Patent ID: 7426760

Claim:
A bariatric bed, comprising: a hospital bed frame of a bariatric type, the frame having a strength to regularly support patients weighing in excess of 500 pounds, wherein the frame includes: a sectioned articulatable mattress support to support a mattress; and a drive to articulate the mattress support to raise and lower a head section thereof relative to a seat section, the drive having strength to regularly raise and lower the head section relative the seat section while patients weighing in excess of 500 pounds are positioned on the mattress supported by the mattress support; and a side rail moveably coupled to a support member, wherein the support member is configured such that the side rail can be placed in a lowered position at a normal width and the side rail can be placed in a lowered position at an extended width; wherein the support member is configured such that the side rail can be raised from the lowered position to an operative position at the normal width and such that the side rail can be raised from the lowered position to an operative position at the extended width; and wherein the side rail is maintained in a substantially vertical position while the side rail is in the lowered position and while the side rail is in the operative position.