Breakaway adjustable bed system

• US 8,935,818 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rohr, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos, Robert G
• Assistant Examiner(s): THROOP, MYLES A
• Application Number:
  US13/659,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 528/21, 528/5, 528/6, 528/8, 5292-294, 529/6, 520/01, 520/1, 590/4, 590/5, 594/0
• US Class Current: 5/282.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/02 Parts or details of bedsteads not fully covered in a single one of the following subgroups, e.g. bed rails, post rails
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/00 Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets

Abstract

Provided is breakaway adjustable bed system that includes a bed frame and a breakaway system. The bed frame includes at least one breakaway member. The breakaway system includes a coupling assembly, signal mechanism, control box and alarm devices. The coupling assembly includes elements that selectably couple a breakaway member to another member of the bed frame. The control box includes a processing unit that, upon sensing a signal from the coupling assembly or signal mechanism that the selectable coupling between the breakaway member and another member of the bed frame is decoupled, provides an indication to an alarm device. The alarm device sends an alert to a user that the selectable coupling between a breakaway member and a member of the bed frame is decoupled.

Claims

1. A breakaway system for alerting a user that a first bed-frame member is detached from a second bed-frame member, the breakaway system comprising:

a first coupling-assembly element attached to the first bed-frame member;

a second coupling-assembly element that is attached to the second bed-frame member and that mates with the first coupling-assembly element;

a first signal component attached to the first bed-frame member;

a second signal component that is attached to the second bed-frame member and that mates with the first signal component when the first and second coupling-assembly elements are mated;

a control box in communication with the first signal component, wherein the first signal component sends a signal to the control box when the first signal component and the second signal component move from a coupled state to a decoupled state, and wherein the control box includes a processing unit that senses the signal and that provides an indication to one or more alarm devices indicating the first and second coupling-assembly elements are decoupled; and

the one or more alarm devices that, upon sensing the indication from the processing unit, provide an alert that the first and second coupling-assembly elements are decoupled.

2. The breakaway system of claim 1, wherein the first and second coupling-assembly elements comprise a snap latch.

3. The breakaway system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alarm devices comprises a display device for providing a visual representation of the alert.

4. The breakaway system of claim 3, wherein the display device is a television monitor.

5. The breakaway system of claim 3, wherein the display device is integrated within a mobile device.

6. The breakaway system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alarm devices comprises an audio indicator broadcast on an audio device.

7. An adjustable bed that provides an alert when a first bed-frame member is decoupled from a second bed-frame member, the adjustable bed comprising:

a frame housing a motor device coupled to one or more linkages that adjust the adjustable bed, wherein the frame comprises the first bed-frame member and the second bed-frame member;

a breakaway system for coupling the first bed-frame member and the second bed-frame member, the breakaway system comprising;

a first coupling-assembly element attached to the first bed-frame member;

a second coupling-assembly element that is attached to the second bed-frame member and that mates with the first coupling-assembly element;

a first signal component attached to the first bed-frame member;

a second signal component that is attached to the second bed-frame member and that mates with the first signal component when the first and second coupling-assembly elements are mated;

a control box in communication with the first signal component, wherein the first signal component sends a signal to the control box when the first signal component and the second signal component move from a coupled state to a decoupled state, and wherein the control box includes a processing unit that senses the signal and that provides an indication to one or more alarm devices indicating the first and second coupling assembly elements are decoupled; and

the one or more alarm devices that, upon sensing the indication from the processing unit, provide an alert that the first and second coupling-assembly elements are decoupled.

8. The adjustable bed of claim 7, wherein the processing unit is further configured to, upon sensing the signal, select an alarm device from the one or more alarm devices based on one or more determining factors.

9. The adjustable bed of claim 8, wherein the processing unit communicates the indication to the motor device housed by the frame when a condition is met.

10. The adjustable bed of claim 9, wherein the condition includes detecting that the adjustable bed is occupied, and wherein the motor device ceases adjusting when the motor device receives the indication.

11. The adjustable bed of claim 8, wherein the alarm device comprises a display device for providing visual representation of the alert.

12. The adjustable bed of claim 11,

wherein the display device is integrated within a mobile device, and

wherein the processing device communicates the indication to the mobile device when a time-based condition is met.

13. The adjustable bed of claim 11,

wherein the display device is integrated within a remote control associated with the adjustable bed, and

wherein the processing device communicates the indication to the remote control when the remote control is within a threshold distance away from the adjustable bed.

14. The adjustable bed of claim 8, wherein the alarm device comprises an audio device for providing an audio representation of the alert.

15. The adjustable bed of claim 14, wherein the audio device comprises a speaker, and wherein the processing device communicates the indication to the speaker when a time-of-day condition is met.