Head wall for hospital bed

• US 5,323,565 A
• Filed: 04/05/1993
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Company Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Westerfeld, Steven R., Gallant, Dennis J., Kappers, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/042,462
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 52/27, 52/28, 52/36.1, 52/36.2, 52/36.4, 52/36.5, 52/220.1, 52/220.5, 52/220.7, 52/220.8, 174/48, 174/49, 312/209, 312/297, 312/223.1, 312/223.5, 312/223.6
• US Class Current: 52/36.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/005 mounted on the wall
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0431 Wall trunking

Abstract

A clutter-eliminating head wall for a hospital bed has two horizontally-spaced modules with services and service outlets mounted in the modules. The recess between the modules is covered by a removable panel. The modules are covered by sliding tambour doors that slide behind the center panel to provide access to the modules.

Claims

1. On a wall for a hospital patient'"'"'s room, apparatus comprising,

a head wall comprising two modules that are horizontally-spaced apart by at least four feet,

said modules projecting outwardly from a patient'"'"'s wall and creating a recess between said modules that provides a substantially unobstructed path for a bed to rise between said modules,

service connections in said modules,

said head wall having a length that is about three times is height, and mounted on said wall above a patient'"'"'s bed,

a bed locator mounted on said patient'"'"'s wall adjacent the room floor and directly below said modules,

said locator including two bumpers horizontally spaced apart about four feed to receive between them a bed and thus to position said bed immediately below said recess,

and service connections in at least one of said bumpers,

one of the service connections to both said bumper and said module being a nurse call receptacle in each said bumper and module, thereby providing an optional place of connection for a nurse call cord.

2. A hospital room comprising:

a vertical wall,

a patient'"'"'s bed located adjacent said vertical wall,

a head wall mounted on said wall and having a lowest edge above said bed, said head wall comprising;

two modules that are horizontally-spaced apart by at least four feet,

said modules projecting outwardly from a patient'"'"'s wall and creating a recess between said modules that provides a substantially unobstructed path for a bed to rise between said modules,

service connections in said modules,

said head wall having a length that is about three times its height and mounted on said wall above said patient'"'"'s bed,

a bed locator mounted on said patient'"'"'s wall adjacent the room floor and directly below said modules,

said locator including two bumpers horizontally spaced apart about four feet to receive between them a bed and thus to position said bed immediately below said recess,

and service connections in at least one of said bumpers,

said head wall further comprising,

an upwardly-movable light across said recess,

a limit switch mounted adjacent said light and operable by upward movement of said light,

an electrical outlet for power to a hospital bed mounted in one of said bumpers,

and means connecting said limit switch to said outlet to disconnect power to said bed when said light moves upwardly.

3. A head wall adapted to be mounted on a wall above a patient'"'"'s bed location in a hospital patient'"'"'s room comprising,

two horizontally spaced modules, said modules, when mounted to said wall, projecting outwardly from said wall and defining a recessed section therebetween, each module containing a plurality of medical service outlets, said modules being spaced apart a distance sufficient to be disposed one each side of said patient'"'"'s bed location and having a bottom edge adapted to be disposed above the height of a patient'"'"'s bed in said hospital patient'"'"'s room,

a removable panel mounted between said modules across said recessed center section, and

a tambour door mounted across each said module and movable between an open position in which said service outlets are exposed and accessible for use and a closed position in which said service outlets are concealed from view to provide a more visually pleasing environment.

4. A head wall as claimed in claim 3 further comprising tracks for said tambour doors, said tambour doors being slidable in said tracks between said open position and said closed position.

5. A head wall as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a horizontal molding across the bottom of the head wall, said tracks being mounted behind said horizontal molding.

6. A head wall for a hospital patient'"'"'s room comprising,

a rigid metal frame whose length is greater than its height to adapt it to be hung on a wall above a patient'"'"'s bed location in said hospital patient'"'"'s room and comprising,

two service modules horizontally spaced by at least about four feet,

each said module containing a plurality of service outlets including oxygen, vacuum and electrical outlets,

said modules, when mounted to said wall, projecting outwardly from said wall,

a recessed center section disposed between said modules,

horizontal raceways in said center section for containing means for delivering services to said modules,

a center section access panel removable to expose terminal connections connecting service sources to said means for delivering services to said modules, and

a tambour door mounted across each said module and movable between an open position in which said service outlets are exposed and accessible for use and a closed position in which said service outlets are concealed from view to provide a more visually pleasing environment.

7. A head wall for a hospital patient'"'"'s room comprising,

a rigid metal frame whose length is greater than its height to adapt it to be hung on a wall above a patient'"'"'s bed location in said hospital patient'"'"'s room comprising,

two service modules horizontally spaced, one on each side of said patient'"'"'s bed location,

said modules, when mounted to said wall, projecting outwardly from said wall and creating a recessed center section therebetween,

enclosed horizontal raceways in said center section containing in separate raceways means for delivering services to said service outlets in said modules comprising (a) first electrical wiring for delivering standard electrical voltage, (b) second electrical wiring for delivering a lower electrical voltage, and (c) pipes for delivering gases, and

recessed light fixtures for providing room and patient reading illumination,

a center section access panel removable to expose terminal connections for connection of service sources to said means for delivery of services to said modules, and

a tambour door mounted across each said module and movable between an open position in which said service outlets are exposed and accessible for use and a closed position in which said service outlets are concealed from view to provide a more visually pleasing environment.

8. The head wall of claim 7 further comprising a bed locator mounted on said wall adjacent the room floor and directly below said center section, said locator including two bumpers horizontally spaced apart to receive between them a bed and thus to position said bed with one of said modules on either side of said bed, and service connections in at least one of said bumpers.