Hospital bed service unit with combination night light/switch light assembly

• US 3,872,294 A
• Filed: 07/30/1973
• Issued: 03/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joerns Healthcare, Inc. (Joerns Healthcare LLC)
• Original Assignee: Patrick J O'Toole
• Inventors: O'Toole, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheer, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US05/383,820
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 240/2R,2S,2SP,2W,2PA
• US Class Current: 362/85
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0072 Hospital beds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/801 Bedroom lighting, e.g. modular combinations

Abstract

A hospital bed service unit includes a combination night light and switch light assembly. A housing is provided in which a switch plate is mounted at an angle and a light source is mounted above the plate in the housing in an upper portion of the housing. A cover or shield over the upper portion of the assembly directs a light beam from the source downwardly over the switch plate and outwardly toward the floor to thereby provide night lighting, a light for reading wrist watches and the like, and switch plate illumination from a single light source.

Claims

1. In combination with a hospital service unit having a leading edge with a recess therein adapted for hanging on the wall of a hospitAl room proximate a hospital bed, a night light and switch light assembly mounted on said leading edge of said hospital service unit, said light assembly comprising:

a housing including a plurality of wall members including a top, bottom, and a back wall defining an open front enclosure, said housing being mounted vertically along its length within said recess in said service unit;

a switch panel mounted in said housing, said panel being recessed behind said leading edge of said unit, one end of said panel being fixed to said back wall a distance spaced from said top wall of said housing, the other end of said panel being fixed to said bottom wall at said open front of said housing such that said panel is angularly disposed in said housing;

a cover for said open front, said cover extending downwardly from said top wall a distance generally corresponding to the distance between said one end of said panel and said top wall, said cover, said back wall, and said top wall defining a chamber in said housing having an opening which opens downwardly along said panel and through said open front of said housing;

lighting means in said chamber, said lighting means directing light through said opening in said chamber and over said switch panel to illuminate same and downwardly to provide night lighting for the hospital room; and

at least one switch means mounted on said recessed panel for controlling the operation of lights or other technical facilities on said unit, said switch means being located completely behind said leading edge of said unit for protection thereby and illuminatiaon by said lighting means.

2. The combination lighting assembly of claim 1 and further including means releasably securing said cover on said open front whereby said cover may be removed for access to said lighting means in said chamber.

3. The combination lighting assembly of claim 2 wherein said housing includes a pair of spaced side walls, said releasable securing means including cooperable engaging means on said cover and said side walls thereby said cover may be removed.

4. In combination with a hospital service unit having a leading edge with a recess therein adapted for hanging on the wall of a hospital room proximate a hospital bed, a night light and switch light assembly mounted on said leading of said hospital service unit, said light assembly comprising:

a housing including a plurality of wall members including a top, bottom, and a back wall deifning an open front enclosure, said housing being mounted vertically along its length within said recess in said service unit;

a switch panel mounted in said housing, one end of said panel being fixed to said back wall a distance spaced from said top wall of said housing, the other end of said panel being fixed to said bottom wall at said open front of said housing such that said panel is angularly disposed in said housing;

a cover for said open front, said cover extending downwardly from said top wall a distance generally corresponding to the distance between said one end of said panel and said top wall, said cover, said back wall, and said top wall defining a chamber in said housing opening outwardly and downwardly along said panel and through said open front of said housing;

lighting means in said chamber, said lighting means directing light over said switch panel to illuminate same and downwardly to provide night lighting for the hospital room;

means releasably securing said cover on said open front whereby said cover may be removed for access to said lighting means in said chamber; and

means mounting said light means in said chamber, said mounting means being secured to said top wall.

5. The combination of claim 3 and further including a face plate for said lighting assembly, said face plate including wall means for partially closing the opening in said chamber, said wall means having an opening and recessed portions positionable in said housing, forming a decorative liner.

6. A hospital bed service unit having an exposed surface with a recess therein adapted for hanging on the wall of a hospital room proximate a hospital bed and having means carried thereby for providing technical facililties to the bed location;

switching means on said service unit for controlling said facilities; and

combined night lighting and switch lighting means illuminating said switching means, said combined lighting means including a recessed vertically elongated housing mounted within the recess of said service unit along said exposed surface thereof, said housing having top, bottom, back, and a pair of spaced side walls forming a box-like enclosure having an open front;

an elongated generally flat panel adapted for carrying said switching means mounted in said housing, said panel being generally recessed behind said exposed surface of said unit and extending between said side walls and having one end thereof secured in said housing at said bottom wall adjacent said open front, the other end of said panel extending upwardly and inwardly terminating at said back wall a distance spaced from said top wall;

lighting means positioned between said other end of said panel and said top wall; and

a cover member positioned between said side walls and said top wall to cover a portion of said open front adjacent said lighting means;

means within said housing defining an aperture below said lighting means for controlling the emission and direction of the light from said lighting means whereby said light illuminates said recessed panel and said switching means carried thereby and emanates outwardly and downwardly from said open front of said housing to provide night lighting for the room in which said service unit is installed.