Articulating Bed Gap Shield Assembly for Section Gap Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hospital beds, particularly articulating and expandable width beds, often have undesirable gaps between sections that can lead to safety issues and access problems, which existing designs fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A gap shield assembly comprising shield members connected to different sections of the bed, which are mechanically or rotationally secured to prevent access between the head and seat sections, with optional supplemental shields and width extender assemblies to accommodate articulation and expansion features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If articulating bed sections are connected to provide patient support functionality, then bed versatility is improved, but gaps between sections are created that pose safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
A shield member is introduced as an intermediary component between the head section and seat section of the articulating bed. The shield member fills the gap between these sections, preventing harmful factors (such as patient limbs or medical equipment) from becoming trapped while preserving the articulation functionality of the bed sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield member is designed as a segmented structure with multiple portions (first shield portion, second shield portion, etc.) that can independently articulate with adjacent bed sections. This segmentation allows each portion to move with its associated bed section while maintaining continuous coverage of the gap area, thus preserving bed versatility while eliminating safety hazards.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If shield members are rigidly connected to bed sections to block gaps, then safety is improved, but articulation movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The shield member is designed with dynamic articulation capabilities, allowing it to change position and orientation in response to bed section movement. The shield member includes articulation points and movable portions that enable it to adapt its configuration as bed sections articulate, maintaining gap protection while preserving full bed range of motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield member is positioned within the spatial envelope of the articulating bed sections, nesting itself between the head section and seat section. This nested configuration allows the shield member to move with the bed sections without interfering with their articulation, as it occupies the gap space that would otherwise be hazardous.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple shield members are used to cover gaps in expandable width beds, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield member is designed as a universal component that can be used across multiple gap locations in the bed. The same shield member design can be applied to gaps between different bed sections (head-section, seat-section, foot-section) and can accommodate both articulating and expandable width bed configurations, reducing overall system complexity through component standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple shield members are merged into an integrated assembly where adjacent shield portions are connected through shared articulation points or overlapping structures. This merging reduces the number of independent components and connection mechanisms needed, simplifying the overall assembly while maintaining comprehensive gap coverage across expandable bed sections.
Data Source
AI summary
A gap shield assembly for shielding an open area between a first section of a bed and an adjacent second section of the bed. The gap shield has a first shield member and a second shield member. The second shield member is rotatably connected to the second section of the bed. The first shield member is rotatably and translationally connected to the second shield member. The gap shield assembly also has a width extender assembly connecting the first shield member to the first section of the bed to allow the first shield member to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to a centerline of the bed while still shielding the open area between the first and second sections of the bed.