Bed with retractable side extension
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Daily cleaning of a patient's bed is challenging when the patient has limited or no mobility, as it requires moving the patient, which can cause injuries and increases the risk of infection due to the need for frequent bed cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A bed with a retractable side extension featuring a shelf that extends outward from the bed, allowing a height-adjustable platform to be raised for patient transfer during cleaning, minimizing the distance the patient needs to be moved and enabling efficient sanitizing of the mattress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the patient is moved during bed cleaning, then the mattress can be cleaned and sanitized, but the patient may suffer injuries and experience discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The bed system is segmented into the main bed frame and a detachable side extension assembly. The side extension can be separated from the bed, allowing cleaning personnel to access and clean the mattress and bed frame without moving the patient. This segmentation enables independent cleaning of the bed components while the patient remains undisturbed on the main bed surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The side extension assembly acts as an intermediary structure that provides access to the mattress and bed frame for cleaning purposes. By using this intermediate platform, cleaners can perform sanitizing tasks without directly handling or moving the patient, thus eliminating the injury risk associated with patient relocation while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
2Area of stationary object
If the patient is moved a greater distance for cleaning, then more of the bed environment can be sanitized, but the risk of injury and discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is divided into the stationary bed where the patient remains and the movable side extension that provides access to cleaning areas. This segmentation allows the cleaned area to be expanded to include the mattress and bed frame surfaces without requiring the patient to be moved, as the side extension can be manipulated independently to provide cleaning access.
Solution Approach 2:
The side extension serves as an intermediary platform that extends the cleaned area by providing access to the mattress and bed frame. By using this intermediate structure, cleaners can sanitize larger areas of the bed environment without increasing patient discomfort, as the patient remains stationary on the main bed while the side extension is used for cleaning operations.
3Ease of operation
If a side extension is added to the bed, then patient transfer is possible without moving the patient, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side extension is designed with dynamic characteristics, being movable and adjustable rather than fixed. It can be extended outward to provide a patient transfer platform and then retracted or removed when not in use. This dynamic design enables patient transfer capability without permanently increasing the bed structure's complexity, as the side extension can be positioned only when needed for patient care operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The side extension assembly serves multiple functions: it provides a patient transfer platform, acts as a cleaning access structure, and can be configured in different positions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated devices for each function, thereby minimizing the overall device complexity while maintaining ease of operation for patient transfer and cleaning operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The bed with retractable side extension has a retractable shelf positioned below the mattress, the shelf being extendable from a side of the bed. The shelf has a face plate and a railing mounted on the face plate that moves outward with the shelf when the shelf is extended. A height-adjustable platform is mounted on the shelf. When the shelf is fully extended, the platform may be raised so that a top surface of the platform is level with the bed's mattress and an inner edge of the platform is adjacent the mattress. The platform is held in place by an adjustable support, which may releasably lock the platform in the raised position and can be unlocked to lower the platform back onto the shelf.