Bed insert

• US 8,397,327 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Span-America Medical Systems Inc. (Savaria Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Span-America Medical Systems Inc. (Savaria Corp.)
• Inventors: O'Reagan, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trettel, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/218,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20120047651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 540/0, 540/1, 541/1, 541/2, 570/5, 571/7, 572/2, 572/7, 573/2, 573/9, 542/6, 542/7, 569/0, 569/1, 566/1, 518/5, 566/3, 569/2
• US Class Current: 5/739
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/06 Mattress underlays mattress tickings or covers A47C27/002
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/08 Devices for prevention against falling-out, e.g. detachable sidewalls for children's beds A47D7/00

Abstract

An insert for a bed facilitates use of a mattress having one cross-sectional profile with a bed frame having a different cross-sectional profile. An insert includes a base extending between sidewalls which have various contoured surfaces. The contoured sidewall surfaces enable the insert to be disposed in a bed frame in association with a mattress. Inner surfaces of the sidewalls are configured to accommodate receipt of a mattress while outer surfaces of the sidewalls are configured for the insert to be disposed in a bed frame. The surface sidewalls may further be configured to provide the insert with a safety feature which prevents or reduces the likelihood of a user falling from the side of a mattress associated with the insert.

Claims

1. An insert for a bed to facilitate use of a mattress having one cross-sectional profile with a bed frame having a different cross-sectional profile, comprising:

a base; and

respective sidewalls extending from respective lateral areas of said base, said respective sidewalls having respective inner surfaces with a curvature adapted to receive an associated mattress thereon, and respective outer surfaces with a curvature adapted for support of said insert on an associated bed frame, wherein said inner surfaces have different curvatures than those of said outer surfaces, so as allow use of such associated mattress in conjunction with use of such associated bed frame without requiring a mattress specially adapted to fit such associated bed frame.

2. An insert as in claim 1, wherein:

said insert is formed of resilient materials; and

said outer surfaces comprise at least a pair of two respective outer surfaces each, having different curvatures from one another so as to form an unloaded intentional gap between at least a portion of one of the respective outer surfaces and a bed frame received thereunder, so that loading of the weight of a user on one of said respective sidewalls of said insert causes such at least a portion of one of the respective outer surfaces to collapsibly deform to the bed frame, so that a user received on a mattress received on said insert is guided away from an associated edge of such mattress.

3. An insert as in claim 2, wherein said insert is comprised of foam.

4. An insert as in claim 1, wherein said base and sidewalls each include respectively a heel portion, a torso portion, and an upper portion for supporting the head, neck, and shoulders of a user.

5. An insert as in claim 4, wherein respective of said portions are selectively tapered to provide optimal positioning of a user received on an associated mattress disposed on said insert in an associated bed frame.

6. An insert as in claim 4, wherein:

said respective sidewalls form respective gatching notches therein to facilitate bending of said insert during gatching of an associated bed frame; and

said gatching notches are formed in said sidewalls so as to at least partially define and distinguish said sidewall upper portions from said torso portions thereof.

7. A method of using an insert for a bed to facilitate use of a mattress having one cross-sectional profile with a bed frame having a different cross-sectional profile, comprising

providing an insert formed of resilient materials having a base;

and respective sidewalls extending from respective lateral areas of such base, such respective sidewalls having respective inner surfaces with a curvature adapted to receive an associated mattress thereon, and respective outer surfaces with a curvature adapted for support of such insert on an associated bed frame, with such inner surfaces having different curvatures than those of such outer surfaces;

providing an associated bed frame and supporting such insert thereon; and

providing an associated mattress and supporting such mattress on such insert, so as allow use of such associated mattress in conjunction with use of such associated bed frame without requiring a mattress specially adapted to fit such associated bed frame.

8. A method as in claim 7, providing such insert sidewall outer surfaces with at least a pair of two respective outer surfaces each, with curvature such that when such insert is disposed on the associated bed frame in an unloaded condition, an intentional gap is defined between the insert and the bed frame, and when the weight of a user is applied to a respective such sidewall, such respective sidewall collapses towards the bed frame to reduce or eliminate such gap and the upper surface of such sidewall tilts inwardly, so that the user is guided towards the center of the mattress to reduce the likelihood of such user falling from the associated mattress.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein:

said insert resilient materials are comprised of foam; and

such base and sidewalls each include respectively a heel portion, a torso portion, and an upper portion for supporting the head, neck, and shoulders of a user.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein

respective of said portions are selectively tapered to provide optimal positioning of a user received on an associated mattress disposed on said insert in an associated bed frame;

said respective sidewalls form respective gatching notches therein to facilitate bending of said insert during gatching of an associated bed frame; and

said gatching notches are formed in said sidewalls so as to at least partially define and distinguish said sidewall upper portions from said torso portions thereof.

11. A patient support system, comprising:

a bed frame having an upper support area having angled respective side surfaces extending between a base surface and respective generally upright sidewalls;

a mattress having respective side edges each having a predetermined curvature; and

a resilient insert having respective insert sidewalls extending from a base thereof, said respective insert sidewalls having respective inner surfaces with a predetermined mating curvature adapted to match said predetermined curvature edges of said mattress with said mattress received on said insert, and having respective outer surfaces of predetermined curvature so as to form an unloaded intentional gap between at least a portion of said respective outer surfaces and said bed frame with said insert received on said bed frame, so that loading of the weight of a patient on one of said respective insert sidewalls causes such insert sidewall to collapsibly deform towards said side surfaces and sidewalls of said bed frame, so that a patient received on said mattress received on said insert is guided away from falling off a corresponding side edge of said mattress.

12. A patient support system as in claim 11, wherein said resilient insert is integrally formed from foam material.

13. A patient support system as in claim 11, wherein different parts of said resilient insert are formed by respective different foam materials having respective different support characteristics.

14. A patient support systems as in claim 11, wherein:

said predetermined curvature of said mattress edges is generally convexly-curved; and

said insert sidewall inner surfaces are generally concavely-curved.

15. A patient support system as in claim 11, wherein said insert respective outer surfaces include for each insert sidewall at least a pair of predetermined curvatures differing from one another in such pair.

16. A patient support system as in claim 15, wherein said predetermined curvatures are predetermined for mating with side surfaces of said bed frame for support thereon with said unloaded intentional gap, so that no securement connection is required between said insert and said bed frame other than said mating curvatures and side surfaces.

17. A patient support system as in claim 16, wherein one of said pair of predetermined curvatures comprises a convex surface while the other of said pair comprises a concave surface adjacent said unloaded intentional gap.

18. A patient support system as in claim 11, wherein said respective sidewalls form respective gatching notches therein to facilitate bending of said insert during gatching of said bed frame.

19. A patient support system as in claim 18, wherein:

said insert base and insert sidewalls each include respectively a heel portion, a torso portion, and an upper portion for supporting the head, neck, and shoulders of a patient; and

said gatching notches are formed in said insert sidewalls so as to at least partially define and distinguish said insert sidewall upper portions from said torso portions thereof.

20. A patient support system as in claim 19, wherein said insert sidewalls include upper surfaces between said inner and outer surfaces thereof, and wherein selected of said insert sidewall surfaces are tapered throughout at least a portion of the length thereof.

21. A patient support system as in claim 20, wherein said tapering is provided such that adjacent said heel portion said insert upper surfaces are narrowed and said insert outer surfaces are eliminated so that said heel portion may be disposed relatively lower than the remainder of said insert with respect to a bed frame, to allow a patient'"'"'s heels to be lower than the rest of the patient'"'"'s body when the patient is received on said mattress on said insert.