JP2020528324A - Adjustable furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

The drive mechanism (40) comprises at least one support section (12) and a drive mechanism (40) capable of operating to perform swivel movement of at least one support section (12), wherein the drive mechanism (40) is a bearing assembly (52). ) Includes at least the first and second components pivotally combined, the operation of the drive mechanism causes a swivel movement between the first and second components, thereby swiveling at least one support section. Adjustable furniture (10) articles that move.

Description

The present invention relates to adjustable furniture items such as chairs or beds, and in particular to adjustable furniture having one or more adjustable support sections that can be moved to adjust the composition of the furniture.

Known adjustable furniture articles have complex mechanisms driven by one or more actuators between different structures. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0174487 discloses hospital beds. This is an adjustable back section that supports a person (occupant, occupant) lying in various positions, such as a flat horizontal position, a supine or semi-supine position, or simply with the backrest raised. It has a thigh section. The U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0174487 hospital bed features a frame with a pair of parallel, spaced first and second lateral frames, an adjustable back mattress support deck, and a back. It has a fixed seat section located adjacent to the section and an adjustable thigh section located adjacent to the seat section. The thigh section is movable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the seat section and increases the length of the thigh section when raised with respect to the frame. The first and second curved tubes are attached to the first and second sides of the back section, respectively. A plurality of rollers are attached to the first and second lateral frame portions, and the rollers are configured to support the first and second curved tubes, allowing movement of the curved tube and the backrest section with respect to the frame. A linear actuator is placed below the backrest section and attached to the first and second tubes to move the backrest section from a horizontal position to an ascending position with respect to the frame. Two concentric tubes with an arcuate cross section are provided on each side of the bed, which have a radius of curvature centered on the position following the hip joint of the human body lying on the bed mattress. These tubes are attached between three rollers on each side of the bed. The two rollers are located at the bottom of the relatively outer tube, i.e. the laterally outward side tube, and the third roller is located at the top of the relatively inner tube. A cross section extends between the tubes. This configuration provides a so-called shear-free swivel mechanism in which the adjustable back section swivels by 30 (30 degrees) at the hip joint of the person's body on the bed.

The configuration disclosed in US Patent Publication No. 2002/0174487 can be considered heavy, rugged, and mechanically complex.

In modern home construction, a mattress thickness of 12-18 inches is commonly used, with 14-18 inches being more typically used in the United States. Here, the overall weight, robustness, and rigidity of the mattress can put an unexpected load on the bed's operating mechanism. For example, thicker and heavier mattresses overuse the motor (actuator) and shorten the life of the motor and mechanical system. This is becoming more and more important as the market is driven by consumer demand for thicker mattresses. Adjustable beds with built-in motors are known to fail even after a small number of cycles with the mattresses of the thickness mentioned above. One approach to solving this was to use a special, more flexible "ribbed" mattress. However, this is not a practical solution for the majority of applications.

Another problem with known designs is the need to make the operating mechanism as compact as possible to make better use of the space under the bed. In home beds, this space is often used to accommodate storage drawers. Therefore, the more compact or thin the mechanism is, the larger the storage capacity is.

Therefore, adjustable furniture that addresses the above-mentioned problems associated with known designs and is at least as easy to manufacture, store, transport, deliver and assemble as non-adjustable furniture of known designs. , There is a demand for adjustable furniture.

According to one aspect of the invention, the furniture is adjustable.
With at least one support section
It is equipped with a drive mechanism that can be operated to make a turning movement of at least one support section.
The drive mechanism includes at least the first and second components pivotally combined in the bearing assembly, and the operation of the drive mechanism causes a swivel movement between the first and second components, thereby at least. Provide adjustable furniture that swivels in one support section.

Providing a bearing assembly for the Axis components of the drive mechanism allows the actuator to be used more efficiently. The result of more efficient use is to allow the actuator to drive the support section at a shallower angle. This makes it possible to use a more compact mechanism and effectively utilize the space in the furniture.

Here, the present invention will be described as a mere example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adjustable bed frame and operating mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the bed is a semi-upright configuration for supporting a person lying in a sitting position. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the left rear quarter as viewed from above and behind the adjustable bed frame and operating mechanism of FIG. It is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 1 which looked at the bed from the bottom. It is a side view of the bed of FIG. 1, and the bed is in the semi-upright adjustment position of FIG. It is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 in which the bed is in the fully upright adjustment position. It is a side view of the bed similar to FIG. 4, and the bed is in the fully upright adjustment position of FIG. FIG. 6 is a side view of the bed of FIG. 6 in which the mattress is supported on the upper side. It is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 in which a part of the mattress support deck is shown by the outline of a virtual line and the bed is in a fully lowered position. It is a side view of the bed, and the bed is in the fully lowered position of FIG. It is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 1, and is a state in which the bed is viewed from below in a plan view. It is a side view of the bed of FIG. 1 in a semi-upright configuration. It is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 1 in a fully upright adjustment position. It is an enlarged perspective view of the various components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the various components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the various components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the various components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the various components of the bed of FIG. It is a side view of an alternative bed in which the foot support is fully raised. It is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 17 in the position where the foot support portion is fully raised. It is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 17 from which the support panel was removed. It is an enlarged perspective view of the components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the components of the bed of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the components of the bed of FIG. It is a side view of an alternative bed with a back support in a semi-upright configuration.

Referring to FIGS. 1-16, the article of adjustable furniture in the form of a bed 10 comprises a mattress support platform or deck 11 having a plurality of adjacent flat mattress support panels. The plurality of adjacent flat mattress support panels are an adjustable upper body support section panel 12, waist support section panel 13, non-adjustable intermediate support section panel 14, non-adjustable lower body for the back, neck and head. It includes a support section panel 16, an adjustable thigh section panel 17, and a lower limb / foot support section panel 18. Through FIGS. 2, 5 and 7, panels 12-18 are shown by virtual lines to show the detailed structure of the adjustable bed 10. FIG. 6a shows a bed assembly with an adjustable bed 10 in position of FIG. 6 with a mattress 15 supported by a deck 11. The mattress 15 is shown slightly above the deck 11 for clarity. However, it is understood that the mattress 15 is in direct physical contact with the deck 11 during use. When referred to as a mattress, it is understood to include both a single mattress and a mattress integrated with a support or support panel.

The panels 12 to 18 are attached to the support frame 20. The upper body support section panel 12 and the waist support section panel 13 are adjustablely attached to the support frame 20. The intermediate support section panel 14 and the lower body support section panel 16 are fixed to the support frame 20. The thigh section panel 17 and the lower limb / foot support section panel 18 are adjustablely attached to the support frame 20. The waist support section panel 13 has an upper surface 19, and the upper body support section panel 12 (backrest support section panel) has an upper surface 21. When the internal angle B is formed between the upper surfaces 19 and 21 and the bed moves toward the fully raised posture, the internal angle B is always smaller than 180 degrees, and the upper body support section panel 12 (backrest support section panel) is When viewed in FIG. 4, it is always tilted counterclockwise, and the head of a lying person (not shown) is supported by the backrest support section.

The support frame 20 has two half sections 20a, 20b hinged at their respective adjacent ends. The two half sections include a subassembly 20a at the end of the head and a subassembly 20b at the end of the toe. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the two half sections 20a, 20b are hinges 24 fixed to the upward facing surfaces of panels 14, 16 at their adjacent edges, respectively, at their adjacent ends. The part is hinged. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, the hinge structure provides a full length structural support frame in which the two half-section subassemblies are hinged apart and locked in place. The hinged subassemblies 20a, 20b allow the upper and lower halves of the bed to be folded over each other for transport, storage, distribution and delivery purposes, as detailed below.

The upper body support section panel 12 and the waist support section panel 13 are adjustably attached to the subassembly 20a at the end of the head of the support frame. The intermediate support section panel 14 is fixed to the subassembly 20a at the end of the head of the support frame adjacent to the waist support section panel 13. The lower body support section panel 16 is fixed to the subassembly 20b of the half section of the end of the toe adjacent to the intermediate support section panel 14. The thigh section panel 17 and the lower limb / foot support section panel 18 are adjustably attached to the subassembly 20b of the half section of the toe end adjacent to the fixed lower body support section panel 16.

The waist support section panel 13 is pivotally connected to a fixed intermediate support by a hinged joint 22 extending along each adjacent edge of the panel. As best shown in FIG. 9, the hinged joint 22 comprises a plurality of hinges 22', which are spaced along the edge of the adjacent edges of the panels 13 and 14 within the area of the frame 20. I'm here. Adjacent edges of the panels 13 and 14 are provided with elongated hinge mounting brackets 23a and 23b, respectively, which are preferably made of metal and, as best shown in FIG. 8, the edge of the half section 20a (frame). It extends below the panels 13 and 14 between them. Three hinges 22'are provided, including a centrally located hinge and a pair of hinges at each end of the elongated hinge mounting brackets 23a, 23b. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 22'has a normal form and structure, is fixedly attached to each mounting bracket, and the waist support panel is fixed around the swing axis of the hinged joint 22 (hinge). It is pivotally attached to the intermediate support section panel of.

Similarly, the upper body support section panel 12 is pivotally connected to the waist support panel by a hinged joint 25 extending along each adjacent edge of the panel. The hinged joints 25 include a plurality of hinges 25', which are spaced along the edges of the adjacent edges of the panels 12 and 13 within the area of the frame 20. Adjacent edges of the panels 12 and 13 are provided with elongated hinge mounting brackets 26a and 26b, respectively, which are preferably made of metal and, as best shown in FIG. 8, the edge of the half section 20a (frame). It extends below the panels 12 and 13 between. Three hinges 25'are provided, including a centrally located hinge and a pair of hinges at each end of the elongated hinge mounting brackets 26a, 26b. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 25'has a normal form and structure, is fixedly attached to each mounting bracket, and has an upper body support section panel 12 centered on the swing axis of the hinged joint 25 (hinge). Is pivotally attached to the waist support panel 13.

Hinges 22', 25'may be of the usual pin bracket type hinges, or in other embodiments may be constructed of fatigue resistant plastic material, eg, so-called "living hinges". You can. Other types of flanges are further formed of extruded metal tubes, such as extruded aluminum or aluminum alloys, having a d or p shape in cross section, longitudinally as an integral part of extruding. It is envisioned to include metal tubes, including mounting flanges. Here, the hinge pin is pierced through an extruded tube in a known manner and optionally attached to a bearing (ball bearing type) located at each end of the tube to support the hinge pin with low friction. In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable panel 12 has a limited downward angle adjustment with respect to the waist support section panel 13, as at least the hinge 25'has a limited angle adjustment. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 25 comprises an abutting stopper in the form of a rectangular plate 27, preferably metal, which is secured or attached or connected to a hinge mounting bracket 26a within the region of the hinge 25'. ing. The plate 27 is located below the hinge 25 and prevents the panel 12 from descending beyond the plane of the waist support section panel 13 due to mutual abutting between the plate 27 and the underside of the hinge mounting bracket 26b. .. Therefore, the panels 12 and 13 are separated by 180 degrees when lowered flat.

In addition, hinges 22'and 25'have this angle (typically 30 degrees, or just the total combined angle of angle adjustment divided by the number of adjacent platform sections) with respect to the previous hinged panel section. It is restricted upward so that the panels 12 and 13 (platform sections) do not cross. The hinges 22'and 25' are restricted downward so that each platform section does not fall below a direction parallel to the previous hinged panel section.

As will be described in more detail later, the panels 12 and 13 are provided with a predetermined maximum amount, eg, a combination, from the horizontal plane defined by the flat orientation of the fixed intermediate support section panels 14, 16 of the bed during bed adjustment. It may be raised around each swivel axis in the range of 65 degrees. The hinges 22 and 25 are provided with stopping means for limiting the degree of relative angle adjustment of the panels 12 and 13. Typically, the maximum combined angle adjustment of the panel is 65 degrees with respect to the plane of the fixed, non-adjustable panel 14. Thus the hinges 22, 25 are the maximum of the panels 12, 13 by equal or substantially equal amounts, eg, 50/50 or 40/60 depending on the particular application and the maximum angle of adjustment required. It may be adapted to make the angle adjustment of.

As mentioned above, in the embodiments of the present invention, the maximum combination angle for adjusting the backrest and hip support sections is typically 50-65 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle of adjustment is shared between the hinges 22, 25 connecting the respective sides of the hip support platform. As best observed in FIG. 9, these hinge axes are preferably 200-300 mm apart in the longitudinal direction of the bed. In the illustrated embodiment, a single waist support platform with a length size of 250 mm is preferred.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the bed 10 is shown in a fully articulated configuration and is tuned to support a person in a standing and sitting position. At this position, the upper body support section panel 12 and the waist support section panel 13 are raised and tilted with respect to the fixed intermediate support section panel 14. The upper body support section panel 12 is raised around the swivel axis defined by the hinge 25, and the waist support section panel 13 is raised around the swivel axis defined by the hinge 22.

Referring to FIG. 6, the combination angle ASB is formed between the plane PS defined by the seat (support) section 16 (lower body support section panel 16) and the plane PB defined by the backrest support section panel 12. Can be observed. The combination angle ASB is divided into a first angle ASM and a second angle AMB. The first corner ASM is defined between the plane PS of the seat section and the plane PM defined by the waist support section panel 13, and the second corner AMB is the plane PM defined by the waist support section panel 13 and the backrest support section. It is defined between the plane PB defined by the panel 12.

In the lowered position (FIGS. 7 and 8), the adjustable support section panels 12 and 13 are combined with a fixed non-adjustable panel 14, a fixed panel or seat section 16 and adjustable panels 17 and 18. Form a mattress support platform or deck with a substantially flat horizontal surface. The various support section panels 12-18 may each have a mattress support cushion (not shown) of a predetermined thickness, which are combined to provide a mattress base that supports a suitable mattress. Alternatively, the mattress may be placed directly above the support section panels 12-16. Support section panels 12-16 may be upholstered with or without support cushions. In addition, the present invention provides a support frame 20 to be placed in an interior space, such as a bed outer frame, such as a bed base structure of the type prevalent in North America or the chaise longue type more typically found in the United Kingdom. The structure in which is constructed is further assumed. In the illustrated embodiment, the bed support frame 20 is self-supporting because it includes legs 28 that stand up on the floor. Accordingly, the present invention is decorative, including a structure in which the support frame 20 surrounds a separate body, such as a head plate, a toe plate, and a side panel between the head plate and the toe plate. It is also assumed that the structure is located inside a wooden or decorative outer frame. These dimensions of the bed are when the bed has the size of a double bed, but the present invention envisions beds of many different widths, from standard single size to fairly large double size.

The semi-frame subassemblies 20a, 20b each have a rectangular structural support frame throughout and are preferably made of metal, but in addition to or in place of metal, of other materials, plate molds. Materials such as engineering plastics, MDF, wood, or other fiber type boards may also be used for various components.

The two half sections 20a, 20b each include a pair of elongated lateral frame portions 30a, 30b in the form of side rails, respectively. The lateral frame portion extends along the longitudinal direction of the bed on both sides of the bed, with each end assembled by metal, preferably steel cross sections 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, structural support of the type of rectangular box. The frames 20a and 20b are formed.

The side frame portions 30a, 30b are made of metal tubes of appropriately sized, preferably steel box cross section, and the cross sections 31a, 32b are made of similar rectangular box cross section metal tubes. ing. The support frame 20 includes legs 28 facing each corner of the rectangular frame structure at an intermediate position at the tip of the half section 20b at the end of the toe. The side frame portions 30a, 30b and the crossing portions 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b are joined by welding or, instead, by fixing means such as screws, bolts, fasteners, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the legs are detachably attached to the frame by a well-known reversible fixing means, such as a screw fitting configuration.

The assembly of the two half sections 20a and 20b is provided with locking means for collectively locking the side frame portions 30a and 30b when the support frame 20 is unfolded. The locking means includes a metal plate 33 attached to the underside of each side frame portion 30b in the region of the hinge 24. The metal plate 33 extends underneath the adjacent lateral frame portion 30a and is a well-known, suitable reversible fastening means, such as a thumbscrew or wing nut, as in the illustrated embodiment (5). It is detachably attached by a screw fitting configuration such as the bolt / nut connection portion 35.

The unfolded and locked support frame 20 constitutes the floor-standing base of the bed 10. The support frame 20 may stand directly on the legs 28 standing on the floor, or may be provided with casters, feet, or the like at the tips of the legs, as is well known technically. .. Alternatively, the legs may be removed and the frame may be configured to be housed inside the bed outer frame. For example, it may be accompanied by a side frame portion mounted on a suitable mount inside a properly constructed bed outer frame. As described above, the support frame 20 may be folded or unfolded by hand about a crossing hinge axis defined by the hinge 24. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 in which the panels 12 and 14 are flat on the upper side of the panel 16, either the end of the head or the end of the toe is moved and the two half sections of the frame are hinged. It is adjusted by (10) relative movement around the axis. As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the legs 28 standing on the floor are removed, the bed 10 will have envelopes in a very small space. It has a slight increase in depth, i.e. half the length size of the unfolded bed, instead of the additional depth of the half frame at the edge of the toe.

The movement of the adjustable panels 12 and 13 is carried out by a powered actuation mechanism. This actuating mechanism comprises a linear actuator 40 and a first connecting means in the form of a swivel "H frame" 42. The H-frame 42 includes a pair of arms 44 and a cross section 46 extending between the arms 44 and connecting the arms 44 approximately in the middle of these lengths. The arm 44 has a first end 65 and a second end 67 having an opening 69 located (close) to the second end 67. Each arm 44 is characterized by the shape of a bulge 71 configured concentrically with the opening 69. The arm 44 is generally straight, but curves upward at the first end 65, where a roller in the form of a bearing 52 is rotatably attached. Along the wear-resistant strip 54, which may be made of metal, nylon, etc., the bearing 52 contacts the underside of the adjustable panel 12, and when the adjustable panel 12 is raised or lowered, the bearing 52 moves along the strip 54.

The H-frame is pivotally attached to the second end of the arm 44 in the second component in the form of a bracket 50, where the bracket 50 is a subassembly of a half section of the end of the head at the swivel point 48. It is fixed to the lower side of 20a. The bracket 50 extends downward from the underside of the half section 20a (frame) within the region of the hinge 25. The bracket 50 includes an integral bearing housing 51, which is configured to accommodate and hold the bearing assembly 53, as will be described later. (An example of the H frame 42 may include a bar (46a) and a pair of supports (stays) (44) that project substantially vertically from the bar and are spaced apart from each other.)

In FIGS. 12 to 16, the bearing assembly 53 includes an inner race 55 having an inner diameter DIR of the inner ring and an outer race 57 having an outer diameter DIR of the outer ring. The inner ring 55 and the outer ring 57 are rotationally movable to each other. The bearing housing 51 has an outer wall 60, which includes a partially circular section 59 and a crimped section 61 extending from the partially circular section 59. (An example of the crimping section 61 may be tightened and fitted.) Since the crimping section 61 is formed after the bearing assembly 53 is arranged in the bearing housing 51, the bearing assembly 53 is attached to the bearing housing 51. It is held inside and fixed to rotate. The arm 44 is pivotally attached to the bracket 50 by engagement of the bulge 71 (or opening 69) with the outer surface 73 of the inner ring 55 and attached to the bracket 50 using a nut, bolt, washer structure 75, which is attached to the bracket 50. As a result, the arm 44 rotates with respect to the outer ring 57 together with the inner ring 55. The outer ring 57 is rotationally fixed to a bracket 50 fixed to the frame 20. (An example of the opening 69 of the bulging portion 71 may be tightened and fitted to the outer surface 73.)

The actuator 40 is a Delta drive type linear actuator manufactured by DewertOkin GmbH, and has a first end (motor and gearbox end) pivotally attached to the cross section 32b and a bracket 56 attached to the cross section 46. Has a second end (rod) pivotally connected to. The bracket 56 is configured such that the connection between the output rod of the actuator and the bracket 56 is on the plane of the panel 12. This is done using the notch slot 58 in the panel 12 through which the bracket 56 and the end of the output rod of the actuator penetrate. The gearbox and the motor end of the actuator 40 are connected to the cross section 32b at an intermediate position in the entire length. The cross section 32b is located in a plane lower than the overall plane or the reference plane of the frame 20 due to the downwardly sloping end of the half section 20a (frame). The lateral frame portion 30a is inclined downward along the last third of its total length from a position immediately rearward from the leg portion 28 attached to the half section 20a. The side member is tilted downward by about 20 degrees, and the connection point between the actuator 40 and the half section 20a is offset below the reference plane of the frame 20. This configuration ensures that the actuator also tilts with respect to the reference plane of the frame 20 and the plane of the panel 12 when the panel 12 is in the lowered position (FIGS. 7 and 8). With the other end of the actuator in the plane of the panel 12, when the panel was about to be lifted from the lowered position in FIGS. 7 and 8, using the bracket 56 and the notch slot 58, the actuator was subjected to a significant initial force. Can be added to the panel 12. Here, it is understood that the component of the force acting on the panel 12 when the movement is started from the descending position depends on the angular posture of the force vector of the actuator with respect to the panel 12.

Therefore, the rotational movement of the panel 12 is performed by the operation of an electric linear actuator 40 located under the bed in the envelope of the space of the frame. As a result, the panel 12 is raised and lowered each time the linear actuator 40 advances and retreats. The action is that when the bed is fully lowered, the adjustable panels 12 and 13 are laid flat on the side rails 30a and the output shaft of the linear actuator 40 is directed towards each end of the actuator gearbox. I'm fully evacuated. This position is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The output shaft of the linear actuator 40 extends away from the end of the actuator gearbox to raise the panels 12 and 13. Therefore, the rotational movement of the waist support section panel 13 is simultaneously performed by the operation of the linear actuator 40. As a result, the panels 12 and 13 are raised and lowered by the advancement and retreat of the linear actuator 40.

The provision of bearing assemblies and housings at the pivotal connections of the arms 44 and brackets 50 is a significantly lower initial requirement for moving the panel compared to the use of conventional nut bolt washer construction. It leads to gaining the power of the actuator. In other embodiments, the bearing assembly and housing structure may be provided for other Axis connections to further reduce the initial actuator force requirements. For example, the bearing assembly and the housing structure may be provided between the cross section 46 of the H frame 42 (H bar) and the linear actuator 40 to provide an Axis connection. The same bracket as the bracket 50 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 16 may be replaced with a bracket 56 used to pivotally connect the cross section 46 of the H frame 42 and the linear actuator 40.

In a preferred embodiment, the maximum combination angle adjustment of the panels 12 and 13 is 65 degrees. In other words, the maximum tilt angle of the backrest panel 12 with respect to the reference flat horizontal plane of the bed is 65 degrees. This adjustment angle includes a combination of the adjustment angle of the waist support section panel 13 with respect to the fixed and non-adjustable panel 14 and the adjustment angle of the backrest panel 12 with respect to the waist support section panel 13. The combination angle adjustment may be smaller, for example, at most 60, 55, 50 degrees or less. This may be contributed by an equal amount of angular adjustment of panels 13, 14. The maximum angle adjustment may be determined by the graphical structure of the actuating mechanism, including the actuator mounting arrangement and actuation stroke, as well as the relative length size of each adjustable panel.

It is understood that a mattress of appropriate thickness, for example a mattress with a thickness in the range of 25-50 cm (10-20 inches), shall be located on the mattress support platform of the bed 10.

The movement of the adjustable panels 17 and 18 is carried out by a powered actuation mechanism comprising the same linear actuator 40a as the actuator 40 driving the panel 12 and a first connecting means in the form of a swivel frame 42a. Will be The frame 42a includes a pair of arms 44a and a cross section 46a extending between and connecting the arms 44a. The arm has a first end (65a) connected to the underside of the panel 17 and a second end (67a) pivotally attached to a second component in the form of the bracket 50a, wherein the bracket 50a , It is fixed to the frame 20 at the position of the turning point 48a. The bracket 50a extends downward from the underside of the frame 20 within the region of the hinge 41'. In contrast to the pivotal connection between the arm 44 and the bracket 50 via the bearing assembly and housing structure, the arm 44a is pivotally attached to the bracket 50a using a simple nut-bolt washer structure (75a). As a result, the arm 44a rotates with respect to the bracket 50a fixed to the frame 20. In an alternative embodiment, the bearing assembly 53 and bearing housing 51 described with respect to the movement of the panel 13 can be used to provide an Axis connection between the arm 44a and the bracket 50 instead of a nut-bolt washer structure. .. Similarly, the pivot connection between the actuator 40a and the cross section 46a can be provided by the bearing assembly and housing structure described with respect to the pivot connection between the actuator 40 and the cross section 46.

The actuator 40a is pivotally connected to a first end or a first end portion (motor and gearbox end) pivotally attached to the cross section 31a and a bracket (56a) attached to the cross section 46a. It has a second end or a second end portion (rod). Therefore, the rotation movement of the panel 17 is performed by the operation of the electric linear actuator 40a that rotates the cross section 46a and the arm 44a. As a result, the panel 17 is raised and lowered as the actuator 40a moves forward and backward. Further, since the panel 18 is connected to the panel 17 via the hinge 43', the panel 18 is raised / lowered when the panel 17 is raised / lowered. The stiffener 81 is secured to the underside of the panel 18 and to the frame 20 to provide additional rigidity and support when the panel 18 is loaded (FIG. 3).

In the above-described embodiment, the panels 12 and 13 are rotated by the actuator 40 acting on the panel 12 via the arm 44, and the panels 17 and 18 are rotated by the actuator 40a acting on the panel 17. That is, the first connecting means 44, 44a act on and engage with the panels 12, 17 respectively. In practice, the panels 17, 18 and 12, 13 are connected by the hinges 43', 25', which rotate the panel 18 when the panel 17 rotates and rotate the panel 13 when the panel 12 rotates. ing.

With reference to FIGS. 17-25, another bed 110 is similar to the bed shown in FIGS. 1-16, with the exception of a pair of arms 144a instead of a single connecting means acting on the panel 17. The first connecting means or component in the form engages and acts on the panel 118, and the second connecting means or component in the form of the pair of arms 190 engages and acts on the panel 117. It acts so that the same actuator 140a as the actuator 40a drives the panels 117 and 118 at the same time.

The actuator 140a is connected to the frame 120 and the cross section 146a in the same manner as the linear actuator 40 is connected to the frame 20 and the cross section 46 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 16.

The arm 144a extends from the cross section 146a and has the same roller bearing 152 as the bearing 52 at one end (second end), and is provided by the same integrated bearing housing 151 as the bearing housing 51 at the position of the turning point 148. It is pivotally connected to the frame 120 at an end (first end). The bulging portion 171 is located on the bracket 150 and is the same as the bulging portion 71 (see FIG. 20). A corner reinforcing member 199 is provided between the arm 144a and the cross section 46 to provide rigidity. The bracket 150 is fixed to the frame 120 and extends downward from here. The bearing housing 151 holds the bearing assembly (not shown) as described with respect to the bearing housing 51 and the bearing assembly 53. The pivotal connection between the bracket 150 and the arm 144a is provided as described with respect to the bracket 50 and the arm 44.

The bearing housing 151 and the bearing assembly are located on the arm 144a (first component), and the bulge 171 is located on the bracket 150 (second component). This is in contrast to the pivotal connection between the bracket 50 and the arm 44, where the bulge 71 is provided on the arm 44 and the bearing housing 51 and the bearing assembly 53 is provided on the bracket 50. Therefore, the bearing housing and assembly may be provided in one of the first or second components, and a structure such as a bracket with a bulge may be provided in another of the first and second components. It is understood that the Axis connection may be provided.

The arm 190 is pivotally connected to the arm 144a at a turning point 191 via a bulge 171a. The turning point 191 is located approximately in the middle of the total length of the arm 144a. The bulge 171a engages with a bearing assembly (not shown), which is identical to the bearing assembly 53 and is housed in an integral bearing housing 151a at one end of the arm 190. The bulging portion 171a (FIG. 21) is the same as the bulging portion 171 and the integral bearing housing 151a is the same as the integral bearing housing 151. An axial connection between the bulge 171a of the arm 144a and the arm 190 is provided as described for the bracket 50 and the arm 44.

The arm 190 has another integral bearing housing 151b, which is the same as the one bearing housing 151a at the other end, and the other end of the arm 190 is pivotally connected to the bracket 195. The bracket 195 is fixed to the lower part of the support panel 117 for the thigh by using a fixing means such as a screw 196. The bracket 195 includes the same bulging portion 171b (FIG. 24) as the bulging portions 71,171a. The integral bearing housing 151 holds the same bearing assembly (not shown) as the bearing assembly 53. The pivotal connection between the bulge 171b of the arm 190 and the bracket 195 is provided in the same manner as described for the bracket 50 and arm 44. Bracket 195 is located on the thigh support panel 117, and this pivotal connection is centered on an axis close to the hinge point 143 between the panels 117, 118. It is understood that the bracket 195 may be placed at any position on the entire length of the panel 117 if the position allows the swivel movement of the panels 117, 118 between the ascending and descending positions.

As an action, the cross section 146a and the arm 144a rotate around the turning point 148 by the operation of the electric linear actuator 140a. When the arm 144a rotates, the roller bearing 152 acts on the lower side of the panel 118 and raises it with respect to the frame 120. At the same time, the rotation of the arm 144a causes the pivotally connected arm 190 to rotate, act on the underside of the panel 117, and rotate the panel 117 with respect to the frame 120 about the hinge 141'(. FIG. 17). Therefore, by the action of the linear actuator 140a, the panels 117 and 118 are simultaneously driven via the first (arm 144a) and second (arm 190) connecting means.

With reference to FIG. 26, another bed 210 is the same as the bed described with reference to FIGS. 1-16, with the exception of a single connecting means in the form of an arm 44 acting on the panel 12. Instead, the first and second connecting means are used to drive the panels 212, 213, just as the actuator 40a drives the panels 117, 118 in the embodiments of FIGS. 17-25. The first connecting means in the form of the arm 244 is the same as the arm 44, with the exception that it further includes an additional bulge 263. The bulging portion 263 is the same as the bulging portion 71 on the arm 44. The bulge 263 enables an axis connection using a second connecting means in the form of an arm 290, which is identical to the arm 190. The bracket 250 is the same as the bracket 50 and is pivotally connected to the arm 244 in the same manner as the bracket 50 is connected to the arm 44. The bulge 263 is approximately 3/4 of the length of the arm 244 toward the bracket 250. The bulge 263 is located along the entire length of the arm 244, and when the panels 212, 213 move between the lowered and raised states with respect to the frame 220, they cause the necessary relative rotation between them.

This action is similar to the embodiment in which the linear actuator 40a drives the panels 117 and 118 in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 17 to 25. The operation of an electric linear actuator (not shown, but identical to the linear actuator 40) causes the arm 244 to rotate around a turning point 248. When the arm 244 rotates, the bearing 252 acts on the underside of the panel 212, causing it to rotate relative to the frame 220. At the same time, the rotation of the arm 244 causes the connected arm 290 to rotate and act on the underside of the panel 213, thereby rotating the panel 213 with respect to the frame 220 about the hinge 222. Therefore, the action of the actuator drives both panels 212 and 213 at the same time by the first connecting means (arm 244) and the second connecting means (arm 290).

It is understood that at least two concepts have been described in the embodiments of FIGS. 1-26. One aspect relates to providing first and second connecting means acting on an adjustable bed panel that allows coordinated swivel movement of the panel. A second aspect relates to providing a bearing assembly to allow swivel movement between adjustable bed components. In addition, two aspects have been described with respect to swivel movement between the hip and back support panels and swivel movement between the foot and thigh support panels. The two aspects may be used independently of each other, each aspect providing swivel movement between the hip and back support panels and / or swivel movement between the foot and thigh support panels. It is understood that it can be used to give.

Although the above embodiments have been described for adjustable beds, it is understood that the embodiments may be applied to adjustable chairs. For example, a bearing assembly and housing are located between a moving component of a chair, such as an actuator, supported by a fixed base section, and a movable seat section (seat support section) pivotally connected to the actuator. It may be used to provide an Axis connection. Similarly, the first and second connecting means may be used to simultaneously move the support panel onto the chair.

Claims (23)

With at least one support section
It is provided with a drive mechanism that can be operated to perform a turning movement of at least one of the support sections.
The drive mechanism comprises at least the first and second components pivotally combined in the bearing assembly, the operation of the drive mechanism causing a swivel movement between the first and second components. Adjustable furniture that swivels at least one of the support sections. The bearing assembly comprises a bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring that are rotatable about each other, the outer ring is rotationally fixed to one of the first or second components, and the inner ring is the first or first. Rotated and fixed to the other of the two components
The claim that the operation of the drive mechanism causes a relative movement between the inner ring and the outer ring, causes a turning movement between the first and second components, and makes a turning movement of at least one of the support sections. 1 Adjustable furniture as described. One of the first or second components comprises an integral bearing housing configured to perform a tight fit to the outer ring, whereby the outer ring is of the first or second component. The adjustable furniture according to claim 2, which is rotationally fixed to one of the above. The other of the first or second components comprises a fastening portion configured to tightly fit the inner ring, whereby the inner ring is the other of the first or second components. The adjustable furniture according to claim 3, which is rotationally fixed to the furniture. The adjustable furniture according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the tightening fit is a crimped fit. The first component is a fixed frame of furniture, and the second component is any one of claims 1 to 5, which is a first connecting means attached to at least one of the support sections. Adjustable furniture. The first component is a first connecting means, the second component is a second connecting means, and the first connecting means can operate so as to act directly on the first support section. The adjustable according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the two connecting means can operate to act directly on the second support section, whereby the drive mechanism acts on both of the support sections at the same time. Furniture. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first component is a second connecting means, and the second component is a bracket fixed to at least one support section. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first component is an actuator, and the second component is a first connecting means. The at least one support section is a plurality of articulated support sections, and the support section includes at least one adjustable first support section and at least one adjustable second support section. ,
The drive mechanism includes an operating mechanism for performing coordinated turning movements in order to adjust the angle of at least one of the first support sections with respect to at least one of the second support sections.
The actuating mechanism can be actuated to drive the first connecting means so as to act directly on the first supporting section, and is swiveled to or connecting the first and second supporting sections to the second supporting section. The actuation mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which can be actuated to drive the second connecting means to act directly on the point, whereby the actuating mechanism drives both said support sections at the same time. Adjustable furniture. The adjustable furniture according to claim 10, wherein the second connecting means is driven by the operating mechanism via the first connecting means. The adjustable furniture according to claim 10 or 11, wherein one of the first and second support sections is rotatable with respect to the other of the first and second support sections independently of the operating mechanism. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the second connecting means is pivotally attached to the first connecting means. The second connecting means has a first end and a second end, the first end is pivotally attached to the first connecting means, and the second end is pivotally attached to the second support section. The adjustable furniture according to claim 13, which is attached. 10. The first connecting means has a first end pivotally attached to the frame of the furniture and a second end that is globally movable with respect to the first support section. Or the adjustable furniture according to any one of 14. The first connecting means includes a bar and a pair of supports (stays) that project substantially vertically from the bar and are spaced apart from each other, and the actuating mechanism is pivotally attached to the bar. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 10 to 15. The adjustable according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the second connecting means is pivotally arranged in the first connecting means and restricts angular motion between the first and second support sections. Furniture. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the first support section is a foot support section and the second support section is a thigh support section. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the first support section is a support section for the back and the second support section is a support section for the neck. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the first support section is a support section for the waist and the second support section is a support section for the back. The actuating mechanism comprises an actuator, the actuator comprising a first end portion pivotally attached to the frame of the furniture and a second end portion pivotally attached to the first connecting means. The adjustable furniture according to any one of Items 10 to 20. The furniture is a chair having a base section that stands on the floor, and at least one of the support sections is a seat support section that is swivel and movable with respect to the base section.
The first component is an actuator fixed to the base section, and the second component is a bracket fixed to the seat support section, whereby the bearing assembly is formed by the actuator and the bracket. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which provides a pivotal connection between the base sections and causes a swivel movement between the base section and the seat support section. The adjustable furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the drive mechanism includes an actuating mechanism.

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