Patent ID: 7231678

Claim:
A side rail pad system for use in conjunction with a patient support system, the patient support system having a generally rectangular support platform and a plurality of side rails, the side rails moveable between raised positions adjacent long sides of the support platform and lowered positions away from the long sides of the support platform, the side rail pad system comprising: a plurality of side rail pads pivotally connected to the long sides of the support platform, the pads positioned adjacent the side rails and moveable between raised positions adjacent the long sides of the support platform between the side rails and the support platform, and lowered positions away from the long sides of the support platform, wherein the plurality of side rail pads each comprise a rigid planar form covered on at least one side thereof by at least one soft flexible planar form, and wherein the rigid planar form extends generally to just inside an edge of the pad on all sides except a top edge of the pad when the pad is in a raised position and the at least one soft flexible planar form extends generally to the edge of the pad on all sides.