This invention relates generally to adjustable beds and, more particularly, to an adjustable bed base for use with a mattress.
Adjustable beds have been used for many years to permit the user to adjust the head and foot sections of the bed to different positions. While originally only manually adjustable, more recently, the head and foot sections are moved or adjusted by motors operated by the user via a remote control.
Adjustable beds were originally designed principally for use in medical environments by patients who had to spend long periods of time in bed for reasons of health, injury, etc. However, more recently, adjustable beds are also being used in residential environments by users who have no health or physical impairment. An increasing number of people place televisions and other entertainment devices in the bedroom, and more time is spent lounging in bed. Hence, the bed, and in particular, an adjustable bed, is considered by many users an alternative piece of leisure furniture. As the market for leisure beds grows, there is continuing effort by suppliers to provide leisure beds that are more comfortable, have more options, for example, massage capabilities, more sophisticated controls, and are more affordable.
One recent development in adjustable beds is the development of a “wallhugger” adjustable bed. The wallhugger adjustable bed maintains the user in the same position with respect to adjacent appliances and furniture as the head portion of the bed is moved between flat and elevated positions. To achieve that purpose, as the head section pivots upward, an upper bed frame portion translates toward the head end of the bed with respect to a stationary lower bed frame section.
Almost all adjustable beds utilize one or more massage motors which are controllable by a user to provide a massaging action while the user is in the bed. In some adjustable beds, a massage motor is rigidly connected to an underside of a rigid platform, for example, a headboard or a footboard, that is hinged to a centerboard or platform. Further, the whole articulated platform normally supports a mattress base, for example, a foam pad approximately four inches thick over which is placed beneath a mattress. Thus, any vibration applied to the underside of the headboard must vibrate the whole headboard; and further, the vibration is partially absorbed and attenuated by the soft materials in the mattress base and the mattress. The resulting or net vibration applied to a user lying on the mattress is often substantially less than is desired. In other designs, the massage motor is rigidly mounted to a resonator board that is inserted into a centrally located slit and cutout portion of the mattress base. The resonator board is then bonded to an interior surface within the slit in the mattress base, and the massage motor extends downward through the cutout in the mattress base and a contiguous cutout in the platform supporting the mattress base and the mattress. As with the former design, the vibrating action of the massage motor is substantially attenuated by the thick foam mattress base.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,039,970 and 7,322,058 disclose adjustable beds having an articulated deck having at least one hole for mounting a massage or vibratory motor. Each of the massage motor mounting mechanisms described in these patents uses a mounting plate located between a mattress pad and a mattress. The mounting plate is secured to the massage motor using fasteners. Such vibratory mounting mechanisms may be louder than desired for some individuals.
Thus, there is a need for an improved adjustable bed structure for more quietly transmitting massaging actions or vibrations from a massage motor to a user lying on the adjustable bed.
This invention comprises an adjustable bed having an adjustable or articulated deck comprising multiple support sections for supporting a mattress. The adjustable bed may be powered by a drive unit utilizing two motors or an electric motor driven linear actuator assembly. However, any other drive assembly, such as a conventional electrical motor driven screw and nut actuator system may be used in accordance with the present invention.
According to one aspect of this invention, the adjustable bed comprises an adjustable bed base for supporting a mattress above the adjustable bed base. The adjustable bed may include cushioning material such as a mattress pad of foam or fiber or a pocketed spring assembly overlaying an articulated mattress support platform of the adjustable bed base.
The adjustable bed base comprises a bed frame and an articulated mattress support platform comprising multiple support sections supported by the bed frame, at least one of the support sections having an opening. The adjustable bed base further comprises a pocket secured to a lower surface of the at least one of the support sections underneath the opening. The pocket comprises first and second opposing panels, each of the panels being secured to one another, thereby forming a cavity. In one embodiment, each panel is made of polyester fill material with a cover made of non-woven polyester fabric. Any other suitable sound absorption material may be used for the panels such as foam or fiber which may be arranged in any desired layering pattern.
The adjustable bed base further comprises a vibratory or massage motor positioned in the cavity of the pocket, the vibratory motor being electrically coupled to a powered drive unit of the adjustable bed base. The first and second opposing panels of the pocket have respective first and second peripheral edges wherein at least a portion of the first and second peripheral edges are secured to one another to form the cavity with an access opening for inserting and/or removing the massage or vibratory motor. Across the access opening the first and second peripheral edges of the pocket are separate with an electrical wire extending from the vibratory motor passing through the access opening. In one embodiment, the first and second opposing panels of the pocket are further joined to each other, as by sewn lines of attachment, for example, to form a sub-pocket, the vibratory motor residing in the sub-pocket. The pocket is stapled or otherwise secured to one of the mattress support sections below an opening in the mattress support section.
The adjustable bed base further comprises a support strap for supporting the vibratory motor. In one embodiment, the support strap has one end portion secured to the pocket. The opposite end of the strap is stapled or otherwise secured to one of the support sections of the articulated mattress support platform. When the pocket is stapled or otherwise secured to the articulated mattress support platform below an opening, both ends of the strap may be secured via staples or any other means to the articulated mattress support platform. The strap may be made of an elastic material such as nylon or any other suitable material, thereby reducing vibration transfer between the vibratory motor and the support section of the articulated mattress support platform.
According to one aspect of this invention, the adjustable bed base comprises a bed frame and an articulated mattress support platform comprising multiple support sections supported by the bed frame, at least two of the support sections each having an opening. The adjustable bed base further comprises a pocket secured to each of the support sections having an opening generally underneath the opening. The pocket comprises first and second opposing panels, the first and second panels being secured to one another thereby forming a cavity. The adjustable bed base further comprises a vibratory motor positioned in the cavity, the vibratory motor being electrically coupled to a powered drive unit of the adjustable bed base.
According to another aspect of this invention, a method of making an adjustable bed comprises providing an adjustable bed base having an articulated mattress support platform comprising multiple support sections. The next step comprises securing a pocket to one of the mattress support sections, the pocket comprising first and second rectangular panels sewn together and defining a cavity within the pocket. The last steps comprise inserting a vibratory motor into the pocket and electrically coupling the vibratory motor to a drive unit of the adjustable bed base.
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The adjustable bed base 12 comprises a bed frame 16 having a stationary lower frame 18 and a movable upper frame 20 movably mounted on the lower frame 18. The lower frame 18 has head and foot end rails 22, 24, respectively and left and right side rails 26. The rails 22, 24 and 26 are joined at their ends to form the generally rectangular lower frame 18. The lower frame 18 at the head end is joined to a head board 28. A plurality of caster brackets 30 are secured to and extend down from the end rails 22, 24 of the lower frame 18. A plurality of casters 32, each having a stem (not shown) are received inside the caster brackets 30 for supporting the adjustable bed 10 on the floor and enabling the adjustable bed 10 to be rolled from location to location.
The upper frame 20 includes a head rail 34, a foot rail 36 and left and right side rails 38. The rails 34, 36 and 38 are rigidly connected at their ends with fasteners to form the generally rectangular movable upper frame 20. The upper frame side rails 38 are made of angle stock, and the upper frame 20 is movably mounted on the lower frame 18 by four wheels 40 (only two being shown in
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Cushioning material such as a mattress pad 60 is mounted over and covers the articulated deck or mattress support platform 50. Normally, the articulated deck or mattress support platform 50 and mattress pad 60 are enclosed within a covering (not shown). As shown in
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The adjustable bed 10 further comprises two foot links 76 or connectors, of the same length. Each of the foot links 76 is pivotally secured at a lower end to the movable upper frame 20 so that each pivots about a horizontal pivot axis. Each foot link 76 is pivotally secured at its upper end to a bracket 78 fixed to the lower surface 79 of the foot deck board 58.
The adjustable bed 10 further comprises two head links 80 or connectors, of the same length. Each of the head links 80 is pivotally secured at a lower end to the movable upper frame 20 so that each pivots about a horizontal pivot axis. Each head link 80 is pivotally secured at its upper end to a bracket 78 fixed to the lower surface 82 of the head deck board 54.
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In one embodiment, each panel 90, 92 comprises an interior layer 106 of polyester fibers and a exterior cover of non-woven polyester fabric 108 sewn together along sewn lines 110 which extend transversely or from side-to-side, as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the panels 90, 92 are further sewn together with two parallel sewn lines 112 extending parallel to the sewn lines 110 of each panel. These two sewn lines 112 define a sub-pocket 114 having a width W slightly greater than the width W1 of the vibratory motor 100. Therefore, the vibratory motor 100 may remain oriented from side-to-side relative to the adjustable bed base 12 inside the sub-pocket 114. In an alternative embodiment, the two sewn lines 112 define a sub-pocket 114 may be omitted, in which case, the vibratory motor 100 would reside inside the cavity 102 of the pocket 86.
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Although we have described several embodiments of the invention, we do not intend to be limited except by the scope of the following claims. For example, the support strap may be omitted.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/502,650 filed Jul. 14, 2009 entitled Adjustable Bed Base Having Vibrating Motor in Pocket, which is fully incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12502650 | Jul 2009 | US |
Child | 13452225 | US |