Patent Grant
7055193
The present invention relates to guard assemblies for beds, used to prevent an occupant of the bed from falling off the bed.
Bed guard assemblies, such as side rails, are well known. These assemblies are useful in several applications. For example, small children making the transition from sleeping in an enclosed crib to sleeping on an open bed often need a barrier to prevent a fall onto the floor while sleeping. Use of such barriers on the top bunk of a set of bunk beds also prevents a child from inadvertently falling during the night. Often, bed-ridden adults, such as hospital patients, require such a barrier also. Beds on moving platforms, such as trains and ships, often use such restraints, as do beds on submarines and in other environments in which tight quarters require a narrow sleeping space. Conventionally, these rails are placed on the sides of the bed only, but can also be placed at the head and foot of the bed, if the frame and headboard do not provide a sufficient barrier.
Conventional bed guard assemblies provide the obstruction needed for any of these applications, but usually have one or more disadvantages. For example, many systems can be large and bulky, making assembly and disassembly difficult, and storage impractical. These systems are usually disposed under the mattress or attached directly to the bed using means that are similarly complicated and unwieldy. Simpler systems have been devised, but these tend not to be as sturdy or durable. Others provide hard, heavy impediments that could actually hurt a child when bumped, and over time might also damage the bed. What is needed is a secure bed guard that is easy to attach to and detach from the bed, that is compact for storage, and that provides a safe barrier for a child.
The present invention is a bed guard apparatus that attaches to a bed and provides a secure barrier against falling out of the bed. The apparatus includes panels that act as the barriers, and which are connected together, for example, below the mattress and/or at common ends. The panels can be oriented so as to face each other across the mattress space, or can provide a barrier at an end of the bed in addition to at either side or both sides of the bed. The connection system is adjustable to adapt to any size bed, and provides for quick and easy implementation. When not in use, the apparatus is compact and easy to store.
Thus, according to an aspect of the present invention, a bed guard assembly includes one or more side panels, an end panel coupled to the one or more side panels, and stabilizers for placement beneath a mattress, coupled to the one or more side panels. Each side panel includes a rigid outer side frame and fabric material attached to the rigid outer side frame. The end panel includes a rigid outer end frame and fabric material attached to the rigid outer end frame. Each side panel and/or the end panel can also include a substantially horizontal rigid member spanning an interior of the outer side frame.
The rigid outer frame of the side panel(s) and/or end panel can include substantially parallel opposing top and bottom members connected to substantially parallel opposing side members. The substantially horizontal rigid member can be coupled to the substantially parallel opposing side members. The substantially parallel opposing top and bottom members and the substantially horizontal rigid member can each include a pair of removably connected rigid tubes. Each pair of removably connected rigid tubes can be slidably coupled together.
The assembly can also include fasteners that fix a relative position of the respective pairs of removably connected rigid tubes in order to fix a length of the substantially parallel opposing top and bottom members and of the substantially horizontal rigid member. For example, the fasteners can include first fastener portions coupled to first tubes of each pair of removably connected rigid tubes, and second fastener portions coupled to second tubes of each pair of removably connected rigid tubes, which mate with corresponding first fastener portions to fix a relative position of the respective pairs of removably connected rigid tubes.
Alternatively, the fasteners can be coupled to first tubes of each pair of removably connected rigid tubes, and second tubes of each pair of removably connected rigid tubes can include apertures that communicate with the fasteners to fix a position of the first tubes of each pair of removably connected rigid tubes with respect to the second tubes of each pair of removably connected rigid tubes. In the latter example, each fastener can include a spring portion and a button. The spring portion can provide a bias that pushes the button through a respective aperture in the second tube of the pair of removably connected rigid tubes to fix a length of the pair of removably connected rigid tubes. For example, the fastener can be a Valco®-type snap button.
Preferably, the length of the substantially parallel opposing top and bottom members and of the optional substantially horizontal rigid member of the side panel(s) is adjustable in a range of 30 inches to 48 inches. Likewise, the length of the substantially parallel opposing top and bottom members and of the optional substantially horizontal rigid member of the end panel is preferably adjustable in a range of 30 inches to 56 inches.
An embodiment of the bed guard assembly can include a single side panel. In this case, the stabilizers can include at least one rigid side extension that extends from a bottom end of the side panel at a substantially right angle to a plane defined by the rigid outer side frame. This embodiment can also include at least one rigid end extension that extends from a bottom end of the end panel at a substantially right angle to a plane defined by the rigid outer end frame.
According to another embodiment having a single side panel, the stabilizers can include at least one base element, and flexible connecting material attached to the base element such that the side panel opposes the base element when the flexible connecting material is disposed beneath a mattress. The stabilizers can also include a mechanism for decreasing the length of flexible connecting material disposed between the base element and the side panel, to reduce slack in the flexible connecting material such that the base element is pulled taut against a side of the mattress opposing the side panel. For example, the mechanism can be a buckle. This embodiment can also include at least one rigid end extension that extends from a bottom end of the end panel at a substantially right angle to a plane defined by the rigid outer end frame.
According to another embodiment having a single side panel, the bed guard assembly can also include an upright post that couples the end panel to the side panel. The upright post can provide a hinged connection between the end panel and the side panel. For example, the end panel and the side panel can be oriented at a substantially right angle when the hinged connection is in an open position. This embodiment can also include a number of spacers. Each spacer can be attached to the upright post and to either the end panel or the side panel so as to maintain a fixed distance between the upright post and the panel to which it is attached. The spacers provide clearance such that the end panel and the side panel can be oriented in substantially parallel planes when the hinged connection is in a closed position.
Another embodiment of the bed guard assembly can include a first side panel and a second side panel. For example, a first side of the first side panel can be coupled to a first side of the end panel and a first side of the second side panel can be coupled to a second side of the end panel. According to this embodiment, the stabilizers can include at least one first rigid side extension that extends from a bottom end of the first side panel at a substantially right angle to a plane defined by the first rigid outer side frame, and at least one second rigid side extension that extends from a bottom end of the second side panel at a substantially right angle to a plane defined by the second rigid outer side frame. Each first rigid side extension can be connected to a respective second rigid side extension, so that the side frames are stable and connected. This embodiment can also include at least one rigid end extension that extends from a bottom end of the end panel at a substantially right angle to a plane defined by the rigid outer end frame.
This embodiment can also include a first upright post that couples the end panel to the first side panel, and a second upright post that couples the end panel to the second side panel. The first and second upright posts can provide hinged connections between the end panel and the respective side panels. For example, the end panel can be oriented at a substantially right angle with the first side panel and/or the second side panel when the corresponding hinged connection is in an open position. The bed guard assembly can also include a number of spacers. Each spacer can be attached to either the first upright post or the second upright post and to either the end panel, the first side panels, or the second side panel so as to maintain a first fixed distance between the respective upright post and the end panel, a second fixed distance between the first upright post and the first side panel, and a third fixed distance between the second upright post and the second side panel. The end panel and the first and second side panels can be oriented in substantially parallel planes when the hinged connections are in a closed position. To facilitate folding the assembly in this manner, either the second fixed distance or the third fixed distance can be greater than the other.
According to this embodiment, the bed guard assembly can also include a third upright post coupled to a second side of the first end panel, and a fourth upright post coupled to a second side of the second end panel. In this case, the stabilizers can be coupled to the first and second side panels by direct connection to the third and fourth upright posts. For example, the stabilizers can include a first flexible connection piece connected to the third upright post, and a second flexible connection piece connected to the fourth upright post. The bed guard assembly of this embodiment can also include at least one coupler attached to an end of the first flexible connection piece and/or the second flexible connection piece. For example, the coupler can be a buckle.
The third and fourth upright posts can include respective first and second footings extending from the bottoms of the third and fourth upright posts at substantially right angles to the third and fourth upright posts, and the stabilizers can be connected to the first and second footings. The third and fourth upright posts can have hinged connections to the first and second side panels, respectively. For example, each footing can be oriented at a substantially right angle with the respective coupled side panel when the corresponding hinged connection is in an open position. Likewise, each footing can be oriented in a substantially parallel plane with the respective coupled side panel when the corresponding hinged connection is in a closed position.
a is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment featuring two side panels and an end panel.
b is an illustration of the exemplary embodiment of
The flexible connecting material 6 can include strips of webbing 12. As shown in
As shown, the exemplary side panels 4 include a rigid outer frame 14. This frame 14 can be made of any rigid, durable material. For example, the frame 14 can be constructed of hard plastic or PVC, or of metal, such as steel or aluminum. As shown in
The rigid outer frame 14 can be constructed as a unitary piece, or from a number of components, such as a top member 16, two side members 18, and two corner members 20 attaching respective side members 18 to opposite ends of the top member 16, as shown in
As shown in
With reference to
In a particular preferred embodiment, fasteners 11 are coupled to the insides of the side members 18. The side members 18 can include holes 13 through which the fasteners 11 can mate with holes 13 in the end portions 9 of the horizontal member 3. If the end portions 9 of the horizontal member 3 include a number of holes 13, as shown, the height of the horizontal member 3 can be chosen by selecting the mating holes 13 accordingly. A fastener 11 that can be used advantageously with this embodiment includes a spring portion 15 and a button 17, as shown in
The embodiment shown in
An exemplary side panel of the present invention is shown in
The fabric portion 38 can also include a border 48, which also can be made of nylon, around its outer periphery, and the stabilizing straps 46 can be attached to the netting 40 and to the nylon border 48, for example, at top and bottom ends of the fabric portion 38 as shown. Alternatively, the stabilizing straps 46 can be attached to the netting 40 and to top and bottom portions 22, 24 of the rigid outer frame 14 itself. The nylon border 48 can include a sleeve that accepts components of the rigid outer frame 14. For example, given the tubular construction of the frame 14 shown in
Another way that the fabric portion 38 can be removably attached to the rigid outer frame 14 is by fitting the fabric portion 38 over the rigid outer frame 14. In this case, the fabric portion 38 can be made from a stretch material that provides a tension fit with the rigid outer frame 14. Alternatively, the fabric portion 38 can be attached to the frame 14 through the use of fasteners, which attach to the frame 14 itself, or which attach to other fasteners on the fabric portion 38 after, for example, wrapping the frame 14. These fasteners can be, for example, snaps, or hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro®.
The connection pieces 10 preferably are rigid structures, constructed to form a substantially right angle 54 with the respective connected end panel The connection pieces 10 can be fixed to the side panels 4 and to the connecting material 6, or they can be removably attached. For example, the connection pieces 10 can be attached to the side panels 4 by a connection mechanism that provides the removable attachment. Alternatively, the connection pieces 10 can be simple articles, such as a rigid footing 50 attached to the connecting material 6.
Alternatively, the connection pieces 10 can be an angled joint 52 connected between the connecting material 6 and the side panels 4, preferably removably attached. The angled joint 52 can be adjustable, and can have a number of fixed stops. For example, the adjustable angled joint 52 can have a stop fixed at a substantially right angle 54, and other stops to fix the relative position at other useful angles. The range of adjustability of the angled joint 52 preferably allows the end that is attached to the connecting material 6 to be folded against the side panel, providing a low profile for storage.
The connection pieces 10 can also include an adjustment mechanism, such as a mechanism for decreasing the length of connecting material 6 disposed between the end panels 4, or for reducing an amount of slack of connecting material 6 disposed between the side panels 4 when the side panels 4 are disposed in fixed positions or when the connecting material 6 is disposed beneath the mattress 8 and the side panels 4 are placed against opposite sides of the mattress 8. For example, the mechanism 56 can be a buckle 58 or similar device that is well known to those of skill in the art. An example of such a buckle 58 is shown in
Alternatively, a more complicated mechanism can be utilized, such as the one shown in
The mechanism 56 includes a housing 70, including a shroud 72, shroud back 74, and back mounting plate 76, attached to the foot 60 and to the side panel. The shroud 72 houses a handle trigger 78 and trigger spring 80 for the trigger device 66, as well as a pair of housing triggers 82. The shroud back 74 provides a base for the strap tensioner 62 and elements of the ratchet device 64, such as the spindle 84, take up gear 86, and spindle pin 88. The shroud back 74 and back mounting plate 76 together house the shroud trigger 90 and trigger spring 92.
As an alternative, the connection pieces 10 can include a mounting plate 94 that is removably attached to one of the side panels 4, as shown in
a shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention. As shown, this embodiment includes two side panels 100, 102 and an end panel 104. Alternatively, a single side panel 100 can be configured with the end panel 104. The side panels 100, 102 coupled to the end panel 104 at first and second posts 106, 108, respectively. Preferably, these posts 106, 108 provide a hinged connection between the respective panels, so that in an open position and assembled for use with a bed, the side panels 100, 102 face each other across the mattress, and the end panel 104 is oriented at the end of the bed, substantially perpendicular to the side panels 100, 102.
Preferably, the panels 100, 102, 104 are connected to the posts 106, 108 by a number of spacers 110, 112, 114. These spacers 110, 112, 114 provide clearance such that when the assembly is removed from the bed, the panels 100, 102, 104 can be folded into a compact configuration. As shown in
The assembly can also include third and fourth posts 116,120, preferably connected to the side rails 100, 102 by spacers 118. These posts 116,120 can include footings 122 to add stability to the bed guard when assembled on a bed. The posts 116, 120 are hingedly connected to the side panels 100, 102, so that in an open position, the footings 122 are oriented perpendicular to the side panels 100, 102, and in a closed position, the footings 122 are oriented parallel to the side panels 100, 102 for compactness.
Preferably, flexible connecting material 124, such as straps made of fabric webbing material, is attached to the footings on either side. These can be connected, for example, by a buckle 126 or other mechanism, which can also be used to take up slack in the connecting material 124, to provide stability for the bed guard when it is assembled on a bed.
The side panels 100, 102 and/or end panel 104 can be constructed of attached horizontal and vertical segments. For example, the side panel 100 can be constructed from two vertical segments 128 attached to three horizontal segments 130, 132. The horizontal segments shown include top and bottom segments that, along with the vertical segments 128, define the side panel 100. The interior horizontal segment 132 is an optional rigid horizontal member that spans the interior of the side panel 100 and can be connected directly to the vertical segments 128 or can be attached to fabric 134 that also spans the interior of the side panel 100.
The horizontal segments preferably are adjustable in length, so as to accommodate different sizes of beds and different purposes, and also in order to achieve a compact size for storage. In the exemplary embodiment shown, each horizontal member is constructed of a pair of concentric tubes, one of which slides inside the other to adjust the length of the overall segment. Each tube can be fixed in place through the use of fasteners attached to the tubes. One tube can include the fastener for application to the other tube, or each tube can include a mating half of the fastener. For example, the fasteners can be coupled to one tube of each pair, and the other tube can include one or more holes that communicate with the fasteners to fix the length of the horizontal segment. An exemplary fastener includes a spring portion and a button, such as a Valco®-type snap button. The spring portion provides a bias that pushes the button through a hole in the second tube to fix it in place. Multiple holes allow adjustment of the length of the horizontal members over a desired range. It is contemplated that the length would preferably range from about 30 inches to about 48 inches.
Likewise, the end panel 104 can be constructed of vertical segments 136, top and bottom horizontal segments 138, and an intermediate horizontal segment 140. The horizontal segments 138, 140 are preferably adjustable in the same manner as corresponding segments of the side panels 100, 102. It is contemplated that the length would preferably range from about 30 inches to about 56 inches, in order to adapt to beds as large as queen sized. In its most compact form, the bed guard assembly would have cross-sectional dimensions of 30 inches by 6 inches, and can be placed in a suitable carrying case for portability.
Particular exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. These exemplary embodiments are illustrative of the inventive concept recited in the appended claims, and are not limiting of the scope or spirit of the present invention as contemplated by the inventors.
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/755,704, which was filed on Jan. 12, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,463, which in turn was a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/285,331, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,476, which was filed on Oct. 31, 2002, and which in turn was based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/411,307, which was filed on Sep. 17, 2002. This is also based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/647,185, which was filed on Jan. 25, 2005.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2649594 | Herz et al. | Aug 1953 | A |
| 2667647 | Reggiani | Feb 1954 | A |
| 2722693 | Wolf | Nov 1955 | A |
| 2751608 | Lucas | Jun 1956 | A |
| 3289223 | Oja et al. | Dec 1966 | A |
| 3290701 | Luff | Dec 1966 | A |
| 3474473 | Hannaberg | Oct 1969 | A |
| 4178645 | Cosme | Dec 1979 | A |
| 4833743 | Howell et al. | May 1989 | A |
| 5038430 | Bly | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5437067 | Bernstein et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5463784 | Alpern | Nov 1995 | A |
| 5519905 | Bernstein et al. | May 1996 | A |
| 5577277 | Sundberg et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5596776 | Huang | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5640726 | Fichner-Rathus | Jun 1997 | A |
| 6134731 | Thom et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6453490 | Cardinale | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6725476 | Macari | Apr 2004 | B1 |
| 6728981 | Gutierrez | May 2004 | B1 |
| 6952847 | Cleary | Oct 2005 | B1 |
| 6959463 | Macari | Nov 2005 | B1 |
| 20040168251 | Waldman et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2070921 | Sep 1981 | GB |
| 2225716 | Jun 1990 | GB |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050246837 A1 | Nov 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60647185 | Jan 2005 | US | |
| 60411307 | Sep 2002 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10755704 | Jan 2004 | US |
| Child | 11078197 | US | |
| Parent | 10285331 | Oct 2002 | US |
| Child | 10755704 | US |
