Patient repositioning system for bariatric bed

1. A patient repositioning system comprising:

a mattress having a head end and a foot end and an upper surface;

a sheet residing on the upper surface;

a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the sheet and adapted to pull the sheet toward the head end, thereby to reposition a patient supported on the mattress;

a housing holding the drive mechanism; and

the mattress further comprising a body portion and at least one side bolster operatively coupled along one longitudinal side of the body portion, thereby to widen the upper surface of the mattress so as to accommodate bariatric dimensions,

wherein the mattress body portion comprises at least one row of one or more retainers substantially covered by the operatively coupled side bolster, and

wherein the operatively coupled side bolster comprises voids located on a vertically oriented inner surface thereof which abuts against the adjacently located mattress body portion, the voids corresponding to a like number of retainers on the abutting surface of the mattress body portion, whereby the voids facilitate proper positioning and alignment of the side bolster.

2. The patient repositioning system of claim 1 and further comprising a user interface operatively coupled to the drive mechanism.

3. The patient repositioning system of claim 1 wherein the operatively coupled side bolster further comprises at least one row of one or more retainers adapted to retain a corresponding side edge of the sheet.

4. The patient repositioning system of claim 1 wherein the operatively coupled side bolster comprises a firmer head end section to limit the compressibility of the bolster and to facilitate guiding the sheet into the drive mechanism.

5. A patient repositioning system comprising:

a mattress having a head end and a foot end and an upper surface;

a sheet residing on the upper surface, the mattress and the sheet sized to accommodate a bariatric bed; and

a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the sheet and adapted to pull the sheet toward the head end, thereby to reposition a patient supported on the mattress, the drive mechanism having a dimension less than the width of the mattress;

a housing holding the drive mechanism and also having a dimension less than the width of the mattress; and

a pair of transition pieces located adjacent the head end of the mattress and on opposite sides of the housing, thereby to facilitate pulling the sheet into the housing during repositioning,

wherein the transition pieces comprise a pair of wings adapted to be pulled outwardly from or pushed inwardly toward the mattress.

6. The patient repositioning system of claim 5 wherein the transition pieces comprise a pair of pivoting ledges which hold a pair of corresponding mattress sections.

7. A patient repositioning system comprising:

a mattress having a head end and a foot end and an upper surface;

a sheet residing on the upper surface;

a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the sheet and adapted to pull the sheet toward the head end, thereby to reposition a patient supported on the mattress; and

a housing holding the drive mechanism, wherein the housing has a widthwise dimension that is substantially the same as the width of a bariatric bed frame so as to accommodate patient repositioning relative to the bariatric bed frame when the housing is held in a repositioning position with respect thereto, the housing being rotatable with respect to a vertical axis from the repositioning position so as to enable passage through a conventional sized doorway.

8. The patient repositioning system of claim 7 wherein the widthwise dimension of the housing is greater than 36 inches.

9. A patient repositioning system for a bariatric bed comprising:

a mattress having a head end and a foot end and an upper surface;

a sheet residing on the surface, the mattress and the sheet sized to accommodate a bariatric bed;

a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the sheet and adapted to pull the sheet toward the head end, thereby to reposition a patient supported on the mattress toward the head end; and

a housing holding the drive mechanism, wherein the housing expands in dimension to a bariatric dimension so as to accommodate the widthwise dimension of the bariatric mattress and sheet, for bariatric repositioning of the patient, and the housing also contracts to a dimension that is less than the bariatric dimension so as to accommodate passage through a standard size doorway.

10. The patient repositioning system of claim 9 wherein the housing includes at least one vertical sidewall that slides outwardly to expand/contract the housing when deployed/moved.

11. The patient repositioning system of claim 9 wherein the housing affirmatively locks in place when expanded to the bariatric dimension.

12. The patient repositioning system of claim 9 wherein the housing comprises slideable sections with overlapping surfaces that permit the housing to be telescopically expanded and contracted in a manner which contains the internal volume of the housing.

13. The patient repositioning system of claim 9 wherein the drive mechanism comprises slideable pieces with overlapping surfaces that permit the drive mechanism to be telescopically expanded and contracted.

14. The patient repositioning system of claim 13 wherein the slideable pieces positively lock in place when deployed.

15. The patient repositioning system of claim 9 and further comprising a bed, and a mechanism to widen and narrow an upper surface of the bed so as to accommodate a bariatric dimension.

16. The patient repositioning system of claim 15 wherein the mechanism also expands and contracts the widthwise dimension of the housing.

17. The patient repositioning system of claim 16 wherein the mechanism also expands and contracts the widthwise dimension of the drive mechanism.