Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119(a), of French National Application No. 1050299 which was filed Jan. 18, 2010 and the present application also claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/226,486 which was filed Jul. 17, 2009, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to a hospital bed equipped with a patient mobility aid device, and more particularly concerns a subassembly adaptable to the bed, fitted with retractable lateral grips to allow the patient to sit up or lie down in the bed, and possibly to get in and out thereof if the patient&#39;s condition allows it. 
     Different types of hospital beds are known, generally equipped with side barriers hinged to the upper chassis and collapsible along said chassis in order to completely secure the patient by eliminating any risk of falling. For the comfort of the patient, the sleeping surface includes several portions hinged to one another along transversal axes. In particular, a head frame and foot frame, hinged on either side of a central portion (which itself can be subdivided) can be distinguished. In the convalescence phase, it is desirable for the patient to be able to sit up or lie down with the aid of lateral grips, the side barriers being lowered. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to aspects of this disclosure, a subassembly that allows lateral grips to be coupled to a bed is provided. According to some embodiments contemplated herein, said grips may be retractable at the level of the sleeping surface, and may be located, when deployed, above the plane of the sleeping surface and slightly outside thereof. The illustrated embodiment achieves this aspect of the disclosure. 
     More particularly, embodiments contemplated herein concern a hospital bed equipped with a patient mobility aid device, characterized in that said device may comprise a support crossmember of a length oriented along the width of said bed, provided at each of its ends with an attachment means shaped and sized to be attached to a lateral element of said bed, in that said crossmember may be hollow and houses at least one arm terminating in a grip, and in that said arm may define with the crossmember a telescopic structure such that said grip can be moved to a usage position situated above and outside the edge of the bed from its storage position in the vicinity of the respective end of said crossmember. 
     According to some embodiments, one or more stable positions of the grip may be defined between the storage position and a position where it is extended out to the maximum. It is also possible simply to have two positions, a storage position and a usage position. 
     In some embodiments, the mobility aid device may be equipped with two arms, each with a grip at the end, projecting from each end of said crossmember. 
     According to some embodiments, the device is characterized in that said crossmember comprises a middle section and two guide end fittings respectively disposed at the ends of said middle section and in that an attachment means as mentioned above is composed of a U-shaped bracket defined in such guide end fitting, opening laterally outward, the height of said bracket corresponding to the thickness of a longitudinal element of a frame of said bed, so that said crossmember is mounted between two such longitudinal elements that are parallel to said frame. 
     According to some embodiments, the device may be further characterized in that the arm or each arm is curved and in that each guide end fitting comprises internally a guide channel ascending overall, in which the arm slides, said channel extending between an aperture of said end fitting engaged at the corresponding end of said middle section and an upper outlet defined above said attachment means. 
     Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), such as those listed above and those listed in the claims, may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the embodiments as presently perceived. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a general view in perspective of a hospital bed equipped with two patient mobility aid devices, one attached to the head frame and the other attached to the foot frame of the sleeping surface; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view in perspective of such a patient mobility aid device; 
         FIG. 3  is a transversal diagrammatic view illustrating the kinetics of the device, the grip being shown in the storage position on the right side and in the usage position on the left side; 
         FIGS. 4-8  are partial views, in perspective, showing the installation of a patient mobility aid device on the bed of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed view in perspective showing a variation of the grip; 
         FIG. 10  is a view from the perspective of the arrow X of  FIG. 9 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a view from the perspective of the arrow XI of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to the drawings, represented is a hospital bed  11  comprising, in the illustrated embodiment, an upper chassis  13  forming the sleeping surface, intended to receive a mattress, not shown. The upper chassis comprises, in the illustrated embodiment, a head frame  15  covered by a panel  16  and a foot frame  17  covered by a panel  18 . The two frames are hinged on either side of a central part  20  (which itself includes two panels). The bed is also equipped with a headboard  22 , a footboard  23  and two side barriers  24 , collapsible at the lower part of the upper chassis  13 . The two frames  15  and  17  can therefore be raised by hinged pivoting on either side of the central part  20 . 
     According to an aspect of the disclosed embodiment, the bed  11  is equipped with at least one (in this instance, two) patient mobility aid device  25  (see  FIG. 3 ), enabling said patient to perform certain movements, particularly to sit up or lie down, or even to get in and out of bed if the patient is able to do so. 
     According to the illustrated example, one of the devices  25  is attached to the head frame  15  and the other is attached to the foot frame  17 . 
     Each device  25  comprises a support crossmember  27  of a length corresponding to (i.e., oriented along) the width of the bed  11  and at least one arm  29  (preferably two) ending in a grip  31 . The crossmember is hollow in order to house the arm  29  or each arm  29  when the grip is in the stored position. In other words, each arm  29  defines with the crossmember  27  a telescopic structure such that the corresponding grip  31  can be moved to a usage position situated above and outside the edge of the bed  11  from its storage position near the respective end of the crossmember  27 . 
     According to the illustrated example, the device  25  is equipped with two arms  29 , each ending in a grip  31 , projecting at one respective end of the crossmember  27 . 
     More specifically, the crossmember  27  comprises a rectilinear middle section  32  formed from a rail-type C-shaped metal structural shape, the open side facing the floor, and two guide end fittings  34  disposed at the ends of said middle section  32 . Each guide end fitting  34  is here composed of two shells  35 , symmetrical overall, made of plastic material, assembled by screws, to fit tightly around each end of said middle section  32  and extend it. The end fittings  34  are mounted on the ends of the middle section  32  and attached thereto. 
     The support crossmember  27  thus constructed is fitted at each of its ends with an attachment means or coupler shaped and sized to be attached to a side element of said bed  11 , in this instance a frame of the chassis. More specifically, the crossmember  27  is mounted between two parallel longitudinal elements  37  of the head frame  15  or the foot frame  17 . Thus, the crossmember  27  can be mounted perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the bed between these two parallel longitudinal elements  37  of the frame  15  or  17 . 
     In the example described, each guide end fitting  34  comprises one such coupler or attachment means that is composed of a U-shaped bracket  40 , opening laterally outward. 
     The height of the opening of the bracket  40  generally corresponds to the thickness of the longitudinal element  37 . At least one arm of the bracket  40 , for example an arm  42  attached by screws to the lower part of the end fitting  34 , is sufficiently flexible to allow a clamped fitting of the bracket  40  onto the element  37  in spite of the presence on this arm  42  of a spur  44 . Said spur  44  is capable of cooperating with a corresponding hole  46  (see  FIG. 5 ) in the longitudinal element  37 , for attaching the assembly of said patient mobility aid device to the bed frame. 
     For example,  FIGS. 4 to 8  illustrate the assembly and attachment of the device  25  to the foot frame  17 . Said assembly is begun by raising the panel  18 , then the crossmember  27  is fitted at an angle, the two brackets  40  being fitted between the elements  37  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ). 
       FIG. 5  shows the hole  46  of one of the elements  37 , at the lower part thereof. Then, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the device  25  is pivoted in its entirety until the spur  44  of each bracket is inserted in the respective hole. Finally, the panel  18  is put back in place (see  FIG. 8 ), said panel  18  having cutouts allowing the passage of the end portions of the guide end fittings  34  on either side of the bed  11 . It will be noted that when a side barrier  24  is raised, the arm  29  of the device situated on the same side cannot be raised in the illustrated embodiment. 
     According to the illustrated embodiment, each arm  29  is curved, and the curved part, excluding the grip  31 , can be fully housed (see  FIG. 3 , right side) inside the middle section  32  and the respective end fitting  34 . 
     To accomplish this, each guide end fitting  34  comprises internally a guide channel  47 , ascending overall, in which the arm  29  is partially housed and slides. The channel  47  extends between an aperture  49  of said end fitting  34  engaged at the corresponding end of said middle section  32  and an upper outlet  51  defined above said attachment means, i.e. the bracket  40 . 
     The relatively flexible plastic material of the end fitting  34  makes it possible to stabilize the position of the grip  31  by elastic forced insertion into the end fitting  34 . More precisely, said end fitting  34  comprises, in some embodiments, an elastic insertion indentation  48  of the grip  31 , defined in the vicinity of said upper outlet  51  of the guide channel, for the immobilization of said grip  31  in the storage position. 
     It should be noted that each guide channel  47  comprises a lower wall with a very wide V-shaped opening defining a concave bottom  52  in which, as will be seen below, the lower end of the arm is supported and stabilized in the usage position (see  FIG. 3 , left part). 
     Each arm  29  comprises a curved tubular section  54  one end  56  (upper) of which is flat for attaching the grip  31 . Said grip always projects out of the upper outlet  51  of the end fitting  34  in the illustrated example. 
     A locking lever  58  is slidably engaged inside the other end of the tubular section  54 . It comprises a round end  60  forming a sort of ball-and-socket joint and projecting from the tubular section  54 . This round end  60  comprises two lateral extensions  62  engaging with indentations  64  defined along the inner walls of the guide channel  47 . The tubular section  54  is also provided, in the vicinity of this end, with a transversal pin  65  that also engages with said indentations  64 . These indentations  64  are such that, when the arm  29  is pulled upward, the round end  60  of the lever penetrates into the end fitting  34  and reaches the above-mentioned concave bottom  52  of the guide channel  47 . In the same path, each end of the pin  65  finds a clearance in a narrower ascending extension  67  of each indentation  64 . Said extensions  67  have closed upper ends that constitute stops for the pin  65 . 
     A coil spring  69  is installed in a cavity  70  of the lever  58 . It is inserted between the pin  65  and the bottom of said cavity  70 , in order to push said lever  58  towards the interior of the curved tubular section  54 , as can be seen in  FIG. 3 , right portion. Furthermore, the inner end of the lever  58 , engaged in the tubular section  54 , is provided with a lateral push button  74 . The tubular section  54  is provided with a hole  76  located in the vicinity of the push button  74  (to the left of the push button  74  in the right portion of  FIG. 3 ) and a leaf spring  79  is attached to the push button  74  and is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the curved tubular section  54 . Thus, said push button  74  is pushed to engage in the hole  76  when it reaches a position facing said hole  76  if a relative movement is produced between the lever  58  and the curved section  54 . The operation is as follows: 
     When it is desired to use the patient mobility aid device, the grip  31  is taken out and pulled upward and outward. At first, the arm assembly slides in the guide cavity  70 , pulling the lever  58 . Toward the end of the path, the rounded end  60  is guided by the indentations  64  and the arm stands up. At the end of the path, the ends of the pin  65  engage in the extensions  67  of the indentations, which results in the compression of the spring  69  and thus by a relative movement between the curved tubular section  54  and the lever  58 . This movement causes the engagement of the push button  74  (forming a lock) in the hole  76 . As of this moment, the situation is as it is represented in  FIG. 3 , left side, where the slightly extended arm  29 , now of a fixed length, is held in the standing position by a wedging effect between the bottom  52  and the upper outlet  51 . To return the arm  29  and its grip to the storage position, the push button  79  is pushed to make it enter the curved tubular section  54  while pushing down on the grip  31 . 
     It should be noted that, because each patient mobility aid device  25  is mounted on a pivoting frame  15 ,  17  of adjustable pitch, the positioning of the frame (its pitch) makes it possible to adjust the position of the grip (height) depending on the morphology of the patient. 
     According to one variation, represented in  FIGS. 9 to 11 , the grip  131  comprises, at one side of its point of attachment to said arm  29 , a curved handle  132  extending beyond said point of attachment, to facilitate gripping in the sit-up phase of the patient. The handle  132  here is curved downward. Moreover, said grip  131  is extended on the other side of the point of attachment to the arm  29  by a helical segment  134  of oblong cross section facilitating thrust in the final phase of the patient&#39;s sitting upright, while opposing the grip reflex. These two features are independent, in particular the helical segment  134  can constitute the main part of said grip  131  with or without handle  132 , which, if there is one, can have a different shape. 
     Although certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detail above, many embodiments, variations and modifications are possible that are still within the scope and spirit of this disclosure as described herein and as defined in the following claims.

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