Abstract:
A bedside support device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the bedside support device is attachable to a bed assembly and comprises a mounting member attachable to the bed assembly, and a support bar attached to the mounting member. The support bar having a base portion rotatably mounted to the mounting member and is free swinging relative to the mounting member between first and second positions. The support bar has a handle portion attached to the base portion and is moveable in a plane relative to the bed assembly as the base portion moves between the first and second positions.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
       [0001]     This application is a non-provisional patent application that claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 60/588,678 filed on Jul. 16, 2004, entitled, “Bed Side Rail Method and Apparatus,” which is incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     In general, bedside support devices am provided to assistance to patients or other individuals in need of a certain amount of support when getting out of bed or repositioning themselves. Many of the prior art devices have a static portions that are rigidly attached to the central lateral portion of a bed or adjacent structure which often times places a patient in peril in the event she is wedged between the static rigid portions and the lateral region of the bed. It is therefore in objective to provide a bedside rail support that is adapted to allow a handle region which repositions laterally and provides sufficient vertical support to the patient so she can reposition herself to a sitting position and stand with a certain amount of assistance from the bedside support device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of the bedside support device.  
         [0004]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the bedside support device.  
         [0005]      FIG. 3  shows an isometric view of the securing mechanism.  
         [0006]      FIG. 4  shows a view of a patient grasping the handle region of the bedside support device.  
         [0007]      FIG. 5  shows a patient positioning herself in a sitting orientation and applied a vertically downward force upon the handle region of the bedside support device to aid in raising herself from the bed.  
         [0008]      FIG. 6  shows the patient in a standing position where the bedside support device provides mobile assistance to the patient.  
         [0009]      FIG. 7  shows the handle region of the bedside support device in an extended lateral position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]     The bedside support device  20  as shown in  FIG. 1  is shown in one form. The general environment for the bedside support device  20  is shown in  FIG. 5  where the device  20  is mounted to a bed indicated at  10 . The bed comprises a bed frame  11 . The bed frame comprises a corner region  12  and a lateral region  13 . An axis system  14  is defined as shown in  FIG. 4 . The longitudinal axis  15  extends in a longitudinal direction and generally indicates the same. The lateral axis  16  indicates a lateral direction and the vertical axis  17  indicates a vertical direction. Of course the axis system  14  is for general reference purposes and indicates general directions that are not categorically perfectly orthogonal to one another.  
         [0011]     With the foregoing in mind, there will first be description of the mechanical components of one form of the bedside support device  20  with reference to  FIGS. 1-3  followed by a description of a the of operation of the bedside support device  20 .  
         [0012]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the bedside support device  20  comprises a mounting region  22  and a support bar  24 . The mounting region  22  has a pivot attachment member  26  that is fixedly attached to a base frame  28 . In one form, the base frame  28  comprises a first member  30  and a second member  32 . The first and second members  30  and  32  are fixedly attached at the juncture  34 . In one form, these items are permanently attached to one another in an orthogonal relationship and are adapted to be fitted to a corner region  13  of the bad frame as shown in  FIG. 3 . In one form, the mounting region  22  is made from a suitable metal in a configuration such as channel iron or the like to be adapted to handle the transmitted loads from the support bar  24 .  
         [0013]     The pivot attachment member  26  in one form is a tubular sleeve  40  having an internal bushing or bearing to provide rotation substantially about a vertical axis. The internal bushing or bearing provides an internal cavity adapted to receive the lower portion of the base region  60  of the support bar  24 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the base region  60  extends through the lower region of the pivot attachment member  26 . In one form, the pivot attachment member  28  has a securing mechanism  46  having a spring-loaded pin device adapted to be received by channels such as channel  443  as shown in  FIG. 3 . There can be numerous channels  48  in the base region  60  of the support bar  24 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , an interior channel behind the pivot attachment member  26  is present where the security mechanism  26  has an internal pin extending therein. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the channel  48  has a first engagement surface  50  and a second engagement surface  52 . These engagement surfaces are adapted to be received by the outer cylindrical surface of the pin of the security mechanism  46  in order to limit the rotational range of the support bar  24 . By providing a plurality of slots  48  the height of the support bar  24  can be effectively adjusted. As described further herein, the support bar  24  is adapted to freely rotate away from the lateral region of the bed so the occupant of the bed is not inadvertently pinched if he or she accidentally undergoes a traumatic fall or rolls off the bed.  
         [0014]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the support bar  24  comprises a base region  60  and a handle region  62 . The handle region  52  comprises a substantially horizontally extending grasping area  63 . The base region  60  as described above is adapted to cooperate with the pivot attachment member  26  of the mounting region  22  to provide a one degree of freedom motion of rotation substantially about a vertical axis. Of course other forms of repositioning can be obtained such as the use of a linkage system instead of a peer rotational system. However, a pivot rotation about a substantially vertical axis is one way of allowing repositioning of the handle region  62  with respect to the bed frame.  
         [0015]     Essentially, the base region  60  and handle region  62  are fixedly connected at a joinder portion  64 . In a preferred form of manufacture, the regions  60  and  62  are of a single piece of metal that is that substantially at a ninety-degree angle from one another, however other angle relationships can be employed. Further, the lower portion of the base region as mentioned above is adapted to extend through the open chamber region of the pivot attachment member  26  to provide a limited rotational movement therein.  
         [0016]     In one farm, the resistance of the rotation about a vertical axis can be provided to dampen the rotational movement of the handle region  62 . This can be accomplished by having a sleeve that is constricted to provide circumferential friction about the base region  22 . This could be advantageous where it is desired to have a handle region  62  that repositions with a certain degree of resistance to provide some stability but will reposition in the event the patient falls off the bed and requires a safety limitation to fall freely without being pinched or strangled by any fixed open perilous gaps.  
         [0017]     Now referring to  FIG. 4 , a patient  70  is shown lying in the bed  10 . As shown in this figure, the patient grasps the handle region  62  and places a lateral and vertically downward force thereto. This load is transmitted to the base region  60  and through the pivot attachment member  26 . This load is transmitted to the mounting region  22 . The mounting region  22  in one form is fixedly attached to the corner region  12  of the bed  10 . This mounting region should be positioned at a corner region that has the lowest probability of a patient falling. In other words, the mounting region  22  would not be positioned in the central lateral portion of the bed because of the hazard of having a rigid structure attached to the bed frame which presents a perilous choking and suffocating hazard to a patient in need of assistance.  
         [0018]     Now referring to  FIG. 5 , the patient  70  was able to pull herself to a sitting position alongside the lateral region  13  of the bed  10  from this position as shown in  FIG. 5 , the patient  70  desires to stand and move away from the bed  10 . Therefore, the patient will put a vertical load downwardly as indicated by the force vector  72  upon the handle region  62  of the bedside support device  20 . The patient  70  can further flex her upper torso and have a laterally inward force to position her center of gravity near the handle region  62 . Once the user stands up as Shawn in  FIG. 6 , the handle region  62  freely repositions to a lateral direction and in one form pivots in a lateral and longitudinally forward position as shown in this figure. The patient can continue to put a downward force upon the handle region  62  to assist her. This is particularly advantageous when the patient is getting up after a period of not being on her feet and she requires the blood to get flawing to her legs for proper bipedal motion. In the event that her foot is asleep or she suffers any other temporary or permanent ailment, the patient  70  can back up where the handle region  62  freely allows this reverse motion and she can sit back down on the bed safely as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0019]     If the patient feels that she can travel away from the bed, she can reposition the handle region  62  to a fully extended lateral position as shown in  FIG. 7  whereby at this stage the patient  70  has the confidence to walk without any assisting device. Alternatively, a mobile bipedal motion assisting device such as a walker could be positioned at the distal lateral location from the bed  10  and the user could grasp this device to transfer herself to a desired location.  
         [0020]     Of course various modifications and alterations can be performed without departed from the spirit scope of the invention.  
         [0021]     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.