Bed siderail apparatus

Abstract

A patient support is provided having a frame, a mattress, and at least one siderail. The siderail includes a rail member and a coupler configured to permit raising and lower of the rail member between a lowered egress position and a raised blocking position.

1 . A patient support comprising 
 a frame,    a mattress supported by the frame, and    a siderail supported by the frame, the siderail includes a rail member and a linkage assembly configured to permit movement of the rail member between a raised position blocking egress of a patient positioned on the mattress and a lowered position, the linkage assembly including a first stationary cam member, a first rotary cam member positioned to contact the first stationary cam member to move the rail member along a longitudinal axis in a first direction when the rail member is moved to the lowered position, a second stationary cam member, and a second rotary cam member positioned to contact the second stationary cam member to move the rail member along the longitudinal axis in a second direction opposite the first direction when the rail member is moved to the raised position.    
     
     
         2 . A patient support comprising 
 a frame,    a mattress supported by the frame, and    a siderail supported by the frame, the siderail includes a rail member and a coupler configured to couple the rail member to the frame and permit movement of the rail member between a raised position blocking egress of a patient positioned on the mattress and a lowered position, the coupler including a cam assembly configured to move the rail member in a first direction during movement of the rail member.    
     
     
         3 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the cam assembly includes a first cam set having first and second cam members configured to contact one another to move the rail member in the first direction.  
     
     
         4 . The patient support of  claim 3 , wherein the first cam member is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the second cam member.  
     
     
         5 . The patient support of  claim 4 , wherein the axis of rotation is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the rail member.  
     
     
         6 . The patient support of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second cam members have a cam surface and at least one of the cam surfaces cooperates with the axis of rotation to define an angle of forty-five degrees.  
     
     
         7 . The patient support of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second cam members is configured to slide along the axis of rotation during rotation of the first cam member.  
     
     
         8 . The patent support of  claim 3 , wherein the coupler further includes a link coupled to the rail member and the first cam member.  
     
     
         9 . The patient support of  claim 7 , wherein the link is pivotably coupled to the rail member.  
     
     
         10 . The patient support of  claim 7 , wherein the first cam member is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the second cam member.  
     
     
         11 . The patient support of  claim 10 , wherein the first cam member is configured to move along the axis of rotation during rotation of the first cam member relative to the second cam member.  
     
     
         12 . The patient support of  claim 3 , wherein the cam assembly further includes another cam set having third and fourth cam members configured to contact one another to move the rail member.  
     
     
         13 . The patient support of  claim 12 , wherein the coupler further includes a first link coupled to the first cam member and the rail member and a second link coupled to the third cam member and the second link.  
     
     
         14 . The patient support of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second links are pivotably coupled to the rail member.  
     
     
         15 . The patient support of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second cam members have complementary angled cam surfaces.  
     
     
         16 . The patient support of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second cam member have congruently angled cam surfaces.  
     
     
         17 . The patient support of  claim 3 , wherein one of the cam member is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the other cam member.  
     
     
         18 . The patient support of  claim 3 , wherein the first cam member is configured to slide relative to the second cam member.  
     
     
         19 . The patient support of  claim 3 , wherein the first cam set further includes a third cam member configured to contact the first cam member to move the rail member in a second direction opposite the first direction.  
     
     
         20 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the rail member has a longitudinal axis and the cam assembly is configured to move the rail member in a first longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         21 . The patient support of  claim 20 , wherein the cam assembly is configured to move the rail member in the first direction during lowering of the rail member.  
     
     
         22 . The patient support of  claim 21 , wherein the cam assembly is configured to move the rail member in a second direction opposite the first direction during raising of the rail member.  
     
     
         23 . The patient support of  claim 20 , wherein the cam assembly is configured to move the rail member in the first direction during raising of the rail member.