EP0788325B1 - Device for tilting the top end and/or bottom end of a bed - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to furniture such as beds or armchairs part of which is of adjustable inclination. It specifically targets beds whose head and / or foot can be raised or tilted.

Such beds are well known, especially in the medical field. AT Originally, the lifting of the heads and feet of beds was done manually. Currently, especially in the field of domestic bedding, the trend is motorization of the head and / or footboard tilt controls.

This is how special box springs were proposed, in particular at slats, comprising different parts hinged on each other, and electric cylinders adapted to lift each of these parts.

However, such box springs with numerous joints are difficult to make, and therefore relatively expensive.

The primary objective of the present invention is the transformation of all types of bedding in bedding with and / or tilting head and / or foot.

We have already proposed, for example in document WO-A-92 09520, a head and / or footboard tilting device comprising two means support or chassis articulated one on the other and a control means motorized to adjust their relative spacing, said device can be installed removably on a classic bed, between the box spring and the mattress. Unfortunately, the control means is placed inside the perimeter defined by the chassis so that it is not possible to obtain the horizontal position and, in this position, to take advantage of the cooperation of the mattress with box spring.

To overcome this drawback, it has also been proposed, according to US-A-4,853,990, a device of the above kind in which the means for control is not placed within the perimeter defined by the chassis: unfortunately this one is arranged so that the position completely horizontal cannot be reached here either and the lifting angle is limited.

The object of the present invention is to propose an inclination device headboard and / or footboard not having the above drawbacks.

To this end, the invention provides a head tilting device and / or footboard, comprising two support means or articulated frame one on the other and a control means intervening between said chassis to adjust their relative spacing, said device being able to be installed in a removable manner on a bed comprising a box spring and a mattress, a so-called sleeping frame being intended to rest on said bed base and a so-called mobile chassis being intended to supporting one end of said mattress, said frames being arranged in a V the opening of which is adjustable, the sleeping frame comprising two tubes extending parallel in the same plane and the movable chassis being consisting of a U-shaped frame pivotally mounted on and between said tubes, said control means being attached to the sleeping frame and adapted to control, by means of worms, the longitudinal translation of shoes mounted sliding along said tubes, and the displacement of which controls the inclination of the mobile chassis relative to the sleeping chassis, characterized in that the worms associated with the shoes are housed in said two tubes which extend longitudinally and the control means is located outside the area embraced by the sleeping frame.

The implementation of this device therefore makes it possible to make a bedding of classic fixed type bedding with tilting head and / or foot under the control of an engine. The present invention, not requiring the implementation of articulated bed bases, solves problems, in particular of cost, of bedding tilting head and / or foot known at present.

In addition, the device according to the present invention being installable from removable, it can be used alternately on several bedding, or even even on other furniture such as a chaise longue frame.

Advantageously, the sleeping frame also consists of a U-shaped frame, said control means being motorized and comprising a motor installed along the core of said U-shaped frame, outside the area kissed by the latter; preferably, the motor is housed in a housing which extends along the base of said U-shaped frame, outside the area embraced by this last ; a lower face of the housing extends in the support plane of the sleeping frame.

Advantageously, the motor shaft carries at its ends two pinions each engaged with a pinion at the end of the screw without end housed in each tube.

Advantageously, the sleeping frame also consists of a U-shaped frame, said control means being motorized and comprising a motor, said motor being installed along one side of said U-shaped frame, the outside of the area embraced by the latter; preferably, the tree of said motor carries at its end a pinion engaged with a pinion located at the end of a tree which has two pinions each engaged with a pinion located at the end of the worm screw housed in each tube.

Advantageously, the device further comprises a second chassis mobile, articulated on the standing frame and adapted to support the other end said mattress, said control means comprising an extension adapted to cooperate with shoes for adjusting the angular position of this second mobile chassis; preferably, the device includes a means of inactivation of the control acting on said second movable chassis.

Advantageously, at each shoe, part of which crosses the tube, at the by means of a slot made on the latter, there is associated a lever, one of which end is pivotally mounted on said shoe and the other end of which is pivotally mounted on one of the lateral sides of the associated mobile chassis.

Preferably, said tubes of the sleeping frame are extended beyond pivot points of the movable chassis and their ends are connected by a flexible transverse band for holding the device on the bed.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective montrant un lit équipé d'un dispositif selon la présente invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective montrant un lit équipé d'un dispositif selon une variante de la présente invention;
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique en élévation montrant un lit équipé d'un dispositif selon une autre variante de l'invention ;
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique en perspective montrant une autre variante d'un dispositif selon l'invention;
• la figure 5 est une vue partielle de dessus partiellement en coupe du dispositif de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe selon VI-VI de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe selon VII-VII de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 8 est analogue à la figure 6 mais correspond à une variante de réalisation ;
• la figure 9 est un schéma montrant une autre façon de maintenir le dispositif sur un lit.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, among which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a bed equipped with a device according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a bed equipped with a device according to a variant of the present invention;
• Figure 3 is a schematic elevational view showing a bed equipped with a device according to another variant of the invention;
• Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing another variant of a device according to the invention;
• Figure 5 is a partial top view partially in section of the device of Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is a sectional view along VI-VI of Figure 4;
• Figure 7 is a sectional view along VII-VII of Figure 5;
• Figure 8 is similar to Figure 6 but corresponds to an alternative embodiment;
• Figure 9 is a diagram showing another way of holding the device on a bed.

In the first exemplary embodiment, represented in FIG. 1, a headboard tilt device 1 is installed on a bed 2 comprising a bed base 3 and a mattress 4. Bed base 3 is of any type, capable of be indifferently spring or slatted or even simpler still. East represented in FIG. 1 the head of the bed 2.

The device 1 comprises two support means or articulated chassis, one on the other.

The first of said support means, forming the basis of the device, is constituted by a dormant frame formed by a housing 7, of form elongated parallelepiped, and two lateral tubes 9, starting from one and the other end of said housing, relative to which they extend perpendicularly.

The two tubes 9 extend in the same support plane and are intended to rest on the box spring 3 as seen in Figure 1. The housing 7, it extends along the end of the box spring, outside of the latter of so as not to interfere with the mattress when the latter extends horizontally over said box spring. Advantageously, the underside of the housing 7 extends in the support plane of the two tubes 9. In this way, the device 1 can be used for lifting and tilting a mattress directly placed on the floor.

The second support means of the device 1 comprises a movable frame in form of frame 5, pivotally mounted, at one of its sides 6, between the free ends of the two tubes 9, as seen in FIG. 1. From the so, the dormant and movable chassis of the device 1 extend in two support surfaces forming an adjustable opening V. The interior of frame 5 is free or constituted by a lattice of metal wires (not shown) suitable for mattress support.

As can be seen in Figure 1, this set forms a plane support adapted to hold one end of the mattress in an inclined position relative to the rest of said mattress which extends horizontally.

Inside the housing 7 is installed a motor 16 maintained by support flanges 15, said motor being located substantially in the center of said housing, equidistant from the side tubes 9, with respect to which its shaft 14 extends perpendicularly. As seen in Figure 1, this tree 14 extends on either side of the engine, said shaft 14 carrying at its ends two pinions 13. Each of these pinions 13 is engaged with a pinion 12 located at the end of a worm 11 housed inside the side tube 9 on the corresponding side.

Inside each of the tubes 9 slides a movable shoe 10 whose movement is controlled by the corresponding worm 11. At this hoof 10, a part of which passes through the tube 9 by means of a slot made on this last, is associated with a lever 8, one end of which is pivotally mounted on said hoof. The other end of this lever 8 is pivotally mounted on one of the lateral sides of the frame 5.

Thus, by means of two levers 8 which operate on the lateral sides of frame 5, motor 16 controls the spacing of the two chassis of device 1, and therefore the inclination of the mattress head.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment according to which the device of bedding head tilt always includes two frames made up one by two side tubes 9 and the other by the frame 5. This time, however, the motor 22 controlling the spacing of these chassis is no longer between the two tubes 9 but against one of these tubes, its shaft 21 extending parallel to these, as seen in Figure 2.

This motor 22, extending outside the bed 3 along one of the lateral sides of the latter, comprises, at the end of its shaft 21 a pinion 20 engaged with a pinion 19 located at the end of a shaft 18. The shaft 18 also has two pinions 17 corresponding to the pinions 13 of the previous embodiment. The transmission of forces between these pinions 17 and the levers 8 acting on the frame 5 is done as in the example previously described.

A third alternative embodiment, shown in Figure 3, allows to simultaneously control the inclinations of the foot and the head of the bedding.

The part of the device intervening at the head of the bed can be that corresponding to the first or second embodiment which come to be described, with the difference that the worms 11 are extended towards the footboard by trees 31 starting from housings 30 to which end said screws 11, as seen in FIG. 3.

These housings 30, provided with a declutching mechanism, make it possible to attach and detach at will each of these endless screws 11 with the shaft 31 corresponding, of which a threaded end also forms a worm.

With this threaded part is engaged a shoe 32 which controls a lift 23 acting on a second mobile chassis 24 one side of which is mounted pivoting between side members 25 extending the tubes 9, and inside of which the shafts 31 are housed. This second mobile chassis 24, articulated on the sleeping frame 9 resting on the base 3, supports the foot of the mattress 4.

In this way, the motor 16 can control, in addition to the inclination of the headboard, that of the footboard.

When the declutching mechanism is actuated to separate the shafts 31 of the worm screws 11, the footboard tilt control is disabled. In other words, you can adjust the tilt of the headboard without affect that of the footboard, the latter keeping the inclination it had before declutching.

Referring to Figures 4 to 7, a device 101 according to the invention is consisting of a sleeping frame formed by two lateral tubes 109, of section here rectangular, intended to rest on the box spring, and a movable frame formed of a U-shaped frame 105 pivotally mounted on and between the tubes 109 of the dormant chassis, thanks to 135 hinge pins.

Inside each of the tubes 109 slides a movable shoe 110 of which the movement is controlled by the corresponding worm 111; each shoe 110 has, in FIG. 7, an axis 148 which passes through a slot 147, formed in the outer wall of the tube 109, and around which a lever 108 is articulated; at its other end, each of the levers 108 ends in a curved part 134 at a right angle by which it is mounted articulated on the frame 105, said part curved 134 taking place in a sheath 149 secured to the frame 105, by example by welding.

As in the example described with reference to FIG. 2, each screw without end 111 is provided at its end with a pinion 112 which meshes each with a pinion 117 carried by a transverse shaft 118; the transverse shaft 118 is further provided at one of its ends with a pinion 119 which meshes with the pinion 120 of the shaft 121 of a motor 122 placed outside the device parallel to a side tube 109.

The ends of the endless screws 111 and the pinions 112 which they carry, on the one hand, and the end parts of the transverse shaft 118 and the pinions 117 which they carry, on the other hand, are supported by casings 137 and 138 placed at the end of the side tubes 109 to which they are secured; the ends of the endless screws 111, opposite those which carry the pinions 112, are carried by centering bearings 151 housed inside the tubes lateral 109 which they follow the internal quadrangular section; advantageously said casings 137 and 138 are connected by a transverse tube 136 which the transverse shaft 118 crosses; the motor 122 and the pinions 119 and 120 are placed in a housing 141 integral with the neighboring side tube 109 and the casing 137 by means of a bottom plate 150. The housing 141 and the casings 137, 138 protect the outside of the various pinions and the grease they contain to ensure their longevity.

According to a variant not shown, the dimensions of the parts are such that the casings 137 and 138 are constituted by extensions ends of the side tubes 109 associated with end caps.

As can be seen, the device 101 which has just been described comprises a control means 122-120-119-117-111-118 freeing completely inside the perimeter defined by the chassis; moreover, the position completely horizontal can be obtained: the frame 105 fits inside of the perimeter of the sleeping frame defined by the side tubes 109 and the tube transverse 136, as partially shown by the dashed lines in the figure 5, so that in the position of the frames completely horizontal these are flush with the same plane, such as plane P in FIG. 6.

Of course, without affecting the desired result, the frame 105 can carry elastic straps for supporting the mattress, such as straps 146 in Figure 4.

According to the example described and shown, the control is motorized: understands that the same benefits are obtained with an order manual; thus, for example, the pinions being secured in rotation with the trees which carry them by end flats, such as flats 139, 140 of the shafts 118, 121 receiving the pinions 119, 120, it suffices to delete the motor 122 and the pinions 119, 120 and drive the pinions 117 in making a crank cooperate with the flats 139 of the transverse shaft 118.

Figure 8 is similar to Figure 6 but shows a variant lever articulation: here, the lever 208 is straight, without a curved part such that 134, and is directly articulated on the end of an axle support 133 fixed to the frame 105.

Advantageously, fixing means can be provided for keep the device on the bed base. These are then fixing means adapted to conventional bed bases not specially designed for welcome the device. Such fastening means can, for example, include self-drilling screws, especially in the case of box springs wood, cooperating with fixing lugs carried by the transverse tube 136, for example, such as the legs 142, 143 of FIG. 4.

In this same FIG. 4, another means of retaining the device has been illustrated: this means consists of a flexible transverse strip 144 connecting the extension ends 153 of the side tubes 109; these extensions 153 are long enough for strip 144 to receive part of the body of the lying person who thus pushes the tape 144 towards the box spring which holds the device.

According to Figure 9, the maintenance of the device is obtained by a strap 145 elastic circling below the box spring 3 and harnessed by its ends to the side tubes 109 by hooks 152.

Anyway, whatever these means of fixing or holding, they are arranged so that the device is installed so removable.

Claims (11)

1. A device for tilting the head and/or foot of a bed, comprising two support means or frames articulated to one another and a control means acting between said frames so as to adjust their relative spacing, it being possible for said device to be installed in a detachable manner on a bed (2) comprising a divan base (3) and a mattress (4), a fixed frame intended to rest on said divan base (3) and an opening frame intended to support one end of said mattress (4), said frames being arranged in a V, the opening of which is adjustable, the fixed frame comprising two tubes (9,109) extending parallel in the same plane and the opening frame being formed by a U-shaped frame (5,105) mounted to pivot on and between said tubes (9,109), said control means being attached to the fixed frame and adapted to control, by means of worms (11,111), the longitudinal translation of shoes (10,110) mounted to slide along said tubes (9,109), and the displacement of which controls the tilting of the opening frame in relation to the fixed frame, characterised in that the worms (11,111) associated with the shoes (10,111) are accommodated in said two tubes (9,109) which extend longitudinally and the control means is situated outside the area embraced by the fixed frame.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the fixed frame is also formed by a U-shaped frame, said control means being motorised and comprising a motor installed along the core of said U-shaped frame, outside the area embraced by the latter.
3. A device according to claim 2, characterised in that the motor (16) is accommodated in a housing (7) which extends along the base of said U-shaped frame, outside the area embraced by the latter.
4. A device according to claim 3, characterised in that a lower surface of said housing (7) extends in the support plane of the fixed chassis.
5. A device according to claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the shaft (14) of the motor (16) is provided at its ends with two pinions (13) each in engagement with a pinion (12) disposed at the end of the worm (11) accommodated in each tube (9).
6. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the fixed frame is also formed by a U-shaped frame, said control means being motorised and comprising a motor, said motor (22,122) installed along one side of said U-shaped frame, outside the area embraced by the latter.
7. A device according to claim 6, characterised in that the shaft (21,121) of said motor (22,122) carries at its end a pinion (20,120) in engagement with a pinion (19,119) disposed at the end of a shaft (18,118) which has two pinions (17,117) each in engagement with a pinion (12,112) disposed at the end of the worm (11,111) accommodated in each tube (9,109).
8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it further comprises a second opening frame (24) articulated to the fixed frame and adapted to support the other end of said mattress (4), said control means (16;22) comprising an extension (21) adapted to co-operate with the shoes (32) for adjusting the angular position of this second opening frame (24).
9. A device according to claim 8, characterised in that it comprises a means (30) for disengaging the control acting on said second opening frame (24).
10. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each shoe (10,32,110), one part of which passes through the tube (9,109) by way of a slot (147) provided therein, is associated with a lever (8,23,108,208), one end of which is mounted to pivot on said shoe (10,32,11) and the other end of which is mounted to pivot on one of the lateral sides of the associated opening frame (5,24,105).
11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said tubes (9,109) of the fixed chassis are extended beyond the pivot points of the opening frame and their ends are connected by a flexible transverse strip (144) for retaining the device (1,101) on the bed.

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