Electronic controls for a hospital bed
First Claim
1. In an adjustable bed of the type having:
- a. a bed portion movable to a plurality of at least three positions, and b. an electric motor for moving said bed portion from one of said positions to another, the improvement which comprises;
A. first selection means for selecting between at least two of said positions of said bed portion;
B. second selection means for selecting between at least two of said positions of said bed portion, at least one of said positions selectable by said first selection means not being selectable by said second selection means; and
C. logic means coupled between said electric motor and said first and second selection means for actuating said motor in response to said first or said second selection means to move said bed portion to a selected position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved electronic controls for an adjustable hospital bed incorporating various logic devices. These devices result in the concurrent operation of several motors in response to the activation of a single switch to produce a desired bed configuration. The motors may operate simultaneously or sequentially depending upon the particular selection and the involved circuit logic. Moreover, the logic allows the position of one adjustable bed portion to prevent the functioning of the motor for another bed portion. The circuit logic may also preclude the operation of a motor absent the secure engagement of mechanical parts. Further, the logic circuitry permits switches on the selection panel to control one adjustable bed portion, but over different ranges. This becomes particularly advantageous where one switch also operates a different bed portion.
161 Citations
66 Claims
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1. In an adjustable bed of the type having:
- a. a bed portion movable to a plurality of at least three positions, and b. an electric motor for moving said bed portion from one of said positions to another, the improvement which comprises;
A. first selection means for selecting between at least two of said positions of said bed portion;
B. second selection means for selecting between at least two of said positions of said bed portion, at least one of said positions selectable by said first selection means not being selectable by said second selection means; and
C. logic means coupled between said electric motor and said first and second selection means for actuating said motor in response to said first or said second selection means to move said bed portion to a selected position.
- a. a bed portion movable to a plurality of at least three positions, and b. an electric motor for moving said bed portion from one of said positions to another, the improvement which comprises;
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2. when the lowering of said head portion is chosen on said head selection means, actuating said head motor to lower said head portion and, when said head portion is in a predetermined portion of its range of movement, actuating said knee motor to lower said knee portion.
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3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein, said bed portion being a first bed portion and said electric motor being a first electric motor, a. said bed includes a second bed portion movable over a continuous range of positions and a second electric motor for moving said second bed portion from one of said positions of said second bed portion to another;
- and b. said logic means in response to said second selection means actuates said second motor to move said second bed portion.
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4. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said logic means is electronic logic means.
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5. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said first bed portion is a knee portion, said second bed portion is a head portion and said second selection means actuates said first electric motor to raise said knee portion to no higher than about 15* and actuates said first motor to lower said knee portion when said head portion is at or below about 30*.
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6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said first and said second selection means each includes at least one manually activated on-off switch and a bed portion position-indicating switch.
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7. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said electronic logic means includes switching means for controlling the flow of electricity through said electric motors, and wherein both said selection means and said logic means, with the exception of said switching means, only include components operating at voltages below about 25 volts.
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8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said switching means includes triacs coupled to said electric motors and reed relays coupled to said triacs.
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9. The improvement of claim 7 including ground test means.
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10. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said electronic logic means, with the exception of said switching means, includes components selected from the group consisting of inverters, and AND, NAND, OR, and NOR gates.
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11. The improvement of claim 7 in a bed which includes a bed elevation portion, an elevation motor for moving said elevation portion, and an elevation selection means coupled to said logic means, said logic means, in response to said elevation selection means, actuating said elevation motor to move said elevation bed portion.
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12. The improvement of claim 11 further including a bed-flat selection means coupled to said logic means, said logic means in response to said bed-flat selection means actuating said head motor to lower said head portion, said knee motor to lower said knee portion, and said elevation motor to raise said elevation portion.
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13. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said first and second motors being reversible, said logic means includes ambiguity control means for precluding the actuation of said first or said second motor when said logic means in response to selections on said selection means would actuate said first or said second motor respectively to operate simultaneously in both its forward and reverse directions.
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14. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said first and second motors being reversible, said selection means includes indicating means for developing an indication of when said first or second bed portions has reached the end of its range of positions and said logic means includes avoidance means for precluding the actuation of said first or second motors, respectively, except in a direction to move said first or second bed portions respectively, away from the end of its range of positions.
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15. The improvement of claim 2 including lockout means for precluding actuation of said motor in response to the selection on either of said selection means.
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16. In an adjustable bed of the type having:
- a. first and second bed portions, each of said bed portions being movable to a plurality of positions; and
b. an electric motor for moving said first bed portion from one position to another;
the improvement comprising;
A. selection means for selecting between said positions of said first bed portion;
B. indicating means for developing an indication of whether the position of said second bed portion is in a first or in a second set of positions, said first and second sets of positions (a) being mutually exclusive, (b) including all the positions of said second bed portion, and (c) each containing at least one position; and
C. logic means coupled between said electric motor and said selection means and said indicating means for actuating said motor in response to said selection means to move said first bed portion to a selected position only when the position of said second bed portion is in said first set of positions.
- a. first and second bed portions, each of said bed portions being movable to a plurality of positions; and
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17. The improvement of claim 16 wherein said first bed portion has a continuous range of positions.
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18. The improvement of claim 17 wherein said second bed portion has a continuous range of positions.
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19. The improvement of claim 18 wherein said second bed portion is the head portion of the bed and said first set of positions includes those with elevation of 30* or less and said second set of positions includes all those with elevation above 30*.
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20. The improvement of claim 19 wherein said selection means includes on-off switches and bed portion position-indicating switches and said indicating means includes position-indicating switches.
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21. The improvement of claim 19 which includes lockout means for precluding actuation of said motor in response to the selection of a position on said selection means.
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22. The improvement of claim 19 wherein said logic means includes switching means for controlling the flow of electricity through said electric motor and wherein said selection means and said logic means, with the exception of said switching means, includes only components operating at voltages below about 25 volts.
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23. The improvement of claim 22 wherein said switching means includes triacs coupled to said motors and read realys coupled to said triacs.
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24. The improvement of claim 23 wherein said logic means includes components selected from the group consisting of inverters, and AND, OR, NAND, and NOR gates.
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25. The improvement of claim 19 wherein, said motor being a reversible motor, said logic means includes ambiguity control means for precluding the actuation of said motor when said logic means in response to selections on said selection means would actuate said motor to operate in both its forward and reverse directions.
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26. The improvement of claim 19 including ground test means.
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27. The improvement of claim 19 which, said selection means being a first selection means, includes a second selection means coupled to said logic means, said logic means actuating said motor in response to said second selection means independently of the position of said second bed portion.
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28. The improvement of claim 19 in a bed which, said motor being a first motor, includes a second reversible electric motor coupled to said logic means wherein said second motor operates to move said second bed portion between its positions and wherein said logic means, in response to a selection on said first selection means, actuates said second motor to move said second bed portion.
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29. The improvement of claim 28 wherein said first bed portion is the knee portion of said bed, said second bed portion is the head portion of said bed, and said bed includes an elevation portion, a reversible elevation motor coupled to said logic means, and elevation selection means coupled to said logic means, said logic means, in response to a selection on said elevation selection means, actuating said elevation motor to move said elevation bed portion over a continuous range of positions.
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30. The improvement of claim 29 including a bed-flat selection means coupled to said logic means, said logic means, in response to a selection on said bed-flat selection means, actuating said head motor to lower said head portion, said knee motor to lower said knee portion, and said elevation motor to raise said elevation portion.
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31. The Improvement of claim 29 including a. indicating selection means for developing an indication of when said head portion reaches an end of its range of positions, when said knee portion reaches an end of its range of positions and when said elevation portion reaches an end of its range of positions, and b. logic avoidance means for, when said head portion is at an end ot its range of positions, precluding actuation of said head motor except in the direction to move said head portion away from said end of its range of positions;
- when said knee portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said knee motor except in the direction to move said knee portion away from said end of its range of positions; and
, when said elevation portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said elevation motor except in the direction to move said elevation portion away from said end of its range of positions.
- when said knee portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said knee motor except in the direction to move said knee portion away from said end of its range of positions; and
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32. In an adjustable bed of the type having:
- a. a first and a second bed portion, said first and second bed portions being movable to a plurality of positions; and
b. a first and a second electric motor for moving said first and second bed portions respectively from one position to another, the improvement which comprises;
A. selection means for selecting between the position of said first bed portion; and
B. logic means coupled between said selection means and said first and second motors for actuating, in response to said selection means, said first and second motors to move said first and second bed portions, respectively.
- a. a first and a second bed portion, said first and second bed portions being movable to a plurality of positions; and
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33. The improvement of claim 32 wherein said logic means actuates said first and second motors sequentially.
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34. The improvement of claim 32 wherein both said first and said second bed portions have a continuous range of positions;
- said selection means selects a direction of movement of said first bed portion;
said first and second motors are reversible; and
said logic means, in response to said selection means, actuates said first motor to move said first bed portion in the selected direction
- said selection means selects a direction of movement of said first bed portion;
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35. The improvement of claim 34 which, said selection means being a first selection means, includes a second selection means coupled to said logic means, said logic means, in response to a selection on said second selection means, actuating said first but not said second electric motor.
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36. The improvement of claim 35 wherein:
- a. said first bed portion is the head portion of said bed and said first motor is a head motor;
b. said second bed portion is the knee portion of said bed and said second motor is a knee motor; and
c. said logic means in response to a selection on said first selection means to lower said head portion, actuates said knee motor to lower said knee portion when said head portion is elevated 30* or less, and said logic means in response to a selection on said first selection means to raise said head portion actuates said knee motor to raise said knee portion to no higher than 15* elevation.
- a. said first bed portion is the head portion of said bed and said first motor is a head motor;
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37. The improvement of claim 35 wherein said logic means is electronic logic means.
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38. The improvement of claim 37 wherein said first and second selection means includes on-off switches and bed portion position-indicating switches.
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39. The improvement of claim 35 including first lockout means for precluding actuation of said first motor in response to said first selection means and second lockout means for precluding actuation of said second motor in response to said second selection means.
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40. The improvement of claim 35 in which said logic means includes switching means for controlling the flow of electricity through said first and second electric motors and wherein said first and second selection means and said logic means, with the exception of said switching means, includes only components operating at voltages below about 25 volts.
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41. The improvement of claim 40 wherein said switching means includes triacs coupled to said Motors and reed relays coupled to said triacs.
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42. The improvement of claim 41 wherein said electronic logic means, with the exception of said switching means, includes components selected from the group consisting of inverters and NAND, AND, NOR and OR gates.
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43. The improvement of claim 35 wherein said logic means includes ambiguity control means for precluding the actuation of any particular motor when selections on said selection means would result in the actuation of said particular motor in both its forward and reverse directions.
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44. The improvement of claim 35 including ground test means.
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45. The improvement of claim 35 wherein said bed includes an elevation portion with a continuous range of positions, a reversible elevation motor coupled to said logic means to raise and lower said elevation portion;
- and elevation selection means for choosing a direction of motion of said elevation portion, said logic means in response to a selection on said elevation selection means actuating said elevation motor to move said elevation portion in the direction chosen.
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46. The improvement of claim 45 including bed-flat selection means, said logic means in response to said bed-flat selection means actuating said head motor to lower said head portion said knee motor to lower said knee portion and said elevation motor to raise said elevation portion.
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47. The improvement of claim 45 including a. indicating selection means for developing an indication of when said head portion reaches an end of its range of positions, when said knee portion reaches an end of its range of positions and when said elevation portion reaches an end of its range of positions, and b. logic avoidance means for, when said head portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said head motor except in the direction to move said head portion away from said end of its range of positions;
- when said knee portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said knee motor except in the direction to move said knee portion away from said end of its range of positions; and
, when said elevation portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said elevation motor except in the direction to move said elevation portion away from said end of its range of positions.
- when said knee portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said knee motor except in the direction to move said knee portion away from said end of its range of positions; and
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48. In an adjustable bed of the type having:
- a. a bed portion movable to a plurality of positions; and
b. a reversible electric motor for moving said bed portion from one of said positions to another, this improvement comprising;
A. selection means for selecting between said position of said bed portion;
B. indicating means for developing an indication of when said bed portion is at a predesignated position; and
C. logic means coupled between said motor and said selection means and indicating means for, when said bed portion is not in said predetermined position and in response to said selection means;
- a. a bed portion movable to a plurality of positions; and
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49. The improvement of claim 48 wherein, when said bed portion is in said predetermined position prior to a selection on selection means, said logic means, in response to said selection means, actuates said motor to operate in said second direction.
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50. The improvement of claim 49 wherein said bed portion has a continuous range of positions, said predetermined position is at one end of said range of positions, and said indicating means is a limit switch actuated when said bed portion is in said predetermined position.
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51. The improvement of claim 50 wherein the operation of said motor in said second direction in response to said selection means places the top of said bed at a non-zero angle with respect to the surface on which it sets.
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52. The improvement of claim 51 wherein sAid motor operating in said first direction raises said bed;
- said improvement further includes alternate selection means coupled to said logic means; and
said logic means, in response to said alternate selection means, actuates said motor to lower said bed.
- said improvement further includes alternate selection means coupled to said logic means; and
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53. The improvement of claim 52 in a bed which further includes a movable head portion with a continuous range of positions;
- a movable knee portion with a continuous range of positions;
a reversible head motor coupled to said logic means and connected to said head portion for moving said head portion over its range of positions;
a reversible knee motor coupled to said logic means and connected to said knee portion for moving said knee portion over its range of positions;
knee selection means coupled to said logic means; and
head selection means coupled to said logic means, said logic means, in response to said knee selection means actuating said knee motor to move said knee portion and in response to said head selection means, actuating said head motor to move said head portion.
- a movable knee portion with a continuous range of positions;
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54. In an adjustable bed of the type having:
- a. a head portion, a knee portion, and an elevation portion, each of said portions being movable over a continuous range of positions;
b. a reversible head motor for moving said head portion, a reversible knee motor for moving said knee portion, and a reversible elevation motor for moving said elevation portion; and
c. head selection means for choosing the direction of movement of said head portion, knee selection means for choosing the direction of movement of said knee portion, and elevation selection means for choosing the direction of movement of said elevation portion, the improvement which comprises electronic logic means coupled between said head, knee, and elevation motors and said head, knee and elevation selection means for;
A. actuating said elevation motor when a direction of movement of said elevation portion is chosen on said elevation selection means to move said elevation portion in the chosen direction;
B. actuating said knee motor when a direction of movement of said knee portion is chosen on said knee selection means to move said knee portion in the chosen direction; and
C.
- a. a head portion, a knee portion, and an elevation portion, each of said portions being movable over a continuous range of positions;
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55. The improvement of claim 54 which includes a bed-flat selection means wherein said logic means upon the activation of said bed-flat selection means actuates said head and knee motors to move said head and knee portions to their lowest positions and said elevation motor to move said elevation portion to its highest position.
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56. The improvement of claim 55 which further includes Trendelenberg selection means wherein said logic means in response to the activation of said Trendelenberg selection means actuates said elevation motor to place the top of said bed at a non-zero angle with respect to the surface on which said bed sets.
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57. The improvement of claim 56 wherein said logic means:
- a. when the raising of said head portion is chosen on said head selection means,
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58. The improvement of claim 57 which includes head lockout means for precluding actuation of said head motor in response to the selection of a direction on said head selection means, elevation lock-out means for precluding actuating of said elevation motor in response to a direction selected on said elevation selection means, and knee lock-out means for precluding actuation of said knee motor in response to the selection of a direction on said knee selection means.
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59. The improvement of claim 58 wherein said logic means includes switching means for controlling the flow of electricity through said electric motors and wherein said selection means and said logic means, with the exception of said switching means, only includes components operating at voltages below about 25 volts.
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60. The improvement of claim 59 wherein said logic means includes ambiguity control means for precluding the actuation of any particular motor if said logic means in response to a first selection made on said selection means would actuate said particular motor in a first direction and in response a second selection made on said selection means would actuate said particular motor in the reverse of said first direction.
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61. The improvement of claim 60 wherein each of said selection means includes at least one manual on-off switch and one bed portion position-indicating switch.
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62. The improvement of claim 61 wherein said elevation selection means includes a. a first manual on-off switch and said logic means actuates said elevation motor to raise said elevation bed portion only during the time of a selection being made on said first switch, and b. a second manual on-off switch and said logic means actuates said elevation motor to lower said elevation portion from the time of a selection being made on said second switch until said elevation portion reaches the lower limit of its range of positions or until the making of a selection on any manual switch in response to which said logic means would actuate said elevation motor to raise said elevation bed portion.
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63. The improvement of claim 62 including:
- a. indicating selection means for developing an indication of when said head portion reaches an end of its range of positions, when said knee portion reaches an end of its range of positions and when said elevation portion reaches an end of its range of positions; and
b. logic avoidance means for when said head portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said head motor except in the direction to move said head portion away from said end of its range of positions;
when said knee portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said knee motor except in the direction to move said knee portion away from said end of its range of positions; and
, when said elevation portion is at an end of its range of positions, precluding actuation of said elevation motor except in the direction to move said elevation portion away from said end of its range of positions.
- a. indicating selection means for developing an indication of when said head portion reaches an end of its range of positions, when said knee portion reaches an end of its range of positions and when said elevation portion reaches an end of its range of positions; and
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64. The improvement of claim 63 wherein said logic means with the exception of said switching means includes components selected from the group consisting of inverters and AND, OR, NAND and NOR gates.
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65. The improvement of claim 64 wherein said switching means includes reed relays coupled to said gates and triacs coupled between said reed relays and said motors.
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66. The improvement of claim 65 including ground test means
Specification