CN111405860A

CN111405860A - Adjustable furniture

Info

Publication number: CN111405860A
Application number: CN201880058505.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 保罗·布朗
Original assignee: Motus Mechanics Ltd
Current assignee: Motus Mechanics Ltd
Priority date: 2017-07-28
Filing date: 2018-07-27
Publication date: 2020-07-10
Also published as: GB2565230A; GB2565231B; GB2565230B; GB2565231A; GB201812333D0; EP3657991A1; JP7411540B2; CN111405859A; GB201812332D0; CA3071459A1; JP7448471B2; JP2020528323A; WO2019021026A1; JP2020528324A; EP3657990A1; CA3071465A1; GB201712186D0; WO2019021025A1

Abstract

An adjustable article of furniture (10) comprising at least one support portion (12) and a drive mechanism (40) operable to effect pivotal movement of the at least one support portion (12), the drive mechanism (40) comprising at least first and second components pivotally linked by a bearing assembly (52) such that operation of the drive mechanism causes pivotal movement between the first and second components to effect pivotal movement of the at least one support portion.

Description

Adjustable furniture

The present invention relates to adjustable articles of furniture, such as chairs or beds, and in particular to adjustable furniture having one or more adjustable support portions which can be moved to adjust the configuration of the furniture.

Known adjustable articles of furniture include complex mechanisms driven by one or more actuators between different configurations. US2002/0174487 discloses a hospital bed with adjustable back and thigh sections for supporting an occupant in various positions, such as in a flat horizontal position, a reclined or semi-reclined position, or simply raising the backrest. The hospital bed of US2002/0174487 comprises: a frame having a pair of parallel and spaced apart first and second side frame members; a mattress support deck (mattress support deck) including an adjustable back; a fixed seat portion positioned adjacent the back portion; and an adjustable thigh section positioned adjacent the seat section. The thigh section is longitudinally movable relative to the seat section to increase the length of the thigh section as the thigh section is raised relative to the frame. First and second elbows are coupled to respective first and second sides of the back portion. Rollers (rollers) are coupled to the first and second side frame members, wherein the rollers are configured to support the first and second elbows to allow the elbows and the backrest portion to move relative to the frame. A linear actuator is disposed below the back portion and coupled to the first and second tubes to move the back portion from a horizontal position to a raised position relative to the frame. Two concentric arcs are provided on each side of the bed, the two concentric arcs having a radius of curvature centered on a location simulating the natural hip pivoting of a person lying on the mattress of the bed. The tube is fixed between three rollers on each side of the bed. Two rollers are located on the bottom side of the radially outer tube (i.e. it is radially outward) and the third roller is located on the top side of the radially inner tube. A cross member extends between the tubes. This arrangement provides a so-called shear-less pivot mechanism in which the adjustable back section pivots about the natural hip point of the person on the bed.

The arrangement disclosed in US2002/0174487 can be considered to be bulky, robust and mechanically complex.

In modern home environments, where mattresses of 12 to 18 inches in thickness are common, more typically 14 to 18 inches in the united states, the overall weight, firmness and rigidity of the mattress may place unacceptable loads on the operating mechanism of the bed, e.g., thicker, heavier mattresses may cause the motors (actuators) to become difficult to operate and reduce the life of the motors and mechanism. This is becoming increasingly important as the market is driven by customer demand for thicker mattresses. Known motorized adjustable beds fail after a short number of cycles using a mattress of the above thickness. One way to overcome this problem is to use a dedicated, more flexible "ribbed" mattress. However, for most applications, this is not a practical solution.

Another problem associated with the known design is that the operating mechanism is required to be as compact as possible to free up the space under the bed. In a home bed, this space is typically used for storage drawers for storage, so the more compact or thinner the mechanism, the greater the storage capacity.

Accordingly, there is a need for an adjustable article of furniture that addresses the aforementioned problems associated with known designs, which article is at least as easy to manufacture, store, transport, deliver and assemble as non-adjustable furniture of known designs.

Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adjustable article of furniture comprising at least one support portion and a drive mechanism operable to effect pivotal movement of the at least one support portion, the drive mechanism comprising at least first and second parts pivotally linked by a bearing assembly, such that operation of the drive mechanism causes pivotal movement between the first and second parts to effect pivotal movement of the at least one support portion.

Providing a bearing assembly for the pivoting components of the drive mechanism enables more efficient use of the actuator. The result of using the actuator more efficiently is that the actuator can drive the support section from a smaller (crower) angle, which enables the use of a more compact mechanism, freeing up space within the furniture.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of the frame and operating mechanism of an adjustable bed in a semi-upright configuration for supporting an occupant in a seated position, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above and behind, left hand side rear quarter, of the frame and operating mechanism of the adjustable bed of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 1, with the bed viewed from below;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the bed of FIG. 1, with the bed in the semi-upright adjustment position of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 with the bed in a fully upright adjustment position;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the bed similar to FIG. 4, with the bed in the fully upright adjustment position of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6a is a side view of the bed of FIG. 6 with the mattress supported on the bed;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 with the bed in a fully lowered position and a portion of the mattress support deck shown in phantom outline (ghost outline);

FIG. 8 is a side view of the bed with the bed in the fully lowered position of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 1, with the bed being viewed from below in plan;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the bed of FIG. 1 in a semi-upright configuration;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cot of FIG. 1 in a fully upright adjustment position;

fig. 12 to 16 are enlarged perspective views of parts of the bed in fig. 1;

FIG. 17 is a side view of an alternative bed with the foot support in a fully raised position;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 17 with the foot support in a fully raised position;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 17 with the support panel removed;

fig. 20 to 25 are enlarged perspective views of parts of the bed in fig. 17; and

FIG. 26 is a side view of an alternative bed with the back support in a semi-upright configuration.

Referring to fig. 1 to 16, an adjustable item of furniture in the form of a bed 10 includes a mattress support platform or table 11 having a plurality of adjacent planar mattress support panels including an adjustable back, neck and head (upper body) support section panel 12, a lumbar support section panel 13, a non-adjustable intermediate support section panel 14, a non-adjustable lower body support section panel 16, an adjustable thigh section panel 17 and a lower limb and foot support section panel 18. In all of the drawings of fig. 2, 5 and 7, the panels 12-18 are shown in phantom outline to reveal the detailed construction of the adjustable bed 10. Fig. 6a shows a bed assembly comprising an adjustable bed 10 in the position of fig. 6 and a mattress 50 supported on a table top 11. For clarity, the mattress 50 is shown slightly elevated above the playing surface 11, but it will be understood that the mattress 50 is in direct physical contact with the playing surface 11 in use. It should be understood that references to a mattress include both a separate mattress and a mattress integrated with a support portion or panel.

The panels 12-18 are mounted on a support frame 20. The upper body support panel 12 and the lumbar support panel 13 are adjustably mounted on the support frame 20. The intermediate support panel 14 and lower body support section panel 16 are fixed relative to the frame 20. Thigh support panel 17 and lower limb/foot support panel 18 are adjustably mounted on a support frame 20. The lumbar support portion 13 has an upper surface 19 and the back support portion 14 has an upper surface 21. An interior angle B is defined between the

upper surfaces

19, 21, which is always less than 180 degrees when the bed is moved towards the fully raised configuration, so that the backrest portion 14 is always tilted in a counter-clockwise direction (when viewing figure 4) so that the head of an occupant (not shown) is supported by the backrest support portion.

The frame 20 comprises two half-

sections

20a, 20b hinged together at their respective adjacent ends. The two half portions include a head terminal assembly 20a and a toe terminal assembly 20 b. As best seen in fig. 1 and 10, the two

half portions

20a, 20b are hinged together at their respective adjacent ends by hinges 24, the hinges 24 being secured to the upwardly facing surfaces of the

panels

14 and 16 at the respective adjacent edges of the

panels

14 and 16. As shown in the drawings of fig. 1-8, the hinge arrangement allows the two half subassemblies to provide a full length structural support frame when hinged apart and locked in place. The

hinge subassemblies

20a, 20b allow the upper and lower halves of the bed to be folded one upon the other (as will be described in more detail below) for transport, storage, distribution and transport purposes.

The upper body support panel 12 and lumbar support section panel 13 are adjustably mounted on the head end support frame subassembly 20 a. The intermediate support panel 14 is fixedly mounted on the head end support frame subassembly 20a adjacent the lumbar support panel 13. The lower body panel 16 is secured relative to the toe end support frame subassembly 20b adjacent the intermediate panel 14. A thigh support panel 17 and a lower limb/foot support panel 18 are adjustably mounted on the toe end support frame subassembly 20b adjacent the fixed lower body support portion panel 16.

The lumbar support panel 13 is pivotally connected to the fixed intermediate support by means of an articulated joint 22 extending along respective adjacent edges of the panel. As best seen in fig. 9, the hinged joint 22 includes a plurality of hinges 22 ', which hinges 22' are spaced apart along the edges of the adjacent edges of the

panels

13 and 14 in the region of the frame 20. The adjacent edges of the

panels

13 and 14 are provided with respective elongate

hinge mounting brackets

23a, 23b, preferably of metal construction, the elongate

hinge mounting brackets

23a, 23b extending between the sides of the frame 20a on the underside of the

panels

13 and 14, as can best be seen in figure 8. Three hinges 22' are provided, including a centrally located hinge and a pair of hinges at respective ends of the elongate mounting

brackets

23a, 23 b. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinges 22' are of conventional design and construction and are fixedly secured to the respective mounting brackets to pivotally mount the lumbar support panel to the fixed intermediate support panel about the pivot axis of the hinges 22.

The upper body support panel 12 is similarly pivotally connected to the lumbar support panel by hinge joints 25 extending along respective adjacent edges of the panel. The articulated joint 25 comprises a plurality of hinges 25' spaced along the edges of adjacent edges of the

panels

12 and 13 in the region of the frame 20. The adjacent edges of the

panels

12 and 13 are provided with respective elongate

hinge mounting brackets

26a, 26b, preferably of metal construction, the elongate

hinge mounting brackets

26a, 26b extending between the sides of the frame 20a on the underside of the

panels

12 and 13, as can best be seen in figure 8. Three hinges 25' are provided, including a centrally located hinge and a pair of hinges at respective ends of the elongate mounting

brackets

26a, 26 b. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinges 25' are of conventional design and construction and are fixedly secured to the respective mounting brackets to pivotally mount the upper body support panel 12 to the lumbar support panel about the pivot axis of the hinges 25.

Hinges 22 'and 25' may be conventional pin-and-bracket type hinges, or in other embodiments, may be constructed of fatigue resistant plastic materials, such as so-called "living hinges". Other types of hinges are also envisaged, including extruded metal tubes, for example extruded aluminium or aluminium alloys, with d-shaped cross-section or p-shaped cross-section, comprising a longitudinal mounting flange as an integral part of the extrusion, wherein the hinge pin passes through the extruded tube in a known manner, and is optionally mounted on bearings (of the ball bearing type) at the respective ends of the tube, so as to support the hinge pin in a low-friction manner. In a preferred embodiment, at least the hinge 25' is provided with limited angular adjustment, such that the adjustable panel 12 has limited downward angular adjustment relative to the lumbar support panel 13. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 25 is provided with an abutment stop in the form of a rectangular, preferably metallic plate 27 which is fixedly secured or connected to the hinge mounting bracket 26a in the region of the hinge 25'. Plate 27 is positioned on the underside of hinge 25 and panel 12 is prevented from lowering beyond the plane of panel 13 by the mutual abutment of plate 27 and the underside of mounting bracket 26 b. Thus, when

panels

12 and 13 are lowered flat, they remain 180 degrees apart.

The hinges 22 'and 25' are also limited upwardly so that each

platform section

12, 13 cannot exceed this angle (typically 30 degrees, or the total combined angle of angular adjustment divided by the number of intermediate platform sections) relative to the front panel section to which it is hinged. The hinges 22 'and 25' are also constrained downwardly so that each platform section cannot be lowered parallel to and below the previous section to which it was hinged.

As will be described in more detail below, during adjustment of the bed, the

panels

12 and 13 may be raised about their respective pivot axes by a predetermined maximum amount, e.g. 65 degrees (combined), from a horizontal plane defined by the flat orientation of the fixed

intermediate support panels

14 and 16 of the bed. The hinges 22 and 25 are provided with stop means to limit the extent of relative angular adjustment of the

panels

12 and 13. Typically, the maximum combined angular adjustment of the panels is 65 degrees relative to the plane of the fixed non-adjustable panel 14. Thus, hinges 22 and 25 may be adapted such that they facilitate maximum angular adjustment of

panels

12 and 13 in equal or substantially equal amounts (e.g., 50/50 or 40/60) depending on the particular application and the desired maximum angle of adjustment.

As previously mentioned, in embodiments of the present invention, the maximum combined adjustment angle of the back support section and the lumbar support section is typically 50-65 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle of adjustment is shared between the

hinges

22 and 25 connecting each side of the lumbar support platform. As best seen in the view of fig. 9, the hinge axis is preferably spaced 200-300mm apart in the longitudinal direction of the bed. In the illustrated embodiment, it is preferred that the single lumbar support platform have a length dimension of 250 mm.

In fig. 5 and 6, the bed 10 is shown in a fully articulated configuration, adjusted for supporting an occupant in a raised upright seating position. In this position, the upper body support section panel 12 and lumbar support section panel 13 are raised and tilted relative to the fixed intermediate support section panel 14. The upper body support section panel 12 is raised about its pivot axis defined by hinge 25 and the lumbar support panel 13 is raised about its pivot axis defined by hinge 22.

Referring to fig. 6, it can be seen that the combined angle ASB is defined between a plane PS defined by the seat portion 16 and a plane PB defined by the back support portion 12, the combined angle ASB being shared between a first angle ASM defined between the seat portion plane PS and a plane PM defined by the lumbar support portion 13 and a second angle AMB defined between the plane PM defined by the mattress support portion 13 and the plane PB defined by the back support portion 12.

In the lowered position (fig. 7 and 8), the

adjustable support panels

12, 13 combine with the fixed panel 14 and the fixed panel or seat portion 16 and the

adjustable panels

17 and 18 to define a generally flat, planar, horizontal mattress support platform or table. The various support panels 12-18 may each have a mattress support cushion (not shown) of a predetermined thickness that combine to provide a mattress foundation for supporting a suitable mattress. Alternatively, the mattress may be positioned directly on top of the panels 12-16. The panels 12-16 may or may not be equipped with support pads. The present invention also contemplates arrangements in which the frame 20 is configured to be placed within the interior space of the bed enclosure, such as is common in north america, or integrated into a divan type bed infrastructure (divan type bed infrastructure), which is more common in the united kingdom. In the illustrated embodiment, the bed frame 20 is provided with floor standing legs (legs) 28 and is therefore self-supporting. Thus, the present invention also contemplates an arrangement in which the frame 20 is arranged to be positioned within a separate enclosure, such as a decorative wood or upholstered surround, including a head plate and toe plate and lateral side panels (lateral panels) between the head plate and toe plate. The size of the bed is such that the bed has the size of a twin bed, but the invention contemplates a variety of different widths of beds including standard single size beds to larger twin beds.

The half-

frame shelf assemblies

20a and 20b each comprise a generally rectangular structural support frame, preferably constructed of metal, although other materials may be used for each component part in addition to or instead of metal, including panel-type materials such as engineering plastic, MDF, wood, or other fiber-type panels, for example.

The two half-

sections

20a and 20b each comprise a pair of elongate parallel lateral side frame members in the form of side rails (side rails)30a, 30b respectively. The side frame members extend longitudinally along the length of the bed on both sides of the bed and are joined together at their respective ends by metal (preferably steel)

cross members

31a, 31b, 32a, 32b to form rectangular box-like

structural support frames

20a, 20 b.

The

side frame members

30a, 30b are constructed from suitably dimensioned box section metal tubing, preferably steel, and the

cross members

31a and 32b are constructed from similarly rectangular box section metal tubing. The frame 20 is provided with a leg 28 towards each corner of the rectangular frame structure and at an intermediate position at the end of the toe terminal assembly 20 b. The

side members

30a, 30b and the

respective cross members

31a, 31b and 32a, 32b are joined together by welding or alternatively by fixing means such as screws, bolts, fasteners, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the legs are attachably/detachably fixed to the frame by suitable reversible fixing means (e.g. threaded fittings) known in the art.

The two

half subassemblies

20a and 20b are provided with locking means for locking the

frame members

30a, 30b together when the frame 20 is deployed. The locking means comprise a metal plate 33, which metal plate 33 is fixed on the underside of the respective side frame member 30b in the region of the hinge connection 24. A metal plate 33 extends over the underside of the adjacent side frame member 30a and is attachably/detachably secured to the underside of the adjacent side frame member 30a by suitable reversible securement means, as is known in the art, such as a threaded fitting, such as a wing or wing nut/bolt connection 35 in the illustrated embodiment.

The unfolded and locked support frame 20 constitutes a floor standing base of the bed 10. The frame 20 may be located directly on the legs 28 or, alternatively, may be provided with casters, feet, or the like at the ends of the legs, as is known in the art. Alternatively, the legs may be removed and the frame adapted to be mounted within the bed surround, for example with the side frame members on suitable mountings on the inside of a suitably adapted bed surround. As previously described, the frame 20 is manually foldable and unfoldable about a transverse hinge axis defined by the hinge elements 24. The head end frame or toe end frame is moved so that the two half portions of the frame are brought together by relative movement about the hinge axis as shown in figures 9 and 10 in which

panels

12 and 14 lie flat on top of panel 16. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, when the legs 28 are not attached, the adjustable bed 10 has a very small space envelope (space envelope) in which the half length dimension of the expanded bed is traded for a modest increase in depth, approximately the depth of the toe end half frame.

Movement of the

adjustable panels

12 and 13 is effected by a powered actuator mechanism comprising a linear actuator 40 and a first linkage in the form of a pivoting "H-shaped frame" 42. The H-shaped frame 42 includes a pair of arms 44 and a cross member 46, the cross member 46 extending between the arms 44 and connecting the arms 44 generally midway along the length of the arms 44. Arm 44 has a first distal end 65 and a second distal end 67, with aperture 69 located toward second distal end 67. Each arm 44 has a feature in the form of a raised portion 71 coaxial with the aperture 69. The arm 44 is generally straight but is curved upwardly at its first distal end 65, with a roller in the form of a bearing 52 rotatably mounted at the first distal end 65. The bearings 52 contact the underside of the panel 12 along wear strips 54, the wear strips 54 may be metal, nylon, or the like, and the bearings 52 ride along the wear strips 54 as the panel 12 is lowered and raised.

The H-shaped frame is pivotally mounted at the second distal end of the arm 44 at pivot point 48 to a second component in the form of a bracket 50, the bracket 50 being secured to the underside of the head terminal assembly frame 20 a. A bracket 50 depends from the underside of the frame 20a in the region of the hinge 25. The bracket 50 includes a unitary bearing housing 51 configured to receive and retain a bearing assembly 53 as described below.

In fig. 12-16, the bearing assembly 53 includes an inner race 55 having an inner race inner diameter DIR and an outer race 57 having an outer race outer diameter DOR. The inner and

outer races

55, 57 are rotationally movable relative to each other. The bearing housing 51 has an outer wall 57, the outer wall 57 including a part-circular portion 59 and a curled portion (crimephedration) 61 extending from the part-circular portion 59. The curled portion 59 is formed after the bearing assembly 53 is located within the bearing housing 51 so that the bearing assembly 53 is both retained within the bearing housing 51 and rotationally fixed relative to the bearing housing 51. The arm 44 is pivotally attached to the bracket 50 by engagement of the raised portion 71 with the outer surface 73 of the inner race 55 and is secured to the bracket 50 using a nut, bolt and washer arrangement 75 such that the arm 44 rotates with the inner race 55 relative to the outer race 57, the outer race 57 being rotationally fixed with the bracket 50 secured to the frame 20.

The actuator 40 is a Delta drive type linear actuator produced by Dewert-Okin GmbH, the actuator 40 having a first end (motor and gearbox end) pivotally mounted to the cross member 32b and a second end (rod) pivotally connected to a bracket 56 fixed to the cross member 46. The bracket 56 is configured such that the connection between the output rod of the actuator and the bracket 56 is in the plane of the panel 12. This is achieved by a cut-out slot 58 in the faceplate 12 through which the bracket 56 and the end of the output rod of the actuator extend. The gearbox and motor ends of the actuator 40 are connected to the cross member 32b at an intermediate location along the length of the cross member 32 b. Due to the downwardly inclined ends of the frame 20a, the cross members 32b are located in a plane lower than the general plane or imaginary plane of the frame 20. The side member 30a is inclined downwardly along the last third of its length from a position immediately behind the leg 28 attached to the frame 20 a. The side members are inclined downward by about 20 degrees or so such that the connection point between the actuator 40 and the frame 20a is lower than the imaginary plane of the frame 20 and is deviated from the imaginary plane of the frame 20. This arrangement ensures that when the panel 12 is in its lowered position (figures 7 and 8), the actuator is also inclined relative to the imaginary plane of the frame and the plane of the panel 12. In conjunction with the other end of the actuator being in the plane of the panel 12, the actuator is able to apply a significant initial force to the panel 12 when the panel is raised from the lowered position of fig. 7 and 8, via the bracket 56 and the cutout 58. It will be appreciated that the force component acting on the panel 12 when moving from the lowered position of the panel 12 is dependent on the angular orientation of the actuator force vector relative to the panel 12.

The rotational movement of the panel 12 is thus achieved by the actuation of the linear electrical actuator 40, which linear electrical actuator 40 is positioned on the underside of the bed within the spatial envelope of the frame. Thus, the panel 12 is raised and lowered by corresponding extension and retraction of the actuator 40. In operation, in the fully lowered configuration of the bed, the

adjustable panels

12 and 13 lie flat on side rail 30a with the output rods of the actuators 40 fully retracted toward the respective gearbox ends of the actuators. This position is shown in fig. 7 to 8. To raise the

panels

12 and 13, the output rod of the actuator 40 projects away from the gear box end of the actuator. Thus, the rotational movement of the lumbar support panel 13 is simultaneously effected by the actuation of the linear electric actuator 40.

Panels

12 and 13 are raised and lowered by extension and retraction of actuator 40.

Providing a bearing assembly and housing at the pivotal connection of the arm 44 and bracket 50 results in a significant reduction in the initial actuator force required to move the panel when compared to using conventional nut, bolt and washer arrangements. In alternative embodiments, bearing assemblies and housing arrangements may be provided at other pivotal connections to further reduce the initial actuator force requirements. For example, a bearing assembly and housing arrangement may be provided between the cross member 46 of the H-shaped rod 42 and the actuator 40 to provide a pivotal connection. A bracket identical to bracket 50 of the embodiment of fig. 1-16 may be substituted for bracket 56, with bracket 56 being used to pivotally connect cross member 46 of H-shaped rod 42 and actuator 40.

In a preferred embodiment, the maximum combined angle of the

panels

12 and 13 is adjusted to 65 degrees, that is to say the maximum rising inclination angle of the backrest panel 12 relative to the imaginary flat horizontal plane of the bed is limited to 65 degrees. The adjustment angle includes an adjustment angle of the combined lumbar support panel 13 relative to the fixed panel 14 and an adjustment angle of the backrest panel 12 relative to the lumbar support panel 13. The combined angular adjustment may be smaller, such as 60 degrees, 55 degrees, 50 degrees or less at maximum, and may result from an equal amount of angular adjustment of

panels

13 and 14. The maximum angular adjustment is determined by the geometry of the actuating mechanism, including the mounting arrangement and operating stroke of the actuator and the relative length dimension of the corresponding adjustable panel.

It will be appreciated that a mattress of suitable thickness, for example in the range of 25cm to 50cm (10 inches to 20 inches), will be positioned on the mattress support platform of the bed 10.

The movement of the

adjustable panels

17 and 18 is achieved by a powered actuating mechanism comprising the same linear actuator 40a as the actuator 40 driving the panel 12 and first connecting means in the form of a pivoting frame 42 a. The frame 42a includes a pair of arms 44a and a cross member 46a, with the cross member 46a extending between the arms 44a and connected to the arms 44 a. The arm has a first distal end 65a connected to the underside of the panel 17 and a second distal end 67a pivotally mounted at pivot point 48a on a second component in the form of a bracket 50a, the bracket 50a being fixed to the frame 20. A bracket 50a depends from the underside of the frame 20 in the region of the hinge 41'. In contrast to the pivotal connection between the arm 44 and the bracket 50 through the bearing assembly and housing arrangement, the arm 44a is pivotally attached to the bracket 50a using a simple nut, bolt and washer arrangement 75a such that the arm 44a rotates relative to the bracket 50a which is fixed to the frame 20. In an alternative embodiment, the bearing assembly 53 and bearing housing 51 described with respect to movement of the panel 13 may be used to provide the pivotal connection between the arm 44a and the bracket 50 instead of a nut, bolt and washer arrangement. Similarly, the bearing assembly and housing arrangement described with respect to the pivotal connection between actuator 40 and cross member 46 may provide a pivotal connection between actuator 40a and cross member 46 a.

The actuator 40a has a first end (motor and gearbox end) pivotally mounted to the cross member 31a and a second end (rod) pivotally connected to a bracket 56a that is fixed to the cross member 46 a. The rotational movement of faceplate 17 is thus achieved by the actuation of linear electrical actuator 40a, which linear electrical actuator 40a causes cross member 46a and arm 44a to rotate. Thus, the panel 17 is raised and lowered by corresponding extension and retraction of the actuator 40 a. Since panel 18 is connected to panel 17 by hinge 43', panel 18 also rises and falls as panel 17 rises and falls. Struts 81 are secured to the underside of the panel 18 and the frame 20 to provide additional rigidity and support when the panel 18 is under load (fig. 3).

In the above described embodiment, the

panels

12 and 13 are rotated by the actuator 40 acting on the panel 12 through the arm 44, and the

panels

17 and 18 are rotated by the actuator 40a acting on the panel 17, that is to say the first connecting

means

44, 44a act on and engage with the

respective panel

12, 17. In fact,

panels

17 and 18 and

panels

12 and 13 are connected by respective hinges 43 'and 25', which cause panel 18 to rotate as panel 17 rotates, and panel 13 to rotate as panel 12 rotates.

Referring to fig. 17 to 25, an alternative bed 110 is the same as that described in fig. 1 to 16, except that instead of a single connecting means acting on the panel 17, a first connecting means or member in the form of a pair of arms 144a acts on the panel 118 and engages the panel 118, and a second connecting means or member in the form of a pair of arms 190 acts on the panel 117 and engages the panel 117, so that the same actuator 140a as the actuator 40a drives both

panels

117, 118 simultaneously.

Actuator 140a is connected to frame 120 and cross member 146a in the same manner that actuator 40 is connected to frame 20 and cross member 46 of the embodiment of fig. 1-16.

The arm 144 extends from the cross member 146 and has at one end a roller bearing 152 identical to bearing 52 and at the other end is pivotally connected to the frame 120 at pivot point 148 by an integral bearing housing 151 identical to bearing housing 51, with a raised portion 171 on the bracket 150, the raised portion 171 being identical to raised portion 71 (fig. 20). The corner struts 199 are disposed between the arms 144 and the cross member 46 to provide rigidity. The bracket 150 is fixed to the frame 120 and depends from the frame 120. The bearing housing 151 holds a bearing assembly (not shown) in the same manner as described with respect to the bearing housing 51 and the bearing assembly 53. The pivotal connection between bracket 150 and arm 144 is provided in the same manner as described with respect to bracket 50 and arm 44.

The bearing housing 151 and bearing assembly are located on the arm 144a (first part) and the raised portion 171 is located on the bracket 150 (second part), as opposed to the pivotal connection between the bracket 50 and the arm 44 (where the raised portion 71 is located on the arm 44 and the bearing housing 51 and bearing assembly 53 are located on the bracket 50). Thus, it will be appreciated that the bearing housing and assembly may be provided on one of the first or second components and a feature (e.g. a bracket having a raised portion) may be provided on the other of the first and second components to provide the pivotal connection.

The arm 190 is pivotally connected to the arm 144 by a raised portion 171a at a pivot point 191, the pivot point 191 being located approximately midway along the length of the arm 144, the raised portion 171a engaging a bearing assembly (not shown) identical to the bearing assembly 53, housed within an integral bearing housing 151a on one end of the arm 190. The raised portion 171a (fig. 21) is identical to the raised portion 171, and the integral bearing housing 151a is identical to the integral bearing housing 151. The pivotal connection between the raised portion 171a of the arm 144 and the arm 190 is provided in the same manner as described with respect to the bracket 50 and the arm 44.

The arm 190 has another one-piece bearing housing 151b identical to the one-piece bearing housing 151a at the other end thereof, which is pivotally connected to a bracket 195, which bracket 195 is fixed to the underside of the thigh support panel 117 using fixing means such as screws 196. The bracket 195 includes a raised portion 171b (fig. 24) identical to the raised

portions

71, 171 a. The unitary bearing housing 151 holds a bearing assembly (not shown) identical to the bearing assembly 53. The pivotal connection between the raised portion 171b of the arm 190 and the bracket 195 is provided in the same manner as described with respect to the bracket 50 and the arm 44. The bracket 195 is located on the thigh support panel 117 such that the pivotal connection is about an axis near the hinge point 143 between the

panels

117 and 118. It should be understood that the bracket 195 may be located anywhere along the length of the panel 117 so long as the position enables the

panels

117 and 118 to be pivotally moved between the lowered and raised positions.

In operation, activation of linear electrical actuator 140a causes cross member 146a and arm 44a to rotate about pivot point 148. As the arm 144a rotates, the bearing 152 acts on the underside of the panel 118, causing the panel 118 to rise relative to the frame 120. At the same time, rotation of arm 144 causes pivotally connected arm 190 to rotate and act on the underside of panel 117, causing panel 17 to rotate relative to frame 120 about hinge 122' (fig. 17). Thus, operation of the actuator 140a simultaneously drives the

panels

117 and 118 by means of the first connection means (arm 144) and the second connection means (arm 190).

Referring to fig. 26, an alternative bed 210 is identical to that described in fig. 1 to 16, except that instead of a single connection means in the form of an arm 44 acting on the panel 12, first and second connection means are used to drive the

panels

212 and 213 in the same manner as the actuator 40a drives the

panels

117 and 118 in the embodiment of fig. 17 to 25. The first attachment means in the form of arm 244 is identical to arm 44 except that it includes an additional raised portion 263 which is identical to raised portion 63 on arm 44. The raised portion 263 is capable of pivotal connection with a second connection means in the form of an arm 290, the arm 290 being identical to the arm 190. Bracket 250 is identical to bracket 50 and is pivotally connected to arm 244 in the same manner that bracket 50 is connected to arm 44. The raised portion 263 is positioned approximately three-quarters along the length of the arm 244 toward the bracket 250. Raised portions 263 are positioned along the length of arms 244 to provide the desired relative rotation between

panels

213 and 212 as

panels

213 and 212 move relative to frame 220 between the lowered and raised configurations.

Operation is similar to the manner in which the actuator 40a drives the

panels

117 and 118 in the embodiment of fig. 17-25. Activation of a linear electrical actuator (not shown, but identical to actuator 40) causes arm 244 to rotate about pivot point 248. As arm 244 rotates, bearing 252 acts on the underside of faceplate 212 causing it to rotate relative to frame 220. At the same time, rotation of arm 244 causes pivotally connected arm 290 to rotate and act on the underside of panel 213, causing panel 213 to rotate about hinge 222' relative to frame 220. Thus, operation of the actuator simultaneously drives the

panels

212 and 213 by means of the first connection means (arm 244) and the second connection means (arm 290).

It should be understood that in the embodiment of fig. 1-26, at least two concepts have been described. One concept involves providing first and second connection means that act on a panel of an adjustable bed to enable coordinated pivotal movement of the panel. The second concept relates to providing a bearing assembly to allow pivotal movement between the parts of the adjustable bed. Furthermore, these two concepts have been described with respect to pivotal movement between the lumbar support panel and the back support panel and pivotal movement between the foot support panel and the thigh support panel. It should be understood that these two concepts may be used independently of each other, and that each concept may be used to provide pivotal movement between the lumbar support panel and the back support panel and/or pivotal movement between the foot support panel and the thigh support panel.

It should also be understood that while the above embodiments are described with respect to an adjustable bed, the concepts may also be applied to an adjustable chair. For example, the bearing assembly and housing may be used to provide a pivotal connection between moving parts of the chair, such as an actuator supported on a fixed base portion and a movable seat portion pivotally connected to the actuator. Similarly, the first and second connecting means may be used to simultaneously move the support panel on the chair.

Claims

1. An adjustable article of furniture comprising at least one support portion and a drive mechanism operable to effect pivotal movement of the at least one support portion, the drive mechanism comprising at least first and second parts pivotally linked by a bearing assembly, such that operation of the drive mechanism causes pivotal movement between the first and second parts, thereby effecting pivotal movement of the at least one support portion.

2. The article of adjustable furniture of claim 1 wherein the bearing assembly comprises a bearing having an inner race and an outer race that are rotationally movable relative to each other, wherein the outer race is rotationally fixed relative to one of the first or second components and the inner race is rotationally fixed relative to the other of the first or second components such that operation of the drive mechanism causes relative movement between the inner race and the outer race, thereby causing pivotal movement between the first and second components, thereby effecting pivotal movement of the at least one support portion.

3. The article of adjustable furniture of claim 2 wherein one of the first or second components comprises an integral bearing housing arranged to form an interference fit with the outer race such that the outer race is rotationally fixed relative to the one of the first or second components.

4. The article of adjustable furniture of claim 3 wherein the other of the first or second components includes a securing feature arranged to form an interference fit with the inner race such that the inner race is rotationally fixed relative to the other of the first or second components.

5. The adjustable article of furniture of claim 3 or 4, wherein the interference fit is a crimp fit.

6. The article of adjustable furniture of any preceding claim in which the first component is a fixed frame of the furniture and the second component is a first connecting means fixed to the at least one support portion.

7. The article of adjustable furniture of any of claims 1 to 5, the first component being a first connecting means and the second component being a second connecting means, wherein the first connecting means is operable to act directly on a first support portion and the second connecting means is operable to act directly on a second support portion such that the drive mechanism acts on both support portions simultaneously.

8. The article of adjustable furniture of any of claims 1 to 5, the first component being a second connecting means and the second component being a bracket fixed to the at least one support portion.

9. The adjustable article of furniture of any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the first component is an actuator and the second component is a first connecting means.

10. The adjustable article of furniture of any preceding claim wherein the at least one support portion is a plurality of hinged support portions, the support portion comprises at least one adjustable first support portion and at least one adjustable second support portion, and the drive mechanism comprises an actuator mechanism for effecting coordinated pivotal movement, to angularly adjust said at least one adjustable first support section relative to said at least one adjustable second support section, wherein the actuator mechanism is operable to drive the first connecting means to act directly on the first support portion and to drive the second connecting means to act directly on the second support portion, or drive a pivot point connecting the first support part and the second support part such that the actuator mechanism drives both support parts simultaneously.

11. The adjustable article of furniture of claim 10, wherein the second connection device is driven by the actuator mechanism through the first connection device.

12. The article of adjustable furniture of claim 10 or 11 in which one of the first and second support portions is free to pivot relative to the other of the first and second support portions independently of the actuator mechanism.

13. An article of adjustable furniture as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the second connecting means is pivotally attached to the first connecting means.

14. The adjustable article of furniture of claim 13 wherein the second connecting means has a first end pivotally attached to the first connecting means and a second end pivotally attached to the second support portion.

15. An article of adjustable furniture as claimed in any of claims 10 to 14 wherein the first connecting means has a first end pivotally attached to a frame of the furniture and a second end free to translate relative to the first support portion.

16. The article of adjustable furniture of any of claims 10 to 15 in which the first connection means comprises a rod and a pair of spaced apart stays projecting generally perpendicularly from the rod, the actuator mechanism being pivotally attached to the rod.

17. The article of adjustable furniture of any of claims 10 to 16 in which the second connecting means is pivotally positioned on the first connecting means to limit angular movement between the first and second support portions.

18. The article of adjustable furniture of any of claims 10 to 17 in which the first support portion is a foot support portion and the second support portion is a thigh support portion.

19. The article of adjustable furniture of any of claims 10 to 17 wherein the first support portion is a back support portion and the second support portion is a neck support portion.

20. The article of adjustable furniture of any of claims 10 to 17 wherein the first support portion is a lumbar support portion and the second support portion is a back support portion.

21. An article of adjustable furniture as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 20 wherein the actuator mechanism comprises an actuator, a first end of which is pivotally attached to the frame of the furniture and a second end of which is pivotally attached to the first connecting means.

22. An article of adjustable furniture as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the furniture is a chair comprising a floor standing base portion, the at least one support portion is a seat support portion pivotally movable relative to the base portion, the first component is an actuator fixed to the base portion and the second component is a bracket fixed to the seat support portion such that the bearing assembly provides a pivotal connection between the actuator and the bracket to cause pivotal movement between the base portion and the seat support portion.

23. The adjustable article of furniture of any preceding claim wherein the drive mechanism comprises an actuator mechanism.