AU766329B2

AU766329B2 - A bedding system

Info

Publication number: AU766329B2
Application number: AU56564/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Spooner
Original assignee: SEXTON TRADING Co Pty Ltd
Current assignee: SEXTON TRADING Co Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1999-09-07
Filing date: 2000-09-07
Publication date: 2003-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-07
Also published as: AU5656400A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant: SEXTON TRADING COMPANY PTY LTD o oo ooo o *e o Invention Title: A BEDDING SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 A BEDDING SYSTEM The present invention is concerned with a bedding system and, more particularly, with a bedding system suitable for use in a hospital so as to allow for emergency evacuation of bed-ridden patients.

However horrendous the prospect, the possibility of an emergency evacuation of bed-ridden patients from a hospital must be considered by administrators and legislators. Current Occupational Health and Safety Regulations in Australia require that an evacuation blanket be used in all hospital beds other than those located on the ground floor of a building. Such evacuation blankets are positioned underneath the mattress, that is between the mattress and the bed upon which the mattress rests, and they extend to either side of the mattress. Each side of the evacuation blanket has a handle sewn thereto which hangs to that side of the mattress. In the event of an emergency evacuation, 20 hospital staff or emergency services workers grasp each of the handles and lift the evacuation blanket from the bed.

It will be appreciated that the mattress is bundled up within the evacuation blanket and so both mattress and patient are lifted together with the evacuation blanket.

25 This system suffers from several major disadvantages.

Firstly, despite the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations there remains the possibility that an ooo• evacuation blanket may not be placed on the bed through oversight or even in knowing contravention of the Regulations. Even when placed on the bed as required, an evacuation blanket may shift gradually over time so that one or more of the handles works its way to beneath the mattress. In this case valuable time will be lost in freeing the handle to allow for evacuation. Moreover, evacuation blankets are an expensive item which, since they must be purchased separately from a mattress, add significantly to the cost of furnishing a hospital. The H:\MaraRKeep\Speci\P39198-dOc 7/09/00 3 present invention provides a way in which the disadvantages associated with the use of evacuation blankets may be overcome.

According to the present invention there is provided a bedding arrangement suitable for use in a hospital so as to allow for emergency evacuation of bed-ridden patients, comprising a mattress cover suitable for covering a mattress and having a patient support surface on which a patient lies on the top of the mattress, a base which covers a bottom surface of said mattress, a first end wall, a second end wall, a first side wall and a second side wall; characterised in that a first fabric loop extending from the first side wall and a second fabric loop extending from the first side wall are each substantially aligned with a fabric loop extending from the second side wall, and each fabric loop extends a substantial distance from the side wall of the mattress, so as to be easily located and grasped so that the bedding arrangement and patient may be carried by two or more persons in an emergency evacuation, and in that an elongated fabric loop extends from one or both of said end walls so that a single person may drag the bedding arrangement and patient in an emergency evacuation.

25 Advantageously, each fabric loop is secured to the base of said mattress cover, typically on its inside oo surface, the cover being slit to allow penetration of the loop into its interior. In order to ensure firm securement, the loop may be sewn to the base along a substantial length.

Typically, each of the opposed fabric loops is a part of a continuous length of material, which is sewn to the :inside surface of the base so as to create loops extending from either side wall.

*o H:\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P39198-A-5.8.03.doc 5/08/03 3a While sewing the loop to the inside surface of the base is the preferred means of attachment, other forms of attachment may be used, for example, adhesive bonding of the loop to the inside surface of the base is a possibility.

H:\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P39198-A-5.8.03.doc 5.'08/03 4 The loops may be made of any suitable material but are typically a 100% terylene fabric commonly described as seat belt webbing.

The bedding arrangement includes elongated fabric loops which extend from one or both of said end walls.

These loops allow the mattress to be dragged from one end or the other in order to transport it away from the emergency site. This is a convenient means of transporting the mattress in an emergency evacuation since a single person can drag the mattress bearing a patient, while at least two people would normally be required to carry a mattress bearing a patient any distance.

These loops will typically extend further from the mattress cover than those on the side walls so that a person may pull a mattress along the ground without needing to bend completely.

While these loops are typically secured along a substantial length at either end of the loop to the base of the mattress cover, they do not normally extend the full length of the mattress. Hence, two separate loops arranged in a substantially U-shaped conformation will be used rather than one single length of material.

The loops are typically made of seat belt webbing.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the 25 invention, the bedding arrangement includes securing means for securing a patient thereto during an emergency evacuation.

;Typically, these comprise a strap of material secured to the inside surface of said base. The strip penetrates slits at either side of the mattress cover so as to have one end to either side of the mattress and the ends of the strap are adapted to buckle. Conventional buckle arrangements may be used.

o One strap may be located towards the first end of the S35 mattress cover to strap either the chest or legs of a oo oooo •ooo o• H:\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P39198-A-5.8.03 .doc 5/08/03 5 patient, and the other towards the second end to strap the other end of the patient.

Typically, each strap of material is sewn to the inside surface of the base of the mattress, but may be secured by any convenient means.

Typically, the belt is made of seat belt webbing.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the patient support surface and the base of the cover are separate sections joined together in use, for example, by zipping them together over the mattress.

The bedding arrangement may include a mattress, and this may be any suitable mattress. In particular, any one of a range of mattresses used specifically in aged care and health care facilities and ranging from a standard ward mattress up to and including a range of conventional pressure reduction mattresses may be used.

Advantageously, the mattress is a pressure reduction mattress.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be °ooo 20 described, by way of example only, with reference to the S. accompanying drawings, in which: **FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bedding system in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bedding system 25 shown in FIG. 1 when it is inverted.

The mattress cover 10 comprises a patient support S surface 11, a base 12, first end wall 13, second end wall "14, first side wall 15 and second side wall 16. The mattress cover illustrated in the Figures is shown fitted 30 to a conventional pressure reduction mattress. However, the mattress may be any suitable mattress, in particular, any one of a range of mattresses used specifically in aged care and health care facilities and ranging from a standard ward mattress up to and including a range of conventional pressure reduction mattresses. The patient support surface 11 and base 12 are joined over the mattress by a zipper extending around the cover, but the H:\araR\Keep\Speci\P39198.dOC 7/09/00 6 zipper cannot be seen. Typically it is halfway up each of the end walls 13, 14 and side walls 15, 16.

Each of the two side walls 15, 16 of the mattress cover 10 has handle means formed thereon. In the case of side wall 15, there are two loops 18, 22 which constitute the handle means and in the case of side wall 16, there are two loops 17, 21 which constitute the handle means.

Each of the loops 17, 18, 21, 22 loops far enough outwardly from the side walls 15, 16 to be readily locatable in an emergency situation and easily grasped in such a situation. It will he appreciated that the two loops 17, 18 are actually a part of a single piece of material which is sewn at regions 19, 20 to the inside surface of the base 12 of the mattress cover 10. Likewise, the loops 21, 22 form a part of a single piece of material which is sewn to the inside surface of the base at regions 23, 24. The loops are made of seat belt webbing and are sewn using conventional techniques. They penetrate the oooo mattress cover 10 through slits in the cover.

Each of the end walls 13, 14 of the mattress cover S. has a loop 25, 28 extending therefrom. Loop 25 is sewn to *.the inside surface of the base 12 at regions 26, 27 and loop 28 is sewn to the inside surface of the base 12 at -regions 29, 30. The loops penetrate the mattress cover through slits in the cover. Each of the loops 25, 28 extends a substantial distance from the mattress to allow for the mattress to be dragged by a person without that person having to bend completely. Of course, they cannot be too long as they would otherwise interfere with day to 30 day operations in and around the hospital bed.

The mattress cover 10 also includes securing means consisting of two belts extending to either side of the mattress cover. The first belt is located towards one end of the mattress so as to strap around the chest region of a patient, and comprises strap portions 36, 39 extending to either side of the mattress cover and region 38 which is sewn to the inside surface of the base of the mattress H: \MaraP\Keep\Speci\P39198 doc 7/09/00 7 cover. The strap portions 36, 39 extend through slits in the mattress cover 10. Strap portion 36 has a male member 37 attached thereto and strap portion 39 has a female member 40 attached thereto, and the male member 37 is adapted to engage the female member 40 in the conventional manner. The strap portions 36, 39 may be stored in elasticised pockets 42, 44 respectively when not in use to ensure that they do not trail onto the floor.

Likewise, the second strap is located towards the other end of the bed so as to strap around the upper leg region of a patient and comprises strap regions 31, 34 sewn to the inside surface of the base of the mattress at region 33, and pass through slits in the mattress cover Again, male member 32 at the end of strap region 31 is able to engage female member 35 at the end of strap region 34 in order to secure the strap. The strap portions 31, 34 may be stored in elasticised pockets 41, 43 respectively when not in use.

In the event of an emergency evacuation, hospital c o 20 staff or emergency services workers will grasp handles 17, S. 18, 21, 22 and lift the covered mattress from the bed on which it rests. A single person could lift the mattress through grasping, for example, handles 17, 18. However, it ois preferable for two or more persons to lift the mattress through grasping each of handles 17, 18, 21, 22 on the mattress cover 10, since a mattress bearing a patient will generally be too heavy for a single person to lift comfortably. Once the covered mattress is on the floor beside the bed, a hospital staff member or emergency 30 services worker grasps either loop 25 or loop 28 and pulls the mattress out of the hospital room and away from the emergency situation. If time permits, the patient is strapped onto the mattress prior to lifting from the bed by throwing strap segments 31, 34 and 36, 39 over the patient and buckling their ends together by engagement of male member 32 and female member 35 in the one case and male member 37 and female member 40 in the other. These H.\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P39198.doc 7/09/00 8 straps may be tightened in the conventional manner to secure the patient to the mattress prior to lifting.

Throughout this specification and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprises" and "comprising" are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise.

Variations and modifications of this device will be apparent to the person skilled in the art, and those variations and modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

e** **f H:\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P39198.doc 7/09/00

Claims

1. A bedding arrangement suitable for use in a hospital so as to allow for emergency evacuation of bed-ridden patients, comprising a mattress cover suitable for covering a mattress and having a patient support surface on which a patient lies on the top of the mattress, a base which covers a bottom surface of said mattress, a first end wall, a second end wall, a first side wall and a second side wall; characterised in that a first fabric loop extending from the first side wall and a second fabric loop extending from the first side wall are each substantially aligned with fabric a loop extending from the second side wall, and each fabric loop extends a substantial distance from the side wall of the mattress, so as to be easily located and grasped so that the bedding arrangement and patient may be carried by two or more persons in an emergency evacuation, and in that an elongated fabric loop extends from one or both of said end walls so that a single person may drag the bedding arrangement and patient in an emergency evacuation.

2. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each fabric loop penetrates the mattress cover and is 25 secured to the inside surface of the base.

3. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein each fabric loop is sewn to the base along a substantial length.

4. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the opposed fabric loops is a part of a continuous length of material which is sewn to the inside surface of the base so as to create loops extending from either side wall. o• R e 1 8 HQ\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P3919S-A-58OJ doc 5/08/03 10 A bedding arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the loop is made from seat belt webbing.

6. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the or each elongated fabric loop penetrates the mattress cover and is secured along a substantial length at either end of the loop to the inside surface of the base.

7. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 11 wherein the or each elongated fabric loop is sewn to the inside surface of the base of the mattress.

8. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the or each elongated fabric loop is made from seat belt webbing.

9. A bedding arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the mattress includes securing means for securing a patient to the mattress during an emergency evacuation. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 9 wherein the securing means comprises a strap of material which penetrates the cover and is secured to the inside surface S 25 of the base so as to have one end fixed to either side of the mattress, and which is adapted to buckle.

11. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein a first strap is located towards the first end wall and a second strap is located towards the second end wall.

12. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the or each strap of material is sewn to the inside surface of the base of the mattress. goo 13. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 12 wherein tapeow the or each strap is made from seat belt webbing. g H:\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P39198-A-5.8.03.dOC 5/08/03 11

14. A bedding arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the patient support surface and the base are joined by a zipper.

15. A bedding arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a mattress.

16. A bedding arrangement as claimed in claim 15 wherein the mattress is a pressure reduction mattress.

17. A bedding arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 5 th day of August 2003 SEXTON TRADING COMPANY PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia *do H:\MaraR\Keep\Speci\P39198-A-5.8.03.doc 5/08/03