Foot section for birthing bed

• US 5,157,800 A
• Filed: 04/15/1991
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Company Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Borders, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Application Number:
  US07/685,188
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 5/60, 5/69, 5/80, 5/443, 5/444, 5/431, 5/465, 5/649, 5/648, 5/624, 5/602, 269/328, 269/325
• US Class Current: 5/602
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/0009 Obstetrical tables or delivery beds chairs for gynaecological purposes A61G15/005
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/56 Calf

Abstract

A foot section for a birthing bed has a central panel and two lateral plates that function, in an inclined attitude, as footrests and in a vertical attitude as posts for receiving calf supports. The calf supports are stored in holsters on the underside of the footrests. The mattress is in three sections, with the outboard sections being hinged to a central section so as to be swung upwardly upon the central section thereby exposing the footrests without having to remove the whole foot section. The central panel can be removed with the mattress and is adapted to be stood on its end for temporary storage, thereby conserving floor space.

Claims

1. In a birthing bed having a bed frame,

a foot section comprising:

a foot panel mounted on said bed frame,

footrest-forming support plates mounted on said frame and having a horizontal position alongside said foot panel,

a mattress overlying said panel and support plates,

said mattress including a central section and side sections mounted adjacent to said central section,

means permitting said side sections to be moved away from said support plates to expose said support plates,

whereby said support plates become accessible without removal of said foot panel.

2. A birthing bed as in claim 1 in which said means permitting said side sections to be removed comprises means hinging together adjacent upper corners of said central section and said side sections, thereby permitting said side sections to be swung upwardly and over on top of said central section.

3. A birthing bed as in claim 1 in which said means permitting said side sections to be removed comprises means forming detachable fasteners on said central and side sections, respectively, said fasteners normally joining said side sections to said central section while permitting said side sections to be removed when access to said support plates is desired.

4. A foot section as in claim 1 further comprising:

means pivoting said support plates to said bed frame for swinging between horizontal and vertical positions,

calf receptacles, and means for mounting said calf receptacles on the ends of said support plates in an attitude to support a patient'"'"'s legs.

5. A foot section as in claim 4 further comprising:

a holster on the underside of each said support plate,

said calf receptacle being removable from the end of said plate and mountable in said holster when not in use.

6. A foot section as in claim 4 further comprising means for pivoting said support plates on said frame to swing horizontally about vertical axes.

7. A foot section as in claim 1 further comprising:

means for removably mounting said foot panel on said bed frame.

8. A foot section as in claim 1 further comprising:

a transverse beam,

a parallelogram linkage mounting said transverse beam to said bed frame,

means for raising and lowering said linkage to raise and lower said beam,

said foot panel and support plates being mounted on said beam.

9. A foot section as in claim 8 further comprising:

a pair of spaced forward-projecting arms projecting from said beam,

each arm having a pair of inwardly-facing lugs that are horizontally spaced apart,

said foot panel having laterally spaced, depending tongues that are projectable between respective lugs on said arms to removably mount said foot panel on said beam.

10. A birthing bed comprising:

a bed frame,

a pair of laterally-spaced forwardly-projecting arms,

means mounting said arms on said bed frame,

each said arm having longitudinally-spaced lugs,

a foot panel having laterally-spaced, depending tongues that are removably inserted between said lugs to mount said foot panel on said bed frame,

whereby said foot panel can be removed from said bed frame by lifting said foot panel with respect to said lugs.

11. In a birthing bed having a frame, a pair of calf supports mounted on said frame, each comprising:

a vertical plate,

a calf receptacle,

a post having a ball and socket joint connecting said post to said receptacle,

means for mounting said post on said vertical plate said post having an upper end,

said ball and socket joint including a sleeve fixed to the upper end of said post,

a seat within said sleeve and slidable with respect to said sleeve,

a ball in said sleeve resting on said seat,

said sleeve having an inwardly-projecting rim at its upper end confining said ball,

said ball being connected to said receptacle to permit said receptacle to be positioned in a multitude of angular positions,

means for raising and lowering said seat with respect to said sleeve to clamp and unclamp said ball on said post.

12. A birthing bed as in claim 11 further comprising:

said sleeve having an inwardly-projecting annular flange below said ball seat,

said seat having a plurality of depending pins slidably projecting through bores in said flange,

an antifriction bearing at the lower ends of said pins,

and a second sleeve threaded to said post, said second sleeve having a shoulder at its upper end supporting said bearings whereby as said second sleeve is rotated with respect to said post threads, the sleeve moves axially to move said seat vertically with respect to said inwardly-projecting rim to clamp and unclamp said ball.

13. A birthing bed having a bed frame comprising:

a footrest having a footrest support plate pivotally mounted along a rear edge thereof to each side of said frame,

said footrest support plate having a free end and an underside and being operable to swing between a lowered foot supporting position and a raised calf supporting position,

a calf support adapted to be selectively mounted to said footrest support plate in a calf-supporting position and in a storage position,

means for mounting said calf support on the free end of said footrest support plate when said footrest support plate is in its raised calf supporting position whereby said calf support may be placed in its calf-supporting position, and

means for mounting said calf support on the underside of said footrest support plate when said footrest support plate is in its lowered foot supporting position whereby said calf support may be placed in its storage position.

14. A footrest for a birthing bed having a frame comprising:

a horizontal shaft,

means mounting said shaft on said frame,

a footrest pivotally mounted on said shaft to swing between horizontal and vertical positions,

serrations around at least a portion of the surface of said shaft,

a spring biased pawl mounted on said foot-rest and engageable with said serrations to permit said footrest to ratchet to a desired angular position,

an arcuate groove in said shaft surrounding 117°

of said shaft,

a pin fixed to said footrest and riding in said groove to limit the angular movement of said footrest.

15. A birthing bed comprising:

a bed frame,

a foot section having,

a center section removably mounted on said bed frame, and

a footrest mounted on said bed frame on each side of said center section independently of said center section,

means mounting each footrest to swing horizontally outward and vertically-upward with respect to said bed frame,

a transverse beam,

a parallelogram linkage mounting said transverse beam to said bed frame,

means for raising and lowering said linkage to raise and lower said beam,

said center section and footrests being mounted on said beam.

19. A foot section as in claim 15 further comprising:

a pair of spaced forward-projecting arms projecting from said beam,

each arm having a pair of inwardly-facing lugs that are horizontally spaced apart,

said center section having laterally spaced, depending tongues that are projectable between respective lugs on said arms to removably mount said foot panel on said beam.

16. A birthing bed comprising:

a bed frame,

a pair of laterally-spaced arms,

means mounting said arms on said bed frame,

each said arm having longitudinally-spaced lugs,

a foot panel having laterally-spaced, depending tongues that are removably inserted between said lugs to mount said foot panel on said bed frame,

whereby said foot panel can be removed from said bed frame by lifting said foot panel with respect to said lugs,

a forwardly-extending projection mounted on the lower end of each said tongue,

said projection being engageable with a lug to limit upward pivoting of said foot panel so that an attendant can pull on the front end of said foot panel without inadvertently removing it from said bed frame.

17. A birthing bed comprising:

a bed frame,

a pair of laterally-spaced arms,

means mounting said arms on said bed frame,

each said arm having longitudinally-spaced lugs,

a foot panel having laterally-spaced, depending tongues that are removably inserted between said lugs to mount said foot panel on said bed frame,

whereby said foot panel can e removed from said bed frame by lifting said foot panel with respect to said lugs,

a stand mounted on the front edge of said foot panel, said stand being a generally rectangular shaped rod lying in a plane perpendicular to the plane of said panel,

whereby said panel, when removed from said frame, can be stood on its front edge so as to occupy minimal floor space, and whereby said rod can be used as a handle to pull on said birthing bed when aid panel is mounted on said bed frame.

18. A birthing bed comprising:

a bed frame,

a foot section having,

a center section removably mounted on said bed frame, and

a footrest having a footrest support plate mounted on said bed frame on each side of said center section independently of said center section,

means mounting each footrest support plate at a rear edge thereof to swing horizontally outward and vertically-upward with respect to said bed frame, said footrest support plate having a free end and an underside,

two calf receptacles, each adapted to be selectively mounted to one of said footrest support plates in a calf-supporting position and in a storage position,

means for mounting said calf receptacles on the free ends of said footrest support plates when said footrest support plates are in raised calf supporting positions whereby said calf receptacles may be placed in the calf supporting position, and

means for mounting said calf receptacles on the undersides of said footrest support plates when said footrest support plates are in lowered foot supporting positions whereby said calf receptacles may be placed in the storage position.