CN211632523U

CN211632523U - Adjustable bed frame element and bed frame

Info

Publication number: CN211632523U
Application number: CN201921202455.6U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马蒂亚斯·布拉特; 艾莫·尼德尔科夫勒
Original assignee: Logicdata Electronic and Software Entwicklungs GmbH
Current assignee: Logicdata Electronic and Software Entwicklungs GmbH
Priority date: 2018-07-27
Filing date: 2019-07-26
Publication date: 2020-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2029-07-26
Also published as: US20200029700A1; DE102018118260A1

Abstract

The utility model relates to a frame element and bed frame of bed with adjustable. The frame element is arranged as a longitudinal element for a longitudinal side of the adjustable bed and has an adjustable leg rest section and at least one further section. The frame element comprises a frame support having a sliding surface and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the leg rest section. The frame element further includes an adjustable leg rest of the leg rest section, the leg rest including an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion hingedly connected to the frame support or to a middle portion of at least one further section. The support element of the lower leg portion is designed to be in contact with the sliding surface. The adjustment mechanism is arranged to change an angle between the upper leg portion and a main direction of the frame support, wherein the angle of the upper leg portion and the inclination of the lower leg portion are related to each other with respect to the main direction of the frame support.

Description

Adjustable bed frame element and bed frame

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a frame element for an adjustable bed. The invention also relates to a modular frame having at least two such frame elements.

Background

Adjustable beds, such as comfort beds or hospital beds, are well known. Such beds usually have a head portion, a middle portion and a leg rest (legrest), wherein the head portion and/or the leg rest are adjustable to change the lying position. This is typically accomplished by one or more drive elements that actuate respective mechanisms for adjusting the head portion, intermediate portion, and/or leg rest. Due to various regulations and/or customer requirements, a wide variety of adjustable beds exist. This involves firstly the adjustability of the bed itself, whereby it may be desirable, for example, to adjust only the head part, only the leg rest or both the head part and the leg rest. It follows that there are a large number of adjustable beds and associated therewith a large number of frames and necessary drives.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present invention provides an improved concept for an adjustable bed having an improved adjustment mechanism.

According to a first aspect, a frame element for an adjustable bed is described. The frame element is arranged as a longitudinal element for one longitudinal side of the bed and has an adjustable, in particular electrically adjustable, leg rest section and at least one further section. The frame element comprises a frame support having a sliding surface and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the leg rest section. The frame element further comprises an adjustable leg rest of the leg rest section, the leg rest comprising an upper leg portion hingedly connected to the frame support or to a middle portion of the at least one further section, and a lower leg portion hingedly connected to the upper leg portion.

The support element of the lower leg portion is designed to be in contact with the sliding surface. The sliding surface is for example a smooth surface of the frame support or a track of a baffle guide (curtain guide) incorporated in or attached to the frame support. The adjustment mechanism is configured to change an angle between the upper leg portion and a main direction of the frame support, the angle of the upper leg portion and an inclination of the lower leg portion relative to the main direction of the frame support being related to each other.

The longitudinal elements may also be referred to as longitudinal components. For example, the frame element is designed such that the frame element is supported on an upright surface. In other words, gravity and moments are transmitted through the frame elements to the standing surface.

In some embodiments, the frame element further comprises at least one drive element for actuating the adjustment mechanism. For example, the adjusting mechanism and, if necessary, the at least one drive element are mechanically coupled to the frame support. The adjusting mechanism usually has one or more segments, in particular articulated arms or lever arms, which are rigid and mechanically coupled to one another such that they can pivot. Unless otherwise noted, the drive elements include appropriate mechanisms, gear boxes (if any), and motors, such as electric motors.

The frame support represents an optional stationary element which forms an integrated unit together with the adjustment mechanism, the drive element and the adjustable leg rest. In this case, an integrated unit means, for example, that the frame support, the drive element, the adjustment mechanism and the leg rest are formed in one piece. In other words, the frame element may be regarded as an integral part or as a modular unit comprising as an integral part an adjustable leg rest comprising an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, and a drive arrangement and a drive mechanism. As long as the electric motor for actuating the drive element is provided as a direct component of the drive element, this motor is to be understood as a part of the integrated unit.

An adjustable leg rest denotes a movable element relative to the frame support, to which the upper leg portion is mechanically coupled, for example by means of a rotary joint, so that the inclination of the upper leg portion relative to the main direction of the frame support can be adjusted, in particular by means of an adjustment mechanism, but also manually. Alternatively, the upper leg portion may be hinged to a middle portion of at least one further section, e.g. a middle section. The lower leg portion is mechanically coupled to the upper leg portion, for example by means of another swivel joint, so that the angle between the lower leg portion and the upper leg portion can be adjusted. The adjustment of the lower leg portion is accompanied by the adjustment of the upper leg portion if the support element of the lower leg portion is in contact with the sliding surface of the frame support. In other words, in this case, the inclination of the lower leg portion with respect to the main direction of the frame support depends on the inclination of the upper leg portion. In this case, the angle between the lower leg portion and the upper leg portion also depends on the inclination of the upper leg portion.

For example, an adjustable bed is a system comprising a frame element, an adjustment mechanism and a drive means such as a drive element, but not necessarily a mattress. In other words, a bed is also understood to be a bed frame comprising at least the above-mentioned components.

The frame element is thus designed as a compact unit, so that the frame element can be used individually and modularly for adjustable beds, for example for the frame of an adjustable bed. This leads in particular to the numerous advantages listed below.

The described frame element of the adjustable bed allows the upper and lower leg portions of the leg rest to be adjusted, which means that the lying comfort of the user is increased, since the upper leg, i.e. the thigh, and the lower leg, i.e. the calf, can be optimally supported in a predetermined manner at each adjustment position. When the angle of the upper leg part is changed, for example by means of an adjusting mechanism, the upper leg part will be pulled or pushed on the sliding surface by the lower leg part or the support element of the lower leg part which is connected in an articulated manner to the upper leg part, which is why the inclination of the lower leg part changes.

Alternatively, the adjustment mechanism may be arranged to move the lower leg portion along the sliding surface, thereby changing the inclination of the lower leg portion. In this case, the angle of the upper leg portion varies according to the inclination of the lower leg portion.

The inclination of the lower leg portion as a function of the angle of the upper leg portion is defined by the angle of inclination of the sliding surface, the length of the support element and the length of the upper and lower leg portions.

Adjusting the upper and lower leg portions by means of a single adjustment mechanism according to the described master/slave principle allows a more compact design of the frame element, because: for a leg rest section, only one adjustment mechanism and one actuator are required, although there are two adjustable subsections.

Furthermore, according to a modified concept, the lower leg portion is coupled to the frame support only via the upper leg portion and by contact between the support element and the sliding surface. In particular, the lower leg portion need not be permanently connected directly to the frame support, for example by means of a support connecting the frame support with the lower leg portion, for example by using an additional swivel joint. On the one hand, this avoids additional clamping and shearing points and on the other hand visually unattractive connecting elements, thus increasing the aesthetic appearance of the bed. Other aspects are as follows: in certain adjustment positions, considerable force can be exerted on any leg rest and production becomes less complicated by saving components such as additional swivel joints or leg rests.

According to an embodiment, one frame element is used for each longitudinal side of the adjustable bed, whereby the drive means, in particular the adjustment mechanism and the drive element, can be made more compact. For example, more cost-effective, less powerful and/or smaller drive elements may be used in each frame element of the bed frame.

When the frame elements form separate units, the frame elements are also suitable for constructing various adjustable beds, in particular beds of different sizes, without the need to manufacture (separate) frames for each bed separately. In other words, only a few identical parts, such as one or two such frame elements, are required to create different bed systems and adjustable beds. For example, the frame support has suitable fasteners so that the frame element can be mechanically connected to other frame elements, such as cross bars (crossbar) to form the bed frame. Alternatively, no cross-bar is used and the two longitudinal elements are connected via respective support elements for a mattress, such as a rigid plate. This helps to reduce logistics and storage costs, such as those of manufacturers and furniture stores.

Furthermore, the simple structure makes it possible to reduce the weight of the frame and/or the bed. This may enable, for example, additional sales opportunities, such as online transportation.

Furthermore, the concept allows to construct the bed modularly in the field. This may reduce shipping costs, for example, by eliminating the need to ship already assembled dilating frames. Furthermore, the bed may be transported in modules to the installation site, which provides advantages when transporting the frame elements, for example in narrow space environments or in buildings such as stairways or doors.

In some embodiments, the frame support further comprises a protrusion, in particular a trapezoidal or triangular protrusion made of plastic, in the region of the sliding surface.

Certain adjustment positions require an inclination of the upper leg portion corresponding to an adjustment angle of the upper leg portion with respect to the main direction of the frame support between 30 ° and 50 °. In order to ensure a correct inclination of the lower leg portion, for example between 0 ° and 15 °, with such a high inclination of the upper leg portion, certain configurations require that the sliding surface of the frame support is extended by a projection, with which the support element comes into contact for adjustment angles of the upper leg portion, for example higher than 30 °.

In some embodiments, the angle of inclination of the sliding surface with respect to the main direction of the frame support at least partially deviates from 0 °, and on the one hand the angle of flexion between the upper and lower leg portions corresponds to ergonomic correctness and on the other hand the angle of inclination of the lower leg portion is less than or equal to 15 °.

In the simplest case of such an embodiment, the sliding surface has a constant inclination angle throughout the entire path, for example an inclination angle in the range between 30 ° and 60 °. This can be achieved, for example, by an inclined portion of the frame support in the region of the sliding surface. Alternatively, the angle of inclination of the sliding surface may vary over at least a portion of the course, for example given by a curved course. In particular in embodiments with a projection as described above, the expanded sliding surface may be such that the angle of inclination of the first part of the surface of the projection is larger than the angle of inclination of the sliding surface of the frame beam. Furthermore, the second portion of the surface of the protrusion may be horizontal, i.e. have a slope angle of 0 °.

For a given adjustment of the upper leg portion, the gradient of the sliding surface influences the inclination of the lower leg portion. In other words, the flexion angle between the upper leg portion and the lower leg portion is defined as a function of a given adjustment angle of the upper leg portion. In practice, the gradient of the sliding surface is such that the angle of deflection between the upper leg part and the lower leg part is ergonomically correct, which is achieved in particular when the inclination of the lower leg part is in the range between 0 ° and 15 ° for all adjustment angles of the upper leg part.

For example, the inclination of the sliding surface in its course is such that the inclination of the lower leg portion increases substantially linearly from 0 ° to 15 ° with the angle of adjustment of the upper leg portion until the upper leg portion has an inclination of 30 °. The inclination of the lower leg portion optionally remains substantially constant for adjustment angles of the upper leg portion exceeding 30 °.

In some embodiments, the sliding surface is formed by a sliding coating.

In order to increase the sliding capacity of the support element on the sliding surface, i.e. to reduce the sliding friction, some solutions of the invention for producing the sliding surface have the surface of the frame support coated with a material having a lower frictional resistance than the material of the frame support. For example, the sliding surface of the frame support is composed of a powder-coated metal surface and is therefore particularly smooth.

In some embodiments, the support element is attached to, e.g. welded, glued or screwed to, the lower leg portion in an angled manner, in particular at an angle between 80 ° and 100 °. In addition, the support element has a straight, curved or angled shape.

For example, the support element is mounted at a right angle, i.e. at an angle of 90 °, or at any angle on the lower leg part. In addition, the support elements may be straight, curved or angled elements. The angle of attachment and the shape of the support element serve to keep the size of the packaging, e.g. the carton packaging the frame element, as small as possible.

In some embodiments, the support element comprises a sliding bearing (plainbearing) or a roller bearing (roller bearing) designed to be in contact with the sliding surface.

The sliding of the support element along the sliding surface of the frame support when adjusting the leg rest can be optimized by a suitable bearing of the support element. Suitable materials and/or mechanisms help to reduce sliding friction by minimizing surface roughness. For this purpose, the support element according to this embodiment comprises, for example, as a plug-in part, a sliding bearing or a roller bearing made of a plastic such as Polyoxymethylene (POM), POM or the like.

In the case of a sliding bearing, the sliding bearing optionally has a curved surface which is designed to be in contact with the sliding surface of the frame support. This minimizes the contact surface and thus reduces sliding friction. The roller bearing is for example provided by a simple roller attached to one end of the support element or by an insert attached to or inserted into a roller in one end of the support element.

In some embodiments, the support element comprises one or more lateral guides.

In order to improve the sliding of the support element along the sliding surface, the support element may have guides to ensure that the support element is correctly aligned with the frame support whenever the leg rest is adjusted. This prevents, for example, the lower leg portion from slipping off the frame support.

In some embodiments, the upper leg portion is designed to contact a contact surface of the adjustment mechanism.

According to a further development, the support element of the lower leg section is not connected to the longitudinal beam. In combination with the hinged connection between the lower leg part and the upper leg part, this allows the free end of the lower leg part to move around when the lower leg part hits an obstacle below. Although the lower leg portion contacts an obstacle, such as a portion of the body, the maximum force of such contact corresponds only to the weight of the bed and any mattress on the obstacle. The force is typically low enough to provide acceptable crush protection according to various furniture standards.

Furthermore, the free end of the lower leg portion leads to a further advantageous mechanism in the form of a free wheel for the adjustment mechanism. An adjustment mechanism in the frame support has a contact surface for the upper leg portion, which is electrically adjusted by an actuator. The upper leg portion is located on the support member without being fixed to the support member. When the upper leg portion is adjusted to a larger adjustment angle, the upper leg portion is pushed upward. On the other hand, during the downward movement, in the event of a possible crush injury, the upper leg portion is not pulled downward by the adjustment mechanism, but travels along the contact surface due to its own weight. If an obstacle is present, the upper leg portion remains resting on the obstacle and the contact surface of the adjustment mechanism adjusts itself further in the direction of the flatter adjustment angle.

Furthermore, the upper leg part together with the lower leg part can be folded down manually, for example in the direction of a central section of the bed or frame element, in order to clean the bed frame or to access a storage space below the lying surface of the bed.

In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism of the leg rest section comprises a rotatably mounted disc having a spindle nut and a spindle of a drive element, in particular a coaxial drive, which engages the spindle nut and extends perpendicularly to the rotational axis of the disc.

By the coaxial arrangement of the drive, wherein the adjusting mechanism comprises a rotatably mounted disc, the rotational axis of which is coaxial with the rotational axis of the upper leg portion relative to the frame support, a particularly narrow design of the frame element is achieved, for example for reducing the size of the packaging of the frame element. For adjusting the upper leg portion, the disk has, for example, a recess in which the upper leg portion engages. For example, the surface of the recess serves as a contact surface or as a mounting point for the contact surface of the upper leg portion.

Furthermore, the disk of this embodiment comprises a spindle nut in which the spindle of the drive element engages, the spindle extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the disk. Thus, the rotational movement of the spindle is converted into a rotational movement of the disc, whereby the adjustment angle of the disc and thus of the upper leg portion changes.

In some embodiments, the maximum angle of the upper leg portion is between 30 ° and 50 °, in particular between 40 ° and 50 °, for the lying position and above 50 °, in particular between 70 ° and 100 ° for the storage position.

Typically, the maximum adjustment angle of the upper leg part for an ergonomically correct lying position is between 30 ° and 50 °. However, it is often advantageous if the adjustment mechanism also allows a larger adjustment angle. For example, a storage space for bedding or other items may be provided below the lying surface of the bed, which storage space may be made available by adjusting the leg rest. For this purpose, a large adjustment angle of up to about 90 ° can considerably facilitate access to the storage space.

In some embodiments, the lower leg portion is attached to the upper leg portion in a manner such that the lower leg portion can be folded towards the upper leg portion, in particular by hand.

Attaching the lower leg portion to the upper leg portion, for example by means of a swivel joint, allows the lower leg portion to be manually folded upwards towards the upper leg portion, allowing maximum access to the storage space and/or facilitating cleaning of the bed or frame element. This is particularly associated with large adjustment angles of the upper leg portion.

According to one configuration, the adjustable leg rest section comprises an anti-crushing mechanism (anti-crushing mechanism) designed to prevent the angle of the upper leg portion and/or the inclination of the lower leg portion from being adjusted when the lower leg portion and/or the upper leg portion contacts an obstacle.

To avoid injury and grazing, the leg rest remains in its current position once the obstacle comes into contact with the upper and/or lower leg portions. This is achieved, for example, by avoiding an active pulling movement of the leg rest toward smaller adjustment angles or inclinations, wherein crushing can occur. In particular, the leg rest may be coupled with the adjustment mechanism in such a way that the leg rest does not follow the adjustment mechanism when encountering an obstacle, for example by loose contact. In this case, the force applied to the obstacle never exceeds the weight of the leg rest, which is usually below the crush threshold. Any adjustable headrest section of an adjustable bed may have a suitable crush prevention mechanism wherein one headrest portion of the headrest section is in loose contact with another adjustment mechanism.

In some embodiments, the sliding surface is part of a track of the baffle guide.

The flap guide is advantageous, for example, to prevent the support element from slipping or sliding laterally relative to the sliding surface of the frame support. In such an embodiment, the sliding surface is part of the guide track of the flapper guide. The track may be incorporated into or attached to the frame support. Furthermore, the rail is designed to receive one end of the support element and to guide the support element along the rail when adjusting the lower leg portion.

According to a second aspect, the above-mentioned task is solved by a bed frame of an electrically adjustable bed having an adjustable leg rest section and at least one further section. The bed frame comprises at least one cross bar, two frame elements according to one of the above embodiments and a control system configured to control the adjustment mechanisms of the two frame elements synchronously.

The cross-bar of such a bed may be provided by a support surface for the mattress, e.g. a slatted frame, connecting the two frame elements. Alternatively or additionally, cross struts may be used to connect two frame elements to each other.

A control system for the simultaneous adjustment of the adjustment mechanisms of the two frame elements is incorporated in one of the frame elements or is electrically connected to at least one of the longitudinal beams. Synchronous adjustment means that both adjustment mechanisms are driven simultaneously by the drive element at the same speed and with the two upper leg portions in the same angular position.

In some embodiments, the control system includes a memory containing a number of recline positions to be set and/or a storage location.

The control system of this configuration enables both a storage position and an access lying position, as well as a storage space position of the leg rest and a possibly adjustable headrest section.

The bed frame according to the second aspect substantially allows the above advantages.

Drawings

Further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with the aid of the figures. In the drawings, identical or equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals (with or without suffixes). Features which have been described with the aid of reference numerals are not necessarily provided with reference numerals in all the figures.

In the drawings:

fig. 1 to 4 show exemplary embodiments of a frame element according to the improved concept in different adjustment positions;

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of an adjustable bed with frame elements according to the improved concept;

figures 6 to 8 show an exemplary embodiment of a leg rest section of an adjustable bed in different adjustment positions;

figures 9 to 13 show various embodiments of the support element;

fig. 14 shows the correlation between the inclination of the lower leg portion and the adjustment angle of the upper leg portion according to an embodiment of the frame element; and

fig. 15 to 21 show different exemplary embodiments of the connection mechanism of the elements of the bed frame.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 to 4 show side views of the frame element 1 in different adjustment positions according to an embodiment of an adjustable bed 20 (see fig. 5). The frame element 1 is designed as a longitudinal element for the longitudinal sides of the bed 20.

The frame element 1 has a frame support 2, the frame support 2 being stationary or fixed. The frame support 2 is configured to be mechanically connected or coupled at its opposite ends with other elements of the bed frame 19, in particular a crossbar 25 (see fig. 15 to 21). For this purpose, a mounting aid 12 is provided at the end of the frame support 2. In the embodiment shown, the mounting aids 12 are brackets which partially enclose the respective cross bar 25 and can be screwed to the cross bar 25.

The mounting aid 12 can also be of a different type in order to form a mechanical connection with the crossbar 25. In alternative embodiments, the mounting aid 12 is not part of the frame element 1, but may be part of the respective cross bar 25, or the mounting aid 12 is a separate component.

Further, the frame support 2 includes, at least at one of its ends, an inclined portion on the surface of which a sliding surface 3 is defined. To maintain the beauty, the frame supporter 2 has inclined portions at both ends to form symmetry. In addition, a trapezoidal protrusion 4 is attached at one end to expand an effective sliding surface. The projections 4 may be provided by plastic parts mounted on the frame support.

The

adjustable leg rest

6, 7, 8 is for example composed of an upper leg part 6, a lower leg part 7 and a support element 8. The upper leg portion 6 is hinged to the middle portion 11 of the middle section, for example by means of a rotary joint to the middle portion 11 of the middle section. The lower leg part 7 is in turn connected to the upper leg part 6 in an articulated manner, for example by means of another swivel joint. The support element 8 in this embodiment is mounted perpendicularly on the lower leg part 7, for example the support element 8 is welded, and the support element 8 is configured to be in contact with the sliding surface 3 or with the sliding surface 3 extending from the projection 4, which ensures each adjustment position by the hinged mounting of the upper leg part 6. In an embodiment not shown, the sliding surface 3 is, for example, a component of a rail of a blind guide. In such an embodiment, the rail is designed to receive one end of the support element 8 and to guide the support element 8 along the sliding surface 3 of the rail when adjusting the lower leg portion 7.

The adjusting mechanism 5 and the drive element 10 are arranged in the middle section of the frame support 2. Thus, the adjustment mechanism 5 and the drive element 10 are embedded in the frame support 2 and coupled to the frame support 2. The adjustment mechanism 5 and the drive element 10 serve for adjusting the upper leg portion 6 of the

leg rest

6, 7, 8 with respect to the adjustment angle. In this example, the adjustment mechanism 5 has a rotatable disc with a rotational axis corresponding to the rotational axis of the upper leg portion 6. The rotatable disc represents the following circular arc: the upper leg portion 6 rests on the lateral surface of the circular arc.

The drive element 10 comprises, for example, an electric motor and a spindle 13, the spindle 13 extending perpendicularly to the rotational axis of the disk and engaging with a spindle nut 14 of the disk. The actuation of the adjustment mechanism 5 by the drive element 10 is triggered by the rotation of the main shaft 13 about the main extension axis of the main shaft 13 itself, for example by means of a worm gear, and the consequent change of engagement with the main shaft nut 14. As a result, the angle of the lateral surface of the rotatable disc is adjusted, and thus, the angle of the upper leg portion 6 is adjusted.

Depending on the adjustment of the upper leg part 6, the position of the lower leg part 7 also changes due to the hinged mounting and the pulling or pushing of the support element 8 along the sliding surface 3. The projections 4 are used for: for the adjustment angle range of the upper leg portion 6, the maximum flexion angle between the upper leg portion 6 and the lower leg portion 7 and the maximum inclination angle of the lower leg portion 7 with respect to the main direction x of the frame support 2 are not exceeded. For example, the angle of inclination of the lower leg portion 7 should not be greater than 15 ° for all adjustment angles of the upper leg portion 6 between 0 ° and 50 °.

Furthermore, the frame element 1 in this solution has an adjustable headrest section, which is given by an adjustable headrest portion 9. Similarly to the leg rest section, the headrest section has a headrest section adjustment mechanism 5a and a headrest section drive element 10 a.

Fig. 1 shows the adjustment position of the bed 20, in which the angle of adjustment of the upper leg portion 6 is about 40 °. It can be seen here that the projection 4 functions as an extension of the sliding surface 3. This ensures that the angle of inclination of the lower leg portion 7 does not exceed a certain threshold. Typically, for an ergonomically correct lying position, the threshold is about 15 °.

Fig. 2 and 3 show the adjustment position of the bed 20, in which the adjustment angles of the upper leg portion 6 are about 30 ° and 25 °, respectively. The projections 4 play no role here, since in these adjustment positions the support element 8 is in contact with the sliding surface 3 of the frame support 2.

Fig. 4 shows the adjustment position of the bed 20, in which the upper leg portion is flat, i.e. the adjustment angle is 0 °. In this position, the weight of the lower leg portion 7 is substantially located on the projection 4 and not on the sliding surface 3. It can be seen that the function of the further projection in the region of the headrest section is to support the headrest portion 9 in the flat adjustment position.

Fig. 5 shows an adjustable bed 20 with a modular frame 19. Two frame elements 1 according to fig. 1 to 4 are assembled together with two cross bars 25 to form a frame 19. The

respective leg rest

6, 7, intermediate portion 11 and head portion 9 of the two frame elements 1 are directly connected via the support elements 21 to 24. The support elements 21 to 24 are rigid plates, for example wooden plates. The first support element 21 and the second support element 22 are configured as leg rests. The third support element 23 is provided as an intermediate support. The fourth support element 24 is provided as a headrest.

The frame elements 1 arranged as longitudinal elements and the cross bar 25 enable the dimensioning of any frame or bed. For this purpose, the distance between the two longitudinal elements is selected accordingly. The longitudinal elements are fixed to the cross bar 25 at suitable positions via the mounting aid 12 and via the bed feet 26, depending on the desired distance. Alternatively, the transverse bar 25 can also be designed to be length-adjustable, for example as a telescopic rail. In total, multiple bed variants can be realized using the same longitudinal and transverse bars.

Figures 6-8 illustrate the leg rest of the adjustable bed 20 in various adjustment positions. It can be seen that the inclination of lower leg support 21 or lower leg portion 7 does not exceed an angle of about 15 deg., even though the high adjustment angle of upper leg support 22 or upper leg portion 6, shown in fig. 6 as an adjustment angle of about 40 deg., does not exceed about 15 deg.. This is ensured by the projection 4, the sliding bearing 8a resting on the projection 4. This is in contrast to a flatter adjustment angle, an adjustment angle of about 15 ° as shown in fig. 7, in which the sliding bearing 8a rests on the sliding surface 3.

For a horizontal alignment of the upper leg support 22 or the upper leg part 6, as shown by the adjustment angle of 0 ° in fig. 8, the lower leg part 7 is optionally also in a horizontal position with an inclination of 0 °. In this case, the support of the lower leg portion 7 on the projection 4 is shown, the projection 4 in this case carrying most or all of the weight of the lower leg portion 7 including the lower leg support 21, so that the load of the support element 8 is relieved.

Fig. 9 to 13 show various embodiments of the support element 8 of the frame element 1. In all embodiments shown, angled support elements 8 can be seen. This, in addition to improving the contact between the support element 8 and the frame support 2, may also be used to keep the size of any packaging, e.g. cardboard boxes, used for transporting and transporting the adjustable bed 20 as small as possible. The individual components 8a to 8f of the support element are described in detail below for various design examples.

Fig. 9 shows the following embodiment: in this embodiment, the contact between the support element 8 and the sliding surface 3 of the frame support is formed by a sliding bearing 8a, which sliding bearing 8a is designed as a plug-in part and is inserted into one end of the support element 8. The contact surface 8b of the sliding bearing 8a is curved to minimize contact, which results in the desired effects of lower wear and lower sliding resistance. For example, the material for the slide bearing 8a is plastic such as polyoxymethylene, POM, or the like having low surface roughness.

Fig. 10 shows an embodiment similar to the one shown in fig. 9, but with the additional feature of a lateral guide 8c surrounding the sliding bearing 8 a. The guide 8c may help to ensure that the lower leg portion 7 remains correctly aligned with the sliding surface 3 and does not slip sideways during adjustment.

Fig. 11 shows the following embodiment: in this embodiment, the contact between the support element 8 and the sliding surface 3 of the frame support is established by means of a roller bearing 8 d. The roller bearing 8d consists of a roller, for example made of plastic, which has a smooth surface and is fixed into one end of the support element so that the surface of the roller bearing 8d can come into contact with the sliding surface 3 and roll along the sliding surface 3 when the lower leg portion 7 is adjusted.

Similar to fig. 10, fig. 12 shows a roller bearing 8d, which roller bearing 8d has a lateral guide 8c, i.e. a lateral track. Similar to the described sliding bearing 8a, the roller bearing 8d is designed as a plug-in part and is inserted into one end of the support element 8.

Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of the support element 8, the support element 8 having a laterally insertable guide 8 e. This embodiment may be used for the sliding bearings 8a and the roller bearings 8d in order to keep the lower leg portion 7 correctly aligned with the sliding surface 3 and to prevent the lower leg portion 7 from slipping sideways during adjustment. The laterally insertable guide 8e is also made of plastic, for example.

Fig. 14 shows the following diagrams: the diagram shows on the vertical axis the inclination of the lower leg part 7 as a function of the angle of the upper leg part 6 for an embodiment of the frame element 1, for example according to the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4. It can be seen that the inclination of the lower leg portion 7 increases in a manner deviating slightly from a linear course in the adjustment angle range of the upper leg portion 6 between 0 ° and about 30 °.

Starting from an angle of about 30 °, the support element 8 is in contact with the projection 4, the projection 4 having on its surface the following inclination: the angle of inclination may deviate from the angle of inclination of the sliding surface. For example, the angle of inclination of the protrusion may be steeper or more gradual, e.g. 0 °, or a combination of both possibilities, as in the example of a trapezoidal protrusion 4 shown. A suitable choice ensures that the inclination does not increase further with the angle of adjustment and that the maximum adjustment for the upper leg part 6 remains in the example at about 12 °. This therefore satisfies the requirement for an ergonomically correct lying position of the user.

Fig. 15 to 21 show various exemplary embodiments of a connection mechanism with which elements of a bed frame 19, such as the frame element 1 according to the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4 and the cross bar 25, can be connected to an adjustable bed 20. The basic idea of the illustrated mechanism is to form an unloaded connection between the frame element 1 and the crossbar 25, which ensures correct alignment, and then to establish a loadable connection, for example by screwing by means of the bed foot 26 through a through hole of the crossbar 25 into a threaded portion in one end of the frame support 2.

Fig. 15 and 16 show a first example of a connection mechanism given by a one-piece mounting aid 12, which one-piece mounting aid 12 comprises one or two side rails 12d and one or more elastic pins 12a, which elastic pins 12a are adapted to engage in one or more receivers 12b, e.g. holes, on the crossbar 25. This connection ensures a correct vertical alignment of the crossbar 25 with respect to the frame element 1, so that a loadable connection can be made by means of the screws of the bed foot 26, the through-holes 12c of the crossbar 25 and the threaded portions in the inclined ends of the frame support 2.

Fig. 17 shows a second example of a connection mechanism given by a one-piece mounting aid. In contrast to the first example, the mounting aid comprises side rails 12d acting as springs instead of one or more elastic pins, the side rails 12d also ensuring correct alignment of the crossbar 25 and the frame element 1.

Fig. 18 shows a third example of a connection mechanism given by a two-part mounting aid. The mounting aid 12 is U-shaped and has one or more receiving portions 12b for one or more resilient pins 12a of a mounting portion 12e arranged within the crossbar 25.

Fig. 19 shows a fourth example of a connection mechanism given by a two-part mounting aid. In contrast to the third design example, this design comprises an additional spring element 12f, which further simplifies the establishment of the non-load bearing connection.

Fig. 20 shows a fifth example of a connection mechanism given by a two-part mounting aid. In this solution, the pin 12a and the receiving portion 12b are arranged vertically. Thus, the elements of the bed frame 19 are vertically aligned. The pin 12a is, for example, elastic and corresponds in diameter to the receptacle 12 b.

Fig. 21 shows a sixth example of a connection mechanism given by a two-part mounting aid. In this solution, the mechanism comprises a mounting portion 12e having a resilient pin 12a, the resilient pin 12a being inserted into one end of the crossbar 25, whereupon the pin passes through the receiving portion 12b of the crossbar. The side rails 12d of the frame support 2 also comprise a receiving portion 2b, through which the pin 12a passes after correct alignment and forms an unloadable connection.

Reference numerals

1 frame element

2 frame support

3 sliding surface

4 convex

5 adjusting mechanism

5a headrest section adjustment mechanism

6 upper leg part

7 lower leg part

8 support element

8a sliding bearing

8b contact surface

8c lateral guide

8d roller support

8e laterally insertable guide

9 headrest portion

10 drive element

10a headrest section drive element

11 middle part

12 mounting aid

12a spring pin

12b receiving part

12c through hole

12d side rail

12e mounting part

12f additional spring element

13 spindle

14 spindle nut

19 bed frame

20 adjustable bed

21 lower leg support

22 upper leg support

23 intermediate support

24 head support

25 Cross bar

26 bed leg

Main direction of X

Claims

1. A frame element (1) of an adjustable bed (20), the frame element (1) being arranged as a longitudinal element for a longitudinal side of the bed (20), and the frame element (1) having an adjustable leg rest section and at least one further section, characterized in that the frame element (1) comprises:

a frame support (2), the frame support (2) having a sliding surface (3);

an adjustment mechanism (5), the adjustment mechanism (5) being for adjusting the leg rest section; and

an adjustable leg rest of the leg rest section, the leg rest comprising an upper leg portion (6) hingedly connected to the frame support (2) or to a middle portion (11) of the at least one further section, and a lower leg portion (7) hingedly connected to the upper leg portion (6); wherein the content of the first and second substances,

-the support element (8) of the lower leg portion (7) is adapted to be in contact with the sliding surface (3);

-said adjustment mechanism (5) is adapted to change the angle between said upper leg portion (6) and the main direction of said frame support (2); and

the angle of the upper leg portion (6) and the inclination of the lower leg portion (7) with respect to the main direction of the frame support (2) are correlated to each other.

2. The frame element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the frame support (2) further comprises a protrusion (4) in the area of the sliding surface (3).

3. The frame element (1) according to claim 2, wherein the protrusions (4) are trapezoidal or triangular protrusions (4) made of plastic.

4. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sliding surface (3) is at least partially offset by 0 ° with respect to the pitch angle of the main direction of the frame support (2) and is arranged such that:

the flexion angle between the upper leg portion (6) and the lower leg portion (7) is ergonomically correct; and

the inclination of the lower leg portion (7) is less than or equal to 15 °.

5. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sliding surface (3) is formed by a sliding coating.

6. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2,

the support element (8) is attached at an angle to the lower leg portion (7); and

the support element (8) has a straight, curved or angled shape.

7. The frame element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the support element (8) is attached angularly at an angle between 80 ° and 100 °.

8. The frame element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the support element (8) is welded, glued or screwed to the lower leg portion (7).

9. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support element (8) comprises a sliding bearing (8a) or a roller bearing (8d) adapted to be in contact with the sliding surface (3).

10. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support element (8) comprises one or more lateral guides (8 c).

11. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper leg portion (6) is adapted to be in contact with a contact surface of the adjustment mechanism (5).

12. Frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjusting mechanism (5) of the leg rest section comprises a rotatably mounted disc having a spindle nut (14) and a spindle (13) of a drive element (10), wherein the spindle (13) engages the spindle nut (14) and extends perpendicular to the rotational axis of the disc.

13. The frame element (1) according to claim 12, wherein the drive element (10) is an electric coaxial drive.

14. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2,

the maximum angle of the upper leg part (6) is between 30 ° and 50 ° for the lying position; and

the maximum angle of the upper leg portion (6) is above 50 ° for the storage position.

15. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2,

the maximum angle of the upper leg part (6) is between 40 ° and 50 ° for the lying position; and

the maximum angle of the upper leg portion (6) is between 70 ° and 100 ° for the storage position.

16. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower leg portion (7) is attached to the upper leg portion (6) in such a way that the lower leg portion (7) is foldable towards the upper leg portion (6).

17. The frame element (1) according to claim 16, wherein the lower leg portion (7) is foldable towards the upper leg portion (6) by hand.

18. Frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjustable leg rest section comprises a crush prevention mechanism adapted to prevent adjustment of the angle of the upper leg portion (6) and/or the inclination of the lower leg portion (7) when the lower leg portion (7) and/or the upper leg portion (6) is in contact with an obstacle.

19. The frame element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sliding surface (3) is part of a track of a blind guide.

20. A bed frame (19) of an electrically adjustable bed (20), the bed frame (19) having an adjustable leg rest section and at least one further section, characterized in that the bed frame (19) comprises:

at least one cross bar (25);

two frame elements (1) according to claim 1 or 2; and

a control system adapted to synchronously control the adjustment mechanisms (5) of the two frame elements (1).

21. The bed frame (19) as claimed in claim 20, wherein the control system comprises a memory containing a plurality of lying positions and/or storage space positions to be adjusted.

22. The bed frame (19) as claimed in claim 20, wherein the control system is incorporated in one of the two frame elements (1).

23. The bed frame (19) as claimed in claim 22, wherein the control system is incorporated in the frame support (2) of one of the two frame elements (1).