Transportable and foldable articulated bed

• US 5,090,071 A
• Filed: 11/07/1990
• Issued: 02/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CEB Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: C-Tech Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Bathrick, Leeland M., Brittain, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): TRETTEL, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/610,097
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 5/66-69, 5/149, 5/151-153, 5/174, 5/202, 5/201, 5/162
• US Class Current: 5/618
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/122 foldable head to foot only
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/041 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/00 Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons stretchers with facilities for picking up patients or disabled persons A61G1/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position

Abstract

A transportable and foldable articulated bed with a non-positively driven articulated mattress platform that reduces the risk of injury and permits the bed to be folded for transport without disconnecting platform drive systems. The mattress platform is articulated on a foldable frame consisting of a head section hinged to a foot section. A pair of retractable caster assemblies can be swiveled 270 degrees from a storage position mounted on the head frame section and connected to the foot frame section with both sections aligned to a position where it can also be connected to both sections when the bed is folded so it can be rolled about.

Claims

1. A transportable and foldable articulated bed, comprising:

a frame, a head and back platform mounted on one end of the frame, a leg platform mounted on the other end of the frame, at least one of the platforms being pivotally mounted on the frame for upward movement therefrom, said frame being relatively movable approximately at its center defining head and leg sections that can be reoriented with respect to one another for transport and storage, and motor means mounted on one of the frame sections for activating the pivotally mounted platform carried by the other frame section through an extendable drive, said pivotally mounted section having a pivot arm engageable with but completely unconnected to the extendable drive so that the frame can be separated without disconnecting the extendable drive from the pivot arm.

2. A transportable and foldable articulated bed, comprising:

a frame, a head and back platform mounted on one end of the frame, a leg platform mounted on the other end of the frame, at least one of the platforms being pivotally mounted on the frame for upward movement therefrom, said frame being relatively movable approximately at its center defining head and leg sections that can be reoriented with respect to one another for transport and storage, and motor means mounted on one of the frame sections for activating the pivotally mounted platform carried by the other frame section through an extendable drive, said pivotally mounted section having a pivot arm engageable with but completely unconnected to the extendable drive so that the frame can be separated without disconnecting the extendable drive from the pivot arm, the head and back platform being pivotally mounted to the frame head section and the leg platform is pivotally mounted on the frame leg section so the platforms are folded onto one another as the frame is folded, said motor means including a first motor carried by the frame head section connected to pivot the leg platform through the extendable drive, said pivot arm being connected to the leg platform.

3. A transportable and foldable articulated bed, comprising:

a frame, a head and back platform mounted on one end of the frame, a leg platform mounted on the other end of the frame, at least one of the platforms being pivotally mounted on the frame for upward movement therefrom, said frame being relatively movable approximately at its center defining head and leg sections that can be reoriented with respect to one another for transport and storage, and motor means mounted on one of the frame sections for activating the pivotally mounted platform carried by the other frame section through an extendable drive, said pivotally mounted section having a pivot arm engageable with but completely unconnected to the extendable drive so that the frame can be separated without disconnecting the extendable drive from the pivot arm, and caster assemblies on one of the frame sections each movable from a first retracted position to a second extended position wherein the bed can be rolled in a folded configuration.

4. A transportable and foldable articulated bed, comprising:

a frame, a head and back platform mounted on one end of the frame, a leg platform mounted on the other end of the frame, at least one of the platforms being pivotally mounted on the frame for upward movement therefrom, said frame being hinged approximately at its center defining head and leg sections that can be folded onto one another for transport and storage, and motor means mounted on one of the frame sections for activating the pivotally mounted platform carried by the other frame section through an extendable drive, said pivotally mounted platform having a pivot arm engageable with but not connected to the extendable drive so that the frame can be folded without disconnecting the extendable drive from the pivot arm, said head and back platform being pivotally mounted to the frame head section and the leg platform being pivotally mounted on the frame leg section so the platforms are folded onto one another as the frame is folded, said motor means including a first motor carried by the frame head section connected to pivot the leg platform through the extendable drive, said pivot arm being connected to the leg platform.

5. An articulated transportable bed, comprising:

a frame having a head section separately connected to a leg section so the frame can be reoriented for transport or storage, a head platform pivotally mounted to the head frame section, a leg platform pivotally mounted to the leg frame section, a first motor carried by one of the frame sections for pivoting one of the platforms through a first extendable drive, and a second motor carried by one of the frame sections for pivoting the other platform through a second extendable drive, at least one of the motors being carried by the frame section opposite to the frame section that carries the one platform it pivots, said one platform having a pivot arm engageable with but completely unconnected to the extendable drive of the one motor so the frame can be separated without disconnecting the extendable drive from the pivot arm.

6. An articulated transportable bed as defined in claim 5, wherein the frame is generally rectangular.

7. An articulated transportable bed as defined in claim 5, wherein the first and second drives are each a rotary screw drive.

8. An articulated transportable bed, comprising:

a frame having a head section separately connected to a leg section so the frame can be reoriented for transport or storage, a head platform pivotally mounted to the head frame section, a leg platform pivotally mounted to the leg frame section, a first motor carried by one of the frame sections for pivoting one of the platforms through a first extendable drive, and a second motor carried by one of the frame sections for pivoting the other platform through a second extendable drive, at least one of the motors being carried by the frame section opposite to the frame section that carries the one platform it pivots, said one platform having a pivot arm engageable with but completely unconnected to the extendable drive of the one motor so the frame can be separated without disconnecting the extendable drive from the pivot arm, and caster assemblies on the frame each movable from a first retracted position to a second extended position wherein the bed can be rolled in a folded configuration.

9. An articulated transportable bed, comprising:

a generally rectangular frame having a head section separated from a leg section about at the frame midpoint, a head platform carried by the head section and a leg platform carried by the leg section, at least one of the platforms being pivotally mounted to its frame section, motor means carried by one of the frame sections for pivoting the platform through an extendable drive, and two caster assemblies carried by one of the frame sections movable from a first position within the one frame section to a second position projecting from the one section and connected to both frame sections for supporting the bed for rolling motion.

10. An articulated transportable bed as defined in claim 9, wherein the caster assemblies include means for connecting the assemblies to said one frame section in their first positions and means for connecting the assemblies to both the head and leg frame sections in their second positions to stabilize both sections.

11. An articulated transportable bed as defined in claim 9, wherein each of the caster assemblies includes an elongated frame having one caster at each end thereof, said frames being mounted upside down in the one frame section when horizontal and unfolded from the other frame section, said caster frames being pivotal 270 degrees from the first position to the second position transverse and under both frame sections with the frame sections folded upon one another.

12. An articulated transportable bed, comprising:

a generally rectangular frame having a head section pivotally mounted to a leg section about at the frame midpoint so the head section and leg section can be folded one upon the other, a head platform carried by the head section and a leg platform carried by the leg section, at least one of the platforms being pivotally mounted to its frame section, motor means carried by one of the frame sections for pivoting the pivotal platform through an extendable drive, and two caster assemblies carried by one of the frame sections movable from a first position within the one frame section to a second position projecting from the one section for supporting the bed for rolling motion, said caster assemblies including means for connecting the assemblies to said one frame section in their first positions and means for connecting the assemblies to both the head and leg frame sections in their second positions to stabilize both sections, each of the caster assemblies including an elongated frame having one caster at each end thereof, said caster frames being mounted upside down in the first positions of the assemblies in the one frame section when that section is horizontal, said caster frames being pivotal 270 degrees from their first position to their second position under both frame sections with the frame sections folded one upon the other.