WO2011034416A1

WO2011034416A1 - Bed system

Info

Publication number: WO2011034416A1
Application number: PCT/NL2009/050564
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hendrik Auke Beuker
Original assignee: Hendrik Auke Beuker
Priority date: 2009-09-18
Filing date: 2009-09-18
Publication date: 2011-03-24
Also published as: EP2477590A1; EP2477590B1

Abstract

A bed system (1) comprisesa lying frame (2) and an undercarrier (4) for supporting the lying frame while the undercarrier is resting on a floor.The lying frame comprises at least one first connector (5) and the undercarrier (4) comprises at least one second connector (6, 7), via which the lying frameand the undercarrier are releasably fixable to one another.The lying frame maybe slided off from the undercarrier in a sliding direction (S) which is substantially parallel to thelying surface (3) of the lying frame and transverse to the longitudinal direction (L)of the lying frame. At the same time, the lying frame is slided onto another such undercarrier (24) situated alongside said undercarrier (4) and which comprises another such at least one second connector (26, 27).

Description

Title: Bed system.

The invention relates to a bed system and is of particular importance for use in hospitals, nursing homes, homes for the elderly, or the like.

In hospitals, for example, patients frequently have to be transferred from one bed to another. Therein, an often occurring circumstance is that patients are not easily transferrable from one bed to another because of being handicapped, ill, weakened, or the like. In many cases patients are unable to perform the transfer by themselves and they need to be transferred with the help of for example one or more (male) nurses. This often requires lifting patients out and in beds. Evidently this is not only laborious, time consuming and heavy work for the staff, but also aggravating or even harmful for the health of the transferred patients.

It is an object of the invention to provide a solution according to which such drawbacks are effectively being reduced.

For that purpose, the invention provides a bed system comprising:

- a lying frame, defining a lying surface for a person lying on the bed system or for a mattress for a person lying on the bed system, the lying frame having a longitudinal direction to be substantially parallel to the lengthwise lying direction of such a person, and

- an undercarrier for supporting the lying frame while the undercarrier is resting on a floor,

wherein the lying frame comprises at least one first connector and the undercarrier comprises at least one second connector, via which the lying frame and the undercarrier are releasably fixable to one another in that the at least one first connector and the at least one second connector are slidably engagable and disengagable relative to one another in such manner that, starting off from a first condition in which the lying frame is fixed to the undercarrier via the at least one first connector and the at least one second connector, said engaging and said disengaging allows the lying frame to be slided off from the undercarrier in a sliding direction which is substantially parallel to said lying surface and transverse to said longitudinal direction, while, during said sliding off in said sliding direction, the lying frame is slided onto another such undercarrier situated alongside said undercarrier and which comprises another such at least one second connector, to end up in a second condition in which the lying frame is released from the undercarrier and releasably fixed to said other undercarrier via the at least one first connector of the lying frame and said other at least one second connector of said other undercarrier.

For such a bed system according to the invention, when a person lying on the bed system has to be transferred, the following steps may be performed. At first, the bed system with the person lying on it may simply be moved to a position alongside said other undercarrier. This moving of the bed system is an easy task, especially when the undercarrier is provided with (castor) wheels resting on the floor. Next, the lying frame together with the person lying on it (or together with the mattress and the person) may simply be slided off from the undercarrier and slided onto said other undercarrier. Thus, the person has been transferred quickly and with little effort for the staff and without bothering the lying person. In fact, the person will hardly be aware that he or she is being transferred.

Said sliding movements of the lying frame relative to the undercarrier and/or relative to the other undercarrier may normally be performed manually, for example by a nurse. However, it is also possible to perform these sliding movements by means of various movement mechanisms and/or drive mechanisms, such as by means of electric motor(s), hydraulics, pneumatics, etcetera. Such movement mechanisms and/or drive mechanisms may be connected to the lying frame and/or to the (other) undercarrier. The at least one first connector and/or the at least one second connector may be realized in various ways, such as by means of guiding profiles, guiding tubes, rails, etcetera.

In a preferable embodiment the at least one first connector and/or the at least one second connector comprise(s) at least one roller and/or at least one bearing arranged for facilitating said sliding off from said undercarrier and said sliding onto said other undercarrier.

In a further preferable embodiment said undercarrier comprises at least one aligning element arranged for aligning the position of said

undercarrier relative to the position of said other undercarrier when said other undercarrier comprises another such at least one aligning element and when said undercarrier and said other undercarrier are situated alongside one another, in such manner that said sliding off from said undercarrier and said sliding onto said other undercarrier are mutually aligned.

Said at least one aligning element may be realized in various ways, such as by means of one or more visual indicators.

In a further preferable embodiment said at least one aligning element of said undercarrier comprises first preventing means for preventing said undercarrier and said other undercarrier to move relative to one another in said longitudinal direction when the position of said undercarrier is thus being aligned relative to the position of said other undercarrier.

In a further preferable embodiment said at least one aligning element of said undercarrier comprises second preventing means for

preventing said undercarrier and said other undercarrier to move relative to one another in an upwards and/or downwards vertical direction when the position of said undercarrier is thus being aligned relative to the position of said other undercarrier. Such second preventing means is especially beneficial in cases where at least one of said undercarrier and said other undercarrier is equipped with a height adjusting mechanism which is arranged for adjusting the height level at which the lying frame would be supported by the respective undercarrier relative to the floor. In case of different height levels for said undercarrier and said other undercarrier, one of these undercarriers may be height adjusted in order to bring the undercarriers on equal height levels, wherein said second preventing means may serve as a stop being activated when equal height levels have been reached during adjusting.

Further details, aspects and embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the schematic figures in the enclosed drawing.

Fig. 1 shows, in an exploded perspective view, an example of an embodiment of an undercarrier of a bed system according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows, in a perspective view, an example of an embodiment of a lying frame of a bed system according to the invention.

Fig. 3 shows a cross- section of a bed system according to the invention, the shown bed system comprising the undercarrier of Fig. 1 and the lying frame of Fig. 2 in a condition in which the lying frame is being slided off the undercarrier, while at the same time being slided onto another such undercarrier.

Fig. 4 shows, in a view from above, parts of the two undercarriers of Fig. 3 in a condition in which these undercarriers are being moved sideways towards one another.

Fig. 5 shows part of the bed system of Fig. 3 in a sectional view according to the line V-V indicated in Fig. 3.

The undercarrier of Fig. 1 is indicated with reference numeral 4 and comprises a lower frame part 15 and an upper frame part 14. These frame parts are fixedly connected to one another in that the vertical frame parts 12 of the lower frame part 15 are fixedly connected to the shown transverse beams 16 of the upper frame part 14. Note that these beams 16 each have a U-shaped cross-section which is best seen in Fig. 5. The lower frame part 15 is provided with castor wheels. It is remarked that various other forms of the undercarrier are possible, such as for example undercarriers without wheels or

undercarriers of which the height is adjustable.

The lying frame of Fig. 2 is indicated with reference numeral 2 and comprises a rectangular frame 17 which holds a rectangularly shaped woven metal wire structure 23. The upper side of the wire structure 23 forms a lying surface 3 for a mattress. The longitudinal direction of the lying frame 2 is indicated with reference sign L in Fig. 2. Note that various other forms of the lying frame are possible, such as for example lying frames with a tube frame instead of the wire structure, with a slatted base, or with a flexible cloth material (e.g. when the lying frame is a stretcher).

The lying frame comprises two first connectors in the form of two tubes 5 which are fixedly attached to the rectangular frame 17 and which extend transversely relative to the longitudinal direction L. The undercarrier 4 comprises a number of second connectors in the form of rollers 7 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 5) having rotation axes 17 suspended relative to the U-shaped transverse beams 16 (see Fig. 5), as well as in the form of rods 6 suspended relative to the upper frame part 14 of the undercarrier 4 and disposed parallel to and above the U-shaped beams 16 (see Figs. 1 and 3). Via these first connectors and second connectors the lying frame and the undercarrier are releasably fixable to one another in that the at least one first connector and the at least one second connector are slidably engagable and disengagable relative to one another. This is realized in that the rods 6 may be slidably received in the interiors of the tubes 5, while at the same time the tubes 5 may roll in their longitudinal directions over the rollers 7 (see Figs. 3 and 5). Note that Fig. 3 shows a vertical cross-section of the bed system 1 according to the invention, which vertical cross-section is taken at the longitudinal center lines of one of the tubes 5 and of one of the rods 6.

The other undercarrier shown in the right-hand side of Fig. 3 is indicated with reference numeral 24. In Fig. 3 this other undercarrier 24 is situated alongside the undercarrier 4 and comprises a number of another such second connectors in the form of rods 26 and rollers 27 similar to the rods 6 and rollers 7 of the undercarrier 4. Fig. 3 elucidates how, starting off from a first condition in which the lying frame 2 is fixed to the undercarrier 4 via the first connectors 5 and the second connectors 6, 7, said engaging and said disengaging allows the lying frame 2 to be slided off from the undercarrier 4 in a sliding direction S which is substantially parallel to the lying surface 3 and transverse to the longitudinal direction L, while, during said sliding off in said sliding direction S, the lying frame 2 is slided onto the other undercarrier 24, to end up in a second condition in which the lying frame 2 is released from the undercarrier 4 and releasably fixed to the other undercarrier 24 via the first connectors 5 of the lying frame 2 and the other second connectors 26, 27 of the other undercarrier 24.

As mentioned, in Fig. 3 the undercarriers 4 and 24 are situated alongside one another. Fig. 4 elucidates how these undercarriers 4 and 24 may have been moved sideways towards one another. This sideways movement of undercarrier 4 towards undercarrier 24 is indicated with arrow T in Fig. 4. In the shown example, undercarrier 4 comprises aligning elements 8, 9 and undercarrier 24 comprises similar aligning elements 28, 29. These aligning elements are arranged for aligning the position of undercarrier 4 relative to the position of undercarrier 24, in such manner that said sliding off from said undercarrier 4 and said sliding onto the undercarrier 24 are mutually aligned.

Aligning elements 9 and 29 are projections, while aligning elements 8 and 28 each have a recess adapted for receiving aligning element 29 and 9, respectively. Each of the aligning elements 8 and 28 comprises sidewardly extending walls 11 and 31, respectively. These walls 11 and 31 are each bordering the respective recess of the respective aligning element 8, 28 in sidewards direction. Thus, these walls 11 and 31 are forming first preventing means for preventing the undercarrier 4 and the undercarrier 24 to move relative to one another in the longitudinal direction L when the aligning elements 29 and 9 are received in the recesses of the aligning elements 8 and 28, respectively.

Alternatively or additionally, similar aligning elements of the undercarriers 4 and 24 may be used which comprise second preventing means for preventing the undercarriers 4 and 24 to move relative to one another in an upwards and/or downwards vertical direction when the positions of the undercarriers have been aligned relative to one another. This may for example be realized by using walls similar to the walls 11 and 31, but which extend in horizontal directions. For reasons of simplicity, such second preventing means have not been shown in the Figures.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific examples of embodiments of the invention. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, the rods 6 of the undercarrier and the tubes 5 of the lying frame serve as co-operating male and female parts, respectively.

Embodiments of the invention are possible in which similar rods are part of the lying frame, while similar corresponding tubes are part of the

undercarrier. Also it is possible to apply various other types of co-operating male and female parts for realizing the at least one first connector and the at least one second connector. Furthermore, it is possible to apply various types of bearings between the co-operating male and female parts for facilitating the sliding movements. In the shown examples it is for example possible to apply bearings on the outer sides of the rods 6 or to apply bearings on the inner sides of the tubes 5. Furthermore, the bed system may be provided with additional locking elements of various types, which take care of locking and unlocking the lying frame relative to the undercarrier. However, other modifications, variations and alternatives are also possible. The specifications and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

Claims

1. A bed system comprising:

- a lying frame (2), defining a lying surface (3) for a person lying on the bed system (1) or for a mattress for a person lying on the bed system, the lying frame having a longitudinal direction (L) to be substantially parallel to the lengthwise lying direction of such a person, and

- an undercarrier (4) for supporting the lying frame while the undercarrier is resting on a floor,

characterized in that the lying frame (2) comprises at least one first connector (5) and the undercarrier (4) comprises at least one second connector (6, 7), via which the lying frame and the undercarrier are releasably fixable to one another in that the at least one first connector and the at least one second connector are slidably engagable and disengagable relative to one another in such manner that, starting off from a first condition in which the lying frame is fixed to the undercarrier via the at least one first connector and the at least one second connector, said engaging and said disengaging allows the lying frame to be slided off from the undercarrier in a sliding direction (S) which is substantially parallel to said lying surface (3) and transverse to said longitudinal direction (L), while, during said sliding off in said sliding direction, the lying frame is slided onto another such undercarrier (24) situated alongside said undercarrier (4) and which comprises another such at least one second connector (26, 27), to end up in a second condition in which the lying frame (2) is released from the undercarrier (4) and releasably fixed to said other undercarrier (24) via the at least one first connector (5) of the lying frame and said other at least one second connector (26, 27) of said other undercarrier (24).

2. A bed system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first connector and/or the at least one second connector comprise(s) at least one roller (7) and/or at least one bearing arranged for facilitating said sliding off from said undercarrier (4) and said sliding onto said other undercarrier (24).

3. A bed system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said undercarrier (4) comprises at least one aligning element (8, 9) arranged for aligning the position of said undercarrier relative to the position of said other undercarrier (24) when said other undercarrier comprises another such at least one aligning element (28, 29) and when said undercarrier and said other undercarrier are situated alongside one another, in such manner that said sliding off from said undercarrier and said sliding onto said other undercarrier are mutually aligned.

4. A bed system according to claim 3, wherein said at least one aligning element (8, 9) of said undercarrier (4) comprises first preventing means (11) for preventing said undercarrier and said other undercarrier (24) to move relative to one another in said longitudinal direction (L) when the position of said undercarrier is thus being aligned relative to the position of said other undercarrier.

5. A bed system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said at least one aligning element of said undercarrier comprises second preventing means for preventing said undercarrier and said other undercarrier to move relative to one another in an upwards and/or downwards vertical direction when the position of said undercarrier is thus being aligned relative to the position of said other undercarrier.