Patent Application
20190059601
The present disclosure generally relates to mattress assemblies, and more particularly, to adjustable support legs for foundations for mattress assemblies.
Foundations for mattress assemblies are used in the healthcare field and in residential applications. A typical foundation includes a base and a mattress frame or support, which can be divided into a head and back section, an intermediate seat section, and a leg and foot section. Some foundations include adjustable sections, also referred to as articulating mattress assemblies, wherein the various mattress frame sections are pivotally interconnected and have a continuous range of adjustment. The sections are generally moveable from a flat, user resting position to a seated position with the legs bent or the legs straight and the patient's back angled upwardly with respect to the seat section. The sections are pivoted by motor drives, hand operated cranks or through the user's weight. Other foundations are generally static. That is, the various frame sections are not pivotally interconnected and are typically of a one piece construction providing a fixed horizontal and planar surface. The foundation itself, whether it is for an adjustable foundation or for a static foundation, is typically elevated at a fixed height relative to ground by support legs.
Disclosed herein are mattress assemblies and processes for adjusting a height of a foundation frame upon which a mattress is disposed. In one or more embodiments, a mattress assembly includes a foundation frame comprising side frame members and transverse frame members attached at respective ends by a corner bracket to define a generally rectangular shape; a deck supported by the foundation frame, the deck including a head and back section, an intermediate seat section, and a leg and foot section; and an adjustable support leg coupled to each one of the corner brackets, wherein each adjustable leg support is configured to independently change an elevation of the foundation frame relative to ground.
In one or more embodiments, an adjustable mattress assembly includes a foundation frame comprising side frame members and transverse frame members attached at respective ends by a corner bracket at each of the respective ends to define a generally rectangular shape; a deck supported by the foundation frame, the deck including a head and back section, an intermediate seat section, and a leg and foot section wherein the head and back section is hingedly connected to the intermediate seat section at one end and the leg and foot section is hingedly connected to the intermediate seat section at another end, wherein the intermediate seat section includes an upper panel and a lower panel spaced apart from the upper panel, wherein the lower panel is hingedly connected to the head and back section, and wherein the upper panel is stationary and hingedly connected to the leg and foot section; and a linkage assembly operative to independently effect inclination or declination of the head and back section and the leg and foot section relative to the lumbar section; and an adjustable support leg coupled to each one of the corner brackets for automatically elevating the foundation frame relative to ground, the adjustable support leg comprising an outer tubular member fastened to an interior facing portion of the corner bracket including an end cap, wherein the end cap includes an aperture; and a motorized linear actuator coupled to the outer tubular member, the motorized linear actuator including a motor and an extendible portion coupled to the motor, wherein the extendible portion is configured to selectively retract from and extend through the end cap to change the elevation of the foundation frame relative to ground.
In one or more embodiments, a process for adjusting a height of a mattress include lowering or raising adjustable support legs along a selected one or both of a longitudinal length of a foundation frame upon which a mattress is disposed, the adjustable support legs coupled to and configured to elevate the foundation frame relative to ground, the adjustable support leg comprising an outer tubular member fastened to the foundation frame; and a motorized linear actuator coupled to the outer tubular member, the motorized linear actuator including a motor and an extendible portion coupled to the motor, wherein the extendible portion is configured to selectively retract from and extend from the outer tubular member for adjusting the height of the foundation frame relative to ground.
The disclosure may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the various features of the disclosure and the examples included therein.
Referring now to the figures wherein the like elements are numbered alike:
Referring now to
As is typical for adjustable mattress foundations, the adjustable mattress foundation 10 is movable between a fully horizontal position as shown in
The head and back section 12 can be formed of a single panel 20 whereas the intermediate seat section 14 as well as the leg and foot section 16 can be formed of two panels 22, 24 and 26, 28, respectively, as shown more clearly in
The different sections 12, 14, and 16 are supported on a generally rectangular foundation frame 18, which includes a linkage assembly (not shown) operable to selectively articulate the sections 12 and 16 relative to section 14 of the mattress support surface. The linkage assembly is not intended to be limited. An exemplary linkage assembly and adjustable foundation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,784, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
As shown more clearly in
As shown in
The exterior facing portion 52 is configured to receive an arcuate shaped foam block 56.
As shown in
For manual adjustment, each support leg 60 includes an inner tubular member 64 slidably engageable within the outer tubular member 62, wherein the cross sectional shape can vary from that of the outer tubular member 62 so long as the inner tubular member can be moved vertically with respect to the outer tubular member and lateral movement of the inner tubular member is substantially prevented. That is, the inner tubular member 64 is dimensioned to provide a close sliding fit within the outer tubular member 62.
A selected one of the inner and outer tubular members 62, 64. respectively, includes a plurality of linearly spaced apertures that generally correspond to a defined clearance height. The other one 62 or 64 can include at least one aperture, wherein a selected one of the plurality of linearly spaced apertures can be aligned with the at least one aperture so that a pin can be slidably engaged therewith so as to lock support legs 60 at a desired clearance height for the foundation 18. In
In one or more embodiments, the pin 70 can be inserted through the outer tubular member 62. In these embodiments, a complementary plurality of apertures coaxially aligned with apertures 66, 68 are provided in a distal wall of the inner and outer tubular members. The manually adjustable support leg 60 may further include a decorative outer cover 72 as shown, which can be attached to the inner tubular member 64. Optionally, a caster can be attached to a bottom surface of the support leg.
In one or more other embodiments, the pin can be a depressible detent pin to maintain the selected clearance height. In this embodiment, the linearly and vertically spaced apertures are provided in the inner and outer tubular members as previously described. A channel can extend between each linear and vertical aperture of the outer tubular member and has a width less than the diameter of the pin. The inner tubular member includes the depressible detent pin, which further includes a leaf spring attached thereto that continuously urges detent pin in an outwardly direction so that when the inner tubular member is at a predefined height, the detent pin extends outwardly through the selected aperture of the outer tubular member so as to provide a locking relationship between the inner and outer tubular members. When the operator desires a different height, the detent pin can be depressed to slideably move the inner tubular member so as to engage a different selected aperture corresponding to a different clearance height.
Referring now to
The linear actuator can be a motorized mechanical linear force actuator and generally includes a cover tube 90 and motor 91 coupled thereto disposed within the outer tubular member 80. The linear actuator 84 further includes an extension tube 92 slideably engaged with the cover tube 82 and actuated by the motor 91. A caster (not shown) may be disposed at a distal end of the extension tube.
In one or more embodiments, a process for ingress/egress from a mattress assembly including the adjustable support legs can include synchronization of two or more of the adjustable support legs so as to lower a height of the mattress. In this manner, ingress as well as egress can be easily facilitated. For example, the adjustable legs 60 along a longitudinal length of the foundation located at corners of the head section and the foot section, e.g., right hand side or left hand side or both, can be lowered to facilitate facile ingress and egress to/from the mattress. Once the user is situated on the mattress, the adjustable legs can be raised to provide the mattress in a horizontal position relative to ground or can be maintained at that position until such time the user decides to access the mattress.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
