U.S. patent number 3,665,528 [Application Number 05/058,770] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-30 for adjustable bed.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Trioteam A/S. Invention is credited to Bent I. Kjellberg, Finn Andre Kjellberg, Svend E. N. Lemvig.
United States Patent |
3,665,528 |
Kjellberg , et al. |
May 30, 1972 |
ADJUSTABLE BED
Abstract
The invention relates to an adjustable bed having a bottom
resting upon a tripartite, hinged frame, and being provided with
means for adjusting the bottom from a neutral, horizontal position
to an oblique position with the foot end elevated, and to a folded
position, wherein the back-supporting part is oblique or vertical,
the two other parts forming a reversed V, the adjustment means
being designed so as to be operated by a single mechanism
maneuvered by the person occupying the bed.
Inventors: |
Kjellberg; Finn Andre (Ronne,
DK), Lemvig; Svend E. N. (Ronne, DK),
Kjellberg; Bent I. (Ronne, DK) |
Assignee: |
Trioteam A/S (Ronne,
DK)
|
Family
ID: |
8130704 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/058,770 |
Filed: |
July 28, 1970 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/618 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
20/041 (20130101); A47C 20/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
20/08 (20060101); A47C 20/00 (20060101); A47c
003/32 (); A61g 007/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;5/63,66-69 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nunberg; Casmir A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An adjustable bed comprising:
A. a base;
B. a tripartite articulated frame including:
1. a back part;
2. an intermediate seat part;
3. a leg supporting part;
C. a fixed pivot support for said back part pivotally supporting
said back part proximate the end thereof adjacent said seat
part;
D. an elongate back part adjustment plate pivotally mounted at an
end thereof to said base, and including;
1. spaced back part support engaging and supporting means remote
from the pivoted end selectively engageable with said back part on
pivoting of said plate to different angular positions to pivot said
back part about said fixed support;
E. a lever arm constituting a rigid extension of said back part
beyond said pivot therefor, and being pivotally connected at the
end thereof with said seat part;
F. a seat part support member spaced inwardly from the pivotally
connected end thereof and selectively engageable with said seat
part;
G. an elongate leg part adjustment plate pivotally mounted at an
end thereof to said base, and including:
1. a spaced leg part engaging and supporting means remote from the
pivoted end engaged with said leg part and operable on pivoting in
one direction to selectively angularly conjointly pivot said back
part, said seat part and said leg support part in alignment about
said back part fixed pivot support, and in the opposite direction
angularly dispose said back part, said seat part and said leg
support part with respect to one another.
2. An adjustable bed as claimed in claim 1, said seat part support
member being horizontally adjustable for varying angular
disposition of the seat part.
3. An adjustable bed as claimed in claim 1, and arms connected
respectively to proximate ends of said seat and leg parts
converging downwardly towards one another, a pin proximate the
lower end of one said arm, an arcuate slot proximate the lower end
of the other said arm, said pin engaging in said slot and
conjointly therewith defining pivotal movement between said seat
and leg parts.
4. An adjustable bed as claimed in claim 1, said adjustment plates
being triangular shaped with one side substantially shorter that
the other two sides, said plates being pivotally secured to said
base at one vertex at the short side, and draw means attached
proximate the other vertex of the short side operable for pivoting
the plates for adjustment of the bed parts.
5. An adjustable bed as claimed in claim 1, said adjustment plates
having arcuate segment shaped means thereon, said draw means
passing thereover, and constituting an unwinding curve for said
draw means.
6. An adjustable bed as claimed in claim 5, a movable cross bar, a
reversibly rotatable spindle and nut assembly for moving said cross
bar, said draw means including cables attached to said cross bar
and said plates whereby upon movement of said cross bar said plates
are rotated for selected movement of said bed parts conjointly.
Description
This invention relates to an adjustable bed of the kind having a
bottom which, preferably infinitely variable, may be adjusted to a
substantially flat horizontal position, called the neutral
position, to a substantially flat extreme position with the foot
elevated, the so-called Trendelenburg position, and to an extreme
position, wherein the back-supporting part, in the following
referred to as the back part, is raised to an oblique or vertical
position, the remainder of the bottom being folded to support the
legs and the tendons of the knees, by the buttocks-supporting part,
in the following referred to as the seat part, being in an
inclining position, and the leg-supporting part being in a
declining position, intermediates between the said positions also
being possible. The bottom, which may be in one flexible piece or
in three pieces, which may be hinged together, rests upon a
longitudinally tripartite frame with hinged connections between the
parts to make it foldable on transverse axes, and has manually or
motor-driven members effecting the adjustment into the various
positions.
In known types of beds of the said kind, which are used e.g. in
hospitals, rest homes, sanatoria, and nursing homes, several
different adjustment members have to be operated to bring the bed
into one of the desired positions, and as a rule this cannot be
done by the person in the bed, since in practise the members to be
operated have to be placed on the outer bedside at a level with or
below the bed bottom, or on a special panel at the bedside.
The object of the invention is to provide a bed of the said kind,
in which the adjustments are made by a single mechanism controlled
by only one maneuvering member.
With this object in view, the bed of the invention is characterized
in that the back part of the tripartite frame is pivotally, but
immovably connected, by means of a joint, with a rigid supporting
frame or a supporting member connected to the frame at or near its
joint with the seat part, the frame also being movably supported by
one or two supporting members on an adjustment member pivotally
connected with the frame, and that the seat part is pivotally
connected with the back part through a short lever, and loosely
supported by a member being secured to the supporting frame,
whereas the leg-supporting part is supported by a supporting member
on an adjustment member also pivotally secured to the supporting
frame, members being provided, which are adapted for exerting a
pull to turn one of the adjustment members at a time.
In the neutral position, the tripartite frame is thus supported at
five places on each side, viz. at two places of the back part by
the adjustment member adjacent the head of the bed, by a supporting
member secured to the rigid supporting frame near the joint between
the back part and the seat part, by a supporting member at the
middle of the seat part, and by a supporting member on the
adjustment member acting upon the leg-supporting part. Since the
adjustment to the various positions of the bed bottom is effected
by pivoting the adjustment members only at one end at a time, all
movements can be performed by a single mechanism, the operation of
which brings the bed smoothly and continuously moving from one
position to another.
In an embodiment of the bed of the invention, the supporting member
for the seat part is adjustably secured to the rigid frame. This
makes it possible to adjust the angle formed by the seat part and
the leg-supporting part in the folded position, when the back part
is raised to a vertical or oblique position.
In a further embodiment, the seat part and the leg-supporting part
of the tripartite bottom adjacent to their joint have furnishings
converging downwards towards one another and having near the bottom
ends a pin on one furnishing engaging an arched slot in the other.
This limits the pivoting at the joint so that the two parts remain
flush when the foot is elevated from neutral to the Trendelenburg
position, and generally strengthens the construction.
The adjustment members are preferably of triangular shape, one side
of the triangle being substantially shorter than the two others,
and being pivotally secured to the rigid supporting frame at one
vertex at the short side, whereas the pulling members are secured
neat the other vertex at the short side. This allows for a very
simple fastening of the draw bar or chains acting upon the
adjustment members, while still utilizing the pulling force to
almost its full extent, when the adjustment members are mounted to
pivot so that the short side of the triangle oscillates about a
vertical position.
In a preferred embodiment, the adjustment member acting upon the
back part of the bed bottom, and possibly also the adjustment
member acting upon the leg-supporting part, has a furnishing of
approximately shape as a sector of a circle, the arched side of
which furnishing makes an unwinding curve for the pulling member.
This allows for maximum utilization of the pulling force at all
positions of the adjustment member acted upon.
The adjustment movements are preferably made by means of a
reversible electromotor, the transmission of force taking place
e.g. by means of spindles, racks or chain drives. In an appropriate
embodiment of the bed of the invention, the pull activating the
adjustment members is established by means of a cross-bar through
openings in the ends of which the pulling members are loosely
carried, and secured by nut, split pin or the like member, the
cross-bar being movable by means of a nut connection cooperating
with a reversibly rotatable spindle. This gives a simple
manipulation of the adjustment members, since a movement of the
cross-bar to one side from a central position brings the bed in
Trendelenburg position and to the other side in the folded
position. Reversing of the motor, and thus of the spindle acting
upon the cross-bar, may be accomplished by means of switches, which
are acted upon by the cross-bar in its extreme positions, or in
other known manner, so that the only action needed for bringing the
bed into the desired position is working a switch to start the
motor, and to turn it off when the desired position is
established.
Similar conditions, as when a motor is used, are in evidence, if
the adjustment of the bed into the various positions is performed
manually. Then, a turning movement of a hand-wheel is transmitted
e.g. by a worm gear to the spindle as stated.
In the following, an embodiment of the bed of the invention will be
more specifically described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, wherein
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the bed in the said neutral position,
however, with all members removed, which are not of direct
importance for understanding the invention,
FIG. 2 is a similar view of the bed in the so-called Trendelenburg
position, i.e. with the foot of the bed elevated relatively to the
head,
FIG. 3 is a similar view of the bed in the opposite extreme
position with the back part in a steeply sloped position, and the
remaining parts in a folded position for supporting the tendons of
the knees, the legs, and the buttocks, and
FIG. 4 is a bottom side view of the bed.
To carry the (not shown) bottom of the bed, the bed of the
invention has a frame consisting of three parts, a back part 10, a
seat part 12, and a leg-supporting part 14. The said three parts of
the frame may be made from L-girders of iron or other metal, or
from other girders, and they may be designed as three rectangular
frames, possibly each of these may be fitted with, or be in one
piece with a rigid bottom, so that these three bottoms constitute
the total bed bottom. Surrounding the frame 10,12,14, side boards
and gables (not shown) for the bed may be arranged, and legs or
other carrying members, possibly with wheels, may be provided.
The girders bordering the back part 10 each has an extension 16,
which, as will be explained later, forms a small lever being
rigidly mounted upon, or in one piece with the said girders to make
the latter rigid throughout from the head part 18 of the frame to
the extreme end of the extensions 16. By means of joints 20,
preferably consisting of a pivot at each side of the frame, but
possibly a through-going axle, the extensions 16 are pivotally
connected with the girders bordering the seat part 12. Thus, the
back part and seat part are mutually pivotal at this location
around an axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the
bed.
The girders bordering the seat part 12 of the frame are pivotally
connected by means of joints 22, which are preferably pivots at
either side of the frame, but may be a through-going axle, with the
girders bordering the leg-supporting part of the frame. Thus, the
latter and the seat part are mutually pivotal at this location
around an axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the bed.
In the connection formed by the joints 22, a limiting member for
the pivoting is provided. This limiting member may be designed in
several different ways and placed on one or both sides, or between
the sides of the frame. Preferably, the limiting member is secured
to the respective side girders at both sides of the frame. In the
shown embodiment, the limiting member consists of furnishings 24
and 26 which are secured to the side girders of the seat part 12
and the leg-supporting part 14, respectively. The furnishings 24,26
extend below the frame and overlap one another here. One furnishing
has an arched slot 28, and the other a pin 30, engaging and being
movable in the slot 28. When the frame is in the neutral position
shown in FIG. 1, or in the extreme position shown in FIG. 2
(extreme Trendelenburg position), the pin 30 is in one extreme
position (in the shown orientation the extreme left position) in
the slot 28. The member 24,26,28,30 thus prevents a turning upwards
of the leg-supporting part 14 relatively to the seat part 12, thus
ensuring that the said two parts are in aligned extension of one
another, and preventing them from forming an angle with
down-pointing vertex. In the extreme position shown in FIG. 3,
corresponding to the seated position of a person in the bed, the
pin 30 is at the opposite (in the shown orientation the extreme
right) end of the slot 28, and the member 24,26,28,30 thus
prevents, in the shown embodiment, the angle between the seat part
and the leg-supporting part from becoming greater than
corresponding to the length of the slot, in the shown length thus
greater than shown in FIG. 3. By the angle between the two parts
should always be understood the angle between one of the two and an
extension of the other, as distinguished in FIG. 3 by the angle
.alpha.; the angle .alpha. thus is 0.degree. when the bed is in the
positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in intermediate positions. It
takes a value between 0.degree. and the maximum value, for instance
30.degree., in an intermediate position between the neutral
position shown in FIG. 1 and the extreme position shown in FIG. 3.
It is not, however, necessary to limit this extreme position by
means of the slot 28, since the limitation can also be made by
means of cams cooperating with fixed stops.
By means of various members to be described later, the frame
10,12,14 is supported by a supporting frame 40. This can, for
instance, be in the form of a lengthy, comparatively wide plate at
each side of the bed, said plates being interconnected by angle
bars, rods or in other manner. The supporting frame 40 is shorter
than the frame 10,12,14, extending beyond the ends of the
supporting frame, and the latter may repose upon the floor or be
provided with facings, legs, or wheels reposing on the floor.
In the shown embodiment, the supporting frame 40 carries an upwards
projecting furnishing 42 being provided at the top with a pin 44
cooperating with a pivot bearing in a rigid furnishing 46 secured
to a side girder of the back part 10. The pin may also be on the
furnishing 46, and the pivot bearing in the furnishing 42, and the
resulting hinged connection may, if desired, take the form of an
axle extending from one side of the back part 10 to the other.
Deciding is that a joint is provided at this place between the
frame 10,12,14 as a whole on one hand, and the rigid supporting
frame on the other hand. The axis of rotation for the total frame
10,12,14, when turning from the position in FIG. 1 to that in FIG.
2, is that determined by the pins 44. As determined in horizontal
projection, the distance between the axis determined by the pins 44
and the axis for the joint 20 should be small, for example 1-2
percent of the length of the bed, the piece between these two axes
being the said short lever 16.
Pivotal on a pin or axle connection 48 a furnishing 50 is attached
to the head end of the supporting frame on either side. The two
furnishings 50 are mutually rigidly interconnected e.g. by girders.
Each of the furnishings 50 carries at its top two supporting
members 52 and 54, which both in the neutral position shown in FIG.
1 bear against a horizontal part (e.g. the horizontal part of an L-
or U-shaped girder) of the side girders of the back part 10 of the
frame 10,12,14. The supporting members 52,54 may be for instance
small rolls or sliding blocks, e.g. made from nylon, and they may
be rolls which are through-going from one side of the bed to the
other. When the bed is in Trendelenburg position (FIG. 2) or in an
intermediate position between the latter and the neutral position
(FIG. 1), the supporting members 54 rest against the side girders
of the back part 10, and when in the position shown in FIG. 3 or an
intermediate position between this and the neutral position, the
supporting members 52 only rest against the said side girders.
Pivotal on a pin or axle connection 56, a furnishing 60 is mounted
on either side at the foot end of the supporting frame 40. The two
furnishings 60 are mutually rigidly interconnected, e.g. by means
of girders. At the top, each of the furnishings 60 carries a
supporting member 62, which may be designed exactly like the
supporting members 52,54, and which rests from below against a
horizontal part of the girders forming the sides of the
leg-supporting part 14 of the frame 10,12,14. There will always be
contact between the supporting members 62 and the leg-supporting
part 14 of the frame.
As stated, the supporting frame 40 is shorter than the frame
10,12,14, and is placed centrally or about centrally to the latter
in the shown embodiment. On either side in the middle of the
supporting frame 40, a furnishing 66 is provided, extending a
little above the frame 40 and carrying a supporting member 68, e.g.
a roll or a cylindrical slide block, at the top; the supporting
members 68 may extend from one side of the bed to the other. The
supporting members 68 bear from below against the bottom side of
the side girders of the seat part 12 of the frame 10,12,14, when
the bed is in neutral position, as shown in FIG. 1, or in the
extreme position as shown in FIG. 3 as well as in intermediates
between these two positions. The supporting members 68 serve as
rocking point for the seat part 12 when the bed is adjusted from
neutral position to folded position (FIG. 3) or vice versa. The
steepness of the seat part 12 in folded position thus depends upon
the ratio between on one hand the length of the lever between
joints 44 and 20, and on the other hand the distance in horizontal
projection between the joint 20 and the supporting member 68. The
steepness is naturally also dependant on the angular position of
the back part 10, but by a suitable choice of the ratio between the
two distances 44-20 and 20-68, a comfortable, to the position of
the back part adjusted oblique position of the seat part 12 can be
obtained. The position of the seat part and that of the furnishing
60 determines the angle formed by the leg-supporting part 14 with
the seat part 12, however, limited by the member 24,26,28,30.
In the shown embodiment, the furnishing 66 is rigidly connected to
the supporting frame 40 and, accordingly, the supporting member 68
is not in contact with the seat part 12 when the bed is in
Trendelenburg position (FIG. 2). However, the furnishing 66 or the
supporting member 68 may be vertically adjustable, e.g. by means of
a spring, so as to support the seat part also when the bed is in
Trendelenburg position. The same effect can be attained if the
furnishing 66 is adjustable in the longitudinal direction from the
shown position in the middle towards the head 18 of the bed frame.
By similar displacements, the angle between the seat part and the
leg-supporting part at a given oblique position of the back part
may also be changed.
At points above the centers of rotation (the joints 48 and 56) the
furnishings 50 and 60 are connected, as very schematically shown in
the drawings, with pulling members. These may be attached to the
furnishings themselves, e.g. by a pivotal connection, but the
connection is here shown as draw chains 70 and 72 (FIG. 4) which
are carried over the arched rim of plates 74 and 76 shaped as
sectors of a circle and mounted upon the furnishings 50 and 60. The
draw chains 70 and 72 are continued by drawbars 78 and 80 passing
loosely each from its side through openings at the ends of a
cross-bar 82, and being terminated by a nut screwed on.
The cross-bar 82 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the
bed and is driven by means of a spindle 84 passing through a nut 86
in the cross-bar. The spindle 84 is driven from a reversible
electromotor 88, e.g. as shown through a reduction gear 90 and a
gear assembly 92.
The motor is operated by means of a push button control which may
be mounted upon the side of the bed, on a stringer above the level
of the bed bottom, on the head of the bed or at other suitable
place within easy reach of a person in the bed, or it may be on a
flexible cable to the motor so as to rest in the bed beside the
person.
The pulling system operates as follows: In the neutral position of
the bed, the cross-bar 82 is near the middle of the spindle 86. By
operating the push button control, the motor is started, and it
happens, for instance, that the cross-bar 82 is drawn towards the
motor. Thus, a pull is exerted upon the drawbars 80, which act
through the chains 72 carried over the plates 76 to turn the
furnishings 60, whereby the leg-supporting part 14 is elevated when
the supporting member 62 is forced against and rolls or slides on
the bottom side of the part 14. Owing to the coupled furnishings 24
and 26, the seat part 12 will follow in the movement, which is a
turning movement around the joint 14.
The movement of the cross-bar towards the motor further brings
about that the bars 78 will be able to follow in the same
direction, and the furnishings 50 will thus turn counter-clockwise
(in FIGS. 1 and 2) owing to the pressure from the back part 10,
which thus pivots on the joint 44, so that the back part remains
aligned with the two other parts, the bed thus being brought into
Trendelenburg position.
The movement of the cross-bar to the left may be stopped by a
switch (not shown) which may be designed to reverse the current
supply to the motor 88, causing the latter to change its direction
of rotation. The bed will then, as the cross-bar 82 is moving
towards the middle of the spindle 84 (to the right in FIG. 4),
return to the neutral position. If the motor is not stopped when
this position is reached, the cross-bar will proceed to exert a
pull on the bars 78, which via the chains 70 over the plates 74
forces the furnishings 50 to move clockwise, whereby the supporting
members 52 will move upwards and slide or roll against a downward
facing surface of the side girders of the back part 10 of the
frame, while the supporting members 54 loose contact with the
latter. Thus, the back part 10 is forced upwards in an oblique
position, the turning point being the joint 44. Since the turning
of the back part is clockwise (the orientation shown in FIGS. 1-3),
the small lever between the joints 44 and 20 will move downwards
and force the joint slightly downwards. The seat part as a whole,
however, cannot partake in the downward movement as this is
prevented by the supporting member 68. The seat part 12 is thus
forced into a seesaw motion counter-clockwise (the orientation in
FIGS. 1-3) with the supporting member 68 as the turning point. The
end of the seat part 12 being closer to the foot of the bed will
therefore be elevated together with the end of the leg-supporting
part being closer to the head of the bed, a folding taking place in
the joint 22, so that the parts 12 and 14 taken together and seen
in elevation forms a reversed V. The opposite end of the
leg-supporting part 14 is supported by the supporting member 62,
and the angle formed by the folding is limited by the furnishings
24 and 26.
By readjustment from the sitting position shown in FIG. 3 to the
neutral position, the motor has again to be activated, e.g. by
means of a switch activated by the cross-bar, to rotate reversely,
i.e. in the same direction of rotation as that bringing the bed
from neutral position to Trendelenburg position.
Obviously by stopping the motor before the bed has gained one or
the other of the extreme positions, the bed can be brought into any
intermediate position between the two extreme positions. Also the
push button control of the motor can be fitted with several contact
positions in order to reverse the current supply.
The motor may be replaced or supplemented by manually driven
adjustment means.
* * * * *