Patent Publication Number: US-11033448-B1

Title: Medical bed apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to medical beds. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus to be used in conjunction with a medical bed for easing the process of maintenance of the beds holding immobilized patients. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The maintenance of a bed holding an immobilized patient is generally a difficult task. It requires the immobilized patient to be moved to a different bed, and doing so may get extremely difficult as the immobilized patient has to be carefully carried to the different bed using a stretcher and nurses. Hence, there is need of an apparatus that can ease the process of maintenance of beds that are accommodating bed-ridden or immobilized patients. 
     Several designs for medical beds or patient movement setups have been designed in the past. None of them, however, are known to have a compact configuration while being able to hold the patient comfortably when the bed maintenance is being performed. 
     Applicant believes that a related reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Publication No. 20050044629 filed by SAMUEL ROUSE AND AMANDIA ROUSE. The Rouse reference discloses a patient movement system that comprises a rotatable section coupled to a frame that moves in a horizontal plane and having a hoist assembly coupled to the rotatable section for spinning relative to the rotatable section. However, the system disclosed in the Rouse reference has a large number of components and a bulky configuration. 
     Another related application is U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,840 filed by YOSHIO ASAKAWA AND YASUNAGA SUEZAKI. The Yoshio reference discloses a medical bed apparatus that has a body frame, a hoisting assembly and a hammock supported from the hoisting assembly by hanging strings. However, the apparatus disclosed in the Yoshio reference has a large number of components and a bulky configuration. 
     Other documents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical bed apparatus that eases the process of maintenance of the beds holding immobilized patients. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a medical bed apparatus that has a compact configuration. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a medical bed apparatus that has a simple operation. 
     Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing any limitations thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  represents an isometric view of a medical bed apparatus  10 , which comprises a plurality of support members  12  disposed around a bed  14  and a hammock  16  disposed on the bed  14 . 
         FIG. 2  demonstrates another isometric view of a medical bed apparatus  10 , wherein the hammock  16  is raised by the plurality of support members  16 . 
         FIG. 3  demonstrates a view of the support member  12  used in the medical bed apparatus  10 , wherein the support member  12  is a fluid operated supported member. 
         FIG. 4  demonstrates a view of the support member  12  used in the medical bed apparatus  10 , wherein the support member  12  includes a rack and pinion arrangement  20 A,  20 B. 
         FIG. 5  demonstrates a view of the support member  12  used in the medical bed apparatus  10 , wherein the support member  12  includes a lead screw arrangement  22 A,  22 B. 
         FIG. 6  demonstrates an isometric view of the hammock  16  used in the medical bed apparatus  10 , having the securing means  18 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-6 , where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral  10 , it can be observed that a medical bed apparatus  10 , in accordance with the present invention, comprises a plurality of support members  12  disposed around a bed  14 . The support members  12  are used to lift a hammock  16  with a patient supported thereon for facilitating easy maintenance of the patient&#39;s bed. 
     The apparatus  10  for holding a patient in a suspended manner on top of a bed  14  for facilitating bed maintenance comprises at least one support member  12  provided in the proximity of the bed. A hammock  16  disposed on the bed and is coupled to the at least one support member  12  for being lifted and lowered by the at least one support member  12 . 
     More specifically, the support members  12  have a telescopic reciprocating configuration. The telescopic reciprocating configuration refers to the operation of the support members  12  in which the support members  12  are configured to be extended or retracted per the application requirements. In the present invention, the support members  12  are configured to be extended and retracted in an operative vertical direction. 
     The purpose of the operative vertical extension and retraction is to vary the functional height of the hammock  16  with respect to the bed  14 . More specifically, the apparatus  10  further comprises at least one securing means  18 , wherein one end of the at least one securing means  18  is connected to the hammock  16  on at least one location, while the other end of the securing means  18  is connected to an operative top portion of the at least one support member  12 . In an embodiment, the securing means  18  is a looped cable or a set of interlinked looped cables. The apparatus  10  further comprises a pulley  18 A disposed at the operative top end of the support member  12  to allow a cable  18 B to roll thereon. The cable  18 B includes a hook  18 C at an operative end thereof. More specifically, the hook  18 C connects with the securing means  18 . The telescopic extension and retraction of the support member  12  causes the hammock  16  to be lifted or lowered, as is seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . While the hammock  16  is lifted, the patient that is supported on the hammock  16  is held in a suspended manner by the hammock  16 . This allows easy maintenance or replacement of the bed that the immobilized patient is occupying. 
     In one embodiment, the apparatus  10  comprises four support members  12 , wherein each support member  12  is placed at each corner of the bed or the hammock, as is seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . In another embodiment, the four support members  12  are disposed at locations proximal the mid-point of each side of the hammock  16  for holding the immobilized patient on the hammock  16  in a stable suspended manner. 
     In accordance with one embodiment, wherein the support member  12  with the telescopic reciprocating configuration is a fluid operated supported member. More specifically, support member  12  includes either a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.  FIG. 3  illustrates the embodiment of the support member  12  having the fluid operated cylinder  12 A, which can either be a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. The apparatus  10  further comprises an actuator for actuating all the four support members  12  in conjunction. 
     In another embodiment, the support member  12  with the telescopic reciprocating configuration is a mechanically operating support member. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the support member  12  comprises a rack and pinion arrangement  20 A,  20 B. The support member  12  further comprises a motor  20 C for driving the pinion gear  20 B. In the present embodiment, the apparatus  10  can further include a controller (not shown in figures) for operating the motors  20 C in tandem. 
     The operative configuration of the aforementioned embodiment is hereinafter described. In the inoperational state of the apparatus  10 , the hammock  16  is disposed on the bed  14 , while being connected to the support members  12  via securing means  18  and the hooks  18 C. When there is felt a need to perform maintenance of the bed on which the immobilized patient is being held, the controller (not shown in figures) is activated and all the four motors  20 C of all the four support members are actuated. The actuation of the motors  20 C causes the rotation of the pinion gear  20 B, which causes the extension of the support members  12  by causing the rack  20 A to be extended, thereby increasing the functional height of the hammock  16  until the hammock  16  holds the immobilized patient thereon in a suspended manner. 
     In yet another embodiment, the mechanically operating support member  12  comprises a lead screw arrangement  22 . The lead screw arrangement  22  comprises a motor  22 A provided at the operative bottom end of the support member  12 . The motor  22 A is coupled to a lead screw  22 B for driving the lead screw  22 B. The term driving herein refers to causing the rotation of the lead screw  22 B. On the lead screw  22 B is supported a bracket  22 C. The rotation of the lead screw  22 B, which is facilitated by the motor  22 A, causes the translation of the bracket  22 C on the lead screw  22 B, which is supported by a rail  22 D, thereby causing the extension or retraction of the support member  12 . 
     In accordance with a manual implementation of the present invention, the actuation of a push button (not illustrated in figures) will push the sheet and bed to the top of the support members  12 , as high as it can go. Once the support members  12  are extended to their maximum height, the sheet could be hooked manually to the support members  12 . Subsequent to hooking of the sheet, the push button is actuated again to lower the bed down, leaving the sheet still hung on the support members  12 . The caregiver then changes the bed sheets and makes the bed ready for the patient. Once the caregiver is finished, the push button is actuated to lift the bed to the sheet and the sheet is unhooked, and the push button is pressed again to lower the sheet and bed together. 
     In accordance with an automatic implementation of the present invention, the actuation of a push button will push the sheet and bed to the top of the support members  12 , as high as it can go. Once the support members  12  are extended to their maximum height, the sheet could be hooked manually to the support members  12 . Subsequent to hooking of the sheet, the push button is actuated again to lower the bed down, leaving the sheet still hung on the support members  12 . The caregiver then changes the bed sheets and makes the bed ready for the patient. Once the caregiver is finished, they release the air pressure from the support members  12 , letting the sheet to go down automatically towards the bed. 
     The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.