Portable foldable bed rail

A compact, foldable bed rail comprising:

• a rail member defining a rail plane and having first and second substantially identical end rail portions and a central rail portion, each of said end rail portions being hingedly mounted to said central rail portion by respective rail hinge members having parallel axes of rotation, said end rail portions being foldable toward one another and adjacent to said central rail portion;
• first and second support members each having a support leg and each being independently hingedly mounted to a respective one of said end rail portions by a support hinge member, said support hinge members having parallel axes of rotation and being rotatable in a direction transverse to said rail hinge members, each of said support hinge members being independently movable toward and away from its respective end rail portion,
• wherein said rail is adapted to be folded into a compact, folded state having said end rail portions folded toward one another and adjacent to said central rail portion, and having said support legs folded adjacent to said end rail portions and said central rail portion, with said central rail portion disposed between said end rail portions and said support legs, and
• wherein said bed rail is adapted to be unfolded into an operative state having said support legs rotated generally transverse to said central rail portion, and generally transverse to and lockingly engaged with said end rail portions, and having said end rail portions rotated about their respective hinge rail hinge portions, relative to said central rail portion, to be substantially coplanar therewith.

A foldable bed rail comprising:

• a rail member having a central rail portion and a pair of end rail portions, the end rail portions being rotatable adjacent to said central rail portion about first and second generally parallel axes of rotation;
• and
• a support member hingedly connected to each said end rail portion, said support members being rotatable about respective axes of rotation generally parallel with one another, and generally perpendicular to said first and second axes of rotation,
• wherein said support members are adapted to rotate about their respective axes of rotation into a folded position having said central rail portion disposed between said support members and said end rail portions.

A compact, foldable bed rail comprising:

• a rail member defining a rail plane;
• at least one support member having a support leg, said support member being hingedly mounted to said rail member by a support hinge member, said support hinge member being rotatable in a direction transverse to said rail plane, toward and away from said rail member;
• and
• a retaining element extending from said support hinge member adapted to be engageable with said rail member,
• wherein said support leg is movable between a first, folded position wherein said support leg is foldable adjacent to said rail member, and a second, operative position wherein said support leg is folded away from said rail member, and extends generally transverse to said rail plane, and wherein said retaining element is engageable with said rail member to lock said bed rail into said second operative position.

A compact, foldable bed rail comprising:

• a rail member defining a rail plane;
• at least one support member having a support leg, said support member being hingedly mounted to said rail member by a support hinge member, said support hinge member being rotatable about an axis parallel to said rail plane, toward and away from said rail member;
• and
• a retaining element extending from said support hinge member adapted to be engageable with said rail member,
• wherein said support leg is movable between a first, folded position wherein said support leg is foldable adjacent to said rail member, and a second, operative position wherein said support leg is folded away from said rail member, and extends generally transverse to said rail plane, and wherein said retaining element is engageable with said rail member to lock said bed rail into said second operative position.

A portable bed rail usable with an adjacent bed with a mattress comprising:

• a panel;
• at least one elongated retaining foot;
• and
• a molded plastic hinge rotatably and slidably connecting said foot to said panel wherein said hinge supports said panel at a first position, generally perpendicular to said foot, wherein said panel is linearly movable, relative to said foot, to a second position and rotatable to a third position, perpendicular to said foot and parallel to an orientation of said panel when at said first position and wherein for storage, said foot is movable to a fourth position, said fourth position oriented relative to said panel, on the order of about 270.degree. from said first position wherein said foot is generally perpendicular to said panel;
• to a storage orientation adjacent and substantially parallel to said panel.

A portable bed rail usable with an adjacent bed with a mattress comprising:

• a center rail portion;
• a first hinge;
• an end rail portion connected by said first hinge to said center rail portion;
• at least one elongated retaining foot;
• and
• a second hinge rotatably and slidably connecting said foot to said end rail portion wherein said second hinge supports said end rail portion at a first position, generally perpendicular to said foot, wherein said end rail portion is linearly movable, relative to said foot, to a second position and rotatable to a third position, perpendicular to said foot and parallel to an orientation of said end rail portion when at said first position, and wherein for storage, said foot is rotatable 180.degree. from said first position about an axis of said first hinge which is perpendicular to said foot and parallel to said panel, and said foot is thereafter rotatable about said hinge 90.degree. toward said end rail portion to a storage orientation adjacent and substantially parallel to said end rail portion.