The present invention relates to a bed apparatus, in particular relating to a bed apparatus including raising/lowering mechanisms for raising/lowering bed floor sections and a link-type lifting mechanism for moving up and down a top frame having the raising/lowering mechanisms.
Conventionally there have been known bed apparatuses that include a lifting mechanism for moving up and down the entire bed apparatus and raising/lowering mechanisms such as a back-raising mechanism, a knee-raising mechanism and the like, in order for the user (caretaker) to get in and off the bed apparatus or in order to make the caregiver take care of the user easily.
The back-raising mechanism actuates the back section (back bottom) for supporting the upper body, among the divided bed floor sections placed on the upper frame, to thereby raise the user's back that is in contact with the back bottom. The knee-raising mechanism actuates the knee section (knee bottom) for supporting the knees, among the divided bed floor sections placed on the upper frame, to thereby raise the user's knees.
The bed apparatus including the raising/lowering mechanisms is used at home by physically handicapped users, for example. The user can enjoy their preferable posture by using the back-raising operation and knee-raising operation of the bed apparatus (see Patent Document 1).
Use of the back-raising function and the knee-raising function of the bed apparatus allows the caregiver to take care of the user easily. In this way, the bed apparatus not only helps the actions of the user who uses the bed at home, but also supports the caregiver who takes care of the user.
As the lifting mechanisms for moving up and down the bed apparatus, parallel linkage type lifting mechanisms using parallel linkage mechanisms, X-linkage type lifting mechanisms using X-shaped linkages have been widely used.
In the bed apparatus including an X-linkage type lifting mechanism having, for example an X-linkage equipped with a linear motion actuator between the base frame and the lifting frame, a configuration has been disclosed in which a first link and a second link for the X-linkage are joined so as to be pivoted about the joint, guide members for guiding the moving members arranged at the other ends of the first and second links are provided in the lifting frame, and the guide member provided in the lifting frame has an insertion portion for receiving the moving member formed on the underside thereof outside the moving stroke of the first link's moving member after assembly while the end of the second link and the lifting frame are detachably coupled, whereby the lifting frame and the assembly of the above other components are formed as separate units. (see Patent Document 2).
According to the above configuration, in inserting the first link's moving member into the guide member provided in the lifting frame, the weight of the lifting frame can be supported by the base frame when the moving member is abutted against the top wall surface of the insertion portion. Accordingly, it is possible to improve work efficiency and reduce labor burden in assembling the bed.
However, in the prior art configuration described above, the X-link lifting mechanism having the lifting frame moveable up and down uses a framework structure for arrangement of X-linkages in order to support the lifting frame with the X-linkages. Since this configuration increases the weight of the moving parts including the lifting frame, there has been the problem that the capacity of the actuator needs to be specified to deal with high loads.
Accordingly, in the prior art configuration, though the bed apparatus is divided into separate units, each unit is heavy and large so that there has been room for improvement in conveyance, assembly and disassembly and others. Especially, for home-use beds and nursing beds, there has been a demand for abed apparatus that can be divided into lightweight and compact sections and that is easy to convey, assemble and disassemble.
Further, there is also a demand for a bed apparatus in which the user's posture can be easily adjusted to the position the user wants without putting any physical strain on the user when the position of the user on the bed needs to be changed.
In view of the above-described conventional problems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bed apparatus in which the user's posture can be easily adjusted, which can be divided into lightweight and compact sections and is easy to convey, assembly and disassemble, has improved work efficiency and maintenance performance, and allows easy adjustment to the position the user wants.
The bed apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above problems is configured as follows:—
The present invention resides in a bed apparatus comprising: an upper frame including a raising/lowering mechanism for raising/lowering a bed floor section; and link type lifting mechanisms for moving up and down the upper frame, wherein the link type lifting mechanisms are arranged under the upper frame on the head side and on the foot side, respectively, a connection frame that integrally joins the link type lifting mechanisms to one another, is arranged between the head-side link type lifting mechanism and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism, and the operations of the raising/lowering mechanism, the head-side link type lifting mechanism and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism can be controlled individually or in cooperation.
It is preferable in the present invention that the raising/lowering mechanism includes a raising/lowering link acting on the bed floor section and a driving means for driving the raising/lowering link, between the bed floor section and the upper frame, and, the raising/lowering link is configured so that one end is pivotally coupled with the upper frame side while the other end comes into and out of contact with the bed floor section while the driving means makes the other end abut the bed floor section and urge the bed floor section in the pushing-up direction only.
It is also preferable in the present invention that the bed floor section includes a back section (a so-called back bottom) for the upper body (the upper half of the body), the raising/lowering mechanism includes a back section-raising/lowering mechanism (a so-called back-raising mechanism) for raising and lowering the back section, the back section-raising/lowering mechanism includes a back section-raising/lowering link acting on the back section as the raising/lowering link, and a driving means (e.g., a linear actuator) for driving the back section-raising/lowering link, between the back section and the upper frame, and, the back section-raising/lowering link is configured so that one end is pivotally coupled with the upper frame side while the driving means makes the other end abut the back section and urge the back section in the pushing-up (raising) direction only.
It is also preferable in the present invention that the bed floor section includes a knee section for knee bending, the raising/lowering mechanism includes a knee section-raising/lowering mechanism (a so-called knee-raising mechanism) for raising and lowering the knee section, the knee section-raising/lowering mechanism includes a knee section-raising/lowering link acting on the knee section as the raising/lowering link, and a driving means (e.g., a linear actuator) for driving the knee section-raising/lowering link, between the knee section and the upper frame, and, the knee section-raising/lowering link is configured so that one end is pivotally coupled with the upper frame side while the driving means makes the other end abut the knee section and urge the knee section in the pushing-up (raising) direction only.
It is also preferable in the present invention that the link type lifting mechanisms each have an X-linkage formed of a first link and a second link that are rotationally coupled at their medium positions and act on a lift assembly, arranged between a base assembly (e.g., a “lower frame” if given as a framework) and the lift assembly (e.g., a “upper frame” if given as a framework), the first link is arranged so that one end is pivotally coupled with the lift assembly and the other end is coupled with the base assembly so as to move along the base assembly, the second link is arranged so that one end is pivotally coupled with the base assembly and the other end is coupled with the lift assembly so as to move along the lift assembly, a third link acting on the linkage and a driving means (e.g., a linear actuator) for driving the third link are provided between the base assembly and the lift assembly, and, the third link is arranged so that one end is pivotally coupled with the base assembly or the lift assembly while the other end is arranged so as to come into or out of contact with the first link or the second link, and the driving means makes the other end abut the first link or the second link and urge the lift assembly in the raising direction only.
According to the bed apparatus of the present invention, in a bed apparatus including an upper frame including a raising/lowering mechanism for raising/lowering a bed floor section and link type lifting mechanisms for moving up and down the upper frame, arranging the link type lifting mechanisms under the upper frame on the head side and on the foot side, respectively, makes it possible to distribute the loads (load acting on the upper frame, the weight of the upper frame itself and weights of other components acting on the link type lifting mechanisms) on the link type lifting mechanisms, to the head side and the foot side. Accordingly, it is possible to make the structure of each of the link type lifting mechanisms on the head and foot sides lightweight and compact. As a result, it is possible to realize a bed apparatus that is easy to convey, assemble and disassemble and is excellent in work efficiency and maintenance performance.
Further, provision of a connection frame that integrally joins the link type lifting mechanisms to one another, between the head-side link type lifting mechanism and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism, makes it possible to simplify the lower frame that supports the upper frame without providing any base frame (framework) and the like for mounting the link type lifting mechanisms. That is, the lower frame can be separated into three parts, the head-side link type lifting mechanism, the foot-side link type lifting mechanism and the connection frame, hence it is possible to realize a lightweight and compact lower frame.
Moreover, since the operations of the raising/lowering mechanism, the head-side link type lifting mechanism and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism can be controlled individually or in cooperation, it is possible to easily perform a movement of changing the posture of the user by combining the back-raising operation and the bed floor section lifting operations on the head side and foot side, in combination. As a result, it is possible to readily adjust the user's posture to the position the user wants.
The thus configured bed apparatus is the best for the bed to be used at home where much help cannot be expected.
According to the present invention, the raising/lowering mechanism is adapted to include a raising/lowering link acting on the bed floor section and a driving means for driving the raising/lowering link, between the bed floor section and the upper frame, and, the raising/lowering link is configured so that one end is pivotally coupled with the upper frame side while the other end comes into and out of contact with the bed floor section while the driving means makes the other end abut the bed floor section and urge the bed floor section in the pushing-up direction only. This configuration makes the bed floor section free from linkage in raising and lowering operation, it is hence possible to manually perform raising and lowering operation without relying on the driving means. As a result, it is possible to improve work efficiency and maintenance performance and also reduce the risk of property damage, or equipment being caught as a result of drive of the driving means during a bed floor section lowering operation.
According to the present invention, the bed floor section includes a back section (a so-called back bottom) for the upper body (the upper half of the body), the raising/lowering mechanism includes a back section-raising/lowering mechanism (a so-called back-raising mechanism) for raising and lowering the back section, the back section-raising/lowering mechanism includes a back section-raising/lowering link acting on the back section as the raising/lowering link, and a driving means (e.g., a linear actuator) for driving the back section-raising/lowering link, between the back section and the upper frame, and, the back section-raising/lowering link is configured so that one end is pivotally coupled with the upper frame side while the driving means makes the other end abut the back section and urge the back section in the pushing-up (raising) direction only. This configuration makes it possible to perform back-raising operations smoothly and make the back section free from linkage in back-lowering operation. Accordingly, it is possible to perform a back-raising operation manually without relaying on the driving means. As a result, it is possible to improve work efficiency and maintenance performance and also reduce the risk of property damage, or equipment being caught as a result of drive of the driving means during a back lowering operation.
Further, according to the present invention, the bed floor section includes a knee section for knee bending, the raising/lowering mechanism includes a knee section-raising/lowering mechanism (a so-called knee-raising mechanism) for raising and lowering the knee section, the knee section-raising/lowering mechanism includes a knee section-raising/lowering link acting on the knee section as the raising/lowering link, and a driving means (e.g., a linear actuator) for driving the knee section-raising/lowering link, between the knee section and the upper frame, and, the knee section-raising/lowering link is configured so that one end is pivotally coupled with the upper frame side while the driving means makes the other end abut the knee section and urge the knee section in the pushing-up (raising) direction only. This configuration makes it possible to perform knee-raising operations smoothly and make the knee section free from linkage in knee-lowering operation. Accordingly, it is possible to perform a knee-raising operation manually without relaying on the driving means. As a result, it is possible to improve work efficiency and maintenance performance and also reduce the risk of property damage, or equipment being caught as a result of drive of the driving means during a knee lowering operation.
According to the present invention, the link type lifting mechanisms each have an X-linkage formed of a first link and a second link that are rotationally coupled at their medium positions and act on a lift assembly, arranged between a base assembly and the lift assembly, the first link is arranged so that one end is pivotally coupled with the lift assembly and the other end is coupled with the base assembly so as to move along the base assembly, the second link is arranged so that one end is pivotally coupled with the base assembly and the other end is coupled with the lift assembly so as to move along the lift assembly, a third link acting on the linkage and a driving means for driving the third link are provided between the base assembly and the lift assembly, and, the third link is arranged so that one end is pivotally coupled with the base assembly or the lift assembly while the other end is arranged so as to come into or out of contact with the first link or the second link, and the driving means makes the other end abut the first link or the second link and urge the lift assembly in the raising direction only. It is hence possible to make the linkage simple and compact without using any framework structure, hence reduce costs and improve assemble performance and maintenance performance. Further, this configuration makes the lift assembly free from linkage in lowering operation. This also makes it possible to reduce the risk of property damage, or equipment being caught as a result of drive of the driving means in lowering the lift assembly because the lift assembly is made free from linkage in lowering movement.
Now, the embodiment mode of the bed apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
A bed apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment includes: as shown in
Arranged on top of the upper frame 2 are the divided bottoms (bed floor sections) 3. The bottoms 3 include a back bottom (back section) 3a, a hip bottom 3b, a knee bottom (knee section) 3c and a foot bottom 3d. Placed on the divided bottoms 3 is the mattress 4. A head board 5 and a foot board 6 are disposed on the head side and the foot side of the upper frame 2, respectively.
Arranged between the head side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot side link type lifting mechanism 1F is a connection frame 7 for connecting the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F.
In the present embodiment, the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H, the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F and the connection frame 7 form the lower frame 1B of the bed apparatus 1A.
The head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F are configured to be controllable to move up and down individually or in cooperation with each other.
To begin with, the configuration of the upper frame 2 that characterizes the bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in
The head-side frames 2H, 2H and the foot-side frames 2F, 2F are spaced a predetermined distance from each other, and disposed over the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F, respectively, and can be coupled so as to be assembled and disassembled by unillustrated connection members.
As shown in
Arranged between the head-side frames 2H, 2H is a so-called back-raising mechanism 8 as a raising/lowering mechanism for tilting up or down the upper body (back) of the user.
Arranged between the foot-side frames 2F, 2F is a so-called knee-raising mechanism 9 as a raising/lowering mechanism for tilting up or down the knees of the user.
Joined on the underside of the head-side frames 2H, 2H and the foot-side frames 2F, 2F are rectangular frames 21H and 21F to which optional side rails and others are attached.
The head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H is arranged under the head-side rectangular frame 21H while the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F is arranged under the foot-side rectangular frame 21F.
Rectangular frames 21H, 21F are each formed of a pair of long frames 21a, 21a and a pair of attachment frames 21b, 21b and connection members 21G.
The attachment frames 21b are joined to the long frames 21a by the connection members 21G so that the attachment frames 21a can be adjusted in position with respect to the width direction.
Next, the configurations of the back-raising mechanism 8 and the knee-raising mechanism 9 that characterize the raising/lowering mechanisms of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, the back-raising mechanism 8 of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, in addition to the back-raising links 82 and the linear actuator for driving the back-raising links 82, the first links 85 and the second links 86 are each pivotally coupled to the back bottom frame 81 and the head-side frame 2H, forming a rectangular parallel linking mechanism (so-called 4-node linking mechanism formed of first links 85, second links 86, back bottom frame 81 and head-side frame 2H) 8a.
The back-raising link 82 is disposed so that one end 82a is pivotally coupled with a back-raising link joint 2H1 of the head-side frame 2H while the other end 82b is formed with a rotary roller 821. The back-raising link 82 and the drive arm 84 are integrally formed in an approximately L-shape and supported on a common pivot at the back-raising link joint 2H1.
The drive arm 84 has a joint 841 to be coupled with the linear actuator 83. The drive arm 84 is configured so as to pivot on the back-raising link joint 2H1 in accordance with the movement of the linear actuator 83.
The rotary roller 821 is arranged so as to come into and out of contact with the back bottom frame 81. With this arrangement, the drive force of the linear actuator 83 is adapted to raise the back bottom 3a in the back-raising (pushing up) direction only by pushing the rotary roller 821 against the back bottom frame 81.
The linear actuator 83 is an electric cylinder having a rod 83a that can be expanded and contracted by motor drive and is arranged as shown in
The first link 85 is arranged so that one end 85a is pivotally coupled with a first link joint 811 formed at an end 81a of the back bottom frame 81 while the other end 85b is pivotally coupled with a first link frame side joint 2H2 provided at a position lower than the undersurface of the head-side frame 2H.
The second link 86 is formed to be longer than the first link 85. On end side 86a is pivotally coupled with a second link joint 812 that is disposed farther than the joint 811 of the back bottom frame 81 while the other end 86b is pivotally coupled with a second link frame side joint 2H3 that is disposed farther than the first link frame side joint 2H1 of the back bottom frame 81 of the head-side frame 2H.
Specifically, as shown in
When a back-raising operation is performed by the back-raising mechanism 8 of the bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment, as shown in
In the present embodiment, the back-raising links 82 are configured so that the linear actuator 83 urges the back bottom 3a in the pushing-up direction only by abutting the rotary roller 821 against the back bottom frame 81.
Here in the present embodiment, the back-raising mechanism 8 includes parallel link mechanism 8a, but the present invention should not be limited to this configuration.
As one variational example of the back-raising mechanism 8, a back-raising mechanism 108 may be configured as shown in
The rotary roller 821 is arranged so as to come into and out of contact with the back bottom frame 81 in the same manner as in the configuration of the above described back-raising mechanism 8. With this arrangement, the drive force of the linear actuator 83 is adapted to raise the back bottom 3a in the back-raising (pushing up) direction only by pressing the rotary roller 821 against the back bottom frame 81.
Next, the knee-raising mechanism 9 of the present invention will be described.
As shown in
The knee-raising link 92 is disposed so that one end 92a is pivotally coupled with a knee-raising link joint 2F1 of the foot-side frame 2F while the other end 92b is formed with a rotary roller 921. The knee-raising link 92 and the drive arm 94 are integrally formed in an approximately L-shape and supported on a common pivot at the knee-raising link joint 2F1.
The drive arm 94 has a joint 941 to be coupled with the linear actuator 93. The drive arm 94 is configured so as to pivot about the knee-raising link joint 2F1 as a fulcrum in accordance with the movement of the linear actuator 93.
The rotary roller 921 is arranged so as to come into and out of contact with the knee bottom 3c. With this arrangement, the drive force of the linear actuator 93 is adapted to raise the knee bottom 3c in the knee-raising (pushing up) direction only by pushing the rotary roller 921 against the knee bottom 3c.
The linear actuator 93 is an electric cylinder having a rod 93a that can be expanded and contracted by motor drive and is arranged as shown in
When a knee-raising operation is performed by the knee-raising mechanism 9 of the bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment, as the knee bottom 3c is pushed upward by the knee-raising links 92 as shown in
In the present embodiment, the knee-raising link 92 is configured so that the linear actuator 93 urges the knee bottom 3c in the pushing-up direction only by abutting the roller 921 against the knee bottom 3c.
Next, the lower frame 1B characterizing the bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The lower frame 1B of the bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment includes, as shown in
First, the configuration of the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F that characterize the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The link type lifting mechanism 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment is a link type lifting mechanism in which, as shown in
As a specific feature, in addition to the X-linkage 30, a third link 40 and a linear actuator (driving means) 50 for driving the third link 40 are arranged between the base assembly 10 and the lift assembly 20.
The base assembly 10 is formed of a rectangular frame structure of a pair of long frames 101, 101 and a pair of short frames 102, 102, as shown in
Arranged at one end 101a of the long frame 101 is a joint (which will be referred to hereinbelow as “second link joint) to which one end 32a of the second link 32 is rotatably connected. At the other end 101b, a guide member 110 for slidably guiding the other end 31b of the first link 31 is provided.
As shown in
Arranged at one end 201a of the long frame 201 is a joint (which will be referred to hereinbelow as “first link joint) to which one end 31a of the first link 31 is rotatably connected. At the other end 201b, a guide member 210 for slidably guiding the other end 32b of the second link 32 is provided. Further, a third link joint 22 to which the third link 40 is rotatably coupled is arranged between long frames 201 and 201 around the center area.
The first link 31 and second link 32 are formed of a rectangular pipe having a rectangular section, and may be made of metal such as steel, aluminum, and stainless steel so as to provide a structure excellent in strength.
The first link 31 is arranged so that its one end 31a is pivotally coupled with the first link joint 21 of the lift assembly 20 while the other end 31b is coupled with the base assembly 10 so as to slidable therealong.
Provided at the end 31a of the first link 31 is a joint pipe (which will be referred to hereinbelow as “first link joint pipe”) 311 that is rotatably coupled with the first link joint 21 between the long frames 201 and 201 of the lift assembly 20, as shown in
The second link 32 is arranged so that its one end 32a is pivotally coupled with the second link joint 11 of the base assembly 10 while the other end 32b is coupled with the lift assembly 20 so as to be movable therealong.
Provided at the end 32a of the second link 32 is a joint pipe (which will be referred to hereinbelow as “second link joint pipe”) 321 that is rotatably coupled with the second link joint 11 between the long frames 101 and 101 of the base assembly 10, as shown in
The first link 31 and the second link 32 have the same length.
Specifically, the part from the first link joint pipe 311 to the middle joint 33 is formed to be equal in length to the part from the second link moving joint pipe 322 to the middle joint 33. The part from the second link joint pipe 321 to the middle joint 33 is formed to be equal in length to the part from the first link moving joint pipe 312 to the middle joint 33.
With this configuration, the X-linkage 30 formed of the first link 31 and the second link 32 enables the lift assembly 20 to move up and down parallel to the base assembly 10.
As shown in
The drive arm 41 has a joint 411 at the other end 41b to be coupled with the linear actuator 50. The drive arm 41 is configured to rotate about the third link joint 22 of the lift assembly 20 as the drive actuator 50 moves.
The functional arm 42 is provided at the other end 42b with a rotary roller 421 abutting the first link 31. The functional arm 42 is configured to rotate the rotary roller 421 upwards and downwards about the third link joint 22 of the lift assembly 20 by linking the drive arm 41 moves, to rotate the first link 31 about the first link joint 21 of the lift assembly 20 by pushing the rotary roller 421 against the first link 31.
As shown in
The linear actuator 50 is an electric cylinder having a rod 51 that can be expanded and contracted by motor drive and is arranged as shown in
In the present embodiment, as the featuring configuration of the link type lifting mechanism 1, a stopper 210a for limiting the movable range of the second link moving joint pipe 322 of the second link 32 is provided for the guide member 210 of the long frame 201 of the lift assembly 20, as shown in
In the present embodiment, the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F having the above configuration are arranged, as shown in
Further, in the present embodiment, in the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H, a pair of supports 220 that are engaged with part of the upper frame 2 to rotatably support the upper frame 2 are provided in the long frame 201 of the lift assembly 20.
On the other hand, in the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F, as shown in
As described above, provision of the supports 220 that rotatably support the upper frame 2 for the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and provision of retention rollers 230 that movably retain the upper frame 2 for the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F make it possible to stably support the upper frame 2 by the retention rollers 230 even if the upper frame 2 moves in the longitudinal direction when a tilting operation of the upper frame 2 is performed.
Further, in the present embodiment a lift-side joint 170 to which the connection frame 7 is joined is provided in the center of the long frame 101 of the base assembly 10 of each of the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F, as shown in
Next, the connection frame 7 will be described with reference to the drawings.
Next, the connection frame 7 of the present embodiment is formed of, as shown in
As shown in
The long frames 71 are formed of a rectangular pipe having a rectangular section, and may be made of metal such as steel, aluminum, and stainless steel so as to provide a structure excellent in strength.
As shown in
In the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F, the lift-side joint 170 that is fixed to the attachment 71c is provided for the long frame 101 on the attachment side of the connection frame 7 in the base assembly 10, as shown in FIG. 17. Further, this long frame 101 has a pair of fitting holes (positioning portions) 101c formed on the underside in the center thereof to position the connection frame 7, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the frame-side joint 72 is pressed to form indentation and projection on the side facing the link type lifting mechanism 1H, 1F as shown in
The lift-side joint 170 is projected and integrally formed in the center of the long frame 101 in the base assembly 10, as shown in
The lift-side joint 170 and the frame-side joint 72 are joined by raising the link type lifting mechanism 1H, 1F from the condition shown in
The bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment is configured so that, in the state where the connection frame 7 is fixed to the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F, a spacing of a height H can be formed between the bottom of the long frames 71 of the connection frame 7 and the floor surface FL, as shown in
This height H is set so as to exceed the height of nursing care equipment when nursing care equipment is laid around the bed. This specification allows the base (feet) of nursing care equipment to be put under the long frames 71 of the connection frame 7.
Next, lifting operations by the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F, when the lift assembly 20 is positioned at the lowest position, the lift assembly 20 is located close to the base assembly 10 so that the first link 31 and second link 32 are gently inclined or laid down (at a small tilt angle), as shown in
The linear actuator 50 is located between the base assembly 10 and the lift assembly 20 in such a state that the rod 51 is retracted inside the body 52.
As shown in
The functional arm 42 is placed so that the rotary roller 421 is located at a position on the upper surface 31c closer to the other end 31b of the first link 31, on the right side in the drawing of the third link joint pipe 43 and the third link joint 22 of the lift assembly 20 while the arm body is inclined along the first link 31.
First, when the lift assembly 20 is moved up, the linear actuator 50 is driven to extend the rod 51 so as to turn the drive arm 41 leftward in the drawing, as shown in
As the functional arm 42 rotates downward, the rotary roller 421 pushes down the upper surface 31c of the other end 31b of the first link 31 so that force acts in a direction of pushing the third link joint 22 of the lift assembly 20 upward. As a result, the first link 31 rotates about the first link joint pipe 311 on the lift assembly 20 side as a fulcrum so that the first link moving joint pipe 312 moves leftward in the drawing to widen the tilt angle θ1.
With this, the second link 32 coupled at the middle joint 33, similarly to the motion of the first link 31, rotates about the second link joint pipe 321 on the base assembly 10 side as a fulcrum so that the second link moving joint pipe 322 moves leftward in the drawing to widen the tilt angle θ2. As a result, the lift assembly 20 is moved upward. In this case, the tilt angles θ1 and θ2 always take the same value.
Thus, the lift assembly 20 can move up while remaining parallel to the base assembly 10.
Next, when the lift assembly 20 is moved down, the opposite control to that for the raising control described above is performed.
That is, as shown in
As the functional arm 42 rotates upward, pressing of the rotary roller 421 onto the upper surface 31c of the other end 31b of the first link 31 is released so that the lift assembly 20 moves down due to gravity, following the amount of rotation (the amount of motion) of the functional arm 42. As a result, the first link 31 rotates about the first link joint pipe 311 as a fulcrum so that the first link moving joint pipe 312 moves rightward in the drawing to narrow the tilt angle θ1.
With this, the second link 32 coupled at the middle joint 33, similarly to the motion of the first link 31, rotates about the second link joint pipe 321 as a fulcrum so that the second link moving joint pipe 322 moves rightward in the drawing to narrow the tilt angle θ2. In this case, the tilt angles θ1 and θ2 always take the same value.
Thus, the lift assembly 20 can be lowered while remaining parallel to the base assembly 10.
Next, the characteristic operation of lifting the upper frame 2 in the bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, when the upper frame 2 of the bed apparatus 1A is raised parallel, the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F are controlled to move up in synchronization with each other, whereby the upper frame 2 is transitioned from the state shown in
As a result, the upper frame 2 can be moved up parallel to the floor surface FL, keeping the head side and foot side of the upper frame 2 horizontal.
When the upper frame 2 of the bed apparatus 1A is lowered parallel, the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F may be controlled to move down in synchronization with each other.
Next, when the upper frame 2 of the bed apparatus 1A is tilted with the head side higher, the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H is controlled to move up, whereby the upper frame 2 is transitioned from the state shown in
When the bed floor sections of the bed apparatus 1A has been set at a medium position in the adjustable range, tilting the bed floor sections with the head side higher may be performed by raising the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and lowering the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F.
Thus, it is also possible to perform an operation of tilting the upper frame 2 with the head side higher by control the lifting operation in the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the lifting operation in the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F, in combination.
Next, when the upper frame 2 of the bed apparatus 1A is tilted with the foot side higher, the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F is controlled to move up, whereby the upper frame 2 is transitioned from the state shown in
When the bed floor sections of the bed apparatus 1A has been set at a medium position in the adjustable range, tilting the bed floor sections with the foot side higher may be performed by raising the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F and lowering the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H.
Thus, it is also possible to perform an operation of tilting the upper frame 2 with the foot side higher by control the lifting operation in the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the lifting operation in the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F, in combination.
As described heretofore, in the bed apparatus 1A of the present embodiment, the user's posture can be changed by use of the back-raising mechanism 8 and the knee-raising mechanism 9 in the upper frame 2 while the upper frame 2 can be tilted by use of the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F under the upper frame 2. Accordingly, it is possible to create a suitable posture for the user by operating the back-raising mechanism 8, the knee-raising mechanism 9 and the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F, in combination.
Specifically, in a case where, for example, the user wants to raise their upper body on the bed, the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F are adapted to tilt the entire bed with the head side up before the upper body is raised by the back-raising mechanism 8, then the upper body is raised by the back-raising mechanism 8. This operation makes it possible to alleviate physical burdens when the user raises the upper body.
Further, when the user is made to take a posture with the legs bent by raising knees by means of the knee-raising mechanism 9 before the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F tilt the entire bed with the head side up, it is possible to prevent the user from slipping down toward the foot side of the bed.
According to the present embodiment having the configuration described above, when, in the bed apparatus 1A including the back-raising mechanism 8 and the knee-raising mechanism 9 in the upper frame 2, the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F are arranged on the head side and the foot side, respectively under the upper frame 2, it is possible to distribute the loads (load acting on the upper frame, the weight of the upper frame itself and weights of other components acting on the link type lifting mechanisms) on the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F, to the head side and the foot side. Accordingly, it is possible to make the structure of each of the link type lifting mechanisms on the head and foot sides lightweight and compact. As a result, it is possible to realize a bed apparatus that is easy to convey, assemble and disassemble and is excellent in work efficiency and maintenance performance.
The thus configured bed apparatus is the best for the bed to be used at home where much help cannot be expected.
According to the present embodiment, since the connection frame 7 that integrally joins the link type lifting mechanisms to each other is provided between the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H and the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F, the lower frame that supports the upper frame 2 can be simply constructed without providing any base frame (framework) and the like for mounting the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F. That is, the lower frame can be separated into three parts, the head-side link type lifting mechanism 1H, the foot-side link type lifting mechanism 1F and the connection frame 7, hence it is possible to provide a lightweight and compact lower frame.
Further, according to the present embodiment, since the operations of the back-raising mechanism 8, the knee-raising mechanism 9 and the head-side and foot-side link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F can be controlled individually or in cooperation, it is possible to operate each mechanism individually or perform an operation by combining back-raising operation and bed floor sections lifting operation in combination. It is therefore possible to easily perform a movement of changing the posture of the user. As a result, it is possible to readily adjust the user's posture to the position the user wants.
In the present embodiment, the link type lifting mechanisms 1H and 1F each have the X-linkage 30 formed of the first link 31 and the second link 32 that are rotationally coupled at their medium positions and act on the lift assembly 20, the third link 40 acting on the linkage 30 and the linear actuator 50 that drives the third link 40, arranged between the base assembly 10 and the lift assembly 20, and the lift assembly 20 is urged in only the direction by the linear actuator 50 pressing the rotary roller 421 against the first link 31. Accordingly, the linking mechanism can be simplified and made compact without using a framework structure, thus making it possible to reduce costs and improve assembly efficiency and maintenance performance. Further, this configuration makes the lift assembly 20 free from linkage in lowering operation, it is hence possible to reduce the risk of property damage, or equipment being caught as a result of drive of the linear actuator 50 during the lowering operation of the lift assembly 20.
Further, since the present embodiment includes the back-raising mechanism 8 for raising up the back bottom 3a as a raising/lowering mechanism while the back-raising links 82 are configured to urge the back bottom 3a in the pushing-up (raising) direction only by the linear actuator 83 via the rotary roller 821 that presses the back bottom frame 81, it is possible to perform back-raising operations smoothly and make the back bottom 3a free from linkage in back-lowering operation. Accordingly, it is possible to perform a back-raising operation manually without relaying on the linear actuator 83. As result, it is possible to improve work efficiency and maintenance performance. It is also possible to reduce the risk of property damage, or equipment being caught as a result of drive of the linear actuator 83 in back lowering operation.
Further, since the present embodiment includes the knee-raising mechanism 9 for raising up the knee bottom 3c as a raising/lowering mechanism while the knee-raising links 92 are configured to urge the knee bottom 3c in the pushing-up (raising) direction only by the linear actuator 93 via the rotary roller 921 that presses the knee bottom 3c, it is possible to perform knee-raising operations smoothly and make the knee bottom 3c free from linkage in knee-lowering operation. Accordingly, it is possible to perform a knee-raising operation manually without relaying on the linear actuator 93. As result, it is possible to improve work efficiency and maintenance performance and reduce the risk of property damage, or equipment being caught as a result of drive of the linear actuator 93 at knee lowering operation.
Here, in the present embodiment, as the configuration of the bed apparatus 1A the upper frame 2 is equipped with the back-raising mechanism 8 and the knee-raising mechanism 9, each having a driving means as a raising/lowering mechanism. However, the present invention should not be limited to this apparatus configuration.
As variational examples, back-raising and knee-raising mechanisms may be mechanically linked to form a raising/lowering mechanism that is driven by a single driving means or only a back-raising mechanism may be provided.
Here, the present invention should not be limited to the above embodied modes and variational examples, but various changes can be made within the scope of the claims. That is, any embodied mode obtained by combination of technical means modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be included in the technical art of the present invention.
The bed apparatus of the present invention can be applied to beds for medical, nursing care and in-home purposes.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2013-101512 | May 2013 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2014/058730 | 3/27/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2014/185161 | 11/20/2014 | WO | A |
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20160120327 A1 | May 2016 | US |