Abstract:
A collapsible enclosure for restraining a patient to an area about a bed comprises a frame having a horizontal eave portion, a horizontal base portion opposing the horizontal cave portion, and at least two vertical members upstanding from the horizontal base portion for supporting the horizontal cave portion. The frame collapses as an integral unit for storage and transfer. A net assembly secured to the frame defines an area about a bed such that a patient is allowed to move freely within the area.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/332,750, filed Nov. 14, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The subject invention relates to systems for providing a restraining enclosure for patients for whom it is desirable to restrain to a bed area.  
           [0004]    2. Background of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Various illnesses and conditions such as brain trauma, dementia and Alzheimer&#39;s disease often leave people in such a condition that constant management of the patient is necessary to prevent further injury and mishap. Traditional systems and methods for monitoring and controlling patients with such needs have included bed straps or restraints, straight jackets, sedation, a monitoring device, a dedicated individual at hand, isolation rooms and the like both alone and in combination. Many of these prior art methods and systems are burdensome to all concerned and prohibitively expensive. For example, bed straps immobilize a patient on a bed. When the patient desires to move or change position, the restraints prevent such shifting. As a result, a restrained patient can become very uncomfortable and/or agitated in addition to suffering medical complications. For another example, a dedicated person to attend to the restrained person&#39;s needs on an all day, every day basis is cost prohibitive.  
           [0006]    Recently, several techniques for addressing confining a patient to a bed area while allowing free movement have been developed to address the needs of the patient and caregiver. Some examples are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,216,291 to Eads et al. and 6,263,529 to Chadwick et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, there are problems associated with the prior art enclosure bed apparatus. Often, the condition which requires restraint may be temporary and as a result transportation, assembly and disassembly of the enclosure may be common. The prior art systems require extensive manpower for assembly and disassembly. When disassembled, loose parts can be lost and transport and storage is cumbersome and difficult. To assemble, tools and excessive know-how and manpower are needed. When assembled, excessive bulk prevents easy transport and storage.  
           [0007]    There is a need, therefore, for an improved system which permits easy assembly, disassembly, storage and transport and aids in assuring adequate restraint and monitoring of patients.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention is directed to a collapsible enclosure for restraining a patient to an area about a bed, including a frame having a horizontal eave portion, a horizontal base portion opposing the horizontal eave portion and at least two vertical members upstanding from the horizontal base portion for supporting the horizontal eave portion, wherein for storage and transport the frame collapses as an integral unit. A canopy assembly secures to the frame for defining an area about a bed such that the patient is allowed to move freely within the area.  
           [0009]    In a currently preferred embodiment, the enclosure for restraining a patient to an area about a bed includes a frame for surrounding a bed. The frame has an upper laterally extending support and first and second upstanding supports for supporting the upper laterally extending support, wherein for storage and transport the frame folds compactly. A canopy assembly is secured to the frame for defining an area about the bed such that a patient is allowed to move freely within the area.  
           [0010]    Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an enclosure which is easily assembled, disassembled, transported, stored and cleaned.  
           [0011]    It is an object of the subject invention to provide for safe restraint of a patient to an area yet still allow for free and comfortable movement within the area.  
           [0012]    It is another object of the subject invention to provide a restraining enclosure which permits effective visual monitoring of the patient with the area of retention.  
           [0013]    It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented and utilized in numerous ways, including without limitation as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device and a method for applications now known and later developed. These and other unique features of the system disclosed herein will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    So that those having ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosed system appertains will more readily understand how to make and use the same, reference may be had to the drawings wherein:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 illustrates a collapsible patient restraining enclosure for a bed constructed in accordance with subject invention, and in particular the restraining enclosure positioned about a bed.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an assembled frame of the restraining enclosure of FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2B is a bottom plan view of the assembled frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an outer portion of a corner bracket of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3B is a perspective view of an inner portion of a corner bracket of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3C is a perspective view of a partially assembled corner bracket of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3D is a perspective view of two partially assembled corner brackets secured to a vertical bar of a frame of the restraining enclosure of FIG. 1.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3E is a top view of an end of a support of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3F is a bottom view of an end of a support of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3G is a side view of an end of a support of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3H is a perspective view of a tether of the restraining enclosure of FIG. 1.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3I is a top view of a coupling of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3J is a side end view of a coupling of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3K is an end view of a coupling of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3L is a plan view of a nut plate of the frame of FIG. 1.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the frame of FIG. 1 in a partially collapsed state.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the frame of FIG. 1 in a fully collapsed state.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a canopy for another embodiment of an enclosure constructed in accordance with the subject invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a partially disassembled view of a sleeve of the canopy of FIG. 6.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8A is a partially disassembled view of an exemplary collar assembly for use with the canopy of FIG. 6.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the collar assembly of FIG. 8A taken along line B-B. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0036]    The present invention overcomes many of the prior art problems associated with enclosures for restraining patients to a bed area. The advantages, and other features of the system disclosed herein, will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings which set forth representative embodiments of the present invention and wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural elements.  
         [0037]    The subject enclosure safely confines a patient to an area defined around a bed. However, the patient is free to move within the area about the bed. Caregivers and attendants can see into the restrained area as well as access the patient through selectively fastenable openings. The patient has the ability to see and interact with the general environment around the enclosure. When not in use, the enclosure can be collapsed for easy storage and transport.  
         [0038]    Referring to FIG. 1, a collapsible enclosure  100  confines a person to their bed  200  without restraints. Typically, the enclosure  100  would be used in a hospital environment with a standard hospital bed  200 . The enclosure  100  has a unitary aluminum frame  110  which defines an area of restraint about the bed  200 . It is envisioned that the frame  110  can be fabricated from a variety of materials now known and later developed such as steel, PVC pipe, aluminum, plastics, carbon fiber composite, other metals and the like, alone or in combination, to create a suitably robust and lightweight frame  110 . In one embodiment, the frame  110  has casters for moving the frame  110 .  
         [0039]    A canopy  102  is draped about the frame  110  and secured in place to prevent a person from leaving the area of restraint. The canopy  102  leaves access to a portion of the bed  200  for adjustment thereto. The canopy  102  can be secured in place on or over the frame  110  by zippers, fabric sleeves which slide over the frame components, velcro and the like or combinations thereof as would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art based upon review of the subject disclosure. Zippers  108  allow movement of portions of the canopy  102  to allow access to the area of retention. Preferably, all of the zippers used on canopy  102  are self-locking.  
         [0040]    In one embodiment, the canopy  102  drapes on the inside of the frame. Preferably, the canopy  102  is fabricated from a combination of vinyl or nylon portions  104  and netting  106 . In a preferred embodiment, the netting  106  is black nylon netting. The advantage of the black color as well as brown, blue and the like is that dark colors allow for improved see-through capability and greater stain resistance. Further, nylon material is substantially lighter than vinyl and therefore easier to handle.  
         [0041]    Now referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the frame  110  includes an eave portion  111  supported above a base portion  113  by four vertical bars  118 . When assembled, the frame  110  is rigid and supported on the floor by the base portion  113 . The bed  200  within the enclosure  100  has a head  202  and a foot  204  (see FIG. 1), thus, the frame  110  has a corresponding head end and foot end, respectively, although the frame  110  as shown is symmetrical. Preferably, the strength and stability of the frame  110  is such that an adult could robustly attempt exit without damage to the frame  110  or tipping the frame  110  over.  
         [0042]    The base portion  113  has two non-linear substantially parallel elongated supports  115 , each support  115  having a head portion  112   h  and a foot portion  112   f.  The head portion  112   h  and the foot portion  112   f  are linked by a coupling  114 . Two parallel transverse supports  117  extend between the non-linear supports  115  to substantially form a rectangle approximately the size of a standard hospital bed  200 . The transverse supports  117  include two portions  120  linked by a coupling  114 . Traditionally, the standard hospital bed  200  is approximately 90.25×36.64 inches although it will be appreciated that the enclosure  100 , in particular the rectangle formed by the base portion  113  and eave portion  111 , is well suited to adaptation to beds of any size.  
         [0043]    Four lower corner brackets  116  secure the elongated supports  115  and transverse supports  117  of the base portion  113  in such a manner that both supports  115 ,  117  can selectively rotate. Preferably, each coupling  114  is pivotably connected and located intermediate each support  115 ,  117  for facilitating collapsing the frame  110  as will be described hereinbelow with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. The central region of the elongated supports  115  of the base portion  113  is offset towards the interior of the enclosure  100  for facilitating collapsing the enclosure  100  as well.  
         [0044]    The eave portion  111  is supported above the base portion  113  by four vertical, parallel rectangular bars  118 . Two linear parallel elongated supports  121  extend between a head end and a foot end of the eave portion  111 . Two parallel transverse supports  123  extend between the elongated supports  121  to form a rectangle therewith approximately the size of a standard hospital bed  200 . Four upper corner brackets  116  secure the supports  121 ,  123  of the eave portion  111  in such a manner that each of the supports can selectively rotate downward therefrom. Preferably, each of the supports  121 ,  123  of the eave portion  111  has pivot devices  114  located intermediate their length for facilitating collapsing the frame  110 .  
         [0045]    Still referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, when assembled, the corner brackets  116  rigidly secure the four vertical bars  118  thereto. In another embodiment, the four vertical bars  118  are integral with the corner brackets  116 . In another embodiment, the supports  121 ,  123  of the eave portion  111  are monolithic and selectively detach from the corner brackets  116  for partial disassembly. In still another embodiment, the head end and the foot end of the eave portion  111  are supported above the base portion  113  by two solid panels as would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based upon review of the subject disclosure shown in phantom line on FIG. 4. In yet still another embodiment, only elongated or transverse parallel pairs of parallel supports of the eave and base portions include pivoting couplings  114 , thus the frame only partially collapses.  
         [0046]    In order to position the bed  200  within the enclosure  100 , the head end  112   h  and the foot end  112   f  of the base portion can be disconnected at an intermediate point via coupling  114  and rotated upwards along arrow A. Since the bed  200  is commonly mounted on wheels  206 , the bed  200  can be rolled into the enclosure  100  without interference. Upon positioning the bed  200  within the enclosure  100 , the head end  112   h  and the foot end  112   f  are rotated downwards and secured together with coupling  114 . At such time, a mattress is placed inside the canopy  102  and the patient may be placed in the bed  200  and the canopy  102  secured in place. Alternatively, the canopy  102  may be secured in place about the frame  110  and the patient may enter the restraining area through an opening  180  in the canopy  102 . In another embodiment, there is no base portion. In one embodiment without a base portion, the four vertical bars  118  would terminate in foot plates. In another embodiment, the four vertical bars  118  terminate in a post adapted and configured for insertion in the headboard and footboard slots of a standard hospital bed  200 . Thus, to erect the enclosure about the bed  200 , the headboard and footboard are removed and the four vertical bars are inserted therein. Alternatively, the four vertical bars could bolt onto a bed or an adapter plate could facilitate secure locking engagement to a bed.  
         [0047]    Referring to FIGS. 3A through 3D, a corner bracket  116  has a base component  140  and an upper component  142  which are preferably made from metal and welded or riveted together. The base component  140  has a substantially triangular platform  148  with two upstanding triangles  149  on edges thereof. The two upstanding triangles  149  define a channel  151  for receiving a portion of a vertical bar  118 . The upper component  142  has a flange  143  for engaging the base component  140  and two upstanding triangles  145 . The vertical bars  118  are also welded or riveted fixed securely to the corner brackets  116 . An angle iron  144  is welded or riveted to the upper component  142  and vertical bar  118  for additional support, fit and rigidity. It is envisioned that the vertical bars  118 , base component  140 , upper component  142  and angle iron  144  may be of monolithic construction, riveted, screwed, glued or the like, in order to form a desired shape which performs the necessary function. In another embodiment, instead of an angle iron  144  for extra structural support, the shape of the corner brackets  166  is modified to conform to the vertical bar  118  for fixedly securing the vertical bar  118  thereto.  
         [0048]    Referring now to FIGS. 3E through 3H, the ends  150  of the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123  of the base portion  113  and eave portion  111  rotatably couple to the corner brackets  116 . Preferably, the ends  150  of the supports are rounded and define a pivot passage  152  for receiving a pin (not shown) as best shown in FIG. 3F. The pin also extends through holes  146  formed in the corner brackets  116 . The pin may be held in place by a cotter pin and the like and secured to the frame  110  by a nylon coated stainless steel tether  166  as shown in FIG. 3H. In one embodiment, a teflon bushing is inserted in the pivot passage  152  to enhance the smooth rotation and wear characteristics. A locking fastener (not shown) such as a captive screw secures the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123  rigidly to the corner brackets  116  for assembly. Preferably, the locking fastener extends through aligned holes (not shown) in the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123  and corresponding corner brackets  116 . The aligned holes may be threaded or a nut and bolt combination may be used to fix the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123 .  
         [0049]    Referring to FIGS. 3E through 3L, couplings  114  selectively rotatably or rigidly secure together the intermediate ends of the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123 . A pivot pin (not shown) rotatably secures the intermediate ends  150  of the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123  to the couplings  114  by extending through holes  152  in the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123  and opening  158  in the couplings  114 . To fix the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123  rigidly, a pin and fasteners (not shown) extend through holes  160 ,  159  of the coupling  114 , respectively, into holes  156 ,  153 , respectively, of the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123 . Preferably, a pair of nut plates  119  spreads the connection force over an area of the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123 . For example, the pins extend into openings  163  on the nut plates  119  and the nut plates  119  are held in place about each side of the channel  156  of end  150  by the fasteners which pass through holes  161  of one of the nut plates  119  and thread into the opposing nut plate  119  by corresponding holes  161 . Preferably, the pins and fasteners have locking rings to facilitate captive engagement with the nut plates  119  to prevent loss when disassembled and to provide efficient storage thereof. In another embodiment, teflon bushings (not shown) are pressed into the central openings  156  to alleviate the need for exceptionally tight tolerancing for a snug fit.  
         [0050]    Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the corner brackets  116  and the couplings  114  of the frame  110  have been released to allow collapsing the frame  110  for transportation and storage. Upon release, the four vertical bars  118  remain upright and are brought together. As the four vertical bars  118  are brought together, each of the supports  115 ,  117 ,  121 ,  123  pivotally hinges at the corner bracket  116  on one end and at the coupling  114  on the inner end. The height of the four bars  118  is selected such that the inner ends of the transverse supports  123  of the eave portion  111  and the inner end of the transverse supports  117  of the base portion  113  do not overlap. However, the inner ends of the elongated supports  121  of the eave portion  111  and the inner ends of the elongated supports  115  of the base portion  113  do overlap. To accommodate the overlap, the nonlinear shape of the elongated support members  115  of the base portion  113  prevent interference between the central region of the eave portion&#39;s elongated supports  121  and the base portion&#39;s elongated supports  115  when fully collapsed. As a result, the frame  110  can be minimized for storage and transport as shown in FIG. 5. Preferably, a strap (not shown), attached to the frame  110 , is used to secure the frame  110  in the minimized position. In another embodiment, the collapsed frame  110  is stored within a transport bag. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the pertinent art based upon review of the subject disclosure that the frame  110  may be collapsed with the canopy  102  in place.  
         [0051]    Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, another embodiment of a canopy for an enclosure of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral  302 . The canopy  302  is similar to the canopy  102  described above, and therefore like reference numerals preceded by the numeral “3” instead of the numeral “1” are used to indicate like elements. The canopy  302  drapes down from the eave portion  111  of the frame  110  by sleeves  303 . The canopy  302  leaves access to a portion of the bed for adjusting the bed. Preferably, the canopy  302  has zippers (not shown) in lower panels  308  to provide such access as would be well within the skill of one in the pertinent art. The sleeves  303  are fabricated from a combination of nylon  310 , foam  312  and mesh  314 . The foam  312  acts as padding for the frame  110 . In a preferred embodiment, the foam  312  is a closed cell padding material to prevent water absorption and the mesh  314  allows water drainage and drying after the canopy  302  has been washed. In another embodiment, sleeves are provided for securing the canopy  302  to the vertical bars  118  of the frame  110  as well.  
         [0052]    Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, a collar assembly  320  is fitted to each vertical bar  118  to prevent injury to the restrained patient. Additional collar assemblies  320  may be fitted and used to cover any portion of the frame which may pose potential for injury to a patient. The collar assemblies are also composed of nylon  322 , foam  324 , mesh  326  and fasteners  328  to allow for easy maintenance, assembly and protection of the patient from injury against the frame  110 . The collar assemblies  320  are contoured for snugly and aesthetically fitting against the frame  110 . The fasteners  328  are used to insure a snug fit of the collar assemblies  320  onto the frame  110 . Preferably, the fasteners  328  are hook and loop fabric pairs.  
         [0053]    As would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, upon review of the subject disclosure, the figures and associated detailed description are representative of preferred embodiments and various modifications can be made thereto. While the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as disclosed herein and as claimed.