Siderail assemblies and person-support apparatuses for adjustable width surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12575985-B2
Application number	US-202418667423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2024
Priority date	May 23, 2023
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed include a person-support apparatus, which includes a mattress, a person-support apparatus frame, and a siderail. The siderail assembly may be pivotally coupled to the person-support apparatus frame. The siderail assembly includes a siderail, a drop surface, and a siderail adjustment mechanism. The drop surface is configured to be raised and lowered relative to a deck section of a person-support apparatus so as to widen or narrow the width of the deck section. The siderail adjustment mechanism has a rail end and a frame end. The drop surface is removably attached to the siderail. The rail end of the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotally coupled to the siderail. The frame end of the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotable relative to the person-support apparatus frame such that pivoting the siderail adjustment mechanism moves the siderail assembly between a raised position and a lowered position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A siderail assembly, comprising:
a siderail; a drop surface configured to be raised or lowered relative to a support deck of a person-support apparatus supporting a mattress thereon, the drop surface shaped, sized, and located to correspond with a notch defined along a length of the mattress, the notch having a bottom and a width, the bottom being narrower than the width; a siderail adjustment mechanism having a rail end and a frame end; and wherein:
the drop surface is removably attached to the siderail;
the rail end of the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotally coupled to the siderail;
the frame end of the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotable relative to a person-support apparatus frame such that pivoting the siderail adjustment mechanism moves the siderail assembly between a raised position and a lowered position; and
when the siderail assembly is in the raised position, the drop surface fits within the notch to fill an empty space of the notch that is present when the siderail assembly is in the lowered position.

2 . The siderail assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the drop surface operably engages a mattress of the person-support apparatus, when the siderail assembly is in the raised position; and the drop surface is operatively disengaged from the mattress, when the siderail assembly is in the lowered position, or is operatively disengaged from the siderail and is operatively engaged with the mattress when the siderail assembly is in the lowered position.

3 . The siderail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the siderail assembly further comprises an attachment, wherein the drop surface is removably coupled to the siderail via the attachment.

4 . The siderail assembly of claim 1 , the siderail assembly further comprising a drop-surface support frame comprising a vertical plane and a horizontal plane, wherein the vertical plane is coupled to the siderail, wherein the drop surface is removably attached to the horizontal plane of the drop-surface support frame such that the horizontal plane supports the drop surface.

5 . The siderail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drop surface is further configured to be stowed beneath the person-support apparatus.

6 . A person-support apparatus, comprising:
a mattress defining a notch along a length of the mattress, wherein the notch comprises a bottom and a width, the bottom is narrower than the width; a person-support apparatus frame supporting the mattress thereon; and a siderail assembly pivotally coupled to the person-support apparatus frame, the siderail assembly comprising:
a siderail;
a drop surface configured to be raised and lowered relative to a support deck of the person-support apparatus so as to widen or narrow a width of the support deck;
a siderail adjustment mechanism having a rail end and a frame end; and
wherein:
the drop surface is removably attached to the siderail;
the rail end of the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotally coupled to the siderail;
the frame end of the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotable relative to the person-support apparatus frame such that pivoting the siderail adjustment mechanism moves the siderail assembly between a raised position and a lowered position; and
when the siderail assembly is in the raised position, the drop surface fits within the notch to fill an empty space of the notch that is present when the siderail assembly is in the lowered position.

7 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the frame end of the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotally coupled to the person-support apparatus frame through a pivot joint attached to the person-support apparatus frame, wherein the pivot joint is slidably attached to a siderail track along a length direction of the person-support apparatus.

8 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the person-support apparatus frame further comprises a first locking mechanism and a second locking mechanism, wherein the siderail is secured by the first locking mechanism in the lowered position, and the siderail is secured by the second locking mechanism in the raised position.

9 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the siderail assembly further comprises an attachment, wherein the drop surface is removably coupled to the siderail via the attachment.

10 . The person-support apparatus of claim 9 , the siderail assembly further comprising a drop-surface support frame comprising a vertical plane and a horizontal plane, wherein:
the attachment is coupled to the vertical plane; and the drop surface is removably attached to the horizontal plane of the drop surface such that the horizontal plane supports the drop surface.

11 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the notch is a closed notch when the siderail assembly is in the raised position or the drop surface is removably coupled to the mattress.

12 . The person-support apparatus of claim 11 , the person-support apparatus further comprising a bracket and a drop-surface support frame, wherein:
the bracket and the drop-surface support frame connects the drop surface to the mattress; and the bracket attaches to a portion of the person-support apparatus frame underneath the mattress.

13 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the notch of the mattress is a V notch, a U notch, a trapezoidal notch, or a compound notch.

14 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , the person-support apparatus further comprises a rail at the bottom of the notch, wherein the rail is in an operable status when the siderail assembly is in the lowered position.

15 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , the person-support apparatus further comprising a support deck on the person-support apparatus frame and a support plate removably engaged between the mattress and the support deck, wherein:
the support deck is supported by the person-support apparatus frame; and the support plate comprises a plurality of handles such that the support plate with the mattress thereon is operable to be lifted and removed from the person-support apparatus.

16 . The person-support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the drop surface is further configured to be stowed beneath the person-support apparatus.

17 . A person-support apparatus comprising:
a frame; a deck supported by the frame and configured to support a person lying on a mattress on the deck, the mattress defining a notch along a length of the mattress, wherein the notch comprises a bottom and a width, the bottom is narrower than the width; a siderail positioned at the side of the deck; a siderail adjustment mechanism configured to move the siderail upwardly and downwardly relative to the deck; and wherein:
the deck comprises a drop section adjacent the siderail and configured to be raised or lowered relative to remainder of the deck, so as to widen or narrow a width of the deck, such that the remainder of the deck is configured to support the person and the drop section to no longer support the person; and
when the siderail assembly is in the raised position, the drop section fits within the notch to fill an empty space of the notch that is present when the siderail assembly is in the lowered position.

18 . The person-support apparatus of claim 17 , wherein:
the drop section is further configured to be stowed beneath the person-support apparatus; and the siderail adjustment mechanism is pivotally coupled to the frame through a pivot joint attached to the frame.

19 . The person

Assignees

• Hill Rom Services Inc

Inventors

• O′Neal Todd
• Pelo Travis A
• Zerhusen Robert Mark
• Mann Nicholas
• Wiggermann Neal
• Newkirk David C
• Sing Jack B

Classifications

• A61G7/0519

  stowable, e.g. underneath mattress · CPC title

• A61G7/0524

  characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights · CPC title

• A61G7/015

  divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position · CPC title

• A61G7/0514

  mounted to individual mattress supporting frame sections · CPC title

• A61G7/0509

  sliding or pivoting downwards · CPC title