US3623170A - Mattress with service plug and provision for long sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

THE DISCLOSURE IS TO MATTRESS COMPRISED OF A BASE OF FLEXIBILITY OF SUBSTANTIAL RIGIDITY AND A CUSHION OF SOFT, YIELDABLE, MATERIAL, AS FOAM RUBBER WITH THE BASE HAVING UPWARDLY GROOVED RIBS THEREACROSS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE SPACING OF THE JOINTS OR PIVOT LINES OF HOSPITAL BED FRAMES. AN OFFSET IS PROVIDED INTO THE MATTRESS FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF AT RELATIVE DISTANCE FROM FOOT AND HEAD AT WHICH A CONVENTIONAL BED PAN WOULD BE USED, AND A PLUG IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH CUSHION AND BASE MATERIALS IS NORMALLY IN PLACE IN THE OFFSET. A GROOVE EXTENDS THROUGH THE PLUG IN DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF THE MATTRESS WHEN THE PLUG IS IN PLACE AND A TRANSVERSE GROOVE ACROSS THE CUSHION DISTANCE FORM OFFSET OT OTHER SIDE IS IN CO-EXTENSION OF THE PLUG GROOVE. THUS A COVER SHEET, MAY HAVE THAT LENGTH THEREOF. IN EXCESS OF CONVENTIONAL LENGTH, FOLDED INTO THE

TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED CUSHION AND PLUG GROOVE WHEN THE PLUG IS IN PLACE. THEN, WITH PLUG REMOVED, THE FOLD PART OF THE SHEET FROM THE PLUG GROOVE MAY BE SPREAD OUT TO PROTECTIVELY COVER THE OFFSET PRIOR TO THE INSERTION OF A SERVICE ITEM, AS A BED PAN, INTO THE OFFSET. THE INVENTION MAY INCLUDE OTHER ITEMS THAT A SPECIAL BED PAN, AS, FOR INSTANCE, AN INSPECTION MIRROR.

Description

NOV. 30, 1971 J, STALEY ETAL 3,623,170

MATTRESS WITH SERVICE PLUG AND PROVISION FOR LONG SHEET Filed Jan. 5, 1970 /Vl;'l (m5 JOHN H 57211.5 Y 13y WESLEY D BALLAED ATTORNE Y US. Cl. -90 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is to a mattress comprised of a base of flexibility but of substantial rigidity and a cushion of soft, yieldable, material, as foam rubber with the base having upwardly grooved ribs thereacross longitudinally spaced apart in correspondence with the spacing of the joints or pivot lines of hospital bed frames. An offset is provided into the mattress from one side thereof at relative distance from foot and head at which a conventional bed pan would be used, and a plug in correspondence with cushion and base materials is normally in place in the offset. A groove extends through the plug in direction transversely of the mattress when the plug is in place and a transverse groove across the cushion distance from offset to other side is in co-extension of the plug groove. Thus a cover sheet, may have that length thereof, in excess of conventional length, folded into the transversely aligned cushion and plug groove when the plug is in place. Then, with plug removed, the fold part of the sheet from the plug groove may be spread out to protectively cover the offset prior to the insertion of a service item, as a bed pan, into the offset. The invention may include other items than a special bed pan, as, for instance, an inspection mirror.

Broadly the invention relates to a hospital bed mattress adapted to provide a space of access below a patient so that the patient may not have to be moved, as lifted, as for the insertion of a special bed pan, or other service item into service position.

Consequently, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a mattress for hospital beds that provides a sidewardly removable plug therein removable to admit insertion of service items without requiring that the patient be lifted; the invention also including the removable plug and other service items insertable when the plug is removed.

It is also another and important object of the invention to provide a mattress of this class which is designed to flex or bend in accordance with adjustment of the hospital bed frame supporting the mattress, at the same time the mattress maintaining a properly soft, yieldable cushion, with sheet thereon upon which the patient may rest.

Also it is an important object of the invention to provide a mattress of this class which provides an extra length sheet, thus to provide protective coverage for the sheet to cover the offset area under a service item, as a bed pan that is inserted when the plug has been removed.

Additionally the invention provides special service items, as a special bed pan, as including a mounted urinal, or an inspection mirror, for service in the offset space provided below the patient when the plug has been removed.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification herein is considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric development view of a mat- United States Patent 0 3,623,170 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 Ice tress which comprises an embodiment of the invention, the plug being shown removed to show details of base offset construction; a

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a bed pan employable as a service item for insertion into the offset with the plug removed therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal elevational view, looking into the offset with the bed pan shown in FIG. 4 in place therein with a urinal shown clipped to the rear guide rail of the bed pan lid;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view, showing an inspection mirror insertable into the offset after a bed pan may have been removed therefrom; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view demonstrative of the extra length sheet employable with the mattress shown in FIG. 1, thus to protectively cover over the offset when the plug has been removed therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals are assigned to like elements in the various views, a mattress 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as comprised of a cushion 11 seated in a box type base 12. The cushion should be of a soft, springy, yieldable, material, as foam rubber or a light plastic, while the base may be of a plastic material that is of some rigidity while also being capable of flexibility or spring action. The base is offset inwardly from one side, the offset wall 12a being shown on the right side of FIG. 1, the relative longitudinal location of the offset from the foot, or head, of the mattress being determined by the average relative longitudinal location of usage of a conventional bed pan with relation to the length of a conventional bed. The cushion 11 is correspondingly offset around the offset wall 12a of the base and thereabove, as indicated by offset wall 11a of cushion 11 in FIG. 1.

The base 12, FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6, comprises a floor 12b, side walls 12c, 12d, end wall 12e, 12 with the aforesaid offset wall 12a upstanding from the floor 12b to the same height as the side wall 12c from which it extends inwardly. The inner portion of the offset wall 12a is shown arcuate or rounded, as is the cushion thereabove at 11a, this being for ease of plug fit of a plug 13, FIG. 1, to be further described hereinbelow. At the relative locations above the pivot joints at which the bed frame supporting a conventional hospital bed mattress may pivot, the base 12 has cross-ribs 12g, 12h, thereacross providing upwardly extending grooves 14a, 14b, therein, whereby to provide leaf spring type hinges or lines of pivotal action, whereby the base 12, and the flexible cushion 11 therein, may pivot in correspondence with bed adjustment.

The cushion 11, on the side opposite the offset 11a, may be grooved at 15a to a depth substantially at the top of the base offset wall 12a, and a plug 13, normally fitted into the offset 12a, cushion offset 11a, may have a corresponding groove 15b therein downwardly through the plug cushion 13a, to a depth substantially at the top of a plug box type base 13b. The plug cushion 13a and plug base 13b may be constructed of the same respective materials, with the plug base 13b to upstand to the same height as the mattress base offset walls 12a. A handle is shown provided in the plug outer wall 13d, which, when the plug 13 has been fully inserted into the mattress 10, extends parallel with, and in completion of the mattress base side wall 12.

A protective sheet, or under spread 16 is provided, FIG. 7, to some predetermined length greater than a conventional hospital under sheet, such extra length being provided to be folded into the left side cushion groove a and into the plug cushion groove 15b, when the plug 13 is in place, as normally, when the patient does not require service. Thus, when the patient does require service, the extra length of sheet 16, that has been folded into the plug cushion groove 15b, may be unfolded and spread to cover protectively the base floor offset portion and the base walls 12a and the mattress cushion walls 11a thereabove. Then, when the pan 17 is inserted into the offset space, it fits upon and within the extra length portion provided by the sheet 16, and thus protects the base 12 and cushion 11 from being soiled by service of the patient.

The sheet 16, FIG. 7, is indicated as providing the conventional cowl portion or hood 16a to provide a pocket into which the upper end portion of the cushion 11 may be fitted. Also, it is noticeable that the special sheet 16 has no such hood or cowl on its lower portion, and in this design follows a conventional hospital bed under sheet as to this feature.

When the plug 13 is removed, and the sheet 16 spread down over the offset, a bed pan 17 may be slid into the space thus provided. The bed pan is of box type and may be of enamel ware, plastic, painted metal, or of any other suitable material. Slide rails or guideways 16a and 16b are formed along the upper edges of the respective forward and rear walls 16c, 16d of the plug 13. Thus, with the bed pan 17 in place, a lid 18 having corresponding slide bars 18a, 18b atop, or formed off the opposed forward and rear edges thereof, is provided to he slid inwardly upon the bed pan 17 a predetermined distance short of the inner wall thereof, thus to leave adequate opening space for patient service. For this purpose, a handle 180 is provided on the outer portion of the slide.

As best indicated in FIG. 5, a conventional flexible urinal tube or urinal 19 is shown mounted, as by a clamp 19a, to the lower guideway 16a (the one toward the foot of the mattress) of the bed pan 17. In this view the lid 18 is not shown, and would be left off, thus to make room for the wire clamp 19, of contour correspondingly as shown in FIG. 5, to be clamped to the bed pan slide rail 16a.

For purposes of inspection, with the bed pan 17 removed after usage, or independently of any preceding service within the offset, an inspection mirror mount 20 may be inserted, as shown in FIG. 6. Such mirror mount includes a base plate 20a of length some amount greater than the offset 12a, and with a handling hole 20b provided in the outer end thereof. A battery actuated electric light 21 is indicated as installed to shine from the upper, outer portion of the battery stand 22, and above a reflection mirror 23 mounted just outwardly of the battery stand 22 and at an angle properly to reflect what may be envisioned therein as light images. A switch 24 on top of the battery stand 22 indicates that the light 21 may be battery actuated by a battery, not shown but provided in the battery stand.

The surface of the cushion 11 may be sprayed or substantially water-proofed with a suitable material that will prevent undesirable soilable matter from penetrating into the cushion material and thus enable the surface of the cushion to be washed easily to remove any undesirable material, liquid or solid, that may be deposited anywhere thereupon. Reference numerals 25a and 25b represent this coated feature as applied to the top surface and side surface of the cushion 11.

The invention relates broadly to a sidewardly plugged mattress that may bend to follow conventional hospital bed spring adjustment, thus providing service space by plug removal without any necessity for lifting the patient. The disclosure includes service items, and exemplary claims complete the application.

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress for use with a plug and comprising the combination of a base of a partially flexible, substantially rigid material including a floor with side and end members upstanding therefrom, said base providing longitudinally spaced apart, upstanding, transverse members thereacross with said transverse members being of crosssection to provide transverse groove means extending upwardly thereinto whereby said base may flex transversely in correspondence with the transverse pivoting of conventional hospital bed frame sections, a mattress cushion to fit within said base and transversely grooved to fit over said transverse members, said base being offset inwardly from one side thereof to receive a plug therein to fit over the lower level of said floor and with wall means upstanding from said floor to side member level around said plug, said cushion providing a transverse groove therein down to side member top and extending from the side of the cushion opposite said offset to said offset, whereby a cover sheet of length to provide fold into said cushion groove may be employed, and with the plug removed, the fold part of the sheet transversely opposite the cushion groove may be spread to cover the floor and sides of said offset whereby to receive an inserted service means as a bed pan thereupon.

2. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 in which a plug is additionally included to fit into said offset, said plug having a groove upwardly therethrough in aligned extension of said transverse groove in said cushion to receive cover sheet fold thereinto when said plug is in place of an inserted service means.

3. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 which additionally includes a cover sheet in excess of conventional length to provide fold on one side into said cushion groove and oppositely into said offset and over the floor thereof.

4. A mattress including a plug as claimed in claim 2, said plug including a plug base with walls determined by said offset and outwardly by said one side, and of the height thereof, and with plug base filled with plug cushion to the height of said cushion in said mattress base, said plug groove aforesaid being provided in said plug cushion.

5. A mattress including a plug as claimed in claim 4 which additionally includes a handle extending outwardly from the outer wall of said plug base.

6. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 which additionally includes as said service means a bed pan in box form defined by said offset and providing oppositely, spaced apart slide rails atop the transversely extending walls thereof, a lid with slide bars to slide in said slide rails, said lid extending transversely outwardly of the outer wall of said bed pan and providing a pull handle on the outer portion thereof.

7. A mattress as claimed in claim 6 which additionally has a urinal attachable in clasping contact with a guide rail.

8. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 which said cushion is comprised of rubber foam.

9. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 in which said base is comprised of a light plastic.

10. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 with which a lighted mirror is included for insertion into said offset after a bed pan may have been removed therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,932,831 4/1960 Keathley, Sr., et al. 590 X 3,023,429 3/1962 Borotra 5-90 3,188,660 6/1965 Guttman 5-9l 3,419,920 7/1969 Maddux, Jr., et al. 59l 3,459,178 8/1969 Fleming 12822 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 591; 12822

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