Chair bed

• US 6,163,903 A
• Filed: 02/04/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, John D., Butterbrodt, Jay T., Kummer, Joseph A., Albersmeyer, David A., Branson, Gregory W., Meyer, Eric R., Kramer, Kenneth L., Ulrich, David J., Wukusick, Peter M., Schulte, Stephen R., Palermo, Philip D., Dlugos, Daniel F. Jr., Brooke, Jason C., Ruehl, John W., Weismiller, Matthew W., Thomas, James M. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRETTEL, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/018,542
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 5/610, 5/614, 5/616, 5/617, 5/618, 5/624
• US Class Current: 5/610
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/32 lying
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/34 sitting
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/74 for anti-shear when adjusting furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/14 Standing-up or sitting-down aids
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/00 Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons stretchers with facilities for picking up patients or disabled persons A61G1/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/002 having adjustable mattress frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/005 tiltable around transverse horizontal axis, e.g. for Trendelenburg position rocking beds for physical therapy A61H1/003; hanging patient inclined downwardly for drawing him out A61H2203/0493
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/008 tiltable around longitudinal axis, e.g. for rolling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• 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 7/02 with toilet conveniences, or specially adapted for use with toilets
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0506 Head or foot boards head or foot boards for comfort or ergonomics A47C19/022
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0507 Side-rails
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0509 sliding or pivoting downwards
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0514 mounted to individual mattress supporting frame sections
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/052 characterised by safety means, e.g. to avoid injuries to patient or caregiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 : Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/053 : Aids for getting into, or out of, bed, e.g. steps, chairs, cane-like supports
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1021 : Inflatable cushions
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/16 : converting a lying surface into a chair
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/046 : with braking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/04 : Wheeled walking aids for disabled persons A61H3/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A bed including a frame, an articulating deck on the frame having head, seat, and foot deck sections, and a mattress on the deck. The deck foot section and mattress foot portion have a first length when the foot section is in the up position and a second length shorter than said first length when the foot section is in the down position. A first driver varies the length of the deck foot section, and a second driver moves the foot section relative to said seat section between the generally horizontal up position and the generally vertically downwardly extending down position.

Claims

1. A bed for supporting a patient, the bed being convertible between a bed position and a sitting position, the bed having a head end, a foot end, and opposite sides, the bed comprising

a base frame,

an intermediate frame mounted on said base frame for upward and downward movement to selected heights and orientations relative to said base frame,

an articulated deck mounted on said intermediate frame and having head, foot, and seat sections movable relative to each other,

a fluid system including a pump, valves and actuators for positioning said intermediate frame relative to said base frame and articulating said deck sections, and

an electrical control system for operating said pump and controlling said valves of the fluid system when connected to an independent source of power and for operating only said valves using a battery source on said bed when not connected to an independent source of power.

2. The bed of claim 1, further comprising a first fluid actuator for raising and lowering the intermediate frame on said base frame to raise and lower the articulated deck, a second fluid actuator for raising and lowering the deck head section, a third fluid actuator for raising and lowering the foot deck section, and conduits connecting said pump and said valves to said actuators for selectively controlling each actuator.

3. The bed of claim 2, wherein said first actuator includes a pair of actuators each coupled to said base frame and a respective end of said intermediate frame for independently raising and lowering an end of said intermediate frame relative to said base frame.

4. The bed of claim 2, wherein said deck includes a thigh section and said fluid system includes a fourth actuator for raising an lowering said thigh section.

5. The bed of claim 1, wherein said pump is an electric pump and further including a manually driven pump.

6. The bed of claim 1, wherein said fluid system includes flow controllers in series with each actuator for assuring operation of said actuators independent of weight distribution on said bed.

7. The bed of claim 1, wherein said fluid system includes a control manifold and conduits connect said actuators to said manifold, and said pump and valves are mounted on said manifold.

8. The bed of claim 7, wherein said fluid system includes a manual valve on said manifold for operating an actuator to lower said deck head section independent of said electrical control system.

9. The bed of claim 8, including a pedal mounted on said base frame for operating said manual valve.

10. The bed of claim 7, wherein said fluid system includes a manual valve on said manifold for operating an actuator to lower an end of said intermediate frame relative to the other end of the intermediate frame independent of said electrical control system.

11. The bed of claim 10, further including a pedal mounted on said base frame for operating said manual valve.

12. The bed of claim 7, wherein said pump is an electric pump and further including a manually driven pump, both mounted to said manifold.

13. The bed of claim 12, including a pedal mounted on said base frame and a cable connecting said pedal to said manual pump.

14. The bed of claim 13, wherein said pedal and said manual pump are on opposite sides of said manifold and said cable passes through a bore in said manifold.

15. The bed of claim 1, wherein said pump is an electric pump and further including a manually driven pump, a valve connecting said pump to an actuator for raising said intermediate frame defaults open, and operation of said manual pump automatically raises said intermediate frame.

16. The bed of claim 1, wherein said deck foot section changes lengths and said fluid system includes an actuator to control the length of the deck foot section.

17. The bed of claim 16, further comprising means for contracting and expanding said foot section of said patient-support deck.

18. The bed of claim 1, wherein the fluid system comprises a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic power unit carried on said base frame to provide pressurized fluid for said actuators, conduits connecting said power unit to said actuators, and valves selectively controlling each actuator.

19. The bed of claim 1, wherein said patient-support deck includes a head end adjacent to the head of the bed and a foot end adjacent to the foot of the bed, the intermediate frame being movable relative to the base between a generally horizontal first position, a Trendelenburg position having a head end of the deck positioned to lie in a first horizontal plane and the foot end of the deck positioned to lie in a second horizontal plane, the first plane being beneath the second plane, and a reverse Trendelenburg position having the second plane beneath the first plane, said first means including head moving means for raising and lowering the head end of the intermediate frame relative to the base frame and foot moving means for raising and lowering the foot end of the intermediate frame relative to the base frame.

20. The bed of claim 19, further comprising an actuator coupled to the head moving means and coupled to the foot moving means, the actuator being movable between a non-activated position and an activated position, the head moving means and the foot moving means positioning the frame in the Trendelenburg position in response to the movement of the actuator to the activated position.

21. The bed of claim 1, including a head fluid actuator for raising and lowering the deck head section, locking means for securing the head section in a back-support position and a foot pedal coupled to the locking means;

the foot pedal being positioned to lie beneath the articulating deck so that the foot pedal is accessible to the foot of a care giver; and

the foot pedal being movable between an up position and a downward releasing position releasing the locking means so that the head section can move downwardly to a bed position.

22. The bed of claim 21, wherein the the head fluid actuator is a hydraulic actuator;

further comprising a hydraulic power unit carried on said base frame to provide pressurized fluid for the head actuator, a reservoir for holding non-pressurized fluid, a first conduit connecting said power unit to said actuator, and a return conduit connecting said head actuator to said reservoir; and

wherein the locking means includes a valve movable to a closed position blocking the flow of fluid from the head actuator to the reservoir, and the foot pedal being configured to move the valve to an open position unblocking the flow of fluid from the head actuator to the reservoir to deactivate the head actuator so that the head section can move from the back-support position to the bed position.

23. The bed of claim 1, wherein at least one of the deck sections is coupled to the frame to produce pivotable and longitudinal movement of a portion of the patient surface relative to the frame for movement between a generally horizontal position and a tilted position.

24. A bed for supporting a patient, the bed being convertible between a bed position and a sitting position, the bed having a head end, a foot end, and opposite sides, the bed comprising

a base frame,

an intermediate frame mounted on said base frame for upward and downward movement to selected heights and orientations relative to said base frame,

an articulated deck mounted on said intermediate frame and having head, foot, and seat sections movable relative to each other,

a fluid system including a pump, electric valves and actuators for positioning said intermediate frame relative to said base frame and articulating said deck sections,

an electrical control system for operating said pump and controlling said electric valves of the fluid system, and

said fluid system includes a manual valve for operating an actuator to lower an end of said intermediate frame relative to the other end of the intermediate frame independent of said electrical control system control of the electric valves of the fluid system.

25. The bed of claim 24, including a pedal mounted on said base frame for operating said manual valve.

28. The bed of claim 24, wherein the positioning system includes a cylinder for raising and lowering one end of said frame, said first lock is an electrically controlled valve connected to said cylinder, and said second lock is a manual valve connected to said cylinder.

26. A bed having a head end, a foot end, and two sides, the bed comprising

a base,

a frame coupled to the base,

a mattress supported on said fame and having a patient surface,

a positioning system for positioning the frame relative to the base between a generally horizontal position and a Trendelenburg position having one end of the patient surface inclined with respect to the other end of the patient surface and including a first lock for locking and unlocking the frame in the horizontal position, and

a manual actuator coupled to a second lock in the positioning system for unlocking the frame independent of the first lock so that the positioning system can move the frame to the Trendelenburg position.

27. The bed of claim 26, wherein the frame has a head end adjacent to the head of the bed and a foot end adjacent to the foot of the bed, and the head end of the frame moves downwardly and the foot end of the frame remains stationary when the frame moves from the raised position to the Trendelenburg position.

29. The bed of claim 26, including a pedal mounted on said base frame for operating said manual valve.

30. The bed of claim 26, further comprising a deck mounted on the frame and having a head section movable relative to the frame, the head section being rectilinearly movable toward the head of the bed and pivotable upwardly to a back-supporting position providing a pivotable backrest.

31. The bed of claim 26, further comprising a deck mounted on the frame and having a foot section movable relative to the frame to accommodate changes of the position of a person on the bed.

32. The bed of claim 31, wherein the foot section is movable between a generally horizontal up position and a generally vertically downwardly extending down position, the foot section being a first length when the foot section is in the up position and a second length when the foot section is in the down position, the second length being less than the first length.

33. The bed of claim 31, wherein the foot section is movable between a generally horizontal up position and a generally vertically downwardly extending down position and further comprising a mattress including a foot portion generally adjacent to the foot section of the deck, the foot portion being inflatable and being inflated when the foot section of the deck is in the up position and being deflated when the foot section of the deck is in the down position.

34. The bed of claim 26, further comprising a mechanical angle indicator coupled to the frame for indicating the angular orientation of the frame relative to the base.

35. The bed of claim 34, further comprising a mattress supported above the frame, the mattress having sides, a side rail coupled to the frame, the side rail being movable to a patient-restraining position to restrain the movement of a person supported by the mattress past the sides of the mattress, the mechanical angle indicator being appended to the side rail.

36. The bed of claim 35, wherein the bed has a first transverse width adjacent to the side rail, and further comprising a U-shaped section forming a part of said frame at a foot end of said bed, said U-shaped section having a pair of arms and an open end thereof directed toward said foot end of said bed, a deck mounted on the frame and having a foot section movable relative to the frame to accommodate changes of the position of a person on the bed, said deck foot section moving through said U-shaped frame section between said up and down positions, said U-shaped frame having a transverse width that is less than the firs width.