U.S. patent application number 09/814517 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-06 for body supporting tool for bed.
Invention is credited to Takahashi, Toru, Watanabe, Yasuo.
Application Number | 20010047545 09/814517 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18667167 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010047545 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Watanabe, Yasuo ; et
al. |
December 6, 2001 |
Body supporting tool for bed
Abstract
A body supporting tool for a bed includes a guide rail (3)
releasably fixed to a frame (1) of the bed, a slide housing (6)
guided by the guide rail (3), a turning support (11), and an
abutment plate (19) moving forward and backward along the guide
rail (3) together with the slide housing (6) and supporting a body
of a person lying on the bed while abutting the body. When an
operating handle (14) is turned in a set direction by a set angle,
the slide housing (6) switches its states from a moving state to a
fixing state, and when the handle (14) is turned in a direction
opposite to the set direction by the set angle, the slide housing
(6) switches its states from the fixing state to the moving state.
As a result of this construction, a simply operable body supporting
tool is provided, which can releasably be mounted on a bed easily
and whose position can be adjusted conveniently, quickly, and
reliably after mounted on the bed.
Inventors: |
Watanabe, Yasuo;
(Shinjuku-ku, JP) ; Takahashi, Toru; (Shinjuku-ku,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ADAMS & WILKS
ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW
31st FLOOR
50 BROADWAY
NEW YORK
NY
10004
US
|
Family ID: |
18667167 |
Appl. No.: |
09/814517 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/600 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G 7/07 20130101; A61G
7/05 20130101; A47C 21/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
5/600 |
International
Class: |
A47B 071/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 31, 2000 |
JP |
2000-163412 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A body supporting tool for a bed comprising: a guide rail
releasably fixed to a frame of said bed; a slide housing movable
relative to said guide rail while guided by said guide rail; a
turning support turnably held by said slide housing at a base end
portion thereof and having an operating member on an upper end
portion thereof; a slide housing movement control mechanism
provided within said slide housing for switching states of said
slide housing between a slide housing moving state in which said
slide housing is allowed to move relative to said guide rail and a
slide housing fixing state in which said slide housing is not
allowed to move relative to said guide rail; a support turning
motion converting mechanism for causing said slide housing movement
control mechanism to switch said states of said slide housing from
said slide housing moving state to said slide housing fixing state
when said turning support is turned in a set direction by a set
angle, and from said slide housing fixing state to said slide
housing moving state when said turning support is turned in a
direction opposite to said set direction by said set angle; and an
abutment plate swingably supported around said turning support by
said turning support, moving forward and backward along said guide
rail together with said slide housing when said slide housing moves
forward and backward along said guide rail, and supporting a body
of a person lying on said bed while abutting said body.
2. A body supporting tool for a bed according to claim 1, wherein
said slide housing movement control mechanism includes fixed
engaging members and movable engaging members engaging with said
fixed engaging members; said fixed engaging members extend in a
longitudinal direction of said guide rail integrally with said
guide rail; and said movable engaging members are arranged within
said slide housing in such a manner that said movable engaging
members move along said guide rail together with said fixed
engaging members on said guide rail and are set in a slide housing
moving position where movement of said slide housing is permitted
as said movable engaging members evacuate from an engaging position
where said movable engaging members are engageable with said fixed
engaging members on said guide rail and in a slide housing fixing
position where movement of said slide housing is prohibited as said
movable engaging members engage with said fixed engaging members on
said guide rail.
3. A body supporting tool for a bed according to claim 1 or 2,
wherein said support turning motion converting mechanism has a cam
mechanism at a base end portion of said turning support in a manner
coupled to interlock with turning movement of said turning support,
and said cam mechanism causes said slide housing movement control
mechanism to switch said states from said slide housing moving
state to said slide housing fixing state when said turning support
is turned in a set direction by a set angle, and from said slide
housing fixing state to said slide housing moving state when said
turning support is turned in a direction opposite to said set
direction by said set angle.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a body supporting tool for
a bed, which is a position-adjustable tool releasably mountable on
a bed for supporting a person lying on the bed reliably and
comfortably while allowing the bed to tilt safely.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In various facilities such as a hospital, a therapeutic
institution or a rehabilitation center, a bed is sometimes tilted
right and left repeatedly with a person laid thereon for giving
medical treatment or rehabilitation training. In such a case, in
order to prevent the person lying on the bed from rolling or
sliding sideward over the tilted bed, a nurse or an attendant
operates a body supporting tool for supporting the body of a person
lying on a bed by fixing the tool to a frame of the bed in advance
and setting up the tool so that the person will be held on the bed
in an optimal condition.
[0005] When the body supporting tool is used in order to prevent
the person from rolling or sliding sideward over the constantly
inclining bed, even a nurse or an attendant who is unfamiliar with
handling the tool is required to operate the tool so that the
person's body can be supported on the bed optimally. However, it is
not always easy for such nurse or attendant to handle the tool, and
thus it entailed much time to operate the tool, and the person's
body was not supported on the bed in a satisfactory position. For
this reason, there has been a call for a body supporting tool which
can be operated and handled easily even by an untrained nurse or
attendant, which can hold a person on a bed comfortably and
reliably, and which allows the bed to be tilted safely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a body supporting tool for a bed which can be releasably
mounted on the bed easily and whose position can be adjusted
conveniently after mounted on the bed, so that even a nurse or an
attendant not so well trained in handling the tool can mount the
tool on and dismount it from the bed quickly and reliably and can
adjust its position quickly and reliably once the tool has been
mounted on the bed, and hence the bed can be tilted safely while
keeping a person laid thereon comfortably and reliably.
[0007] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present
invention provides a body supporting tool for a bed which comprises
a guide rail releasably fixed to a frame of the bed, a slide
housing movable relative to the guide rail while guided by the
guide rail, a turning support turnably held by the slide housing at
a base end portion thereof and having an operating member on an
upper end portion thereof, a slide housing movement control
mechanism provided within the slide housing for switching states of
the slide housing between a slide housing moving state in which the
slide housing is allowed to move relative to the guide rail and a
slide housing fixing state in which the slide housing is not
allowed to move relative to the guide rail, a support turning
motion converting mechanism for causing the slide housing movement
control mechanism to switch the states of the slide housing from
the slide housing moving state to the slide housing fixing state
when the turning support is turned in a set direction by a set
angle, and from the slide housing fixing state to the slide housing
moving state when the turning support is turned in a direction
opposite to the set direction by the set angle, and an abutment
plate swingably supported around the turning support by the turning
support, moving forward and backward along the guide rail together
with the slide housing when the slide housing moves forward and
backward along the guide rail, and supporting a body of a person
lying on the bed while abutting the body.
[0008] Preferably, the slide housing movement control mechanism
includes fixed engaging members and movable engaging members
engaging with the fixed engaging members, the fixed engaging
members extend in a longitudinal direction of the guide rail
integrally with the guide rail, and the movable engaging members
are arranged within the slide housing in such a manner that the
movable engaging members move along the guide rail together with
the slide housing and are set in a slide housing moving position
where movement of the slide housing is permitted as the movable
engaging members evacuate from an engaging position where the
movable engaging members are engageable with the fixed engaging
members on the guide rail and in a slide housing fixing position
where movement of the slide housing is prohibited as the movable
engaging members engage with the fixed engaging members on the
guide rail.
[0009] Preferably, the support turning motion converting mechanism
has a cam mechanism at a base end portion of the turning support in
a manner coupled to interlock with turning movement of the turning
support, and the cam mechanism causes the slide housing movement
control mechanism to switch the states from the slide housing
moving state to the slide housing fixing state when the turning
support is turned in a set direction by a set angle, and from the
slide housing fixing state to the slide housing moving state when
the turning support is turned in a direction opposite to the set
direction by the set angle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The present invention will be described in further detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a longitudinally sectional rear view showing the
main part of a body supporting tool for a bed, which is an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of the same;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinally sectional side view of
the same taken along a line A-A in FIG. 5;
[0015] FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinally sectional rear view of
the same;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a horizontally sectional plan view of the same;
and
[0017] FIG. 7 is a horizontally sectional plan view of the same,
which is in a different state from that in FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, the tool illustrated is a
body supporting tool for a bed, which is an embodiment of the
present invention, with its main part viewed from its back, side,
and top, respectively. The body supporting tool to be mounted on a
bed includes a guide rail 3 releasably fixed by fixing means such
as fixing screws to a frame 1 of the bed on which a mat 2 is
spread. The rail 3 not only guides a moving part of the body
supporting tool for adjusting the position of such moving part, but
also reliably fixes the moving part to the frame 1 of the bed while
the tool is in use.
[0019] To laterally support a person who is lying on the mat 2
using this tool, the guide rail 3 is positioned and fixed to frame
members extending in a transverse direction of the bed or across
the width of the bed in such a manner that its longitudinal
direction coincides with the transverse direction of the bed. The
mat 2 has a slit of a predetermined width formed in advance in and
along the transversely extending frame members of the bed frame 1
along which the guide rail 3 extends. The slit allows the moving
part of the body supporting tool to move across the bed while
vertically passing through the mat 2 when the position of the
moving part is to be adjusted along the guide rail 3 after the tool
has been fixed in the above-mentioned way. Further, since a bed is
usually symmetrical on both sides, slits each having a
predetermined width such as mentioned above may be formed in the
mat 2 symmetrically on both sides, so that two body supporting
tools of the invention can be mounted on a bed symmetrically on
both sides.
[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the guide rail 3 includes a pair
of side wall portions 3a and 3b, and a bottom wall portion 3c
integrally uniting the portions 3a and 3b along the base thereof.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the guide rail 3 is detachably
fixed to the bed frame 1 by fixing means such as fixing screws
driven into holes which are formed in the bottom wall portion 3c at
intervals along the length of the portion 3c.
[0021] In FIGS. 1 to 5, a fixed rack 4a extends integrally with the
inner surface of the side wall portion 3a along the length of the
guide rail 3, and so does a fixed rack 4b integrally with the inner
surface of the side wall portion 3b. These fixed racks 4a and 4b
may be integrally formed directly on the side wall portions 3a and
3b, or may be independent racks which are made of a wear-resistant
material and integrally bonded to the inner surfaces of the side
wall portions 3a and 3b of the guide rail 3, respectively. On the
other hand, a guide groove 5a is formed in the outer surface of the
side wall portion 3a along the length of the guide rail 3, and so
is a guide groove 5b in the outer surface of the side wall portion
3b.
[0022] In FIGS. 1 to 5, a slide housing 6 engages with the guide
rail 3 in a fashion standing astride the rail 3. Ridges 6a and 6b
extend on the inner surfaces of skirts, i.e., both sides of the
slide housing 6 along a direction in which the housing 6 moves,
respectively. These ridges 6a and 6b are fitted into the
corresponding guide grooves 5a and 5b of the guide rail 3 in such a
manner that the former can move in sliding contact with the latter,
or the former are freely slidable along the latter.
[0023] The slide housing 6 has a cylindrical upper portion. A cam
driver 7 is fitted with this cylindrical upper portion of the
housing 6 so that the driver 7 can turn about the longitudinal axis
of a turning support 11 integrally with the support 11. The cam
driver 7 and the base and portion of the turning support 11 are
held together by caulking pins 12 and 13 in a manner integral with
each other through a support receiving sleeve 8. The turning
support 11 has at its upper end portion an operating member which
is equipped with an operating handle 14 and a grip 15. Further, the
slide housing 6 has a plurality, e.g., a pair, of circumferentially
extending, diametrically opposed arcuate guide grooves 10 formed in
its cylindrical upper portion. Engaging projections 9a and 9b,
formed in the outer peripheral portion of the cam driver 7, engage
with the arcuate guide grooves 10 corresponding thereto. The
engagement of the projections 9a and 9b with the grooves 10
prevents the cam driver 7 from coming off from the slide housing 6,
and at the same time, regulates an angular range within which the
cam driver 7 is allowed to move relative to the slide housing
6.
[0024] In FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 6 and 7, an enclosing member 17a
is fitted around the turning support 11 and the cam driver 7,
covering an area extending from a lower portion of the support 11
to the outer surface of an upper portion of the driver 7 in a
manner to allow the support 11 and the driver 7 to turn therein.
The enclosing member 17a has at its lower edge a plurality, e.g., a
pair, of circumferentially extending, diametrically opposed locking
projections 21a and 21b. These projections 21a and 21b engage with
corresponding notches 22 formed in an upper edge of the slide
housing 6, respectively, thereby preventing the enclosing member
17a from turning relative to the slide housing 6.
[0025] The operating handle 14 having the grip 15 attached to its
upper end portion is fixed at its base end portion to the upper end
portion of the turning support 11 in a manner projecting in a
radial direction from the support 11. An abutment plate support
member 17b is fitted around the turning support 11 while extending
from a larger diameter portion 16 of the support 11 which is
immediately below the portion to which the operating handle 14 is
fixed to an upper end of the enclosing member 17a in a manner
turnable relative to the support 11 about the axis of the support
11. The abutment plate support member 17b supports an abutment
plate 19 on the back through a mounting position adjusting plate 18
so that the position of the plate 19 can be adjusted in the
transverse direction of the bed. A soft cushion material is
normally attached to at least an abutment side of the abutment
plate 19 so that the plate 19 can support a person who is lying on
the mat 2 on the bed in comfortable and flexible abutment with the
person's body.
[0026] In FIGS. 6 and 7, the abutment plate support member 17b has
a transverse guide hole 33 formed so as to extend in a direction
perpendicular to the mounting position adjusting plate 18 and the
abutment plate 19, and a sliding element 34 is fitted into the
transverse guide hole 33 in a manner movable in sliding contact
with the hole 33 along the longitudinal axis of the hole 33, i.e.,
in the direction perpendicular to the mounting position adjusting
plate 18 and the abutment plate 19. The sliding element 34, which
allows the turning support 11 to pass therethrough vertically and a
resilient spring chamber 35a to be formed along the longitudinal
axis of the transverse guide hole 33, serves as a member for
positioning the abutment plate 19. A circumferential portion of the
turning support 11 which confronts a side surface of the sliding
element 34 by vertically passing through the element 34 is notched
to form a flat surface 35.
[0027] The flat surface 35 is oriented, as shown in FIG. 6, toward
the same direction as the back side of the mounting position
adjusting plate 18 and the abutment plate 19 when the operating
handle 14 is positioned in parallel with the plates 18 and 19,
i.e., when the handle 14 is set in a direction perpendicular to the
longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3. On the other hand, as
shown in FIG. 7, when the operating handle 14 is turned 90.degree.
clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 6 to be set in the direction
perpendicular to the plates 18 and 19, i.e., when the handle 14 is
set in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3, the flat
surface 35 is oriented toward a direction of one side of the plates
18 and 19.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a sliding contact member 37 is
fitted into the resilient spring chamber 35a so that the member 37
is in contact with the circumferential surface of the turning
support 11 at all times, and a resilient spring 36 is interposed
between the sliding contact member 37 and end faces of the
resilient spring chamber 35a. Therefore, when the operating handle
14 is set in parallel with the mounting position adjusting plate 18
and the abutment plate 19, i.e., in the direction perpendicular to
the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3 as shown in FIG. 6,
the flat surface 35 of the turning support 11 contacts an end face
of the resilient spring chamber 35a, thereby causing the
positioning sliding element 34 to move closer to the plates 18 and
19. Then, as a projecting end portion of the element 34 engages
with a selected one of a plurality of positioning holes 18a formed
at intervals along the length of the mounting position adjusting
plate 18 or in a longitudinal direction of the bed, the mounting
position adjusting plate 18 and the abutment plate 19 are
positioned with respect to the abutment plate supporting member 17b
in the longitudinal direction of the bed.
[0029] In contrast, when the operating handle 14 is set, as shown
in FIG. 7, in the direction perpendicular to the mounting position
adjusting plate 18 and the abutment plate 19, i.e., in the
longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3, the flat surface 35 of
the turning support 11 moves away from the end face of the
resilient spring chamber 35a, and as a result, the positioning
sliding element 34 moves away from the plates 18 and 19 against the
resiliency of the resilient spring 36, which in turn causes the
projecting end portion of the element 34 to disengage from the
positioning hole 18a formed in the plate 18, whereby the mounting
position adjusting plate 18 and the abutment plate 19 are ready to
be positioned again with respect to the abutment plate supporting
member 17b in the longitudinal direction of the bed.
[0030] To perform the repositioning of the mounting position
adjusting plate 18 and the abutment plate 19 with respect to the
abutment plate supporting member 17b smoothly, rails 18b and 18c
may be formed on the back side of the mounting position adjusting
plate 18 in a manner extending along the length of the plate 18,
and these rails 18b and 18c may be engaged with rail engaging
members provided on the abutment plate supporting member 17b. This
arrangement would facilitate movements of the mounting position
adjusting plate 18 relative to the abutment plate supporting member
17b along the length of the plate 18.
[0031] In FIGS. 4 and 5, a cam chamber 7a is formed in a central
portion of the cam driver 7. The chamber 7a is a bottomless
cylindrical portion which is circular in horizontal cross section
having an inner circumferential wall surface and an inner ceiling
wall surface. In the inner ceiling wall surface of the chamber 7a,
a diametrically extending recess 23 and flat portions 23a and 23b
flaking the recess 23 are formed. Further, shallow grooves 23c and
23d are formed in the flat portions 23a and 23b in a manner
extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the
cam chamber 7a and perpendicular to the diametrically extending
recess 23, respectively. The recess 23 and the flat portions 23a
and 23b are continuous through smooth curved surfaces, thereby
forming a driving cam surface in cooperation with one another.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a cam follower 27 is fitted into
the cam chamber 7a. The cam follower 27 has a cylindrical surface
29c movable in both circumferential and axial directions in sliding
contact with the inner circumferential wall surface of the cam
chamber 7a. The cam follower 27 has mutually parallel,
diametrically opposed smoothed surfaces 29a and 29b formed by
notching a lower portion of its outer circumferential wall surface.
The cam follower 27 is fitted at its lower portion between the side
wall portions 3a and 3b of the guide rail 3 in a manner such that
these smoothed surfaces 29a and 29b come in sliding contact with
the inner surfaces of the walls 3a and 3b corresponding thereto,
respectively. Therefore, even when the cam driver 7 is turned by
the turning support 11 about the axis of the support 11, the side
wall portions 3a and 3b of the guide rail 3 block the turning of
the cam follower 27, and thus the cam follower 27 never turns with
respect to the guide rail 3.
[0033] In FIGS. 4 and 5, the cam follower 27 has on its top a ridge
27a which extends along the length of the guide rail 3. Further,
the cam follower 27 has a movable rack member holding chamber 27b
in a central portion thereof. The chamber 27b is a bottomless
cylindrical portion having an inner circumferential wall surface
and an inner ceiling wall surface, and holds both a movable rack
member 30 on its inner circumferential wall surface in a manner to
allow the member 30 to move up and down, and a movable rack biasing
spring 32 for biasing the movable rack member 30 downward.
[0034] As shown also in FIGS. 4 and 5, a cam follower shaft 24
passes through both the recess 23 of the cam driver 7 and the cam
follower 27 along the axis of the turning support 11 and the cam
driver 7. The cam follower shaft 24 projects upward into the
support receiving sleeve 8, where a spring shoe screw 25 is driven
into the top end portion of the shaft 24. Between the head of the
spring shoe screw 25 and a transverse wall portion of the cam
driver 7 through which the cam follower shaft 24 passes is a cam
biasing spring 26, which is a compression spring.
[0035] The cam follower shaft 24 is supported on the cam follower
27 by a cam support pin 28. The pin 28 passes through a middle
portion of the shaft 24 and an upper wall portion of the cam
follower 27 in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3.
Since the cam follower shaft 24 is biased upward toward the cam
driver 7 by the cam biasing spring 26 at all times, the cam
follower 27 which is supported on the cam follower shaft 24 is also
biased upward toward the cam driver 7 at all times. Therefore, a
driven cam surface formed by the ridge 27a of the cam follower 27
is in contact with the driving cam surface formed continuously by
the recess 23 and the flat portions 23a and 23b at all times.
Hence, in accordance with the turning angle of the turning support
11 and the cam driver 7, the ridge 27a gets fitted into the recess
23 to cause the cam follower shaft 24 to move upward, or the ridge
27a runs up onto the flat portions 23a and 23b to cause the cam
follower shaft 24 to move downward.
[0036] As further shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, within the movable rack
member holding chamber 27b of the cam follower 27, the movable rack
member 30 engages with the follower 27 in a position further below
than the cam support pin 28 inserted into the cam follower shaft
24. The member 30 is movable in sliding contact with the follower
27 only vertically. A flange 31 is formed on the bottom end portion
of the cam follower shaft 24 for preventing the movable rack member
30 from coming off, and a movable rack biasing spring 32 is
interposed between the cam follower 27 and the movable rack member
30. The spring 32 is a compression spring. The movable rack member
30 is biased toward the flange 31 of the cam follower shaft 24 at
all times by the resiliency of the movable rack biasing spring
32.
[0037] In FIGS. 4 and 5, the movable rack member 30 has parallelly
extending, diametrically opposed notched smoothed surfaces formed
on its outer circumferential wall surface. These smoothed surfaces
on the outer circumferential wall surface of the member 30 are in
sliding contact with inner circumferential wall surface portions of
the movable rack member holding chamber 27b which correspond to
these smoothed surfaces and which extend in parallel with the
smoothed surfaces 29a and 29b on the outer circumferential wall
surface of the cam follower 27. As a result, the movable rack
member 30 slidably moves only vertically relative to the cam
follower 27 within the movable rack member holding chamber 27b of
the cam follower 27, without making circumferential motion relative
to the follower 27, as mentioned above.
[0038] Still further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, diametrically
opposed movable racks 30a and 30b are formed on an outer
circumferential surface portion at the bottom of the movable rack
member 30. The racks 30a and 30b are engageable with the fixed
racks 4a and 4b corresponding thereto which are formed on the inner
surfaces of the side wall portions 3a and 3b of the guide rail
3.
[0039] The body supporting tool has the above-mentioned
construction. Thus, when the operating handle 14 is turned to
extend in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction
of the guide rail 3 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the turning support
11 and the cam driver 7 turn to the state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5,
so that the ridge 27a of the cam follower 27 is pushed down in a
manner running up onto the flat portions 23a and 23b to be engaged
with the shallow grooves 23c and 23d. In association therewith, the
cam follower shaft 24 and the cam follower 27 move downward, and
when the movable rack member 30 is resiliently biased downward by
the movable rack biasing spring 32, the movable racks 30a and 30b
mesh with the corresponding fixed racks 4a and 4b of the guide rail
3, whereby the abutment plate 19 is reliably held in position in a
manner not movable relative to the guide rail 3.
[0040] On the other hand, when the operating handle 14 is turned to
extend in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the
guide rail 3 as shown in FIG. 7, the turning support 11 and the cam
driver 7 turn 90.degree. from the state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, so
that the ridge 27a of the cam follower 27 is caused to be fitted
into the recess 23 of the cam driver 7. In association therewith,
the cam follower shaft 24 and the cam follower 27 move upward, and
when the movable rack member 30 is elevated by the flange 31 of the
cam follower shaft 24, the movable racks 30a and 30b disengage from
the corresponding fixed racks 4a and 4b of the guide rail 3,
whereby the abutment plate 19 becomes ready to move freely in the
longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3 relative to the guide
rail 3.
[0041] That is, in the body supporting tool for a bed shown in
FIGS. 1 to 7, a mechanism for converting turning motion of the
turning support 11 into vertical movement of the movable rack
member 30 has a cam mechanism which is coupled to the base end
portion of the turning support 11 in a manner to interlock with the
turning of the support 11. The cam mechanism includes the recess 23
and the flat portions 23a and 23b of the cam driver 7. When the
operating handle 14 is turned so that it extends in the direction
perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3 and
the turning support 11 thereby turns in a set direction by a set
angle, a slide housing control mechanism including the movable
racks 30a and 30b of the movable rack member 30 and the fixed racks
4a and 4b of the guide rail 3 switches its states from a slide
housing moving state to a slide housing fixing state. Further, when
the operating handle 14 is turned so that it extends in the same
direction as the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3 and the
turning support 11 thereby turns in a direction opposite to the set
direction by the set angle, the slide housing control mechanism
switches its states from the slide housing fixing state to the
slide housing moving state.
[0042] In the body supporting tool for a bed shown in FIGS. 1 to 7,
the slide housing control mechanism has fixed engaging members such
as the fixed racks 4a and 4b and movable engaging members engaging
with the fixed engaging members such as the movable racks 30a and
30b. The fixed engaging members extend along the length of the
guide rail 3 integrally with the guide rail 3. The movable engaging
members move along the guide rail 3 together with the slide housing
6 within the slide housing 6, and can be set in both a slide
housing moving position and a slide housing fixing position. The
former is a position where the slide housing 6 is permitted to move
while evacuating from an engaging position at which the movable
engaging members can engage with the fixed engaging members on the
guide rail 3, and the latter is a position where the slide housing
6 is not allowed to move as a result of the movable engaging
members engaging with the fixed engaging members on the guide rail
3.
[0043] The body supporting tool for a bed shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 is
a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is merely
exemplary in nature and various modifications of the invention are
thus possible. It is therefore to be understood that within the
scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced
otherwise than as specifically described.
[0044] According to the body supporting tool for a bed of the
present invention, the following advantages can be obtained.
[0045] (1) The body supporting tool for a bed includes a guide rail
releasably fixed to a frame of the bed, a slide housing movable
relative to the guide rail while guided by the guide rail, a
turning support turnably held by the slide housing at a base end
portion thereof and having an operating member on an upper end
portion thereof, a slide housing movement control mechanism
provided within the slide housing for switching states of the slide
housing between a slide housing moving state in which the slide
housing is allowed to move relative to the guide rail and a slide
housing fixing state in which the slide housing is not allowed to
move relative to the guide rail, a support turning motion
converting mechanism for causing the slide housing movement control
mechanism to switch the states of the slide housing from the slide
housing moving state to the slide housing fixing state when the
turning support is turned in a set direction by a set angle, and
from the slide housing fixing state to the slide housing moving
state when the turning support is turned in a direction opposite to
the set direction by the set angle, and an abutment plate swingably
supported around the turning support by the turning support, moving
forward and backward along the guide rail together with the slide
housing when the slide housing moves forward and backward along the
guide rail, and supporting a body of a person lying on the bed
while abutting the body.
[0046] According to the above construction, the body supporting
tool can be mounted on and dismounted from the bed easily, and its
position can be adjusted conveniently and easily after mounted on
the bed. Thus, even a nurse or an attendant not so well trained in
handling the tool can releasably mount the tool on the bed quickly
and reliably and can adjust its position quickly and reliably after
having mounted the tool on the bed, and hence the bed can be tilted
safely while keeping a person laid thereon comfortably and
reliably.
[0047] (2) In the body supporting tool for a bed, the slide housing
movement control mechanism includes fixed engaging members and
movable engaging members engaging with the fixed engaging members.
The fixed engaging members extend in a longitudinal direction of
the guide rail integrally with the guide rail. Further, the movable
engaging members are arranged within the slide housing in such a
manner that the movable engaging members move along the guide rail
together with the fixed engaging members on the guide rail and are
set in a slide housing moving position where movement of the slide
housing is permitted as the movable engaging members evacuate from
an engaging position where the movable engaging members are
engageable with the fixed engaging members on the guide rail and in
a slide housing fixing position where movement of the slide housing
is prohibited as the movable engaging members engage with the fixed
engaging members on the guide rail.
[0048] According to the above construction, a simply structured
mechanism comprised of the fixed engaging members and the movable
engaging members can be used. Since this mechanism allows the slide
housing to be locked by merely engaging the movable engaging
members with the fixed engaging members and allows it to be moved
by merely disengaging the movable engaging members from the fixed
engaging members, the body supporting tool can be mounted on and
dismounted from the bed easily, and its position can be adjusted
conveniently and easily after mounted on the bed. Thus, even a
nurse or an attendant not so well trained in handling the tool can
releasably mount the tool on the bed quickly and reliably and can
adjust its position quickly and reliably after having mounted the
tool on the bed, and hence the bed can be tilted safely while
keeping a person laid thereon comfortably and reliably.
[0049] (3) In the body supporting tool for a bed, the support
turning motion converting mechanism has a cam mechanism at a base
end portion of the turning support in a manner coupled to interlock
with turning movement of the turning support, and the cam mechanism
causes the slide housing movement control mechanism to switch the
states from the slide housing moving state to the slide housing
fixing state when the turning support is turned in a set direction
by a set angle, and from the slide housing fixing state to the
slide housing moving state when the turning support is turned in a
direction opposite to the set direction by the set angle.
[0050] According to the above construction, a simply structured cam
mechanism can be used. Since this cam mechanism allows the slide
housing movement control mechanism to switch its states from the
slide housing moving state to the slide housing fixing state
reliably, the body supporting tool can be mounted on and dismounted
from the bed easily, and its position can be adjusted conveniently
and easily after mounted on the bed. Thus, even a nurse or an
attendant not so well trained in handling the tool can releasably
mount the tool on the bed quickly and reliably and can adjust its
position quickly and reliably after having mounted the tool on the
bed, and hence the bed can be tilted safely while keeping a person
laid thereon comfortably and reliably.
* * * * *