ES2533567T3 - Hospital bed of simple assembly and procedure of assembly of said bed - Google Patents

Abstract

Detachable hospital bed (1) comprising: - a frame (2); - a bed base (4) separated into two parts, namely a rear part (7) and a previous part (6) provided with at least one sliding guide (25); - a device for adjusting the height of the bed base (4) in relation to the frame (2), this device comprising a deformable crosshead (3) provided with a front bar (11) and a rear bar (12) mutually articulated; - support and adjustment surfaces (29) suitable for cooperating with the rear part (7) and the front part (6) of the bed base; - pawns (24) fixed on the upper part of the previous bar 11, capable of cooperating with the sliding guide (25) of the front part (6) of the bed base (4), this bed (1) being characterized by: - the front part (6) of the bed base (4) comprises at least one mounting finger (20); - the front bar (11) comprises at its upper ends an arm (19) provided with a notch (21) and a secondary support surface (22) capable of cooperating with the base mounting finger (20) (4) .

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Hospital bed of simple assembly and procedure of assembly of said bed

[0001] The invention relates to the field of medical furniture and more particularly to the field of hospital beds.

[0002] Hospital beds are mainly used in medical centers and person's accompaniment centers such as, for example, hospitals, clinics or nursing homes. These beds are also used by patients hospitalized at home and are rented and installed in the home of individuals to offer comfort and ease of care to the patient.

[0003] The use of folding hospital beds has been disseminated and explained in patent FR 2966708, in the name of the applicant Firm and has advantages in terms of placement and movement of the beds when they are not used. In fact, when they are not used, the beds are disassembled and stored or moved to be installed for a new patient.

[0004] For this, the bed is made up of three subsets, not considering the mattress as a subset of the bed. A first subset comprises the frame provided with wheels that allow its displacement and the lifting system of the bed platform. A second subset comprises the back of the bed platform, namely a bed frame, a bed base that supports the mattress and a mechanism that allows the bed base to be tilted. Finally, the third subset comprises the front part of the bed platform, namely a box spring frame, a bed base that supports the mattress and a mechanism that allows the bed base to be tilted.

[0005] These beds are satisfactory. However, they raise some discrepancies that make them perfect. On the one hand, numerous pieces are released in the assembly or disassembly of the bed which can be a source of degradation or loss of these pieces. On the other hand, even if it is possible for a single person to assemble or disassemble the bed, it is difficult to hold the different parts, when they are loose and when they fall due to the action of their weight.

[0006] The need to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the bed by a single person is also felt by providing an accompaniment in the handling of the different parts of the bed. Likewise, it is necessary to reduce the number of pieces that can be released from the bed, such as screws, nuts or pins.

[0007] A first object is to make the stages of assembly and disassembly of the ergonomic bed.

[0008] A second object is to accompany the handling of the bed pieces in the assembly and disassembly of the bed by a single person.

[0009] A third object is to reduce the time required for assembly and disassembly of the bed.

[0010] A fourth object is to make the assembly and disassembly operations of the bed reliable.

[0011] In this regard, according to a first aspect, a hospital bed is proposed comprising:

-a framework;

-a bed base separated into two parts, namely a back and a front part provided with at least one sliding guide;

-a device for regulating the height of the bed base in relation to the frame comprising a deformable crosshead provided with a mutually articulated front bar and a rear bar;

-supporting and adjustment surfaces suitable for cooperating with the back and front of the bed base;

-pawns fixed on the upper part of the anterior bar, suitable for cooperating with the sliding guide on the front of the bed base,

the front part of the bed base comprising at least one mounting finger and the front bar comprising at its upper ends an arm provided with a notch and a secondary support surface suitable for cooperating with the mounting finger of the bed frame frame.

[0012] The use of the mounting arms and fingers allows some elements of the bed to be positioned to handle others comfortably and ergonomically.

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[0013] According to a second aspect, a procedure for assembling a hospital bed is proposed comprising:

-a stage that consists in releasing the anterior and posterior parts of the bed base and placing the second frame frame in functional position;

5 -a stage that consists of connecting the bed to the power grid and raising the crosshead to its maximum position;

-a stage that consists in positioning the legs of the back of the bed base in the milling of the tubes of the rear bar of the crosshead and then fixing the pins in the ends of the tubes;

-a stage that consists in placing the front part of the bed base so that it rests on the 10 support and adjustment surfaces and that the mounting fingers cooperate with the notch of the arm;

-a stage that consists in placing the front part of the bed base in a position substantially parallel to the frame in such a way that the mounting fingers cooperate with the secondary support surface of the arm and that the pawns of the crossbar stand cooperate with the sliding guides of the front part of the bed base;

15 -a stage that consists of fitting the anterior and posterior parts of the bed base;

-a stage that consists in solidarity with the anterior and posterior parts of the bed base.

[0014] Various additional features may be provided, alone or in combination:

[0015] The notch forms a translational stop of the mounting finger along the Y axis.

[0016] The notch ensures a guided rotation of the front part of the bed base around the axis of revolution of the mounting finger.

[0017] The sliding guide comprises in its lower part an opening that allows the introduction of the pawn.

[0018] The slide guide comprises a stop suitable for blocking the rolling when the front part of the bed base is substantially parallel to the frame.

[0019] The distance between a periphery of the pawn, located in front of the opening in the slide guide, and a stop 25 of the slide guide is less than a distance between the notch and a free edge of the arm.

[0020] The mounting of the front part of the bed base is carried out by placing the legs in the milling of the crossbar bar tubes.

[0021] Support and adjustment surfaces allow the front part of the bed base to be locked when it is in an inclined position in relation to the frame.

[0022] The support and adjustment surfaces are suitable for receiving and adjusting, in an upright position in relation to the frame, the front and rear parts of the bed base when the bed is disassembled.

[0023] Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the light of the description of an embodiment, made below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the disassembled bed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bed showing the frame and the crosshead in an elevated position, this figure comprising a circle, a first detail of the arm of the anterior bar and a second detail of an element of support and adjustment;

- Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the bed in a position similar to that of Figure 2 in which the rear part of the bed base is fixed to the rear bar of the crosshead, this figure comprising a circle,

40 a detail of the fixing means of the back on the rear bar of the crosshead;

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 in which the front part of the bed base is supported on the arm of the front bar of the crosshead, this figure comprising a circle, indicating a detail of the cooperation of the mounting finger with the notch of the arm of the front bar of the crosshead;

Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 in which the front part of the bed base is in a first intermediate position, this figure comprising a circle, a detail showing the pawn entering

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in the slide guide through the opening made therein;

- Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 in which the front part of the bed base is in a second intermediate position, this figure comprising a circle, a detail of the pawn in contact with the upper part of the slide guide;

Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 6 in which the front part of the bed base is in equilibrium in a position substantially parallel to the frame and the rear part of the bed base is tilted in order to engage with the front part of the bed base, this figure, indicated by a circle, comprising a detail of the cooperation between the mounting finger and the secondary support surface of the arm on the one hand, and, between the pawn and the sliding guide on the other hand;

Figure 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 7 in which the front and rear parts of the bed base are fitted, this figure, indicated by a circle, comprising a detail of the cooperation between the pawn and the slide guide by one part and the release of the mounting finger with the arm on the other hand;

-Figure 9 is a diagram showing the different stages of the bed assembly process.

[0024] An orthogonal indication XYZ is defined in relation to the bed comprising three perpendicular axes two to two, namely:

- an X axis, which defines a horizontal, transverse direction, confused with the general transverse direction of the bed,

-a Y axis, which defines a horizontal, longitudinal direction, which with the X axis defines a horizontal XY plane,

-a Z axis, which defines a vertical direction, perpendicular to the horizontal XY plane.

[0025] In figure 1 a dismantled hospital bed 1 is shown, that is to say in the state in which it is when it is stored or moved when it is not occupied by a patient. Bed 1 comprises three main parts. The first part comprises the frame 2, the crosshead 3 that allows the height adjustment of the bed base 4 and the mechanism 5 that ensures the set-up of the crosshead 3 in relation to the frame 2. The second part comprises the front part 6 of the bed base 4 and the third part comprises, as for the same, the rear part 7 of the bed base 4.

[0026] The frame 2 is composed of a first frame 8 comprising wheels 9, on which a second frame 10 pivotally comprising at least one wheel 9 is pivotally mounted. The second frame 10 is thus movable between a raised position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the first frame 8 of the frame 2 and a functional position in which it is parallel to the first frame 8 of the frame 2. The second frame 10 could be triangular in shape or any other geometric shape however it it prefers a substantially U-shaped embodiment for reasons of mechanical behavior.

[0027] Crosshead 3 comprises a front bar 11 and a rear bar 12 mutually articulated relative to each other. According to one embodiment, the bars 11, 12 are made, substantially H-shaped, by assembling facing longitudinal tubes 13 joined together by a crossbar 14 and the front bar 11 is, at its lower end fixed in rotation with the first frame 8 of the frame 2 while the rear bar 12 is slidably mounted, at its lower end, on a sliding guide 15 integral with the second frame 10. However, the bars 11, 12 could be in the form of a beam only axially arranged relative to the frame 8, 10 and the fixed and movable ends of these crossbars 11, 12 could be inverted. Similarly, the crosshead 3, thus formed, is set in motion by means of an electric jack 5 connected with the front bar 11 on the one hand and with the second frame 10 on the other hand, but could be maneuvered by a pneumatic jack or a rack system for example and the connection points could be found between the first frame 8 of the frame 2 and the rear bar 12 of the crosshead 3.

[0028] The rear part 7 of the bed base 4 comprises legs 16 which allow its fixing to the rear bar 12 of the crosshead 3. These legs 16 are cylindrical in such a way that they allow a rotational movement of the rear part 7 of the bed base 4 around its axis of revolution, parallel to the X axis. The longitudinal tubes 13 of the rear bar 12 of the crosshead 3 are provided at their upper ends with a substantially U-shaped mill 17 comprising a suitable rounded bottom to cooperate with the cylindrical profile of the legs

16. Pins 18 are used to leave the legs 16 in the mills 17 captive thus leaving the rotation around the X axis as the only possible movement for the rear part 7 of the bed base 4 in relation to the rear bar 12 of the crosshead 3.

[0029] At the upper end of the longitudinal tubes 13 of the anterior bar 11 of the crosshead 3 the arms 19 are fixed to cooperate with the mounting fingers 20 described below. These arms 19 are provided with a notch 21 and a secondary support surface 22 located between the notch 21 and a free edge 23 of the arm 19. The notch 21 has the function of forming a translational stop, according to the Y axis of the finger 20 from

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assembly, and guide the mounting finger 20 in rotation around its axis of revolution. According to one embodiment, the arms 19 are in a flat shape, that is to say that their thickness is small, and they are welded to the longitudinal tubes 13, however, they could comprise an important thickness and be fitted or fixed by means of such fasteners. Like screws and nuts. The notches 21 have, as for them, substantially rounded shape in order to cooperate with the mounting fingers 20 but could be in the form of a protrusion. The same is true for the secondary support surface 22 which, according to one embodiment, is rounded but which could also be presented in the form of a substantially flat portion.

] 0030] The longitudinal tubes 13 of the anterior crossbar bar 11 also comprise, at their upper ends, pawns 24 cooperating with the slide guides 25 of the front part 6 of the bed base 4, described below. According to one embodiment, the pawns 24 comprise an annular bearing whose periphery is in contact with the sliding guides, however it could be skates or rails that perform the same translational function.

[0031] The sliding guides 25 are made in a U-shape comprising a flat base and two uprights facing perpendicular to the base, and are oriented towards the inside of the bed base 4 so that the pawns 24 can make a translation along of the sliding guides 25. According to a particular embodiment, the front part 6 of the bed base 4 could comprise a single sliding guide 25 in the central part of the bed in which case, a single pawn 24 would make a translation in the guide sliding 25.

[0032] The slide guides 25 comprise an opening 26 through which the pawn 24 is inserted into it. This opening 26 is made on a vertical part of the slide guide comprising the lower support surface 27 of the pawn 24.

[0033] The slide guides 25 also comprise a stop 28 that limits the travel of the front part 6 of the bed base 4 towards the outside of the bed 1 according to the direction of the Y axis when the front part 6 is in a substantially parallel position to the frame 2. This stop 28 is in the form of a plate fixed at the end of the slide guide 25 perpendicularly, at the same time to the base of the U and its uprights.

[0034] The front part 6 of the bed base 4 also includes mounting fingers 20 used to facilitate the assembly and disassembly phase of the bed 1. These fingers 20 are substantially cylindrical in shape and are positioned so that their axis of revolution is parallel to the plane defined by the bed base 4 and that are perpendicular to the arms 19 of the bar 11 above. The mounting fingers 20 are welded to the bed base 4 towards the interior of the latter, however, it could be threaded elements or a stem passing through part of the bed base 4.

[0035] In order to keep the front part 6 of the bed base 4 in a position substantially parallel to the frame 2, the distance d1 between a periphery of the pawn 24, located opposite the opening 26 in the slide guide 25, and the stop 28 is less than a distance d2 between the notch 21 and a free edge 23 of the arm 19. This measurement is made when the mounting finger 20 is in contact with the notch 21 and when the anterior part 6 of the bed base 4 is in a position such that the periphery of the pawn 24 is positioned at the same level as the lower support surface 27 of the slide guide 25, as suggested by the circle marking in Figure 5.

[0036] The frame 2 further comprises support and adjustment surfaces 29 materialized by the contribution of a plastic part. By way of non-limiting example, these pieces can be made of Polyoxymethylene (POM) or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS).

[0037] These pieces are composed of a flat surface 30 of rectangular shape comprising, on its edges of lower dimension, a projection surface 31. The flat surface 30 is provided, on its upper surface, with motifs that give it a non-slip character. These parts are particularly used in assembly phases of the bed 1 and when the bed 1 is disassembled to be stored or moved.

[0038] In a variant to these parts, the support and adjustment surfaces 29 could be made directly on the frame 2 by means of motifs that confer a good roughness that allows the elements to be supported and not to slide or also by extrusions or by otherwise removed from material in the frame 2.

[0039] Solidarity means 32 such as screws, are fixed, by a flexible strap 33, to the rear part 7 of the bed base 4 and allow the front part 6 and the rear part 7 of the bed base 4 to be joined together. The flexible belts 33 allow reduce the loss of parts but also facilitate and increase the speed of use of the parts. These means 32 of solidarity can also be presented in the form of pins or any element that can perform a removable assembly between two pieces.

[0040] The assembly of the structure of the bed 1, namely the frame 2, the crosshead 3 and the two parts 6, 7 of the bed base is made of metallic materials and more precisely in steel. However, for reasons of weight, for example, the structure can be made of aluminum or composite materials such as a polymer reinforced with glass or carbon fibers or any other material that offers good mechanical performance characteristics.

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[0041] The assembly of the bed 1 by an operator comprises several stages.

[0042] When the bed 1 is stored, it is disassembled and all the elements of the bed are collected vertically so that when all the elements of the bed 1 are moved they are moved, thus limiting the loss of parts.

[0043] The first stage 100 for the operator is, in a first phase, to separate the different subsets, namely the frame 2 and the two parts 6, 7 of the bed base. In a second phase, the operator deploys the second frame 10 of the frame 2 from its folded position to its functional position.

[0044] The second stage 200 consists of connecting the bed 1 to the mains. Once the bed 1 is connected, the electric controls are activated which allows the operator to maneuver the crosshead 3 in order to place the latter in the maximum elevated position.

[0045] In the next step 300, the operator places the rear part 7 of the bed base 4 in such a way that the legs 16 cooperate with the mills 17 made in the longitudinal tubes 13 of the rear bar 12 of the crosshead 3. Finally the The operator fixes the pins 18 at the end of the longitudinal tubes 13 thus ensuring the clamping of the legs 16 of the rear part 7 of the bed base 4 in the millings 17 of these.

[0046] For the operator, the following step 400 consists in placing the front part 6 of the bed base 4 so that it rests on the support and adjustment surfaces 29 on the frame 10 and that the mounting fingers 20 cooperate with the notch 21 of the arms.

[0047] In the following step 500, the operator places the front part 6 of the bed base 4 in a position substantially parallel to the frame 2 so that the mounting fingers 20 cooperate with the secondary support surface 22 of the arm 19 and that the pawns 24 of the crossbar 11 of the crosshead 3 cooperate with the slide guides 25 of the front part 6 of the bed base 4. For this stage 500, the operator articulates the front part 6 of the bed base 4 around the axes of revolution of 20 mounting fingers. The pawns 24 of the previous bar 11 are thus inserted into the slide guide 25 through the opening 26 with which the latter is equipped. With a movement of translation towards the outside of the bed 1, along the Y axis, the operator locks the front part 6 of the bed base 4 in the position substantially parallel to the frame 2. The front part 6 of the bed base 4 is kept in this low position the action of two opposing forces along the Z axis. A first force is applied negatively by the mounting fingers 20 on the secondary supporting surfaces 22 of the arms 19 of the previous bar 11 and a second positive force, opposite, is applied by the pawn 24 on the slide guide 25 and more particularly by the outer periphery of the annular bearing of the pawn 24 on the lower surface 27 of the slide guide

25. The pawn 24 is also in contact with the stop 28 of the slide guide 25.

[0048] In the penultimate stage 600, the operator fits the front and rear parts 6 of the bed base 4. This action is intended to disengage the mounting finger 20 from the secondary support surface 22 of the arm 19. The two parts 6, 7 are then completely parallel to frame 2.

[0049] The last step 700 allows the operator to support the front 6 and rear 6 of the bed base 4 with the support means 32 added to the rear part 7 of the bed base 4. This action thus allows to obtain a functional bed base 4 in one piece. . In fact, the mounting fingers 20 being disengaged from the arms 19, the pawn 24 can freely make a translation in the slide guide 25 thus allowing the height of the bed base 4 to be adjusted.

[0050] For the disassembly of the bed 1, the same procedure is used unlike steps 100 to 700 are performed in reverse of the assembly procedure.

Claims (9)

1. Detachable hospital bed (1) comprising: -a frame (2); - a bed base (4) separated into two parts, namely a rear part (7) and a previous part (6) provided with at least one sliding guide (25); -a device for adjusting the height of the bed base (4) in relation to the frame (2), this device comprising a deformable crosshead (3) provided with a front bar (11) and a rear bar (12) mutually articulated; -support and adjustment surfaces (29) suitable for cooperating with the rear part (7) and the front part (6) 10 of the bed base; -pawns (24) fixed at the top of the previous bar 11, suitable for cooperating with the slide guide (25) of the front part (6) of the bed base (4), being this bed (1) characterized by: - the front part (6) of the bed base (4) comprises at least one mounting finger (20); 15 -the front bar (11) comprises at its upper ends an arm (19) provided with a notch (21) and of a secondary support surface (22) suitable for cooperating with the finger (20) for mounting the bed base (4). 2. Hospital bed (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the notch (21) forms a translational stop of the mounting finger (20) according to a longitudinal direction of the bed (1). 3. Hospital bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the notch

(twenty-one)

ensures rotating guidance of the front part (6) of the bed base (4) around the axis of revolution of the finger

(twenty)

 mounting

4. Hospital bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding guide (25) comprises in its lower part an opening (26) that allows the introduction of a pawn (24). 5. Hospital bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding guide (25) comprises a stop (28) suitable for locking the pawn (24) when the front part (6) of the bed base (4) is substantially parallel to the frame (2). 6. Hospital bed (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the distance d1 between a periphery 30 of the pawn (24), located in front of the opening (26) in the slide guide (25), and the stop (28) of the slide guide is less than a distance d2 between the notch (21) and an edge (23) free of the arm (19). 7. Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the assembly of the part (6) anterior of the bed base (4) is performed by positioning the legs (16) in milling (17) of the tubes (13) of the bar (12) of the crosshead (3). Hospital bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises support and adjustment surfaces (29) that allow the front part (6) of the bed base (4) to be blocked when it is in an inclined position in relation to the frame (2). 9. Hospital bed (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the supporting surfaces (29) and Adjustment are suitable for receiving and for adjusting, in an upright position in relation to the frame (2), the front (6) and 40 (7) rear parts of the bed base (4) when the bed (1) is removed. 10. Assembly procedure of a hospital bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims comprising: -a stage (100) that consists in releasing the front (6) and (7) parts of the bed base (4) and placing the second frame (10) of the frame (2) in functional position; 45 -a stage (200) consisting of connecting the bed (1) to the power grid and raising the crosshead (3) to its maximum position; -a stage (300) consisting of positioning the legs (16) of the rear part (7) of the bed base (4) in milling (17) of tubes (13) of the rear bar (12) of the crosshead (3) then in fixing the pins (18) at the ends of the tubes (13); 50 -a stage (400) that consists in placing the front part (6) of the bed base (4) so that it rests on the support and adjustment surfaces (29) and that the mounting fingers (20) cooperate with the notch (21) of the arm (19); 7

-

a stage (500) consisting in place the front part (6) of the bed base (4) in a position

substantially parallel to the frame (2) such that the mounting fingers (20) cooperate with the

secondary surface (22) supporting the arm (19) and that the pawns (24) of the bar (11) of the foot of the

crosshead (3) cooperate with the sliding guides (25) of the front part (6) of the bed base (4);

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- a stage (600) consisting of fitting the anterior (and) posterior (6) parts of the bed base (4); a stage (700) that consists in solidarity with the parts (6) anterior and (7) of the bed base (4).

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