Bed departure detection system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Detection apparatus for an articulated bed having at least two articulated sections for supporting a mattress, each section including a rigid frame, comprising:
- a first tape switch attached to a thigh supporting section of the bed and suspended from the frame across the width of the bed underneath of and in contact with the mattress;
a second tape switch attached to a seat supporting section of the bed and suspended from the frame across the width of the bed underneath of and in contact with the mattress;
said tape switches being separately actuable by the weight of a person on the respective sections of the bed to which the switches are attached; and
said tape switches being electrically connected and adapted to cooperate with an external electrical circuit for producing a signal in response to the person'"'"'s weight shifting off of the sections to which the switches are attached.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure relates to bed departure detection devices employing tape switch detectors in fixed positions in the seat and thigh sections of the mattress supporting structure of an articulated hospital bed. Bedside circuitry, connected to existing nurse call and two-way communication links, provides signals to a central nurse call station as an indication of unauthorized bed departure.
234 Citations
24 Claims
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1. Detection apparatus for an articulated bed having at least two articulated sections for supporting a mattress, each section including a rigid frame, comprising:
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a first tape switch attached to a thigh supporting section of the bed and suspended from the frame across the width of the bed underneath of and in contact with the mattress; a second tape switch attached to a seat supporting section of the bed and suspended from the frame across the width of the bed underneath of and in contact with the mattress; said tape switches being separately actuable by the weight of a person on the respective sections of the bed to which the switches are attached; and said tape switches being electrically connected and adapted to cooperate with an external electrical circuit for producing a signal in response to the person'"'"'s weight shifting off of the sections to which the switches are attached. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. Detection apparatus for an articulated bed having at least two articulated sections including a wire mesh attached to a bed frame by a plurality of springs, said articulated sections supporting a mattress and including a thigh supporting section of the bed and a seat supporting section of the bed, comprising:
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a first tape switch located in said thigh supporting section of the bed and mounted on a first supporting plate suspended from the frame by springs; a second tape switch located in said seat supporting section of the bed and mounted on a second supporting plate suspended from the frame by springs; said first and second tape switches extending substantially across the width of the bed and being separately actuable by the weight of a person on the respective section of the bed in which the switches are located; and said tape switches being electrically connected and adapted to cooperate with an external electrical circuit for producing a signal in response to the person'"'"'s weight shifting off of the sections in which the switches are located. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A departure detection system for a hospital patient bed having at least two articulated frame and spring sections for supporting a mattress comprising:
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a first switch, attached to the frame of one section of the bed and suspended from the frame across the width of the bed underneath of and in contact with the mattress, said first switch comprising a pair of resilient conductors normally spaced from one another and adapted to contact one another when at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s weight is supported by said one section of the bed; a second switch, attached to the frame of another section of the bed and suspended from the frame across the width of the bed underneath of and in contact with the mattress, said second switch comprising a pair of resilient conductors normally spaced from one another and adapted to contact one another when at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s weight is supported by said another section of the bed, said first and second switches being electrically connected in parallel to circuitry for producing an electrical indication that the patient has departed the bed; means responsive to said electrical indication of producing an alarm signal for transmission over a nurse call link to a central call board remote from said bed; and means responsive to said electrical indication from said switches for producing an audible bed departure indication over a two-way voice communication link between the bed and the central call board. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A bed frame and spring apparatus with integral detectors for detecting the presence or absence of a person in the bed, comprising:
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an articulated bed frame having a thigh frame section and a seat frame section selectively moveable with respect to said thigh frame section; springs attached to the bed frame; mesh suspended from said springs for supporting a mattress, including a thigh mesh section attached to the thigh frame section and a seat mesh section attached to the seat frame section; a first tape switch means for providing an indication of the weight carried by the thigh section of the bed, said first tape switch means being suspended from the thigh frame section by at least one of said springs on each side of the bed; a second tape switch means for providing an indication of the weight carried by the seat section of the bed, said second tape switch means being suspended from the seat frame section by at least one of said springs and each side of the bed; and an electrical lead means for connecting the first and second tape switch means in parallel and for connecting the switches to an external sensing circuit. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A bed apparatus for supporting a mattress and including integral detectors comprising:
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a generally rectangular bed frame, articulated at three parallel axes extending across the width of the bed to define head, seat, thigh and lower leg sections of the bed; first resilient tape switch means, attached to the bed frame and extending across substantially the entire width of the seat section of the bed, for at least partially supporting the mattress and providing an indication of the weight carried by the seat section of the bed; and second resilient tape switch means attached to the bed frame and extending across substantially the entire width of the thigh section of the bed, for partially supporting the mattress and providing an indication of the weight carried by the thigh section of the bed. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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- 22. Detection apparatus for a bed having a wire mesh attached to a frame by a plurality of springs for supporting a mattress, comprising a tape switch attached to the bed and mounted on a supporting plate suspended by springs from the frame across the width of the bed underneath of and in contact with the mattress, said tape switch being actuable by the weight of a person on the bed, said tape switch being electrically connected and adapted to cooperate with an external electrical circuit for producing a signal in response to the person'"'"'s weight shifting off of the bed.
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24. Detection apparatus for an articulated bed having at least two articulated sections for supporting a mattress, each section including a rigid planar board, comprising:
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a first tape switch mounted on the rigid planar board of a first articulated section between said board and said mattress, and extending substantially across the width of the bed; a second tape switch mounted on the rigid planar board of a second articulated section between said board and said mattress, and extending substantially across the width of the bed; said first and second tape switches being separately actuable by the weight of a person on the respective articulated sections on which the switches are mounted; and said tape switches being electrically connected and adapted to cooperate with an external electrical circuit for producing a signal in response to the person'"'"'s weight shifting off of the sections on which the switches are mounted.
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Specification