WO2005027814A1

WO2005027814A1 - A bed for patient care

Info

Publication number: WO2005027814A1
Application number: PCT/AU2004/001294
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Kevin Ricks
Original assignee: Mark Kevin Ricks
Priority date: 2003-09-25
Filing date: 2004-09-22
Publication date: 2005-03-31
Also published as: EP1686944A1

Abstract

A bed (10)for patient care has a bed frame (12). The bed frame (12) supports at least two rollers (14,16,18), the at least two rollers (14,16,18) extending in an axial direction of the bed (10). A flexible mattress (20) is formed as, formed with or attached to a mattress carrying means (22). The mattress carrying means (22) extends around at least two of the rollers (14,18) and is in contact with the rollers (14,18). Drive means (34) for selectively driving at least one of the rollers (14,18) to rotate at least one of the rollers is provided to cause the mattress to move laterally across the bed. The mattress (20) is suitably removably attached to the bed.

Description

A BED FOR PATIENT CARE FIELD The present invention relates to a rotating bed for use in patient care and in particular for use in hospitals and home care. BACKGROUND Current funding of the health care system has required hospitals and other patient care facilities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in their delivery of care and service to patients. Improvements in patient care and nursing techniques free up resources to be expended on a larger number of patients, thereby improving the health care system overall. One method of improvement is to free nurses from labour intensive duties, so they can perform their duties more effectively. One patient duty that has proved highly labour intensive is the turning of bed-bound patients or transferring patients from one bed to another. Current practices involve using a number of medical staff turning a patient (eg on their side, front or back) and/or then lifting the patient from one side of the bed to the centre of the bed or to a second bed. This generally involves having two or more staff to perform such a manoeuvre, each staff member supporting a portion of the weight of the patient. Typically each staff member has to lean partially across a bed while lifting the load, putting the staff member at risk of a strain injury to the back or other locations. Staff are particularly at risk of incurring back injury when they stretch across a bed while lifting the patients, thus not allowing them to follow recommended occupational health and safety safe lifting practices. Furthermore, this practice is invasive to the patient, as a number of staff touch the patient each time the patient is lifted. Current practices can also increase the patient's discomfort, for example, if recovering from an operation or suffering bruising or other trauma injuries where sporadic or jolting movements can intensify the pain suffered. We have found a quicker, less labour intensive and safer process to move patients, which also has the advantage of lessening the need for staff to man- handle the patients. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect, the present invention provides a bed for patient care, the bed having a bed frame, a mattress carrying means arranged to be movable in a lateral direction across an upper part of the bed, a flexible mattress formed as, formed with or attached to a mattress carrying means, and moving means for moving the mattress carrying means in a lateral direction across an upper part of the bed. In one embodiment, the moving means may comprise a part of the mattress or mattress carrying means that can be pushed or pulled by an operator to move the mattress in a lateral direction. Other preferred features of the first aspect of the present invention may be as described with reference to the second aspect of the present invention described hereunder. In a second aspect, the present invention provides a bed for patient care, the bed having a bed frame, the bed frame supporting at least two rollers, the at least two rollers extending in an axial direction of the bed, a flexible mattress formed as, formed with or attached to a mattress carrying means, the mattress carrying means extending around at least two of the rollers and being in contact with the rollers, and drive means to cause the mattress to move laterally across the bed. The arrangement of the flexible mattress and the mattress carrying means, in which the flexible mattress is formed as, formed with or attached to the mattress carrying means, results in the mattress travelling with the mattress carrying means and being retained on the matfress carrying means. If the mattress travels sufficiently far in the lateral direction, it may even pass over and around an outermost of the rollers. The bed of the present invention is suitable for transferring a patient from the bed to another bed or a trolley. In this regard, in order to transfer a patient from the bed to another bed or trolley, the other bed or trolley is placed next to the bed and the drive means actuated to cause the mattress to move laterally. This, of course, moves the patient laterally as well. The lateral movement of the patient can ultimately result in the patient being transferred to the other bed or trolley located next to the bed. Alternatively, the lateral movement of the matfress may be used to alter or adjust the position of the patient on the bed In one embodiment, the flexible mattress is formed as the mattress carrying means. In this embodiment, the mattress itself extends around the at least two rollers. The matfress may suitably comprise an endless loop which extends around the rollers and has opposed edges attached to each other. The mattress carrying means in this embodiment may be considered to be the underneath surface of the matfress itself. In another embodiment, the mattress carrying means may comprise a web to which the mattress is attached. The web may be of any suitable material. For example, the web may be made from rubber, canvas, tarpaulin material, other durable fabric, netting material, woven webbing or the like. In this embodiment, the web of material may be formed as an endless loop that extends around the rollers. Alternatively, the web of material may be rolled onto a first roller and connected to a second roller such that operation of the drive means causes the web or material to unwind from the first roller and to be wound up onto the second roller (and vice versa when the rollers are operated in the opposite direction). The mattress may be attached to the web of material by any suitable means. For example, the matfress may be sewn onto the web of material, the mattress may be attached by a suitable adhesive to the web of material, the mattress may be attached by press studs to the web of material, the mattress may be tied to the web of material, the mattress may be attached by a hook and loop fastener (such as Velcro™) arrangement, or the matfress may be plastically welded (for example, by ultrasonic welding) to the web or material. Preferably, the matfress is removably attached to the web of material. In other embodiments, the matfress may be attached to the mattress carrying means by providing the mattress carrying means with a pocket sized to receive the matfress and inserting the mattress into the pocket. The pocket may be provided with closure means (such as zips, press studs, hook and loop fasteners, and the like) in order to close the pocket to ensure the matfress is retained in the pocket. Alternatively, the mattress may be provided with a cover, which cover has fastening means to enable the cover to be fastened to the mattress carrying means. Again, the fastening means may comprise zips, press studs, ties, clips or hook and loop fasteners. Other fasteners may also be used. It is preferred that the mattress is removably attached to the mattress carrying means as this allows the mattress to be removed, if required. For example, it may be desirable to periodically remove the matfress so that the mattress may be turned in order to turn the matfress to ensure even wear of the matfress. Similarly, the mattress maybe removed if cleaning of the mattress is required. The matfress is preferably provided with a waterproof cover to prevent or minimise soiling by body fluids, such as blood, urine and the like. Advantageously, the waterproof cover is used to removably attach the matfress to the matfress carrying means. Alternatively, in embodiments where the mattress carrying means is provided with a pocket that receives the mattress, the upper surface of the pocket may be made from a waterproof material. Any waterproof material may be used in this embodiment of the invention, although it is envisaged that a plastics or rubber sheet material would be the most appropriate. The flexible mattress is suitably made from an elastomeric material. A foamed elastomer, such as foamed rubber, is most appropriate. The matfress should be flexible in order to enable the mattress to be wound over and around the rollers. The mattress may be made from a foam rubber that is known to the persons skilled in the art to be suitable for producing bed mattresses. Alternatively, the mattress may be made from cushioning material that is used to manufacture cushions for lounge suites, couches and the like. It is envisaged that the mattress will not be a sprung mattress, although it is possible that inner spring mattresses having sufficient flexibility to allow them to pass around the rollers may be used in the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the bed includes rollers arranged across the width of the bed. In this fashion, rollers extend across the width of the bed to thereby support the matfress surface upon which the patient rests. Preferably, at least the outer most of the rollers is drivable to move the mattress and patient laterally across the bed in the driving direction. The other rollers may be free spinning rollers that roll underneath the matfress carrying means as the mattress carrying means moves across those rollers when it is driven by one or more driving rollers. Alternatively, the bed may include two upper rollers positioned on opposed edges of the bed, with the mattress carrying means passing over one of those rollers and extending across the bed to also pass over the other of the rollers. In this embodiment, it may be desirable to provide a mattress support means positioned underneath the mattress carrying means, the mattress support means assisting in carrying the weight of a patient reclining or sitting on the bed. The mattress support means may comprise one or more slides or plates positioned between the rollers and supported by the bed frame, this embodiment, it will be understood that the matfress carrying means slides across the mattress support means when the one or more driven rollers is actuated. Suitably, the matfress support means includes a low friction upper surface to minimise resistance to moving the matfress carrying means. The bed frame supports the rollers. The bed frame suitably includes at least two spaced transversed members having opposite ends of the rollers connected thereto. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the rollers themselves may also form part of the bed frame. Alternatively, the bed frame may comprise a generally rectangular frame having the rollers supported thereon. The bed may further include a height adjustment mechanism whereby the height of the mattress may be raised or lowered. The height adjustment mechanism may comprise any suitable height adjustment mechanism known to the person skilled in the art. It is noted that there are a number of height adjustment mechanisms currently used to adjust the height of beds, particularly hospital beds. The bed suitably includes one or more legs. The legs may be provided with wheels or castors to enable the bed to be easily moved around. The wheels or castors may also include one or more brakes to fix the bed in one place. The bed frame may also include handles to enable the bed frame to be lifted and carried. The bed frame may have wheels attached directly to it so that the bed frame can be moved along the ground. The bed frame may also include a leg frame such that the bed frame is supported on the leg frame. The drive means is used to create the lateral movement of the matfress carrying means. The drive means may be a manual drive means. For example, the drive means may comprise a crank handle attached to one of the rollers to enable the crank handle to rotate the roller. Alternatively, the drive means may comprise a gripping surface on the roller to enable an operator, such as a hospital orderly or nurse, to rotate the roller by hand. Alternatively, a hand operated rack and pinion drive mechanism may be used. The drive means may also comprise a motorised drive means. For example, an electric motor or other motor may be used to cause rotation of one or more rollers. The electric motor may be coupled to one or more rollers by virtue of appropriate cog arrangements, appropriate pulley and belt arrangements, appropriate chain drive arrangements or appropriate gearing arrangements. The drive means may selectively drive at least one of the rollers to rotate at least one of the rollers. This, in turn, causes lateral movement of the matfress across the upper part of the bed. Alternatively, the drive means may interact with the mattress or matfress carrying means to cause lateral movement of the bed. The bed suitably includes drive limiting means to restrict the movement of the mattress carrying means across the bed as required. The drive means may be controlled by a handle or a remote control. A control system may be used to confrol the drive means. The confrol system may be a mechanical control such as a handle or appropriate stop members, or an electronic confrol such as a joystick or wireless remote control. The confrol means starts and stops the drive means. The control means may act to limit or restrict the speed and fravel of the matfress carrying means. For example, a mechanical confrol means may include mechanical stops while an electronic confrol means may be limited by a computer program or by travel of the mattress or mattress carrying means activating electronic stop means. The control means may also include a manual override to allow non-restricted travel of the matfress. In a preferred configuration, the control system may limit the movement of the mattress carrying means to a preset distance whereby the likelihood of a patient being rolled off the bed is limited. Further sensors may be integrated with the control system to prevent the patient being inadvertently rolled off the bed. The bed may include a safety device such that the safety device must be activated before the bed can be driven. This may be achieved, for example by providing a handle to be squeezed or a foot pedal to be depressed, or a deadman panel to be depressed, or by other mechanical or electrical means, to release a brake and allow the bed to be moved by the attendant. It will be appreciated that the bed may also further include a brake means that must be disengaged before the drive means can be actuated to convey the matfress carrying means in a lateral direction. In a preferred embodiment, the drive means is drivingly engaged with two peripheral rollers, with free rotating rollers positioned therebetween. The drive is preferably consistent at both ends of the bed to ensure the mattress carrying means is conveyed evenly. An advantage of the present invention is that a patient can be moved by one operator. Additionally, moving the patient can be performed without the attendant needing to contact the patient. Moving of the patient can be performed relatively quickly and easily, making it a more convenient system for moving patients. The bed of the present invention is very patient friendly and can be adapted for the patient to confrol their own movement, if appropriate. Additionally, aside from assisting the movement of a patient in one bed, the patient can be moved into a second bed placed alongside the first bed, by the same method, thereby eliminating the need to utilise a side board. A further advantage is the adaptability of the bed for use in ward to use in ambulances. Another advantage is that the bed can be adapted for use in x-ray environments by rubber matting being used over the bed cover. The present invention also encompasses a trolley having similar features to the bed described above. Accordingly, in a third aspect, the present invention provides a trolley comprising a trolley frame, the trolley frame supporting at least two rollers, the at least two rollers extending in an axial direction of the trolley, a flexible mattress formed as, formed with or attached to a matfress carrying means, the mattress carrying means extending around at least two of the rollers and being in contact with the rollers, and drive means for selectively driving at least one of the rollers to rotate at least one of the rollers to cause the mattress to move laterally across the trolley. Preferred features of the trolley in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention may be as described with reference to the preferred features of the bed described in the first and second aspects of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows an end view of the bed frame supporting the rollers of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment in accordance with the present invention; Figure 4 is a detailed end view of part of the bed shown in Figure 3 ; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative arrangement of the mattress and mattress carrying means in accordance with the present invention; Figure 6 is a schematic end view of a further arrangement of the mattress and mattress carrying means in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a schematic end view of yet a further arrangement of the mattress and mattress carrying means in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 is a still further diagrammatic end view of another arrangement of the mattress and mattress carrying means of another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 is a diagrammatic end view of a different arrangement of matfress carrying means and mattress in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 shows a part perspective view illustrating one embodiment of attaching the mattress to the mattress carrying means; Figure 11 shows a diagrammatic end view illustrating another way of attaching the mattress to the mattress support means; and Figure 12 shows a diagrammatic end view of yet a further way of attaching the matfress to the mattress carrying means. In Figures 4 to 12, a number of features of the bed have been omitted for clarity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The drawings accompanying this specification have been provided for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention. It will be understood that the invention should not be considered to be restricted to those features shown in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The bed 10 includes a bed frame 12. For clarity, parts of bed frame 12 have been removed from Figure 1. The bed frame 12 will be described in greater detail with reference to Figure 2. Suffice to say that bed frame 12 includes the transverse member shown in Figure 1. A similar transverse member is positioned at the other end of the bed. The bed frame 12 supports a plurality of rollers, some of which are numbered as 14, 16 and 18. As can be seen from Figure 1, the plurality of rollers extends substantially across the width of the bed. The rollers also extend in the axial direction of the bed. A flexible mattress 20 having an inner surface 22 is formed as an endless loop that surrounds the plurality of rollers 14, 16, 18. As can be seen from Figure 1, the inner surface 22 of the matfress 20 passes around the outermost rollers 14, 18 and comes into contact with the surface of the intermediate rollers, one of which is shown at 16. Thus, the plurality of rollers provides support for the mattress 20. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the inner surface 22 of the matfress 20 may be considered to be a mattress carrying means. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the mattress 20 is formed with the matfress carrying means. The bed 10 further includes four legs 24 (only three of which are shown in Figure 1). The legs may be height adjustable legs. For example, the legs 24 may be provided with pins 26 that can come into register and be inserted into aligning notches or holes formed in upper and lower telescoping portions of the legs 24. The height adjustment mechanism of the bed may include any suitable height adjustment mechanism known to the person skilled in the art, for example, height adjustment may be achieved by clamping. Alternatively, the height of the bed could be adjusted by hydraulic or pneumatic systems. The legs 24 have castor wheels 28 attached to the lower ends to enable the bed to be easily moved around a hospital ward. The castor wheels 28 may be provided with a locking mechanism 30, such as a well known brake, to stop the castor wheels 28 from moving and thereby retain the bed in a desired position. The bed frame is suitably articulated at 32 so that one end of the frame can be moved relative to the other. This allows for one end of the bed to be raised at adjustable levels so that a patient can be elevated at one end of the bed. Again, a number of well known mechanisms in this regard will be available for incorporation into the bed of the present invention. Multiple points of articulation could also be provided to allow for further adjustments in the bed frame. The roller 18, which is one of the outermost rollers, is operatively connected to a drive means 34. The drive means may, for example, comprise an electric motor, i another embodiment, the drive means 34 may be a manually operated drive means in which handle 36 provides the handle of a crank mechanism.

Rotation of the handle 36 causes the crank mechanism to rotate roller 18. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the drive means 34 may engage with the roller 18 in a number of different arrangements. For example, the drive means may be connected directly to the roller. Alternatively, the drive means may have a rotating pulley that connects to a pulley attached to the end of roller

18 via a drive belt. Alternatively, drive sprockets may be provided on the drive means and the roller, which drive sprockets are driven via a chain drive. Alternatively, a rack and pinion system may be used. As can be clearly seen from Figure 1, the inner surface 22 of the flexible mattress 20 is in contact with the plurality of rollers. When roller 18 is driven by the drive means 34, roller 18 rotates. Frictional engagement between the roller 18 and the inner surface 22 of matfress 20 causes the mattress 20 to move with the roller. If the roller 18 is driven such that it rotates in a clockwise direction, the upper portion 37 of the mattress 20 will move laterally in the direction shown by arrow 38. In this fashion, a patient on the bed can be moved across the bed. The mattress 20 shown in Figure 1 is formed in an endless loop.

Consequently, matfress 20 is able to move completely around the bed by appropriate operation of the drive means and rollers. The matfress 20 may have an outer surface that is made from a waterproof material to prevent contamination or soiling of the matfress by blood or other bodily fluids and also to enable easy cleaning and disinfection of the matfress. Alternatively, the mattress 20 may be provided with a removable cover, which cover is preferably waterproof. The removable cover suitably extends completely around the endless loop of mattress 20. The cover may be attached to the mattress 20 by press studs, hook and loop fasteners (e.g. Velcro™), zips or the like. The cover may form a sheet. In day to day use of the bed, it is only the cover on the upper portion 37 of the matfress 20 that comes into contact with the patient. Thus, rather than having to change the cover daily, it may be possible to rotate the matfress such that the unsoiled part of the cover that is located underneath the rollers is moved to be above the rollers. This has the potential to reduce the frequency of sheet changing on the bed. This is of particular value because it minimises the number of bottom sheet changes needed when managing bed bound patients, which increases patient comfort. In an alternative embodiment, the rollers may be freely rotating rollers and lateral movement of the mattress may occur by applying a force to the mattress or to the mattress carrying means. The force may be applied by an operator of the bed or by a driving means that interacts with the mattress or the mattress carrying means. Figure 2 shows one possible arrangement of the frame for supporting the rollers 16, 18. In Figure 2, the intermediate rollers have been removed for clarity. Other features of the bed shown in Figure 1 have also been removed from Figure 2 for clarity. In Figure 2, the bed frame includes transverse member 25 that supports upstanding members 40, 42. An upper transverse member 44 is supported by members 40, 42. A similar arrangement of members 25, 40, 42 and 44 is provided at the opposite end of the bed. Upper transverse member 44 includes mounting points 46, 48 at which rollers 16, 18 are respectively mounted. For example, the rollers 16, 18, may be journalled in appropriate bearings at points 46, 48. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that a number of different mounting mechanisms for mounting the rollers may be used. The supporting frame for supporting the rollers shown in Figure 2 is positioned past the axial extent of the rollers. Therefore, the supporting frame does not interfere with rotation of the rollers nor movement of the mattress 20 when the rollers are rotated. Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment shown in Figure 3 has a number of features in common with that shown in Figures 1 and 2. For convenience, like reference numerals will be used to refer to like parts. These like parts need not be described further. The embodiment of Figure 3 differs from that shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that the intermediate rollers positioned between outermost rollers 14 and 18 of Figure 1 have been omitted and replaced by a support plate 50. As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the inner surface 22 of the upper portion 37 of mattress 20 rests on support plate 50 to provide further support to the patient. When the rollers are operated to cause the mattress 20 to move with the rollers and move a patient laterally, the inner surface 22 of upper portion 37 of mattress 20 slides across support plate 50. To minimise friction, support plate 50 is preferably of a low friction material or coated with a low friction material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, also known under the trade marks Teflon or Silverstone). Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the mattress carrying means, the matfress and roller arrangement. In Figure 5, the mattress carrying means

52 comprises an endless loop of a suitable material, such as rubber materials, vinyl, canvass, tarpaulin material, netting or webbing. A foam matfress 54 is attached to the mattress carrying means 52. The foam matfress 54 is suitably attached to the endless loop 52 by an adhesive or by a plastic welding technique. The foam mattress 54 is suitably a foam rubber matfress. The endless loop 52 extends around driven roller 56 and following rollers 58, 60 and 62. The roller arrangement is also provided with guide rollers 64, 66 to guide the endless loop. As shown in Figure 5, the matfress 54 does not extend completely around all of the rollers. Rather, mattress 54 is of somewhat shorter width than the length of the endless loop 52. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the movement of the mattress across the bed is limited such that the mattress 54 does not pass under the guide rollers 64, 66. This will prevent the mattress 54 from becoming compressed and possibly damaged by the guide roller 64, 66. Figure 6 shows possible limits of the movement of the mattress 54 shown in Figure 5. For example, the mattress 54 may be limited such that end 68 does not travel past the position shown in Figure 6. When the rollers are operated in the opposite direction, the end 70 of mattress 54 suitably does not extend past the position shown. Figure 7 shows an embodiment similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 in which an endless loop matfress 72 passes around rollers 74 and 76. The endless loop mattress 72 is suitably formed by abutting end 78 of the mattress 72 against the opposed end 80 of the matfress 72 and securing ends 78 and 80 together, for example, by use of a suitable adhesive. The mattress 72 shown in Figure 7 is suitably provided with a waterproof outer cover to avoid soiling and to facilitate cleaning. Figure 8 shows an alternative embodiment to that shown in Figure 7.

In Figure 8, an endless loop 82 extends around rollers 84, 86. The endless loop 82 is suitably made from a sheet like material, such as a rubber sheet, canvas, vinyl, tarpaulin material, netting or webbing. A foam matfress 88 is attached to the endless loop 82, for example, by adhesives or the like. As can be seen from Figure 8, the foam matfress 88 does not extend along the entire length of the endless loop 82. Figure 9 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 9, a mattress carrying material 90 is wound on roller 92. The matfress carrying material 90 passes over roller 94 and roller 96 and subsequently extends down onto roller 98. Roller 98 is arranged such that the matfress carrying material 92 can be wound onto and off the roller 98. A flexible mattress 100 is attached to the mattress carrying material 90. In operation of the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the rollers 92, 98 are operated to cause the mattress carrying material 90 to wind off roller 92 and wind on roller 98. This causes the mattress 100 to move in the direction shown by arrow 102. hi order to move the matfress in the opposite direction, the rollers 92, 98 are operated such that the mattress carrying material 90 winds onto roller 92 and winds off roller 98. This causes the mattress 100 to move in the direction shown by dotted arrow 104. Figure 10 shows one embodiment by which the matfress may be removably attached to the mattress carrying material. In Figure 10, the rollers and other parts of the bed have been omitted for clarity. In Figure 10, the mattress carrying material 110, which is suitably a rubber material, a vinyl material or canvas, has a pocket 112 attached to it. The pocket 112 includes a zip 114 to enable the front edge of pocket 112 to be opened. Suitably, side edges of the pocket 112 may include a zip, indicated by reference numeral 116. Opening zips 114, 116 enables the pocket 112 to be pulled back from the matfress carrying material 110. A matfress may then be positioned over the mattress carrying material 110 and the pocket 112 may be then positioned over the mattress and the zips 114, 116 closed to secure the mattress to the mattress carrying material. The arrangement shown in Figure 10 allows the mattress to be periodically removed from the pocket 112 and turned to ensure that the matfress wears evenly. Also, in the event that the mattress becomes soiled, it is simple to remove the mattress for cleaning or replacement. It will be appreciated that other fasteners, such as Velcro™ brand hook and loop fasteners or press studs may be used in place of zips. Figure 11 shows another alternative embodiment for releasably attaching the mattress to the mattress carrying material, hi Figure 11, the mattress carrying material 120 has a sleeve 122 attached to it via an appropriate zip arrangement 124. Again, other fasteners besides a zipper may be used. In order to attach a matfress to the mattress carrying material 120, the zipper 124 is opened and a mattress inserted through the open end. The zip is then closed which retains matfress 126 in place. Figure 12 shows a further alternative embodiment for releasably attaching the mattress to the mattress carrying material. In Figure 12, the matfress carrying material 130 has a sleeve 132 attached to it by a zipper 134. As can be seen from Figure 12, sleeve 132 does not extend wholly around the mattress carrying material 130, which is in the form of an endless loop, h order to position a mattress on the matfress carrying material 130, zipper 134 is opened and mattress inserted through the open end of pocket 132. The zipper 134 may then be closed, which secures the mattress 136 to the mattress carrying material 130. hi Figures 11 and 12, reference numeral 150 is used to refer to rollers. In the embodiments shown in Figures 10 to 12, the pocket or sleeve is suitably permanently affixed to the mattress carrying material at one end of the bed, with one or more other sides of the pocket or sleeve being openable to allow insertion of the mattress. However, the pocket or sleeve may also be completely removable from the matfress carrying material, i this case, the sleeve or pocket may be considered to be a removable cover for the mattress, which cover is used to removably attach the mattress to the matfress carrying material. hi the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 8 and 11 to 12, the mattress carrying means is in the form of an endless belt or endless web. The endless belt or web may be formed by attaching opposed edges of the belt or web to each other. The opposed edges may be permanently attached to each other, for example, by plastic welding, heat fusion or by an adhesive. Alternatively, the opposed edges may be removably attached to each other, for example, by use of appropriate fasteners, such as press studs, hook and loop fastener, clips, etc. If the opposed ends are removably attached to each other, the matfress carrying means may be advantageously removed from the bed for cleaning or easy replacement. In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 8 and 11 to 12, the drive means may be omitted. In such embodiments, movement of the bed may be achieved by the operator applying a force to the mattress or to the mattress carrying means, for example, by pushing or pulling on the matfress or by pushing or pulling on the mattress carrying means. The rollers in such embodiments are suitably free-wheeling rollers. One or more of the rollers may be provided with locking means to lock against rotation to avoid unwanted movement of the mattress, for example as shown by reference numeral 79 in Figure 7. The locking means may comprise any suitable locking means known to the person skilled in the art that can lock rollers against rotation. The rollers used in the present invention may be made from various materials, such as hardened plastic, rubber or metal. Steel rollers are generally preferred. The bed in accordance with the present invention can include features commonly found in conventional hospital beds, such as height adjustment up and down for ease of getting patients in and out of bed and for working at waist height on a patient confined to bed. Motor or hydraulic bed features can also make lifting the head end of the bed up, for the purpose of making it easier for the patient to breathe or to eat. Foot end articulation can be useful for the elevation of patients legs, for example to relieve pain. The preferred embodiments shown in the drawings accompanying this specification relate to description of beds. However, it will be appreciated that similar features can be incorporated into trolleys. In the first aspect of the present invention the bed may or may not include rollers. For example, the mattress may be carried on a movable web that moves around guide members, or the mattress may be carried (either directly or indirectly) on an arrangement of axial slats that fravel around an arrangement of cogs or wheels. The axial slats may be supported by chains or belts that engage with the cogs or wheels. The cogs or wheels may be supported by the bed frame. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the present invention encompasses all such variations and modifications that fall within its spirit and scope.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A bed for patient care, the bed having a bed frame, the bed frame supporting at least two rollers, the at least two rollers extending in an axial direction of the bed, a flexible matfress formed as, formed with or attached to a mattress carrying means, the mattress carrying means extending around at least two of the rollers and being in contact with the rollers, and drive means to cause the matfress to move laterally across the bed.

2. A bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible matfress is formed as the matfress carrying means and the mattress extends around the at least two rollers.

3. A bed as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mattress comprises an endless loop which extends around the rollers and has opposed edges attached to each other and wherein the mattress carrying means is the underneath surface of the mattress itself.

4. A bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mattress carrying means comprises a web to which the mattress is attached.

5. A bed as claimed in claim 4 wherein the web of material is formed as an endless loop that extends around the rollers.

6. A bed as claimed in claim 4 wherein the web of material is rolled onto a first roller and connected to a second roller such that operation of the drive means causes the web of material to unwind from the first roller and to be wound up onto the second roller (and vice versa when the rollers are operated in the opposite direction).

7. A bed as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein the mattress is permanently attached to the web of material.

8. A bed as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein the mattress is removably attached to the web of material.

9. A bed as claimed in claim 8 wherein the mattress is attached to the matfress carrying means by providing the mattress carrying means with a pocket sized to receive the mattress and inserting the matfress into the pocket.

10. A bed as claimed in claim 9 wherein the pocket is provided with closure means in order to close the pocket to retain the mattress in the pocket.

11. A bed as claimed in claim 9 wherein the matfress is provided with a cover, which cover has fastening means to enable the cover to be fastened to the mattress carrying means.

12. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the mattress is provided with a waterproof cover to prevent or minimise soiling by body fluids.

13. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed includes a plurality of rollers arranged across the width of the bed.

14. A bed as claimed in claim 13 wherein at least the outermost of the rollers is drivable to move the mattress and patient laterally across the bed in the driving direction.

15. A bed as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the bed includes two upper rollers positioned on opposed edges of the bed, with the matfress carrying means passing over one of those rollers and extending across the bed to also pass over the other of the rollers.

16. A bed as claimed in claim 15 wherein the bed is provided with a mattress support means positioned underneath the mattress carrying means, the matfress support means assisting in carrying the weight of a patient reclining or sitting on the bed.

17. A bed as claimed in claim 16 wherein the matfress support means comprises one or more slides or plates positioned between the rollers and supported by the bed frame.

18. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed frame includes at least two spaced fransverse members having opposite ends of the rollers connected thereto.

19. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed further includes a height adjustment mechanism whereby the height of the mattress is raised or lowered.

20. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive means comprises a manual drive means or a motorised drive means.

21. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive means selectively drives at least one of the rollers to rotate at least one of the rollers.

22. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed includes drive limiting means to restrict the movement of the mattress carrying means across the bed as required.

23. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed further includes a control system to control the drive means.

24. A bed as claimed in claim 23 wherein the control system limits the movement of the mattress carrying means to a preset distance whereby the likelihood of a patient being rolled off the bed is limited.

25. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed further includes a safety device that must be activated before the rollers can be driven.

26. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed includes one or more legs provided with wheels or castors to enable the bed to be easily moved around.

27. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed frame further includes handles to enable the bed frame to be lifted and carried.

28. A bed as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bed frame further includes a leg frame such that the bed frame is supported on the leg frame.

29. A bed for patient care, the bed having a bed frame, a matfress carrying means arranged to be movable in a lateral direction across an upper part of the bed, a flexible mattress formed as, formed with or attached to a matfress carrying means, and moving means for moving the mattress carrying means in a lateral direction across an upper part of the bed.

30. A bed as claimed in claim 29 wherein the moving means comprises a part of the mattress or mattress carrying means that can be pushed by an operator to move the matfress in a lateral direction.

31. A trolley comprising a trolley frame, the trolley frame supporting at least two rollers, the at least two rollers extending in an axial direction of the trolley, a flexible matfress formed as, formed with or attached to a mattress carrying means, the mattress carrying means extending around at least two of the rollers and being in contact with the rollers, and drive means for selectively driving at least one of the rollers to rotate at least one of the rollers to cause the matfress to move laterally across the trolley.

32. A trolley the bed having a frame, a mattress carrying means arranged to be movable in a lateral direction across an upper part of the trolley, a flexible mattress formed as, formed with or attached to a mattress carrying means, and moving means for moving the mattress carrying means in a lateral direction across an upper part of the trolley.