Bed side rails

Abstract

To provide a side fence of a bed, a side fence that can enhance operability of rotation of a rotating fence.SOLUTION: The side fence includes: a support part 19 which supports a rotating fence 7 in a rotatable manner relative to a fixed fence 5 and in a raisable manner from a locked position to a release position; an engaging part 21 which is installed between the fixed fence 5 and the rotating fence 7, which relatively and unrotatably engages between the fixed fence 5 and rotating fence 7 at the locked position and which releases the engagement between the fixed fence 5 and the rotating fence 7 at the release position to allow the rotation of the rotating fence 7; a regulation part 23 which regulates raising of the rotating fence 7 at the locked position by being supported by the rotating fence 7 that is one of the rotating fence 7 and the fixed fence 5 and by engaging with the fixed fence 5 that is the other of the rotating fence 7 and the fixed fence 5; and a lever 25 which releases the regulation for raising of the rotating fence 7 by being supported in a displaceable manner in the raising direction relative to the rotating fence 7 and by being connected to the regulation part 23 to interlock the regulation part 23 through displacement upward in the raising direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bed side rail that is supported on the side of a bed. [Background technology]

[0002] Beds used in hospitals, nursing homes, and the like are known to have side rails supported on the sides of the bed frame to prevent comforters from falling off and to provide a means for users to hold on to.

[0003] An example of a conventional side fence is a bed grip described in Patent Document 1. This bed grip includes a fixed fence part supported by the bed frame and a rotating fence part that is rotatable relative to the fixed fence part.

[0004] The rotating fence section can be rotated by pulling it upward as a whole while pressing down the unlock button provided on the fixed fence section, and can be locked by lowering it downward at any rotational position.

[0005] However, when rotating the rotating fence, the operator had to use both hands to press the unlock button on the fixed fence and pull up the rotating fence. In particular, the operation directions for pressing the unlock button and pulling up the rotating fence are opposite, so both hands had to be used. As a result, there was a problem of poor operability in rotating the rotating fence. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication 2012-71101 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The problem to be solved was the poor operability of the device, as it required the use of both hands to rotate the rotating fence. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention includes a fixed fence section supported by a bed frame, a rotating fence section rotatable relative to the fixed fence section, and a locking mechanism for locking and unlocking the rotation of the rotating fence section relative to the fixed fence section, the locking mechanism including a support section supporting the rotating fence section rotatably relative to the fixed fence section and liftable from a locked position to an unlocked position, an engagement section provided between the fixed fence section and the rotating fence section, which engages the fixed fence section and the rotating fence section so as not to rotate relative to each other at the locked position and releases the engagement at the unlocked position to allow the rotating fence section to rotate, a restriction section supported by one of the rotating fence section and the fixed fence section and engages with the other of the rotating fence section and the fixed fence section to restrict lifting of the rotating fence section at the locked position, and a lever supported displaceably in a lifting direction relative to the rotating fence section and connected to the restriction section, which operates the restriction section in conjunction with an upward displacement in the lifting direction to release the restriction on lifting of the rotating fence section. and a gripping portion for gripping the rotating fence portion when the rotating fence portion is pulled up, the lever being located below the gripping portion and being accommodated in the gripping portion by being displaced upward in the pulling direction. This is its most main feature. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the fixed fence section can be pulled up and rotated as an extension of the operation of pulling up the lever, so that the rotating fence section can be easily rotated with one hand, improving the operability of rotating the rotating fence section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bed side rail (Example 1). [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the bed side rail of FIG. 1 (Example 1). [Diagram 3] 2A is an enlarged perspective cross-sectional view of the periphery of an engaging portion of the bed side rail in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a development of a main portion of FIG. 2A (Example 1). [Figure 4]3 is an enlarged view showing the periphery of the lever of the bed side rail in FIG. 2, where (A) shows the locked state and (B) shows the unlocked state (Example 1). [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a support structure for the bed side rail of FIG. 1 (Example 1). [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the leg portion and its periphery of the bed side rail in FIG. 2 (Example 1). [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the periphery of an engagement portion of the support structure of FIG. 5 (Example 1). [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the periphery of the locking portion of the bed side rail in FIG. 1 (Example 1). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The objective of improving the operability of rotating the rotating fence section has been achieved by enabling an operator to unlock and pull up the rotating fence section with one hand.

[0012] That is, the bed side rail (1) comprises a fixed rail portion (5) supported by the bed frame (3), a rotating rail portion (7) that can rotate relative to the fixed rail portion (5), and a locking mechanism (9) that locks and unlocks the rotation of the rotating rail portion (7) relative to the fixed rail portion (5).

[0013] The lock mechanism (9) includes a support portion (19), an engagement portion (21), a regulating portion (23), and a lever (25). The support portion (19) supports the rotating fence portion (7) so that it can rotate relative to the fixed fence portion (5) and can be lifted from the locked position to the unlocked position. The engagement portion (21) is provided between the fixed fence portion (5) and the rotating fence portion (7) and engages the fixed fence portion (5) and the rotating fence portion (7) so that they cannot rotate relative to each other at the locked position and releases the engagement at the unlocked position to allow the rotating fence portion (7) to rotate. The regulating portion (23) is supported by one of the rotating fence portion (7) and the fixed fence portion (5) and engages with the other of the rotating fence portion (7) and the fixed fence portion (5) to regulate the lifting of the rotating fence portion (7) from the locked position. The lever (25) is supported so as to be displaceable in the lifting direction relative to the rotating fence portion (7) and is connected to the regulating portion (23). When displaced upward in the lifting direction, the lever (25) moves the regulating portion (23) in conjunction with the lever (25), thereby releasing the restriction on the lifting of the rotating fence portion (7).

[0014] The bed side fence 1 may be provided with a grip portion (7a) for gripping when the rotating fence portion (7) is pulled up. In this case, it is preferable that the lever (25) is located below the grip portion (7a) and is accommodated in the grip portion (7a) by being displaced upward in the pulling direction.

[0015] The engagement portion (21) has a plurality of engagement protrusions (31) provided on each of the rotating fence portion (7) and the fixed fence portion (5), and an engagement groove (33) provided between adjacent engagement protrusions (31) of the rotating fence portion (7) and the fixed fence portion (5) for engaging with the mating engagement protrusion (31), and the tip surface (31b) of the engagement protrusion (31) in the lifting direction is inclined forward and backward in the rotation direction of the rotating fence portion (7).

[0016] The tip surface (31b) of the engagement protrusion (31) may have a vertex (31c) in the lifting direction at the middle portion in the rotation direction, and may be inclined so that the dimension of the engagement protrusion (31) in the lifting direction becomes smaller from this vertex (31c) toward the front and rear in the rotation direction.

[0017] The support portion (19) may be configured to include a support tube portion (27), a support shaft portion (29), and a regulating groove (29a). The support tube portion (27) is provided on one of the rotating fence portion (7) and the fixed fence portion (5). The support shaft portion (29) is provided on the other of the rotating fence portion (7) and the fixed fence portion (5), and is inserted through the support tube portion (27) so as to be relatively rotatable. In this case, the regulating groove (29a) is provided on the support shaft portion (29) in the lift-up cross direction. The regulating portion (23) is supported on one of the rotating fence portion (7) and the fixed fence portion (5), and includes a regulating protrusion (23a) that is capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the regulating groove (29a).

[0018] Moreover, the bed side rail (1) may be configured to include a plurality of legs (41), a plurality of displacement members (43), a connecting portion (45), and a plurality of engagement members (47).

[0019] The legs (41) are provided on the fixed fence and are inserted into the support holes (39) provided in the bed frame. The displacement members (43) are axially displaceable between a fixed position and an unlocked position relative to the legs (41). The connecting portion (45) connects the displacement members (43) and displaces them together in the axial direction. The engagement members (47) are disposed between the legs (41) and the displacement members (43), respectively, and engage with the inner surfaces (39a) of the support holes (39) in response to the displacement of the displacement members (43) toward the fixed position. Each engagement member (47) may be any member that engages with the inner surface (39a) of the support hole (39), and may be formed of a frictional engagement member that frictionally engages with the inner surface (39a) or an engagement piece that hooks into a recess provided in the inner surface (39a).

[0020] The connecting portion (45) may include a connecting rod (49) and a cam (51). The connecting rod (49) is supported on the other of the fixed fence portion (5) and the bed frame (3) so as to be rotatable about an axis, and is disposed along the axis crossing direction. The cam (51) is provided on the connecting rod (49) in correspondence with the plurality of displacement members (43), and displaces the plurality of displacement members (43) in the axial direction in response to the rotation of the connecting rod (49) about the axis.

[0021] The connecting rod (49) may include an operating portion (53) for rotating about the axis. In this case, a locking portion (55) may be provided between the operating portion (53) and the fixed fence portion (5) for locking the operating portion (53) to the fixed fence portion (5) when the plurality of displacement members (43) are in the fixed position. EXAMPLES

[0022] [Bed side rail configuration] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bed side rail according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the bed side rail of FIG.

[0023] Bed side rail 1 is used for beds for nursing care in nursing facilities and hospitals, as well as for home nursing and care, and is detachably attached to the side of bed frame 3 (see Figs. 5 and 6). This bed side rail 1 prevents a comforter from falling and allows the bed user to grab something when standing up, for example.

[0024] The bed side rail 1 of this embodiment comprises a fixed rail portion 5, a rotating rail portion 7, and a locking mechanism 9.

[0025] The fixed fence portion 5 is detachably supported on the bed frame 3. The fixed fence portion 5 is supported on the bed frame 3 by a support structure 6, which will be described later, and this supported state can be locked and unlocked.

[0026] The fixed fence section 5 in this embodiment is configured by attaching a wall-shaped resin cover 13 to a part of the fence-shaped fixed frame section 11. However, the fixed fence section 5 may be any wall-shaped or fence-shaped member, and may be configured by only the fixed frame section 11 or may be entirely made of a wall-shaped member.

[0027] In this embodiment, the fixed frame portion 11 is formed by joining metal pipes. The resin cover 13 covers the lower half of the fixed frame portion 11. However, the entire fixed frame portion 11 may be covered with the resin cover 13. A notch 13a is provided in the lower portion of the resin cover 13. An operating portion 53 (described later) for locking and unlocking the support state of the fixed fence portion 5 is disposed in this notch 13a.

[0028] The rotating fence section 7 is rotatably supported by the fixed fence section 5 via a locking mechanism 9. The rotating fence section 7 of this embodiment is configured by attaching a resin cover 17 to a fence-shaped rotating frame section 15.

[0029] The rotating frame portion 15 is formed by connecting metal pipes, similar to the fixed frame portion 11. The resin cover 17 covers the entire rotating frame portion 15. Note that the resin cover 17 may cover only part of the rotating frame portion 15, similar to the resin cover 13 of the fixed frame portion 11.

[0030] An armrest 17a is provided on the upper part of the resin cover 17. One side of the armrest 17a is integrally provided with the main body 17b of the resin cover 17, and the other side is supported by the fixed frame part 11 so as to be movable in the lifting direction and rotatable. The upper surface of the armrest 17a is flat, allowing the user to easily stand up by gripping it or pushing it with the palm of the hand when transferring, etc.

[0031] [Locking mechanism] Fig. 3(A) is an enlarged perspective cross-sectional view of the periphery of the engagement portion of the locking mechanism of the bed side rail in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3(B) is an exploded view of the main portion of Fig. 3(A). Figs. 4(A) and (B) are enlarged views showing the periphery of the lever of the locking mechanism of the bed side rail in Fig. 2, with Fig. 4(A) showing the locked state and Fig. 4(B) showing the unlocked state.

[0032] The locking mechanism 9 locks and unlocks the rotation of the rotating fence part 7 relative to the fixed fence part 5. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the locking mechanism 9 is provided between the rotating fence part 7 and the fixed fence part 5, and includes a support part 19, an engagement part 21, a restriction part 23, and a lever 25.

[0033] The support section 19 supports the rotating fence section 7 so that it can rotate relative to the fixed fence section 5 and can be lifted from the locked position to the unlocked position. In this embodiment, lifting refers to lifting in the vertical direction. However, lifting may also be performed diagonally relative to the vertical direction. The locked position is a position where the rotation of the rotating fence section 7 is locked, and the unlocked position is a position where the lock is released and rotation of the rotating fence section 7 is permitted.

[0034] The support portion 19 in this embodiment includes a support tube portion 27 and a support shaft portion 29. The support tube portion 27 is provided on one of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5. In this embodiment, the support tube portion 27 is provided on the rotating fence portion 7. This support tube portion 27 has a cylindrical shape, and is formed on the rotating frame portion 15 of the rotating fence portion 7. However, the support tube portion 27 may also be formed on the resin cover 17. An insertion hole 27a is provided inside the support tube portion 27. The support shaft portion 29 is inserted into this insertion hole 27a.

[0035] The support shaft portion 29 is provided on the other of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5. In this embodiment, the support shaft portion 29 is provided on the fixed fence portion 5. Specifically, the support shaft portion 29 has a cylindrical shape, and is provided on the fixed frame portion 11. However, the support shaft portion 29 may be provided on the resin cover 13.

[0036] The support shaft portion 29 has a shape corresponding to the insertion hole 27a of the support cylinder portion 27 and is loosely fitted into the insertion hole 27a without any rattling. As a result, the support shaft portion 29 is inserted through the support cylinder portion 27 so as to be relatively rotatable and relatively movable in the axial direction.

[0037] Therefore, the support shaft portion 29 is rotatable about the support shaft portion 29 and movable in the pulling direction. The pulling direction means the direction in which pulling is performed, which is the vertical direction in this embodiment.

[0038] When the rotating fence 7 is in the locked position, the tip of the support shaft 29 protrudes from the support cylinder 27. A restricting groove 29a in the lifting cross direction is provided at the tip of the support shaft 29. The lifting cross direction refers to the cross direction relative to the lifting direction, which means the horizontal direction in this embodiment.

[0039] The restricting groove 29a of this embodiment is a groove provided in a circumferential shape on the support shaft portion 29, and is formed so as to partially reduce the diameter of the support shaft portion 29.

[0040] The support part 19 may have a different configuration than the support cylinder part 27 and the support shaft part 29. For example, the support part 19 may be configured to support a telescopic cylinder or a cylinder device with a bearing, as long as the support part 19 can rotate and lift the rotating fence part 7.

[0041] The engagement portion 21 is provided between the fixed fence portion 5 and the rotating fence portion 7, and in the locked position engages the fixed fence portion 5 and the rotating fence portion 7 to prevent relative rotation, and in the released position releases the engagement to allow the rotating fence portion 7 to rotate.

[0042] The engagement portion 21 of this embodiment is formed by an engagement protrusion 31 and an engagement groove 33 provided on the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, respectively.

[0043] The engagement projections 31 are provided on the end face of the support tube portion 27 and the end face of the support shaft portion 29, which face each other in the vertical direction, which is the lifting direction. In this embodiment, the end face of the support tube portion 27 is the lower end face. In this embodiment, the end face of the support shaft portion 29 is the end face of a step portion 29b formed integrally with the outer periphery of the support shaft portion 29, which is the upper end face in this embodiment.

[0044] Each engagement protrusion 31 has the same shape and is a protrusion extending in the vertical direction. The side surface 31a of the engagement protrusion 31 is a flat surface extending in the vertical direction, and the vertical tip surface 31b of the engagement protrusion 31 is inclined forward and backward in the rotation direction of the rotating fence portion 7. In this embodiment, the rotation direction is the circumferential direction of the support tube portion 27 and the support shaft portion 29. The side surface 31a may be inclined forward and backward in the rotation direction. In this case, the angle between the side surface 31a of the engagement protrusion 31 and the vertical direction is smaller than that of the tip surface 31b.

[0045] The tip surface 31b of the engagement projection 31 has a vertical apex 31c at the middle of the rotation direction. The position of the apex 31c is located in the center of the rotation direction, but it may be displaced slightly forward or backward in the rotation direction from the center. The forward and backward in the rotation direction refer to the front and rear when the rotating fence part 7 rotates, and are interchangeable depending on the rotation direction. Therefore, the forward and backward in the rotation direction are synonymous with one side and the other side of the rotation direction.

[0046] One side surface 31d and the other side surface 31e are provided which are inclined from the apex 31c toward the front and rear in the rotation direction so as to reduce the vertical dimension of the engagement projection 31. The angle between the one side surface 31d and the other side surface 31e and the vertical direction is set to about 45 degrees. However, this angle may be other than 45 degrees.

[0047] The tip surface 31b of the engagement projection 31 may be formed by a single surface having a constant inclination so that the dimension in the lifting direction becomes smaller or larger from the front to the rear in the rotation direction. Also, the tip surface 31b of the engagement projection 31 may be composed of multiple surfaces having the same direction but different inclinations.

[0048] The engagement grooves 33 are provided between adjacent engagement protrusions 31, and engage with the mating engagement protrusions 31 in the circumferential direction when the rotating fence portion 7 is in the locked position. The engagement grooves 33 in this embodiment are defined by adjacent engagement protrusions 31.

[0049] The mating engagement protrusion 31 refers to the engagement protrusion 31 provided on either the rotating fence part 7 or the fixed fence part 5 relative to the other. In other words, the engagement groove 33 provided on either the rotating fence part 7 or the fixed fence part 5 engages with the engagement protrusion 31 provided on the other of the mating rotating fence part 7 and fixed fence part 5.

[0050] The engagement groove 33 is formed along the vertical direction, and is configured to engage with the mating engagement protrusion 31 by the weight of the rotating fence part 7. This engagement locks the rotation of the rotating fence part 7.

[0051] The vertical depth of the engagement groove 33 is approximately equal to the vertical length of the engagement protrusion 31. The depth of the engagement groove 33 or the length of the engagement protrusion 31 is the lifting stroke of the rotating fence part 7 from the locked position to the released position. In other words, when the rotating fence part 7 is lifted up beyond the lifting stroke to disengage the engagement groove 33 and the engagement protrusion 31, the rotating fence part 7 is in the released position and rotation is permitted.

[0052] The side surface 31a of the engagement groove 33 is shared with the side surface 31a of the engagement protrusion 31. The bottom surface 33a of the engagement groove 33 is formed of a flat surface along the circumferential direction of the rotating fence portion 7. However, the bottom surface 33a of the engagement groove 33 may be configured to be inclined according to the tip surface 31b of the engagement protrusion 31.

[0053] The engaging portion 21 may have other configurations, for example, it may be configured with one or more pins and a groove for engaging the pins. The engaging portion 21 may also be configured with a spline or the like.

[0054] The regulating portion 23 is supported by one of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, and engages with the other of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5 to regulate the lifting of the rotating fence portion 7 to the locked position. The regulating portion 23 in this embodiment is supported so as to be swingable by the rotating fence portion 7. The regulating portion 23 is provided with a regulating protrusion 23a which can be engaged and disengaged with respect to the regulating groove 29a by swinging in the horizontal direction, which is the direction intersecting the lifting direction.

[0055] In addition, the regulating portion 23 may be a member that is engaged with a groove or flange provided on both the fixed fence portion 5 and the rotating fence portion 7 in the lifting direction.

[0056] The lever 25 is supported so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction, which is the lifting direction, relative to the rotating fence section 7, and is connected to the regulating section 23. When displaced vertically upward, the lever 25 moves the regulating section 23 in conjunction with the lever 25, thereby releasing the restriction on the lifting of the rotating fence section 7.

[0057] In this embodiment, the lever 25 is provided on the grip portion 7a of the rotating fence unit 7. The grip portion 7a is for an operator to grip when pulling up the rotating fence unit 7. The grip portion 7a is formed so that the operator can grip it with one hand. The lever 25 in this embodiment is located below the grip portion 7a in the pulling-up direction, and is accommodated in the grip portion 7a by being displaced upward in the pulling-up direction.

[0058] Specifically, lever 25 is a long arm, and one side in the longitudinal direction is supported rotatably on rotating fence portion 7. Lever 25 is biased downward with respect to grip portion 7a by biasing member 25a. Biasing member 25a is a torsion spring attached to pivot shaft 25b of lever 25. However, biasing member 25a may be a coil spring or the like. Biasing member 25a may be omitted.

[0059] The other side of the lever 25 in the longitudinal direction is rotatably connected to the restricting portion 23. Therefore, when the lever 25 is displaced in the lifting direction, the lever 25 is caused to swing.

[0060] The lever 25 is entirely housed within the resin cover 17 of the rotating fence 7, and its longitudinal middle portion is disposed along the grip portion 7a. A part of the middle portion of the lever 25 forms a protruding portion 25c that protrudes downward from the grip portion 7a through the opening 17c.

[0061] This protrusion 25c is located below the grip portion 7a in the lifting direction, and is accommodated in the grip portion 7a by being displaced upward in the lifting direction. In this embodiment, "accommodated" means that the lever 25 is completely accommodated in the grip portion 7a. However, the lever 25 may be configured to be partially accommodated in the grip portion 7a. In this case, the remaining part of the partially accommodated lever 25 may constitute part of the grip portion 7a.

[0062] In this embodiment, the lever 25 is directly operated upward in the lifting direction when the protruding portion 25c grips the gripping portion 7a or when the gripping portion 7a is gripped to lift the rotating fence portion 7. However, the lever 25 may be indirectly operated by the operator. For example, a release button that can be displaced in the lifting direction may be provided, and the lever 25 may be displaced in the lifting direction in conjunction with the operation of the release button in the lifting direction.

[0063] Furthermore, the lever 25 can be restricted from being displaced in the lifting direction by a lever lock 35. This lever lock 35 prevents the restriction on lifting of the rotating fence portion 7 from being released when the lever 25 is inadvertently gripped. This lever lock 35 is slidably attached to the grip portion 7a, and is held in an initial position by an elastic member 37 such as a coil spring. In the initial position, the lock arm 35a of the lever lock 35 engages with the lock protrusion 25d of the lever 25 in the lifting direction. This engagement is released by displacing the lever lock 35 from the initial position against the elastic force of the elastic member 37. The lever lock 35 may be omitted.

[0064] [Support structure] Figure 5 is an oblique view showing the support structure of the bed side rail in Figure 1, Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the area around the legs of the bed side rail in Figure 2, Figure 7 is an oblique view showing the area around the locking portion of the support structure in Figure 5, and Figure 8 is a front view showing the area around the locking portion of the bed side rail in Figure 1.

[0065] The support structure 6 supports the fixed fence portion 5 relative to the bed frame 3. In this embodiment, the support structure 6 is composed of a plurality of support holes 39, a plurality of legs 41, a plurality of displacement members 43, a connecting portion 45, and a plurality of engagement members 47.

[0066] A number of support holes 39 are provided on the side of the bed frame 3. In this embodiment, the support holes 39 are provided on the arms of the bed frame 3. The support holes 39 have openings at the top, allowing the legs 41 of the fixed fence 5 to be inserted from above.

[0067] A pair of legs 41 are provided on the fixed fence 5, and each is inserted into the support hole 39 of the bed frame 3. It is possible to provide three or more legs 41. Each leg 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is loosely fitted into the support hole 39 when inserted therein without rattling. The shape of the legs 41 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a square tube or a solid column. Although only one leg 41 is shown in FIG. 5, the other leg 41 is configured symmetrically to the one leg 41.

[0068] The multiple displacement members 43 are configured to be displaceable between a fixed position and a released position with respect to the leg portion 41. The fixed position is a position where the fixed fence portion 5 is fixed to the bed frame 3, and the released position is a position where the fixed fence portion 5 is removable from the bed frame 3.

[0069] The displacement members 43 in this embodiment are each formed in a rod shape and inserted into the leg portion 41. Both axial ends of the displacement members 43 protrude from the leg portion 41. Note that the axial direction refers to the axial direction of the displacement members 43. The axial direction in this embodiment coincides with the vertical direction. However, the axial direction does not have to coincide with the vertical direction.

[0070] One side (the upper side in this embodiment) of the displacement member 43 is curved along the axial intersecting direction and is connected to a connecting portion 45. The axial intersecting direction means a direction intersecting the axial direction, which coincides with the horizontal direction in this embodiment.

[0071] The connecting portion 45 connects the plurality of displacement members 43 and displaces them in the axial direction as a unit. The connecting portion 45 of this embodiment includes a connecting rod 49 and a cam 51.

[0072] The connecting rod 49 is a rod-shaped member. This connecting rod 49 is supported by the fixed fence portion 5 so as to be rotatable about its axis, and is disposed along the horizontal direction, which is the direction intersecting the axis. In this embodiment, the connecting rod 49 has bulges 49a on both sides in the horizontal direction. The bulges 49a rotatably engage with the circumferential groove 13b of the resin cover 13 of the fixed fence portion 5, whereby the connecting rod 49 is supported by the fixed fence portion 5.

[0073] In addition, the connecting rod 49 may be supported on the fixed fence portion 5 by a bearing or the like, and the method of supporting it on the fixed fence portion 5 is not important.

[0074] The horizontal middle part of the connecting rod 49 passes through the notch 13a of the fixed fence part 5, and an operating part 53 for rotating the connecting rod 49 about its axis is attached to this middle part. The operating part 53 is preferably shaped to form a non-uniform protrusion in the circumferential direction of the connecting rod 49 in order to indicate the rotational position of the connecting rod 49 about its axis. However, the connecting rod 49 may also be provided with a mark to indicate the rotational position about its axis.

[0075] The operating portion 53 of this embodiment is aligned with the plastic cover 13 of the fixed fence portion 5 when the displacement member 43 is in the fixed position, and protrudes from the plastic cover 13 when the displacement member 43 is in the released position.

[0076] Furthermore, the operating portion 53 has a locking portion 55 for locking the connecting rod 49. The locking portion 55 enables the operating portion 53 to be locked to the fixed fence portion 5 when the displacement member 43 is in the fixed position, that is, in a state aligned with the resin cover 13.

[0077] The locking portion 55 is not particularly limited, but is composed of a locking pin 55a and a locking hole 55b. The locking pin 55a is supported so as to be able to appear and disappear from the operating portion 53 by operating a locking portion main body 55c, and the locking hole 55b is formed in the resin cover 13 of the fixed fence portion 5, and engages with the locking pin 55a.

[0078] The cam 51 is provided on the connecting rod 49 in correspondence with the displacement member 43, and displaces the displacement member 43 in the axial direction in response to the rotation of the connecting rod 49 about its axis. The cam 51 in this embodiment is constituted by a cam groove 51a provided in the bulge 49a of the connecting rod 49. One side of the displacement member 43 engages with this cam 51. As a result, the cam 51 moves one side of the displacement member 43 up and down in the vertical direction by means of the cam groove 51a in response to the rotation of the connecting rod 49. The cam 51 can also be constituted by a disc cam or the like.

[0079] The engaging members 47 are disposed between the plurality of legs 41 and the plurality of displacement members 43, respectively. The engaging members 47 in this embodiment are frictional engaging members capable of frictionally engaging with the inner surfaces 39a of the support holes 39. Specifically, the engaging members 47 in this embodiment are flexible and are compressed in response to the displacement of the plurality of displacement members 43 toward the fixed positions. As a result, the engaging members 47 bulge in the horizontal direction, which is the axial intersecting direction, and are pressed against the inner surfaces 39a of the plurality of support holes 39 to frictionally engage with them.

[0080] The engaging member 47 is formed into a cylindrical shape from, for example, rubber, and is provided on the outer periphery of the other axial side of the displacement member 43. The engaging member 47 is held between the tip surface 41a of the leg portion 41 and a flange portion 43a on the other axial side of the displacement member 43.

[0081] The engaging member 47 can also be disposed inside the leg portion 41. In this case, an opening that allows the engaging member 47 to face the outside of the leg portion 41 may be provided. When the engaging member 47 is provided inside the leg portion 41, a flange portion or the like that supports the engaging member 47 is also required on the leg portion 41 side.

[0082] The engaging member 47 may be an engaging piece instead of a frictional engaging member. The engaging piece may be displaced in a direction intersecting the axial direction in response to the displacement of the displacement member 43. For example, it may be configured by attaching an elastic member such as spring steel having a C-shaped cross section to the outer periphery of the other side of the axial direction of the displacement member 43 via a movable piece such as a rigid body. In this case, the movable piece may have a tapered surface or the like, so that it displaces radially in response to the displacement of the displacement member 43 toward the fixed position, expanding the diameter of the engaging member 47. This expansion of the diameter causes the engaging member 47 to engage with a recess provided on the inner surface 39a of the support hole 39. It is also possible to use the engaging member 47 as an engaging piece as a frictional engaging member pressed against the inner surface 39a without providing a recess on the inner surface 39a of the support hole 39.

[0083] The displacement member 43 may be a cord-like member, a rod-like member, a chain-like member, or the like, as long as it compresses the engagement member 47 in response to the displacement. The compression here can be performed by pressing the engagement member 47 against the leg portion 41. This pressing is performed by a flange portion 43a provided on the displacement member 43. However, the displacement member 43 may be formed integrally with the engagement member 47 by molding or the like, so that the displacement member 43 is configured to displace the engagement member 47 integrally.

[0084] [Rotation of the rotating fence] When rotating the rotating fence portion 7, the grip portion 7a is gripped and the rotating fence portion 7 is pulled up to the unlocked position.

[0085] When lifting, the restriction on lifting the rotating fence part 7 is released in advance. That is, the lever lock 35 is displaced against the elastic force of the elastic member 37 to release the lock on the lever 25, and in this state, the lever 25 is displaced upward in the lifting direction. This causes the restricting part 23 to move in conjunction with the restricting protrusion 23a to leave the restricting groove 29a, allowing the rotating fence part 7 to be lifted.

[0086] This release can be easily performed with one hand as a series of lifting operations by the operator operating lever lock 35 with his thumb and then gripping grip portion 7a as an extension of the operation of lifting lever 25. In this way, the lifting restriction can be released while the rotating fence portion 7 is being lifted.

[0087] After the rotating fence unit 7 has been raised to the unlocked position, the operator rotates the rotating fence unit 7 with one hand and lowers the rotating fence unit 7 to the desired rotation position. This lowering can be achieved by the weight of the rotating fence unit 7.

[0088] When the rotating fence part 7 is lowered to the locked position, the engagement protrusion 31 of the rotating fence part 7 engages with the engagement groove 33 of the fixed fence part 5, and the engagement protrusion 31 of the fixed fence part 5 engages with the engagement groove 33 of the rotating fence part 7. This places the rotating fence part 7 in a locked state in which rotation is restricted.

[0089] When the engaging protrusion 31 engages with the engaging groove 33, the engaging protrusion 31 and the engaging groove 33 may be misaligned in the rotation direction, causing the engaging protrusions 31 of the rotating fence part 7 and the fixed fence part 5 to butt up against each other as the rotating fence part 7 descends. In this case, in this embodiment, the tip surface 31b of the engaging protrusion 31 is inclined back and forth toward the apex 31c, so that the mutually butting engaging protrusions 31 can be guided into the engaging groove 33 and reliably engaged.

[0090] After this engagement, when the operator releases the grip portion 7a, the lever 25 and the lever lock 35 return to their initial positions, and the lifting of the rotating fence portion 7 is locked.

[0091] In this manner, in this embodiment, the rotating fence unit 7 can be easily rotated with one hand, and the operability of rotating the rotating fence unit 7 can be improved.

[0092] [Fixing the fixed fence section] When fixing the fixed fence part 5 to the bed frame 3, the operating part 53 of the fixed fence part 5 is positioned in advance so as to protrude from the resin cover 13. In this state, the legs 41 of the fixed fence part 5 are inserted into the support holes 39 of the bed frame 3, and the fixed fence part 5 is supported on the bed frame 3.

[0093] In this supported state, the operating portion 53 of the fixed fence 5 is aligned with the resin cover 13, causing the connecting rod 49 to rotate about its axis. When the connecting rod 49 rotates about its axis, the displacement member 43 is pulled up vertically via the cam 51. As a result of this pulling, the engagement member 47 is compressed between the leg portion 41 of the fixed fence 5 and the flange portion 43a of the displacement member 43, causing it to bulge horizontally.

[0094] As a result, the engaging members 47 are pressed into the support holes 39, making it impossible for the legs 41 to be pulled out of the support holes 39. In this manner, the fixed fence 5 is fixed to the bed frame 3.

[0095] The fixed fence portion 5 can be removed from the bed frame 3 by reversing the above steps.

[0096] [effect] As described above, the bed side rail 1 of this embodiment comprises a fixed rail portion 5 supported by the bed frame 3, a rotating rail portion 7 that is rotatable relative to the fixed rail portion 5, and a locking mechanism 9 that locks and unlocks the rotation of the rotating rail portion 7 relative to the fixed rail portion 5.

[0097] The locking mechanism 9 comprises a support portion 19 which supports the rotating fence portion 7 so that it can rotate relative to the fixed fence portion 5 and be lifted from the locked position to the unlocked position; an engagement portion 21 which is provided between the fixed fence portion 5 and the rotating fence portion 7 and which engages the fixed fence portion 5 and the rotating fence portion 7 so that they cannot rotate relative to each other at the locked position and releases the engagement between the fixed fence portion 5 and the rotating fence portion 7 at the unlocked position to allow the rotating fence portion 7 to rotate; a regulating portion 23 which is supported by the rotating fence portion 7, which is one of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, and engages with the fixed fence portion 5, which is the other of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, to regulate the lifting of the rotating fence portion 7 from the locked position; and a lever 25 which is supported so as to be displaceable in the lifting direction relative to the rotating fence portion 7 and is connected to the regulating portion 23, and which, when displaced upward in the lifting direction, engages the regulating portion 23 to release the regulation on the lifting of the rotating fence portion 7.

[0098] Therefore, the fixed fence section 5 can be pulled up and rotated by simply pulling up the lever 25, so that the rotating fence section 7 can be easily rotated with one hand, improving the operability of rotating the rotating fence section 7.

[0099] In addition, the bed side rail 1 is provided with a gripping portion 7a for gripping when the rotating rail portion 7 is pulled up, and the lever 25 is positioned below the gripping portion 7a and is accommodated in the gripping portion 7a by being displaced upward in the pulling direction.

[0100] Therefore, by gripping the grip portion 7a as an extension of the operation of pulling up the lever 25, the operability of rotating the rotating fence portion 7 can be improved.

[0101] The engagement portion 21 includes a plurality of engagement protrusions 31 provided on each of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, and an engagement groove 33 provided between adjacent engagement protrusions 31 on the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5 for engaging with a mating engagement protrusion 31. The tip surface 31b of the engagement protrusion 31 in the lifting direction is inclined forward and backward in the rotation direction of the rotating fence portion 7.

[0102] Therefore, even if the engaging protrusions 31 of the rotating fence section 7 and the fixed fence section 5 abut against each other when engaging the engaging protrusions 31 with the engaging grooves 33, the abutting engaging protrusions 31 are guided by the tip surfaces 31b into the engaging grooves 33 and are reliably engaged with each other.

[0103] Further, the tip surface 31b of the engagement projection 31 has a vertex 31c in the lifting direction at the middle in the rotation direction, and is inclined from this vertex 31c toward the front and rear in the rotation direction so that the dimension of the engagement projection 31 in the lifting direction becomes smaller.

[0104] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the engaging protrusions 31 of the rotating fence part 7 and the fixed fence part 5 butt against each other, the engaging protrusions 31 are guided to and engaged with the engaging grooves 33 that are closer in the rotation direction. This makes it possible to reduce the error of the rotation position of the locked rotating fence part 7 with respect to the rotation position desired by the operator.

[0105] The support portion 19 comprises a support tube portion 27 provided on the rotating fence portion 7, which is one of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, a support shaft portion 29 provided on the fixed fence portion 5, which is the other of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, and through which the support tube portion 27 is inserted so as to be relatively rotatable, and a horizontal regulating groove 29a provided on the support shaft portion 29, which is the lifting intersecting direction. The regulating portion 23 is supported by the rotating fence portion 7, which is one of the rotating fence portion 7 and the fixed fence portion 5, and comprises a regulating protrusion 23a that can be engaged and disengaged with the regulating groove 29a.

[0106] Therefore, the support portion 19 and the restriction portion 23 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0107] The bed side fence 1 of this embodiment is provided with a fixed fence portion 5 and comprises a plurality of legs 41 which are respectively inserted into a plurality of support holes 39 provided in the bed frame 3, a plurality of displacement members 43 which are displaceable in the vertical direction which is the axial direction relative to the plurality of legs 41 between a fixed position and a released position, a connecting portion 45 which connects the plurality of displacement members 43 and displaces them integrally in the vertical direction, and engaging members 47 which are respectively arranged between the plurality of legs 41 and the plurality of displacement members 43 and engage with the inner surface of the support hole portion 39 in response to displacement of the plurality of displacement members 43 towards the fixed position.

[0108] Therefore, in this embodiment, the fixed fence portion 5 can be easily and reliably fixed to and released from the bed frame 3 simply by displacing the displacement member 43 via the connecting portion 45 .

[0109] The connecting portion 45 is supported on the fixed fence portion 5 so as to be freely rotatable around its axis, and includes a connecting rod 49 arranged along the horizontal direction which is the axial intersecting direction, and a cam 51 provided on the connecting rod 49 corresponding to the multiple displacement members 43 and displaces the multiple displacement members 43 in the axial direction in response to the rotation of the connecting rod 49 around the axis.

[0110] Therefore, in this embodiment, the fixed fence portion 5 can be more easily and reliably fixed to and released from the bed frame 3 simply by rotating the connecting rod 49 around its axis.

[0111] The connecting rod 49 has an operating portion 53 for rotating around an axis, and has a locking portion 55 between the operating portion 53 and the fixed fence portion 5, which enables the operating portion 53 to be locked to the fixed fence portion 5 when the multiple displacement members 43 are in a fixed position.

[0112] Therefore, by operating the operating part 53, the fixed fence part 5 can be more easily and reliably fixed to and released from the bed frame 3. Moreover, the connecting rod 49 can be engaged with the fixed fence part 5 using the operating part 53, which prevents the fixed fence part 5 from being inadvertently released from its fixed state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1 Bed rail 3 Bed Frame 5 Fixed fence part 6 Support structure 7 Rotating fence section 7a Gripping part 9 Locking mechanism 19 Support part 21 Engagement part 23 Regulatory Department 23a Regulatory protrusion 25 Lever 27 Support cylinder part 29 Support shaft part 29a Regulatory groove 31 Engagement protrusion 31b Tip surface 31c Vertex 33 Engagement groove 39 Support hole 39a Inside 41 Legs 43 Displacement member 45 Joint 47 Engagement member 49 Combined rod 51 Cam 53 Operation section 55 Locking part

Claims

1. A fixed fence portion supported by the bed frame; A rotating fence portion that is rotatable relative to the fixed fence portion; A locking mechanism is provided for locking and unlocking the rotation of the rotating fence part relative to the fixed fence part, The locking mechanism includes: a support portion that supports the rotating fence portion so that the rotating fence portion can rotate relative to the fixed fence portion and can be lifted from a lock position to an unlocked position; an engagement portion provided between the fixed fence portion and the rotating fence portion, which engages the fixed fence portion and the rotating fence portion so as not to rotate relative to each other at the lock position and releases the engagement at the release position to allow the rotating fence portion to rotate; a restricting portion supported by one of the rotating fence portion and the fixed fence portion and engaging with the other of the rotating fence portion and the fixed fence portion to restrict lifting of the rotating fence portion at the lock position; a lever that is supported so as to be displaceable in a lifting direction relative to the rotating fence portion and is connected to the regulating portion, and that, by displacing upward in the lifting direction, moves the regulating portion in conjunction with the lever to release the restriction on lifting of the rotating fence portion; A gripping portion for gripping the rotating fence portion when the rotating fence portion is lifted up is provided. The lever is located below the grip portion and is accommodated in the grip portion by being displaced upward in the lifting direction. Bed side rails.

2. The bed side rail according to claim 1, The engaging portion includes a plurality of engaging protrusions provided on each of the rotating fence portion and the fixed fence portion, and an engaging groove provided between adjacent engaging protrusions of the rotating fence portion and the fixed fence portion for engaging a mating engaging protrusion, The engaging protrusion has a tip surface in the lifting direction that is inclined forward and backward in the rotation direction of the rotating fence portion. Bed side rails.

3. The bed side rail according to claim 2, The tip surface of the engagement projection has a vertex in the lifting direction at a middle portion in the rotation direction, and is inclined from the vertex toward the front and rear in the rotation direction so as to reduce a dimension of the engagement projection in the lifting direction. Bed side rails.

4. The bed side rail according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The support portion includes a support tube portion provided on one of the rotating fence portion and the fixed fence portion, a support shaft portion provided on the other of the rotating fence portion and the fixed fence portion and inserted through the support tube portion so as to be relatively rotatable, and a restriction groove provided on the support shaft portion in a lifting cross direction, The regulating portion is supported by one of the rotating fence portion and the fixed fence portion and includes a regulating protrusion that can be engaged with and disengaged from the regulating groove. Bed side rails.

5. The bed side rail according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A plurality of legs are provided on the fixed fence portion and are inserted into a plurality of support holes provided in the bed frame, respectively; a plurality of displacement members axially displaceable relative to the plurality of legs between a locked position and a released position; a coupling portion that couples the plurality of displacement members and displaces them integrally in the axial direction; an engaging member disposed between each of the plurality of legs and each of the plurality of displacement members, the engaging member engaging with an inner surface of each of the plurality of support hole portions in response to displacement of each of the plurality of displacement members toward the fixed position; A bed side rail equipped with:

6. The bed side rail according to claim 5, The connecting portion includes a connecting rod supported on the fixed fence portion so as to be rotatable about an axis and arranged along the axial crossing direction, and a cam provided on the connecting rod corresponding to the plurality of displacement members, which displaces the plurality of displacement members in the axial direction in response to the rotation of the connecting rod about the axis. Bed side rails.

7. The bed side rail according to claim 6, the connecting rod includes an operating portion for rotating around the axis, A locking portion is provided between the operating portion and the fixed fence portion, the locking portion being capable of locking the operating portion to the fixed fence portion when the plurality of displacement members are in the fixed position. Bed side rails.

Images