Latching system for adjustable motorized hospital bed
First Claim
1. An adjustable hospital bed comprising:
- a movable frame having head and foot ends;
independently actuable head and foot adjusting mechanisms for raising and lowering the head and foot ends, respectively, of said movable frame;
head drive means for actuating said head adjusting mechanism to adjust the height of the frame'"'"'s head end;
foot drive means, for actuating said foot adjusting mechanism to adjust the height of the frame'"'"'s foot end; and
a latching system, responsive to a momentary down command, for operating said head and foot drive means to lower each end of said movable frame directly to its lowermost level regardless of the frame'"'"'s position, and even though the frame may be tilted, at the time the command is issued, said latching system including an R-S flip-flop which is established in response to a down command and when at least one end of said movable frame is above its lowermost limit, in its set condition to cause said head and foot drive means to lower each end of said frame, said R-S flip-flop being triggered to its reset condition when both ends of said frame have reached their low limit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Independently operable head and foot adjusting mechanisms are provided in an adjustable motorized hospital bed in order to facilitate independent height adjustment of the head and foot ends of the bed'"'"'s movable frame, on which is mounted a mattress supporting structure. Logic circuitry controls the actuation of the adjusting mechanisms to manipulate the movable frame to any level or tilted position desired. When the frame is to be lowered to its lowermost level, a latching system may be latched in a down operating mode, merely by momentarily actuating a switch, to cause the head and foot adjusting mechanisms to lower each end of the movable frame directly to its lowermost limit regardless of the frame'"'"'s position, and even though the frame may be tilted, at the time the switch is actuated. With such direct and immediate access to the lowermost level position, considerable time can be saved by the nurse or attendant.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An adjustable hospital bed comprising:
- a movable frame having head and foot ends;
independently actuable head and foot adjusting mechanisms for raising and lowering the head and foot ends, respectively, of said movable frame;
head drive means for actuating said head adjusting mechanism to adjust the height of the frame'"'"'s head end;
foot drive means, for actuating said foot adjusting mechanism to adjust the height of the frame'"'"'s foot end; and
a latching system, responsive to a momentary down command, for operating said head and foot drive means to lower each end of said movable frame directly to its lowermost level regardless of the frame'"'"'s position, and even though the frame may be tilted, at the time the command is issued, said latching system including an R-S flip-flop which is established in response to a down command and when at least one end of said movable frame is above its lowermost limit, in its set condition to cause said head and foot drive means to lower each end of said frame, said R-S flip-flop being triggered to its reset condition when both ends of said frame have reached their low limit. - View Dependent Claims (2)
- a movable frame having head and foot ends;
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3. An adjustable bed comprising:
- a movable frame having head and foot ends and being capable of moving from a generally horizontal position in which the head and foot ends of the frame are generally in lowermost positions to other and higher elevated positions in which the frame may be horizontal or inclined such that the head end is above the foot end or vice-versa;
head elevating means for supporting the head end of the frame and being movable relative to the frame to change elevation of the head end, the head elevating means including a rotatable element which when turned normally effects a change in the elevation of the head end of the frame;
foot elevating means for supporting the foot end of the frame and being movable relative to the frame to change the elevation of the foot end, the foot elevating means including a rotatable element which when turned normally effects a change in the elevation of the foot end of the frame;
an electric motor mounted on the frame and being capable of operating in both directions of rotation;
electrically operated head and foot clutch means for engaging the motor with the rotatable elements of the head and foot elevating means, respectively, such that the motor turns those elements, the clutch means being operable independently or simultaneously and when operated simultaneously causing the rotatable elements to revolve such that the head and foot ends of the frame undergo the same direction of elevational movement; and
a control circuit including;
a down switch, a head limit switch which senses when the head end of the frame is in its lowermost position and a foot limit switch which senses when the foot end of the frame is in its lowermost position, and latching means connected to the down switch and to the limit switches for, when the down switch is actuated even momentarily, operating the clutch means such that they engage the motor with rotatable elements, for also at that time energizing the motor in the direction which causes the rotatable elements to lower the frame at both of its ends, for further keeping each of the clutches so engaged until, at least until one end of the frame reaches its lowermost position, and for keeping the motor energized until both of the limit switches sense that their respective ends of the frame are in their lowermost positions. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- a movable frame having head and foot ends and being capable of moving from a generally horizontal position in which the head and foot ends of the frame are generally in lowermost positions to other and higher elevated positions in which the frame may be horizontal or inclined such that the head end is above the foot end or vice-versa;
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12. An adjustable bed comprising:
- a movable frame having head and foot ends and being capable of moving from a generally horizontal position in which the head and foot ends of the frame are generally in lowermost positions to other and higher elevated positions in which the frame may be horizontal or inclined such that the head end is above the foot end or vice-versa;
head elevating means for supporting the head end of the frame and being movable relative to the frame to change elevation of the head end, the head elevating means including a rotatable drive screw, a nut which normally travels along the screw when the screw is turned to effect a change in the elevation of the head end of the frame, and means for allowing the screw to rotate without causing a further movement of the nut along the screw when the head end of the frame reaches its lowermost position;
foot elevating means for supporting the foot end of the frame and being movable relative to the frame to change the elevation of the foot end, the foot elevating means including a rotatable drive screw, a nut which normally travels along the screw when the screw is turned to effect a change in the elevation of the foot end of the frame, and means for allowing the screw to rotate without a further movement of the nut along the screw when the foot end of the frame reaches its lowermost position;
an electric motor capable of operating in both directions of rotation;
electrically operated head and foot clutch means for engaging the motor with the rotatable drive screws of the head and foot elevating means, respectively, such that the motor turns those screws, the clutch means being operable independently or simultaneously and when operated simultaneously causing the drive screws to revolve such that the head and foot ends of the frame undergo the same direction of elevational movement; and
a control circuit including;
a down switch, a head limit switch which senses when the head end of the frame is in its lowermost position and a foot limit switch which senses when the foot end of the frame is in its lowermost position, and latching means connected to the down switch is actuated even momentarily, operating the clutch means such that they engage the motor with the two drive screws, for also at that time energizing the motor in the direction which causes the drive screws to lower the frame at both of its ends, and for further keeping each of the clutches so engaged until both of the limit switches sense that their respective ends of the frame are in their lowermost positions, whereby the drive screw for the end of the frame which reaches its lowermost position first will after reaching that position continue to rotate, without effecting a further descent of its end of the frame, until both ends of the frame reach their lowermost positions.
- a movable frame having head and foot ends and being capable of moving from a generally horizontal position in which the head and foot ends of the frame are generally in lowermost positions to other and higher elevated positions in which the frame may be horizontal or inclined such that the head end is above the foot end or vice-versa;
Specification