The present invention relates to foot rests for beds. The invention finds particular, although not exclusive use in relation to beds which are to be occupied for substantial periods both day and night, for example in the home and in hospitals, nursing homes and the like.

Hospital beds for example are typically required to accommodate patients throughout the day and night. Thus the beds should be comfortable for the patient when in a horizontal sleeping position at night and also when in a sitting position during the daytime.

Some beds may be adaptable to suit the requirements of different patients, by provision of adjustable, tiltable headboards or pillow supports. Alternatively an adjustable section of the base frame of the bed may be provided, which section may be vertically raised or lowered to effect tilting of the upper end of the bed. This is so that the bed may be adapted to support the upper body of a patient in a comfortable position, whether lying horizontally or sitting upright or somewhere intermediate the two positions.

We have found that difficulties arise for patients, particularly when they are sitting in bed with their upper body raised from the horizontal, in that, under the influence of their own body weight, the patients slip or slide down the bed into a less comfortable position. For those patients who have a weakness in their upper body (for example if recovering from cardiac surgery or the like), they are frequently unable to use their arms to raise and push themselves up the bed to resume their comfortable position. As a result, they rely on nurses to physically lift them and re-position them on the bed.

Adjustable foot rests are known which provide a means for limiting the effective length of a bed and thereby limiting the extent to which a patient may move or slip down the bed. Examples of telescopically adjustable foot rests are known from, in particular, GB 669540 and GB-A-2114880. Also, GB-A- 2231492 discloses an adjustable foot brace which is releasably mountable to a bed. The brace includes an upright padded foot rest member which will extend across part of the width of a bed and which is detachably connected to a bed fixing member. This detachable connection is made by means of two or more rods on one member which interpenetrate two or more corresponding rods on another member in telescopic fashion. The rods on one member may be releasably secured to rods on the other member, thus allowing for length adjustment in use. The padded foot rest member is intended to act as a soft buffer to prevent the patient slipping down the bed.

One of the advantages of the proposal of GB-A-2231492 is stated to reside in the use of a foot rest member which does not occupy the full width of the bed. This feature enables a patient to place his/her feet clear of the sides of the foot rest member and so lie down in the bed even when the foot rest is present. However, it can be expected that problems will arise with such foot rests. For example, use of a soft padded foot rest member has disadvantages in that they are prone to soiling, particularly when used for incontinent patients. In addition, there are likely to be problems in manufacturing such devices, particularly in ensuring that all telescopic components are correctly aligned for subsequent interengagement.

An alternative adjustable foot rest, which again also occupies only part of the width of a bed, is disclosed in GB- A-2208198. In this example, the foot rest comprises a framework.having a length adjustment mechanism and adapted for attachment to a frame in a hospital bed. A footplate is pivotally mounted on the framework. However, it can be expected that again difficulties may arise in manufacturing

such foot rests, particularly with regards to the pivotal mechanism.

The present invention seeks to provide an alternative foot rest which may be convenient to use and manufacture.

It is also considered that many prior foot rests can be uncomfortable to use since they force the occupant of the bed to adapt an unnatural postion, with both feet bolt upright. With this problem in mind, and based on a detailed study of the relevant ergonomics the invention also aims to provide foot rests which are comfortable for a patient to use.

Accordingly, in a broad aspect, the invention provides a foot rest for association with a bed to assist an occupant of the bed in adjusting or maintaining his/her position on the bed, said foot rest including one or more support members which in use extend above the top surface of the bed and inclined towards the foot of the bed, means for releasably securing a member in a desired position with respect to the bed and means for adjusting the position of the member relative to the longitudinal extent of the bed to thereby limit to the effective length of the bed, wherein the foot support member has a contoured surface for accommodating one or both of the occupant's feet by including depressions for receiving the heel and sole of the foot and a protrusion for the instep.

In this respect, the foot support member is suitably contoured to include a well, having the protrusions and depression as aforesaid, which may accommodate a foot or both feet.. Such contouring has been found to be particularly advantageous in terms of comfort for the occupant. Preferably, if the support member is adapted to support both of the occupant's feet, it includes one well, or perhaps one for each foot, having a general outline corresponding substantially to the shape of the feet. In particularly preferred embodiments the well(s) is/are arranged so as to

accommodate feet in a position slightly splayed apart, rather than both bolt upright.

It is also preferable for the foot support member to be inclined to the vertical at an angle of between about 60° and 80° with respect to the surface of the bed and tilting away from the occupant, when in use. Particularly preferred from an ergonomic point of view are foot support members adapted to accommodate two feet and inclined at an angle of between about 65° and 75°, most preferably about 70° with respect to the horizontal. In this respect we have found it to be a particularly serious disadvantage of prior proposals that they include foot supports which extend generally perpendicular to the bed. Use of such foot supports can strain muscles in the lower leg because it forces the feet to adopt an unnatural position.

In particularly preferred embodiments a foot support member is at least particularly moulded from a plastic material. This is advantageous from a manufacturing point of view in that the appropriate contouring can be readily provided by the moulding technique. It is also most advantageous from a hygiene point of view. Plastic materials can be expected to be easier to clean and also they are relatively non-porous and so less likely to absorb liquid spillages which can cause soiling. This is a considerable advantage over prior proposals which included padded cushions as foot supports and were unsuitable for use by incontinent people.

A further advantage of using moulded plastics for the foot support member is that the plastic composition may be adapted to include fire retardants or other useful additives.

Preferably, a plastics material is chosen which has some flexibility and so provides a resilient or springy surface for the occupant's feet. An example of a preferred plastic is polyurethane. The resiliency provides a degree of comfort for

the occupant. The polyurethane may suitably be moulded over a strong plywood panel.

Any such foot support member is preferably mounted on a single support strut which will extend along the bed and act between the member and the means for securing the member to the bed. This is desirable from the point of view of ease of manufacture.

In use, the foot support member is required to be releasably securable in desired positions so that, in use, it is capable of withstanding application of pressure thereto by an occupant of the bed without undesirable displacement of the member along the longitudinal extent of the bed. In this way the member will provide support for the occupant as he/she adjusts their position on the bed.

The foot rest will typically be arranged so that the foot support member is positioned in the lower half of the longitudinal extent of the bed, i.e. arranged to be between that part of the bed which is to be occupied and the foot of the bed. Such a foot rest is of particular advantage to occupants having upper body weaknesses, such as previously discussed. In use, to adjust their position in the bed, the occupants need only press against the foot support member with their feet and thereby push themselves back up towards the head of the bed. Thus they may avoid using their arms (which lack strength) to support their body weight as they adjust their position on the top surface of the bed.

For some embodiments it is particularly preferred that the means for securing the foot support member in a desired position relative to the bed be readily releasable in case of an emergency.

In this regard, it is desirable to releasably secure the member to or around the frame of the bed, although with safety precautions in mind it is desirable that the securing means be

readily releasable. In this case the means are preferably of receiver type such as channelled or the like, adaptable to engage with part of a bed frame, preferably slidably movable therealong and suitably engageable with the frame at or towards the foot of the bed.

As regards the means for adjusting the position of the foot support member with respect to the longitudinal extent of the bed, preferably the foot rest includes only a single adjustment means. This is advantageous in that it simplifies use and usually also manufacture of the foot rest. Most preferably the foot rest includes a single telescopically extensible and retractable linkage which acts between the foot support member and the means for releasably securing the member with respect to the bed. Preferably, for ease of manufacture and use, one telescopic linkage is provided per foot support member.

Suitably, the or each telescopic linkage will have associated locking means for securing the linkage in a desired configuration. Preferably such locking means are readily releasable. In preferred embodiments the locking means will be actuable using one hand, since this leaves another hand free to adjust the telescopic linkage. Most preferably the locking means are biassed towards a locking position. Preferred example locking means include a spring loaded catch, suitably arranged to engage on matching apertures in the telescopic components.

Advantageously the telescopic linkage comprises a first frame member (associated with either the securing means or the foot support member) and a second frame member slidably mounted therein. Preferably the locking means comprises an engager associated with either the first or second frame member and a receiver associates with the other frame member. Preferably the receiver comprises a series of spaced apertures in either one of said first or said second member. Alternative preferred embodiments include an elongate channel

is the first or second frame member. Ease of actuation of the locking means is improved by aperturing or recessing only one frame member, rather than employing a locking means which required co-alignment of two series of holes.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention, a foot rest is provided which includes two foot support members, each one adapted to accommodate one foot. Such embodiments are particularly useful in providing support for pregnant women during childbirth. For such applications it is desirable that the foot support members be inclined at a greater angle, suitably between about 40 and 50° and preferably about 45° with respect to the horizontal. It is also particularly preferable for the positioning of the foot rest support members to be adjustable independently.

In other preferred embodiments, the apparatus is adapted to engage with a base of a divan-style bed. This arrangement is particularly suitable for use in the home. In this regard, the apparatus is preferably provided with means for engaging with the head of the bed base and most preferably makes use of the headboard attachment means (typically screws) already provided for most divan beds.

In such embodiments, the support member is preferably secured to the bed base through one or more elongate cords or strips of flexible material which suitably extend substantially along the length of the bed. Preferably the length of any such cords or strips is adjustable, suitably by provision of toggle clamps or the like thereby to allow the support member to be presented at various positions along the length of the bed. For reasons of hygiene it is also preferred that a non-porous flexible material be employed. Preferred examples of waterproof materials involved plastics, such as ropes of nylon or coated therewith.

In particularly preferred divan style embodiments a releasable connection is provided between the foot support

member and the elongate strip(s), or other means for adjusting the position of the member. In this way the member may be located in a desired position during the day, whilst the bed occupant will be sitting upright, and removed for storage at night. The strips may also be tucked away under the mattress or base, for example. When required for use again, the foot support member and strips may be engaged again to present the foot support member at the desired position on the bed, without the need for re-adjustment of the elongate strips. Suitably a foot support member is presented generally centrally of the transverse extent of the bed, to increase its accessibility to the occupant.

Also, for reasons of comfort it may be desirable for the member to be capable of some resilient displacement, such as pivoting or the like. In this way, the member may also provide a means for exercising the occupants limbs to assist in preventing cramp. The support member , or at least the surface which is to receive pressure from the occupant's body may be arranged to be pivotally movable about an axis generally transverse to the longitudinal extent of the bed. However, fixed inclined foot support members are preferred from the point of view of ease of manufacture.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front and side of an example foot rest associated with a bed;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a first alternative foot rest;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear of a second alternative foot rest;

Figures 4 illustrates a further alternative which

comprises two foot support members; and

Figures 5A and 5B illustrate alternative foot rests for association with a divan style bed;

Turning firstly to Figure 1, the foot rest comprises a single telescopic linkage 34 having a moulded foot support member mounted thereon. In the illustrated embodiment the foot support member 3 is moulded from polyurethane and has a contoured face 4 adapted to receive the feet of the occupant of the bed. The contours provide two wells which comfortably accept the feet when slightly splayed apart. Each well has depressions to receive the heel and sole of a foot and a protrusion for the instep. The foot support member 3 is also inclined at an angle of about 70° with respect to the top surface of the bed.

As regards the telescopic linkage 34, in more detail this includes a first frame member 36 for mounting onto the frame at the foot 44 of the bed, and slidably mounted within a second hollow frame member 37 which also acts as the single support strut for the foot support member 3. The first frame member 36 includes means for releasably securing the foot support member 3 to the bed, comprising a channel sectioned projection 36' for receiving a section of the bed frame 44 at the foot of the bed. Telescopic extension/retraction of the two frame members 36 and 37 provides a means for adjusting, the position of the foot support member 3 relative to the longitudinal extent of the bed.

Locking means 39, 40, 40' are provided for securing the foot support member 3 at a selected position on the bed and thus for preventing inadvertent longitudinal displacement of the frame members 36, 37 and thus the foot support member 3. The locking means are of engager/receiver type, comprising a spring loaded peg 39 for passage through apertures 40, 40' in the respective stand parts 37, 36.

Thus, in use, frame member 36 is secured to the bed frame 44 by engagement with channel projection 36'. Peg 39 is raised out of engagement with apertures 40, 40' and second frame member 37 is extended relative to 36 until the foot support member 3 is at a desired position on the top surface of the bed. Peg 39 is released and retracts through apertures 40, 40' to prevent inadvertant longitudinal displacement of the foot support member 3 upon application of pressure thereto. This foot rest 1 has particular advantages in that the adjustment means (34, 39, 40, 40') is very quick and simple to use, as compared with previous proposals, because the position of the foot support member 3 may be adjusted in a single operation. Also, this foot rest 1 has the advantage that it is readily releasable from the bed frame 44, by raising frame member 36 to release channel sectioned projection 36' from the frame 44, and thus need not hinder removal of the mattress and patient from the bed in an emergency. Previous foot rests which had to be clamped to the bed frame had disadvantages in this regard.

-The foot rest illustrated in Figure 1 is particularly suitable for use with beds which have a frame part which is generally aligned with the mattress. Figure 2 shows a modification suitable for use with alternative beds. In this case, an extension 26 is associated with foot rest frame member 36 and carries the channelled projection 36' for attachment to the bed. By appropriate choice of size/orientation of extension 26 the foot rest may be adapted to fit a wide variety of beds currently available.

Turning now to Figure 3, this shows another variation for the means for adjusting the position of the member relative to the longitudinal extent of the bed. In the illustrated apparatus 81, the member comprises a moulded foot support member 3 and the mounting means comprises, a channel-sectioned bar 36',_ as before. In this case the foot support member 3 is secured to a single support strut comprising hollow tubular frame member 87 and the mounting means to a reduced diameter

tubular frame member 86 which is a sliding fit within frame member 87. A channel 85 is provided substantially along the length of frame member 86 and a locking means 88 is screw threadedly connected to member 87.

In use, telescopic extension and retraction of frame members 86, 87 may be effected to adjust the position of the foot support member 3 with respect to the longitudinal extent of the bed. Once in the desired position, the locking member 88 may be screwed into frame member 87 to be accommodated in channel 85 and thereby clamp the two frame members 86,87 in the desired position with respect to one another. This arrangement is particularly advantageous since it allows fine and almost continuous adjustment of the position of the padded board, in comparison to the stepwise adjustment which can be achieved using the Fig. 1 and 2 embodiments, for example.

Turning now to Figure 4 this shows an alternative embodiment, which includes two foot support members 53 and 53'. Each foot support member 53, 53' is moulded of polyurethane and contoured to comfortably accommodate a foot. In addition, in each case the foot support members 53, 53' are inclined at an angle of about 45°. However, they could each independently be inclined to different degrees. The foot support members 53, 53' are also mounted to respective telescopic linkages 54, 54' of the type described above. Clearly, as discussed with respect to Figures 1 and 2, the Figure 4 embodiment may be modified so as to be securable to a bed frame member which is aligned with the mattress.

In use, the foot support members 53, 53' may be placed at various locations along the length of the bed, to provide support for the feet of pregnant women during childbirth.

Turning to Figure 5A this shows an alternative embodiment for use with a divan style bed and thus suitable for in the home. The apparatus comprises a moulded support member 113 mounted on a T shaped base 121 which includes a single support

strut 119. At each free end, the base has channel sectioned receivers 122.

The support member 113 is secured to the headboard screws 116 on the divan base by a flexible strip of material which comprises a nylon coated cord 114. Length adjustment of the cord 114 is provided by toggle 118. The cord 114 has loops 124 to engage channels 122 of the T shaped base 122 for the support member 113 (see Figure 5B).

In use, the support member 113 will be presented at the lower end of the bed 61, on mattress 54 and on top of under blankets and sheets. The length of cord 114 will be adjusted via toggle 118, and loops 124 engaged with channels 122 to present the support member 113 at the desired position on the bed 6 so that it can provide a foot rest for the occupant of the bed. The apparatus will then be covered over with sheets and overblankets as desired.

When the occupant of the bed wishes to lie substantially flat,on the bed (e.g. at night), the T shaped base 122 may be disengaged from loops 124 in cord 114 for storage. The cord 114 may also be rolled up and tucked under the mattress 54, out of the way.

This embodiment is particularly useful because it is of relatively simple construction.

It will be appreciated that various modifications to the -illustrated embodiments are possible. As regards the foot support member(s), this could be made from latex or other rubber compounds. Harder support member(s) are obtainable by injection moulding or vacuum forming a variety of plastics compounds, such as polypropylene.