Beds – Mattress – With easily openable cover or ticking
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-06
2003-10-14
Santos, Robert G. (Department: 3673)
Beds
Mattress
With easily openable cover or ticking
C005S484000, C005S500000, C005S739000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06631529
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover assembly that is structured to removably enclose mattresses, and in particular, but not exclusively, the type designed for use in hospitals or like medical treatment facilities. The cover assembly includes a casing formed of a high strength, liquid impermeable material and having a variety of other structural or performance features which are preferred for use in medical facilities. The casing preferably includes a reinforcement assembly including one or more panels secured to predetermined portions of the casing so as to more reliably support portions of the user's body in a manner which will resist the heavier portion of the torso from sinking into the mattress. As such, the present invention is structured to significantly reduce, if not eliminate back pain or other discomfort commonly associated with prolonged bed rest.
2. Description of the Related Art
In virtually all hospitals, clinics or like medical facilities designed to provide health care on an “in-patient” basis, the mattress is an indispensable piece of equipment which is often overlooked, at least in terms of providing the patient with comfortable and recuperative health care. A large number of mattresses, of the type which are structurally adapted for use on adjustable hospital beds, are typically required, dependent of course upon the intended patient capacity for any given medical facility. Because of the large number of mattresses utilized in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, etc., the cost associated with the initial purchase of mattresses in medical facilities consumes a significant portion of an institution's budget. Therefore, there may be a tendency for such institutions to accept mattresses that are manufactured to technically come within the physical and operational parameters required of medical type mattresses, but which are designed and manufactured to be simple and to be sold at a sufficiently low price so as to at least partially relieve the financial burden of initially stocking a medical facility and/or of periodically replacing mattresses over a period of time.
Accordingly, it is generally well accepted that mattresses of the type used on hospital beds, gurneys, stretchers, etc. could be constructed to provide significantly more support to a patient's body than are routinely offered by such mattresses. More in particular, mattresses intended for use in the medical field oftentimes do not provide adequate support for all or at least the major portions of a patient's body, particularly in situations where the patient is required to undergo a long period of bed rest. In fact, and as noted above, there is probably a tendency for hospitals and like medical facilities to accept mattresses which are less than optimal in terms of offering adequate, prolonged support to a patient's body in order to obtain a lower and more economical price. While such mattresses are assumed to be functional for their general intended purposes, it is believed by the inventor hereof that most, if not all hospital mattresses do not provide sufficient support of the patient's body, particularly in the general area of the trunk of the body or mid-body portion where the majority of the patient's weight is concentrated. It is understandable that one goal in the construction of mattresses is to produce a less firm or softer feel to the patient, which frequently results in the aforementioned heavier portions of the patient's body sinking or receding into the mattress. While the softer feel may initially seem to be more comfortable or even luxurious to a patient, if the patient is required or instructed to rest for long periods of time in a reclined orientation on such a mattress, it frequently results in at least some discomfort to that area of the patient's body which sinks into the mattress and/or to adjacent areas. It is believed by the inventor hereof that such patients will experience discomfort most often in the aforementioned mid-body region which normally comprises the heaviest overall portion of the patient's body. To at least some extent, some patient discomfort will likely be associated with a prolonged period of bed rest, which cannot be avoided. Even if hospital mattresses were made to be more firm, there would likely be some significant reduction in the patient's comfort, and further, the mattress would still not be likely to offer adequate support to those areas where the majority of a patient's body weight is concentrated.
From the above, it should be apparent that in the field of art relating to the construction and design of mattresses, and in particular, medical mattresses which are designed to be occupied by a patient continuously or for prolonged periods of time, there remain some fairly significant problems which have yet to be addressed. For example, while the inventor hereof believes that conventionally designed hospital mattresses add to the discomfort of patients confined to bed rest for prolonged periods, it is also believed by the inventor hereof that such mattresses are also prone to having to be replaced more often than is necessary due to their lack of offering any type of reinforcement to those areas on which a majority of the patients' weight is supported. Of course, if any type of improved hospital mattress were developed and/or an assembly for improving the features offered by conventional hospital mattresses, it/they would likely have to be structurally adapted for use with an electrically powered, mechanically adjustable hospital bed, while at the same time providing improved support and at least some generally acceptable level of comfort to a majority of patients. In addition, if any such improved hospital mattress were developed and/or an assembly for improving the features offered by conventional hospital mattresses, it/they would need to be capable of being manufactured so as to be offered at a selling price which is well within the budgetary constraints of most hospitals, other medical facilities or like institutions. It is believed by the inventor hereof that it would be preferable to develop an assembly for improving the features offered by conventional hospital mattresses, which is capable of being easily applied to such mattresses already in use by a medical facility, regardless of the intended amount of support such mattresses are originally designed to provide. Any such assembly should be capable of being removably attached or otherwise secured to a conventional hospital mattresses in a manner which provides additional reinforcing support to the heavier portions of a patient's body, so that the tendency of those portions of the body to recede or sink into the mattress is reduced, with the likely result that a primary cause of back pain or like discomfort to the patient(s) confined to bed rest is reduced, if not eliminated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is designed to address these and other needs which remain in the art and is directed to a reinforcement assembly which, in at least one embodiment, is incorporated into the structure of a mattress cover in an operative position relative to a mattress, so as to provide supplementary support to predetermined portions of a person's body when he or she is oriented in an at least partially reclined position on the mattress. The reinforcement assembly of the present invention is therefore structured to provide an additional or supplementary supportive force to those portions of a person's body which have a tendency to recede or sink to a greater than average depth into the mattress.
A person's tendency to sink into a mattress is due at least partially to the fact that a person's body weight is normally concentrated over a specific body area. More specifically, a person of average weight and height normally has the majority of his or her body weight concentrated in an area which may be generally referred to as the trunk and/or “mid-body port
Malloy & Malloy P.A.
Santos Robert G.
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