Bedside Rail Cover

Abstract

This describes a cover to be used over bed rails to protect the occupant of the bed from injury caused by contact with the rails and also as a means of giving privacy to the occupant. The cover is of washable material, plastic or quilted cotton and has an inside part about twice the width of the rail and a folded-over part extending over the outside of the rail and having a width about half of the rail. Fasteners hold the two parts in place on the rail. Suitably, the cover can be made of stretch or expandable material so as to fit on rails of various length. It can measure 24 .times. 64 inches.

Description

This invention relates to covers for bedside rails. Bedside rails of the fixed or portable kind are used mainly for two purposes. One is for preventing the accidental displacement of an occupant from the sides of the bed. Secondly, in particular the foldable or collapsible bed rail is used on large or adult size beds to prevent young children from falling out.

Structurally, the rails comprise a substantially rectangular frame. This frame may be slidably mounted on the ends of the bed for vertical movement. In the case of the collapsible rail, it will have legs hinged at the bottom of the frame for insertion between a mattress and a box spring.

To be effective in preventing occupants from falling out, the rail units must be rigid. This prevents a problem in the case of young children or of agitated patients as these often receive cuts, bruises or abrasions from hitting their hands, head, or arms against the rails.

The object of this invention then, is to provide a bedside rail cover which will avoid the above problem and will also give a measure of privacy to the occupant of a bed.

This object and the invention will be more easily understood from the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one version of a bedside rail cover.

FIG. 2 is a perspective of a bed with the cover thereon.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a bedside rail cover according to the invention is generally designated by 10. It consists of a preferably opaque material such as plastic, quilted cotton, stretch fabric, or double-knit fiber which is readily washable. The inner portion 12 is about twice as wide as the outer portion 14 which is folded on it and secured by fasteners 16 in the middle and at the ends over intermediate brace 18 which is fixed at both ends to the legs 20 of the bedside rail 22. Section 12 extends below lower brace 23.

Where the material is not stretchable, an elastic insert 24 can be secured in the upper part of section 12.

With the fastening means mounted outside the bed, there is less possibility of tampering by the occupant. These means can be large snaps, buttons or "Velcro" bands.

The cover can be made of any size desired to receive any length or width of bed rails. It can also be of stretch material at least in portion 14 so as to have one size fit various sizes of bed rails.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a bed having an upstanding rail assembly for controlling egress from the bed, the rail assembly including at least an upper substantially horizontal bar, a lower substantially horizontal bar, and interconnecting bar means securing said upper and lower bars together intermediate the ends thereof to constitute said assembly,

A bedside rail cover, comprising:

a sheet means extending upwardly from a first edge thereof below said lower bar, upwardly behind the lower bar, then upwardly behind, over and downwardly in front of the upper bar and terminating in a second edge thereof above the lower bar; cooperative securement means on said sheet means adjacent said second edge thereof and directly therebehind on said sheet means; said cooperative securement means being laterally spaced to avoid their securement being interferred with by said interconnecting bar means; said sheet means being substantially as long, in a head of bed to foot of bed sense as said rail assembly.