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US 6,668,408 B2Granted
Patient care system
AssigneeHill-Rom Services, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Ferrand, Marc M. Thomas, Lincoln J. Alvord, Stephen D. Smith, Steven N. Roe, Richard W. O'Connor, William A. Gilmartin, William Loh, William R. Fish, Jonathan Salsado, Charles W. Neder, William Silva, Wesley E. Grass
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Abstract
A bed comprises a mattress supported on a support surface. The mattress has first and second inflatable cells for supporting a patient.
Claims20
A bed comprising:
- means for defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- first and second inflatable cells, said first inflatable cell having a wall defining an inlet for receiving a pressurized fluid, the second inflatable cell having an inlet for receiving fluid for inflating said second cell;
- an outlet coupling member spaced from said first cell inlet for transmitting fluid input through said first cell inlet;
- a conduit coupled between the first cell inlet and the outlet coupling member, the conduit being located within an interior region of the first cell;
- and
- means selectively connectable to said outlet coupling member for joining said second cell inlet to said outlet coupling member, whereby fluid received in said first cell inlet is also received in said second cell.
3 more elements
A bed comprising:
- means for defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- a mattress supported on said support surface and having first and second inflatable cells;
- a housing for defining a first fluid-flow path, said housing including a first fluid-flow port in communication with said first fluid-flow path, and an upper wall adjacent to said inflatable cells, said first fluid flow path being adjacent to said upper wall, said housing further defining a second fluid-flow path and having an intermediate wall positioned between said first and second fluid-flow paths,
- a second fluid-flow port in communication with said second fluid-flow path;
- and
- means for coupling selectively said first and second fluid-flow paths to a cell.
3 more elements
A mattress comprising:
- an inflatable cell including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being coupled to a fluid supply;
- a conduit passing through the inflatable cell, the conduit having a first end coupled to the inlet and a second end coupled to the outlet to provide fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet;
- and
- a coupler in communication with the outlet, the coupler being configured to selectively receive a connector to supply fluid to the connector from the fluid supply.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.