Side rail pad/panel system for patient support apparatus

An apparatus, comprising:

• a bed frame;
• a side rail pivotally attached to the bed frame through a bracket pivot on an arm assembly, the bracket pivot defining a first pivot axis and the side rail operable to move relative the bed frame;
• a movable side rail assembly adjacent the side rail, the movable side rail assembly having:
• a pad body panel with attachment openings each defining a second pivot axis that extends through the arm assembly to couple the pad body panel to the bed frame, the second pivot axis being spaced apart from the first pivot axis on the arm assembly;
• and
• follower slots in the panel body to receive the bracket pivot of the arm assembly, each follower slot having a configuration centered on the attachment opening of the second pivot axis, where the side rail moves about the first axis as the bracket pivot moves in the follower slot while the pad body panel rotates about the second pivot axis.

A method of occluding openings in a side rail system of a hospital bed, comprising:

• positioning a pad body panel adjacent a side rail;
• and
• attaching the pad body panel to the side rail to allow the pad body panel to move automatically with the side rail to at least partially occlude at least one of the following openings:
• between the side rail and a different side rail on a same side of the hospital bed, between the side rail and a head board, between the side rail and a footboard, and between the side rail and a mattress, the opening at least partially occluded when the side rail is in a lowered position, when the side rail is in an elevated position, and when the side rail moves between the lowered position and the elevated position.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a bed frame for supporting a mattress and a patient thereon;
• a side rail moveably attached to the bed frame, the side rail moveable relative the bed frame between an elevated position and a lowered position along a first pivotal axis;
• and
• a pad assembly moveably coupled to the side rail and moveable in a plane of movement parallel to a plane of movement of the side rail, wherein when the side rail is in the elevated position, the pad assembly is positioned adjacent a side of the mattress, and when the side rail is in the lowered position, the pad assembly is separated from the side of the mattress.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a bed frame for supporting a mattress and a patient thereon;
• a side rail moveably attached to the bed frame, the side rail moveable relative the bed frame along a first plane of movement between an elevated position and a lowered position;
• and
• a pad assembly moveably coupled to the side rail and moveable in conjunction with the movement of the side rail between the elevated position and the lowered position but along a different plane of movement than the side rail, wherein when the side rail is moved to the elevated position, the pad assembly automatically moves to a positioned adjacent a side of the mattress, and when the side rail is moved to the lowered position, the pad assembly automatically moves away from the side of the mattress.