Articulable Bed with a Translatable and Orientation Adjustable Deck Section and Volumetrically Adjustable Compensatory Element

• US 20130227788A1
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Turner, Jonathan D., Hornbach, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/613
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/07 for the head or torso, e.g. special back-rests pillows in general A47G9/10

Abstract

A bed comprises a deck having at least one section that is orientation adjustable about a laterally extending, longitudinally translatable axis and a mattress assembly including at least one volumetrically adjustable element associated with the orientation adjustable deck section. The volumetrically adjustable element is adapted to change the thickness of a portion of the mattress assembly adjacent to the deck section in a direction nonparallel to the orientation of the section and in response to a change in orientation of the deck section.

Claims

1. A bed comprising:

a deck having at least one section that is orientation adjustable about a laterally extending, longitudinally translatable axis that translates a prescribed distance in response to a change in orientation of the deck section; and

a mattress assembly including at least one volumetrically adjustable element associated with the orientation adjustable deck section, the element adapted to change the thickness of a portion of the mattress assembly adjacent to the deck section in a direction nonparallel to the orientation of the section and in response to the change in orientation of the deck section.

2. The bed of claim 1 comprising a controller for regulating the change of thickness in response to a change in orientation of the deck section.

3. The bed of claim 1 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is at least one inflatable bladder.

4. The bed of claim 3 including a blower for pressurizing the inflatable bladder.

5. The bed of claim 3 comprising multiple inflatable bladders each capable of effecting only part of a maximum attainable change in the thickness of the mattress assembly.

6. The bed of claim 1 in which the mattress assembly includes a substantially constant thickness base between the volumetrically adjustable element and the orientation adjustable deck section.

7. The bed of claim 5 in which the mattress assembly includes a substantially constant thickness base between the bladders and the orientation adjustable deck section.

8. The bed of claim 1 in which the axis translates headwardly in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a maximum bed occupant and by a greater amount for a less than maximum occupant.

9. The bed of claim 8 in which the baseline amount is zero at a maximum positive orientation of the deck section.

10. The bed of claim 1 in which the axis translates headwardly a prescribed distance in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a design point occupant who is less than a maximum occupant and more than a minimum occupant and by a greater amount for an occupant smaller than the design point occupant.

11. The bed of claim 10 in which the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by less than the baseline amount for an occupant who is larger than the design point occupant.

12. The bed of claim 10 in which the design point occupant is a 50th percentile member of a population.

13. The bed of claim 1 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of N inflatable bladders and in which the bed includes a controller for regulating inflation of the bladders to effect the change of mattress assembly thickness in response to a change in orientation of the deck section, the controller adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below, and with inflated bladder quantity being linearly interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between maximum and minimum occupant characteristics.

14. The bed of claim 13 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

15. The bed of claim 14 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

16. The bed of claim 1 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of P inflatable bladders and in which the bed includes a controller for regulating inflation of the bladders to effect the change of mattress assembly thickness in response to a change in orientation of the deck section, the controller adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below, and with inflated bladder quantity being linearly interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between the characteristics of a design point occupant and the characteristics of occupants smaller or larger than the design point occupant.

17. The bed of claim 16 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

18. The bed of claim 17 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

19. The bed of claim 1 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of N inflatable bladders and in which the bed includes a controller for regulating inflation of the bladders to effect the change of mattress assembly thickness in response to a change in orientation of the deck section, the controller adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below, and with inflated bladder quantity being linearly interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

20. The bed of claim 19 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

21. The bed of claim 20 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

22. The bed of claim 1 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of n inflatable bladders and in which the bed includes a controller for regulating inflation of the bladders to effect the change of mattress assembly thickness in response to a change in orientation of the deck section, the controller adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below, and with inflated bladder quantity being linearly interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.