Articulating bed frame

• US 6,393,641 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hensley, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavinder, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hewitt, James M.
• Application Number:
  US09/461,623
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 5/613,616,617,618
• US Class Current: 5/618
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/041 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/08 with means for adjusting two or more rests simultaneously

Abstract

An articulating mechanism includes a drive pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section about a first pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bed and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame about a second pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis for translating the upper body section relative to the base frame, and a link pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section about the first pivot axis and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame about a third pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis such that translation of the upper body section relative to the base frame results in tilting of the upper body section.

Claims

1. A bed frame comprising:

a base frame having a head end, a foot end, and opposite longitudinally extending sides,

a carriage mounted on the base frame for longitudinal shifting of the carriage relative to the base frame along a longitudinal axis,

an articulating upper frame mounted on the carriage for longitudinal shifting therewith and comprising at least an upper body section and a seat section, the upper body and seat sections being longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending with the upper body section tiltable relative to the seat section,

a drive pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame for tilting the upper body section relative to the base frame,

a link pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame such that tilting of the upper body section relative to the base frame results in longitudinal shifting of the carriage with respect to the base frame, and

wherein a pivot point at which the drive is pivotally connected to the upper body section and a pivot point at which the link is pivotally connected to the upper body section are substantially disposed along a common pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

2. The bed frame of claim 1 in which the link is pivotally connected to the upper body section and the base frame to cause the carriage to shift toward the head end of the bed when the upper body section tilts upwardly toward an upward raised position, and to cause the carriage to shift toward the foot end of the bed when the upper body section tilts downwardly toward a generally horizontal rest position.

3. A bed frame comprising:

a base frame having a head end, a foot end, and opposite longitudinally extending sides,

a carriage mounted on the base frame for longitudinal shifting of the carriage relative to the base frame along a longitudinal axis,

an articulating upper frame mounted on the carriage for longitudinal shifting therewith and comprising at least an upper body section and a seat section, the upper body and seat sections being longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending with the upper body section tiltable relative to the seat section,

a drive pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame for tilting the upper body section relative to the base frame,

a support bracket coupled to the underside of the upper body section,

a support post coupled to base frame adjacent to the head end, and

a link pivotally connected at a first end thereof to the support bracket and pivotally connected at a second end thereof to the support post such that the carriage shifts toward the head end of the base frame when the upper body section tilts upwardly toward an upward raised position and the carriage shifts toward the foot end of the base frame when the upper body section tilts downwardly toward a generally horizontal rest position,

wherein a pivot point at which the drive is pivotally connected to the upper body section and a pivot point at which the link is pivotally connected to the support bracket are substantially disposed along a common pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the link is pivotally connected to the support post at the second end thereof about a pivot point disposed on a further pivot axis.

4. The bed of claim 3, wherein a top end of the support post supports the upper body section in the generally horizontal rest position, and wherein the second end of the link is pivotally connected to the support post at a location adjacent to the top end of the support post above the base frame.

5. The bed frame of claim 4, wherein the pivot point at which the link is pivotally connected to the upper body section and the pivot point at which the link is pivotally connected to the support post are disposed in a substantially horizontal plane parallel to the longitudinal axis when the upper body section is in the generally horizontal rest position.

6. The bed frame of claim 5 further comprising a further support bracket coupled to the underside of the upper body section and a transverse strut member coupled to the base frame, wherein the drive is pivotally connected at the first end thereof to the further support bracket and pivotally connected at the second end thereof to the transverse strut member, wherein the pivot point at which the drive is pivotally connected to the further support bracket is disposed substantially above the pivot point at which the drive is pivotally connected to the transverse strut member when the upper body section is in the generally horizontal rest position.

7. A bed frame comprising:

a base frame having a head end, a foot end, and opposite longitudinally extending sides,

a carriage mounted on the base frame for longitudinal shifting of the carriage relative to the base frame along a longitudinal axis,

an articulating upper frame mounted on the carriage for longitudinal shifting therewith and comprising at least an upper body section and a seat section, the upper body and seat sections being longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending with the upper body section tiltable relative to the seat section,

a drive pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section about a first pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame about a second pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis for tilting the upper body section relative to the base frame, and

a link pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section about the first pivot axis and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame about a third pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis such that tilting of the upper body section relative to the base frame results in longitudinal shifting of the carriage with respect to the base frame.

8. The bed frame of claim 7 in which the link is pivotally connected to the upper body section and the base frame such that the carriage shifts toward the head end of the bed when the upper body section tilts upwardly toward an upward raised position and the carriage shifts toward the foot end of the bed when the upper body section tilts downwardly toward a generally horizontal rest position.

9. A bed frame comprising:

a base frame having a head end, a foot end, and opposite longitudinally extending sides,

a carriage mounted on the base frame for longitudinal shifting of the carriage relative to the base frame along a longitudinal axis,

an articulating upper frame mounted on the carriage for longitudinal shifting therewith and comprising at least an upper body section and a seat section, the upper body and seat sections being longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending with the upper body section tiltable relative to the seat section,

a drive pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section about a first pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame about a second pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis for tilting the upper body section relative to the base frame,

a support bracket coupled to the underside of the upper body section,

a support post coupled to the base frame adjacent to the head end, and

a link pivotally connected at a first end to the support bracket about a pivot point disposed on the first pivot axis and pivotally connected at a second end to the support post about a pivot point disposed on a third pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis such that the carriage shifts toward the head end of the base frame when the upper body section tilts upwardly toward an upward raised position and the carriage shifts toward the foot end of the base frame when the upper body section tilts downwardly toward a generally horizontal rest position.

10. The bed of claim 9, wherein a top end of the support post supports the upper body section in the generally horizontal rest position, and wherein the second end of the link is pivotally connected to the support post at a location adjacent to the top end of the support post above the base frame.

11. The bed frame of claim 10, wherein the pivot point at which the link is pivotally connected to the upper body section and the pivot point at which the link is pivotally connected to the support post are disposed in a substantially horizontal plane parallel to the longitudinal axis when the upper body section is in the generally horizontal rest position.

12. The bed frame of claim 11 further comprising a further support bracket coupled to the underside of the upper body section and a transverse strut member coupled to the base frame, wherein the drive is pivotally connected at the first end thereof to the further support bracket and pivotally connected at the second end thereof to the strut member, wherein the first pivot axis about which the drive is pivotally connected to the further support bracket is disposed substantially above the second pivot axis about which the drive is pivotally connected to the transverse strut member when the upper body section is in the generally horizontal rest position.

13.A bed frame comprising:

a base frame having a top surface, a head end, a foot end, and longitudinally-extending siderails held in laterally spaced apart relation by cross members,

a support post coupled to the base frame adjacent to the head end,

a carnage mounted to the base frame for movement relative thereto between the head end of the base frame and the foot end of the base frame,

an articulating upper frame mounted to the carriage for movement therewith relative to the base frame, the upper frame including a seat section and an upper body section movable relative to the seat section,

a drive operatively coupled between the carriage and the base frame configured to move the carriage relative to the base frame, and

a link having a first end pivotally coupled to the upper body section and a second end pivotally coupled to the support post about a pivot point above the top surface of the base frame so that during movement of the carriage relative to the base frame the link causes movement of the upper body section relative to the seat section.

13. The bed frame of claim 13, wherein a top end of the support post supports the upper body section in the generally horizontal rest position, and wherein the second end of the link is pivotally connected to the support post at a location adjacent to the top end of the support post.

14. The bed frame of claim 14, wherein the first end at which the link is pivotally connected to the upper body section and the second end at which the link is pivotally connected to the support post are disposed in a substantially horizontal plane parallel to the longitudinal axis when the upper body section is in the generally horizontal rest position.

15. A bed frame comprising:

a base frame having a head end, a foot end, and opposite longitudinally extending sides,

a support member coupled to the base frame adjacent to the head end,

a carriage mounted on the base frame for longitudinal shifting of the carriage relative to the base frame along a longitudinal axis,

an articulating upper frame mounted on the carriage for longitudinal shifting therewith and comprising at least an upper body section and a seat section, the upper body and seat sections being longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending with the upper body section tiltable relative to the seat section,

a drive pivotally connected at a first end to the upper body section about a first pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and pivotally connected at a second end to the base frame about a second pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis for tilting the upper body section relative to the base frame, and

a link having a first end pivotally coupled to the upper body section about a pivot point disposed on the first pivot axis and a second end pivotally coupled to the support member about a pivot point located above the base frame such that the carriage shifts toward the head end of the base frame when the upper body section tilts upwardly and the carriage shifts toward the foot end of the base frame when the upper body section tilts downwardly.