US3129438A

US3129438A - Adjustable mattress and bed pan for use therewith

Info

Publication number: US3129438A
Application number: US148326A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hall Rex Credell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-10-30
Filing date: 1961-10-30
Publication date: 1964-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-04-21

Description

3,129,438 ADJUSTABLE MATTRESS AND BED PAN FOR USE THERE-WITH Filed Oct. 30. 1961 R. C. HALL April 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rex Cr eae// HGV/ ATTORNEY R. C. HALL April 21, 1964 ADJUSTABLE MATTRESS AND BED PAN FOR USE THEREWITH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed QCt. $0. 1961 Rex Crede// Ha INVENTOR.

Arr A E V United States Patent 3,129,438 ADJUSTABLE MATTRESS AND BED PAN FOR USE THEREWITH Rex Credeii Hall, 1922 West Ave. J, San Angelo, Tex. Filed Oct. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 148,326 3 Claims. (Cl. -90) This invention relates to an adjustable mattress and bed pan for use therewith and more particularly to a mattress and bed pan arrangement for use in hospitals and elsewhere under circumstances in which it is necessary to maintain a patient in a substantially immobile condition.

The invention finds particular application in connection with the care and attending to patients who are required to remain in bed and especially under conditions which make it necessary for such patients to make use of a bed pan.

Heretofore in the care of bed patients under conditions requiring the use of bed pans, it has been necessary that such a patient assume an awkward and frequently uncomfortable position because of the lack of any provision for properly positioning the bed pan at a convenient level for use. At times it is ditficult or even dangerous to elevate such patients or to substantially change the patients position for the purpose of placing a bed pan in proper position for the patients use, and under conditions in which the patient may be moved sufliciently to enable the bed pan to be placed beneath the patient, the patient must often assume an awkward and undesirable position resulting in great discomfort with attendant danger of displacement of the pan or soiling of the bed.

Various devices have been proposed heretofore for facilitating the positioning of bed pans beneath the patient to avoid moving the patient or causing discomfort, such as the provision of mattresses with openings therethrough located to receive the bed pan or having removable portions for accomplishing this purpose, but such expedients have not proven satisfactory, due to the necessity of disturbing the patient or substantially shifting the patients position and also because of the difficulty of inserting and removing the pan where such means is employed.

The present invention has for an important object the provision of a mattress having portions which may be easily adjusted without substantially moving a patient occupying the mattress to facilitate the positioning of a bed pan beneath the patient in a location for convenient use Without discomfort to the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mattress which is longitudinally divided, centrally throughout a portion of its length to form sections which may be spread apart laterally to provide for the insertion of a bed pan between the sections beneath a patient.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a bed pan which is shaped for insertion between the sections of the mattress of the invention to hold the sections in open position and to be supported on the bed springs in a position for comfortable use by the patient.

The above and other important objects and advan tages of the invention may best be understood from the following detailed description, constituting a specification of the same when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a mattress constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the same in closed condition;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1, illustrating the mattress in closed condition and showing a mattress cover enclosing the same;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view on an enlarged scale illustrating a portion of the mattress of the invention, and showing details of the structure of the cover or sheet thereon;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1, showing the mattress of the invention in open condition with the bed pan inserted therein;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the bed pan of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view on a slightly reduced scale of the bed pan illustrated in FIGURE 5.

Referring now 'to the drawings in greater detail, the mattress and bed pan of the invention are adapted for use in connection with a bed of conventional construction such as a hospital bed having bed springs of the general type, such as those shown at S in FIGURE 4. Beds of this type are provided with matresses which are usually of one piece, generally rectangular or box-like construction, to conform substantially with the frame of the bed springs. When a bed furnished with a mattress of this type is occupied by a patient for whom a bed pan must be provided, there is no way in which such a pan can be positioned beneath the patient without moving the patient, and the patient must assume an awkward and uncomfortable position using such a pan.

The mattress of the invention generally designated 16 is preferably of the box type having the usual over-all generally rectangular shape and which is centrally, longitudinally divided for a portion of its length to provide a main body portion 17 and smaller portions or

sections

18 and 20 attached to the main portion 17, and which may be positioned parallel as shown in FIGURE 1 when in ordinary use, or moved apart angularly as seen in FIGURE 4, to provide an opening of substantially V shape between the

portions

18 and 26 to permit the convenient insertion and removal of a bed pan between the sections.

The mattress of the invention will usually be provided with a fitted sheet, such as the sheet 22, illustrated in FIGURE 2, which is shaped to be fitted over, down and to extend beneath the mattress, including the

movable portions

18 and 20 and which is provided with buttonhole like

openings

24 and 26, shown in FIGURE 2, through which tabs or straps 28 and 36 attached to the free ends of the

portions

18 and 20 respectively, may be extended, when the sheet is placed on the mattress. The tabs or

straps

28 and 30 are provided with a snap fastening, such as that indicated at 32, 34, by which the tabs may be releasably fastened together to hold the

portions

18 and 20 of the mattress against separation.

The sheet 22 may be provided with a reinforcing flap 38 at the location where the portions of the sheet which cover the

portions

18 and 20 of the mattress are joined together, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, to prevent tearing of the sheet, and the sheet may also be fitted with elastic, or the like, not shown about its marginal portions, to cause the same to closely fit the mattress when applied thereto.

The mattress, constructed as described above, will in normal use be placed on the bed springs with the

portions

18 and 20 in closed position, as illustrated in FIG- URE 1. The sheet 22 may then be fitted on the mattress and the

tabs

28 and 30 extended through the

buttonhole openings

24 and 26 respectively, the tabs being then fastened together by the

snap fastener elements

32 and 34 to hold the mattress in closed condition. When it is desired to place a bed pan in convenient position for use by the patient, the snap fastener may be released and the

portions

18 and 20 of the mattress spread apart, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, to permit the positioning of the bed pan on the bed springs between the

sections

18 and 20.

The bed pan of the invention is particularly designed for convenient use with the above described mattress structure, the bed pan being generally indicated in FIG- URES 4, 5 and 6 by the numeral 40, and being of generally triangular pan shape, having a triangular bottom 42 with upwardly extending

side walls

44, 46 and 48 which are connected together at the corners of the pan by outwardly rounded surfaces. The bed pan is formed with an outturned peripheral flange 48 about the top of the pan, which flange is formed with widened portions 50 along the

side

44 and 46, positioned to extend over the upper surfaces of the

mattress portions

18 and 20 in engagement therewith, when the bed pan is in position in the mattress, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, with the

walls

44 and 46 in engagement with the inner faces of the

portions

18 and 20, to hold these portions in their spread apart positions.

It will be apparent that due to the generally triangular shape of the bed pan, and the outwardly widened portions 50 of the rim or flange 4-8 of the pan, the pan is easily inserted between the

portions

18 and 20 when the same are moved apart and the widened rim portions 50,

50 form surfaces engageable with the body of the patient to maintain the pan in position, and to hold the same in tight engagement with the mattress. By thus construct ing the bed pan and mattress with the walls 4-4, 46 and 48 of the bed pan of substantially the same height as the thickness of the mattress, it will be apparent that the bed pan will be closely fitted to the mattress and will serve to hold the mattress against bulging, buckling or distortion when the bed pan is in use, thus greatly adding to the patients comfort. Moreover, by the use of the mattress and bed pan combination of the invention, it is unnecessary to lift the patient in placing the bed pan in position, and due to the fact that the bed pan is of substantially the same height as the thickness of the mattress, the patient will be held in a comfortable position during use of the pan.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides an adjustable mattress and bed pan combination for use in hospital beds which is of simple and economical construction, by the use of which the care of patients is greatly facilitated.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with certain specific structural features and arrangement of the parts, but it will be understood that these are intended by way of illustration only and that various modifications can be made in the construction of the pan and mattress within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination a mattress of generally rectangular shape formed with two laterally adjacent, longitudinally extending sections whose adjacent sides are connected together at one end to permit the sections to be moved horizontally to position the sections with the adjacent sides of the sections in angularly spaced relation andsa bed pan having side portions of substantially the same height as the thickness of the mattress which converge toward the forward end of the pan adapted to be positioned between the sections with said forward end directed toward said one end of said sides in position for engagement with said sides to hold the sections apart, said pan also having a continuous external rim at the top of the pan formed with portions which are laterally widened toward said forward end in position to extend over the upper surfaces of the sections.

2. In combination a mattress of generally rectangular shape formed with two laterally adjacent, longitudinally extending sections whose adjacent sides are connected together at one end to permit the sections to be moved hori zontally to position the sections with the adjacent sides of the sections in angularly spaced relation and a bed pan having side portions of substantially the same height as the thickness of the mattress which converge toward the forward end of the pan adapted to be positioned between the sections with said forward end directed toward said one end of said sides in position for engagement with said sides to hold the sections apart, said pan also having external rim portions along the top edges of said side portions whose width increases longitudinally of said side portions toward said forward end.

3. In combination a mattress of generally rectangular shape formed with two laterally adjacent, longitudinally extending sections Whose adjacent sides are connected together at one end to permit the sections to be moved horizontally to position the sections with the adjacent sides of the sections in angularly spaced relation and a bed pan having side portions of substantially the same height as the thickness of the mattress which converge toward the forward end of the pan adapted to be positioned between the sections with said forward end directed toward said one end of said sides in position for engagement with said sides to hold the sections apart, said pan also having a continuous external, peripheral rim about its top and formed with portions whose width increases longitudinally toward said forward end along said side portions positioned for engagement with the upper surfaces of the sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 307,717 Gunold Nov. 4, 1884 759,882 Hall et al. May 17, 1904. 938,968 Caldwell Nov. 2, 1909 1,700,535 Kaufmann Jan. 29, 1929 2,577,595 Tobias Dec. 4, 1951 2,644,957 Schudde July 14, 1953 2,879,523 Klassen et al. Mar. 31, 1959 2,932,830 Lund Apr. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 186,225 Germany June 12, 1907

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION A MATTRESS OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE FORMED WITH TWO LATERALLY ADJACENT, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SECTIONS WHOSE ADJACENT SIDES ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER AT ONE END TO PERMIT THE SECTIONS TO BE MOVED HORIZONTALLY TO POSITION THE SECTIONS WITH THE ADJACENT SIDES OF THE SECTIONS IN ANGULARLY SPACED RELATION AND A BED PAN HAVING SIDE PORTIONS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HEIGHT AS THE THICKNESS OF THE MATTRESS WHICH CONVERGE TOWARD THE FORWARD END OF THE PAN ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED BETWEEN THE SECTIONS WITH SAID FORWARD END DIRECTED TOWARD SAID ONE END OF SAID SIDES IN POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SIDES TO HOLD THE SECTIONS APART, SAID PAN ALSO HAVING A CONTINUOUS EXTERNAL RIM AT THE TOP OF THE PAN FORMED WITH PORTIONS WHICH ARE LATERALLY WIDENED TOWARD SAID FORWARD END IN POSITION TO EXTEND OVER THE UPPER SURFACES OF THE SECTIONS.