US-12622831-B2 - Apparatus for assisting subjects from supine to sitting position

Abstract

A frame structure has an adjustable height and width and comprises a pair of parallel triangular trusses each having a hypotenuse handrail member defining a series of successive ascending cylindrical handhold surfaces. The structure is dimensioned to sit on the top surface of a standard mattress and is anchored by a strap component that connects and wraps either around the headboard or under the bed (i.e mattress). Its two side handrails sit on either side of the user and connect to the top, bottom and back of the frame. The upwardly extending side rails provide a succession of cylindrical handholds of increasing elevation to enable the subject to pull themselves up from a supine position to a sitting position with little to no use of their abdominal muscles. The handrails are collapsible allowing the user greater range of motion and mobility once upright and seated.

Inventors

• Elise D. SKOMRA

Assignees

• Elise D. SKOMRA

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230403

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A support structure configured for use in helping a subject to raise themselves to a sitting position from a supine position on a horizontal resting surface of a bed, the support structure comprising: a first triangular substructure comprising a first vertically telescoping member connected perpendicularly at a respective first base thereof to a first horizontally telescoping member thereby forming a first L-shaped substructure having a first distal end and a second distal end, and a first grasping member connected between the first distal end and the second distal end; a second triangular substructure comprising a second vertically telescoping member connected perpendicularly at a respective second base thereof to a second horizontally telescoping member thereby forming a second L-shaped substructure having a third distal end and a fourth distal end, and a second grasping member connected between the third distal end and the fourth distal end; a first horizontal cross-member connecting the first base of the first vertically telescoping member to the second base of the second vertically telescoping member; and a second horizontal cross-member further connecting the first vertically telescoping member to the second vertically telescoping member, wherein: the first horizontal cross-member and the second horizontal cross-member are configured to retain the first triangular substructure in a position that is parallel to and spaced apart from the second triangular substructure, the first horizontally telescoping member, the second horizontally telescoping member and the first horizontal cross-member together are configured to rest on the horizontal resting surface of the bed, and the first vertically telescoping member, the second vertically telescoping member, the first horizontal cross-member and the second horizontal cross-member are configured to define a rectangular vertical back plane perpendicular to the horizontal resting surface of the bed.
2. 2 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein connection sites of the first and second triangular substructures and the first horizontal cross-member are held together by three-way elbow coupling mechanisms or three-way corner fittings, such three-way fittings having appendages on orthogonal x, y and z planes, such three-way corner fittings each configured to accept a vertical telescoping member, a horizontal telescoping member, and a horizontal connecting member.
3. 3 . The support structure of claim 2 wherein the elbow couplings consist of tube locking spring button clips that lock to keep them connected.
4. 4 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein connection sites of the second horizontal cross-member and the first and second vertical telescoping members are held together with Tee couplings consisting of two sockets inline and one perpendicular appendage so that the angles are 90 degrees, the sockets of the Tee coupling fitting around or semi around the first and second vertical telescoping members while the perpendicular appendage connects to the second horizontal cross-member.
5. 5 . The support structure of claim 4 wherein the second horizontal cross-member is configured to be moved by sliding the Tee couplings lower or higher along the first and second vertical telescoping members, thereby creating an infinite range of rectangular sized subframes on the back plane.
6. 6 . The support structure of claim 4 wherein the appendages consist of tube locking spring button clips that lock to keep them connected.
7. 7 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises rigid tubular structures that are circular in cross-section and that are 0.5 inch to 1.5 inch in diameter and configured to support the weight of a person.
8. 8 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the support structure is made from stainless steel or aluminum alloy.
9. 9 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein exterior surfaces of the support structure have smooth, matte, anodized, finishes to increase corrosion and wear resistance.
10. 10 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the first and second grasping members are respectively connected at non-perpendicular angles to the first and second horizontally telescoping members and the first and second vertically telescoping members and in use extend upwardly away from the horizontal resting surface.
11. 11 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the first and second grasping members are dimensioned and oriented to provide a succession of increasingly elevated handhold positions for the subject.
12. 12 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the support structure is configured and dimensioned to be employed on a horizontal bed surface and further including at least one anchoring member structured, dimensioned and oriented to simultaneously be connected to the support structure and be disposed beneath a mattress of the bed, beneath a frame of the bed, or behind a headboard of the bed, in order to stabilize the support structure on the horizontal resting surface.
13. 13 . The support structure of claim 12 wherein the anchor member is composed of straps.
14. 14 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the anchoring member is adjustable in size or length using straps and buckle apparatus to tighten and stabilize.
15. 15 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the support structure is symmetrically dimensioned and configured in relation to the subject to provide equally distributed support for weight and movement of the subject.
16. 16 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the support structure is portable, dismantlable, and removable from the horizontal resting surface.
17. 17 . The support structure of claim 1 in wherein the first and second grasping members have at least portions dimensioned and configured so an upwardly-facing human user supine on the horizontal resting surface can grip the first and second grasping members by at least partially encircling the first and second grasping members with their at least partially closed hands, the first and second grasping members being further configured and dimensioned to support the weight of the human user as the human user grips the first and second grasping members to progressively suspend and pull their upper body up and away from the horizontal resting surface and themself into an upright seated position between the first triangular substructure and the second triangular substructure.
18. 18 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the first grasping member is hinged to the first distal end of the first horizontally telescoping member and the second distal end of the first vertically telescoping member, and the second grasping member is hinged to the third distal end of the second horizontally telescoping member and the fourth distal end of the second vertically telescoping member.
19. 19 . The support structure of claim 1 wherein the first and second horizontally telescoping members are configured to slide inwardly toward the first and second vertically telescoping members while simultaneously extending the first and second vertically telescoping members thereby altering acute complementary angles defined by the first and second triangular substructures.
20. 20 . The support structure of claim 19 wherein the first and second triangular substructures are configured to be individually collapsible thereby allowing the support structure to be exited from opposite sides of the bed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Priority is claimed from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/327,217 filed Apr. 4, 2022, incorporated herein by reference. FIELD This technology relates to apparatus for assisting a human subject to a sitting position, and more particular to an apparatus attachable to a bed that assists a human subject into a sitting position from a supine position. BACKGROUND & SUMMARY Being a new mother can be a challenge. Imagine giving birth via an emergency (unexpected) C-section—which is major abdominal surgery. You would likely be vastly under prepared for what the recovery process would mean for you. Without the help of family, you would not know how to manage your own recovery let alone being a first-time mom with a newborn. You would be held up in bed for weeks with little motivation to sit up or move to avoid the pain. One of the worst parts about this experience might be the knowledge that there is a solution that could help you manage the pain—a rentable hospital bed—but that the solution might not be feasible for you due to expense, space or other factors. While in the hospital those first few days, a nurse might teach you how to sit up and adjust yourself in bed, virtually pain free, using the hospital bed railings. But recreating that environment at home may require extensive arrangements and hundreds of dollars per week or month for a hospital bed rental. This may not be feasible from a price point for many, let alone being able to provide the additional space for another bed in your living space. There are many products on the market that purport to retrofit a standard bed with hospital bed like side rails. Many such products are designed to prevent a patient from falling out of bed. Some such products are designed to help a patient get out of bed. Some such products are foldable/collapsible so they can be retracted out of the way when the patient wishes to get out of bed. Products that advertise bed sitting assistance include single-hand side bed rails, bed rope ladders, ceiling mounted bed trapeze bars, and bed trapeze bars mounted on a floor-supported stand. A problem with such products is they generally are positioned in front of the subject. They have the subject sitting up in a forward motion and in the same spot in which they were laying down. Any such forward crunch-like movement would engage your core and put pressure on your abdominal region. Additionally, sitting up in a forward motion leaves your hips in the same spot as where they were when you were laying down. Your hips are still too far away from the head of the bed, and you then must do additional repositioning to move or scoot backwards if you wish to remain sitting in bed and use the headboard of the bed as support. Once in a seated position, there is already abdominal pressure so any additional sliding lateral movement may cause pain—especially if the subject had limited core function such as would result from abdominal surgery. Additionally, the retrofit railing systems currently available are generally only on one side of the bed. The asymmetrical nature of these products would cause the subject to have to twist and use one side of their core, potentially requiring additional adjustments. While it would be possible to purchase two sets of rails for opposite sides of the bed, many beds such as full, queen and king sized beds are too wide to allow the subject to use opposite rail sets to raise themselves up to a sitting position. What is needed is something more mobile, more pain free and more convenient that does not require a special expensive hospital bed rental but could be adapted or retrofitted to an ordinary bed, while overcoming the disadvantages of prior approaches discussed above. Such a solution should be of help for (but not being limited to) abdominal surgery recovery to provide a more pain free experience for those who need that additional support. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A shows a front elevated perspective view of an example embodiment of a support frame mounted to a conventional bed. FIG. 1B shows a side elevated perspective view of an example embodiment of a support frame disposed on a conventional bed. FIG. 1C show a side elevated different perspective view of an example embodiment assembled but not yet mounted to a bed. FIG. 2A shows the FIG. 1A view with an embodiment of an anchoring strap and options for installing the anchoring system. FIG. 2A-1 shows an example anchoring strap. FIG. 2B shows the elevated view option of anchoring the railing system with the strap to a headboard of the bed. FIG. 2C shows the elevated view of anchoring the railing system with the strap to a mattress or bed frame. FIG. 2D shows an embodiment of a buckle strap with loops. FIGS. 3A-3C show different views of embodiments with a right-side (relative to the subject) railing retracted. FIGS. 4A-4B show show different views of embodiments with left and right-side railings retrac