Tilting mechanism for bed

• US 5,720,059 A
• Filed: 09/13/1995
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Span Medical Products Canada, Inc. (Savaria Corp.)
• Original Assignee: M.C. Healthcare Products Inc. (Savaria Corp.)
• Inventors: Allevato, Eugene F., Kuypers, Jan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US08/527,618
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 5/610, 5/611, 5/11
• US Class Current: 5/610
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/005 tiltable around transverse horizontal axis, e.g. for Trendelenburg position rocking beds for physical therapy A61H1/003; hanging patient inclined downwardly for drawing him out A61H2203/0493
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence

Abstract

The invention provides an institutional bed having a mattress frame which can be moved vertically between raised and lowered positions and which can be moved from the lowered position into one of the Trendelenberg or tilted positions. The mattress is supported on an elevating mechanism having pivots trapped in adjustable pivot sets which are mounted at ends of a connecting element. This element is moveable longitudinally of the mattress frame by an actuator to elevate the bed. Each pivot set can be released individually with the mattress frame lowered and the actuator can then be operated to tilt the mattress frame depending on which pivot set was released.

Claims

1. An adjustable bed for use to elevate and to tilt a patient, the bed having;

a base including a pair of lower side rails spaced apart and extending longitudinally of the bed, the base being adapted to stand on a floor;

a mattress frame having a pair of upper side rails extending longitudinally;

an elevating mechanism coupling the base and mattress frame and operable both to move the mattress frame relative to the base between raised and lowered positions, and to tilt the mattress frame longitudinally;

the elevating mechanism including first and second crank sets, the crank sets having pairs of swing arms pivotally coupled to the mattress frame and to the base, a pair of sliding pivot assemblies mounted on the lower side rails, the swing arms of the second crank set being pivotally attached to the respective sliding pivot assemblies for longitudinal movement on the lower side rails when the mattress frame is tilted;

each of the crank sets including cranks fixedly connected to the respective pairs of swing arms;

the elevating mechanism further including a connecting element having a pair of adjustable pivot sets coupled one to each of the cranks for pivotal movement of the cranks as the bed is adjusted, and an actuator extending between the mattress frame and the connecting element for moving the element longitudinally to thereby move the crank sets and swing arms to adjust the position of the mattress frame;

the swing arms and cranks being in parallel when elevating the mattress frame with the mattress frame horizontal;

each of the adjustable pivot sets including a pivot pin coupled to a respective one of the cranks with the pivot pins separated longitudinally, each of the pivot sets also including a releasable latch forced to engage the pin when the mattress frame is horizontal and elevated to maintain the longitudinal separation between the pivot pins;

feet coupled to the underside of the mattress frame and adapted to come into firm engagement with the floor when the mattress frame is moved into the lowered position so that the actuator can be used to reverse the forces which engage the respective pivot pins and latches by moving the feet firmly into engagement with the floor; and

a pair of tilt controls coupled one to each of the latches and operable when the feet are engaged with the floor to release a selected one of the latches so that the actuator can be used to move the mattress frame into a tilted position, the direction of tilt being dependent on which of the tilt controls is activated.

2. An adjustable bed for use to elevate and to tilt a patient, the bed having:

a base extending longitudinally and adapted to stand on a floor;

a mattress frame above the base;

two pairs of swing arms pivotally coupled to the base and to the mattress frame for rotation to move the mattress frame relative to the base between raised and lowered positions and to tilt the mattress longitudinally;

first and second cranks fixedly attached one to each of the respective pairs of swing arms and having pivot pins at outer ends of the cranks;

a connecting element having slots containing the respective pivot pins;

an actuator extending between the mattress frame and the connecting element and operable to raise and lower the mattress frame;

a pair of hooked latches coupled to the connecting element for retaining the respective pivot pins relative to the connecting element when the mattress frame is horizontal, the weight of the mattress frame causing the pivot pins to engage firmly in the respective hooked latches;

a pair of tilt controls coupled to the respective latches;

feet on the underside of the mattress frame and adapted to come into firm engagement with the floor when the mattress frame is moved into the lowered position thereby reversing the loading between the pivot pins and the hooked latches to permit a selected one of the tilt controls to release a corresponding one of the latches so that on operating the actuator the released pivot pin will move longitudinally of the connecting element in the corresponding one of said slots to tilt the mattress frame; and

a pair of sliding pivot assemblies pivotally connected to one of the pairs of parallel swing arms on the lower side rails and providing for translational movement longitudinally as the mattress frame tilts.

3. An adjustable bed for use to elevate and to tilt a patient, the bed having:

a mattress frame extending longitudinally and having feet adapted to engage the floor;

a base below the mattress frame;

two pairs of swing arms coupled to the base and to the mattress frame and operable to elevate the mattress frame relative to the base and to tilt the mattress frame;

cranks coupled one to each pair of swing arms and fixed to the swing arms, the cranks terminating in pivots;

a connecting element extending longitudinally under the mattress frame;

a pair of adjustable pivot sets coupling the pivots to the connecting element;

an actuator coupled to the mattress frame and to the connecting element and operable to move the connecting element longitudinally to rotate the cranks and to change the angular relationship between the swing arms and the horizontal to move the mattress frame between an elevated position and a lowered position in which the feet are adapted to be brought into engagement with the floor which supports the bed;

the adjustable pivot sets including latches retaining the pivots in relation to the connecting element and operable by the actuator when said feet are engaged firmly on the floor to release a selected one of the pivots so that operation of the actuator can then be used to cause different motions in the cranks and associated swing arms so that the mattress frame will tilt.

4. An adjustable bed as claimed in claim 3 in which the connecting element defines longitudinal slots containing the pivots.

5. An adjustable bed as claimed in claim 3 in which one of the pairs of swing arms is pivotally coupled to respective sliding first assemblies on the base to permit motion along the base as the mattress frame tilts.