Abstract:
A rail assembly ( 10 ) for a hospital bed ( 11 ). The rail assembly ( 10 ) includes a based ( 13 ) having brackets ( 14 ) that provide for pivoting movement of horizontally extending runs ( 17 ) between a lowered position providing access to the bed ( 11 ), and a raised position maintaining a patient on the bed.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to side rails for beds and more particularly but not exclusively to side rails for hospital beds.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Hospital beds are typically provided with a rail assembly on at least one longitudinal side, if not both longitudinal sides. The rail assemblies are provided to ensure the patient does not accidentally fall from the bed. At least one of the rail assemblies needs to be movable from a raised position to a lowered position so that the patient may leave the bed.  
         [0003]     A disadvantage of the above discussed rail assemblies is that in the raised position they inhibit health professionals caring for the patient, while in the lowered position do not aide in retaining the patient in the bed when caring for the patient.  
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     There is disclosed herein a rail assembly for a bed, said assembly including:  
         [0006]     at least one elongated rail member having longitudinally opposite first and second end portions;  
         [0007]     a first pivot assembly attached to said member and to pivotally attach the rail member to a bed;  
         [0008]     a second pivot assembly attached to said member at a position spaced from said first assembly and to pivotally attach said member to said bed;  
         [0009]     and wherein the pivot assemblies are configured so that said rail member is movable between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the bed; and  
         [0010]     said rail assembly further including a securing device selectively operable to retain the rail member in an intermediate position between said raised position and said lowered position.  
         [0011]     Preferably, said rail assembly includes:  
         [0012]     a base to be fixed to the bed with said pivot assemblies pivotally attaching the rail member to the base.  
         [0013]     Preferably, said first pivot assembly includes:  
         [0014]     a first end rail member pivotally attached to the base and pivotally attached to a first end portion of said member so that said first end rail member pivots relative to said base about a generally horizontal axis and relative to said rail member about a generally horizontal axis;  
         [0015]     and said second pivot assembly includes:  
         [0016]     a second end rail member, said second end rail member being pivotally attached to a second end portion of said member for pivoting movement relative thereto about a generally horizontal axis, and pivotally attached to said base for pivoting movement relative thereto about a generally horizontal axis.  
         [0017]     Preferably, said securing device includes a plate attached to said base, said plate having an aperture, and a movable securing member attached to one of said end rail members so as to be movable therewith and selectively engagable with said aperture to retain the rail member in the intermediate position.  
         [0018]     Preferably, said plate has three apertures, the apertures corresponding to the raised position, the lowered position and the intermediate position of the rail member, with said securing member being selectively engagable with one of the apertures to locate the elongated rail member in a selected one of the positions.  
         [0019]     Preferably, said plate is a first plate, and said securing device includes a second plate to which said movable securing member is attached, said second plate covering said apertures.  
         [0020]     Preferably, said first plate includes a slot, and there is attached to said second plate a stop member moved along said slot to engage opposite ends thereof to locate the rail assembly in the raised position or the lowered position, with said second plate covering said slot. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]     A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a schematic side elevation of a hospital bed rail assembly in a raised position;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a schematic side elevation of the rail assembly of  FIG. 1  in a lowered position;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a schematic side elevation of a catch device employed in the assembly of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a schematic end elevation of the catch device of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the catch device of  FIGS. 3 and 4 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a schematic side elevation of a pivot assembly employed in the rail assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  is a schematic part sectioned end elevation of the pivot assembly of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0029]     In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a rail assembly  10  for a hospital bed  11 . The hospital bed  11  has a side beam  12  to which the assembly  10  is attached.  
         [0030]     The rail assembly  10  includes a base  13  having brackets (plates)  14  that are attached to the side beam  12  so as to be fixed thereto. The brackets  14  are joined by an elongated brace  15 .  
         [0031]     The rail assembly  10  includes an upper elongated rail member  16  that is generally horizontally extending, and a series of elongated generally horizontally extending rungs  17 . Attaching the elongated rail member  16  and rungs  17  to the base  13  are pivot assemblies  18  and  19 .  
         [0032]     The pivot assembly  18  includes an end rail member  41  that is pivotally attached to an end portion  20  of the member  16  by means of a pivot  21 . The pivot  21  provides a generally horizontal pivot axis about which the members  16  and  41  move angularly relative to each other. The member  41  is also attached to one of the brackets  14  by means of a plate  35  having a pivot  22 . The pivot  22  provides a generally horizontal pivot axis about which the member  19  pivots relative to the base  13 .  
         [0033]     The rungs  17  are each attached to the member  19  by a pivot  23 , again the pivots  23  each providing a generally horizontal pivot axis.  
         [0034]     The pivot assembly  19  also includes an end rail member  24  that is attached to the member  16  by means of a pivot  25 . The pivot  25  again provides a generally horizontal pivot axis about which the members  16  and  24  move angularly relative to each other. The rungs  17  are also attached to the member  24  by pivots  26 , again providing generally horizontal pivot axes.  
         [0035]     The second pivot assembly  19  further includes a plate  27  that is pivotally attached to the bracket  14  by means of a pivot  28 . The pivot  28  providing a generally horizontal pivot axis about which the member  24  angularly moves relative to the base  13 .  
         [0036]     The plate  27  has attached to it a securing device  29  that includes a shaft  30  having a knob  31 . The knob  31  is moved longitudinally of the axis  32  so that the shaft  30  can engage a respective one of the apertures  36 ,  37  or  38  formed in the bracket  14 . When the shaft  30  is engaged with the aperture  36 , the rail assembly  10  is maintained in the raised position as shown in  FIG. 1 . When the shaft  30  is engaged with the aperture  37 , the rail assembly  10  is in an intermediate position between the position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . When the shaft is engaged with the aperture  38 , the rail assembly  10  is in the lowered position as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0037]     The bracket  14  includes a slot  39  that extends angularly about the pivot  28 , the slot  39  having opposite ends  33  and  34 . Attached to the plate  27  is a projection  40  that slides along the slot  39  and engages the end portions  33  and  34  to locate the rail assembly  10  in the raised and lowered positions. Essentially the projection  39  acts as a stop in respect of the travel limits of the plate  27  relative to the bracket  14 . Preferably, the bracket  14  of the pivot assembly  18  is a plate having a slot  51  extending angularly about the pivot  22 , and the plate  35  includes a stop  42  that engages the slot  51  of the plate  14  again to act as a stop mechanism to define the raised and lowered positions.  
         [0038]     When the rail assembly  10  is fixed to the bed  11 , the plate  27  covers the apertures  36 ,  37  and  38  as well as the slot  39  to thereby inhibit injury. The apertures  36 ,  37  and  38  and slot  39  are covered irrespective of the position of the plate  27  relative to the bracket  14 . In respect of the pivot assembly  18 , again the plate  35  covers the slot in the bracket  14 , again irrespective of the position of the plate  35 .  
         [0039]     The end rail members  24  and  41 , brace  15  and elongated rail member  16  forms a parallelogram.  
         [0040]     As mentioned previously, the shaft  30  is urged into engagement in a selected one of the apertures  36 ,  37  or  38 . In particular a knob base  43  is fixed to the plate  27 . The base  43  is hollow so as to provide a passage  44 . The passage  44  terminates at one end with an annular flange  45 . Compressed between the flange  45  and an annular surface  46  of the shaft  30  is a spring  47 . Accordingly the spring  47  urges the shaft  32  into engagement with a selected one of the apertures  36 ,  37  or  38 . The knob  31  is attached to shaft by means of a threaded extension  48  and a nut  49 . When the knob  31  is pulled in the direction of the arrow  50 , the shaft  30  is removed from the aperture  36 ,  37  or  38  thereby permitting movement of the plate  27  and therefore movement of the rail assembly  10  between the positions thereof.  
         [0041]     In respect of the pivot assemblies  18  and  19 , each includes a clamp plate  52  and a bolt  53 , with a bolt  53  being secured to the bracket  14 . A nut  54  tensions the bolt  53  so that the clamp plate  52  presses the bracket  14  against the side beam  12  so that the associated assembly  18  or  19  is fixed to the side beam  12 .  
         [0042]     In respect of the above described preferred embodiment, it should be appreciated the plates  27  and  35  cover the slots  39  and  51  as well as the apertures  36 ,  37  and  38 , when the rail assembly  10  is secured to the bed  11 . The above arrangement limits the probability of injury during operation of the rail assembly  10 .