Adjustable hospital bed and related methods for positioning patients laterally

Abstract

An adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally includes a support frame having an upper end and a lower end, a plurality of wheels fixed to the lower end of the support frame, and a body pad having a head end and a foot end and having a plurality of backrest pad slots around its perimeter. The bed also includes a backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad pins extending from the lower edge and removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad slots of the body pad to support the backrest pad on its lower edge and inclined with respect to the body pad. In addition, the bed includes a linear actuator configured to lift the head end of the body pad and an inclination adjustment mechanism configured to tilt the body pad laterally.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of hospital beds, and more specifically, to an adjustable hospital bed and related methods for positioning a patient laterally.

Background Art

[0002] Unfortunately, many people suffer from health disorders that affect their movement and muscle tension or posture. Thus, people with this type of disorder may have impaired movement and may have reduced range of motion in various joints due to muscle rigidity. In particular, lying sideways is often beneficial for patients and helps improve their comfort and their health condition.

[0003] Attempts have been made to manufacture side-lying type beds that support the patient in a side-lying position rather than supine. This helps, among other things, to alleviate pressure ulcers, thrombosis, and respiratory complications. Existing side-lying type beds are typically cumbersome to move or are fixed and otherwise insufficient to meet the needs of non-ambulatory patients.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved hospital bed that comfortably supports a patient laterally and secures the patient laterally and is also easy to operate within a medical or care facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally is disclosed. The adjustable hospital bed includes a support frame having an upper and lower end, and a plurality of wheels fixed to the lower end of the support frame, the support frame including a lower platform, an upper platform, and a plurality of vertical supports between them. The bed also includes a body pad having a head end and a foot end, and a plurality of backrest pad mortises around its periphery. The body pad is adjustablely fixed to the upper end of the support frame. The bed also includes a backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad tenons extending from the lower edge and inclined relative to the body pad, which are removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad mortises of the body pad to support the backrest pad on its lower edge. The backrest pad locking rod is configured to removably secure the backrest pad tenon by sliding the backrest pad locking rod through the backrest pad mortise therein, and the multiple backrest pad tenons include multiple position openings configured to receive the backrest pad locking rod through therein and to secure the backrest pad at a desired angle relative to the body pad.

[0006] In addition, the bed includes a linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the lower surface of the body pad, the linear actuator configured to lift the head end of the body pad. The support frame may have a power supply that is electrically connected to the linear actuator.

[0007] The bed includes a tilt adjustment mechanism having a first portion fixed to the upper end of a support frame and a second overlapping portion communicating with the underside of a body pad, the second overlapping portion of the tilt adjustment mechanism being configured to rotate relative to the first portion to tilt the body pad laterally with respect to the front or rear of the support frame. The tilt adjustment mechanism has a handle and a plurality of adjustment holes that cooperate to fix the body pad at a desired tilt angle relative to the support frame.

[0008] The bed may also include an upper push handle and a lower push handle, the upper push handle being fixed to the body pad and the lower push handle being fixed to the support frame. The rear surface of the backrest pad may have at least one backrest pad handle fixed thereto. In addition, the bed may have a foot pad extending from the foot end of the body pad, the foot pad being configured to rotate upward to align with and lock onto the body pad or to unlock and rotate downward.

[0009] The bed also includes a removable harness comprising a torso pad and at least one strap, the torso pad being configured to be positioned adjacent to the patient's torso, and at least one strap sliding around the backrest pad and torso pad to secure the patient laterally to the backrest pad.

[0010] In another specific embodiment, a method for positioning a patient laterally using an adjustable hospital bed is disclosed. The adjustable hospital bed includes a support frame having an upper and lower end, and a body pad having a plurality of backrest pad mortises around the head end and foot end, the body pad being adjustablely fixed to the upper end of the support frame. A backrest pad having a plurality of backrest pad mortises extending from its lower edge is removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad mortises of the body pad so as to be inclined relative to the body pad and support the backrest pad on its lower edge, a linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the underside of the body pad, and a tilt adjustment mechanism configured to rotate to tilt the body pad laterally relative to the front or rear of the support frame. This method includes the steps of positioning the patient laterally on a body pad, placing a torso pad adjacent to the patient's torso, and sliding straps attached to the torso pad around the backrest pad and body pad to laterally secure the patient to the backrest pad. In addition, this method includes the step of using a linear actuator and a tilt adjustment mechanism to secure the patient in a desired lateral position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of an adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally, which can implement various embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the top view of an adjustable hospital bed. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of an adjustable hospital bed. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a hospital bed without a backrest pad. [Figure 5] This is a front view of an adjustable hospital bed with a body pad tilted upward at one end and a removable backrest pad. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a right-side view of an adjustable hospital bed with a body pad that is tilted upward at one end. [Figure 7A] Figure 5 is a rear view of an adjustable hospital bed with a body pad that is tilted upward at one end. [Figure 7B] This is a detailed view of Figure 7A, showing the backrest pad tenon and backrest pad locking rod used to secure the backrest pad to the body pad. [Figure 7C] Figure 7B is a detailed view showing the alignment holes for the backrest pad tenon, which are configured to adjust the angle of the backrest pad relative to the body pad. [Figure 8] This is a left-side perspective view of an adjustable bed showing a tilt adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the inclination of the body pad relative to the front and rear of the support frame. [Figure 9] This diagram shows an adjustable hospital bed harness that fits around the patient and secures them sideways against the backrest pad. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing a patient fixed in a lateral position using the adjustable hospital bed of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention. However, the present invention can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the present invention may be thorough and complete and so as to convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Similar numbers refer to similar elements throughout.

[0013] Referring here to Figure 1, an adjustable hospital bed ("bed") for positioning a patient laterally is shown, designated as 100 overall. The bed 100 includes a body pad 102 for the patient to lie on. Specifically, the body pad 102 is rectangular in size so that the patient can lie on their side. The bed 100 may also include an upper push handle 114 fixed to the body pad 102.

[0014] To create a vertical surface for supporting the back when the patient is lying on their side, the backrest pad 104 is fixed along either side of the body pad 102. The body pad 102 includes a head end, which is the end where the patient rests their head, and a foot end, which is the opposite end where the patient rests their feet. The foot pad 106 is located at the end of the foot end and can be rotated upward to extend the length of the body pad 102 and locked in place. Similarly, the foot pad 106 can be rotated downward to keep it out of the way when not needed.

[0015] Referring further to Figure 1, the backrest pad 104 is secured to the rear edge of the body pad 102 so that the patient can lie on their left side with their back facing the backrest pad 104. The backrest pad 104 is secured to the body pad 102 using mortise and tenon joints along the lower edge of the backrest pad 104. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a number of mortise 108a are shown along the front edge of the body pad 102. Similarly, the rear edge of the body pad 102 has similar mortise joints for receiving the tenon of the backrest pad 104. Thus, the backrest pad 104 can be detached from the rear edge of the body pad 102 and secured to the front edge of the body pad 102 so that the patient can lie on their right side. The mortise and tenon joints between the body pad 102 and the backrest pad 104 allow for a strong and robust structural connection for supporting the patient.

[0016] The body pad 102 is fixed to the top of the support frame 110. The support frame 110 is rectangular overall and can be moved on wheels 116. Thus, the bed 100 is movable and can easily move through corridors and other crowded spaces where space for moving a patient is limited. An upper push handle, which facilitates pushing and turning when moving, is fixed near the head end of the bed 102.

[0017] The front view of the bed 100 is shown in FIG. 3. The laptop tray 122 is positioned on the support frame 110 above the storage cabinet 112. The laptop tray 122 extends outward from the support frame so that a caregiver can place and work on the laptop if desired. The laptop tray 122 can be pushed back and stored when not needed. In addition, a lower push handle 118 is positioned on the support frame 110 and can be used when the body pad 104 is tilted as described below.

[0018] Referring now to FIG. 4, a top view of the bed 100 without the backrest pad 104 is shown. A plurality of slots 108b are visible at the trailing edge of the body pad 102. As will be well understood by those skilled in the art, pockets or other containers suitable for receiving each peg of the backrest pad 104 can be used in the same manner as the slots.

[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the backrest pad 104 is shown removed from the body pad 102 so that the pegs 124 of the backrest pad 104 are visible. Also an important feature of the bed 100 is the function of tilting the head-side end of the body pad 102 upward as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This lifts the patient's head and upper body as desired.

[0020] The linear actuator 120 has a first end coupled to the support cart 110 and a second end coupled to the lower surface of the body pad 102 proximate the head-side end through a head-side end ball joint 145. Thus, when the linear actuator 120 extends, the head-side end of the body pad 102 is lifted upward. The foot-side end ball joint 144 is fixed to the support frame 110 and the lower surface of the body pad 102 proximate the foot-side end. The foot-side end ball joint 144 allows the body pad 102 to rotate about it when the linear actuator 120 lifts or lowers the body pad 102.

[0021] Referring here to Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C, another important feature of the bed 100 is the ability to tilt the backrest pad 104 relative to the body pad 102. Thus, the backrest pad 104 can be perpendicular to the body pad 102 or tilted away from the body pad 102. This is achieved by using alignment holes 128 through multiple tenons 124 and a backrest pad locking rod 126. In addition, the rear surface of the backrest pad 104 may have at least one backrest pad handle 130 fixed to it.

[0022] First, referring to Figure 7B, the backrest pad locking rod 126 is shown in detail passing through the mortise 108b. The tenon 124 is pulled out of the mortise 108b, but as the tenon 124 is seated in each mortise 108b, the backrest pad locking rod 126 is inserted through it to prevent the tenon 124 from being inadvertently pulled out of the mortise 108b.

[0023] Referring here to Figure 7C, the alignment holes 128a and 128b are shown. The alignment holes 128a and 128b are similarly positioned on each of the tenons 124 so that the rigid, linear backrest pad locking rod 126 can pass through the desired set of alignment holes 128a and 128b. Each set of alignment holes includes either an alignment hole 128a or 128b on each similarly positioned tenon 124. Thus, Figure 7C is a representative diagram of the two sets of alignment holes 128a and 128b. Thus, when the backrest pad 104 is positioned vertically, the first set of alignment holes 126a align with the openings 127 on each tenon 108b. When it is desired that the backrest pad 104 be tilted backward from the body pad 102, the second set of alignment holes 126b align with the openings 127 on each tenon 108a.

[0024] The body pad 102 also has the function of tilting laterally relative to the support frame 110 using a tilt adjustment mechanism 132, as shown in Figure 8. The support frame 110 may have a power supply 142 that is electrically connected to a linear actuator 120.

[0025] In addition, the support frame 110 includes a lower platform 152, an upper platform 154, and a plurality of vertical supports 156 between them. The tilt adjustment mechanism 132 includes a first portion 136 fixed to the upper end of the support frame 110 and a second overlapping portion 138 communicating with the lower surface of the body pad 102. The second overlapping portion 138 of the tilt adjustment mechanism 132 is configured to rotate relative to the first portion 136 to tilt the body pad 102 laterally relative to the front or rear of the support frame 110. The tilt adjustment mechanism 132 includes a handle 140 and a plurality of adjustment holes 141 that cooperate to fix the body pad 102 at a desired tilt angle relative to the support frame 110.

[0026] Therefore, it is important that both the head end ball joint 145 and the foot end ball joint 144 coupled to the linear actuator 120 are configured to accommodate movement in all directions when the body pad 102 tilts up and down and also laterally. As those skilled in the art will understand, other types or combinations of connections can be used to accommodate movement, in addition to the ball joints provided herein as an example in one embodiment.

[0027] To secure the patient to the bed 100, a removable harness 146 is provided, as shown in Figure 9, which includes a torso pad 143 and at least one strap 146. The torso pad 143 is configured to be positioned adjacent to the patient's torso, and at least one strap 146 slides around the backrest pad 104 and body pad 102 to secure the patient 150 laterally to the backrest pad 104.

[0028] Accordingly, the method for positioning a patient 150 laterally using the adjustable hospital bed 100 described above includes the step of positioning the patient 150 laterally on the body pad 102. The method also includes the steps of placing a torso pad 143 adjacent to the torso of the patient 150, and sliding a strap 148 attached to the torso pad 143 around the backrest pad 104 and the body pad 102 to laterally secure the laterally positioned patient 150 relative to the backrest pad 104. In addition, the method includes the step of using a linear actuator 120 and a tilt adjustment mechanism 132 to fix the patient 150 in a desired lateral position.

[0029] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention will be recalled by those skilled in the art who benefit from the teachings shown above and in the relevant drawings. It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and embodiments are included within the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 100 beds 102 Body Pads 104 Backrest pad 106 Foot Pads 108a Mortise

Claims

1. An adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally, A support frame having an upper end and a lower end, Multiple wheels fixed to the lower end of the support frame, A body pad having a head end and a foot end, having a plurality of backrest pad mortise holes around it, the body pad being adjustablely fixed to the upper end of the support frame, A backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad tenons extending from the lower edge so as to support the backrest pad at the lower edge at a certain angle to the body pad and being removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad mortise holes of the body pad, The device comprises a tilt adjustment mechanism having a first portion fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second overlapping portion communicating with the lower surface of the body pad, The second overlapping portion of the tilt adjustment mechanism is configured to rotate relative to the first portion to tilt the body pad laterally relative to the front or rear of the support frame, An adjustable hospital bed comprising a tilt adjustment mechanism having a handle and a plurality of adjustment holes cooperating to secure the body pad at a desired tilt angle relative to the support frame.

2. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, further comprising a linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the lower surface of the body pad, configured to lift the head end of the body pad.

3. Further including an upper push handle and a lower push handle, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein the upper push handle is fixed to the body pad and the lower push handle is fixed to the support frame.

4. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein the rear surface of the backrest pad includes at least one backrest pad handle fixed thereto.

5. The body pad further includes a foot pad extending from the foot end of the body pad, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein the foot pad is configured to rotate upward to align with and lock in place with the body pad, or to unlock and rotate downward.

6. It further includes a removable harness that includes a torso pad and at least one strap, The torso pad is configured to be placed adjacent to the patient's torso, and the at least one strap slides around the backrest pad and body pad to laterally secure the patient to the backrest pad, as described in claim 1. bed.

7. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 2, wherein the support frame further includes a power supply that is electrically connected to the linear actuator.

8. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein the support frame includes a lower platform, an upper platform, and a plurality of vertical supports between them.

9. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 1, further comprising a backrest pad locking rod, the backrest pad locking rod being configured to removably secure the backrest pad tenon to the backrest pad mortise by sliding the backrest pad locking rod through it.

10. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of backrest pad tenons include a plurality of position openings configured to receive the backrest pad locking rods through them and to fix the backrest pads at a desired angle relative to the body pads.

11. An adjustable hospital bed for positioning a patient laterally, A support frame having an upper end and a lower end, A body pad having a head end and a foot end, having a plurality of backrest pad mortise holes around it, the body pad being adjustablely fixed to the upper end of the support frame, A backrest pad having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of backrest pad tenons extending from the lower edge so as to support the backrest pad at the lower edge at a certain angle to the body pad and being removably inserted into the plurality of backrest pad mortise holes of the body pad, A linear actuator having a first end fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second end fixed to the lower surface of the body pad, configured to lift the head end of the body pad, A tilt adjustment mechanism having a first portion fixed to the upper end of the support frame and a second overlapping portion communicating with the lower side of the body pad, wherein the second overlapping portion of the tilt adjustment mechanism is configured to rotate relative to the first portion to tilt the body pad laterally relative to the front or rear of the support frame, Includes, An adjustable hospital bed having a tilt adjustment mechanism comprising a handle and a plurality of adjustment holes cooperating to secure the body pad at a desired tilt angle relative to the support frame.

12. The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 11, wherein the rear surface of the backrest pad includes at least one backrest pad handle fixed thereto.

13. The body pad further includes a foot pad extending from the foot end of the body pad, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 11, wherein the foot pad is configured to rotate upward to align with and lock in place with the body pad, or to unlock and rotate downward.

14. It further includes a removable harness that includes a torso pad and at least one strap, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 11, wherein the torso pad is configured to be placed adjacent to the patient's torso, and the at least one strap slides around the backrest pad and body pad to laterally secure the patient to the backrest pad.

15. Further including a backrest pad locking rod, the backrest pad locking rod is configured to removably secure the backrest pad tenon to the backrest pad mortise hole by sliding the backrest pad locking rod through it, The adjustable hospital bed according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of backrest pad tenons include a plurality of position openings configured to receive the backrest pad locking rods through them and to fix the backrest pads at a desired angle relative to the body pads.

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