Abstract:
A bedside support device having a free swinging mode of a handle member where the handle member is positioned in a manner to prevent entrapment zones while in a free swinging mode to prevent injury to the individual in requirement of support. The bedside support device is adapted to resist vertical force placed thereon to give vertical support to an individual while allowing the handle region to reposition laterally to allow the individual to move to and from the bed structure. The handle region defined an unobstructed side region to allow the individual&#39;s legs to be placed under the handle member to properly allow the individual to stand up or sit down on the bed structure in a controlled and safe manner.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 60/588,678, filed Jul. 16, 2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     As our population ages and individuals are subjected to trauma, limiting their mobility, there is an ever-present need for providing individuals with a certain amount of mobility support in their daily living. A good portion of our lives is spent resting and such time is often spent in our bed either sleeping or perhaps bedridden due to an injury or illness.  
         [0003]     To aid individuals in need, various types of rails have been in production offering some form of assistance or containment within a bed in the home as well as in medical institutions such as hospitals.  
         [0004]     It is important to understand the dynamics of providing assistance to individuals in need of support getting in and out of bed. In certain cases, the individual may be somewhat cognitively impaired such as in the case with an elderly patient suffering from dementia. With any form of cognitive impairment or even certain physical disabilities, there is a risk that the individual may fall off the lateral portion of the bed. If the individual is inadvertently pinched or stuck between any kind of support member, the individual may suffer severe injury or even death by way of suffocation. These entrapment issues are potentially lethal and many individuals do not have around the clock supervision and of course have a certain amount of privacy while in bed. Further, when an individual is in a trap position they may not have the mental or physical ability to call for help or press any type help call indicator to alert the nurse or caregiver.  
         [0005]     In general, the activities of daily living relate around bed mobility which includes eating, dressing, grooming, toileting (bedside commode), bathing, and transfer to and from the bed and other functional tasks.  
         [0006]     Therefore, under current FDA guidelines, there is a strong demand for providing a system that eliminates entrapment zones that can occur with various prior art devices. Approximately 575 entrapment reports have been received over a period of 19 years from Jan. 1, 1985, to Jan. 1, 2004. At least 575 reports, with 358 deaths, 111 injuries and 106 near misses with no injury. These entrapment events have occurred in openings between the bed rails, between the bed rail and mattress, under bed rails, between split rails, and between the bed rail and the head or foot boards. The population group that was most at risk were the frail, confused, restless or those with uncontrollable body movements. Such entrapment can occur in all patient care settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and well as private homes.  
         [0007]     The population that would benefit from this invention are those individuals at risk for becoming entrapped in traditionally designed “side rails” that are attached to the length-wise portion of the bed frame. Many prior art designs were intended to prevent patients and/or elderly clients from falling out of bed. With the increased risk of injury and death reported to the FDA by patients crawling over, through and around the prior art “side rails”, in their traditional position, have become safety risks for clients with fragile physical body frames, and/or those with mental deficits such as seen in dementia.  
         [0008]     As a further note, historically, certain issues have occurred with beds that articulate. The FDA has recognized that articulation of the bed introduces complex geometries that make applying dimensional criteria to reduce entrapment difficult. And like turn, in articulation of a bed (where the head portion raises about a longitudinal pivot axis along the medial region of the bed) such movement can create an additional array of issues with respect to potential entrapment of the bed occupant.  
         [0009]     A growing percentage of the population is partially bedridden or otherwise requires a certain amount of assistance to travel. A well-known project in 1992 referred to as the Kunkel and Applebaum Project estimated that by the year 2020, 9.7 to 13.6 million older people will have moderate to severe disabilities.  
         [0010]     Another factor related to providing a proper bedside support is the psychological effects of an individual with any form of medical problem to inhibit movement to and from a bed. Medical stability, cognitive function, patient motivation and duration of any disability may all modify the use of rehabilitation interventions or the goals of any form of rehabilitation (Kemp, 1990). In a like manner, the social psychological factors play a major role in a nursing home resident&#39;s willingness and ability to participate in self-care activities. In other words, research has shown that there is evidence to suggest that dependency in this population group is associated with certain mental health issues such as low self-esteem (Taft 1985; Blair 1992).  
         [0011]     Therefore, given the need for devices to prevent entrapment zones, the increased number of individuals in society that may require a certain amount of assistance and the psychological effects not to mention the economic benefits of a certain amount of self-reliance contribute to the impending need for a proper device to accomplish these objectives.  
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0012]     The apparatus described below provides a safer alternative to the prior art departing from the teachings thereof and providing the swing-free mode without lateral entrapment zones. The apparatus is fixed at the right and/or left corners of the bed frame with a vertical bar that slides in and out of an attached sleeve. The bar is height adjustable, fixed at the position lengthwise to the bed, but freely swinging away from the bed to 90 degrees (in one form) intentionally pushed away by a caregiver or when a patient crawls off the side of the bed. This unfixed swing-free mode prevents entrapment between the rail and the mattress portions of the bed.  
         [0013]     Individuals with cognitive impairment can grasp the bar when a caregiver directs them to hold the bar during turning and repositioning in bed. The system acts as a second caregiver in that it provides a means for the individual to exert their weight to the bar, thus saving a caregiver from using their body and averting the harm caused by back, neck and shoulder strain.  
         [0014]     Individuals are able to participate in the repositioning and sitting up at the edge of bed as independent as possible which enhances their self image, range of motion activity and flexibility in the joints involved with bed mobility, transferring and standing. Further, facilities reap the potential financial benefit of decreased work related injury claims from less staff injuries. Facilities also potentially reap financial benefits in less State or Federal Citations for residents not achieving their highest level of physical function and they can experience less injuries in mentally impaired clients from entrapment in side rails. Such a system as described below can further satisfied family members as their loved ones improve.  
         [0015]     The disclosure recites a bedside support device adapted to be positioned to a corner region of a bed structure. The bed structure has a lateral region and the bedside of the bed structure adapted to support an occupant thereon. The bedside support device has a mounting bracket that is adapted to be rigidly mounted to the corner region of the bed structure. The mounting bracket has a rotatable mount portion having a center rotation axis.  
         [0016]     A support bar is further provided having a base region that is adapted to be mounted to the mounting bracket. The support rail has a handle region that is positioned orthogonally from the center rotation axis of the rotatable mount portion and the handle region is adapted to support a vertical load placed thereon. The handle region is adapted to rotate from a first position where the support handle is positioned adjacent to the lateral region of the bed structure to a second position away from the bed structure. the handle region defines an unobstructed lateral open area and the support handle.  
         [0017]     The support handle has a free swinging mode where it can be repositioned from the first position to the second position by the occupant. The bedside rail is not positioned in the lateral region of the bed structure in a manner to allow the occupant to entrap themselves between the laterally outward region of the bed structure and the bedside support device when the bedside rail is in the free swinging mode.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  shows an orthogonal view of the bedside support device;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the bedside support device;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  shows an orthogonal view from a laterally inward perspective of the mounting region where the securing mechanism is orientated inwardly;  
         [0021]      FIGS. 4-7  show a progressive view of one mode of operating the bedside support device where  FIG. 4  illustrates the device in a first position where the movement is restricted from going laterally inwardly and the individual can pull laterally inwardly thereon.  FIG. 5  shows the individual positioned with her legs in the lateral unobstructed area where she is adapted to place a vertical force thereon and  FIGS. 6 and 7  show the bedside support device in a free swinging mode where the handle region is adapted to swing laterally outwardly while providing support for the individual;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  shows a partial cross-sectional view where the pivot attachment member of the rotatable mount portion is shown;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  shows a partial sectional and exploded view of the various lower components of the bedside support device;  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  shows a cross sectional view taken at line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8  where the pin is superimposed thereon illustrating the range of motion of the positioning slot having first and second stop surfaces adapted to engage the extension of the pin;  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  shows a first embodiment of the base portion where a plurality of positioning slots are provided for height adjustment;  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  shows a raise of positioning slots adapted to adjust the positional orientation of the handle and possibly the range of rotation of the handle by selecting the appropriate slot;  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  shows a top view illustrating the various positions of the support bar with respect to the mounting region where this version alternatively shows a triangulating strengthening member;  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  shows a view along line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 13  where a sea channel-like mounting bracket can be employed;  
         [0029]      FIG. 15  shows an alternative construction for the first and second members of the mounting bracket where an L-shaped angle iron is provided having the horizontal portion in the upper region;  
         [0030]      FIG. 16  shows another variation of the mounting bracket or angle iron is employed and the horizontal portion is positioned downwardly;  
         [0031]      FIG. 17  shows an alternative arrangement of the security mechanism where access thereto is provided in a laterally outward orientation;  
         [0032]      FIG. 18  shows positioning the rotatable mount portion slightly longitudinally inwardly and positioned in the corner region;  
         [0033]      FIG. 19  shows the bedside support device attached to an articulating bed where this figure illustrates how a side open region is substantially maintained without any shearing action between the bed and the handle region during the articulation of the bed;  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the bedside support device  20  is shown in an isometric view in an assembled state not attached to a bed. To aid in the description, an axes system  10  is defined where the axis  12  indicates a longitudinal axis and the axis  14  indicates a lateral axis. Further, the axis substantially orthogonal to  12  and  14  is a vertical axis indicated at  16 . The arrow indicating the lateral axis  14  points in a laterally inward direction where inward and outward are generally referenced from a longitudinal center region of the bed. The axis system is utilized to aid in the description of the various moving parts and orientation of components for a general direction and is not intended to limit the directional vectors to the exact orthogonal relationships shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0035]     Briefly referring ahead now to  FIG. 4  there will be a discussion of the overall environment of the bedside support device  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , the bedside support device  20  is adapted to be mounted to a bed structure  30 . In most installations, the bed structure would comprise a bed and mattress  32  and a bed frame  34 . The bed structure  30  has a head region  36 , a longitudinally central region  34  and a foot region approximately shown at  36  in  FIG. 5 . The bed structure  30  further comprises laterally outward regions  38  and a lateral central region  40  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The bed frame  34  generally comprises longitudinally extending and laterally extending frame members  42  and  44  respectively. The frame members are generally rigid and sturdy to support the individual indicated at  46  in  FIGS. 4-7 . The bed frame generally defines a corner region  48  which is positioned at the head region  36  in the laterally outward region  38  of the bed structure  30 . The laterally outward region  38  further defines a lateral mattress crest  50 . The lateral mattress crest  50  is generally somewhat flexible as with most mattresses and, as described below, is used in part to define an open region, and on occasion this mattress crest is a potential liability for an entrapment zone. The term bed structure is defined broadly to cover various sleeping and resting platforms or other platforms that require a support device such as a medical exam type structures.  
         [0036]     Referring now back to  FIG. 1 , the description will continue with the bedside support device  20 . This isometric view shows the bedside support device comprising the mounting region  22  and the support bar/rail  24 . In general, the mounting region which is adapted to be mounted in a number of methods as described below, essentially provides a pivotal attachment to the support bar  24 . The support bar  24  is adapted to rotate about a substantially vertical axis and allow a handle region/member  26  to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane. The term “region” is defined broadly and encompasses both areas on unitary members where the handle region rotates with respects to the (static) base member. As described in further detail below, the various embodiments allow the flexibility to limit any potential entrapment zones.  
         [0037]     The mounting region  22  as shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a mounting bracket  64 . The mounting bracket  64  is adapted to be rigidly mounted to the bed frame  34  at a corner region  48  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The corner region is broadly defined as an area on or adjacent to the bed structure which does not provide any substantial likelihood of entrapment zone by the base region  25 . The mounting bracket has a rotatable mount portion  66  that is shown in  FIG. 2  as a center rotation axis  68 .  
         [0038]     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the mounting bracket  64  comprises a first member  70  and a second member  72 . The first and second members  70  and  72  are fixedly attached at the juncture  74 . In one form, these members  70  and  72  are permanently attached to one another in an orthogonal relationship and adapted to be fitted to the corner region  48  as shown in  FIG. 4 . In a preferred form, the mounting bracket  64  is constructed from a sufficiently strong material such as a metallic substance having a cross-sectional orientation such as channel iron or angle iron. Referring ahead now to  FIGS. 20-23 , there is shown a cross-sectional view of the first member  70  which also applies to the second member  72 .  FIG. 21  shows a C-channel like cross section that is adapted to encompass the upper and lower portions of the bed frame. Such a configuration is suitable for that frame having squared tubular steel members. The horizontal members  81  and  83  are adapted to be positioned above and below the horizontal square steel tubular members of the bed frame.  FIGS. 22 and 23  show angle iron cross sections where the horizontal members  80  and  82  are adapted to either be positioned on the upper portion of the bed frame or to the lower portion of the bed frame respectively.  
         [0039]     Referring back to  FIG. 3 , the first and second members  70  and  72  have mounting region  86  which in one form comprises a plurality of openings  88  or slots  90  that are adapted to correspond in location to existing openings in a bed frame. Of course there are a variety of bed frames on the market at the time of filing and in the future. In any form of mounting region which suitably rigidly attaches the mounting region  22  in a stable manner is within the scope of the invention. The rotatable mount portion  66  in one form comprises a pivotal attachment member  90  which in one form is a tubular sleeve  92  as shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0040]     In a preferred form, the pivot attachment member  90  as shown in  FIG. 8  and in the exploded sectional view  FIG. 9 , comprises upper bushing member  94  and lower bushing member  96 . The bushing members  94  and  96  a commonly referred to as a bushing assembly and in the broader scope rotational mounting fixtures that can include any type of rotational type of mounting system such as bearings or the like. In a preferred form, a bushing assembly with a nylon type bushing comprising the members  94  and  96  is preferred because of the longevity of the bushings as well as the desirable coefficient of friction between the support bar  24  and the conical inner surface of the bearings  94  and  96 . As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in one form the lower bushing member  96  comprises a surface defining the opening  98  which allows the extension of the securing mechanism  110  described immediately below. The bushing members  94  and  96  have upper and lower annular lips  100  and  102  respectively adapted to engage the upper and lower cylindrically planar surfaces  104  and  106  respectively. Of course it should be noted that a variety of methods can be employed to comprise a rotatable mount portion  66  to accomplish the task of allowing the support bar  24  to rotate about the center rotation axis  68  or the like.  
         [0041]     The rotatable mount portion  66  further comprises a securing mechanism  110  as is best shown in  FIG. 8  in partial sectional view. In one form, the securing mechanism is an adaptation of a conventional spring loaded pin system. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the securing mechanism  110  in a preferred form comprises a sleeve  112  that is rigidly attached to the tubular sleeve  92 . The sleeve has a rearward portion that is attached to the cap  114  that provides a forward surface to bias the spring  116  against the annular lips  118  of the pin  120 . The pin  120  has an extension  122  that is adapted to engage the various openings of the base region  25  of the support bar  24 . The head  124  is adapted to be extracted outwardly from the sleeve  112  to withdraw the extension  122  inward and outward from the surface defined from the inner portion of the bushing members  94  and  96  to allow the base member to be repositioned vertically therein. Of course a variety of methods can be employed to operate as a securing mechanism  110  where in the preferred form, some form of an extension  122  extends within surfaces defining openings within the base region  25 . As described further herein, another example of an embodiment is shown where the securing mechanism is attached to the handle region  26  and the base region  25  is essentially a static member with respect to the mounting bracket  64 .  
         [0042]      FIGS. 17 and 18  show various other embodiments where the rotatable mount portion  66 ′ is positioned in a different orientation where the securing mechanism  110 ″ is positioned outwardly for direct outward access by an individual.  FIG. 18  shows a second embodiment whereby the rotatable mount portion  66 ″ is positioned somewhat longitudinally inwardly but still positioned substantially in the corner region away from the potential entrapment zones.  
         [0043]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , as shown in the lower portion of this figure, there is a plurality of positioning slots  160  where as shown in  FIG. 10 , the positioning slots  160  are defined by the partially annular surfaces  162  to essentially define an opening for the extension  122  to be placed therein. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the upper surface  162 ′ is adapted to resist the gravitational force of the support bar  24  as it rests upon the upper surface of the extension pin  122  as shown in  FIG. 10 . The positioning slot as shown in  FIG. 10 , has first and second stop surfaces  170  and  172  to position the handle region in a first and second position respectively as described below. The angle of rotation of the support bar  24  in one form is approximately 90 as indicated by angle  174  in  FIG. 10 . Of course a number of angular relationships can be employed where it is most desirable in a free swinging mode to have the handle region  26  be adapted to position laterally outwardly to prevent entrapment zones. In other words, a sufficient amount of lateral outward rotation is desirable to allow an individual  46  such as that as shown in  FIG. 4  unwittingly roll out of bed without running the risk of being entrapped in any manner while the device is in a free-swinging mode.  
         [0044]     In an alternate embodiment, the support bar  24 , when in the lowered position, is configured to be temporarily locked or otherwise securely held in a position with the handle region  62  immediately adjacent to the bed. This configuration prevents or restricts the support bar&#39;s handle region from inadvertently moving away from the bed when the support bar  24  is in the lowered position. In one embodiment, the securing mechanism  46  can be used to engage the base region  60  (or extend through an aperture therein) when the support bar is in the lowered position to temporarily lock or otherwise hold the handle region  62  adjacent to the side of the bed.  
         [0045]     In another embodiment, a collar or other projection can be provided on the base region  60  above the channels  48 . The collar/projection can be a separate piece (e.g. collar) or an integral member (e.g. a nub) formed in the base region  60 . The collar/projection has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the pivot attachment member  26  so the collar/projection will prevent the base region of the support bar  24  from moving too far vertically through the pivot attachment member  26  relative to the bed  10 . In one embodiment, the collar/projection can be positioned on the base region  60  at a location so that, when the support bar  24  is in the lowered position (preferably in the lowest height adjustable position with the handle region still above the surface of the bed), the collar/projection is adjacent to the pivot attachment member  26 . In the embodiment that includes the collar/projection not integrally formed in the base region, the collar/projection can be attached to the support bar with fasteners, adhesive, friction fit, or a positive engagement (e.g., a peg screwed into the base region).  
         [0046]     An example of the range of motion of the handle region  26  is shown in  FIG. 13 . As shown in this figure, the handle region is shown in the first position indicated at  26 ′ where the handle region is positioned adjacent to the laterally outward region  38  of the bed. It should be further noted that as shown in  FIG. 8 , the handle region  26  and the laterally outward region  38  define an unobstructed lateral open area generally indicated at  180  which prevents any entrapment zones in the lateral region of the bed which can be a hazard to impaired individuals. Referring ahead back to  FIG. 13 , the handle region further has a second position schematically indicated at  26 ″ and  26 ″ where the support handle is essentially positioned in the more distal location from the laterally outward region  38  of the bed.  FIG. 13  further shows an optional triangulation member  71  adapted to reinforce the members  70  and  72 .  
         [0047]     Referring now to  FIGS. 11-12 , there is shown various examples of base regions for the support bar. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the base region  25  comprises the openings described above, which include the positioning slots  160 . When the bedside support device  20  is in an orientation as shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , there is no entrapment zone is in the lateral region because the bar would simply swing laterally outwardly while in a free swinging mode if the individual places any lateral force thereon (such as falling out of bed). A number of positioning slots  160  can be provided as is shown in  FIG. 11  having lower middle and upper positioning slots to adjust the height for a proper ergonomic fit for the individual using the bedside support device  20 .  FIG. 19  shows the bedside support device  20  to that as shown in  FIGS. 1-3  where the device  20  is attached to an articulating bed  290 .  FIG. 19  illustrates how the lateral unobstructed open area  180  is maintained during the articulation of the head portion  292  of the bed  290 . The lateral mattress crest  50  maintains a positional relationship with the handle region  26  whereas to prevent any shearing action if there was relative vertical movement between the mattress head portion  292  and the support bar  24 .  
         [0048]     With the foregoing technical description in mind, there will now be a description of the apparatus as well as a method of using the same for assisting an individual in need  46 . As introduced above, the individual  46  can represent a member of a variety of different classifications such as the elderly, an individual with temporary or permanent physical ailments, or individuals with cognitive impairments that are at risk of becoming entrapped and injured or any other individual who would require or desire such a device  20 . Further, the setting for such a system can be in healthcare facilities such as hospitals or nursing homes as well as home use as well as any other area in need of such a device.  
         [0049]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the individual  46  is desirous of getting out of the bed structure  30  and is in the first stage of the process of grasping the handle member for its last region  26  with either one or both hands and placing a laterally inward force thereon. In this method of use, the handle region  26  resists the lateral inward torque for this is beyond the range of motion in this free-swinging mode of this embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the extension  122  is essentially engaging the stop surface  170  to prevent such an inward rotation. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the individual  46  can utilize the handle region  26  to pull herself substantially upright. To reiterate the functionality of the device, as shown in the left-hand portion of  FIG. 5 , the lines  39  and  41  define a plane substantially aligned in the vertical and longitudinal direction where any force applied on the side of the plane indicated by arrow  43  will be resisted by the support handle to allow a counterforce to be placed thereon for the benefit of the individual  46 . In other words, the support handle provides a pulling surface to get over the edge of the bed and upright. Further, the individual can place her legs in the lateral unobstructed area generally indicated at  180  in  FIG. 5 . Not only does the laterally unobstructed area prevent an entrapment zone but further allows for the legs of the individual  46  to be placed therein. Now referring to  FIG. 6 , the individual  46  has stood up and can place a vertical force indicated at  47  thereupon the handle region  26 . In this configuration, the handle region is in a free-swinging mode and allows free rotation/movement in the lateral direction. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the individual  46  has placed the handle region at a position away from the bed structure  30 . In one form, the handle region can be positioned 90° of course various varieties of angles as illustrated at  174  in  FIG. 10  can be employed by adjusting the stop surfaces. If the bed is in an open area and it is desirous to be not adjacent to the lateral outward region  38 , the range of motion of the handle could for example be approximately 270° to wrap all the way around to the head portion of the bed perhaps behind a headboard or the like. Further, in one form, the first position is right adjacent to the bed in proximal location to the lateral medial crest  50  of the bed mattress  32  (see  FIG. 4 ). However, various modifications to fit certain situations can be employed by adjusting the orientation of the stop surface  170  of  FIG. 10  with respect to the position of the handle region  26 . Of course, various modifications can be employed to the apparatus, and such other embodiments can be utilized in a similar fashion or other embodiments that could utilize a form of linkage-like system which is not confined to a static rotational axis.  
         [0050]     While the present invention is illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments are described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications within the scope of the appended claims will readily appear to those sufficed in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicants&#39; general concept.