Adjustable bed-chair

• US 4,127,906 A
• Filed: 07/15/1976
• Issued: 12/05/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Corporation (Daikin Industries Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Henry C. Zur
• Inventors: Zur, Henry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nunberg, Casmir A.
• Application Number:
  US05/705,543
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 5/61-63, 5/66-69, 5/90, 5/91, 297/DIG. 10
• US Class Current: 5/615
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/02 with toilet conveniences, or specially adapted for use with toilets
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/053 Aids for getting into, or out of, bed, e.g. steps, chairs, cane-like supports
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/10 Occupant-arising assist

Abstract

An adjustable bed-chair comprising a lower supporting frame, a first horizontal panel adjustable relative to the frame, a second panel pivoted at one end to said first panel and having a central recess opening thereinto from the bottom side. A body supporting assembly comprising a back and head support pivoted to said second panel at one end of said recess, a middle support pivoted to the other end of said recess and a leg support pivoted to said middle support. The back, middle, and leg support are covered by inflatable bags and these are covered by a layer of foam material. Bellows like inflatable bags are also provided to cause movement of the back support relative to the second panel; movement of the middle support relative to the central panel; movement of the leg support relative to the central support; and movement of the first panel relative to the supporting frame. A central portion of the mattress is removable and replaced by a toilet.

Claims

1. In an adjustable power tilted bed,

(a) a base frame comprising a rectangular top and four legs depending from the corners thereof;

(b) a first panel mounted on said frame and movable relative thereto;

(c) power means for adjusting the first panel relative to said frame;

(d) a second panel pivoted at one end to an end of said first panel and formed with a central downwardly opening recess defined by an upper back and presenting open ends;

(e) a body supporting assembly comprising a back support, a knee support, and a leg support;

(f) a pivotal connection between said back support and said second panel at one end of said recess whereby an end portion of said back support extends into said recess;

(g) power means between the back of said recess and said end portion for adjusting said back support relative to said second panel;

(h) a pivotal connection between said knee support and the second panel at the other end of said recess whereby an end portion of said middle support extends into said recess;

(i) power means between the back of said recess and the end portion of said knee support for adjusting said middle support relative to said second panel;

(j) a pivotal connection between said leg support and said knee support at the end of the latter remote from its pivotal connection to said second panel.

2. The adjustable bed of claim 1 in which the second panel is connected to the first panel by two pairs of links arranged with one link of each pair on one side of the panels and one link of each of the other pair on the other side of the panel with one end of each link being pivoted to a panel, together with an end piece rigidly connected to said first panel and depending therefrom in confronting relation to said frame;

and the power means for adjusting the first panel relative to said frame takes the form of an inflatable bag between said end piece and said frame.

3. The adjustable bed of claim 1 in which the power means for adjusting the positions of the back and knee supports relative to the second panel takes the form of inflatable bags positioned in said recess between the back thereof and the end portions of said back and knee supports.

5. The adjustable bed of claim 3 in which the power means for adjusting the leg support relative to said middle support comprises a rigid member connected to each of the leg and middle supports at the pivotal connection therebetween and an inflatable bag between said rigid members.

6. The adjustable bed of claim 5 together with a mattress like assembly of inflatable bags covering said back, middle, and leg supports and a layer of foam material over said mattress like assembly.

4. A mattress like formation composed of at least 6 adjoining individually inflatable chambers, formed, exept for the head or foot serving portions, by at least two chambers in every transverse alignement, and covered by flexible material, provided with a conduit and control system for individual adjustment, including a manuel or power and sequented rotary selector valve, linked to an exhaust and a fluid source under pressure such as an compressor.

7. An adjustable bed having a body supporting assembly resting on a panel and base and provided with inflatable bags which by inflation or deflation adjust the position of the occupant and cause the various movements of the body supporting assembly, the panel and base in relation to each other and including:

(a) a conduit system connecting the inflatable bags individually to a fluid source through an individually adjustable valve system;

(b) a source of fluid under pressure;

(c) a control panel provided with the means to open the flow of fluid under pressure from the source in an adjustable manner to each inflatable bag individually and to exhaust therefrom.

8. The bed of claim 7 wherein said inflatable bags take the form of two pairs of individually inflatable bags positioned at opposite sides on the base and supporting the body supporting assembly resting with its bottom members on said bags,

whereby the body supporting assembly can be adjusted for level in relation to the base and the angle of the body supporting assembly and its sections by inflation or deflation of any respective combination of the four bags forming said two pairs, and whereby the occupant can be positioned for height, slope and angle.

9. The bed of claim 8 wherein the sections of the body supporting assembly comprise a middle support, a backsupport pivoted on one end of said middle support, a knee support pivoted to the second end of said middle support, a leg support pivoted to the second end of said knee support, and the body supporting assembly is covered by mattresses like assembly of inflatable bags,

whereby the position of the occupant can be adjusted by movements of body supporting section by inflation and deflation of the inflatable bags on which the body supports rest, and by changing the pressure of any of the individually adjustable bags of the mattress like assembly separately and in sequence.

10. An adjustable bed with with a first conduit system including a control valve for charging fluid under pressure selectively into, or exhausting fluid from the inflatable bags which adjust the position of the first panel relative to the second panel and the inflatable bags which adjust the back and leg supports relative to the second panel and the middle and leg supports relative to each other and a second system of conduits including a control valve for selectively charging air under pressure into or exhausting air from the inflatable bags of the mattress like assembly.

11. The adjustable bed of claim 10 in which the conduit system includes mechanism for automatically charging fluid under pressure into the inflatable bags of said mattress like assembly in sequential order through a complete cycle of all of said bags and then exhausting fluid automatically from the bags in sequential order through another complete cycle following the first said cycle.

12. A body-supporting assembly and base between the body supporting assembly and the base member nesting on the floor, and the body supporting assembly mounted with its middle support section on that panel, and the position of the panel and the body supporting assembly adjustable in relation to the base by inflation or deflation of inflatable bags between the base and the panel, and

(a) an inflatable bag placed between the panel and the back support at its pivotal connection to the middle support and operable under inflation or deflation for adjustment of said backsupport relative to said middle support;

(d) a second inflatable bag placed between the panel and between said knee support at its pivotal connection to said middle support, and operable under inflation and deflation to adjust the knee support relative to the middle section;

a third inflatable bag positioned below the leg support at its pivotal connection with the knee support, and operable under inflation or deflation for adjustment of the leg support relative to the knee support.

13. In a body supporting assembly

(a) centrally located aligned openings in the middle support and in the mattress layer;

(b) a support and mattress section normally filling said openings as inserts from below provided with retracting means;

(c) two pairs of links pivotally connected at on end on both sides of the insert support and on the other end to panel holding the body supporting assembly;

(d) power means for swinging said insert support and mattress layer downwardly and laterally into an out of the way position and holding it in that position, and said power means including mechanism for swinging said insert support and mattress layer from out of the way position into a position in which said insert support and mattress layer occupies said openings in the middle support and body supporting assembly;

(e) a toilet bowl mounted on a second insert support to be received into the openings vacated by the first insert support and its mattress layer and provided with retracting means

(f) Connecting means such as two additional pairs of links arranged with one pair on one side of said second insert support to which the lower ends of the links are pivotally connected and the other pair on the second side of said second insert support to which the lower ends of the links are pivotally connected.

14. The adjustable bed of claim 13 in which both of the power means for swinging the mattress insert and the toilet bowl insert into and out of position occupying said opening and holding them in such positions or in and out of the way comprises a pair of contracting springs each having one end anchored to the base plate of the insert and the other end to a rigid part of the bed assembly, and a pair of flexible tubular bellows each being secured on one end to said insert base plate and the other end to a rigid part of the bed assembly and the movements of the inserts being caused by inflation or deflation of the tubular bellows activated by remote control.

15. In a adjustable bed wherein the body supporting assembly is made up of 3 longitudinal sections, a center section and two side sections each pivotally connected to its side of the center section, the side sections being adjustable by power means such as inflation and deflation of the inflatable bags on which the respective sections rest.

16. In an adjustable bed wherein the body supporting assembly is made up of a middle section, two adjacent back sections pivotally connected to said middle section, two adjacent knee sections pivotally connected to the second side of the middle section, and two parallel leg sections pivotally connected to the second side of the knee section, and the body supporting - assembly covered by flexible material to bridge the gaps between the adjoining support-sections when they are adjusted separately for double occupancy and for individual limb positioning after surgery or treatment, the remote controlled adjustments of the individual supports being caused by means such as inflation and deflation of inflatable bags on which the respective sections rest.