Abstract:
A safety bed including a bed frame with a head board, side boards and a footboard, pivotally attached guard members, and a vertically adjustable mattress support structure which is attached to the side boards. The mattress support structure is 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. The raising and lowering of the mattress support frame does not affect height of the side boards or guard members.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The application is a continuation-in-part application and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application entitled “SAFETY BED HAVING ELEVATING MATTRESS,” Ser. No. 11/857,263, filed Sep. 18, 2007, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/845,476, filed Sep. 18, 2006, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their 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 member 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 member assemblies, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,959, typically include a top and a bottom horizontal member 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 member 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 member assembly, but also between other gaps often created between the lateral side of the mattress and box spring and the guard member 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 guard member assembly. The guard member 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 member 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 guard member 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 guard member assemblies. 
         [0006]    Although safety beds have been improved to prevent entrapment of a patient between the mattress and the side board, none of the prior art has addressed the problem of patients crawling out of the bed. A restless patient can easily climb over top of the side boards 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 boards up, out of reach of the health practitioner. In order to access the patient, the health practitioner must fold down the guard member 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]    The present invention is directed to a safety bed for patients with physical and developmental disabilities. The safety bed comprises a bed frame of substantially rigid construction to prevent gaps from forming between the bed frame and a mattress positioned within the bed frame. The bed frame includes a headboard, a footboard, and a pair of opposing side boards which interconnect the headboard and the footboard. Disposed within the bed frame is a mattress support frame that is connected to the pair of opposing side boards for supporting the mattress and for independently raising and lowering the mattress within the bed frame without causing any corresponding vertical movement on the part of the headboard, footboard and pair of opposing side boards. The headboard and footboard extend below the mattress and the mattress is in compressive contact within the bed frame such that there are no gaps between the mattress and the bed frame. 
         [0009]    The present invention is also directed to a safety bed which comprises a bed frame of substantially rigid construction to prevent gaps from forming between the bed frame and a mattress positioned within the bed frame. The bed frame includes a headboard, a footboard, and a pair of opposing side boards which interconnect the headboard and the footboard. In addition, a mattress support frame is connected to the pair of opposing side boards and is disposed within the bed frame for supporting the mattress for independently raising and lowering the mattress within the bed frame without causing any corresponding vertical movement on the part of the headboard, footboard and pair of opposing side boards. The headboard and footboard extend below the mattress and the mattress is in compressive contact within the bed frame such that there are no gaps between the mattress and the bed frame. Further, the safety bed includes at least one pair of rotatable guard members disposed on an opposing lateral side of the bed frame. The guard members are sized to occupy the entirety of the lateral space between the footboard and the headboard such that there are no gaps between the guard members, the footboard and the headboard. 
         [0010]    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 without any movement of the bed frame. In other words, the mattress support frame can be raised and lowered within the bed frame without any corresponding movement on the part of the side boards, headboard or footboard of the bed frame. Further 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 frame includes adaptable, full-length safety rails that combine the strength of solid wood with clear non-breakable plastic or polyethylene terepthalate glycol (PETG) panels. 
         [0011]    The bed includes a rigid construction with a high-low bed frame, which utilizes tubular steel or aluminum, preferably the lighter weight aluminum, 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. 
         [0012]    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 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 boards, 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. 
         [0013]    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. 
         [0014]    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 can be adapted to be removed from the bed frame without requiring tools or intensive labor or modifications. 
         [0015]    In addition, no part of the mattress support structure touches the ground as it is attached to the side boards of the bed frame. This facilitates easier movement of the bed from one location to another. 
         [0016]    It is also within the scope of the present invention to include a second or upper guard member on each side of the safety bed. With the addition of the upper guard member, 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 member 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 member 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 member assembly and the mattress in the upper position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a single guard member 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 member assembly and the mattress in the upper position. The guard member assembly is in the lowered position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a single guard member assembly and the mattress in the lower position, which is visible in the cut-away. The guard member assembly is in the lowered position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a top-perspective illustration of the safety bed with a double guard member assembly. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  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. 7  is an exploded, perspective, 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. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is an exploded, perspective, partial view of the safety bed of the present invention illustrating the mattress support structure between the two parallel opposing side boards of the bed frame. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    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. 
         [0027]    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 boards  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. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a guard member 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. 
         [0029]    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  64  are substantially planar members made from wood having a grain preferably like that of the bed frame  14 . Each 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 board  38  without any gaps there between. 
         [0030]    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 board  38 . 
         [0031]    Each of the guard members  64 ,  68  include a set of preferably unbreakable transparent windows  100  made from PLEXIGLAS, polycarbonate, PETG 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. 
         [0032]    Referring to the figures in general and in operation, the guard member  64  is 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  64 , the risk of injury is greatly minimized. 
         [0033]    Retraction of each of the locking members  80  located at the upper end  72  of the guard member 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 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. 
         [0034]    The guard members  64 ,  68  can be permanently, albeit rotatably attached to the bedposts  48  of both the headboard  30  and the footboard  34  at location  75  by means of a locking pin (not illustrated) which joins the guard members  64 ,  68  to the bedposts  48  in rotatable fashion. 
         [0035]    Alternatively, the guard members  64 ,  68  can be removably attached to the bed frame  14 . In order to remove the guard member 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 . Though not shown, guard member  68  can be similarly removed. As noted and upon removal of the guard member adapter  60 , the safety bed  10  looks no different than a standard twin size bed and can be used for that purpose. 
         [0036]    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 members  64 ,  68  allow the patient to look out into the environment. With the guard member  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 member  72  can be lowered as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0037]    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 members  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 . 
         [0038]    The second embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 5 . 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 members  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 members either removed and/or lowered. 
         [0039]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the mattress support structure  200  is illustrated. The mattress support structure  200  is supported by support brackets  202  which attach to the pair of side boards  38  by bolds or other means known to art and suspend the mattress support structure  200  within the bed frame  14 . The mattress support structure  200  is preferably made of tubular steel or aluminum to maximize the strength and stability of the sleep surface in all positions. Referring to  FIG. 8 , the lower substructure  212  which is illustrated as a pair of tubular posts  214  remains fixed on top of the support brackets  202 . The upper substructure  216  is connected above the lower substructure  212  by telescoping columns (not illustrated) actuated electrically within the tubular posts  214 . The electric motor  222  is controlled by a remote control  220 . The action of raising and lowering the mattress support structure  200  is well known to art and can include any of a number of electronic, pneumatic or other types of elevating mechanisms. Reference is made to the OKIMAT and DUOMAT line of bedding motors produced by OKIN America LLC (Shannon, Miss.) and actuators produced by Precision Technology, Inc. (Roanoke, Va.) for an example of a suitable mechanism for use here. It is within the scope of this invention to use additional mechanisms to accomplish the same task. Additionally, although a column elevation system  214  is shown, other linkages such as a parallelogram or scissor linkage could also be used. 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the mattress support structure  200  has articulating joints  230  which separate the head section  202 , the thigh section  204 , and the foot section  206 . The articulating joints  230  allow the head section  232 , thigh section  234  and foot section  236  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  235  to raise and lower the sections  232 ,  234 , and  236 . 
         [0041]    In operation, the electric motor  222  is plugged into a standard wall outlet by an electric cord (not illustrated). The upper substructure  216  of the mattress support structure  200  is operated typically using a corded remote control  220 . It is also within the scope of the present invention to provide a backup battery system (not illustrated) in the event of a power outage. For example, the mattress support structure  200  can be provided with a 9 volt backup battery designed to allow the operator to lower the head section  232  and/or foot section  236  or the entire upper substructure  216 . 
         [0042]    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. Thus, the invention encompasses all different versions that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims.