EP1723940A1

EP1723940A1 - Improved adjustable bed for patients

Info

Publication number: EP1723940A1
Application number: EP05020566A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Davide Falabrino
Original assignee: Mobilsanitas SpA
Current assignee: MOBILSANITAS S.R.L.
Priority date: 2005-05-16
Filing date: 2005-09-21
Publication date: 2006-11-22
Also published as: ITMI20050887A1; US20060253983A1

Abstract

An improved raisable and adjustable bed, designed for facilitating a patient to access the bed and move away therefrom, is characterized in that said bed comprises a bottom framework (1), a top framework (8), and a supporting framework (20), for supporting a bed base or net (15) including mutually hinged separated portions (14,16,17), actuator means (12,21,28,40), adapted to be operated by the bed user, for arranging said separated portions at different positions to allow the user to autonomously raise, in a gradual manner, and to assume different slanted positions.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved raisable and adjustable bed, to allow a patient to easily access the bed, or move away therefrom.
A plurality of patient beds, allowing to adjust the patient positions, to allow said patient to easily raise his/her trunk and/or legs, are already known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The bed according to the present invention greatly distinguishes from commercially available beds, since it allows a patient to comfortably access the bed, to easily seat with different inclinations of the front bed portion supporting the patient trunk and of the bed rear portion supporting the patient legs.
Likewise, the subject improved bed allows the patient to easily jump out of the bed in a fully autonomous manner, without any efforts.
The above mentioned characteristics would be very important for patients which have just subjected to surgical operations.
Actually, in such a case, an uncontrolled effort, even if very small, would be susceptible to cause pain to the patient and reopen inner or outer wounds.
Thus, for raising from a bed a patient who has recently been subjected to a surgical operation, it is necessary to provide at least two persons for properly supporting the patient.
The above mentioned operations, moreover, must be performed with great caution, since an uncontrolled raising could cause serious damages to the patient.
On the contrary, the improved bed according to the present invention allows the patient to operate devices for autonomously raising the patient, in a gradual manner, to arrange said patient at an upright position, at the small rear side of said bed.
Thus, the patient can access the bed, and leave it, in a fully autonomous manner, without requiring the help of sanitary personnel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other characteristics, of functional and constructional nature, of the improved bed according to the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment thereof, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bed according to the present invention, shown in a substantially unfolded or extended position thereof;
Figure 2 is a further perspective view illustrating the bed according to the present invention in a raised position for allowing a patient to easily move away or jump out from the bed;
Figure 3 is a further perspective view, on an enlarged scale of the bed in the operating position thereof of the preceding figure;
Figure 4 is another perspective view, on a further enlarged scale, showing the operating mechanisms of the bed according to the present invention;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the frameworks forming the inventive bed; and
Figure 6 is a further exploded perspective view illustrating the three portions forming the top part or floor of the bed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the improved bed according to the present invention comprises a bottom or lower framework 1, supporting by supporting wheels 2 and including a plurality of fixed uprights 3 supporting pivot pins 4 to which arms of a T shape leverage 5 are anchored.
Said arms 5 comprises, at their other end portions, further pivot pins 6, which are applied to the arms 7 rigid with a top or upper framework 8.
Said upper or top framework 8 comprises a cross bar 9, of curved and saddle configuration, which is welded to the two side main cross elements 10 and 11 of the top framework 8.
The cross bar, of saddle configuration, 9 supports an actuator device 12, preferably electrically operated, and including a rod 13 which can perform a displacement of about 20 cm.
Said rod 13 is pivoted to the middle portion of the framework 14 supporting a metal net or bed base 15 on which a mattress is applied.
The middle portion of the framework 14 operates as a seating portion, as the front portion 16 operated as a backrest is raised, and as the framework rear portion 17 is lowered.
Said framework is, in turn, provided with a mattress detent plate 18.
The front portion 16, middle portion 14 and rear portion 17 of the top panel 20 supporting the metal net 15, on which said mattress is supported, are pivoted at pivot connecting pins 19.
The latter allows to connect respectively the front 16, middle 14 and rear 17 portions forming said top panel 20 bearing the mattress, thereby allowing said panel to be functionally continuous, while having the possibility of assuming slanted, raised and lowered positions.
More specifically, the raising of the front portion 16 of the panel or floor 20 is driven by an actuator 21 which is fixed, at its end portions, to two arms 22 and 23.
In particular, said actuator 21 is applied, by a pin 24, to the arm 23 which is welded to the middle portion 14 of the top panel 20.
Said actuator 21 is moreover provided with a rod 26 pivoted, through a pivot pin 25, to an arm 23 in turn welded to the front portion 16 of said top panel or floor 20.
Moreover, a spring 27 is provided, which operates in a tension mode of operation and which is applied, at its two end portions, to the arm 23 and to a further small arm which is applied, at the bottom, to the middle portion of the bed seat.
Said spring 27 is designed for recovering the front portion 16 of the top panel 20 from the highest or top position thereof to the lower position thereof.
More specifically, the actuator 12 operates to tilt the above mentioned top panel 20 so as to arrange the latter at an upright of vertical position.
The actuator 21 operates to raise the front portion 16 of the top panel, to allow the latter to operate as a backrest for the patient.
Thus, the patient can assume a seated position, by raising the backrest 16 and lowering the portion 17.
This operation is assured by an actuator 28 pivoted on a pivot pin 30, to an arm 29 applied to the middle panel 14.
Said actuator 28 comprises moreover a rod 31, applied through a pin 32 to a plate 33 welded to the rear portion 17 of the top articulated panel 20.
The latter is pivoted to the top framework 8 at pivot push elements 34, applied to arms 35 welded to said top framework.
The top framework 8, in particular, can be raised and lowered while continuously assuming a horizontal position, by an actuator 40 which is applied, through a pivot pin 41, to the bottom framework 1.
The rod or stem 42 of said actuator 40 is applied, through a pivot pin 43, to a bar 44 which constitutes an integrating portion of a leverage 45 which is pivoted or hinged, through a further T shape leverage 5 and the pivot pin 6 to the arms 7 welded to the top panel 8.
Said leverage 45 is moreover pivoted to the pivot pins 46 to which is further pivoted the arm 47 of the leverage 5.
Thus, by operating the actuator 40, the top panel 8 can perform a swinging movement, thereby raising and lowering, but always holding a perfectly horizontal condition.
The above mentioned actuators comprise limit devices, provided for limiting the movements of the functional elements, as hereinabove disclosed.
In particular, limit elements are further provided for preventing the top panel 20 from being vertically tilted, as the top framework 8 is arranged at a lowered position thereof.
It has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
In fact, the invention provides a bed which greatly differs from prior beds since it allows a patient to comfortably access the bed without any efforts, and to seat with different inclinations of the front portion supporting the patient trunk and the rear portion supporting the patient leg.
Likewise, the improved bed according to the present invention allows the patient to easily move away from the bed in a full autonomous manner and without any sensible efforts.
In practicing the invention, the used materials, and the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements and the status of the art.

Claims

An improved raisable and adjustable bed, characterized in that said bed comprises a bottom framework, a top framework and a supporting framework for supporting a bed base or net including mutually hinged portions, actuator means, to be operated by the bed user, to arrange said separated portions at mutually different positions to allow said user to autonomously raise, in a gradual manner, and to provide a plurality of reclined positions.
An improved bed, according to claim 1, characterized in that said bottom framework is supported by supporting wheels and comprises fixed uprights supporting pivot pins to which are pivoted arms of a T-shape leverages.
An improved bed, according to claim 2, characterized in that said arms of said T leverage comprises, at the other end portions thereof, pin elements applied to said arms, rigid with said top framework.
An improved bed, according to claim 1, characterized in that said top framework comprises a curved saddle cross bar pivoted to the two main side cross elements of the top framework.
An improved bed, according to claim 1, characterized in that said saddle cross bar supports an electrically operated actuator including an actuator rod designed for performing an operating stroke of about 20 cm.
An improved bed, according to claim 5, characterized in that said rod is pivoted to a middle portion of the framework supporting the metal net in turn supporting the bed mattress.
An improved bed, according to claim 6, characterized in that said middle portion of said framework operates as a seating portion, as is raised the front portion operating as a backrest and as is lowered the rear portion of the framework which is in turn provided with a mattress detent plate.
An improved bed, according to claim 1, characterized in that the front, middle and rear portions of the top panel supporting said metal net, in which said mattress bears, are pivoted at a plurality of coupling pins.
An improved bed, according to claim 8, characterized in that said coupling pins allow to connect respectively the front, middle and rear portions forming said top panel supporting said mattress thereby allowing said top panel to assume a plurality of inclined, raised and lowered positions.
An improved bed, according to claim 9, characterized in that the raising of the front portion of said panel is driven by an actuator having two end portions fixed to two arms, said actuator being applied by a pin to an arm welded to the middle portion of the top panel.
An improved bed, according to claim 10, characterized in that said actuator comprises an actuator rod which is pivoted, through a pivot pin, to an arm welded to a front portion of the top panel.
An improved bed, according to claim 1, characterized in that said improved bed comprises a tension spring which is applied, at the two end portions thereof, to said arm and to a further small arm in turn applied at a bottom of the middle portion of the seat.
An improved bed, according to claim 12, characterized in that said spring is designed for causing said front portion of said panel to be recovered from a highest or top position thereof to a lowered position thereof.
An improved bed, according to claim 10, characterized in that said actuator is adapted to tilt said top panel thereby causing said top panel to be arranged at an upright position.
An improved bed, according to claim 10, characterized in that said actuator is adapted to raise the front portion of said top panel, thereby operating as a backrest for said patient.
An improved bed, according to claim 1, characterized in that said patient can be arranged at a seated position by raising the backrest and lowering said front portion, said movement being provided by an actuator, pivoted to an arm applied to the middle panel.
An improved bed, according to claim 10, characterized in that actuator comprises an actuator rod applied, by a pin, to a plate welded to the rear portion of said top articulated panel in turn pivoted to said top framework at pivot bush elements applied to arms welded to said top framework.
An improved bed, according to claim 17, characterized in that said top framework can be raised and lowered while always holding a horizontal position, by said actuator applied by a pin to said bottom framework.
An improved bed, according to claim 18, characterized in that the rod of said actuator is applied, by a pin, to a bar which constitutes and integrating portion of a leverage pivoted, through a T-shape leverage and pivot pins, to arm elements welded to said top panel.
An improved bed, according to claim 19, characterized in that said leverage is pivoted to pivot pins to which an arm of said T-shape leverage is pivoted.
An improved bed, according to claim 10, characterized in that, by said actuator, said top panel can perform a swinging movement, so as to be raised and lowered, while being always held in perfectly horizontal position.
An improved bed, according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuators comprise limit devices operating for limiting the displacements of the functional elements included in said bed.
An improved bed, according to claim 22, characterized in that said limit devices operate to prevent said top panel from being tilted in vertical direction, as said top framework is arranged at a lowered position.