Patent Publication Number: US-9890553-B2

Title: Protective enclosure for, and method of, protecting a patient on a stretcher

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a protective enclosure for, and a method of, protecting a patient on a stretcher, and, more particularly, to safeguarding the patient&#39;s privacy, as well as to shielding the patient from inclement weather. 
     Stretchers are frequently used by ambulance and hospital personnel and in routine and emergency situations to transport an injured or ill individual. The individual is placed on a stretcher and wheeled or carried from the scene of an accident or other location to an ambulance, and from the ambulance into an emergency room of a hospital. If the emergency room is busy, the individual may remain on the stretcher for a long period of time until medical care arrives, and sometimes, especially if an empty bed is not readily available, medical care may be administered to the individual while being supported on the stretcher in the emergency room. Even after being admitted to the hospital, the individual may be moved from place to place on the stretcher for medical treatment. 
     As satisfactory as such stretchers have been in transporting individuals, patient privacy concerns arise for such individuals on stretchers. Many individuals do not wish to be stared at by strangers, and often may feel embarrassed when moved on a stretcher in public. Many individuals value their privacy and do not wish to have their faces and identities exposed in ambulances, emergency rooms and hospitals. In addition, such individuals are sometimes exposed to inclement weather, e.g., rain, snow or hail, while being transported in a supine or sitting position and are not protected from the elements. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide patient privacy and protection from inclement weather to such individuals on stretchers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a protective enclosure for protecting a patient on a mattress on a stretcher in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged sectional view taken on line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 , and depicting in phantom lines how the protective enclosure is adjusted to accommodate mattresses of different widths. 
         FIG. 3  is a broken-away, perspective view of a front corner region of the protective enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken on line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a broken-away, perspective view of a rear corner region of the protective enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken on line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of each of the two parts of the protective enclosure in blank form prior to being folded to form the protective enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a broken-away, perspective view of the protective enclosure of  FIG. 1 , after the two parts of the protective enclosure are separated. 
         FIG. 9  is a broken-away, perspective view of the protective enclosure of  FIG. 1 , depicting its attachment to the stretcher. 
     
    
    
     Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and locations of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. 
     The structural and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one feature of this disclosure, a protective enclosure protects a patient supported on a mattress on a stretcher. The protective enclosure includes a pair of slidable base portions and a cover connected to, and extending between, the base portions. The base portions are movable toward and away from each other in a transverse common plane underneath the mattress along a transverse axis that extends widthwise of the mattress. The cover bounds an interior space in which a body part, e.g., principally, the head, and preferably also, the upper torso, of the patient, is received. The cover has an overhead structure that extends along the transverse axis above the transverse common plane. The cover acts as a screen and provides patient privacy and protection from inclement weather. 
     More particularly, the protective enclosure comprises a first enclosure part having a first, generally planar, slidable base panel; a first, generally planar, upright panel hinged to the first base panel; and a first, generally planar, overhead panel hinged to the first upright panel. The protective enclosure also comprises a second enclosure part having a second, generally planar, slidable base panel; a second, generally planar, upright panel hinged to the second base panel; and a second, generally planar, overhead panel hinged to the second upright panel. The first and second base panels are movable toward and away from each other in a transverse common plane underneath the mattress along a transverse axis that extends widthwise of the mattress. The first and second overhead panels extend along the transverse axis above the transverse common plane. The first and second upright panels and the first and second overhead panels together constitute a cover that bounds an interior space in which the aforementioned body part of the patient is received. The cover acts as a screen and provides patient privacy and protection from inclement weather. 
     In accordance with another feature of this disclosure, a method of protecting a patient supported on a mattress on a stretcher, is performed by forming a first enclosure part with a first, generally planar, slidable base panel; a first, generally planar, upright panel hinged to the first base panel; and a first, generally planar, overhead panel hinged to the first upright panel; and, also, by forming a second enclosure part with a second, generally planar, slidable base panel; a second, generally planar, upright panel hinged to the second base panel; and a second, generally planar, overhead panel hinged to the second upright panel. The method is further performed by inserting the first and second base panels underneath the mattress, by moving the first and second base panels toward and away from each other in a transverse common plane underneath the mattress along a transverse axis that extends widthwise of the mattress, by moving the first and second upright panels jointly with the first and second base panels along the transverse axis to an adjustment position in which the first and second upright panels straddle, and contact, opposite lateral sides of the mattress, and by interconnecting the first and second overhead panels to extend along the transverse axis above the transverse common plane to form a cover that bounds an interior space in which the aforementioned body part of the patient is received. 
     Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  identifies a protective enclosure for attachment to a bed or stretcher  50  having a pad or mattress  52  on which a patient  54  is supported, typically in a supine position. The stretcher  50  can be any apparatus for moving the patient  54  requiring medical care. As shown, the stretcher  50  is a conventional wheeled stretcher, also known as a gurney, bed, trolley, or cart, and has a set of wheels  58 , a pair of side rails  56  that can be raised or lowered, a multi-section frame, and a control mechanism for raising or lowering the frame in elevation, or for tilting at least one of the frame sections. The stretcher  50  could also not have any wheels. The mattress  52  is typically a foam pad for patient comfort and warmth. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 9 , the enclosure  10  includes a first enclosure part  20  having a first, generally planar, slidable base portion or base panel  22 ; a first, generally planar, upright portion or upright panel  24  that is hinged to the first base panel  22  along a linear crease, fold line, or hinge  21 ; and a first, generally planar, overhead portion or overhead panel  26  hinged to the first upright panel  24  along a linear crease, fold line, or hinge  23 . The panels  22 ,  24 , and  26  are preferably of a one-piece, integral construction. The enclosure  10  also includes a second enclosure part  40  having a second, generally planar, slidable base portion or base panel  42 ; a second, generally planar, upright portion or upright panel  44  that is hinged to the second base panel  42  along a linear crease, fold line, or hinge  41 ; and a second, generally planar, overhead portion or overhead panel  46  hinged to the second upright panel  44  along a linear crease, fold line, or hinge  43 . The panels  42 ,  44 , and  46  are likewise preferably of a one-piece, integral construction. Each enclosure part  20 ,  40  is constituted of an opaque, light-blocking material, such as corrugated board, cardboard, heavy-duty paper, plastic, and the like, and preferably of an inexpensive, recyclable material that can be discarded after each patient use. The material of each enclosure part  20 ,  40  may be laminated for increased strength and ease of cleaning. 
     The enclosure  10  is attached to stretcher  50  as follows: First, the first and second base panels  22 ,  42  are inserted underneath the mattress  52  and are movable, as shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 2 , toward and away from each other in a transverse common plane underneath the mattress  52  along a transverse axis that extends widthwise of the mattress  52 . The first and second upright panels  24 ,  44  are jointly moved with the first and second base panels  22 ,  42  along the transverse axis to an adjustment position in which the first and second upright panels  24 ,  44  straddle, and contact, opposite lateral sides of the mattress  52 . As depicted by the reference dimensions D 1  and D 2  in  FIG. 2 , the mattress  52  can come in various widths, e.g., from about twenty-six inches through about thirty-two inches. The joint movement of the first and second base panels  22 ,  42  and the first and second upright panels  24 ,  44  accommodates the enclosure  10  to the width of any particular mattress  52 . 
     Then, the first and second overhead panels  26 ,  46  are interconnected so that they extend along the transverse axis above the transverse common plane to form a cover that bounds an interior space  60  (see  FIG. 2 ) in which a body part, e.g., principally, the head, and preferably, also, the upper torso, of the patient  54 , is received. As best seen in  FIG. 9 , the overhead panel  26  has a pair of slits  25 ,  27  bounding a central projecting flap  28 , and the overhead panel  46  has a pair of slits  45 ,  47  bounding a central projecting flap  48 . The slits  25 ,  27  enable the central flap  28  to move or bend slightly up or down. The slits  45 ,  47  enable the central flap  48  to move or bend slightly up or down. As best seen in  FIG. 2 , one of the central flaps, e.g.,  48 , is bent up and passed over, and slid along the transverse axis across, the other central flap  28 . The central flap  28  is bent down and lies underneath the central flap  48  and is in surface area contact therewith. The central flaps  28 ,  48  are thus interleaved and frictionally engage each other with a sufficient locking force to prevent their inadvertent detachment. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the interleaved central flaps  28 ,  48  can be detached and separated from each other by affirmatively pulling the central flaps  28 ,  48  apart. 
     As best seen in  FIG. 1 , the attached protective enclosure  10  acts as a box-like screen or generally parallelepiped-shaped cover that provides patient privacy since the patient&#39;s face and identity are concealed, since, as noted above, the enclosure parts are constituted of an opaque, light-blocking material. The protective enclosure  10  is anchored and held in position by the first and second base panels  22 ,  42 , which are captured between the mattress  52  and the frame of the stretcher  50 . To enable the patient to look out at his/her surroundings for increased comfort, a plurality of openings  70  is formed in the protective enclosure  10 . Although the openings  70  are shown as circular holes arranged in a clustered pattern and provided in each of the upright and overhead panels, it will be understood that these are merely exemplary, because, shapes, other than circles, can be utilized, and that the openings can be arranged in any desired pattern, and that the openings need not be provided in each upright and overhead panel, but could be formed in any one or more panels. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the first and second overhead panels  26 ,  46  include front overhead flaps  32 ,  62  that are respectively foldable about linear creases, fold lines, or hinges  31 ,  61  toward the mattress  52 , and rear overhead flaps  34 ,  64  that are respectively foldable about linear creases, fold lines, or hinges  33 ,  63  toward the mattress  52 . The front and rear overhead flaps  32 ,  34  are cut to form end projections  36 ,  38 , and the front and rear overhead flaps  62 ,  64  are cut to form end projections  66 ,  68 . The first and second upright panels  24 ,  44  respectively have front inclined slots  35 ,  65  and rear inclined slots  37 ,  67 . 
     As best seen in  FIG. 1 , the front overhead flaps  32 ,  62  are folded downwardly about hinges  31 ,  61  toward the mattress  52  until the end projections  36 ,  66  are received in the front inclined slots  35 ,  65 . An enlarged view of this interconnection is depicted in  FIGS. 3-4  for the representative flap  32 , end projection  36 , and inclined slot  35 . The folded-down front overhead flaps  32 ,  62  serve not only as a reinforcement to add structural integrity to the enclosure  10 , hut also act as a visor to further screen the patient&#39;s face and identity from direct view from the front of the enclosure and provide an additional measure of privacy protection. 
     Although the rear overhead flaps  34 ,  64  could be folded downwardly about hinges  33 ,  63  toward the mattress  52  until the end projections  38 ,  68  are received in the rear inclined slots  37 ,  67 , it is preferred not to do so. Instead, the first upright panel  24  has front and rear notches  72 ,  74 , which were formed when the end projections  36 ,  38  were cut; and the second upright panel  44  has front and rear notches  76 ,  78 , which were formed when the end projections  66 ,  68  were cut. As best seen in  FIG. 1 , the end projections  38 ,  68  of the rear overhead flaps  34 ,  64  are received with a friction fit in the rear notches  74 ,  78  to add structural integrity to the enclosure  10 . An enlarged view of this interconnection is depicted in  FIGS. 5-6  for the representative flap  64 , end projection  68 , and rear notch  78 . Although the end projections  36 ,  66  of the front overhead flaps  32 ,  62  could be received with a friction fit in the front notches  72 ,  76 , it is preferred not to do so. 
       FIG. 7  depicts each of the first and second enclosure parts  20 ,  40  in a flat blank form prior to being folded. Each of the enclosure parts  20 ,  40  are identical to simplify manufacture, shipping, and inventory control. 
     In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. For example, rather than forming the protective enclosure of two parts, it is also contemplated to form the protective enclosure of one piece. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings. 
     The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued. 
     Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or arrangement that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or arrangement. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a,” “has . . . a,” “includes . . . a,” or “contains . . . a,” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or arrangement that comprises, has, includes, or contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially,” “essentially,” “approximately,” “about,” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1%, and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed. 
     The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.