Patents Examined by Michael F. Trettel
  • Patent number: 6763535
    Abstract: A unitary pillow display appearing as different pillows of varying sizes, shapes, and textures. The single unitary pillow display appears formed of a number of individual and non-joined pillows, and mimics the contemporary decorating technique of stacking a plurality of different pillows on a furniture surface. Variations in the material of the pillow sham heighten the illusion by providing the possibility of radical differences in coverings of varying parts of the display. The sham may enclose the unitary display in a highly permanent manner, or it may have an opening, with optional closure means, to allow it to slip over the display. The display may have sleeping pillow recesses in the body of the display. The display may be provided with a wide variety of optional accessories, such as pockets and means for hanging storage of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventor: Charlene C. Mann
  • Patent number: 6754921
    Abstract: The Snug Tuck Pillow includes a long tubular pillow, a removable fabric cover, a long elastic strap, with male and female Velcro, and a buckle to receive the elastic strap. The pillow is inserted into a fabric cover opening and closed using Velcro strips. The pillow is then placed on the side of the top mattress. The pillow is then secured by running the long elastic strap under the top mattress and through the buckle at the other end of the pillow. The elastic is then pulled tight until the two Velcro strips on the elastic strap meet and are married. This holds the pillow firmly in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Inventor: Jeanne Lynn Gill-Barajas
  • Patent number: 6754923
    Abstract: A surgical table apparatus is provided for supporting a patient before, during, or after a surgical procedure. The surgical table apparatus includes a base and a table top. The table top includes a body support section adapted to support the body of a patient and a leg support section adapted to support the legs of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Borders, Mark Graham, David C. Newkirk, Gary S. Siegle
  • Patent number: 6754922
    Abstract: Motor-driven, adjustable supporting device for the upholstery of seating and/or reclining furniture, e.g. a mattress or a bed, has a first supporting part and at least a second supporting part for the support of a mattress over its surface. The first supporting part and the second supporting part are jointedly connected to one another and are pivotable relative to one another by a drive. The drive may have at least one electromotive drive which is disposed on the first supporting part in such a way that an output element of the drive is disposed between an upper limiting plane and a lower limiting plane of the first supporting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Cimosys AG
    Inventor: Eckhart Dewert
  • Patent number: 6742207
    Abstract: A contoured pillow includes a top, a bottom, a front, a back and opposite sides. The front slopes forwardly from bottom-to-top and changes laterally in depth from side-to-side for cradling and supporting the shoulder. A neck support extension projects upwardly from the top and front and provides enhanced neck support due to the sloping configuration of the front. The top includes a recess forming a face relief pocket, right and left jaw relief areas, right and left airways extending from the jaw relief areas to the sides and a cranial support ridge. The pillow is molded from memory foam with thermally responsive characteristic for shaping itself to a particular user in conjunction with the generally concave geometry designed to give way to a generally spherical facial structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Inventor: Thomas W. Brown
  • Patent number: 6739006
    Abstract: A surgical table apparatus is provided for supporting a patient before, during, or after a surgical procedure. The surgical table apparatus includes a base and a table top. The table top includes a body support section adapted to support the body of a patient and a head support section adapted to support the head of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Borders, Mark Graham, David C. Newkirk, Christian H. Reinke, Gary S. Siegle, Stephen R. Hamberg
  • Patent number: 6739002
    Abstract: A bedding system is provided which includes a mattress and a sheet, wherein the sheet is adjustably securable to the mattress using opposing hook and pile fastener strips. A continuous hook and pile fastener strip is affixed to the peripheral edge of the mattress and is engaged by sets of opposing hook and pile fastener strips affixed to the bed sheet. The hook and pile fastener strips releasably secure the bed sheet to the mattress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Inventor: Jaswant Singh Pannu
  • Patent number: 6738997
    Abstract: Innovative mechanism for a divan bed enabling the adjustment in three positions, said “divan”, “relax” and “bed”, comprising padding elements supported by two frames; said frames can reciprocally move by means of two angle-bars, concurrent in a point; one of said angle-bars supports the frame forming the seat of the divan bed and the second one supports the frame forming the back of the divan bed; moreover comprising an articulated quadrilateral which supports said second angle-bar. The mechanism is characterised in that the angle-bars constitute a release mechanism which enables the three positions, stable respect to the divan bed base, while the quadrilater stiffly moves the angle-bars in other three positions. Therefore, the main feature of the mechanism is the univocal positioning between the angle-bars and the quadrilateral elements, without any other additional element as, for example, stop elements like ratchet or pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Gruppo Industriale Styling SRL
    Inventor: Pino Patella
  • Patent number: 6735794
    Abstract: An ambulance stretcher having a wheeled base (11) supported by foldable leg assemblies (16, 17). Castors (313, 393) are provided on the leg assemblies for providing improved mobility of the stretcher. The front castors (313) are selectively locked by a locking mechanism (30) to either allow the castors to swivel or roll in a single direction. The locking mechanism is accessible on both sides of the stretcher. Activation of the locking mechanism on either side of the frame selectively locks or unlocks both front castors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher B. Way, Craig C. Mulder
  • Patent number: 6728985
    Abstract: An ambulatory assist arm apparatus for use with a patient support having a support surface and a frame includes a mounting bracket and a body. The mounting bracket is adapted for attachment to a first side of the frame when in a first position, and to a second side of the frame when in a second position. The body includes a first end defining a grip and a second end removably and pivotally connected to the mounting bracket by a pivot member for movement between a use position wherein the grip is positioned above the support surface when the mounting bracket is mounted in either the first or second positions, and a storage position wherein the grip is adjacent a first end of the frame when the mounting bracket is in either the first or second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason C. Brooke, Roger D. Dalton, Reza Hakamiun
  • Patent number: 6728979
    Abstract: A device for transferring medical patients from one table, bed, or gurney to another is disclosed. The device includes a slide board which is slid beneath the patient while the patient is on the gurney. The slide board is then connected to a winch which rests on a cart and can be activated in a controlled manner. The action of the winch pulling the slide board in a horizontal fashion makes the transfer of the patient simple and easy. The cart is designed to be mobile, but includes hooks for fixing the cart to the floor so that it may withstand the stress induced by the retraction of the winch cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Inventor: Byron Robert
  • Patent number: 6728981
    Abstract: A portable play enclosure area for use with interchangeable decorative theme covers converts a bed having removable bed rails into a play area. The portable play area upper enclosure has an upper structural frame defining a top area; a plurality of vertical bars having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end is coupled to the upper structural frame; and, a coupling mechanism for removably attaching the distal end of the plurality of vertical bars to the removable bed rails. The coupling mechanism enables the upper structural frame and plurality of vertical bars to be removed from the bed rails as a free standing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Inventor: Ray Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 6725479
    Abstract: A bed having a base, a pedestal oriented between a top side of the base and a patient support deck to facilitate elevational movement of the support deck. The patient support deck includes a seat section which includes a deck plate. A pair of laterally spaced support brackets are provided on the patient support deck. Coupling elements are supported on each of the support brackets. Separate patient supporting devices are configured to operatively connect to a selected one of the two coupling elements is provided. A guideway is provided on each of the support brackets, the guideway supporting a frame and having a track thereon. A receptacle is mounted on the track and for movement relative to the frame, the receptacle being stowable beneath the deck plate and deployable so that the receptacle is oriented immediately below the perineal edge of the seat section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Stryker, Mike Hernandez, Steve Smargiasso, William Bleeker, Jr., Jeff Lewandowski
  • Patent number: 6725475
    Abstract: A foldable mechanism for a seat of a playyard comprising a center seat pivotally connecting with a plurality of bars with pins; a stationary block having horizontal grooves and being fixed in the center seat; a movable block having inclined grooves; movable pins penetrating the horizontal grooves of the stationary block and inclined grooves of the movable block so as to restrict pivotally moving of the bars; and a resilient element being positioned between the stationary block and the movable block. When the movable block is pulled up, the movable pins in the inclined grooves of the movable block move toward center of the seat, so that restriction of pivotally rotation of the bars by the movable pins is removed, the bars are rotating vertically, the seat of the playyard is collapsed, and then the movable pins move back to the original positions by the recovery force of the resilient element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Inventor: Shun-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 6725474
    Abstract: A hospital bed is provided for support of a patient. The hospital bed may include a base, a movable patient support platform, and a foot rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Dale Foster, Ryan Anthony Reeder, John David Vogel
  • Patent number: 6721981
    Abstract: A body support apparatus, for example, a bed, includes a support surface defined by support members. Each support member is mounted for movement in a direction substantially normal to the support surface. Support members are so arranged that movement of any one of the support members in a direction substantially normal to the support surface and beyond a threshold distance relative to an adjacent support member causes movement in substantially the same direction of said adjacent support member. No movement of a support member is caused by the movement of an adjacent support member when the distance of relative movement is below the threshold distance. The support members are resiliently urged towards an unloaded position, by tension springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Inventors: Colin Jack Greenhalgh, Marlene Claire Greenhalgh
  • Patent number: 6721970
    Abstract: A baby bed has feet connected to lower ends of vertical supporting legs. Each of the feet has an upper fixed part, which is joined to corresponding leg when the baby bed is assembled in the factory, and a lower part, which is to be fitted to the upper part later by the user for the baby bed to be used. The upper part has elongated protrusions formed along the bottom, and the lower part has corresponding trenches on the top so that the lower part can be fitted to the upper part with the trenches being mounted onto the protrusions. All of the lower parts of the feet are placed in spare space of a packing box to save space in storage and transportation when the baby bed is folded and put in the box after assembling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Inventor: Pao-Hsien Cheng
  • Patent number: 6718578
    Abstract: A blanket providing enhanced ventilation and preventing a person from inadvertently removing the blanket from the person's body. The blanket includes a sheet of material having a reinforcing section embedded within a perimeter of the sheet of material. The reinforcing section may be a tube containing trapped air. In addition, the blanket may include supports connected to a collar section. The supports allow the blanket to be raised a specified distance above the person lying under the blanket. When the person releases the blanket, the blanket returns to its original position, lying over the person. The blanket may also includes several apertures allowing air to pass through the blanket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Inventor: Hongbiao Li
  • Patent number: 6718583
    Abstract: A fire retardant mattress, sofa cushion and pillow has a foam base which is covered by a fire barrier material. A ticking covers the fire barrier material. Sheets of these combined materials are formed into a top, a bottom and sidewalls for the mattress. The intersecting planar surfaces are formed as a flange which is sandwiched between a fire-retardant treated edge binding tape. The flange is sewn with a fire retardant thread to encapsulate the mattress with fire retardant components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Inventor: Vincent Diaz
  • Patent number: 6718574
    Abstract: A pneumatically supported bunk assembly is dynamically leveled using compressed air provided by the vehicle. Level sensors determine deviation from the horizontal. Extension sensors associated with the pneumatic cylinders prevent over or under extension of the pneumatic cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: James C. Bradley, Rodney J. Klinger, Joseph Thaddeus Tiglao Penaloza