Bed Barrier with Automatic Lock Release for One-Handed Stowage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional safety rails for hospital beds are cumbersome and complex to operate, hindering access to the underside of the bed when in the lower position, and require multiple steps to stow under the mattress, making them time-consuming and prone to mechanical failure.
Innovation Solution
A safety rail system that is rotatable and telescopic, featuring locking pins and chamfered pivot elements, allowing for easy transition from an extended position to a compact storage position under the bed without the need for manual locks, using magnets for securement and guides to facilitate smooth movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the safety rail is moved to the lower position to allow patient exit and healthcare access, then accessibility is improved, but the safety rail hinders access to the underside of the bed and controls
Solution Approach 1:
The safety rail is designed to rotate from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, changing its spatial dimension. This allows the rail to move from blocking the underside access (vertical position) to being stowed parallel to the bed frame (horizontal position), eliminating the hindrance to controls and patient care activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety rail is designed to nest under the mattress support when in the horizontal position. The rail structure includes features that allow it to fit within the space beneath the mattress support, effectively hiding it and freeing up the area underneath the bed for controls and accessibility.
2Device complexity
If manual locks and triggers are used to collapse the safety rail, then the rail can be stowed under the mattress support, but the mechanism becomes complex and time-consuming to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be automatically released by the rotation movement itself. As the safety rail rotates about the pivot elements, the shaped pivot elements automatically release the locking pins without requiring manual intervention. This eliminates the need for separate manual locks and triggers, simplifying operation while maintaining the stowage capability.
3Volume of moving object
If the safety rail is designed to collapse and rotate to fit under the mattress support, then space is optimized, but the mechanism becomes susceptible to mechanical failure
Solution Approach 1:
The complex multi-step collapse mechanism is replaced by a simpler rotation mechanism about pivot elements. The locking function is extracted as an automatic feature of the rotation movement itself, where the shaped pivot elements naturally release the locking pins during rotation, eliminating the need for separate collapse and lock-release mechanisms that would increase mechanical complexity and failure risk.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2
AI summary
Described herein is a barrier for a bed. The barrier is moveable between first and second positions, the first position for preventing an occupant of a bed from rolling out of a bed and the second position being a storage position. The barrier is securable in the first position by a securing means. When the barrier is in the first position the barrier is in an extended configuration and when the barrier is in the second position the barrier is in a compact configuration. The barrier comprises a locking means for locking the barrier in an extended configuration. The locking means is releasable by movement of the barrier from the first position to the second position.