WO2014057313A1

WO2014057313A1 - A bed

Info

Publication number: WO2014057313A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/055539
Authority: WO
Inventors: Preben Bo Fich
Original assignee: Ideassociates (Iom) Limited
Priority date: 2012-10-12
Filing date: 2012-10-12
Publication date: 2014-04-17

Abstract

A bed (1) comprising a base part (2), a patient support part (3) ar- ranged above the base part (2), and at least two telescopic elevator columns (7), each comprising an elongate outer tubular member (7a). The outer tubu- lar member (7a) having an open first end, and an elongate inner member (7c) arranged so as to perform a sliding movement through said open first end from a retracted position at least partially within said outer elongate tubular member (7a) to an extended position at least partially outside said outer elon- gate tubular member (7a). The elongate inner member (7c) is supported at a first end by the base part (2). The bed (1) further comprises at least two cross-beams (8) for supporting the patient support part (3). Both of said cross-beams (8) are arranged between the least two telescopic elevator col- umns (7).

Description

A bed

The present invention relates to a bed, in particular but not exclusively a bed for a person needing special care, such as a hospital bed, and more specifically to a bed comprising a base part, a patient support part arranged above the base part and at least two telescopic elevator columns.

Beds for people needing special care are subject to a large number of functional requirements. Apart from properly facilitating the care of the user, in the following referred to as the patient, the handling of the bed itself in a care environment such as a hospital or a retirement home, and the ergonomics of care personnel, such as nurses or doctors, must be considered.

The resting surface of the bed must allow for different configurations in order to position the patient in different positions, e.g. seated, lying down, elevated feet, etc. for sleep, rest and/or in-bed treatment. Also, it should be possible to lower or raise the resting surface, e.g. for allowing the patient to be able to get in or out of bed, or for providing good ergonomic working posi- tions for care personnel when treating or handling the patient. In getting in and out of bed it may, moreover, be helpful for the patient and assisting care personnel if the resting surface may be inclined sideways, i.e. lowered on one or the other side of the bed, e.g. for washing or treating the patient, or for changing the resting position of the patient to avoid bed sores or the like.

The bed must also be movable, e.g. allowing the patient to be transported therein, but also for the bed to be moved to a cleaning facility and/or a storing location when not in use. During storage, the bed should take up as little storage space as possible. The bed should be rugged so as not be damaged during such transportation and storage, where bumps and impacts are likely to occur. Also, the bed should be rugged enough to withstand aggressive cleaning agents, disinfectants, the high pressure and temperature of an autoclave etc. during cleaning.

FR-A-2780639 discloses a bed, in particular a hospital bed. The bed comprises a lower frame part fitted with wheels for mobility. An upper patient support part arranged above the lower frame part resting on two telescopic elevator columns, which, in turn, are mounted centrally below the upper patient support part on the movable lower frame part. This bed suffers from the drawback that the arrangement of the elevator columns does not allow the upper patient support part to be lowered very much, so that proper ergonomic working positions for the care personnel cannot always be achieved. The teaching in FR-A-2780639 generally relates to the telescopic elevator column and not much thought is given to the overall construction of the bed in terms of configurations of the resting surface, cleaning, storage etc, as recited above.

Likewise, DE-U-202006008307 discloses a telescopic elevator column, which may be used for a bed. The teaching relates to achieving a high maximum elevation for a limited height of the retracted telescopic elevator column, no thought is given to hospital beds or beds for special care.

US-A-7653953 discloses a therapeutic bed for paralyzed patients. The bed allows for turning the patient through a 180° for therapeutic purposes, but is not adapted for elevation. Also, being adapted for a specific purpose, the bed is not suitable for general use in a hospital or other care envi- ronments.

Based on this, it is the object of the invention to provide a new and improved bed overcoming the above drawbacks and adapted for the use in a hospital or care environment.

According to a first aspect of the invention this object is achieved by a bed comprising a base part, a patient support part arranged above the base part, at least two telescopic elevator columns, each comprising an elongate outer tubular member, said outer tubular member having an open first end, and an elongate inner member arranged so as to perform a sliding movement through said open first end from a retracted position at least partially within said outer elongate tubular member to an extended position at least partially outside said outer elongate tubular member, at least two cross-beams for supporting the patient support part, wherein said elongate inner member is supported at a first end by said base part, and both of said cross-beams are arranged between the at least two telescopic elevator columns. Furthermore this allows the segments of the telescopic to be made relatively long and have long mutual overlaps. This, in turn, further increases the lateral stability of the elevator columns as they can be made to comprise fewer segments for the same lifting height as compared to elevator columns of prior art beds.

Arranging the cross-beams between the telescopic elevator columns allows the patient support part to be lowered all the way to the base part, thereby e.g. allowing the patient to easily be able to get in or out of bed, avoiding fall accidents, or for providing good ergonomic working positions for care personnel when treating or handling the patient in situations where low elevations are needed. Moreover, arranging the cross-beams between the columns rather than above it increases the versatility of the bed, as it allows for an increased degree of freedom for the patient support part.

According to a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, each of said at least two cross-beams is connected to a respective one of said elongate outer tubular members at the open first end of said elongate outer tubular member. This further lowers the minimum elevation achievable for the patient support part.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the at least two crossbeams are pivotally connected to said respective one of said elongate outer tubular members. This provides a high degree of versatility, as the patient support part may be inclined in the lateral direction of the bed in order to e.g. allow patients to get in and out of bed more easily. As important, however, it allows the patient support part to be turned to a vertical position between the telescopic elevator columns, i.e. corresponding to the imaginary vertical plane in which the telescopic elevator columns generally extend. This position allows several beds to be placed closely together. This, in turn, saves space during storage, when beds are not in use, and allows more beds to be steril- ized simultaneously, e.g. in an autoclave, because they can be packed closer together than prior art beds.

According to another preferred embodiment, the sliding movement of said elongate inner member in each of said at least two telescopic elevator columns is effected by a respective electric lifting motor. Having separate lifting motors avoids the need for long transmissions which need to be protected from not only dust and dirt, but in particular from hot steam, corrosive clean- ing agents, detergents and other aggressive substances.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the electric lifting motors are located outside the respective outer elongate tubular members. This allows them to be located encapsulated in the base part, where they are well protected from not only dust and dirt, but in particular from hot steam, corro- sive cleaning agents, detergents and other aggressive substances.

According to yet a further embodiment, each of said respective electric lifting motors may be individually controlled. Having individually controlled lifting motors for each telescopic elevator column allows the patient support part to be inclined in the longitudinal direction of the bed, and thus adds an- other degree of freedom.

According to another preferred embodiment, the patient support part and the at least two cross-beams are adapted for mutually engaging releasable connections. Thus, the patient support part may be removed for separate cleaning, repair or replacement. Furthermore, it allows different patient sup- port parts to be used with one and the same base part.

According to a further preferred embodiment, at least one of said mutually engaging releasable connections is adapted to allow displacement of the patient support part with respect to at least one of the cross-beams. This allows the cross-beams to compensate for changes in the distance between the two cross-beams, depending on whether the cross-beams are at the same elevation or not.

Preferably, said at least two cross-beams comprise means for receiving a removable end board member. Having removable end board members facilitates the access to the patient, e.g. during normal treatment or in critical situations such as cardiac arrest.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the frame part comprises the cross-shaped end members. This provides good stability while still maintaining good access under the bed e.g. for cleaning of the floor.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the cross-shaped end members comprise hinged arms. This allows the wheels to be brought in close contact with the longitudinal beam, thus making the bed very narrow, when the patient support is in a vertical position. This, in turn, allows the bed to be moved through narrow passages and tight corners, e.g. into a normal home.

According to yet a further preferred embodiment, position configuring parts are provided on the patient support part. Such position configuring parts allows the bed to be configured for numerous resting and treatment positions for the benefit of the patient.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the cross-beam comprises electric actuator motors for adjusting the position configuring parts. By arranging the electric actuator motors in the cross-beam the patient sup- port part can be made entirely free of electrical and electronic components. This, in turn, allows the patient support part to be constructed in a rugged manner, and thus suitable for the relatively harsh environment of e.g. a hospital.

The present invention will now be described in greater detail based on non-limiting exemplary embodiments and with reference to the appended schematic drawings, on which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a bed according to a first embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a partially exploded view of the bed of Fig. 1 ,

Figs. 3a-3c shows the bed elevated to different heights,

Fig. 4a-4b shows the bed adjusted to various configurations for accommodating the patient,

Fig. 5a-5b shows different views of three beds ganged together in a storage position,

Fig. 6 shows an end view of the bed with the patient support part in a laterally inclined position, and

Fig. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the base part. In the following description, when used in relation to the bed, terms indicating direction or position, such as upper, lower, above, below, vertical and horizontal, etc. are to be understood as referring to a bed in a normal position of use, i.e. resting on a plane horizontal surface such as a floor.

Referring first to Fig. 1 , a perspective view of a first embodiment of a bed 1 according to the invention is shown. The bed 1 has an elongated base part 2 supported on wheels 6 and a patient support part 3 located above the base part 2 and generally serving to carry the weight of the patient in the bed 1 . The base part 2 comprises a longitudinal beam 5, preferably in the form of an elongated tube. The longitudinal beam 5 may be made of steel, extruded aluminium or any suitable material. The longitudinal beam 5 is terminated at either end by cross-shaped end members 4 forming opposite ends of the base part 2. The end members 4 are preferably made of pressure cast aluminium or reinforced plastic materials. At each of the two opposite ends of the base part 2 and perpendicular to the cross-shaped end members 4, i.e. vertically, a telescopic elevator column 7 is arranged. A support bracket 13 is attached to each of the telescopic elevator columns 7. Via a pivoting means 14 and two cross-beams 8, the support bracket 13 carries the patient support part 3. Though not shown, one or more springs, such as disc springs are in- terposed between the pivoting means 14 and the cross-beam 8 so as to protect resiliency and thereby protect the cross-beam 8 if the outer end should impact a wall, a door way or a similar obstacle. The telescopic elevator columns 7, the support brackets 13, the pivoting means 14, and the crossbeams 8, are preferably identical at either end of the bed 1 , so as to reduce the number of necessary different parts to be manufactured and stored in the production of the bed 1 . The cross-beams 8 are, preferably, adapted for receiving and holding removable end board members 9, e.g. by comprising suitable receptacles 8a, such as cylindrical or frusto-conical holes (visible in Fig. 7 only), at the outer ends adapted to receive a tubular, cylindrical, frusto- conical or otherwise suitably adapted frame part 9a of the board member 9. The bed 1 further comprises a number of cot sides 10, which may individually be raised from a storage position on or within the bed 1 . As can be seen, the cot sides 10 are smooth and rounded in order not to allow dirt to gather. In normal use, the bed 1 is, of course, fitted with a removable mattress 1 1 for patient comfort.

Though the patient support part 3 generally serves to support the weight of the patient, position configuring parts 12 are provided on the patient support part 3 between the patient support part 3 and the mattress 1 1 in order to allow different resting or treatment positions for the patient to be obtained as can be seen in Figs. 4a and 4b. The position configuring parts 12 may comprise low bent-up side parts 12a for preventing lateral motion of the mat- tress 1 1 .

Turning now to Fig. 2, a partially view exploded of the base part 2, the patient support part 3, the elevator columns 7, etc. is shown. The position configuring parts 12 and the mattress have been omitted in Fig. 2. The exploded view in the left-hand side of the figure is essentially identical to the non-exploded view in the right-hand side, and unless otherwise stated, the below description of parts based on the left-hand side can be assumed valid also for the right-hand side.

Starting with the telescopic elevator column 7 at exploded the left- hand side of Fig. 2, it can be seen that the telescopic elevator column 7 com- prises a number of tubes 7a, 7b and 7c. These tubes 7a, 7b and 7c are preferably made of cold drawn steel or extruded aluminium, but other suitable materials and manufacturing processes such as laser welded steel tubes 7a, 7b and 7c may be used. Preferably, at least one of the tubes 7a, 7b, 7c are identical in profile to the profile of the longitudinal beam 5, so as to reduce the number of necessary parts by simply cutting suitable lengths of the same tubing depending on purpose. As will be explained later the beam may also be telescopic, in which case the two of the tubes 7a, 7b, 7c may be identical to tubes in the longitudinal beam 5. In the preferred embodiment there are three tubes, an outer tube 7a, an inner tube 7c and an intermediate tube 7b. The outer tube 7a is closed at the upper end but open at the lower first end so as to allow the intermediate tube 7b and the inner tube 7c and the intermediate tube 7b perform a sliding motion through the first open end from a retracted position at least partially within said outer elongate tubular member 7a to an extended position at least partially outside said outer elongate tubular member 7a.

The inner tube 7c is, at a first end, mounted perpendicularly to the cross-shaped end members 4 of the base part 2, i.e. so that the telescopic elevator column 7 is vertical. Having the inner tube 7c of the telescopic elevator column 7 attached to the base part 2, and the patient support part 3 connected at the bottom of the outer tube, i.e. in the vicinity of the open end thereof, has the advantages that any gaps between the outer tube, the interme- diate tube and the inner tube face downward. Therefore, the outer tube, being closed upwardly, will protect the inner ones against liquids running down under the influence of gravitation, and consequently water, cleaning and disinfection agents, as well as dirt are less prone to enter.

As can also be seen from the exploded part of Fig. 2 the cross- shaped end member 4 on which the inner tube 7c is mounted comprises several parts. More specifically, the cross-shaped end member 4 comprises a lower shell part 4a and an upper shell part 4e. The upper shell part 4e comprises a proximal wedge-shaped engagement protrusion 4c adapted to engage the longitudinal beam 5 and, in incorporation with a locking means 4b, attach the cross-shaped end member 4 securely to the longitudinal beam 5. At the opposite distal end the upper shell part 4e comprises a perpendicular, i.e. vertically arranged, frusto-conical attachment protrusion 4d adapted to engage a female part (not shown) arranged within the end of the inner tube 7c of the telescopic elevator column 7. Inside or below the cross-shaped end member 4, and preferably inside the attachment protrusion 4d, an electric lifting motor (not shown) is located. The electric lifting motor is thus at least partially arranged outside the telescopic elevator column 7.

Using an assembly comprising frame part 2 and telescopic elevator columns 7 as described above allows the assembly to be made practically without any welding or at least only welded where the support bracket 13 is welded to the lower end of the outer tubular member 7a of the telescopic elevator columns 7, which in terms of hospital beds 1 provides a substantial ad- vantage. The reason for this is that such welds are expensive and required to have a high quality in terms of smoothness in the surface and edges in order not to gather dirt or the like. As will be apparent for the person skilled in the art from the following description, the remainder of the bed may also be pro- vided essentially without any welding. Furthermore, as will be apparent from the drawings, the use of screws brackets and the like is also kept at a minimum, and shapes are generally rounded, both of which aids in cleaning, sterilizing and disinfecting the bed 1 , while as the same time reducing the likelihood for dirt to gather.

The telescopic elevator column 7 is preferably driven in accordance with the applicant's earlier patent application EP-A-1286909, incorporated herein by reference, using a spindle 15 extending through the top of the protrusion 4d. The electric lifting motors, which as will be explained later, may be individually controlled to raise the telescopic elevator columns 7, are prefera- bly controlled using the position sensing and control disclosed in the applicant's earlier patent applications EP-A-1929623, incorporated herein by reference.

Being located inside the cross-shaped end member 4, the electric lifting motor is not only well protected from dust and dirt, but in particular from hot steam, corrosive cleaning agents, detergents and other aggressive substances, as well as against mechanical damage. Partly for the same reasons power and sensor wires are preferably also located within the cross-shaped end member 4. Likewise, any wiring necessary for communicating between the cross-shaped end members 4 are preferably drawn through the longitudi- nal beam 5, and thus also protected.

The protrusion 4d furthermore serves as attachment means and is therefore tapered in order to be adapted to engage with a complementary attachment means (not shown) of the innermost tube 7c of the telescopic elevator column 7.

The base part 2 is supported by the wheels 6 mounted below the ends of respective arms of the cross-shaped members 4 in a manner per se known. Consequently, the base part 2, and hence the bed 1 , may readily be moved around from one place to another. The wheels 6 are preferably swivel wheels to increase maneuverability of the bed 1 , when moving it. Furthermore, the wheels 6 are preferably of a large diameter such as between 15 cm and 25 cm, so as to reduce the stress and wear on floors and other surfaces, when the bed 1 is moved around with the weight of a patient. The dimension of the wheels 6, however, is a trade-off between the desire to achieve low minimum elevation of the bed 1 , and reducing wear on the floors and other surfaces. The wear on the surface is, furthermore, reduced because of the systematic use of light materials such as plastic and aluminium in the bed 1 , which reduces the overall weight of the bed 1 to about 50% of a conventional hospital bed 1 of welded steel. Preferably, the wheels 6 comprise built-in locking means for locking the wheels 6 in a predetermined direction, e.g. aligned with the longitudinal direction of the bed 1 . The built-in locking means is preferably wirelessly remote controlled, so as to lock the wheels 6 individually or preferably in pairs. Using such built-in wireless remote control is economically advantageous over mecanical couplings necessary for locking the wheels 6 in pairs. Locking a pair of the wheels 6 is in itself advantageous when transporting the bed 1 .

A support bracket 13 is mounted at the lower end of the outer tube 7a of the telescopic elevator column 7. In order to achieve sufficient mechanical strength the support bracket 13 is preferably welded to the outer tube 7a of the telescopic elevator column 7.The support brackets 13 of each of the two telescopic elevator columns 7 are mounted opposite and facing each other between the telescopic elevator columns 7. Having the support bracket 13 mounted at the lower end of the outer tube 7a and between the two elevator columns 7, allows the support bracket 13 and consequently the patient support part 3 to be lowered to a very low minimum height, essentially all the way down to the base part 2. Ideally, the support bracket should be mounted as close to lower end of the outer tube 7a as possible, i.e. with the lower edge of the support bracket 13 flush with the lower end of the outer tube 7a, in order to achieve the intended low minimum elevation of the bed 1 . In practice however, the mounting bracket 13 will be welded at a distance form the lower end of the outer tube 7a, such as with the lower edge 5 cm to maximum 10 cm from the lower end of the outer tube 7a, in order to ensure that the outer tube 7a has sufficient rigidity.

Using wheels 6 with a diameter 15 cm as mentioned above, the low- est elevation of the bedl , as shown in Fig 3c, will be approximately 35 cm, including possible lateral tilt. Furthermore, as can be seen from Fig. 6, with the mounting brackets 13 mounted opposite each other between the elevator columns 7 in accordance with the invention, the elevator columns 7 do not hinder the pivotal motion of patient support part 3.

In principle, as soon as the elevator columns 7 have lifted the mounting brackets 13 and thus the patient support part 3 sufficiently high above the base part 2, full rotational motion of the patient support part 3 about a longitudinal axis between the mounting brackets, could be allowed. However, for practical purposes it suffices to pivot the patient support part 3 to a fully ver- tical position as shown in Figs. 5a and 5b as wells as in Fig. 7. In this fully vertical position the patient support part 3 occupies the space above the longitudinal beam 5 in the imaginary plane between the two elevator columns 7. As can be seen from Figs. 5a and 5b this allows beds 1 to be ganged closely together for storage, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing in an autoclave, etc. restricted only by the width of the cross-arms of the cross shaped members 4. If the height of the cot sides 10 is suitably dimensioned, storage and sterilization, but in particular cleaning, disinfecting, may be performed with the cot sides 10 raised from the storage position on or within the bed 1 to an accessible position, i.e. the essentially horizontal position of the cot sides 10 shown in Figs. 5a and 5b. Please note that in Figs. 5a and 5b the removable end board members 9 have been removed. In this fully vertical position the beds 1 according to the invention take up substantially less space than conventional beds. Seven beds 1 according to the invention will take up about the same space as four conventional hospital beds, thus reducing the need for space with about 40%. Thus, more beds 1 will fit into the autoclave at the same time, more beds 1 will fit into a designated storage space, and more beds 1 will fit into the hold of a lorry during external transportation. In the embodiments shown telescopic elevator columns 7 with three tubes 7a, 7b and 7c are used. This suffices for allowing the patient support part 3 to be elevated to a maximum of approximately 100 cm, as illustrated in Fig 3a. This height not only suffices for allowing the patient support part 3 to be tilted to the vertical storage position, but also allows the elevation of the horizontal patient support part 3 to a height which is ergonomically favourable for the care personnel, which then need not bend down to the patient.

The pivotal motion of the patient support part 3 preferably has dual possibilities. More specifically, as will be explained below, a first motor driven possibility and a second manual possibility, which is generally independent of the first motor driven possibility.

The first possibility, relies on an electric pivot motor (not shown) located in a protected manner within the cross-beam 8. For pivotal motion the electric pivot motor drives a pivoting mechanism such as a worm gear (not shown) within the motor driven pivoting means 14 attached to the cross-beam 8. This allows motor controlled pivoting of cross beam 8 and hence the patient support part 3. As will be explained below, the motor controlled pivoting means 14 may be remote and/or computer controlled. The pivoting motion is preferably limited to an angle of e.g. 25 to 30 degrees with respect to horizon- tal, in order to prevent the patient or other operators from inadvertently achieveing angles, which may cause the patient to roll or slide off the bed 1 . This, as shown in Fig. 6, allows the patient support part 3 to be inclined slightly in the lateral direction, so as to aid the patient in getting in or out of the bed 1 . Since the drive is electric this may be controlled by the patient himself sitting on the bed by the use of a control panel (not shown) on the bed 1 or by using a cabled or wireless remote control. The pivotal motion may, furthermore, be computer controlled, e.g. for automatically providing varying small lateral tilting angles, possibly combined with a longitudinal Trendelenburg inclination, which will reduce the risk of bed sores as well as urine and lung in- fections for a bedridden patient.

The second possibility relies on manual operation. After release of a suitable locking mechanism, preferably child proof and involving two handed operation, the pivoting means 14 is released to pivot about an axis or pin 16 on the mounting bracket 13. This allows the patient support part 3 to be brought into the vertical space saving position. As explained above, having the support bracket 13 mounted at the lower end of the outer tube 7a and be- tween the two elevator columns 7, allows the support bracket 13 and consequently the patient support part 3 to be lowered to a very low minimum height, essentially all the way down to the base part 2. As can be seen from Fig. 4b the two elevator columns 7 are individually controllable independently of each other. Thus, the patient support part 3 may be lowered at one end and raised at the other, so as to add an additional degree of freedom to the various positions obtainable by the position configuring parts 12, as can be seen by comparison between Figs. 5a and 5b. However, with the patient support part 3 in a longitudinally inclined position as shown in Fig. 5b the distance between the mounting brackets 13 is longer than in the situation in Fig. 5a, where the pa- tient support part 3 is horizontal. Thus, at least one of the cross-beams 8, in Fig. 4b the lower left-hand one, is adapted to allow displacement and turning of the patient support part 3 with respect to the cross-beam 8, which is attached to the pivoting means 14 mounted, in turn, on the mounting bracket 13 on the outer tube 7a of the telescopic elevator column 7a.

Turning now to the exploded view of Fig. 2, details of this arrangement are shown. As can best be seen on the left-hand side of Fig. 2, the cross-beam 8 comprises a number of jaw-like cantilevers 17, each with a recessed cut-out 18. The recessed cut-outs 18 are adapted to receive short shafts 19 formed in a corresponding number of slots 20 at both ends of the patient support part 3. Depending on whether sliding motion of the short shafts 19 in the recessed cut-outs 18 is desired or not, different also somewhat jaw-like securing means 21 , 22 may be used to close the recess. In this respect, the securing means 21 are formed with semicircular recesses 23 corresponding to the diameter of the short shafts 19, so as to form a journal bearing, in which the patient support part 3 may pivot motion. If sliding motion is desired, the securing means 22 are used to close the recess, the securing means 22 being shaped to form a fork-shape together with the cantilever 17. Both the securing means 21 and the securing means 22 are detachable from the cross-beam 8 and the cantilevers 17, so as to allow the removal of the patient support part 3. The shapes of the securing means 21 , 22 and the position of the recesses 18, 23 are adapted to ensure that in a horizontal position of the patient support part 3 the short shafts 19 have is no play. That is to say, no reciprocating movement of the patient support part 3 between the beams 8 is possible. This further protects the beams 8 against possible impact on walls, doors and other opstacles, as mentioned above, because forces will be transmitted to the patient support part 3 and to the other cross-beam 8, thus helping in absorbing any impact. The jaw-like securing means 21 , 22 are pre- fereably hinged to the cross-beam 8 and spring biased towards an open position, so as to automatically open when not secured in the closed position where they close the recess.

The patient support part 3 is preferably a one-piece injection moulded part of plastic material, but depending on use it may be advantageous to join it from two halves so as to have a sealed cavity in which transmission shafts and rods may be located, and so as to hide away any reinforcing ribs, where dirt and the like could build up. The transmission shafts and rods could of course also be located in open longitudinal grooves, preferably below the patient support part 3, in particular if the patient support part 3 is made as the one-piece injection moulded part mentioned above. The patient support part 3 preferably has a number of hinge points 24 to which actuators (not shown) for the position configuring parts 12 could be connected. Preferably the actuator motors for such actuators are electric actuator motors located in the cross-beam 8, e.g. in suitable actuator motor accommodations 8b formed in the cross-beam 8 so as to have all motors, except the lifting motors for driving the telescopic elevator columns 7, located together at either end. The transmission to the actuators will then be using suitable shafts, cranks- shafts, and splines to take up differences and angles when the patient sup- port part 3 moves with respect to the cross-beams 8, i.e. the cantilevers 17 and securing means 21 , 22 as explained above. Preferably, the shafts comprise a polygonal cross-section allowing them to be coupled to the electric actuator motors in the in their actuator motor accommodations 8b within the cross-beam 8 via suitable bushings. Such bushings are preferably adapted to slide with respect to the shafts. There are two reasons for this. One reason being in to compensate for differences in the disorder to take up differences in the distance between the patient support part 3 and the cross-beam 8, which varies with the longitudinal inclination of the patient support part 3. The other reason being to easily disengage the shafts from the actuator motors so as to allow removal of the patient support part 3 from the bed. Thus all it takes to remove the patient support part 3 from the bed 1 is to disengage the securing means 21 , 22 from their locked position, slide the bushings out of engagement of the shafts, and lift the patient support part 3 away.

Since this drive for the actuators is also electric, these actuator motors and thus the positions of the individual position configuring parts 12 may also be controlled by the patient himself sitting on the bed by the use of a control panel on the bed 1 or by using a cabled or wireless remote control, preferably the same as used for the lateral inclination of the patient support part 3 as described. To the extent possible, any electronics and wiring associated with the actuator motors for the actuators as well as electronics and wiring associated with various sensors, alarms etc. for patient monitoring are also preferably located within the cross-beam 8, where they are well protected against external influences such as aggressive cleaning agents, disinfectants, mechanical impacts etc. If not possible, e.g. due to retrofitting, to fit all of the electronics and wiring associated with the actuator motors for the actuators as well as electronics and wiring associated with various sensors, alarms into the cross-beam 8 some of it could be fitted in a separate housing connected to the cross-beam 8. Such a separate housing could also include back-up batteries for the overall electrical system, which is preferably laid out for low voltage DC such as 12V or 24 V to avoid any electric shock hazard.

Electrical connections from the cross-beams 8 to the cross-shaped members are preferably drawn as extendable spiral cabling external to the telescopic columns 7 in order to avoid damage to the cabling due to the moving parts within the telescopic columns 7. Moreover, this allows the patient support part 3 to be entirely without such electronics and wiring and therefore be constructed in a very rugged manner, which is inter alia advantageous for the purpose of removing the patient support part 3.

The possibility of easily removing the patient support part 3 from the rest of the bed 1 allows the patient support part 3 to be used as a stretcher or the like for transporting a patient. That is to say the patient support part 3 with the patient may readily be removed from the bed 1 , transferred to e.g. an ambulance or other transport vehicle, and subsequently be re-attached to the rest of the bed 1 . Evidently, the skilled person will understand that it need not be the very same rest of the bed 1 to which the patient support is attached, but that it could be substituted for another, e.g. one more suitable for a private home as described below. As will also be understood, the simple construction of the patient support part 3 comprising only relatively rugged mechanical parts - and no delicate wiring, electrical connectors, electonics etc. facilitates this use of the patient support part 3 for transport, because the few mechanical connections do not require special skills, but are easily handled by anyone.

The skilled person will also understand that for lifting the patient sup- port part 3 of and onto the rest of the bed 1 an asymmetric lifting device, e.g. similar to a fork-lift could be used.

Likewise, the control of the telescopic elevator columns 7 could be controlled by the patient himself in the bed by the use of a control panel on the bed 1 or by using a cabled or wireless remote control, because he may need to lower the bed to get in or out of it. Furthermore, as can be seen from Figs. 5a and 5b, the patient support part 3 may play a part in the patient positioning using the position configuring parts 12, so also in this sense remote control makes sense. In this respect, also the telescopic elevator columns 7 could be computer controlled, e.g. for automatically providing varying small longitudinal tilting angles, which will reduce the risk of bed sores as well as urine and lung infections for a bedridden patient. The computer control could be in conjunction with the control of the position configuring means 12, so as to have a number of predetermined configurations available at the push of a single button. In particular, the latter could include a CPR emergency button, which automatically levels the patient support part 3 and the position configuring means 12 and raises the patient support to a desired height suitable for treating the patient in the CPR emergency.

The patient support part 3 may have a suitable anti-bacterial coating or surface, or may be made of an anti-bacterial plastic material.

Turning now to Fig. 7 an alternative embodiment of frame part 2 of the bed 1 is shown, together with elevator columns 7 and cross-beams 8 for supporting the patient support part 3 (not shown). The embodiment of Fig. 7 essentially only differs from those of Figs. 1 to 6 in that the cross-shaped end members 4 have been constructed with hinged arms 4f. This allows the wheels 6 to be folded in close to the longitudinal beam 5, and making the overall width of the bed 1 very small, when the patient support part 3 is in the vertical position above the longitudinal beam 5 in the imaginary plane between the telescopic elevator columns 7. This allows the bed 1 to be maneuvered through very narrow passages and tight corners, which is particularly useful if the bed is to be brought into a private home, which, unlike hospitals and other care institutions, has not been built with the passages of wheeled beds in mind. All other parts described in connection with other embodiments of the bed 1 are fully interchangeable. Thus, if a patient needs aftercare after hospitalization or the like, the very same bed 1 may also be used for this. Since the bed 1 facilitates numerous resting positions as well as positions aiding the patient in getting in and out of the bed, all of which are readily available through electric control of the built-in motors, the bed 1 substantially reduces the external aid that a patient may need in his own home.

In this respect it should be noted that the bed 1 of the invention lends itself to manufacturing in different lengths, or even easy adaptation of the length of an existing bed 1 . All it takes is to replace the longitudinal beam 5 and the patient support part 3 with corresponding parts with different lengths, because no motors, electronic control, etc. are located in these parts. If, as preferred, the cross-shaped members 4 and the longitudinal beam 5 are mounted using cones in accordance with the applicant's earlier patent application EP-A-1404980, incorporated herein by reference, this is very easily done. The cones are preferably made of zinc or a suitable plastic material.

As to different lengths, with only a few minor variations to the bed 1 , such as the cross-shaped members 4, the locking means 4b, and possibly the cantilevers 17 and securing means 21 , 22, the longitudinal beam 5 may also be constructed as a telescopic longitudinal beam 5 using the same kind of tubing as the inner and intermediate tubes 7b, 7b, respectively, of the elevator columns 7. The telescopic longitudinal beam 5 is preferably operated manual- ly by simply releasing a locking mechanism expanding or contracting the telescopic beam to a suitable length as desired, and the securing the locking means again. It is however also envisaged that this telescopic longitudinal beam 5 could be driven in accordance with the applicant's earlier patent application EP-A-1286909, then all it takes is the introduction of a further motor in the protected place within one of the cross-shaped members 4. If the cantilevers 17 and the associated securing means 21 , 22 are made sufficiently long, the bed may even be extended in length using the very same patient support part. All it takes is to extend the longitudinal beam 5, be it by replacement or by telescopic extension, as far as needed or as far as the canti- levers 17 and associated securing means 21 , 22 allow, e.g. 10 cm to 15 cm, and then fit an extension to one of the position configuring parts 12. Preferably the extension is fitted to the configuring part 12, where the patient's feet are accommodated, because that one will carry the least load.

Though the above description has been given based on exemplary embodiments, the skilled person will know that numerous variants, modifications and deviations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, different materials may be chosen for the base part 2, the patient support part 3, the tubes 7a, 7b, 7c of the telescopic elevator columns 7, etc. The skilled person will also realize numerous add-on facilities for the bed 1 , such as integrated electronic facilities, such as telephone, telecom, intercom, patient monitoring, alarm, moist sensors, further preprogrammed position configurations, for treatments and leisure, such as reading. The bed 1 may also include an integrated electric mover or be adapted for easy attachment of an electric mover, so that the bed 1 does not have to be pushed manually over the large distances in modern low-rise hospitals. Furthermore, the skilled person will realize that due to its construction the bed 1 according to the invention is not only easy to assemble, disassemble or modify, but in general also facilitates service and repair.

Reference numeral list

1 Bed

2 Elongated base part

3 Patient support part

4 Cross-shaped end members

4a Lower shell part

4b locking means

4c Proximal engagement protrusion

4d Attachment protrusion

4e Upper shell part

4f Hinged arms

5 Longitudinal beam

6 Wheels

7 Telescopic elevator columns

7a Outer tubular member

7b Intermediate tubular member

7c Inner tubular member

8 Cross-beams

8a Receptacles

8b Motor accommodations

9 Removable end board members

9a Tubular frame part

10 Cot sides

1 1 Mattress

12 Position configuring parts

13 Support bracket

14 Pivoting means

15 Spindle

16 Pin

17 Cantilevers

18 Recessed cut-outs 19 Short shafts

20 Slots

21 Securing means

22 Securing means

23 Semicircular recesses

24 Hinge points

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1 . A bed (1 ) comprising

a base part (2),

a patient support part (3) arranged above the base part (2), at least two telescopic elevator columns (7), each comprising an elongate outer tubular member (7a), said outer tubular member (7a) having an open first end, and an elongate inner member (7c) arranged so as to perform a sliding movement through said open first end from a retracted position at least partially within said outer elongate tubular member (7a) to an ex- tended position at least partially outside said outer elongate tubular member (7a),

at least two cross-beams (8) for supporting the patient support part (3), wherein

said elongate inner member (7c) is supported at a first end by said base part (2), and

both of said cross-beams (8) are arranged between the least two telescopic elevator columns (7).

2. A bed (1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each of said at least two cross-beams (8) is connected to a respective one of said elongate outer tubu- lar members (7a) at the open first end of said elongate outer tubular member (7a).

3. A bed (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said at least two cross-beams (8) are pivotally connected to a respective one of said elongate outer tubular members (7a).

4. A bed (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sliding movement of said elongate inner member (7c) in each of said at least two telescopic elevator columns (7) is driven by a respective electric lifting motor.

5. A bed (1 ) according to claim 5, wherein the electric motors are lo- cated at least partially outside the telescopic elevator column (7).

6. A bed (1 ) according to claim 5, wherein the electric lifting motors are located within the base part (2).

7. A bed (1 ) according to any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein each of said respective electric lifting motors may be individually controlled.

8. A bed (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the patient support part (3) and the at least two cross-beams (8) are adapted for mutually engaging releasable connections (17, 21 ; 22).

9. A bed (1 ) according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said mutually engaging releasable connections (17, 22) is adapted to allow displacement of the patient support (3) with respect to at least one of the cross-beams (8).

10. A bed (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said at least two cross-beams (8) comprise means for receiving a removable end board member (9).

1 1 . A bed (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame part (2) comprises the cross-shaped end members (4).

12. A bed according to claim 1 1 , wherein the cross-shaped end members (4) comprise hinged arms (4f).

13. A bed (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein position configuring parts (12) are provided on the patient support part (3).

14. A bed (1 ) according to claim 13 wherein the cross-beam (8) com- prises electric actuator motors for adjusting the position configuring parts (12).