System and method of a bed with a safety stop

• US 9,182,750 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
• Original Assignee: Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
• Inventors: Rawls-Meehan, Martin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laughlin, Nathan L
• Application Number:
  US13/841,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 700/32, 700/46, 700/69, 700/79
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/041 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/003 Lighting, radio, telephone or the like connected to the bedstead
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/726 for automatic deactivation, e.g. deactivation of actuators or motors
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0138 incorporated in furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0142 Beds
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0149 Seat or chair
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1246 by piston-cylinder systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5002 Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5005 for controlling frequency distribution, modulation or interference of a driving signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5015 using specific interfaces or standards, e.g. USB, serial, parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5038 freely programmable by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5046 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/0443 : substantially horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 : with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 : using rotating unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0078 : with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns an adjustable bed facility including a system for executing a computer-based safety-action during a motor-actuated adjustable bed position adjustment, comprising an adjustable bed facility comprising a computer-based controller, an actuator, and a sensor, the computer-based controller providing control of adjustable bed position adjustments, the actuator configured to adjust a height of the adjustable bed facility upon receiving a height-adjustment command from the computer-based controller, and the sensor for determining an actuator action parameter measured value of the actuator, the computer-based controller in communicative connection with the sensor to monitor and compare the motor action parameter measured value to an actuator action parameter normal operation value range, and when the controller determines the monitored motor action parameter measured value is outside the range of the actuator action parameter normal operation value range the controller sends a safety-action command to the actuator.

Claims

1. A system for executing a computer-based safety-action during a motor-actuated adjustable bed position adjustment, comprising:

an adjustable bed facility comprising a computer-based controller, an actuator, and a sensor,

the computer-based controller providing control of adjustable bed position adjustments,

the actuator configured to adjust a height of the adjustable bed facility upon receiving a height-adjustment command from the computer-based controller, and

the sensor for determining an actuator action parameter measured value of the actuator, the computer-based controller in communicative connection with the sensor to monitor and compare the motor action parameter measured value to an actuator action parameter normal operation value range, and when the controller determines the monitored motor action parameter measured value is outside the range of the actuator action parameter normal operation value range the controller sends a safety-action command to the actuators;

wherein the sensor is adapted to continuously measure rotational position for a component of the actuator, the rotational position being interpreted by the controller as an indicator of the rotation rate of the actuator, where a less than normal rotation rate is indicative of an object obstructing the actuated motion of the adjustable bed height adjustment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the safety-action command is a command to stop the actuator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the safety-action command is a command to reverse the direction of the actuator.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least a second sensor, and wherein the controller utilizes a safety-action algorithm to determine whether to send the safety-action command to the actuator based on monitoring the actuator action parameter measured value of the sensor and the at least second sensor through comparison of their respective actuator action parameter normal operation value ranges.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second sensor is adapted to measure the current drawn from the actuator.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the measured current is interpreted by the controller as an indicator of the work being provided by the actuator to be greater than normal and indicative of an object obstructing the actuated motion of the adjustable bed height adjustment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a hall sensor device for measuring rotational position for the component of the actuator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjusted height adjusts the height of the entire adjustable bed assembly.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjusted height adjusts the height of the at least one of a head and foot position of the adjustable bed assembly.