Patent ID: 8375489

Claim:
A hospital bed, comprising: a base comprising opposite end portions; a foot board secured to an end portion of the base; a lifting mechanism secured to the base between the end portions; a rotating frame mounted on the lifting mechanism, wherein the frame is configured to rotate about an axis that is substantially orthogonal to the base; a patient support surface pivotally secured to the rotating frame, wherein the patient support surface comprises a back panel, a seat panel, and leg panel configured to articulate relative to each other from a co-planar configuration to a chair configuration, wherein the leg panel comprises a first section pivotally connected to the seat panel and a second section that disconnects from the leg panel first section when the back panel, seat panel, and leg panel articulate relative to each other from the co-planar configuration, and wherein the leg panel second section is movably coupled to the foot board and pivots downwardly away from the leg panel first section when the leg panel second section disconnects from the leg panel first section.