Abstract:
A safety bed including a bed frame, pivotally attached guard rails, and a vertically adjustable mattress support structure. The mattress support structure capable of being lowered within the confines of the bed frame to prevent a patient from crawling out of the safety bed. The mattress support structure capable of being raised within the bed frame to grant a health care provider access to the patient.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application entitled “SAFETY BED HAVING ELEVATING MATTRESS,” Ser. No. 60/845,476, filed Sep. 18, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to a safety bed primarily for use in care for patients with physical and developmental disabilities where special circumstances require a bed designed to reduce the possibility of injury to the patient. Specifically, a bed is required which would prevent falls and entrapment for individuals who need care. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0003]    Safety beds are well known and described in the field, such as those which are commonly found in certain medical and geriatric facilities. Generally, these beds include a guard rail assembly which can be raised to prevent the patient from falling out of the bed and lowered to allow the patient ingress and egress from the bed. Known guard rail assemblies, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,959, typically include a top and a bottom horizontal rail as well as a series of spaced vertical bars there between. Such assemblies are therefore a lattice type of structure having a number of associated gaps. Other safety or guard rail assemblies for cribs, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,870, have similarly “gapped” structures. 
         [0004]    In spite of fairly strict governmental standards that have been specifically mandated for the construction of safety beds, there have been numerous reported instances in which a patient has fallen not only through gaps in a guard rail assembly, but also between other gaps often created between the lateral side of the mattress and box spring and the guard rail assembly, and between various portions of the bed frame itself. These injuries can not only be traumatic but also catastrophic, producing entrapment and possibly death. Therefore, there is an urgent need in the field to provide a safety bed which all but eliminates the probability of such injuries as those described above. 
         [0005]    Reference is specifically made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,491 to Wells et al. which describes a safety bed having a releasable guardrail assembly. The guard rail assembly includes at least one guard member sized to extend over an entire lateral side of the frame of the bed. In addition, there is a means for releasably attaching the guard member to the bed frame. The means includes a hinge for attaching the lower end of the guard member to the bed frame. The guard member can then be selectively pivotally moved between a first raised position and a second lowered position. When the guard rail is in the first position, the guard member is in compressive contact with a lateral side of the mattress to minimize the existence of gaps between the bed frame, the guard member, and the mattress. When the guard member is in the second position, the rail permits a patient ingress and egress from the bed. When the guard member is secured in the first position the patient is prevented from falling out of the bed. At the same time, the guard member also prevents or at least substantially minimizes the incidences of gap-related injuries which can occur using standard known guardrail assemblies. 
         [0006]    Although safety beds have been improved to prevent entrapment of a patient between the mattress and the side rail, none of the prior art have addressed the problem of patients crawling out of the bed. A restless patient can easily climb over top of the side rails and potentially fall to the floor. Potential solutions to this problem are included in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,870, which includes unusually high end and side panels. The high end and side panels create a higher barrier, which is harder for the patient to climb over. A similar solution has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,436, which creates a higher barrier for a patient. The design of these two patents places the patient in a fixed location and with the side rails up, out of reach of the health practitioner. In order to access the patient, the health practitioner must fold down the guard rails and likely bend over to reach the patient. These designs both create an uncomfortable work environment for the practitioner, as well as a potential safety risk for the patient. 
         [0007]    A safety bed should not only attend to the patient&#39;s needs, but also create a more efficient work space for the health practitioner. A safety bed should combine the safe enclosure of high side walls for the patient, as well as a high mattress position to assist the health practitioner. Therefore, a need exists to combine safety features for the patient and assist the practitioner in caring for the patient. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Referring now to the figures for reference numbers, the present invention is directed to a safety bed  10  for patients with physical and developmental disabilities, the safety bed comprising a bed frame  14 , the bed frame including a headboard  30 , a footboard  34 , and a pair of side rails  38  which interconnect the headboard  30  and the footboard  34 ; and a mattress support frame within the bed frame  14  for supporting a mattress and for raising and lower the mattress with the bed frame. 
         [0009]    The present invention is also directed to a safety bed  10  for patients with physical and developmental disabilities, the safety bed comprising a bed frame  14 , the bed frame including a headboard  30 , a footboard  34 , and a pair of side rails  38  which interconnect the headboard  30  and the footboard  34 ; at least one pair of removable guard members  64 ,  68 , each of the guard members being disposed on an opposing lateral side of the bed frame  14 , the guard members  64  being sized to occupy the entirety of the lateral space between the footboard  34  and the headboard  30  such that there are no gaps therebetween; and a mattress support frame within the bed frame  14  for supporting a mattress and for raising and lower the mattress with the bed frame. 
         [0010]    The present invention is also directed to a safety bed  10  for patients with physical and developmental disabilities, the safety bed comprising a bed frame  14 , the bed frame including a headboard  30 , a footboard  34 , and a pair of side rails  38  which interconnect the headboard  30  and the footboard  34 ; at least one pair of removable guard members  64 ,  68 , each of the guard members being disposed on an opposing lateral side of the bed frame  14 , the guard members  64  being sized to occupy the entirety of the lateral space between the footboard  34  and the headboard  30  such that there are no gaps therebetween, wherein the guard members include at least one locking member  80  for engagement of the guard members with the bed frame; and a mattress support frame within the bed frame  14  for supporting a mattress and for raising and lower the mattress with the bed frame, wherein the mattress support frame includes support legs  218 , a fixed lower substructure  212  fixed on the support legs  218 , and an elevating upper substructure  210  fixed to the lower substructure  212 ; and a scissor linkage to affix the elevating upper substructure to the fixed lower substructure, wherein the scissor linkage  208  comprises at least one set of cross bars  209  form a scissor hinge  219 , wherein each of the set of cross bars  209  rotatably connects at a fixed position  226  on both the upper substructure  210  and the lower substructure  212 . 
         [0011]    The primary patentable feature is the combination of the safety bed described in the &#39;491 patent to Wells et al. and the adjustable (hi-lo) feature allowing for the electronic elevation and lowering of the mattress within the safety bed. The bed of the present invention allows seamless, remote control high and low mattress adjustment. Advantages of the present invention include an adjustable mattress height. The mattress height, surface-to-floor, can be remotely controlled and be positioned at any height from 17 inches to 34 inches; thus, allowing for more comfort for the user and the caregiver. The adjustable mattress height allows the distance from the surface of the mattress to the top of the safety rail to be varied from 1 inch to 36 inches, preferably 8 inches to 25 inches. Varying the height of the mattress within the frame does not compromise the geometry of the bed and frame and maintains the minimal gaps between frame and mattress throughout the full range of motion. The articulated mobility of the mattress easily allows for the raising of the back portion and/or knee portion. The bed includes adaptable, full-length safety rails that combine the strength of solid wood with clear PETE panels. 
         [0012]    The bed includes a rigid construction with a high-low bed frame, which utilizes heavy tubular steel to maximize strength and stability of the sleep surface in all positions. The present invention includes a full-electric hand-held remote operation that uses ultra whisper quiet, rapid-moving DC motors. Preferably, the motor has a dynamic operating capacity of 400 pounds and meets all necessary Underwriter Laboratory® (UL) safety standards for medical beds. The present invention helps the patient because caregivers have full view for easy monitoring. The bed&#39;s user can see his environment, thus reducing the chance of claustrophobia and encouraging a comfortable rest. The headboard and footboard extend below the mattress and box spring reducing the risk of entrapping an arm and leg. 
         [0013]    The advantage of the safety bed of the present invention is that not only is it visually appealing, but it also addresses safety issues in a variety of ways, including providing clear polyethylene terephthalate (“PETE”) windows incorporated in the safety rails to prevent the opportunity for entanglement in contrast to traditional institutional beds. The present invention also virtually eliminates entrapment issues. The space between side rails, headboard and footboard is nearly nonexistent even with compression. The aesthetics and hardwood construction of the bed promote a “homey” atmosphere for the benefit of not only the resident whose self-esteem may be an issue, but also for family members and caregivers who appreciate a more normalized setting. 
         [0014]    Another advantage of the present invention is that the guard member when secured in the first position will prevent the patient from falling out of the bed, while also preventing or at least substantially minimizing the incidence of “gap-related” injuries, which can occur using standard guard rail assemblies. The present guard rail adapter and the safety bed using the adapter are in compliance with the strict governmental standards which are required for facility safety beds. 
         [0015]    A further advantage of the present invention is that the guard member is easily movable between the first and second position for a caregiver, but not for the patient. In addition, the adapter easily can be removed from the bed frame without requiring tools or intensive labor or modifications. 
         [0016]    A second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The second embodiment includes a second or upper guard rail assembly on each side of the safety bed. With the addition of the upper rail guard, the height of the entire bed and frame can be increased, while the mattress can still be raised and lowered as in the single guard rail safety bed. By adding an upper guard rail and increasing the overall height of the bed, the patient is more fully enclosed inside the bed frame. The extra height of the bed frame creates a safe enclosure for a taller patient, who may be able to crawl out of a lower safety bed, with only a single guard rail assembly. 
         [0017]    The objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a single guard rail assembly and the mattress in the upper position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a single guard rail assembly and the mattress in the lower position, which is visible in the cut-away. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a single guard rail assembly and the mattress in the upper position. The guard rail assembly is in the lowered position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a single guard rail assembly and the mattress in the lower position, which is visible in the cut-away. The guard rail assembly is in the lowered position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a double guard rail assembly. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6   a  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a double guard rail assembly. The upper guard rail assembly is detached and the lower guard rail assembly is folded down. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6   b  is a side view of a guard rail. 
           [0025]      FIG. 6   c  is an enlarged partial top view of the locking mechanism for a guard rail. 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a perspective, partially cut away view of the safety bed of the present invention illustrating the mechanism by which the mattress is raised and lowered, and by which the mattress is actuated. 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a perspective, partially cut away view of the safety bed of the present invention illustrating the mattress in the upper position with the head and knees raised. 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a perspective, partially cut away view of the safety bed of the present invention illustrating the mechanism by which the mattress is raised and lowered, and by which the mattress is actuated. The mechanism is in a collapsed position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    The following description relates to a safety bed design according to a specific embodiment. It will be readily apparent from the following discussion, however, that certain variations and modifications can easily be imagined within the inventive concepts as claimed herein. Furthermore, certain terms are used throughout this discussion such as “upper,” “lower,” “lateral” and the like which assist in providing a frame of reference with regard to the accompanying drawings. These terms, however, should not necessarily be construed as limiting of the present invention, except as otherwise stated herein. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a safety bed  10 , with the mattress  26  in the upper position in accordance with the preferred embodiment of present invention. The safety bed includes a wooden bed frame  14 , the frame including a headboard  30 , a footboard  34 , and a pair of side rails  38  (only one of which is shown in  FIG. 1 ), which interconnect the headboard  30  and the footboard  34 . The bed frame  14  and each of the preceding components collectively define a supporting structure for a stacked mattress  26  and box spring (not shown). Each of the headboard  30  and footboard  34  extend above an upper surface  46  of the mattress  26 , the headboard  30  and footboard  34  each including a pair of bed posts  48  which are secured to a unitary member  50 ,  54 , respectively, the posts being secured thereto using conventional furniture fastening techniques, such as a knockdown fitting having an eccentric cam so as to reduce forward play in each of the interconnected components. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a guard rail adapter  60  according to the preferred embodiment includes a pair of guard members  64 ,  68 , each of the guard members being disposed on an opposing lateral side of the bed frame  14 . For purposes of the discussion which follows, only details specific to one of the guard members  64  are provided, though it should be understood that the remaining guard member  68  is identical in appearance and function. 
         [0032]    More specifically, and referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , the guard member  64  includes an upper end  72  and a lower end  76 , the guard members being substantially planar members made from wood having a grain preferably like that of the bed frame  14 . The guard member  64  is sized to occupy the entirety of the lateral space between the footboard  34  and the headboard  30 ; that is, the length of a side rail  38  without any gaps therebetween. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 6   a - 6   c , a locking member  80  extends from respective opposing sides of the upper end  72  and the lower end  76  of the guard member  64  for engagement with a corresponding number of openings  96  which are provided in the bed posts  48 . For purposes of this embodiment, the locking members  80  are pins housed within openings provided in each of the upper end  72  and the lower end  76  of the guard member  64 , the pins being preferably though not necessarily biased into a deployed position by means of a spring  88 . Each of the locking members  80  can be retracted by means of a lever  90  which is connected to one end of each locking member, the lever being movable to an inset position along an L-shaped slot  84  which retracts the pin to a unlocked slot position  94 . It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the field that other release mechanisms can be utilized to unlock either the upper and/or lower end  72 ,  76  and should not be limited by the specific mechanism described herein. Moreover, and in conjunction with the openings  96 , a strike plate (not shown) could be added to each of the bed posts  48 , the strike plate having a ramped slot extending to the opening  96 , such that the upper end  72  of the guard member  64  can be aligned relative to the openings  96  laterally mounted to the bed frame  14  without first having to retract the locking members  80  in assembly. 
         [0034]    The guard member  64  has a corresponding height dimension such that the upper end  72  of the member can pivot about the lower end  76  between a first or raised position, such as shown in  FIG. 1 , and a second or lowered position, such as shown in  FIG. 3 . The axis defining the pivot axis of the lower end  76  is stationary throughout the pivoting action, this axis always being beneath the upper surface  46  of the mattress  26 . Each of the first and second positions assumable by the guard member  64  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , respectively, are substantially in the same lateral plane as the side rail  38 . 
         [0035]    Each of the guard members  64 ,  68  include a set of transparent windows  100  made from Plexiglas, polycarbonate, or other suitable material, the windows being disposed between the upper and lower ends  72 ,  76 , and permitting a caregiver to monitor a resting patient from a sitting position without having to first look over the guard member  64 . Though three windows are shown, any number of windows can be provided; for example, a single window (not shown) extending over the length of the guard member  64  could be substituted. 
         [0036]    Referring to the Figs. in general and in operation, the guard member  64  is herein first described as attached to the bed frame  14  and in the first position assumed in  FIG. 1 . In this raised position, the patient (not shown) cannot fall out of the bed in that the upper end  72  of the guard member  64  is substantially above the upper surface  46  of the mattress  26 . Furthermore, because the guard member  64  extends along the entire lateral side of the bed frame  14  and includes no gaps, either within the guard member itself or between the lateral side of the mattress  26  and the guard member, the risk of injury is greatly minimized. 
         [0037]    Retraction of each of the locking members  80  located at the upper end  72  of the guard rail adapter  60  is accomplished by pulling each of the levers  90  against the bias of springs  88  and placing the lever  90  within respective unlocked slot positions  94 , thereby releasing the upper end and permits the guard rail member  64  to pivot downwardly about the lower end  76  from the first position, shown in  FIG. 1 , to the second position, as shown in  FIG. 3 . In this lowered position, the patient (not shown) can easily get into and out of the bed as needed. 
         [0038]    In order to remove the guard rail adapter  60  from the bed frame  14  from the first position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the guard member  64  is first pivoted to the second position, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , as described above, by releasing the locking members  80  at each opposing side of the upper end  72 . Once the member  64  has been pivoted, the locking members  80  at the lower end  76  of the guard member  64  can also be retracted in a similar manner by pulling each of the levers  90  against the biasing of springs  88  to unlock the lower end and remove the guard member from the bed frame  14 , as shown in  FIG. 6   a . Though not shown, guard member  68  can be similarly removed. As noted and upon removal of the guard rail adapter  60 , the safety bed  10  looks no different than a standard twin size bed and can be used for that purpose. 
         [0039]    Additionally,  FIG. 1  shows the mattress  26  in the raised position, and close to the top of the bed frame  14 . In the raised position, a patient lying on the mattress  26  can easily be attended to by a health practitioner. The transparent windows  100  in the guard rails  64 ,  68  allow the patient to look out into the environment. With the guard rail  64  in the upper position, the patient is still safely enclosed in the safety bed  10 . If the practitioner needs to have better access to the patient, the guard rail  72  can be lowered as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the mattress  26  can be lowered within the confines of the bed frame  14 , so that the upper surface of the mattress  46  is well below the top of the guard rails  64 ,  68 . With the mattress  26  in the lowered position, the patient is safely held within the walls of the safety bed  10 . The windows  100  in the guard members  64 ,  68  allow light into the safety bed  10 , even when the mattress  26  is in the lowered position. This adds to the comfort of the patient. As shown in  FIG. 4 , a health provider can still access the patient when the mattress  26  is in the lowered position. The guard member  64  can be lowered to allow greater access to the patient. However, even when the guard member  64  is lowered, the top of the mattress  46  is still below the lower end  76  of the guard member  64 . Even when the mattress  26  is in the lowered position, there is still a significant barrier for the patient to escape from the safety bed  10 . 
         [0041]    The second embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6   a . The second embodiment includes a double set of guard members  64 ,  68  on each side of the safety bed  10 . The addition of double guard rails  64 ,  68  increases the overall height of the bed frame  48 , and is appropriate for taller patients. When the mattress  26  is in the lowered position, even a patient of significant height will be safely enclosed in the safety bed  10 . In order to access the patient, the mattress  26  can be raised and the guard rails either removed and/or lowered, as shown in  FIG. 6   a.    
         [0042]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the mattress support structure  200  is illustrated in a raised position, which places a patient close to the top of the bed frame  14 . The mattress support structure  200  is supported by support legs  218 , which are on top of casters or wheels  214 . The casters  214  allow the mattress support structure  200  to roll more easily. The mattress support structure  200  is preferably made of heavy tubular steel to maximize the strength and stability of the sleep surface in all positions. The lower substructure  212  remains fixed on top of the support legs  218 . The upper substructure  210  is connected above the lower substructure  212  by a scissor linkage  208 . The scissor linkage  208  is comprised of cross bars  209  which come together at a scissor hinge  219 . Each cross bar  209  rotatably connects at a fixed position  226  on either the upper substructure  210  or the lower substructure  212 . The opposite end of the cross bar  209  interacts via a roller joint  228  with either the upper substructure  210  or lower substructure  212 . An electric motor  222  operates a piston  224  which raises the upper substructure  210  in relation to the fixed lower substructure  212 . As the piston  224  pushes the upper substructure  210 , the scissor linkage  208  expands, thus moving the roller joints  228  towards the center of the mattress support structure  200 . When the electric motor  222  stops, the piston  224  holds the upper substructure  210  in place. The electric motor  222  is controlled by a remote control  220 . Although an electric motor  222  and piston  224  are shown as the exemplary mechanism to raise the mattress support structure  200 , it is within the scope of this invention to use additional mechanisms to accomplish the same task. Additionally, although a scissor linkage  208  is shown, other linkages such as parallelogram could also be used. 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the mattress support structure  200  has articulating joints  216  which separate the head section  202 , the thigh section  204 , and the foot section  206 . The articulating joints  216  allow the head section  202 , thigh section  204  and foot section  206  to raise and lower independently. This allows for greater patient comfort. The remote control  220  can control additional DC motors (not illustrated) to operate actuating pistons  225  to raise and lower the sections.  FIG. 8  specifically shows the mattress  26  resting in an articulated position on top of the mattress support structure  200 .  FIGS. 7 and 8  also show the mattress support structure  200  in a raised position close to the top of the bed frame  14 . In contrast,  FIG. 9  illustrates the mattress support structure  200  in the lowered position, recessed from the top of the bed frame  14 . This is representative of the mattress position in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , and includes the double stacked guard rail member. 
         [0044]    It is understood that the invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.