Method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed

• US 7,235,942 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paramount Bed Company Limited (Paramount Bed Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Paramount Bed Company Limited (Paramount Bed Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Inoue, Satoru, Nagaoka, Hiroshi, Horitani, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US10/389,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 318/280, 318/288, 318/460, 318/466, 318/430, 318/432, 156/11, 156/16, 156/18
• US Class Current: 318/466
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/041 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/08 with means for adjusting two or more rests simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed that has a back bottom section for lifting the back portion of a lying person and a knee bottom section for lifting his/her knee portion, in which the respective bottom sections can be lifted by the lifting mechanisms respectively provided for them, characterized in that the respective bottom sections are so constituted that they can be operated by the respectively provided lifting mechanisms either respectively independently or in an coordinative manner under a command selectively issued from an operation command means to a control means, and that position detecting means for detecting the lower limit positions of said respective bottom sections are installed at adequate places, wherein the control means lifts the respective bottoms sections in an coordinative manner subject to the condition that the position detecting means of the respective bottom sections detect the lower limit positions.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed that has a back bottom section for lifting the back portion of a lying person and a knee bottom section for lifting his/her knee portion, in which the respective bottom sections can be separately or simultaneously lifted by lifting mechanisms respectively provided for them, comprising:

selectively issuing a command from an operating command means to a control means so that respective bottom sections can be operated by the respectively provided lifting mechanisms either respectively independently or in an coordinative manner, detecting the lower limit positions of said respective bottom sections by means of position detecting means, and transmitting to control means the lower limit position of the bottom sections which can be lifted in an coordinative manner.

2. The method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 1, wherein control means does not accept a coordinative lifting command from the operation command means when the position detecting means does not detect the bottom sections to be in a lower limit position.

3. A method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 2, further comprising initiate lifting of the back bottom section when all of the bottom sections are kept down to lie flat, and the knee bottom section begins to lift, then after lifting of the back bottom section begins, thereafter continue lifting of the knee bottom section until it reaches a preset highest position, and then begin lowering the knee bottom section when the back bottom section is lifted to a predetermined high position, wherein a time instant when lifting of the back bottom section is started later than a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started, and/or a time instant when the knee bottom section reaches the highest position is determined in reference to time elapsed after a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started.

4. The method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 1, comprising:

the lowering respective bottom sections in response to an coordinative lifting command from the operation command means to the control means when the position detecting means does not detect the bottom sections in a lower limit position.

5. A method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 4, further comprising initiate lifting of the back bottom section when all of the bottom sections are kept down to lie flat, and the knee bottom section begins to lift, then after lifting of the back bottom section begins, thereafter continue lifting of the knee bottom section until it reaches a preset highest position, and then begin lowering the knee bottom section when the back bottom section is lifted to a predetermined high position, wherein a time instant when lifting of the back bottom section is started later than a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started, and/or a time instant when the knee bottom section reaches the highest position is determined in reference to time elapsed after a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started.

6. The method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 1, comprising lowering the respective bottom sections in response to a coordinative lifting command from the operation command means to the control means when the position detecting means does not detect the bottom sections in a lower limit position and lifting the respective bottom sections in a coordinative manner when the position detecting means detects the lower limit position of the bottom sections.

7. A method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 6, further comprising initiate lifting of the back bottom section when all of the bottom sections are kept down to lie flat, and the knee bottom section begins to lift, then after lifting of the back bottom section begins, thereafter continue lifting of the knee bottom section until it reaches a preset highest position, and then begin lowering the knee bottom section when the back bottom section is lifted to a predetermined high position, wherein a time instant when lifting of the back bottom section is started later than a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started, and/or a time instant when the knee bottom section reaches the highest position is determined in reference to time elapsed after a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started.

8. The method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 1, further comprising counting time elapsed in the control means in response to a coordinative lifting command from the operation command means when the detecting means does not detect a lower limit position of the bottom sections, lowering respective bottom sections by the control means if the control means standing by in this state receives another coordinative lifting command within a predetermined time, and lifting the respective bottom sections in a coordinative manner by the control means if the position detecting means of the respective bottom sections detect the lower limit positions.

9. A method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 8, further comprising initiate lifting of the back bottom section when all of the bottom sections are kept down to lie flat, and the knee bottom section begins to lift, then after lifting of the back bottom section begins, thereafter continue lifting of the knee bottom section until it reaches a preset highest position, and then begin lowering the knee bottom section when the back bottom section is lifted to a predetermined high position, wherein a time instant when lifting of the back bottom section is started later than a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started, and/or a time instant when the knee bottom section reaches the highest position is determined in reference to time elapsed after a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started.

10. A method of controlling the lifting of bottom sections of lying furniture such as a bed, according to claim 1, further comprising initiate lifting of the back bottom section when all of the bottom sections are kept down to lie flat, and the knee bottom section begins to lift, then after lifting of the back bottom section begins, thereafter continue lifting of the knee bottom section until it reaches a preset highest position, and then begin lowering the knee bottom section when the back bottom section is lifted to a predetermined high position, wherein a time instant when lifting of the back bottom section is started later than a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started, and/or a time instant when the knee bottom section reaches the highest position is determined in reference to time elapsed after a time instant when the lifting of the knee bottom section is started.