Hospital bed side protector

Abstract

The invention provides a means for permitting hospital patients, including agitated hospital patients, to be left without physical restraints other than the general confines of the hospital bed itself. A two-piece fabric enclosure system covers the rails with a protective material capable of protecting the patient from injuring themselves on side rails but because of the unique construction of the enclosure system, the hospital staff is not hampered in the conduct of their normal duties.

1 . A flat fabric enclosure system for a hospital bed having side rails and a mattress comprising a first flat fabric component and a second flat fabric component, each of said components comprising, in contiguous sequence, an under-the-mattress rectangular section ( 43  and  44  respectively), a rectangular inner rail-side-covering section ( 42  and  45  respectively), a rectangular top rail covering section ( 41  and  46  respectively), and a rectangular outer rail-side-covering ( 40  and  47  respectively), each of said sections of said components being longitudinally oriented relative to each other, each of said under-the-mattress rectangular sections, rectangular top rail covering sections, and rectangular outer rail-side-covering sections having a length corresponding generally to the overall length of the side rails of said hospital bed, each of said side rail-covering sections  40 ,  42 ,  47 , and  45 , having a width corresponding generally to the height of the side rails, and each of said rectangular top rail-covering sections corresponding generally to the width of said side rails, said rectangular inner rail-side-covering sections having a length generally corresponding to the overall length of the side rails of said hospital bed plus an extension ( 42   a ,  42   b ,  45   a , and  45   b ) beyond each end of each contiguous section corresponding generally to the width of said side rails, and the combined width of the under-the-mattress rectangular sections equal to at least the overall width of the mattress of said hospital bed, the respective ends of each rectangular inner rail side-covering section and outer rail side-covering section provided with easily separable fastening means for fastening said rail-covering sections to each other when in use, and each under-the-mattress rectangular section having easily separable fastening means affixed to the free longitudinal side thereof for fastening said first and second components to each other under a hospital bed mattress during normal use.  
   
   
       2 . A flat fabric enclosure system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said easily separable fastening means is a fastener of the hook-and-loop type.