Abstract:
An articulated bed has a stationary frame and a plurality of mattress support sections defining a mattress support area, the support sections including: a left section, a right section, a head section and a foot section. The left and right sections are hingably interleaved so that by raising either one, a patient may be rolled over or moved laterally. A plurality of lift arms and lift drivers are engaged with the stationary frame for moving each of the support sections between a horizontal position and an elevated position. The sections may be elevated individually or in concert.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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   THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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   INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
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   REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
   Not applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Present Disclosure 
   This disclosure relates generally to articulating beds and more particularly to an articulating hospital or convalescent bed that enables the turning of a patient in a superior manner. 
   2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
   Dawakami et al, US 2005/0166323 and Taguchi et al., US 2005/0160530 each discloses a movable bed; Wei, US 2003/0121098 discloses a turning mechanism for a patient confined to a bed; Tekulve, U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,793 discloses an articulating bed frame; Paul, U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,280 discloses an articulated medical bed; Hensley, U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,641 discloses an articulated bed frame; Hayes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,004 discloses a vertically adjustable and tiltable bed frame; Suggitt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,561 discloses an articulating bed; Elliott, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,701 discloses an adjustable articulated bed; Bathrick et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,661 discloses an articulated bed with frame mounted power module; EP 0581474 discloses bed configurations; GB 2269916 discloses a hospital bed; and WO 200/018901 discloses a linear actuator. 
   The related art described above discloses several bed frames that have partial or full movement and tilt. However, the prior art fails to disclose an articulated frame such as described herein and especially fails to describe how an articulated bed may have interleaved sections. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This disclosure teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. 
   An articulated bed has a stationary frame upon which rests a plurality of mattress support sections defining a mattress support area, the support sections including: a left section, a right section, a head section and a foot section. The left and right sections are hingably interleaved so that by raising either one, a patient may be rolled over or moved laterally. A plurality of lift arms and lift drivers are engaged with the stationary frame for moving each of the support sections between a horizontal position and an elevated position. The sections may be elevated individually or in concert. Because the left and right sections each encompass more than one-half of the mattress support area, the raising of either one is highly efficient in turning a patient. 
   A primary objective inherent in the above described apparatus and method of use is to provide advantages not taught by the prior art. 
   Another objective is to provide a hospital or convalescent bed that is highly successful in its ability to turn a patient over. 
   A further objective is to provide such a bed that is of simple construction and therefore low cost. 
   A still further objective is to provide such a bed that may be automated in its movements. 
   Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the presently described apparatus and method of its use. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
     Illustrated in the accompanying drawing(s) is at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present invention. In such drawing(s): 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the presently described apparatus; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view thereof; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view thereof showing head and foot sections raised; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view thereof showing a right side section raised; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view thereof showing a left side section raised; 
       FIG. 6  is a partial sectional view taken from  FIG. 1  along line  6 — 6 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a partial sectional view taken from  FIG. 4  along line  7 — 7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The above described drawing figures illustrate the described apparatus and its method of use in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiment, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as a limitation in the scope of the present apparatus and method of use. 
   Described now in detail is an articulated bed apparatus of particular use as a hospital or convalescent bed. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the apparatus has a stationary base frame  10  mounted on legs  15 , the base frame  10  comprising an outer rim  10 ″ made of L-channel stock with an integral inner H-frame  10 ′ made up of box tubes with welded construction. A cover frame  20  provides peripheral portions that initially are nested over corresponding portions of the outer rim  10 ″ and, as will be described, may be lifted above outer rim  10 ″. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , a plurality of mattress support sections, together define a mattress support area “A” comprising the entire up-facing surface shown. The support sections include a left section  20 , a right section  30 , a head section  40  and a foot section  50 . These sections are movable between a laying flat attitude as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , and a raised attitude as shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5  and  7 . In order to lift the four sections  20 ,  30 ,  40  and  50 , lifting mechanisms  60  are employed. A plurality of lift arm pairs  22 ,  32 ,  42  and  52 , are hingably mounted to the H-frame  10 ′ as shown in  FIG. 2  and extend laterally (pairs  22  and  32 ) and longitudinally (pairs  42  and  52 ). Arms  22  and  32  terminate (are welded to) lift bars  22 ′ and  32 ′ respectively which lie on the base frame  10  at either side. The ends of arms  42  and  52  are free. Electric motors  62  are mounted as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  6  and  7 , and employ drive screws  64  to move traveler nuts  65  which are pivotally engaged with yolks  66 . As nuts  65  move along screws  64 , the yolks  66  push lift arm pairs  22 ,  32 ,  42  and  52  upward to raise the several sections. As shown in all of the views a plurality of mattress support plates  25  are mounted by hinges  25 ′ ( FIG. 2 ) to the lift arms  42  and  52 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the plates  25  positioned between sections  40  and  50  are mounted on, and move with lift arms  22  and  32 . 
   Of significant utility and novelty in the present invention is the fact that the left  20  and right  30  sections are hingably interleaved, meaning that each of these sections comprises more than 50 percent of the surface area “A”. This is clearly shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  as the right section shown in  FIG. 4 , when raised, extends to the left beyond the center of the area “A” and in  FIG. 5 , when raised, extends to the right beyond the center of the area “A” as well. This is advantageous in that it is more efficient then prior art articulated beds in turning a patient because the patient can be moved no matter where on surface area “A” he/she may be located. For instance, if the patient is centered in area “A”, by raising section  20  or  30 , the patient is either turned over completely, or moved away laterally by the raised section without turning over. If the patient is not turned over, then the other one of sections  20  or  30  may be raised to definitely turn the patient over. Because prior art beds raise no more than about 50% of the mattress surface at one time, they are unable, for instance, to turn a large and heavy individual who is positioned at the center of the bed. 
   In operation, it is seen that section  20  ( FIG. 5 ) is able to rotate about a pivot axis; while section  30  ( FIG. 4 ) is able to rotate about a further pivot axis. In  FIG. 3 , it is seen that sections  40  and  50  are able to rotate about still further pivot axes so that each of sections may be raised independently of the others and each may be raised alone or with the others. 
   The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the apparatus and its method of use and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element. 
   The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. 
   Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas. 
   The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that each named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.