Beds – Attachment or accessory – Adapted to cover or protect a rail or frame portion of a bed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-24
2002-03-12
Trettel, Michael F. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Attachment or accessory
Adapted to cover or protect a rail or frame portion of a bed
C005S424000, C005S658000, C248S345100, C016S0180CG
Reexamination Certificate
active
06353951
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to providing protection against foot pain and/or injury. More particularly, it relates to the provision of a cushioning cover for a bed frame leg positionable and adapted to absorb the blow of a person's foot that without the cover would contact the bed frame leg.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A common form of bed frame has short legs at its four corners and at locations between the corners. These bed frame legs are usually composed of a tubular post that depends downwardly from the bed frame and a roller or caster at the lower end of the post. In many of these bed frames, the legs are positioned where they can be struck by the foot of a person who is walking around the bed or is in the process of getting into or out from the bed. The posts and the rollers are made from a hard substance that can cause considerable pain and sometimes injury to a person's toes who strike them. An object of the present invention is to provide a simple yet effective cushioning cover for the bed frame legs that is adapted to protect against injury to a person's foot caused by a striking contact with a bed frame leg.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes the provision of a cushioning cover for a bed frame leg. According to an aspect of the invention, an elongated cushioning member or pad is provided that has first and second ends, a length at least as long as the distance around a bed frame leg, and a width less than the height of the bed frame leg. The first end of the member is adapted to be connected to the second end of the member after the member has been wrapped around a bed frame leg. The member is made from a resilient material that will cushion contact of a person's foot with the bed frame leg.
According to another aspect of the invention, the first end of the member is formed to include at least one transverse slot and a tongue is provided at the second end of the member. Insertion of the tongue into the slot serves to connect the first end to the second end.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the slot has a predetermined length and the tongue has an enlarged portion that is wider than the length of the slot. The tongue is flexible so that it can be distorted in shape as the enlarged portion is moved through the slot. After the tongue has been moved through the slot, the enlarged portion of the tongue will be positioned to hold the tongue against inadvertent removal from the slot.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the elongated member has an upper strap portion having first and second ends, a lower strap portion having first and second ends, and a connecting portion connecting the upper and lower strap portions together at a location intermediate their ends. Each strap portions has a means for connecting its first end to its second end after the cushion member has been wrapped around a bed frame leg.
In preferred form, at least one transverse slot is formed in the first end of each strap portion and a corresponding tongue is provided at the second end of each strap portion. The insertion of the tongues into the slots will connect the first ends to the second ends. Also in preferred form, each slot has a predetermined length and its tongue has at least one enlarged portion that is wider than the length of the slot. The tongues are flexible enough so that they can be distorted in shape in order to move the enlarged portions through the slots. After the tongues have been moved through the slots, the enlarged portions of the tongues are positioned to hold the tongues against inadvertent removal out from the slots.
Further, in the preferred embodiment, the tongue on the upper strap portion includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart enlarged portions. This allows the girth dimension of the upper strap portion of the cover to be adjusted by selectively moving the upper tongue through the upper slot in order to place a selected one of the enlarged portions against the slot. Also in the preferred embodiment, the connecting portion of the member comprises a plurality of spaced apart slots that are between spaced apart strips. The strips and slots allow the intermediate portion of the member to purse when the upper strap portion is tightened around an upper post portion of the bed frame leg that is smaller in width than the lower portion of the leg that is surrounded by the lower strap portion.
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the description of the best mode set forth below, from the drawings, from the claims and from the principles that are embodied in the specific structures that are illustrated and described.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3381320 (1968-05-01), Mott
patent: 4323610 (1982-04-01), Leverich
patent: 5173990 (1992-12-01), Owen
patent: 5603140 (1997-02-01), Pryce
patent: 2120841 (1994-08-01), None
Barnard Delbert J.
Trettel Michael F.
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