Beds – Invalid bed or surgical support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-22
2002-08-27
Trettel, Michael F. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Invalid bed or surgical support
C177S144000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06438776
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to beds, and more particularly, to a bed and associated features facilitating care of a patient supported on the bed.
CONTENTS
The Background of the Invention, Summary of the Invention, and Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments sections have the following section headings.
1. Pneumatic System
2. Footboard Gate
3. Stand-Up Board
4. Headboard
5. Weight-Sensing System
6. Control Unit
7. Transport Guide Wheels
8. Guard Rail Elevation System
9. Swing Arm Extension Brace
10. Platform Joint
11. Hydraulic Valve
12. Platform Support
13. Multifunction Control
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hospital bed designs have recently been undergoing a transformation. Early beds were very basic devices providing limited patient support and care features. More recently, bed designs have been taking advantage of technological developments to provide improvements in bed articulation, mattress inflation, patient access, convenience and control. The following patents illustrate some of the designs that are currently known.
1. Pneumatic System
Valves are an integral part of a mattress inflation system. Recently, valves have been designed in which a metal alloy that changes shape in response to a change in temperature is used as the valve actuator. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,479 issued to Thompson for a “Heat Motor and Valve”, a valve using a heat-expanding rod to open a biased-closed valve seat is disclosed. Willson et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,732 entitled “Temperature-Responsive Valve Operators”, discloses various valve configurations utilizing temperature-responsive operators made with a shape-memory alloy such as a nickel and titanium alloy. The disclosed configurations include single and double poppet designs, as well as coaxial, single poppet designs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,265 issued to Sakakibara et al. for “Electrically Operated Switching Valve” discloses the use of a warped plate controlled by a heat-activated element for selectively valving opposing ports relative to an intermediate port. Suzuki, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,587 entitled “Shape-Memory Electromechanical Drive” discloses the use of two shape-memory springs to move a slide member to couple alternate outer ports with a central port.
A valve member that alternately opens and closes by heat-generating electrical current acting on a spring-biased linear alloy element is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,024 issued to Homma for “Valve Driven By Shape Memory Alloy”. Hori, in Japanese Pat. No. JP61-17789 entitled “Valve Device”, discloses a valve-opening device activated by a shape-memory alloy spring. The valve is held closed by a coaxial bias spring.
These valve assemblies provide for effective valving, but there remains a need for a valve assembly that is able to inversely vary the flow of air or other fluid through respective inlet and outlet ports, and to independently control the flow of air through input and output ports, and that is self-contained for convenient installation and removal from a fluid-chamber housing.
Inflatable mattress cushions or cells are often connected to a support surface of a base platform or frame. This connection may be provided by a connector having an inner channel or passageway, that attaches the cell to a port extending through the support surface. Further, it is known to connect two cells together with a passageway formed in the connection to allow air to flow between the connected cells. An example of such an arrangement is disclosed by Pertchik in U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,824 for “Cushion for Decubitus Ulcers”. Pertchik discloses a seat cushion formed of a plurality of elongate cells that are connected at contact points to provide inflation of all the cells from a single inlet.
Hunt et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,885 entitled “Support Appliance for Mounting on a Standard Hospital Bed”, discloses male and female parts of a connector assembly for connecting mattress cells to a mattress base inlet or outlet. Another form of connector for a mattress cell is shown in
FIG. 6
of U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,413 issued to Goodwin for “Low Air Loss Bed”.
Hunt et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,968 entitled “Patient Support Appliances” also discloses a connector of an air tube to a housing (FIG.
4
). This is a quick release connection to allow rapid deflation for cardiac arrest procedures. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,414 entitled “Modular Low Air Loss Patient Support System and Methods for Automatic Patient Turning and Pressure Point Relief”, Thomas et al. also disclose in
FIGS. 5 and 6
a connector for connecting a mattress cell to the platform.
These connectors are constructed to be usable in a specific application, but do not permit use in various connections. For instance, there remains the need for fluid-transmitting connectors that are usable for coupling a cell to a support platform and for coupling cells together, with the integrity of the base cell remaining when a satellite cell is disconnected. Further, there is a need for a connector that can accommodate a reducer for connecting a tube to a cell.
When used on an articulating bed, the fluid supply and exhaust systems used for inflating and deflating mattress cells must either be formed integrally as part of the bed platform, or must be provided by external hoses or ducts. These arrangements result in bending and wear of connecting hoses, and exposure of external tubes to wear and contact by other moving parts.
The present invention makes use of expandable passageways, similar to bellows, for coupling manifolds supported on adjoining, articulating panels. Bellows-like support cells are known to be used in hospital beds. For instance, Hunt et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,276 entitled “Support Appliances Having Articulated Sections” shows the use of inflatable bellows to raise and lower the head end of a bed platform. Similar structures are also shown in patent '885 issued to Hunt et al., identified previously. A bellows-type mattress cell is disclosed by Sato in U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,547 entitled “Pneumatic Mat with Sensing Means”.
There thus remains the need for a flexible passageway structure that can connect air passageways of adjoining bed panels, that conforms with the panel structure, is reliable, and expands and contracts in response to movement of the adjoining panels.
There also is a need for a simple efficient structure for conveying pressurized and exhaust fluids to mattress cells, and along articulated panels. As was mentioned, flexible tubes are usually used to connect mattress cells to an air supply and exhaust port. For example, Hunt et al., in patent '885, and Goodwin, in patent '413, disclose the use of a flexible tube serving each mattress section. Goodwin shows them as being external to the bed platform, while Hunt et al. show them to be within the platform. Also, Evans, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,671 entitled “Controllably Inflatable Cushion”, discloses individual cushions inflated in groups or zones with supply lines and exhaust lines serving each zone being controlled by a three way valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,590 issued to Ogura for “Valve for Fluid Mat and Apparatus for Controlling an Attitude Assumed by Fluid Mat”, discloses air mattress supply ducts that are positioned between relative positive and negative pressure air chambers. Separate solenoid valves connect each air supply duct with each of the air chambers.
Harkleroad et al. discloses, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,920 entitled “Air Mattress Pumping and Venting System”, a pressure control system in which sensors control a venting valve and a pump for maintaining the mattress pressure between predetermined high and low values. The use of a valve having a rotatable disk for alternately connecting air supply and discharge pipes to two mattress sections is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,016 issued to Mori et al. for an “Air-Mat Apparatus”.
With the development of elaborate inflatable mattresses and articulating support platforms, it became difficult to take immediate action when a patient needed CPR or other procedures to treat a life-th
Alvord Lincoln J.
Ferrand Robert J.
Fish William R.
Gilmartin William A.
Grass Wesley E.
Hill-Rom Services Inc.
Trettel Michael F.
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