the pivot axis of the tiltable part53. A lower side66of the latter comprises an extension rotatably engaged and mounted in the tubular element65.

The deployed position of each tiltable part is stabilized by any suitable blocking means, say, by a connecting shaft or rod67,68mounted between the edge of the main frame27,37and the adjacent edge of the tiltable part51,53, respectively.