Bed and vertically compact side barrier therefore

The invention is a bed with a retractable barrier made up of several bars that horizontally extend along the length of one side of the bed, for example, between the head and the foot of the bed. More specifically, the invention is directed to minimization of the height of the barrier when it is retracted in the lowered position.

A known medical bed (designed to equip hospitals or geriatric centers), is fitted with at least one side barrier extending along the side of the bed between two panels forming the head and the foot of the bed. The barrier is composed of several lengthwise bars laid out horizontally, one on top of the other. The barrier must be able to be folded into the low position along the length of and below the upper surface of the mattress allowing the patient to get up and to facilitate the work of healthcare personnel.

Strict standards have been defined to reduce the number of accidents. Also, in the case of a barrier composed of several lengthwise bars stacked at different heights, the space between the bars must not exceed a set value. The height of the highest bar in the position of use is also set. These constraints determine the number, thickness and space between the bars.

In addition, the layout of the bars in the lowered position must be such that the highest level of the horizontal stack of the bars must not exceed the upper surface level of the mattress.

The invention accommodates all of these requirements; all while proposing a particularly simple and inexpensive barrier structure.

More specifically, the invention provides a bed comprising longitudinally spaced apart end supports and a side barrier comprising at least two bars adapted to extend between the end supports, the bars, as installed on the bed, forming a substantially horizontal stack and being movable to different heights, at least two of the bars having substantially similar profiles and being arranged so that they can vertically overlap each other.

The bars are attached to each other at their ends so that they are deployed together, until a sufficient guard height is attained. The two supports are, most often, the panels forming the head and the foot of the bed.

Advantageously, these two bars have an approximate triangular shape (with rounded angles).

According to a preferred embodiment, the barrier only has three bars. The said two bars are the lower bar and the middle bar. The upper bar has the same profile as these two bars and the lower and higher bars are installed in such a way as to be roughly symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane.

The orientation of the higher bar, used to lift or lower the barrier, allows for an ergonomic gripping. Also, the barrier is very compact in the low position; the total height of all of the bars stacked one on top of the other is less than the sum of the individual heights of the three bars.

In accordance with another advantageous feature, vertical rods are attached to the ends of at least one bar and have abutments or stops at their upper ends to suspend the bar from a higher level bar .

Also, deployment of the barrier may be done by maneuvering one bar, typically the upper bar.

Typically, the aforementioned vertical rods are received in two vertical rails.

Advantageously, each bar has at each end a connector engagable in a slide that moves in the adjacent rail. The connector allows for articulation between the end of the bar and the slide to which it is attached.

In one embodiment, the highest bar has spring loaded bolts that jut out lengthways beyond its ends and are engagable with openings provided at the upper ends of the rails.

By this simple measure, immobilization of the highest bar of the stack is ensured at a certain height, which determines, due to the previously described rod, the positioning of the other bars.

The upper bar has unlocking buttons connected to the bolts by activation rods which retract the bolts and release the bar to allow the barrier to be lowered.

In another advantageous feature, each bar has a telescopic structure. This feature allows for use of the barrier with beds and/or mattresses of varying lengths.

Another advantage of this telescopic system is that the barrier may be maneuvered with one hand by acting on each part of the telescopic structure, successively, until one bolt and then the other is engaged in the corresponding openings of the rail.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a bed equipped with a barrier according to the invention in the raised position;
• Figure 2 is a schematic view along a section II-II of figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the same bed with the barrier in the retracted position;
• Figure 4 is a schematic view of section IV-IV of figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a partial view showing the bars and their sliders in the retracted position;
• Figure 6 is a cross section of a bar;
• Figure 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating the telescopic structure of a bar;
• Figure 8 is a partial view illustrating a connector of the upper bar which includes a bolt; and
• Figure 9 is a partial perspective view illustrating the control of the bolt of figure 8.

In the drawings, and more specifically in figures 1 to 4, a medical bed 11 is displayed with a side barrier 13 made up of mainly horizontal bars extended sideways along the length of one lengthwise side of the bed. In the example, the barrier 13 has three bars on top of each other at predetermined distances when this barrier is in the raised position, as illustrated in figures 1 and 2. A lower bar 15, middle bar 16 and upper bar 17 are shown. The three bars form a horizontal stack (that is, when the bars are arranged and placed in a vertical plane). They are spaced one from the other when the barrier is deployed and in service, or are retracted in the low position, that is, moved and placed side by side when the barrier is folded down.

To be in accordance with very specific standards in this field, the overall height of the entire barrier in the deployed position (figure 1) and the distance between the bars are set. In addition, when the barrier is retracted in the low position, the stack must not be higher than the upper surface of the mattress 19, as is represented in figure 3. The bars making up the barrier extend horizontally and lengthwise between the two supports 18 and 20 forming the head and the foot of the bed. These supports are fitted with vertical rails 23 ensuring guidance of bars.

According to an important feature of the invention, at least two bars such as bars 15 and 16 have profiles and orientations that allow their mutual lengthways fitting, to limit the residual height of the barrier when retracted in the low position.

In the described example, these two bars are the lower bar 15 and the middle bar 16.

To reduce costs, all of the bars are defined in the same hollow extruded profile, more particularly, in two different cross-sectional profiles that are roughly homothetic with one another. Each bar is made up of two parts 21 and 22 of larger and smaller cross-section and have a telescopic structure that allows full elongation. Parts 21 and 22 engaged in each other are shown in the cross section of figure 6.

More specifically, as one can see in figure 7, one end of part 21 of the smaller section is fitted with a plastic sliding connector 25 to rest on and slide the length of the interior of part 22 of the larger section. In addition, an end of part 22 of the larger section is provided with a peripheral connector 27 to form a sliding joint. This connector is thus provided with a runner 28 engaging the exterior surface of part 21 of the smaller section. It therefore engages over a certain length within the interior of part 22 of the larger section so that the two parts are an extension of one another and axially aligned, the two supports between the parts formed by the sliding connector 25 and by the peripheral connector 27 forming a sliding joint. The latter connector 27 has clip legs 30 that come to engage in slots at the corresponding end of the part of the larger section.

In the described example, the two bars 15 and 16 have the same profile, since similar shapes are used. This profile is roughly triangular with rounded angles. The two bars are installed in a way to fit lengthwise head to foot, in the low position as is visible in figures 4 and 5. In this way, a height benefit is obtained without extra cost when the barrier is retracted in the low position. In other words, the residual height of the barrier in the stack as represented in figure 3 is lower than the sum of heights of the bars because of the layout of the two bars.

The upper bar 17 also has the same profile as the middle and lower bars 15 and 16, constituting the two same parts of different sections. It is installed (oriented) in such a way that the lower bar 15 and upper bar 17 are roughly symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane. This is clearly shown in figure 2. The resulting height benefit is less, but this orientation allows for the ergonomic placement of the upper bar 17 for grasping of it and handling of the barrier.

In fact, as seen in figure 6, the profile of the bar is such that it presents a flat part 33, with a decorative handle 34 with a part 35 with low radius of curvature on one side and a part 36 with high radius of curvature on the other side. These are connected through an inclined part 37 slightly concave towards the rear of flat part 33.

In the positioning of the upper bar 17, the flat part 33 (figure 5) faces towards the exterior of the bed and the part 36 is uppermost, which provides, in all points of the bar and in all positions (including the low position) a lengthwise recess 40 facilitating manual gripping of the bar. Instinctively, the user places his or her thumb on the flat part 33 and uses the other fingers in the recess. This results in a good quality grip and the possibility to easily maneuver the bar, even with one hand as discussed later.

Manoeuvring of the bar is done by acting on the upper bar 17. The movement of the upper bar drives the other bars.

For this purpose, vertical rods 43 and 44 are connected to the ends of at least one bar. For example, rods 43 and 44 are connected to bars 16 and 15 respectively by virtue of being captured in slides 56, 55 respectively. Each rod has a lifter 46 at its upper end. When bar 17 is raised high enough that slide 57 contacts lifter 46 of rod 43, further elevation of bar 17 raises the rod 43 which, in turn, raised bar 16. Similarly, when bar 17 is raised high enough that slide 57 contacts lifter 46 of rod 44, further elevation of bar 17 not only continues to raise rod 43 and bar 16, but also raises rod 44 which, in turn, raises bar 15. As a result middle bar 16 and the lower bar 15 are suspended by the vertical rods 43 and 44. The lifters 46 are formed by the bent ends of the rods. The vertical rods are received in the two vertical rails 23 respectively attached to supports making up the head and foot of the bed.

Each rail 23 has an H profile and at the upper end has an opening 48 that defines a cavity for the end of a bolt 50 carried by upper bar 17.

Slides 55, 56 and 57 are linked to bars 15, 16 and 17, and are movable in each rail 23.

More specifically, each end of the bar is capped with a molded plastic material connector 65, 66 and 67, engaged in an opening of a slide 55, 56 and 57, movable in the groove of the corresponding adjacent rail.

The upper bar 17 of the stacking incorporates spring loaded bolts 50 jutting out lengthwise beyond its ends, to co-operate with the openings 48 provided at the upper ends of the rails 23. Figures 8 and 9 illustrate this assembly. The bolt 50 is made up of a shank slidable in the connector 67 and extending out at the free end. A spring 70 is assembled between a shoulder 80 of the bolt and a stop 82 rearward of the tip. An actuation rod 75 is installed in the upper bar 17. An unlock button 76 is also installed in the upper bar such that longitudinal displacement of the button relative to the bar causes corresponding longitudinal displacement of rod 75. Each rod also has an end portion that engages a transverse hole 77 in bolt 50. Longitudinal displacement of the button 76 relative to bar 17 causes the tip of bolt 50 to retract out of opening 48 thereby releasing the upper bar 17 and allowing it to be moved vertically. Longitudinal displacement of the button also compresses spring 70 so that when the bar 17 is subsequently moved to an elevation where bolt 50 is vertically aligned with opening 48, the spring 70 urges the tip of the bolt back into opening 48.

The form of the link between the connector 67 and the slider 57 in which it is engaged is such that a certain articulation at a vertical level is possible, which allows the manoeuvring of the barrier with one hand in two steps as described below. Of course, one may also maneuver the upper bar with two hands by moving it parallel to itself.

When manoeuvring with one hand, the adjustment of the length of bars 15, 16 and 17 is automatic due to the telescopic structure of the bars.

For example, to lift the bar from its retracted position, the upper bar 17 can be lifted "slantwise" by acting near one of its ends, which also causes elevation of the other bars, through the shanks 43 and 44 being successively driven by the upper bar 17. This movement is continued until the bolt 50 enters the opening 48 located at the upper part of the corresponding rail. Then, the operation is restarted by acting on the upper bar 17 near its other end which is lifted up to the opposite bolt level, which also drives the other bars.