ES2976582B2 - Bed entry and exit support system - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Bed entry and exit support system

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The present invention relates to a support system for getting in and out of bed, the obvious purpose of which is to offer a technological support system to improve personal autonomy in basic activities of daily living such as getting in and out of bed in the case of people with reduced mobility.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Getting in and out of bed for people with reduced mobility is often a complex task, requiring great effort and even posing risks to the individual. The effort required by the person with reduced mobility requires compensatory use of the arm, abdominal, or back muscles to compensate for the lack of mobility and strength in the legs. Furthermore, balance must be compensated with other muscles over which the person still has control, which poses a greater risk of injury to the muscles they retain. This is without forgetting the risk of falls during the sequence of movements when getting in and out of bed. Nor should we forget the risk of injury to formal or informal caregivers, if any, due to a lack of adequate support products, poor posture, or furniture that does not conform to ergonomic parameters, such as bed height.

These overexertions and risks can be avoided with the support of a third party (a formal caregiver or family member) who, with sufficient training, can assist the person with reduced mobility with getting up and going to bed. However, the help of a caregiver is not always possible, due to the cost of a formal caregiver or the availability of one (in the case of informal caregivers). Furthermore, having a caregiver creates a feeling of dependency that increases in the person with reduced mobility, which sometimes causes their deterioration to accelerate as they are unable to care for themselves.

Therefore, the problem that is intended to be solved with the present invention can be identified from several aspects:

• Solve the problem that people with reduced mobility have when getting in or out of bed, especially when it affects the lower body.

• Assist people with reduced mobility with the above tasks without the need for a third person to collaborate on said task, providing personal autonomy to people with these mobility problems.

• Likewise, solve the same problem in the case of people who have reduced mobility and lack control of the upper body segment.

• Create a support product that can be used in any type of standard bed without requiring users to have a hospital or special bed.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The bed entry and exit support system proposed by the invention fully satisfactorily resolves the previously described problem based on an extremely effective solution.

To this end, the system of the invention is constituted from a support frame on the floor, intended to be installed next to the edge or side of the bed that is to be used when getting in and out of bed, in which two end struts are involved, at the upper end of which hinges, pins or pivot points are established, linked to a table whose inclination is regulated by means of an electric actuator, such that said table is capable of adopting a vertical or horizontal position, in the latter case coplanar to the mattress of the bed.

On this table, a curved guide is set up along which a stool can be moved, on which the user will rest his legs.

More specifically, the seat is connected to a reaction arm or tie rod, as well as to the main frame at its other end through ball joints.

This mechanism causes the reaction beam itself to move the bench along the curved guide synchronously during the table unfolding maneuvers, which causes the bench to change its orientation in the plane of the table.

Consequently, the user standing with his back to the bed will rest his legs on the bench, sitting on the edge of the bed, so that the table, when folded down, will not only allow the legs to be raised, but also allow them to rotate approximately 90° due to the rotation that the reaction brace forces on the bench during said maneuvers, so that they are substantially aligned with the longitudinal direction of the bed.

Similarly, the manoeuvres for getting out of bed will be carried out in reverse, and just as simply, where the user only has to place his or her legs on the bench, so that the rotation of the table itself causes the brace to angularly shift the bench so that the user's legs are positioned perpendicular to the edge of the bed in the process of tilting the table carrying the bench downwards, leaving the user in an optimal position, with his or her back to the edge of the bed on which he or she is sitting, to be able to get out of it as comfortably and simply as possible.

The struts that include the hinges contain height adjustment means, in order to adapt to beds of different heights, in which case, these means would also affect the application point of the lower end of the reaction brace to the main frame, since the relative distance of the lower articulation point of this element with respect to the hinges, pins or pivot points of the table must always be the same.

The system features a side support rail to facilitate getting in and out of bed, providing an additional support point and improving user balance.

As for the device's electronics, it is planned to present a modular design, comprising six main modules: a power supply circuit, a communications circuit with a database, a microcontroller, a digital input and output module, an electric motor controller, and finally, a module for mechanical elements such as fuses, connector sockets, and external lights.

This structure creates a system that helps people with reduced mobility get into and out of bed automatically. This will allow the system to be used by people with limited upper body mobility, avoiding the strain on the user and promoting personal autonomy and independence.

The device is designed to be suitable for use with any type of bed, as it is height-adjustable. It can be used with conventional beds without requiring the purchase of a bed with specific requirements for using the system. Furthermore, the installation of the solution does not require any work or electrical adjustments to the existing network. In other words, it constitutes a universal and adaptable support system.

It is an ergonomic device, easy to use and adaptable to the specific needs of the end user type.

The entire system will be operated by the user via a large, simple-to-use control panel with minimal functions, ensuring user safety and providing a sense of control. The user can initiate the movements of raising or lowering their legs and can stop the system via the control panel at any time, even if the user has not reached the end of the movement. Furthermore, the user can restart the movement via the control panel at any time.

The system's control panel, which allows the user to raise and lower their legs, is designed to have only two buttons: one for lying down in bed and one for getting out of bed. Both buttons graphically indicate these actions in a simple and cognitively accessible way, for example, through arrows.

In addition, the system is protected with a fairing to prevent accidents.

In addition, the unit is optionally available with two control systems: one wired and the other wireless. For safety reasons, the wired control will always be the primary control, with signals from the wireless control being ignored whenever the wired control is in use.

Additionally, the system is designed to include an emergency button that, in addition to preventing and stopping any movement of the machine, will also send a warning to the monitoring system.

The electronic system described will allow for the storage of configurable and customizable data, with the option of deleting and restarting. The system will be designed to connect to a database to record events and alerts (hours of use, alarm generation, fault history, etc.) for subsequent operation. This will allow for the prediction of usage patterns and the detection of anomalous situations.

Finally, the system is portable, so it can be easily taken to a user's second home during holidays or vacations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that follows and in order to help better understand the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, in which the following has been represented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes:

Figure 1.- Shows a perspective view of a support system for entering and exiting the bed made in accordance with the object of the present invention in the “rest” position or lower limit position for lowering the bed.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show different perspective views of the device, in this case in the upper limit position offered by the system.

Figure 5.- Finally, shows a schematic block diagram of the main electronic modules that participate in the system of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the figures shown, it can be seen how the support system for entering and exiting the bed is constituted from a support frame (1) on the floor, which is intended to be placed next to the edge of access to the bed that is normally used, frame (1) in which two end struts (2) participate, provided with hinging means (3) for a table (4), capable of adopting two extreme limit positions, a vertical position, that shown in figure 1, and a horizontal position, that shown in figure 2, in which said table would be arranged coplanarly to the mattress of the bed.

The adjustment of the inclination of the table (4) is controlled by an actuator (5) driven by an electric motor (6).

In accordance with another of the essential characteristics of the invention, the table (4) incorporates a curved guide (7) on it along which a stool (8) can be moved. This stool is intended to accommodate the user's legs and to change relative position to facilitate getting in and out of bed.

More specifically, the seat (8) is additionally connected to a reaction brace (9) by means of a ball joint (17), which reaction brace is in turn connected by its opposite end through a second ball joint to the frame (1).

This mechanism allows a single electric motor (6) to perform a complex movement to raise and turn the user's legs, or, where appropriate, turn and lower said legs, depending on the task of getting in or out of bed that is being performed.

In parallel, the device has a hand grip rail (16) in correspondence with one of the end struts (2) to facilitate movements in and out of the bed, offering an additional support point and promoting the balance of the users.

Thus, and in accordance with figure 1, when a user wants to access the bed, he or she will only need to position himself or herself with his or her back to the bed, sitting on its edge, with the back of his or her legs resting on the bench (8), such that once the control command has been activated, the table (4) and consequently the bench (8) will begin to unfold upwards, such that this movement causes the reaction brace (9) to oppose said movement, pulling the bench (8) and causing it to move angularly along the curved guide (7) until it reaches the end of the travel of said guide, a position shown in figure 2, where the bench has turned 90°, thus allowing not only the user's legs to be raised to the level of the bed, but also to turn them to the normal resting position.

Obviously, the maneuvers for getting out of bed will be carried out in reverse, a maneuver that is just as simple.

As previously stated, the device could include means of adjusting the height of its frame to adapt the height of the table (4) and consequently the bench (8) to beds of different heights, either by means of racks, telescopic struts, worm screws, etc.

As for the control electronics, and according to figure 3, the device includes a power supply module (10), a communications circuit (11), a microcontroller (12), a digital input and output module (13), a controller (14) for the electric motor, as well as a module of mechanical elements (15) such as fuses, connector sockets or external lights. From these elements, the system will be prepared to be able to connect it to a database for recording events and warnings (hours of use, alarm generation, fault history...) for later operation, which will allow the prediction of usage habits and the detection of anomalous situations.

The control electronics are capable of working in conjunction with a mobile device or smartphone. Therefore, the system, in addition to the motion control functionality from the app, must have a flexible connection to the control system to achieve a rapid response to start and stop commands. For this reason, a controller with Bluetooth connectivity was chosen to wirelessly send information to the mobile device.

The communications module (11) also includes a GSM/PGRS module, for sending information to databases, thus including antennas for Bluetooth and GSM.

For the power supply circuit (10) two fundamental aspects have been taken into account. On the one hand, the isolation and protection of the power input and, on the other, the consumption of the electronics and the two possible scenarios regarding the external power supply have been taken into account.

As for the protection circuit, it will include means to protect the input from voltage spikes above the desired level, including a power outlet, as well as, optionally, a battery that would become operational in the event of an occasional loss of mains power.

For the management of polarity reversal required for reversing the motor's direction of rotation, a MOSFET-based H-bridge design has been chosen.

In order to increase the system's robustness and make it more resistant to interference from potential electromagnetic noise, the motor control signals and auxiliary outputs were electrically isolated. To achieve this isolation, optocouplers were used.

To complete the isolation of the signals described in the previous section, the 12V power supply has been selected, sufficient to power the control electronics.

Finally, it remains to be noted that the device will be complemented by a control unit that can be wireless and/or wired, including an emergency stop button.

Claims (1)

1§.- Support system for entering and exiting the bed, characterized in that it is constituted from a frame (1) supporting the floor, in which two end struts (2) participate, provided with hinging means for a table (4), capable of adopting two extreme limit positions, a vertical position and a horizontal position in which said table is arranged coplanarly to the upper part of the mattress of the bed, table (4) that includes means for regulating its inclination by action of an electric motor (6), with the particularity that the table (4) incorporates on it a curved guide (7) along which a bench (8) for receiving the user's legs can be moved, bench (8) that is articulately linked to a reaction brace (9) which in turn is articulately linked by its opposite end to the frame (1), in such a way that in the maneuvers of raising the table a synchronized translation and rotation of the bench (8) occurs in accordance with the trajectory of the curved guide (7), from a position in which the bench (8) is arranged with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mattress of the bed to another extreme position in which said bench is arranged with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mattress, it having been foreseen that the electric motor is associated with a control electronics by means of a command, it having been foreseen that the device has a manual grip rail (16) in correspondence with one of the extreme struts (2) determining an additional support point in the movements of entering and exiting the bed. 2§.- Support system for entering and exiting the bed, according to claim 1§, wherein the hinging means of the table (4), as well as the application point of the reaction brace (9) on the frame (1) include height adjustment means. 3§.- Bed entry and exit support system, according to claim 1§, wherein the control electronics include a power module (10), a communications circuit (11), a microcontroller (12), a digital input and output module (13), a controller (14) of the electric motor, as well as a module of mechanical elements (15) such as fuses, connector sockets or external lights. 4§.- Bed entry and exit support system, according to claims 1§ and 3§, wherein the communications module (11) includes a Bluetooth module and a GSM/PGRS module with their corresponding antennas. 5§.- Bed entry and exit support system, according to claim 1§, wherein the control electronics include a wireless remote control. 6§.- Bed entry and exit support system, according to claim 1§, wherein the control electronics include a wired control. 7§.- Bed entry and exit support system, according to claim 1§, wherein the control electronics include an emergency stop button.