Bed side rail method and apparatus
OwnerRobyn Smithinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bedside support device having a free swinging mode of a handle member where the handle member is positioned in a manner to prevent entrapment zones while in a free swinging mode to prevent injury to the individual in requirement of support. The bedside support device is adapted to resist vertical force placed thereon to give vertical support to an individual while allowing the handle region to reposition laterally to allow the individual to move to and from the bed structure. The handle region defined an unobstructed side region to allow the individual's legs to be placed under the handle member to properly allow the individual to stand up or sit down on the bed structure in a controlled and safe manner.
Claims37
A bedside support device adapted to be positioned to a corner region of a bed structure having a lateral region, the bed structure adapted to support an occupant thereon, the bedside support device comprising:
- a. a mounting bracket adapted to be rigidly mounted to the corner region of the bed structure, the mounting bracket having a rotatable mount portion having a center rotation axis,
- b. a support bar having a base region that is adapted to be rotatably mounted to the rotatable mount portion of the mounting bracket, the support rail having a handle region that is positioned orthogonally from the center rotation axis of the rotatable mount portion and the handle region is adapted to support a vertical load placed thereon and rotate from a first position where the support handle is positioned adjacent to the lateral region of the bed structure and defines an unobstructed lateral open area and the support handle is adapted to be positioned in a second position where the support handle is positioned in the more distal location from the laterally outward region of the bed structure,
- c. whereas the support handle has a free swinging mode where it can be repositioned from the first position to the second position by the occupant and the bedside support device is not positioned in the lateral region of the bed structure in a manner to allow the occupant to entrap themselves between the laterally outward region of the bed structure and the bedside support device when the bedside support device is in the free swinging mode.
A method for providing mobile assistance to an occupant of a bed structure comprising the steps of:
- a. positioning a bracket rigidly to a portion of the bed structure and having a support rail be rotatably mounted to the bracket,
- b. having the support rail positioned in a manner where a support handle of the support rail is positioned adjacent to the bed structure in a position adjacent to a lateral medial region of the bed that allows the legs of the occupant to be positioned thereunder the support rail,
- c. the support handle adapted to be freely rotated in a laterally outward direction with respect to the lateral region of the bed structure by having the support rail in a free swinging mode,
- d. providing a support handle of the support rail which is adapted to resist a load placed thereon by the occupant of the bed structure whereby the occupant places a force upon the support handle and lifts their body from the lateral region of the bed structure with the legs positioned under the support handle while standing and the occupant can walk away from the bed structure where the support handle repositions in a laterally outward direction with the occupant.
A method of providing bedside assistance for an individual in need of support to get out of a bed structure, the method comprising:
- a. positioning a rotatable mount portion to a corner region of a bed structure in a sturdy manner so the rotatable mount portion is adapted to handle a moment placed thereon about an axis in a substantially horizontal plane,
- b. positioning a handle region in the corner region of the bed structure and rotatably mount the handle region to the rotatable mount portion,
- c. providing a free-swinging mode of the handle region where the handle region is adapted to be orientated in a first position adjacent to a laterally outward region of the bed structure and defining an open area between a lateral mattress crest of the mattress and the handle region,
- d. providing restricted movement of the handle region where the region is adapted to resist rotation laterally inward with respect to the mattress to provide a laterally inward force exerted thereon by the individual,
- e. allowing the individual to place a laterally inward force upon the handle to aid in positioning the individual toward the lateral outward region of the bed structure where the individual's legs are positioned in the open area between the lateral mattress crest and the handle region,
- f. providing sufficient vertical resistance to force upon the handle with minimal movement where the individual can place a downward force upon the handle and the legs of the individual are situated in a manner where the individual can stand and allow the handle to reposition from said first position to a laterally outward position in a free-swinging mode.
A mobile bedside assistant device for a structure adapted to have an individual lie prone, the mobile bedside assistant device comprising:
- a handle region positioned orthogonally from a center rotation axis, the handle region having an inward portion toward the center rotation axis and adapted to rotate about the center rotation axis, the center rotation axis being adapted to be orientated in a longitudinal head portion and lateral portion of the structure adapted to have an individual lie prone, the handle region being adapted to freely swing about the center rotation axis in a free-swinging mode and further adapted to resist rotation laterally inwardly at a defined location, the handle region being orientated in a manner with respect to the structure adapted to have an individual lie prone to provide a zone that is substantially open and adapted to have legs of an individual occupying the bed structure be positioned thereunder as the individual sits in the lateral region of the structure, the handle region being adapted to resist vertical force placed thereon and allow rotation for movement of the individual away or to the bed structure.
A system for providing access to a bed structure for an individual in need of assistance, the system comprising:
- a support handle rotatably mounted to a corner region of a bed structure, the support handle having a free-swinging mode to allow motion of the support handle from a first position adjacent to the bed structure to a second position away from the bed structure, the support handle being adapted to support downward force thereon without impeding the free rotationability of the support handle in the defined range, the defined range of the support handle having one extreme orientation where the support handle is in the first position and is adapted to have laterally inward force placed thereon, the support handle orientated in a manner to define a lateral open region in the bed structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.