EXTENDABLE SUPPORT FRAME FOR AN ARTICULATING BED PLATFORM

Abstract

An articulating bed incorporates a base frame having base side rails and a head end and a foot end, and a support frame having support side rails. An extension assembly including a carriage is carried by the base side rails. The carriage is mounted with wheels engaging the base side rails to translate from a first position through a range progressing toward the head end to a fully translated position and a scissor mechanism having at least one forward scissor assembly and at least one aft scissor assembly extended by the translation of the carriage to place the scissor mechanism in an extended position to elevate the support frame from the base frame. Abase shroud is engaged to the base frame. A telescoping shroud is engaged to the support frame and telescopically received within the base shroud with the scissor mechanism in a retracted position and extended from the base shroud with the scissor mechanism in the extended position.

Description

BACKGROUND

Field

This invention relates generally to the field of adjustable beds and more particularly to a structure for an articulating bed having support frame for an articulating platform, the support frame extendible from a base frame and incorporating dual interconnected scissored leg pairs. A telescoping shroud attached to the support frame is received in a base shroud attached to the base frame for concealing the actuating structures in both the extended and retracted positions of the support frame.

Description of the Related Art

Articulating beds have long been used in hospital and healthcare facilities to allow positioning of a patient in a reclining position, sitting position, elevated leg position or combinations of these positions. General usage of articulating beds has been rapidly expanding due to the comfort and convenience available from adjusting the bed to desired positions for reading, general relaxation or sleeping.

The mechanical structure and drive mechanisms for such articulating beds must be able to support the weight of both a mattress and the occupant. Due to the size, weight, fabrication materials and configuration of the mattress and supporting structure, maintaining rigidity in the system may also be challenging. Typical articulating beds provide an upper body positioning element and a thigh and lower leg positioning element either individually active or with combined actuation.

However, modern articulating beds for aging users may require differing heights of the articulating platform for ingress and egress from the bed. While hospital beds often have an elevating mechanism, these mechanisms are unattractive and bulky

It is therefore desirable to provide an articulating bed having an extendible articulation platform while aesthetically shielding the actuation mechanisms of the bed.

SUMMARY

The embodiments disclosed herein overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an articulating bed incorporating a base frame having base side rails and a head end and a foot end, and a support frame having support side rails. An extension assembly including a carriage is carried by the base side rails. The carriage is mounted with wheels engaging the base side rails to translate from a first position through a range progressing toward the head end to a fully translated position and a scissor mechanism having at least one forward scissor assembly and at least one aft scissor assembly extended by the translation of the carriage to place the scissor mechanism in an extended position to elevate the support frame from the base frame. A base shroud is engaged to the base frame. A telescoping shroud is engaged to the support frame and telescopically received within the base shroud with the scissor mechanism in a retracted position and extended from the base shroud with the scissor mechanism in the extended position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description of exemplary implementations when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example implementation with the support frame in a retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the example implementation with the support frame in an extended position;

FIG. 3A is a side upward perspective view of the example implementation with the support frame in the retracted position;

FIG. 3B is a side upward perspective view of the example implementation in the retracted position with the side frame elements of the base frame and support frame removed for clarity;

FIG. 4A is a side upward perspective view of the example implementation with the support frame in the extended position;

FIG. 4B is a side upward perspective view of the example implementation in the extended position with the side frame elements of the base frame and support frame removed for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the extension assembly;

FIG. 6A is a corner perspective section view showing the inner shroud and outer shroud supported by the support frame and base frame in the extended position; and

FIG. 6B is a corner section view from the side showing the inner shroud and outer shroud supported by the support frame and base frame in the extended position;

FIG. 7A is a corner perspective section view showing the inner shroud and outer shroud supported by the support frame and base frame in the retracted position; and

FIG. 7B is a corner section view from the side showing the inner shroud and outer shroud supported by the support frame and base frame in the retracted position;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments shown in the drawings and described herein provide a support frame for an articulating platform, the support frame extendible from a base frame and incorporating an extension assembly with dual interconnected scissored leg pairs. A telescoping shroud attached to the support frame is received in a base shroud attached to the base frame for concealing the actuating structures in both the extended and retracted positions of the support frame.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary implementation of an adjustable bed 10 with an extendable articulating support frame in the retracted position. An mattress support platform 12 includes a surround 14. A base frame, to be described in greater detail subsequently, has an attached base shroud 16. FIG. 2. Shows the adjustable bed 10 in the extended position with a telescoping shroud 18 which is attached to an articulating system support frame, to be described in greater detail subsequently.

FIGS. 3A and 4A show details of a base frame 20 and an articulating system support frame 40 in the retracted and extended positions with the base shroud and telescoping shroud removed for clarity. The base frame 20 incorporates base side rails 22, a base head rail 24, and a base foot rail 26 connected between the base side rails. A head end intermediate rail 28 and a foot end intermediate rail 30 extend. between the base side rails 22.

The articulating system support frame 40 incorporates support side rails 42, a support head rail 44 and a support foot rail 46. A head end suspension rail 48 and a foot end suspension rail 50 are mounted with brackets 51 to extend upwardly from the support side rails 42 as mounting elements for the extension assembly, to be described in greater detail subsequently.

The articulating system 60 includes an upper body support 62, seat support 64, thigh support 66 and lower leg support 68, combined to provide the mattress support platform 12. The upper body support 62 and thigh support 66 are attached to the head edge and foot edge of the seat support with hinges and the lower leg support is attached with hinges to the thigh support. Articulation of the upper body support 62 and thigh support 66 is accomplished with actuators 71 and 72 and associated mechanisms as described, for example, in U.S. Ser. No. 10/463,551 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The articulating system is support from the articulating system support frame 40.

As seen in FIGS. 3B and 4B and in detail in FIG. 5, an extension assembly 70 is provided to extend the articulating system support frame 40 upwards from the base frame 20. Upward extension allows for easy ingress and egress from the bed particularly for aging users. An extension carriage 72 has carriage sides 73 supported by wheels 74 in the base side rails 22. A scissor mechanism 75 includes a pair of forward first scissor legs 76 pivotally attached at a first end 77 to a head end cross member 81 on the carriage 72 and a pair of aft first scissor legs 78 pivotally attached at a first end 79 to a foot end crossmember 80 on the carriage 72. A pair of forward second scissor legs 82 are pivotally attached at a forward end 83 to the head end intermediate rail 28 of the base frame 20 and a pair of aft second scissor legs 84 are pivotally attached at a forward end 85 to the foot end intermediate rail 30. The forward second scissor legs are pivotally attached at an aft end 86 to the forward first scissor legs proximate a midpoint 87 while the aft second scissor legs are pivotally attached at an aft end 88 to the aft first scissor legs proximate a midpoint 89. The forward first scissor legs 76 are pivotally attached at a second end 90 to the head end suspension rail 48 of the support frame 40 and the aft first scissor legs 78 are attached at a second end 93 to the foot end suspension rail 50. The forward and aft first scissor legs combine for a forward scissor assembly and the forward and aft second scissor legs combine for an aft scissor assembly.

Translation of the extension carriage 72 by an actuator 100 from an initial position shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B toward the head end results in closure of the forward first scissor legs 76 and aft first scissor legs 78 and forward second scissor legs 82 and aft second scissor legs 84 resulting in elevation of the second ends of the first scissor legs elevating the suspension rails 50 and the attached support frame 40 to the position shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5. Rigid interconnection of the head end cross member 81 and foot end crossmember 80 maintains paired motion of the scissor pairs to constrain the support frame in a horizontal position at all levels of extension.

The scissored extension assembly 70 and the actuators and associated structure of the articulation system are shielded from view and protected from intrusion by a telescoping shroud system incorporating the base shroud 16 attached to the base frame 20 and the telescoping shroud 18 attached to the extendible articulating system support frame 40. As seen in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the base shroud is attached to the base frame 20 with vertical brackets 91 which are spaced from the base frame 20 by arms 92. The telescoping shroud 18 is secured to the support frame 40 with additional vertical support provided by the brackets 51 extending to the suspension rails 50, 52. Width of the telescoping shroud is defined to allow the telescoping shroud to be received between an inner surface of the base shroud and the base frame as seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The retracted elevating assembly places the surround 14 on the platform 12 substantially flush or nested with the top of the base shroud 16.

Raving now described various embodiments of the invention in detail as required by the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and substitutions to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. Such modifications are within the scope and intent of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. An articulating bed comprising: a base frame having base side rails and a head end and a foot end;a support frame having support side rails;an extension assembly including a carriage carried by the base side rails, said carriage mounted with wheels engaging the base side rails to translate from a first position through a range progressing toward the head end to a fully translated position and a scissor mechanism having at least one forward scissor assembly and at least one aft scissor assembly extended by the translation of the carriage to place the scissor mechanism in an extended position to elevate the support frame from the base frame;a base shroud engaged to the base frame; anda telescoping shroud engaged to the support frame and telescopically received within the base shroud with the scissor mechanism in a retracted position and extended from the base shroud with the scissor mechanism in the extended position.

2. The articulating bed as defined in claim 1 wherein the base frame comprises the base side rails and a base head rail and a base foot rail connected between the base side rails, with a head end intermediate rail and a foot end intermediate rail extend extending. between the base side rails.

3. The articulating bed as defined in claim 2 wherein the articulating system support frame comprises support side rails, a support head rail and a support foot rail, a head end suspension rail and a foot end suspension rail mounted with brackets to extend upwardly from the support side rails.

4. The articulating bed as defined in claim 3 wherein the extension assembly comprises the extension carriage with carriage sides supported by wheels in the base side rails and the scissor mechanism comprises a pair of forward first scissor legs pivotally attached at a first end to a head end cross member on the carriage and a pair of aft first scissor legs pivotally attached at a first end to a foot end crossmember on the carriage, a pair of forward second scissor legs pivotally attached at a forward end to the head end intermediate rail of the base frame and a pair of aft second scissor legs pivotally attached at a forward end to the foot end intermediate rail, wherein the forward second scissor legs are pivotally attached at an aft end to the forward first scissor legs proximate a midpoint while the aft second scissor legs are pivotally attached at an aft end to the aft first scissor legs proximate a midpoint, and the forward first scissor legs are pivotally attached at a second end to the head end suspension rail of the support frame and the aft first scissor legs are attached at a second end to the foot end suspension rail.

5. The articulating bed as defined in claim 4 wherein the base shroud is attached to the base frame with vertical brackets spaced from the base frame 20 by arms and the telescoping shroud secured to the support frame with additional vertical support provided by the brackets extending to the suspension rails, the width of the telescoping shroud configured to allow the telescoping shroud to be received between an inner surface of the base shroud and the base frame.