WO2003056977A1

WO2003056977A1 - Self-adjusting bed and seat

Info

Publication number: WO2003056977A1
Application number: PCT/GR2002/000067
Authority: WO
Inventors: Konstantinos Loverdos-Stelakatos
Original assignee: Loverdos-Stelakatos Konstantin
Priority date: 2002-01-10
Filing date: 2002-12-20
Publication date: 2003-07-17
Also published as: AU2002350979A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of adjusting of variable forms of articulated bed or seat with the weight of the body of a reclining person. Aim of the invention is the construction of beds and seats that will provide comfort in healthy but also in ill persons, because of the change of their form. The bed is constituted by three or more articulated frames (1), (2), (3), (4), on which a mattress is placed. In the first frame (1), the head of individual leans. This frame is supported onto the bar (6) with articulation, while the frame (3) is supported onto the bar (7) with wheel rolling on frame (3). The bars (6) and (7) are moving up and down by suitable mechanism or are motionless. All articulations have brakes. Tightening or releasing the brakes of articulations the bed receives various forms with the help of the weight of the reclining person. With the same way is manufactured also seat, that can be converted to bed, or couch, that can be converted to a double bed.

Description

Self-adjusting bed and seat

This invention relates to a method of adjusting of variable form of articulated bed or seat, achieved by transferring the weight of the body of a reclining person; that bed or seat takes various forms by displacing the center of gravity of body of the reclining person, as well as with the help of mechanisms and brakes. It is possible also to change the form by hand.

BED The conventional beds have one only form (flat horizontal), with the exception of hospital beds that can be regulated in an inclined position at the head section with help of other person. Another serious disadvantage of these beds is that the patient slides down the bed. Other types of beds also exist operated by electric motors, or depend to the help of another person; those beds however are generally very costly, difficult in their transport and have limited possibilities of adjustment.

This invention aims in the construction of beds not only for hospitals but also mainly for domestic use for anybody. It will be very useful for persons having difficulty of rising from their bed, and for reclining persons watching TV or reading.

The proposed bed has the following advantages: a. It can take a many forms of bents b. It does not need help of other person for its regulation c. It does not employ electric motors d. It can be dismantled easily in parts; It is light and it is transported easily e. Persons, who have difficulty in rising from their bed, are easily risen, without the help of another person. f The individual who is lying on the bed does not slide down the bed, when the head section of bed is raised g. The system of articulated frames with the mechanism of regulation can be installed on any conventional bed.

The said bed is composed from three or more frames, which they can take various forms in order that the person reclining in this bed feels the better possible comfort. The regulation is achieved without motors and without the help of another person, but only with the suitable movement of the body of the reclining person. It is constituted of three or more frames of metal, wood or other material, on which a mattress is placed, which should be flexible. The mattress can also be composed of three or more separate parts (la, 2a, 3a, 4a in the fig. 1). In fig. 1 are shown the four frames (1), (2), (3) and (4). Two bars (6) and (7), which move in parallel to themselves (and vertically) or not parallel, with the help of mechanism, so that when a bar is raised, the other descends, constitute the basic mechanism. In fig.l is shown a mechanism composed of plate (8), which is mounted on the base of the bed (10) with shaft (30) and can turn; also two guideways (15) of bars (6) and (7) are shown. The bar (6) slides inside guideway (15). Similar guideways can be also placed for the bar (7). In fig. 2, bar (7) is connected with lever (16) that can turn around the bolt (17) that is fixed on the base (10), and in this way the bar (7) is not moving in parallel to the bar (6) on occasion when this is required.

On fig.1 and fig. 2, plate (8) has holes (20) where it is connected with bolts or spigots (21) to the bar (7) as well as slots (22) where the bar (6) is connected with spigot sliding in the slots, if bar (6) moves vertically because of the guideway (15). Bar (6) is connected with the frame (1) via shaft (31) going through the hole (32) of the frame (1). This shaft has screw nuts at its ends. The frame (1) has more than one hole (32, 33) so that the bar (6) can change position with respect to the frame (1). This regulation is needed because the center of gravity (K) of the person reclining on the bed should be to the right from the point of support (32) of the bar (6), because the various forms, which take the frames, change according to the place of the center of gravity. The bar (7) has a wheel (34) rolling along frame (3). The frame (4) has a wheel (35) which is rolling along base (10) of the bed or along guideway (36); the height of this guideway can be altered with the help of levers (37), (38). Fig. 1 shows the bed in the desirable place, while on fig. 2 the bed is in horizontal place. In fig. 3 is shown the side view of the bed. The shaft (30) is supported in the base (10) of the bed and thereupon are supported the plates (8), with possibility of turn around this shaft (30). The bar (6), one of each side of bed, are supported on the plates (8), with bolts or spigots (21); the bars (6) are connected with the frame (1) with shaft (31) having screw nuts. The articulated frames are interconnected, with bolts or with shaft terminated by screwed nuts (12), (13) and (14).

These connections should have brakes in order to ensure the immobility of parts. The brakes can be realized by bolts with screw nuts, or lamellas (40), fig. 1, with holes where a spigot is placed to stabilize the frame. In fig. 4, is shown a part of the bar (6) that has a slot (45). The two spigots (46) and (47), fixed on the base (10) of the bed are used as a guideway of bar instead of guideway (15). If one only spigot (46) is placed, then bar (6) is not moving in parallel to itself and the plate (8) must have holes (20) instead of slots (22), if guideway (15) or (16) are not used. In fig. 5 it is shown other mechanism constituted from two plates (8a), (8b), having more than one hole (30), (30a), (30b) so that its radius of turn can be changed.

In fig. 6, the plate (8c) instead of holes (20) has slot (50) so that the bar (7) can move at the desirable way with the help the of spigot or bolt (21) sliding inside slot (50). The bar (7) moves according to the shape of slot (50). In fig. 7 is shown the connection of frames and mechanism (with the bars), on an existing bed. The beam of angular cross-section (26) of common bed is connected with the support (27) by welding or with bolts. In fig. 8, is shown a simpler concept of the proposed bed; it is composed from four frames, but the bars (6) and (7) are not moving up and down, but are fixed on the base (10) of the bed. Its disadvantage is that it does not have the flexibility of the previous configuration. Another position of bar (6), shown with dotted line (6a), will be necessary in order to change the position of the center of gravity of the inclining person.

In fig. 9 is shown the side view of this bed. In fig. 10, and 11, are shown the various forms, which the bed can take with the change of location of body and with the use of brakes.

In fig. 12 the bar (6) is not connected with the frame (1) with bolt or shaft (31), as in fig. 9, but has wheel (38) rolling on the frame (1). Thus it is achieved bigger flexibility of forms, as shown in fig. 12 and fig. 13. In fig. 14 it is shown another type of bed of which the base (10) has small length. The supports (55), (56), (57) and (58), are folding as shown the arrows and thus the bed occupies smaller space, but also it can be used as seat. The bars (6) and (7) can move or are fixed.

Fig. 15, 16,17, and fig. 18 show some of the forms that the bed can take with moving bars (6) and (7); those forms can be achieved with proper movement of the body and handling of brakes. In fig. 15, it is shown the frame (4) at a high position (with dotted line). This can be achieved by tightening the brake of articulation (14).

In fig. 19 and fig. 20, it is shown a different type of bed. The bars are not moving or moving with mechanism, as it has been reported, but they have wheel (38) and (34), which are rolling in cylindrical member (69). The frames (1) and (3) are supported by this member (69) and are sliding on it, if it is needed; thus the frames can change forms as previously has been explained; the whole bed can rock as the member (69) is rolling on the wheels (38) and (34).

In fig. 2 appear the bed in the horizontal place and it remains in this when all the brakes are tightened.

The said bed can take inclining place. This is achieved from the horizontal place of fig.

2, when we only dismantle the brake (30) and moving the body front or behind. For inclining place with the legs lower than the head should the guideway (36) be placed in lower place. When the bed is in horizontal place, as in fig. 2, with brake (30) tightened, if we dismantle the brakes (12) and (13) then with the weight of person, the bed will take the place of fig. 1, because the center of gravity of his body is found between points (32) and (34).

If we tighten the brake (12), we dismantle brake (30), we extend the legs and we then prompt the body to sitting position, we will come in the place of fig. 17. With brake

(12) tightened we can take easily the place of fig. 16 and 18.

Guideway (36) can be moved vertically or even acquire inclining place.

The size of bent between the frames (1) and (2) is regulated at will with the help of brake (12) as well as with the help of body. If the person raises his back and he is supported in points (32) and (34) that is to say in his knees and in his shoulders having the brake (32) dismantled, then the bed comes in the horizontal place. If a person finds itself in the bed, which is in the horizontal place, fig. 2, and he wants to raise himself, he should loose the brakes (12), (13), (14), and unlock lamella (40). Since the center of gravity of his body is right from articulation (12), the bed receives the form of fig. 1, and the person can more easily be lifted up from the bed.

The articulation (32) can be moved at length of frame (1), or bar (6) can have a wheel with brake for better regulation of bed. The frames (1), (2), (3), (4) can be compact or constituted by rectangle frame

(from metal, timber etc) with bands of flexible material or ropes and/or springs.

Seat

Common seats have a fixed form, with the exception of office seats, which have limited capability of form regulation. The change of form of seat is important for the relaxation of the person seated for a long period of time. This invention aims in the construction of seats not only for office use, but also for domestic use, with possibilities of changing of their form. In fig. 21 is shown a seat constituted from the lower base (60) the wheels (61) and a usually cylindrical support (62), on which the plate (8) is fixed with the bars (6) and (7) and the guideway (15), as in fig. 1. On these bars three frames (1), (3) and (4) are supported. This seat can be converted also into bed, when the frame (1) is extended with the refolding frame (lb) and the frame (4) with the refolding part (4b), shown with dashed lines. In fig. 22, is shown a similar seat, where the bars (6) and (7) are not moving, but are fixed onto the base (63); the seat has four frames. When the brake (13) in the articulation (13) is tightened, then the seat is similar to three frames one. The support (62) can have capability of altering the height of seat. The frame (4) can have two articulated frames, so the frame (4c) becomes a footstool. In fig. 23 is shown in perspective a couch of similar manufacture, as the above- described seats. This couch can be converted into a double bed. Seats, chairs and couches for domestic use do not have wheels; they will be constructed at a usual way, but they will incorporate frames and mechanisms for their adjustment. The seats and couch may take the forms of the articulated beds as already described, i.e. in fig. 10 to 13 and fig. 15 to 20.

Claims

1. Self-adjusting bed comprising four articulated frames (1), (2), (3), and (4) interconnected with articulations (12), (13), and (14), supported on two bars (6) and (7) that move in parallel or not parallel between them with mechanism, with help of the weight of the individual lying on the bed, or manually; the head of the individual on the bed rest on the frame (1), while the legs lean on last frame (4); the quantity of said frames can be more than four or less than four; said bed comprises a flexible mattress or a mattress composed of parts (la), (2a), (3a) and (4a) on the frames (1), (2), (3) and (4); all above items are attached onto a base (10).

2. Self-adjusting bed according to claim 1, whose the frame (1) is supported on the bar (6) with articulation (31), while frame (3) is supported on bar (7) with wheel (34) rolling on frame (3).

3. Self-adjusting bed according to claim 1, whose frame (1) is supported onto the bar (6) with wheel instead of articulation (31), and the other frame (3) is supported with wheel (34) rolling on this frame.

4. Self-adjusting bed according to one of the previous claims of which the last frame (4), after the frames supported by the bars (6) and (7), can have wheel (35) rolling on guideway (36) supported on the base (10); said guideway (36) can move up and down by means of levers

5. Self-adjusting bed according to one of previous claims of which the articulations have brakes.

6. Self-adjusting bed according to the previous claims, whose the mechanism moving the bars (6) and (7) consists of a plate (8) supported on the base (10) on axis (30) around which it can be turned while the bars (6) and (7) are connected with the plate with bolts and move in guideway (15) and/or (16).

7. Self-adjusting bed according to previous claims, whose the mechanism moving the bars (6) and (7) consists of two plates (8a) and (8b) having holes (30), (30a), (30b) and slots (22), (50) for the connection with bars (6) and (7).

8. Self-adjusting bed according to the previous claims, whose the bars (6) and (7) are motionless fixed on base (10).

9. Self-adjusting seat consisted of two or more articulated frames (1), (3), (4), supported on two bars (6) and (7), which are motionless or they can move parallel or not parallel between them with mechanism; said frames change form with the help of weight of individual sitting on the seat, or manually; above items are attached on base (60) and (62); base (62) can move upwards and downwards; the width of the seat can be big enough to serve as couch.

10. Self-adjusting seat or bed according to the previous claims, which comprises a member (69) with cylindrical exterior surface, and the articulated frames are supported by the member (69), while the bars (6) and (7) have on their top wheels (38) and (34), where member (69) is supported and it is rolling on the wheels.