Invalid bed

Abstract

A bed for a bed-ridden person has head, foot and intermediate mattress-carrying sections supported end-to-end on a main frame. The sections are supported by a system of levers, pivots and rollers, which enables the head section to be inclined upwards in any one of a number of angular positions and simultaneously causes the intermediate and foot sections to be moved in a direction towards the foot of the bed, the intermediate section to take up a position slightly inclined in the opposite sense to the head section, and the foot section to be lowered in height, whilst maintaining an overall smooth profile of the upper surface of mattress portions carried by the sections. The intermediate section is divided on the centre-line of the bed and enables a gap to be opened up between its two parts, the gap being central or to either side of the centre-line of the bed as desired.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to beds and more particularly to beds intended for bed-ridden persons.

According to this invention there is provided a bed comprising a main frame, first, second and third mattress section supports mounted end-to-end on the main frame, the first support having its end nearer the second support pivotally mounted on the main frame and providing a lengthwise extending guideway, a second guideway extending lengthwise of the frame and disposed beneath the third support, a guide element engaged in the second guideway, a first lever providing three pivot points arranged in the form of a triangle, such lever being pivotally mounted on the frame by one of the pivot points and having at a second of the pivot points a guide element engaged in the guideway, a second lever providing three pivot points arranged in the form of a triangle which pivot points are respectively connected to the end of the third support nearer the second support, to the third of the pivot points of the first lever at a location adjacent the end of the first support nearer the second support, and to the guide element which is engaged in the second guideway, a connection between the frame and a location on the third support spaced away from the end thereof which connection operates to lower the other end of the third section on movement of the third section lengthwise of the bed in a direction away from the second section, the second mattress section support being connected to the second lever, and means for locating the first mattress support in selected positions about its pivotal mounting on the main frame.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the second support comprises a base member which is connected to the second lever, a pair of sub-frames which are mounted side by side on the base member and which are movable laterally towards and away from each other into any one of at least three positions, whereby the sub-frame can be positioned to form a gap between them in any one of three positions transversely of the bed, and means for locating each of the sub-frames in each of its three positions.

Preferably the connection comprises an inclined third guideway and an element movable along the guideway, which inclined guideway and element are connected one to the frame and the other to the third support at the above mentioned location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing showing a side elevation of a bed according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawing, the bed has a horizontally extending main frame 10 carried on castor wheels 11. The mattress is formed in four sections 12, 13, 14, 15 of which sections 12 and 15 are mounted on respective frame supports 16 and 17, sections 13 and 14 being mounted side by side on an intermediate frame support 18 which is shorter than the supports 16 and 17.

Frame support 16 is disposed at the head end of the bed and is pivotally mounted at its end adjacent support 18 on two uprights 19 which are rigidly secured to the main frame. The head end of support 16 can thus be raised and lowered about these pivots. In its horizontal position the support rests on a cross-bar 20a attached to twin uprights 20 which form part of the main frame.

Adjacent the foot of each of the uprights 19, a triangular plate 21 is pivotally mounted on the main frame and has an arm 22 rigidly connected to it. At its outer end the arm carries a roller 23 which engages in a horizontal inwardly-facing channel 16a formed in the adjacent side member of support 16. The triangular plate 21 and arm 22 together constitute a bell crank lever of which the other arm is pivotally connected to one end of an arm 24. The other end of arm 24 is rigidly connected to a member 25 intermediate the ends of the latter. The upper end of member 25 is pivotally connected at 26 to the head end of support member 17. The lower end of member 25 carries a roller 27 which engages in a horizontal guideway 28 provided by the main frame. Arm 24 and member 25 thus constitute a second bell crank lever which carries the head end of support 17 above the main frame.

An L-shaped arm member 30 is pivotally connected at one end to the arm 22 intermediate the ends of the latter and carries at its other end a roller 31 which is engaged in an inwardly-facing guide channel 32 provided by the main frame. These other ends of the arm members 30 can be fixed in any one of a series of positions spaced along the main frame to fix the frame support 16 in corresponding angular positions. For thispurpose, the arm members 30 are interconnected by a horizontal cross-member 30a which has a U-shaped plate 30b secured to it at its midlength. A metal strip 30c having one of its ends clamped to the main frame by a bolt 30d and spring 30e extends through the aperture formed by plate 30b and has a series of notches 30f in its edges which notches are engageable with an inner edge of the plate. An angle piece 33 attached to strip 30c has an aperture by means of which a rod 33a is secured by one end to the angle piece. The other end of the rod is attached to a foot lever (not shown) at one side of the main frame. The lever is pivotally mounted on the frame, and a spring disposed between a washer on the rod and the main frame urges the metal strip 30c laterally in a sense to hold the notches in engagement with the U-shaped plate 30b. Pressure of the foot on the lever pulls the strip laterally to disengage the notch and to allow the inclination of the frame support 16 to be altered. When the head end of support 16 is raised, the member 30 is drawn along by the arm 22, and the support can be held in a raised position by allowing the appropriate notch in strip 30c to engage the edge of plate 30b. A tension spring 35 interconnects the lower ends of the arm 22 and member 30 and tends to draw the member 30 leftwards to pivot the support 16 into an upright position, thus reducing the physical effort necessary to raise the support 16.

The frame support 17 provides an inwardly facing guide channel 37 which includes a horizontal section 38 and a downwardly-inclined section 39. An upright member 40 secured to the main frame has at its upper end a guide roller which engages in the guide channel 37.

It will be understood that a similar arrangement of the uprights, levers and guides is provided symmetrically at the other side of the bed.

The two arms 24 carry spaced parallel transverse members 42 which form part of the intermediate frame support 18. Members 42 provide transverse guide channels in which are engaged nylon rollers 43 secured to and supporting the inner ends of two sub-frames 44 which are disposed side by side and which abut on the longitudinal centre-line of the bed. The two sub-frames 44 respectively carry the two mattress sections 13 and 14. The outer ends of the two sub-frames, i.e. their ends further from each other, each have a frame member carrying a downwardly projecting pin 45 which is engageable in one or other of three holes formed in the frame support 18 and spaced apart transversely of the bed. By this means the two sub-frames can abut on the centre-line of the bed, or a gap can be provided between then either on the centre-line or on either side of the centre-line. A platform (not shown) for supporting a bed-pan rests on the bed but is sufficiently wide to support the bed-pan wherever the gap between sub-frames is formed.

When the head end of the frame support 16 is raised as previously described, the engagement of roller 23 in the guideway 16a rotates the plate 21 and arm 22 anticlockwise, thus moving leftwards and rotating clockwise the bell crank lever constituted by arm 24 and member 25. The rotation lowers pivot point 26 and hence the right hand end of frame support 17, and the leftward movement of the frame support causes the left hand end of the support 17 also to be lowered because of the engagement of the roller on upright 40 in the inclined section 39 of guideway 37. The leftward and rotational movement of arm 24 causes the sub-frames 44 and mattress sections 13 and 14 to move leftward and dip to the right to remain close to and generally in alignment with the mattress 15. The leftward movement of mattress sections 13 and 14 and their dipping to the right causes their upper edges adjoining the mattress section 12 to remain in substantially a constant position relative to the adjacent edge of the section 12 during the raising of mattress section 12.

The intermediate frame support 18 includes a platform underlying the position at which a gap can be formed between the mattress sections 13 and 14, which platform is for supporting a bed pan or other toilet receptacle. Thus it will be understood that a patient can be rolled or rocked a little to one side to enable one sub-frame 44 to be shifted away from the other sub-frame and can then be rolled or rocked a little to the other side to enable the other sub-frame to be shifted and the receptacle to be inserted in the gap. There is therefore no necessity to lift the patient. If the patient happens to be lying or sitting non-centrally of the bed, the gap can be provided correspondingly non-centrally by appropriate positioning of the sub-frames whilst still providing the full gap necessary to accommodate the toilet receptacle. Whatever the patient's position he is supported by the two mattress sections 13, 14 and not by the toilet receptacle.

Claims

We claim:

1. A bed comprising:

a main frame;

head-end, middle and foot-end mattress supports mounted end-to-end on said main frame;

said head-end support having its end nearer the middle support pivotally mounted on said main frame for adjustment of the angle of inclination of said head-end support;

a first guideway provided in said head-end support and extending lengthwise thereof;

a second guideway provided in said main frame and disposed beneath said foot-end support, said second guideway extending lengthwise of said main frame;

a guide element engaged in and movable along said second guideway;

a first lever having three pivot points arranged in the form of a triangle, said first lever being pivotally mounted on said main frame by a first of said pivot points thereof and having at a second of said pivot points thereof a guide element engaged in the first said guideway;

a second lever to which said middle support is secured and which has three pivot points arranged in the form of a triangle, which pivot points are respectively connected to a first end of said foot-end support nearer said middle support, to the third of the pivot points of said first lever at a location adjacent the said end of the head-end support nearer the middle support, and to said guide element which is engaged in said second guideway;

whereby said middle and foot-end supports and said second lever are mounted for movement lengthwise of said main frame in dependence on the angle of inclination of said head-end support;

a connection means between said main frame and a location on said foot-end support spaced away from said first end thereof, said connection means being operative for lowering the opposite end of said foot-end support on movement of said foot-end support lengthwise of the bed in a direction away from said middle support; and

means for locating said head-end support in selected positions of inclination about its pivotal mounting on said main frame.

2. A bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the middle support comprises a base member which is connected to said second lever, a pair of subframes which are mounted side by side on the base member and which are movable laterally towards and away from each other into any one of at least three positions, whereby the sub-frames can be positioned to form a gap between them in any one of three positions transversely of the bed, and means for locating each of said sub-frames in each of its three positions.

3. A bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connection means comprises an inclined third guideway and an element movable along the guideway, which inclined guideway and element are connected one to the frame and the other to said foot end support at said location.

4. A bed as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third guideway provided in the main frame and extending lengthwise thereof, and an arm member which has one end pivotally attached to the first lever and which has at its other end a guide element engaged in and movable along the third guideway, said means for locating the head-end mattress support in selected positions comprising an element fixed to the main frame and extending lengthwise thereof, said element having apertures at intervals along its length, a pin which is attached to said arm member adjacent said other end thereof and which is releasably engageable in any one of said apertures, and a spring urging the pin into engagement with such aperture.

5. A bed as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a counter-balancing spring operatively urging said head-end mattress section support towards an upright position.