Patent ID: 7757318

Claim:
A patient support for a bed, the patient support comprising: a deck supported on a frame, the deck having a head end and a foot end, the head end being adjacent a head end of the bed and the foot end being adjacent a foot end of the bed, wherein the deck has a first deck section, a second deck section and a third deck section, the first deck section located adjacent the head end of the bed, the third deck section located adjacent the foot end of the deck and having an edge that is an endmost edge of the deck at the foot end thereof, and the second deck section between the first deck section and the third deck section, wherein the first deck section is moveable from a generally horizontal position to a more vertical back-support position, and wherein the second deck section is pivotable upwards; and, a mattress supported on the deck, an end portion of the mattress extending a distance beyond a foot end edge of the third deck section a length, L 1 , when the mattress is in a first position, such that the end portion of the mattress is cantilevered and overhangs the foot end edge of the third deck section a distance greater than a thickness of the mattress in the first position, and wherein the mattress retracts to a second position, in the second position a portion of the mattress extending a distance beyond the edge of the foot deck a length L 2 , wherein L 2 , is less than L 1 .