Configurable Siderail with Lateral Movement and Radial Slot Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient-support apparatuses, such as hospital beds and stretchers, lack efficient mechanisms for siderail movement between storage and deployed positions, which can affect user safety and convenience during ingress and egress.
Innovation Solution
The siderail system allows lateral movement between multiple deployed positions and a storage position, utilizing a siderail body, support arms, a siderail latch, and a guide assembly with radial slots, enabling the siderail to be easily adjusted and secured in various positions relative to the upper frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the siderail is fixed in a single deployed position, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the adaptability to different patient needs and procedures is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The siderail is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable between multiple positions (first deployed position, second deployed position, and storage position) through a movement mechanism that allows lateral translation. This enables the siderail to adapt to different patient needs and procedural requirements while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure through the use of guide assemblies with radial slots and protrusion-follower mechanisms.
2Ease of manufacture
If the siderail mechanism is simplified for ease of manufacture, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the reliability of the movement and locking mechanism may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The siderail mechanism incorporates self-latching features where the protrusion automatically engages with the follower at specific radial slot positions to maintain the siderail in deployed positions without requiring additional active locking components. The guide assembly with radial slots provides inherent guidance and positioning, allowing the siderail to self-align and self-lock during movement between positions, thereby maintaining reliability while simplifying manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A siderail assembly for a patient-support apparatus including a frame and defining a head end, a foot end longitudinally spaced-apart therefrom, and two laterally spaced-apart sides, comprises a siderail body and a movement assembly. The movement assembly is coupled to the siderail body and is configured to be coupled with the frame of the patient-support apparatus. The movement assembly is configured so that the siderail body moves relative to the frame about a generally laterally-extending axis between a lowered position, a first raised position, and a second raised position laterally spaced apart from the first raised position.