US20240130536A1

US20240130536A1 - Foldable electric bed frame

Info

Publication number: US20240130536A1
Application number: US18/402,761
Authority: US
Inventors: Zehua DENG; Dongting LU; Wu Shen; Xianlong TAN; Weijie Zhang
Original assignee: Huzhou Glory Home Furnishings Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huzhou Glory Home Furnishings Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-20
Filing date: 2024-01-03
Publication date: 2024-04-25

Abstract

A foldable electric bed frame that is relatively thinner in a folded state and easy to pack and transport includes a bed frame body, subframes, driving motors, bed boards, and detachable bed legs. The driving motors and the bed boards are connected to the bed frame body and the subframes. Flexible covering members are further comprised. The flexible covering members are arranged along the edges of the periphery of the bottom of the bed boards and are connected to the bottom of the bed boards through velcro or other detachable connecting members; and when the bed frame body is in a folded state, the flexible covering members are located between the stacked bed boards. The flexible covering members are arranged around the bed boards, and when the bed frame is folded, the flexible covering members are used as a buffering measure.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of furniture, and is specifically a foldable electric bed frame with a relatively thinner thickness in a folded state, which is easy to pack, transport, and even store in the later stage.

BACKGROUND

Electric bed frame is a product that can improve comfort for users. It is usually driven by one or more motors and can be bent and folded at different angles according to a predetermined trajectory, to provide support between lying, semi lying, and sitting positions for users.
Currently, electric bed frames are divided into two types, one type is non-foldable and the other type is foldable. For non-foldable electric bed frames, there are no restrictions on their layout and structure, making them cost-effective, but they have issues with difficult packaging, storage, carrying, or transportation. For foldable electric bed frames of the other type, they require higher requirements in layout and structure, to ensure their inherent functionality while further achieving functions that are easy to pack, store, carry, or transport. However, the current foldable electric bed frames still have some problems as follows:

- 1. The overall structure is not compact enough, especially with redundant transmission components, resulting in a high height in the folded state, which is not conducive to packaging, transportation, and storage during subsequent use.
- 2. During packaging and transportation, a large amount of foam or sponge needs to be temporarily inserted between the folded bed frame to prevent the bed frame from colliding with each other; and in subsequent use stage, it is necessary to arrange soft coverings around the bed frame to provide protection. Thus, there are waste of materials and waste of manpower during the packaging process.
- 3. The installation or disassembly between the bed legs and the bed frame is inconvenient, resulting in unstable and uneven contact between the bed frame and the ground during subsequent use. The bed frame can be easily twisted and produce abnormal noises after long term use.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects and provide a foldable electric bed frame that is scientifically designed, compact in structure, and easy to store, transport, and assemble.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented as follows:
A foldable electric bed frame includes a foldable bed frame body, subframes, driving motors, bed boards, and detachable bed legs. The driving motors and the bed boards are connected to the bed frame body and the subframes. The foldable electric bed frame further includes flexible covering members. The flexible covering members are arranged along the edges around the bottom of the bed boards and connected to the bottom of the bed boards through velcro or other detachable connecting members. When the bed frame body is in a folded state, the flexible covering members are located between the stacked bed boards.
The above electric bed frame proposed in the present invention is provided with detachable flexible covering members around the bottom of the bed boards. When the electric bed frame is in normal use, the flexible covering members are arranged around the bed boards to provide protection and avoid collision injuries caused by people walking around the bed boards. At the same time, the flexible covering members can also be used as basic connecting members for further expansion. For example, velcro can be installed on the outer side of the flexible covering members, and other decorative materials such as bed sheets can be connected to the electric bed frame. When the electric bed frame needs to be folded, the flexible covering members at the bottom of the bed boards are used as the anti-collision protection measure between the stacked bed boards, thereby avoiding the step of inserting foam, sponge or other cushioning materials between the bed boards when the electric bed frame needs to be packaged, transported, or stored. As a result, the volume of the electric bed frame in the folded state is smaller and thus easier to be packed and transported while also reducing the packaging cost of the electric bed frame.
In order to ensure a compact overall structure, high transmission efficiency, and a relatively thin thickness even when folded, the foldable electric bed frame has been redesigned as follows:

- 1. The bed frame body includes a front frame and a rear frame, which are pivotally connected to each other, and the subframes include a front subframe and a rear subframe. The front subframe and the rear subframe are respectively located in the front frame and the rear frame, and are used to limit the movement trajectory of the bed boards when driven by the driving motors and provide a load-bearing support function to the bed boards when in use.
- 2. The front subframe and the rear subframe are independently driven by the front driving motor and the rear driving motor, respectively, wherein the driving motors are linear motors.
- 3. A connecting seat is provided between each of the driving motors and each of the subframes, and the connecting seats with different shape can change the rotational amplitude of the subframes under the driving of the driving motors.
- 4. A positioning bracket is provided at the bottom of the front frame or the rear frame of the bed frame body, and when the bed frame body is in the folded state, the positioning bracket is used to limit and support the stacked front frame and rear frame.
- 5. The front subframe is rotatably connected to the front frame through a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the front subframe and connected to a mounting seat located on one side of the front frame, so that the front subframe is rotatably connected to the front frame. The connecting seat has a hook structure, which is simultaneously connected to the side and bottom surfaces of the front frame.

Through the above designs for the bed frame body, it can be seen that the bed frame body proposed in the present invention adopts the most compact structure, which uses the least number of components to achieve all the functions that can be achieved by a wide range of electric bed frames. Meanwhile, by setting positioning brackets, the bed frame body can also be effectively fixed in the folded state, thereby maintaining its integrity.
Further, the electric bed frame proposed in the present invention has also been redesigned for the bed boards and the bed legs, as follows:
(i). About the Bed Boards

- 1. The bed boards includes front bed boards and rear bed boards. The front bed boards include a front fixed board and a front movable board. The front fixed board is fixedly connected to the front frame of the bed frame body, the front movable board is rotatably connected to the front fixed board, and the bottom of the front movable board is supported on the front subframe. The rear bed boards include a rear fixed board, a movable connecting board, and a rear movable board. The rear fixed board is fixedly connected to the rear frame of the bed frame body, the movable connecting board is rotatably connected to the rear fixed board, and the rear movable board is rotatably connected to the movable connecting board, and the bottom of the movable connecting board is connected to the rear subframe.
- 2. A limiting rod assembly is provided between the rear movable board and the rear frame. The limiting rod assembly includes connecting tabs and a supporting rod. The connecting tabs are respectively provided at the bottom of the rear movable board and one side of the rear frame, and two ends of the supporting rod are respectively connected to the connecting tabs. When the rear movable board moves, the limiting rod assembly is used to limit the range of movement of the rear movable board.

In order to ensure that the electric bed frame proposed in the present invention has a relatively thin thickness when folded, and also ensure that the electric bed frame has all functions when in use, the bed boards have been redesigned. For example, the bed boards are designed to be directly driven by the driving motors and the subframes, to ensure the most direct driving method, which is conducive to strengthening the compact structure of the electric bed frame and achieving the requirement of reducing thickness in the folded state. Meanwhile, by designing the front bed boards as a two-piece design and the rear bed boards as a three-piece design, the rear bed boards can adapt to the bending needs of the legs and knees of the human body when in use, while the two-piece front bed boards can provide better support for the back, waist, and hip bones of the human body, thereby ensuring that the electric bed frame has all functions when in use.
(ii). About the Bed Legs

- 1. The bed legs are respectively provided on the front frame and the rear frame of the bed frame body. Each bed leg includes a connecting base, a column, and a support foot. The connecting bases are arranged around the bottom of the front frame and the rear frame. The top of the column is connected to the connecting base through bolt, and the support foot is connected to the bottom of the column through bolt. The diameter of the column is less than or equal to the height of the flexible covering members.

The bed leg is a component that directly contacts the electric bed frame with the ground. Therefore, the accuracy of the bed legs is directly related to whether the bed frame body can be reliably and evenly grounded. If the bed frame body cannot be evenly grounded, after long term use, the bed frame body will twist, causing the entire electric bed frame to make abnormal noises during operation. The electric bed frame proposed in the present invention is designed to overcome this problem by connecting the bed legs and the bed frame body in an assembled connection form through bolts, and further setting support feet that are also connected through bolts at the bottom of the bed legs. The advantage of this design is that the bed frame body is separated from the bed legs, making it easy to process. In particular, a precision machining surface can be provided between the bed frame body and the bed legs to ensure their combination accuracy and verticality. Furthermore, adjustable support feet can be provided at the bottom of the bed legs to adjust the height of the bed legs when the ground is uneven, ensuring that the bed frame body can evenly touch the ground. The purpose of designing the diameter of the columns to be less than or equal to the height of the flexible covering members is that when the bed frame is in the folded state, the columns can be placed in the gap between the bed frame and the bed boards without affecting the thickness of the bed frame in the folded state.
Finally, for the foldable electric bed frame, the present invention also proposes a specific storage method:

- Step 1: detaching the flexible covering members at the bottom of any half of the bed boards from their design positions;
- Step 2: detaching the bed legs from the bed frame body;
- Step 3: inserting the detached flexible covering members and bed legs into a gap between the flexible covering members of the other half of the bed boards and the bed frame body;
- Step 4: folding the bed frame body until the bed boards are stacked with each other;
- Step 5: ensuring that the stacked upper and lower bed boards are all detachably connected with the flexible covering members that are still in their design positions, and the storage work is completed.

From the above storage method, it can be seen that the foldable electric bed frame proposed in the present invention is easy to store and transport. When storing or packing, unused accessories such as the bed legs and some flexible covering members are placed in the gap between the bed boards and the bed frame body, and the outer part of the gap is surrounded by the flexible covering members that are still in use, thereby achieving a compact overall structure of the electric bed frame in the folded state and realizing the purpose of easy storage or packaging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the foldable electric bed frame shown in this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the folded state of the bed frame shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the bed frame shown in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the storage state of the foldable electric bed frame shown in this embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following further illustrates the present invention through specific embodiments.
Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , a foldable electric bed frame that is easy to store and transport includes a foldable bed frame body, subframes, driving motors, bed boards, and detachable bed legs. The foldable electric bed frame further includes flexible covering members 1, and the flexible covering members 1 are arranged along the edges around the bottom of the bed boards and connected to the bottom of the bed boards through velcro or other detachable connecting members. The flexible covering members 1 are located at the outer side of the bed frame body, and the flexible covering members 1 are separated from the bed frame body, with a gap 24 formed between the flexible covering members 1 and the bed frame body, wherein the gap 24 is used for receiving detached flexible covering members 1 and bed legs 18. When the bed frame body is in a folded state, the flexible covering members 1 are located between the stacked bed boards.
In the above structure, the bed frame body includes a front frame 2 and a rear frame 3, which are pivotally connected to each other, and the subframes include a front subframe 4 and a rear subframe 5. The front subframe 4 and the rear subframe 5 are respectively located in the front frame 2 and the rear subframe 3, and are used to limit the movement trajectory of the bed boards when driven by the driving motors and provide a load-bearing support function to the bed boards when in use. The front subframe 4 and the rear subframe 5 are independently driven by a front driving motor 6 and a rear driving motor 7, respectively. The driving motors 6, 7 are linear motors. A connecting seat 8 is provided between each of the driving motors 6, 7 and each of the subframes 4, 5. The connecting seat 8 provided between the front driving motor 6 and the front subframe 4 is fixedly connected to the front subframe 4, and the front driving motor 6 is pivotably connected to the connecting seat 8. The connecting seat 8 provided between the rear driving motor 7 and the rear subframe 5 is fixedly connected to the rear subframe 5, and the rear driving motor 7 is pivotably connected to the connecting seat 8. The connecting seats 8 with different shape can change the rotational amplitude of the subframes 4, 5 under the driving of the driving motors 6, 7. A positioning bracket 9 is provided at the bottom of the front frame 2 or the rear frame 3 of the bed frame body, and when the bed frame body is in the folded state, the positioning bracket 9 is used to limit and support the stacked front frame 2 and rear frame 3. The front subframe 4 is rotatably connected to the front frame 2 through a rotating shaft 23. The rotating shaft 23 is inserted into the front subframe 4 and connected to a mounting seat 10 located on one side of the front frame 2, so that the front subframe 4 is rotatably connected to the front frame 2. The mounting seat 10 has a hook structure, which is simultaneously connected to the side and bottom surfaces of the front frame 2.
In the above structure, the bed boards include front bed boards and rear bed boards. The front bed boards include a front fixed board 11 and a front movable board 12. The front fixed board 11 is fixedly connected to the front frame 2 of the bed frame body, and the front movable board 12 is rotatably connected to the front fixed board 11 through hinges. The front movable board 12 is located above the front subframe 4, and the bottom of the front movable board 12 is supported on the front subframe 4. The rear bed boards include a rear fixed board 13, a movable connecting board 14, and a rear movable board 15. The rear fixed board 13 is fixedly connected to the rear frame 3 of the bed frame body, the movable connecting board 14 is rotatably connected to the rear fixed board 13 through hinges, and the rear movable board 15 is rotatably connected to the movable connecting board 14 through hinges. The movable connecting board 14 is located above the rear subframe 5, and the bottom of the movable connecting board 14 is connected to the rear subframe 5. A limiting rod assembly is provided between the rear movable board 15 and the rear frame 3 at each of two opposite sides of the rear frame 3, and the rear movable board 15 is located above the limiting rod assembly. The limiting rod assembly includes connecting tabs 16 and a supporting rod 17, wherein the connecting tabs 16 are respectively provided at the bottom of the rear movable board 15 and one side of the rear frame 3, and two ends of the supporting rod 17 are respectively connected to the connecting tabs 16. When the rear movable board 15 moves, the limiting rod assembly is used to limit the range of movement of the rear movable board 15.
In the above structure, the bed legs 18 are respectively provided on the front frame 2 and the rear frame 3 of the bed frame body. Each bed leg 18 includes a connecting base 19, a column 20, and a support foot 21. The connecting bases 19 are arranged around the bottom of the front frame 2 and the rear frame 3. The top of the column 20 is connected to the connecting base 19 by bolt, and the support foot 21 is connected to the bottom of the column 20 by bolt. The diameter of the column 20 is less than or equal to the height of the flexible covering members 1.
In the above structure regarding the bed frame, in order to further improve the smoothness of movement between the front subframe 4 and the front movable board 12, rollers 22 are provided on the front subframe 4, and the front subframe 4 is in contact with the bottom of the front movable board 12 through the rollers 22. In this way, when the front subframe 4 rotates under the push of the front driving motor 6, the front subframe 4 drives the front movable board 12 to tilt up through the rolling of the rollers 22, thereby enhancing the smoothness of movement between the front subframe 4 and the front movable board 12.
In the above structure regarding the subframes, specifically, the front subframe 4 includes a pair of rotating rods 41 and a transverse rod 42. The rotating rods 41 are respectively disposed on two sides of the front frame 2, and two ends of the transverse rod 42 are respectively and fixedly connected to the rotating rods 41. The connecting seat 8 provided between the front driving motor 6 and the front subframe 4 is fixedly connected to the middle of the transverse rod 42. The front driving motor 6 is pivotably connected to the connecting seat 8. Each of the rotating rods 41 is rotatably connected to the mounting seat 10 through the rotating shaft 23. The roller 22 is installed on one end of the rotating rod 41 away from the rotating shaft 23. In this way, when the front driving motor 6 extends out, the front driving motor 6 drives the rotating rods 41 to rotate around the rotating shafts 23 relative to the front frame 2, and the rotating rods 41 push the front movable board 12 to be folded upward through the rollers 22, as shown in FIGS. 2-3 . The rear subframe 5 includes a pair of fixing rods 51 and a connecting rod 52. The fixing rods 51 are respectively disposed adjacent to two sides of the rear frame 3, and the fixing rods 51 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the movable connecting board 14. Two ends of the connecting rod 52 are respectively and fixedly connected to the fixing rods 51. The connecting seat 8 provided between the rear driving motor 7 and the rear subframe 5 is fixedly connected to the middle of the connecting rod 52. The rear driving motor 7 is pivotably connected to the connecting seat 8. In this way, when the rear driving motor 7 extends out, the rear driving motor 7 drives the movable connecting board 14 to be folded upward, and at the same time, the rear movable board 15 is lifted upward by the movable connecting board 14 and the supporting rod 17, as shown in FIGS. 2-3 .
In the above structure regarding the flexible covering members, the flexible covering member 1 refers to a sponge or rubber covered with a leather or fabric outer layer. There are detachable connecting members such as magic buckles (e.g., velcro), zippers, or the like provided on the top, bottom, and outer surfaces of the flexible covering members 1, so as to achieve detachable connection between the bed boards and the flexible covering members 1, and realize the functions of setting bed sheets or other peripheral decorations on the sides of the bed boards during use of the electric bed frame.
Referring to FIG. 4 , the foldable electric bed frame can achieve a minimum volume through the following storage method:

- Step 1: detaching the flexible covering members 1 at the bottom of any half of the bed boards from their design positions;
- Step 2: detaching the bed legs 18 from the bed frame body;
- Step 3: inserting the detached flexible covering members 1 and bed legs 18 into the gap 24 between the flexible covering members 1 of the other half of the bed boards and the bed frame body;
- Step 4: folding the bed frame body until the bed boards are stacked with each other;
- Step 5: ensuring that the stacked upper and lower bed boards are all detachably connected with the flexible covering members 1 that are still in their design positions, and the storage work is completed, as shown in FIG. 4 .

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable electric bed frame comprising a foldable bed frame body, subframes, driving motors, bed boards, and detachable bed legs, wherein the driving motors and the bed boards are connected to the bed frame body and the subframes, the foldable electric bed frame further comprises flexible covering members, the flexible covering members are arranged along the edges around the bottom of the bed boards and connected to the bottom of the bed boards through detachable connecting members; when the bed frame body is in a folded state, the flexible covering members are located between the stacked bed boards.

2. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 1, wherein the bed frame body comprises a front frame and a rear frame, which are pivotally connected to each other, and the subframes comprise a front subframe and a rear subframe, wherein the front subframe and the rear subframe are respectively located in the front frame and the rear frame, and are used to limit the movement trajectory of the bed boards when driven by the driving motors and provide a load-bearing support function to the bed boards when in use.

3. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 2, wherein the bed boards comprise front bed boards and rear bed boards, the front bed boards comprise a front fixed board and a front movable board, the front fixed board is fixedly connected to the front frame of the bed frame body, the front movable board is rotatably connected to the front fixed board, and the bottom of the front movable board is supported on the front subframe; the rear bed boards comprise a rear fixed board, a movable connecting board, and a rear movable board, the rear fixed board is fixedly connected to the rear frame of the bed frame body, the movable connecting board is rotatably connected to the rear fixed board, and the rear movable board is rotatably connected to the movable connecting board, and the bottom of the movable connecting board is connected to the rear subframe.

4. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 3, wherein the driving motors comprise a front driving motor and a rear driving motor, and the front subframe and the rear subframe are independently driven by the front driving motor and the rear driving motor, respectively, wherein the driving motors are linear motors.

5. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 4, wherein a connecting seat is provided between each of the driving motors and each of the subframes, wherein the connecting seat provided between the front driving motor and the front subframe is fixedly connected to the front subframe, and the front driving motor is pivotably connected to the connecting seat; the connecting seat provided between the rear driving motor and the rear subframe is fixedly connected to the rear subframe, and the rear driving motor is pivotably connected to the connecting seat.

6. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 5, wherein the front subframe is rotatably connected to the front frame through a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the front subframe and connected to a mounting seat located on one side of the front frame, so that the front subframe is rotatably connected to the front frame.

7. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 6, wherein rollers are provided on the front subframe, and the front subframe is in contact with the bottom of the front movable board through the rollers.

8. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 7, wherein the front subframe comprises a pair of rotating rods and a transverse rod, the rotating rods are respectively disposed on two sides of the front frame, and two ends of the transverse rod are respectively and fixedly connected to the rotating rods, the connecting seat provided between the front driving motor and the front subframe is fixedly connected to the transverse rod, each of the rotating rods is rotatably connected to the mounting seat through the rotating shaft, the roller is installed on one end of the rotating rod away from the rotating shaft, when the front driving motor extends out, the front driving motor drives the rotating rods to rotate around the rotating shafts relative to the front frame, and the rotating rods push the front movable board to be folded upward through the rollers.

9. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 5, wherein a limiting rod assembly is provided between the rear movable board and the rear frame, the limiting rod assembly comprises connecting tabs and a supporting rod, wherein the connecting tabs are respectively provided at the bottom of the rear movable board and one side of the rear frame, and two ends of the supporting rod are respectively connected to the connecting tabs, when the rear movable board moves, the limiting rod assembly is used to limit the range of movement of the rear movable board.

10. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 9, wherein the rear subframe comprises a pair of fixing rods and a connecting rod, the fixing rods are respectively disposed adjacent to two sides of the rear frame, and the fixing rods are fixedly connected to the bottom of the movable connecting board, two ends of the connecting rod are respectively and fixedly connected to the fixing rods, the connecting seat provided between the rear driving motor and the rear subframe is fixedly connected to the connecting rod, when the rear driving motor extends out, the rear driving motor drives the movable connecting board to be folded upward, and at the same time, the rear movable board is lifted upward by the movable connecting board and the supporting rod.

11. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 2, wherein the bed legs are respectively provided on the front frame and the rear frame of the bed frame body, each bed leg comprises a connecting base, a column, and a support foot, the connecting bases are arranged around the bottom of the front frame and the rear frame, the top of the column is connected to the connecting base through bolt, the support foot is connected to the bottom of the column through bolt, wherein the diameter of the column is less than or equal to the height of the flexible covering members.

12. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 2, wherein a positioning bracket is provided at the bottom of the front frame or the rear frame of the bed frame body, when the bed frame body is in the folded state, the positioning bracket is used to limit and support the stacked front frame and rear frame.

13. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 2, wherein there are detachable connecting members provided on the top, bottom, and outer surfaces of the flexible covering members, to achieve detachable connection between the bed boards and the flexible covering members, and realize the functions of setting bed sheets or other peripheral decorations on the sides of the bed boards during use of the electric bed frame.

14. The foldable electric bed frame according to claim 1, wherein the flexible covering members are located at the outer side of the bed frame body, and the flexible covering members are separated from the bed frame body, with a gap formed between the flexible covering members and the bed frame body, wherein the gap is used for receiving detached flexible covering members and bed legs.

15. A storage method for the foldable electric bed frame according to claim 1, comprising:

Step 1: detaching the flexible covering members at the bottom of any half of the bed boards from their design positions;

Step 2: detaching the bed legs from the bed frame body;

Step 3: inserting the detached flexible covering members and bed legs into a gap between the flexible covering members of the other half of the bed boards and the bed frame body;

Step 4: folding the bed frame body until the bed boards are stacked with each other;

Step 5: ensuring that the stacked upper and lower bed boards are all detachably connected with the flexible covering members that are still in their design positions.