Convertible invalid bed

Claim 1

An invalid bed adapted to be converted into an upright commode seat comprising, three mattress supporting sections which include a rear head section, an intermediate seat section and a front foot section; said head section being connected at its front end to the rear end of the seat section for pivotal movement from a horizontal position to a position extending generally vertically upwardly from the rear end of the seat section, said foot section being connected at its rear end to the front end of the seat section for pivotal movement from a horizontal position to a position extending downwardly from the front end of the seat section in a substantially vertical plane, a rigid frame for said seat section having legs fixed to the front and rear ends thereof for supporting the seat section in a stable horizontal position at a predetermined height above the floor surface, a first pair of laterally spaced support legs pivotally connected at their upper ends adjacent the rear end of the head section, said last-mentioned legs when in upright position supporting the head section in horizontal alignment with the seat section and being pivotable from said upright position to a collapsed position underlying and nested against the underside of the head section when the head section is pivoted to said vertically upwardly extending position, a second pair of supporting legs pivotally connected at their upper ends adjacent the front end of the foot section, said second pair of legs when in an upright position supporting the foot section in horizontal alignment with the seat section and being pivotable from said upright position to a collapsed position underlying and nested against the underside of the foot section when the foot section is pivoted to said vertically downwardly extending position, said foot section having a length no greater than the length of the legs supporting the seat section to enable pivoting said foot section to said vertically downwardly extending position, said head and foot sections being of generally the same length and said seat section being of shorter length so that, when the head section is pivoted to said upwardly extending position and said foot section to said downwardly extending position, the head section forms a backrest for an invalid seated in an upright position on said seat section with his legs overhanging the front end of the seat section, said seat section having a commode opening therein disposed to generally underlie the buttocks of an invalid lying in the bed and said frame having means for supporting a receptacle directly below said opening, a closure member for said opening disposed on the underside of said seat section and slideable transversely thereof to open and close said opening, the pivot axis of said second pair of legs extending transversely of said foot section so that, when the foot section is pivoted to said downwardly extending position, the last-mentioned legs extend vertically upwardly from the lower front end of the foot section and including means for foreshortening the length of said second pair of legs to enable them to be pivoted to said collapsed position when the foot section is pivoted to said vertically downwardly extending position.