IP Library Granted Patent US 11,369,533
Granted Patent B2
US 11,369,533 · App. 16/883,676 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Bed assist bar and method of manufacturing the same

Inventors: Arun Kousik (Northbrook, IL); Joseph Ritter (Arlington Heights, IL); Frank Martorelli (Hoffman Estates, IL)
Assignee: Medline Industries, LP
A61G7/0533A47C21/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,369,533
App. No.
16/883,676
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bed assist bar includes an undercarriage and a mid-frame attached to the undercarriage. A handle bar is selectively pivotable, using a twist-lock mechanism sub-assembly, between a first position locking the handle bar in a substantially parallel orientation relative to the mid-frame and a second position locking the handle bar being in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to the mid-frame.

Claims (32)

1. A bed assist bar, comprising:

an undercarriage;

a mid-frame attached to the undercarriage;

a handle bar that is selectively pivotable when lifted between a first position locking the handle bar in a substantially parallel orientation relative to the mid-frame and a second position locking the handle bar being in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to the mid-frame; and

a twist-lock mechanism sub-assembly coupled between the handle bar and the mid-frame, the twist-lock mechanism sub-assembly comprising a rotating pin, an anchor insert, a spring, and a fastener, the anchor insert comprising an upper member defining a plurality of recesses and a lower member, the upper member and lower member further defining a central bore through the anchor insert, the rotating pin comprising a head having one or more pins and a shaft extending distally therefrom, wherein major axes of the one or more pins and the shaft are oriented in another substantially orthogonal orientation;

wherein:

the mid-frame is positioned between the undercarriage and the handle bar; and

the shaft of the rotating pin is situated within the central bore of the anchor insert with the spring biasing the head of the rotating pin toward the upper member of the anchor insert.

2. The bed assist bar of claim 1 , further comprising a covering attached to an upper support of the handle bar.

3. The bed assist bar of claim 2 , the covering comprising a sponge coating.

4. The bed assist bar of claim 2 , the covering comprising a rubber foam coating.

5. The bed assist bar of claim 2 , the covering comprising antimicrobial materials.

6. The bed assist bar of claim 5 , the mid-frame comprising one or more mid-frame extensions engaging one or more legs.

7. The bed assist bar of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pins are able to situate within recesses of the plurality of recesses in 90-degree increments.

8. The bed assist bar of claim 7 , the mid-frame comprising a first single stem extending therefrom, the handle bar comprising a second single stem extending therefrom and engaging the first single stem of the mid-frame, wherein the upper member of the twist-lock mechanism sub-assembly is situated within the second single stem and the lower member of the twist-lock mechanism sub-assembly is situated within the first single stem.

9. The bed assist bar of claim 8 , wherein translation of the handle bar away from the mid-frame releases the one or more pins from the recesses of the plurality of recesses, thereby allowing the handle bar to pivot relative to the mid-frame.

10. The bed assist bar of claim 2 , further comprising a storage pouch coupled to the handle bar.

11. The bed assist bar of claim 10 , further comprising one or more straps coupled to the bed assist bar.

12. A bed assist bar, comprising:

an undercarriage;

a handle bar;

a mid-frame coupled between the undercarriage and the handle bar; and

a twist-lock mechanism sub-assembly comprising a rotating pin comprising a head coupled to one of the handle bar or the mid-frame, and an anchor insert having a lower member coupled to another of the handle bar or the mid-frame, wherein the head is spring biased toward the anchor insert;

wherein the handle bar is selectively pivotable relative to the mid-frame about a vertical axis between a first locked position and a second locked position oriented substantially orthogonally with the first locked position.

13. The bed assist bar of claim 12 , the undercarriage comprising a first leg and a second leg, the mid-frame comprising a first mid-frame extension inserted into the first leg and a second mid-frame extension inserted into the second leg.

14. The bed assist bar of claim 13 , each leg of the first leg and the second leg defining a plurality of apertures.

15. The bed assist bar of claim 14 , further comprising visual indicia identifying a predefined height that an upper cross bar of the handle bar will extend above a mattress having a thickness identified by each indicium of the visual indicia.

16. The bed assist bar of claim 12 , the mid-frame comprising one or more legs having visual indicia included therealong.

17. The bed assist bar of claim 12 , the anchor insert further comprising an upper member defining one or more recesses, the rotating pin comprising one or more pins configured to situate within the one or more recesses in a rest position.

18. The bed assist bar of claim 17 , wherein translation of the rotating pin away from the anchor insert releases the one or more pins from the one or more recesses, thereby allowing the handle bar to selectively pivot relative to the mid-frame between the first locked position and the second locked position.

19. The bed assist bar of claim 12 , the undercarriage comprising a U-bar.

20. The bed assist bar of claim 12 , the undercarriage further comprising a cross bar.

Assignments (7)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 28, 2026
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075643/0462 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT DOCUMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 71677 FRAME 152. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Jul 23, 2025
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 072235/0868 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 20, 2025
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP F/K/A MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071672/0172 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 20, 2025
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 071677/0152 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 20, 2025
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 071808/0640 →
CONVERSION OF ENTITY FROM CORPORATION TO LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Recorded Oct 31, 2021
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, INC
To: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
Reel/Frame 057977/0436 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2020
From: RITTER, JOSEPH; MARTORELLI, FRANK; KOUSIK, ARUN
To: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 052753/0547 →
Cited By (1)
US 1,093,051