Siderail with storage area

This disclosure relates generally to person-support apparatuses. More particularly, but not exclusively, one illustrative embodiment relates to a person-support apparatus including a siderail with a removable storage area.

People staying in hospitals can often bring personal belongings with them. The belongings can be collected by caregivers and stored until the person is discharged or the person requests an item. The belongings can be stored in a storage room that can include, for example, lockers, storage bins, drawers, and/or bags with identifying information, such as, the patient's room number, listed thereon, and/or a list of the items and/or bin, locker, or bag numbers and/or location put on the patient's medical chart. The people can also be provided with storage space for storing personal belongings or other objects in the rooms they are assigned to, for example, in various shelving units or other furniture storage areas, such as, drawers and/or closets. While various person-support apparatuses have been developed, there is still room for development. Thus a need persists for further contributions in this area of technology.

GB 2348365 describes a support apparatus which may be used to assist a person getting into and out of bed. The apparatus may include a bar to be grasped by the person and a hollow compartment. A pocket over an open area of the hollow compartment may be used for storage of items.

The invention claimed provides a siderail assembly comprising a siderail with a siderail body having a storage are a integrated therein, the storage area including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, at least a portion of the storage area being recessed into the siderail body, the storage area being configured to removably retain at least one object therein, wherein the storage area includes a retaining element for maintaining the at least one object in the storage area, characterized in that the retaining element is a longitudinally extending member that extends across at least a portion of the storage area and is spaced apart from the bottom surface a predetermined distance to define an opening.

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

• Fig. 1 is a perspective side view of a person-support apparatus with siderails coupled to a frame of the person-support apparatus according to one illustrative embodiment;
• Fig. 2 is a perspective side view of the siderail of Fig. 1, including a removable module according to one illustrative embodiment.
• Fig. 3 is a perspective side view of the siderail of Fig. 1, including a removable module according to another illustrative embodiment.
• Fig. 4 is a perspective side view of the siderail of Fig. 1, including a removable module according to yet another illustrative embodiment.
• Fig. 5 is a perspective front view of the removable module of Fig. 2, configured to be a storage area according to one illustrative embodiment.
• Fig. 6 is a perspective front view of the removable module of Fig. 2, configured to be a fabric dispenser according to one illustrative embodiment.
• Fig. 7 is a side view of the removable module of Fig. 2, showing the retainer and engagement surface.
• Fig. 8 is a perspective bottom view of the removable module of Fig. 2, showing the retainer and engagement surface.

Embodiments are disclosed which are not in accord with the invention but the disclosure is useful in understanding features of a siderail assembly in accord with the invention as defined in the claims.

A person-support apparatus 10 according to one illustrative embodiment of the current disclosure is shown in Fig. 1. The person-support apparatus 10 can have a first section F1 or head support section F1, where the head of a person can be positioned and a second section S1 or a foot support section S1, where the feet of the person can be positioned. In one illustrative embodiment, the person-support apparatus 10 can be a hospital bed. It should be appreciated that the person-support apparatus 10 can also be a hospital stretcher or an operating table. The person-support apparatus 10 can include a lower frame 12 or base 12, a plurality of supports 14 coupled with the lower frame 12, and an upper frame 16 supported on the supports 14 above the lower frame 12. It should be appreciated that the supports 14 can be lift mechanisms 14 that can move the upper frame 16 with respect to the lower frame 12. It should also be appreciated that in one illustrative embodiment the person-support apparatus 10 can support a person-support surface 18 thereon.

The upper frame 16 can include an intermediate frame 20, a deck 22, and siderails 24 as shown in Fig. 1. It should be appreciated that the upper frame 16 can also include endboards EB1, such as, for example, a headboard HB1 and a footboard FB1, coupled to the first section F1 and the second section S1 of the person-support apparatus. The intermediate frame 20 can be coupled with the supports 14 and can support the deck 22 thereon as shown, in Figs. 1 and 2. The deck 22 can include a head portion 26, a seat portion 28, and a foot portion 30. The head portion 26, the seat portion 28, and the foot portion 30 can be movably coupled with each other and/or the intermediate frame 20.

The siderails 24 can include a siderail body 32 with a top portion ST1 and a bottom portion SB1, and a siderail linkage 34 as shown in Figs. 1-4. In one illustrative embodiment, the siderails 24 can have a thickness TS1 of between about 1.5 inches (3,81 cm) and about 2 inches (5,08 cm). It should be appreciated that the siderails 24 can have a thickness TS1 of less than 3 inches (7,62 cm). The siderail linkage 34 can be coupled to the bottom portion SB1 of the siderail body 32 and can couple the siderails 24 to the deck 22 and/or the intermediate frame 20. In one illustrative embodiment, the siderails 24 can be coupled to the head portion 26 of the deck 22 (i.e., a first siderail 24a or a head siderail 24a) and/or coupled to the foot portion 30 of the deck 22 and/or the intermediate frame 20 (i.e., a second siderail 24b or a foot siderail 24b) as shown in Fig. 1.

The siderail linkage 34 can be configured to facilitate movement of the siderails 24 between a deployed/operation position and a storage position. In the deployed/operation position, as shown in Fig. 1, at least a portion of the siderails 24 can be present above the upper frame 16. In the storage position, the siderails 24 can be moved to a lower position where at least a portion of the siderail 24 is below the deployed/operation position. It should be appreciated that the siderail linkage 34 can include a locking mechanism (not shown) that can maintain the siderails 24 in one of the operating and/or storage position when locked and can facilitate movement of the siderails 24 between the operating and storage position when unlocked.

The siderail body 32 can include a first surface 36, a second surface 38, a side surface 40 extending between the first surface 36 and the second surface 38, a grip portion 42, and a docking portion 44 as shown in Figs. 1-4. It should be appreciated that the siderail 24 can include a caregiver interface (not shown) that can be operable to control various functionalities of the person-support apparatus 10. At least a portion of the first surface 36 and the second surface 38 can be substantially parallel to one another. The first surface 36 can be oriented such that the first surface 36 faces toward the upper frame 16 and the second surface 38 can be oriented such that the second surface 38 faces away from the upper frame 16.

The grip portion 42 can be configured to be gripped by a person to assist the person with ingress/egress to/from the person support apparatus 10 as shown in Figs. 1-4. In one illustrative embodiment, the grip portion 42 can be located along the top portion ST1 and can include a grip 46 and a grip opening 48. The grip opening 48 can pass through the siderail body 32 and be configured to allow a person to wrap at least a portion of their fingers/hand around the grip 46. It should be appreciated that the grip portion 42 can include a grip opening cover (not shown) or net (not shown) that can be positioned within the grip opening 48 so that a person can partially wrap their fingers around the grip 46. In one illustrative embodiment, an upper portion of the grip opening 48 can define the bottom of the grip 46 and a lower portion of the grip opening 48 opposite the upper portion of the grip opening 48 can define a portion of the upper side surface 40a.

The docking portion 44 can be recessed into the siderail body 32 and can include a docking portion base 52, a docking portion back 54, and docking portion sides 56 as shown in Figs. 1. It should be appreciated that the docking portion 44 can extend from the siderail body 32. It should also be appreciated that the docking portion 44 can include portions that can be recessed into the siderail body 32 and extending from the siderail body 32. In one illustrative embodiment, the docking portion back 54 can be recessed into the siderail body 32 between about 0.75 inches (1,9 cm) and about 1 inch (2,54 cm) from the first surface 36 of the siderail 24 and can have a width of between about 6.5 inches (16,51 cm) and about 7 inches (17,78 cm) and a height of between about 3.5 inches (8,89 cm) and 4 inches (10,16 cm) extending from the docking portion base 52 to the upper side surface 40a. In another illustrative embodiment the docking portion 44 can be recessed into the siderail body 32 between about 0.75 inches (1,9 cm) and about 1 inch (2,54 cm) from the second surface 38 of the siderail 24 and can have a width of between about 6.5 inches (16,51 cm) and about 7 inches (17,78 cm) and a height of between about 3.5 inches (8,89 cm) and 4 inches (10,16 cm) extending from the docking portion base 52 to the upper side surface 40a. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the docking portion 44 can be recessed into the siderail body 32 between the first surface 36 and the second surface 38 such that the docking portion sides 56 can be located between the first surface 36 and the second surface 38 and the docking portion base 52 can be recessed from the upper side surface 40a between about 3.5 inches (8,89 cm) and about 4 inches (10,16 cm). In still another illustrative embodiment, the docking portion 44 can be recessed and/or extending from at least one of the end boards EB 1. It should be appreciated that the height, width, and depth of the docking portion 44 can be greater than or less than the previously stated amounts. It should also be appreciated that the docking portion 44 can be located on the head siderail 24a, the foot siderail 24b, and/or the endboards EB1. It should further be appreciated that the siderail body 32 can include more than one docking portion 44 thereon.

The removable module 58 can be removably coupled to the siderail 24 as shown in Figs. 1-4. It should be appreciated that the removable module 58 can be removably coupled to at least one endboard EB1. In one illustrative embodiment, at least a portion of the removable module 58 can be received and removably retained within the docking portion 44 of the siderail 24 as shown in Fig. 2. In another illustrative embodiment, the removable module 58 can be configured to be press-fit or snapped into the grip opening 48 as shown in Fig. 1 and 3-4. It should be appreciated that the removable module 58 can be removed by pushing or pulling the module 58 in the opposite direction from which it was press-fit or snapped in. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the removable module 58 can be configured to couple to at least one end board EB 1. In still other embodiments, the removable module 58 can be coupled to the siderail 24 and/or the end boards EB1 with hangers, hooks, clamps, fasteners (not shown), such as, screws, interlocking members, or other fastening elements. It should be appreciated that the removable module 58 can be generally rectangularly shaped. It should also be appreciated that the removable module 58 can be disposable. It should be further appreciated that the removable module 58 can have antimicrobial properties.

The removable module 58 can be configured to serve different purposes as shown in Figs. 5-6. In one illustrative embodiment, the removable module 58 can be a storage module 58 that can be configured to store personal belongings within reach, which can reduce the time spent by the caregiver in fetching the personal belongings of a person. The one or more personal belongings can be or can include at least one of eye glasses, jewelry, dentures, photos, music playing devices, headphones, cellular phones, magazines, books, personal organizers, pens/pencils, tissues, or toiletries, or other personal electronic devices, personal belongings or objects. The one or more personal belongings can also include caregiver objects, such as, medical diagnosis equipment, medications, treatment or medication administering devices, syringes, bandages, recording materials, pens/pencils, or other caregiver devices, equipment, or materials. In another embodiment, the removable module 58 can be a tissue or antimicrobial wipe dispenser as shown in Fig. 6. It is within the scope of this disclosure to provide a retrofit removable module 58 that can be particularly formed to fit within a particularly-sized opening of a particular siderail 24. In one illustrative embodiment, the removable modules 58 can be sized and shaped to accommodate the size and shape of any opening of an existing siderail 24. For example, a removable module 58 can be configured to generally follow the shape of the grip 46 and upper side surface 40a. Such a retrofit removable module 58 can also be sized and shaped to provide an interference-fit within the opening of the particular siderail 24 for which they were made.

The removable module 58 can include a housing 60 with a front portion FP1 and a coupling portion CP1 as shown in Fig. 7 and 8. The housing 60 can be formed of a polymeric material. The front portion FP1 includes an opening 62 into a storage area for personal belongings or fabric that can be dispensed from the removable module 58, and a retaining element 64. The front portion FP1 can be configured to have a thickness TM1 of about 0.5 inches (1,27 cm) as shown in Figs. 7-8. It should be appreciated that at least a portion of the front portion FP 1 can be removable.

The retaining element 64 can be configured to retain personal belongings or other objects within the removable module 58 as shown in Figs. 1-8. In one illustrative embodiment, the retaining element 64 can be or can include at least one of a strap or band, such as, a hook and loop fastener strap or an elastic band. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the retaining element 64 can be a cover (not shown). It should be appreciated that at least a portion of the cover can be transparent. In still another illustrative embodiment, the retaining element 64 can be a protrusion or flange (not shown) that can be integrated into the housing 60. In other illustrative embodiments, the retaining element 64 can be a rod (not shown), a net (not shown), or other retaining mechanisms.

The retaining element 64 is configured to extend across at least a portion of the width of the opening 62 in the housing 60 as shown in Figs. 1-8. The retaining element 64 extends across the opening 62 in the housing 60 such that there is a clearance space 66 between the retaining element 64 and the perimeter edge of the opening 62. The clearance space 66 is configured to provide access to the storage area for cleaning purposes.

The coupling portion CP1 can include a retainer 68 and engagement surfaces 70 as shown in Figs. 7-8. The coupling portion CP1 can have a thickness TC1 equal to about the thickness of the grip 46. It should be appreciated that the coupling portion CP1 can extend beyond one of the first surface 36 and the second surface 38 about 0.5 inches (1,27 cm) when the removable module 58 is coupled to the siderail 24. The retainer 68 can be a spring actuated mechanism that can be slidably or pivotably coupled to the housing 60 and movable relative to the housing 60 between extended and depressed or compressed positions. It should be appreciated that the retainer 68 can be a latch, a friction lock, a screw, suction or vacuum retainer, or other retaining element that can be configured to couple and release the removable module 58 from the siderail 24. It should also be appreciated that the removable module 58 can be slidably coupled with the housing 60 such that the removable module 58 rides within a track (not shown). In one illustrative embodiment, the retainer 68 can engage at least a portion of the docking portion 44 to maintain at least a portion of the removable module 58 within the docking portion 44. In another illustrative embodiment, the retainer 68 can operate to couple the removable module 58 within the grip opening 48 of the siderail 24 by providing an interference fit between the removable module 58 and the grip 46 and upper side surface 40a. In order to provide an interference fit, the retainer 68 can be moved to the compressed position to allow the removable module 58 to be positioned by a user within the grip opening 48 of the siderail 24. Once released, a spring (not shown) can bias the retainer 68 toward the extended position to provide an outward force on one of the grip 46 and the upper side surface 40a to maintain the removable module within the grip opening 48.

The engagement surfaces 70 can be shaped to conform to the contour of the grip 46 and/or the upper side surface 40a as shown in Figs. 7-8. In one illustrative embodiment, at least a portion of the engagement surfaces 70 can be curved to engage a portion of the grip 46. In another illustrative embodiment, at least a portion of the engagement surfaces 70 can be shaped to conform to the contour of the docking portion 44. It should be appreciated that a portion of the engagement surfaces 70 can form a flange 72 that can be configured to assist in maintaining the removable module 58 within the grip opening 48. The engagement surface can have a thickness equal to the thickness of the grip 46. It should be appreciated that the engagement surface can have a thickness of greater than or less than the thickness of the grip 46.