Mattress with hand supports |
|||||||
申请号 | US10730529 | 申请日 | 2003-12-08 | 公开(公告)号 | US20050055777A1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2005-03-17 |
申请人 | Fred Feinsod; | 发明人 | Fred Feinsod; | ||||
摘要 | A mattress for use in hospital, nursing homes, and the like, incorporates hand supports with hand grips built into the sides of the mattress. Raised bolsters built into the top surface of the mattress adjacent to its lateral edges help to prevent the patient from falling out of the bed. | ||||||
权利要求 | |||||||
说明书全文 | The present application is based on, and claims priority to the Applicant's U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/503,258, entitled “Mattress With Hand Supports,” filed on Sep. 16, 2003. 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of mattresses for hospitals and nursing homes. More specifically, the present invention discloses a mattress having hand supports with hand grips built into the sides of the mattress. 2. Statement of the Problem Many conventional beds in hospitals and nursing homes are equipped with bed rails to assist the patient with turning in bed, egress from the bed, and entering into the bed. The bed rail also helps to prevent the patient from accidentally falling out of bed. However, there have been a significant number of injuries or deaths associated with conventional bed rails. For example, frail, elderly, or confused patients can become entangled or entrapped between the bed rail and the mattress. There is also a risk that the patient can hook their bed clothes on a protruding handle or transfer bar, which can result in the patient stumbling or falling. Therefore, a need exists for a bed with a hand support that eliminates these risks, but continues to meet the patient's needs for a hand support that is sturdy and well designed from an ergonomic point of view. 3. Solution to the Problem The present invention addresses these shortcomings by providing a hand support with hand grips that are built into the sides of the mattress. This eliminates the risk of the patient becoming entangled between the hand support and mattress, or of the patient's bed clothes becoming hooked on the hand support. Raised bolsters can be built into the top surface of the mattress adjacent to the lateral edges of the mattress to help prevent the patient from falling out of the bed. This approach may also offer cost advantages over conventional bed rails. Placement of the hand supports and bolsters within the mattress allows efficient filling of the mattress with support foam during the manufacturing process, and eliminates the need to purchase separate bed rails or transfer bars. This invention provides a mattress for use in hospital, nursing homes, and the like, that incorporates hand supports with hand grips built into the sides of the mattress. Raised bolsters built into the top surface of the mattress adjacent to its lateral edges help to prevent the patient from falling out of the bed. These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings. The present invention can be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Turning to The mattress 20 has a resilient core (e.g., foam rubber or coil springs) encapsulated by an outer cover (e.g., a heavy-duty fabric), much like a conventional mattress. Optionally, an internal frame or support structure can be included within the mattress 20. A number of raised bolsters 25 can be built into the top surface of the mattress 20, as shown best in A number of hand supports 30 are built into the mattress 20. Each vertical member 34 includes a hand grip 36 that is recessed into the vertical member 34 and the wall of the mattress 20 as illustrated in The hand supports 30 should have sufficient strength and rigidity to adequately support the weight of the patient. Preferably, the outer surface of the vertical member 34 should be generally flush with the side wall of the mattress 20, so there is no significant gap between the mattress 20 and the vertical member 34 of the hand support 30 that might entangle a patient. Similarly, the vertical members 34 need not extend upward beyond the top of the mattress, so as not to create protrusions that might injure the patient. For example, the hand supports 30 can be placed within the mattress cover so that it becomes an integral part of the mattress assembly. As illustrated in Placement of the hand grips 36 on the sides of the mattress 20 is largely a matter of design discretion. Ideally, hand grips 36 should be provided on both sides of the mattress 20 at positions selected to meet the ergonomic requirements of a typical patient. The hand grips 36 should be located so that a patient laying on the mattress can easily reach over the edge of the mattress and grab a hand grip 36 for assistance in shifting the patient's position in the bed, or for assistance in sitting up. The hand grips 36 should also be placed to assist a patient in sitting down on the bed, or in standing up from the edge of the bed. The embodiment shown in The corners formed by the horizontal base 32 and vertical members 34 are regions of maximum stress. Therefore, it may be advantageous to reinforce these corners with L-shaped angle brackets, as shown in Optionally, a number of straps 40 can be used to secure the mattress 20 and hand supports 30 to the bed frame 10. The strap 40 shown in The above disclosure sets forth a number of embodiments of the present invention. Other arrangements or embodiments, not precisely set forth, could be practiced under the teachings of the present invention and as set forth in the following claims. |