Occupant turning device for bed
Geary Apr. 1, 1975 OCCUPANT TURNING DEVICE FOR BED [76] Inventor: William M. Geary, 9347 Crawford Ave., Evergreen Park, 111. 60642 [22] Filed: Mar. l5, 1974 [21] Appl. N0.: 451,434  
  Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 255,427, May 22, 1972, Pat. No.  
 [52] U.S. Cl. 5/61, 5/92 [51] Int. Cl A6lg 7/10 [58] Field of Search 5/61, 66, 81, 92, 317, 5/337 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.655.667 10/1953 Burkert 5/6l 3.226.734 l/l966 Coventon 5/61 3,302,219 2/1967 Harris 5/85 3,383,717 5/1968 Underwood 5/61 Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James A. Geppert [57] ABSTRACT A conventional bed frame having a tiltable base, box spring and mattress with the box spring and mattress of less length than&#39;the frame and base to provide a space at the head end of the bed for the reception of a hollow padded receptacle and a pillow having spaced cut-outs for reception of the face, nose, mouth and ears, whichever is aligned with its slot, the pillow being shiftable in its receptacle as the occupant moves to any one of the normal sleeping positions and especially on the stomach or either side. When the bed is occupied, the body is covered by the folds of a relatively wide sheet material lying across the bed for shifting or turning the body and thereby effecting most comfortable sleeping positions. The sheet material has the joined folds mounted on reels at the sides of the bed to retract the folds or allow extension thereof upon turning of the occupant.  
 4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures OCCUPANT TURNING DEVICE FOR BED SPECIFICATION The present application is a division of the copending patent application Ser. No. 255,427, filed May 22, 1972 now US. Pat. No. 3,808,615.  
  Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel bed and pillow assembly for providing most effective sleeping comfort in any of the normal sleeping positions, the pillow being positioned within a padded tray or receptacle in a transverse recess at the head end of the bed to receive either shoulder and the pillow being free to shift or pivot in the receptacle, the pillow being slotted to unobstructively receive the nose and either ear when aligned therewith depending upon the sleeping position of the occupant, and the slots being spaced apart to accurately align with either ear depending upon whether the occupant is sleeping on one side or the other, and when the occupant is sleeping on the stomach, the nose enters a T- shaped slot permitting free breathing through the nose and mouth without obstruction.  
  By this novel construction and arrangement of the freely movable pillow, the mouth and nose being unobstructed, prevents possible smothering and sinus clogging. and thereby assuring free breathing and more relaxed sleep than is possible with conventional pillows. Also. by providing space for and opening about the ear which would be covered by a conventional pillow when sleeping on one side, this novel pillow prevents vacuum sealing pressure and possible resulting discomfort.  
  In the present invention the recess and tray for the pillow provides a depression and space for freedom of either shoulder and flexed arm by the construction and arrangement of the pillow and tray in which the pillow is freely movable. thereby preventing concentration of the body weight on the shoulder muscles and shoulder nerves resulting in interrupting a restful sleep. Thus the body is retained relaxed in all positions of sleep and eliminating any cramped position resulting in loss of sleep.  
  By providing the bed with means for turning of the body and relaxing in all normal sleeping positions relieves the usual tensions and enhances the effectiveness and period required for relaxed sleep, resulting in the occupant requiring less time for complete and effective sleep and assuring a rested nervous system which may well extend the life span.  
  Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.  
 In the Drawings:  
  FIG. I is a perspective view of the novel bed and pillow assembly.  
  FIG 2 is a top plan view of the bed assembly with an occupant lying face down on the bed and pillow.  
  FIG 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view in vertical cross section of the tray and recessed end of the bed, and showing in dotted outline the face, shoulder and arm of the occupant lying face down.  
  FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a preferred form of pillow and its spaced slots or cut-outs for the ears, the nose and the eyes.  
  FIG. 5 is a view in side elevation of the bed assembly in lowered position.  
  FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but with the head end of the bed elevated.  
  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the adjusting straps for covering and rotating the position of the occupants body.  
  FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the head end of the bed with the adjusting straps covering the body.  
  FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate form of circular pillow containing slots 0r cut-outs for the ears, nose and mouth.  
  Referring to the disclosure in the drawings, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 8, inclusive, there is disclosed a bed and pillow assembly, the bed consisting of a portable frame 10 shown as provided with casters 11 for mobility, a base 12 hinged or pivoted at the foot end 13 to the frame, and a bed spring and mattress l4 supported on the base 12. To elevate the base 12, box spring and mattress one or more springs 15 are provided at each side of the frame 10, the base, box springs and mattress when lowered being retained in lowered substantial horizontal position by a spring latching means 16.  
  The box spring and mattress adjacent the head end of the bed are of less length than the frame 10 and base 12 to provide a relatively deep recess 17 extending across the base 12 of the bed and in which is received an internally padded tray or receptacle 18 for loosely and shiftably receiving a concaved flexible or resilient pillow 19 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) having its ends elevated and cloth hinged to permit flexing at 21, 22 and 23 between slots for the ears at 24 and 25, and preferably alternate T-shaped slots or cut-outs at 26,26 for the nose, eyes and mouth and adjacent parts of the face with the cheeks contacting at 26a,26a when the occupant lies substantially flat on the stomach.  
  The slots 24 and 25 for the ears are spaced from a T- shaped slot 26 a distance sufficient that when the occupant turns over or moves to another position with an ear lowered, the lower ear is aligned with an ear slot 24 or 25. Thus, in any sleeping position of the head and body including sleeping on the back, the slots remain open permitting adequate air circulation.  
  The ends of the receptacle or tray 18 may be hinged and the tray is padded to protect the face, the pillow 19 being of less length transverse of the end of the bed than the width of the tray to permit adequate free shifting or sliding of the pillow as the occupant moves to another position of rest.  
  The bed is provided with a semi-circular bolster 27 of relatively soft flexible material adapted to be placed and adjusted under the ankle of the feet of the occupant as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6. Joined folds of strong sheeting or covering 28 of substantial width as shown, covers the mid-section of the occupant and is provided with opposite side reels 29,31 and 32 which are at the sides of the bed and detachably attached to the ends of the folds of the sheeting. The upper fold is detachably attached to its reel 32 and provides a turning fold 33 for automatically turning the body of the occupant, the lower fold 34 for turning and sliding movement of the body, and stitched along its width to the sliding lower sheet 34 is a depending sheet 35 attached to the reel 29. These reels are power-operated by a conventional universal motor 36 with suitable speed reduction and belts to reel in or reel out and to retain the reels in their adjusted position.  
  When the occupant enters the bed with the top fold 33 disconnected from its reel 32 and disposed at the opposite or left side of the bed facing from the foot (FIG. 7) and the occupant lies on the lower fold 34, this top fold or turning fold 33 will be lifted and drawn or placed across the body and affixed to its reel 32 for the purpose of turning the body as the occupant turns or moves from one position to another. Thus, the upper fold 33 is used strictly for turning and its lower fold upon which the occupant rests, used both for turning and sliding of the body. The sheet section 35 at the left side of FIG. 8 is attached to the turning fold 33 for sliding purposes in that direction.  
  The base 12 supporting the box spring and mattress 14 has pivotally mounted steel straps or plates 37, one at each side and at the foot end of the base for retaining the box spring and mattress on the base.  
  FIG. 9 shows an alternate form of flexible pillow 38 which is of cylindrical form having a large central opening 39 for receiving the head of the occupant and spaced slots or cut-outs, one 41 for alignment with the nose and mouth, and two slots or cut-outs 42,42 for alignment with the ears. A further alternate slot 41 may be provided as in the pillow 19 of FIG. 4. This pillow is adapted to be received in the recess 17 and/or tray 18 of the bed assembly and is freely pivoted therein for adjustment to the position occupied by the head.  
 I claim:  
  1. In a conventional bed assembly having a bed frame and a mattress and box spring therefor, the improvement comprising means for turning and shifting a body of an occupant to the various positions of sleep by the occupant including a strap of folded sheeting with one fold under the body and extending across the bed, and another fold joined to the first fold parallel to the edge of the bed and extending over the body, and reels at the edges of the bed to each of which an end of the sheeting is affixed for adjusting the position of the occupant.  
  2. In a bed assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sheeting has an upper turning fold placed across the body and a lower fold upon which the body rests, turns and slides when the reels are operated for shifting and moving the body to various positions of rest and sleep.  
  3. In a bed assembly having a bed frame and a mattress and box spring therefor, including means for turning and shifting a body to the various positions of sleep by an occupant, said turning means including a lower fold upon which the body rests and having a depending edge, a first reel at one side of the bed operatively connected to the depending edge, an upper turning fold over and joined to the lower fold and placed across the body and having a depending edge overlying the edge of the lower fold, a second reel parallel to and on the same side of the bed as the first reel and operatively connected to the depending edge of the upper fold, and a sheet connected along its width to the lower fold and depending at the opposite edge of the bed, and a third reel at the opposite side of the bed operatively connected to the last-mentioned depending sheet.  
  4. In a bed assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said reels are power-operated to reel in and out the sheet of material forming the folds.  
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