# US 2014/0189954 A1 · Free folding bed, displacement means for same, and method for operating same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0189954 A1 - Document ID: US20140189954A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/113,506 - Filed: 2012-07-23 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-25 - Inventors: Dae Hun Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140189954A1 ## CPC - A61G 7/015: divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position - A61G 7/005: tiltable around transverse horizontal axis, e.g. for Trendelenburg position {(rocking beds for physical therapy A61H1/003; hanging patient inclined downwardly for drawing him out A61H2203/0493)} - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) ## Abstract Disclosed is a free folding bed in which a support panel with a mattress arranged thereon includes a plurality of divided parts and which is freely foldable and unfoldable in vertical and horizontal directions, and more particularly, to a free folding bed in which a back support unit, a thigh support unit and the like of a support panel may be folded in a vertical direction in a state where the support panels were folded in a horizontal direction and which may be freely folded or unfolded in the vertical and horizontal directions and thus transformed according to a user or protector's intention, thereby significantly improve convenience. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A free folding bed comprising: a main frame; a support panel arranged on the main frame and comprising an upper body support unit and a lower body support unit, each of which includes a plurality of divided parts each having a vertical rotating shaft; and vertical displacement means for rotating each support unit about the vertical rotating shaft so as to lift or lower the support unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The free folding bed of claim 1, further comprising vertical displacement means for rotating each support unit about the horizontal rotating shaft so as to lift or lower the support unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The free folding bed of claim 2, further comprising crossing means for preventing collision of the divided parts of each support unit, when each support unit is rotated about the horizontal rotating shaft by the horizontal displacement means and then rotated about the vertical rotating shaft by the vertical displacement means. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The free folding bed of claim 1, further comprising locking means for releasing the lifted or lowered divided parts and locking the stopped divided parts, when each support unit is rotated about the vertical rotating shaft by the vertical displacement means. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The free folding bed of claim 1, wherein the divided parts of the respective support units are arranged on a plurality of vertical lines, and the vertical displacement means comprise a common elevating body for moving the divided parts of the respective support units, arranged on the same vertical line, at a time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The free folding bed of claim 1, wherein the vertical rotating shaft or horizontal rotating shaft comprises a deflection prevention member to maintain the horizontality of the divided parts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The free folding bed of claim 1, wherein each support unit comprises three divided parts forming the same horizontal line, the divided parts of each support unit are arranged on three vertical lines, the vertical displacement means performs a first vertical folding mode to lift or lower the divided parts of each support unit, which are arranged on a first vertical line and a second vertical line, or performs a second vertical mode to lift or lower the divided parts of each support unit, which are arranged on the second vertical line and a third vertical line, and the free folding bed further comprises safety lifting means for lifting the divided parts arranged on the third or first vertical line, when the first vertical folding mode or the second vertical folding mode is performed. ### Claim 8 Displacement means for a free folding bed, comprising: an upper body support unit and a lower body support unit, which are arranged on a main frame and of which each includes a plurality of divided parts having a vertical rotating shaft, wherein the divided parts of the respective supports support units rotate the support units arranged on a plurality of vertical lines about the vertical rotating shafts; a common elevating body having a vertical shaft and a wing frame to move the divided parts of each support unit, arranged on the same vertical line, at a time; and an elevating member for rotating the wing frame about the vertical shaft. ### Claim 9 A method for operating a free folding bed which includes: a main frame; a support panel arranged on the main frame and comprising an upper body support unit and a lower body support unit, each of which includes a plurality of divided parts each having a vertical rotating shaft; vertical displacement means for rotating each support unit about the vertical rotating shaft so as to lift or lower the support unit; horizontal displacement means for rotating each support unit about a horizontal rotating shaft to lift or lower the support unit; and a controller configured to move the vertical displacement means and the horizontal displacement means, wherein each support unit comprises three divided parts forming the same vertical line, and the divided parts of the support unit are arranged on three vertical lines, the vertical displacement means performs a first vertical folding mode to lift or lower the divided parts of each support unit, which are arranged on a first vertical line and a second vertical line, or performs a second vertical folding mode to lift or lower the divided parts of each support unit, which are arranged in the second vertical line and a third vertical line, according to control of the controller, and a safety lifting mode is performed to lift the divided parts arranged on the third or first vertical line, when the first vertical folding mode or the second vertical folding mode is performed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein each support unit comprises a back support unit, a buttocks support unit, a thigh support unit and a calf support unit, of which each includes three divided parts arranged on the same vertical line, the horizontal displacement means comprises a first motor for operating the back support unit and a second motor for operating the thigh support unit, and the first and second motors are operated to perform a horizontal folding mode, according to control of the controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein vertical displacement means for each of the first and second vertical folding modes comprise a third or fourth motor, and even when the controller operates the first and second motors for the horizontal folding mode so as to fold the support units in the horizontal direction, the third and fourth motors for the vertical folding mode are operated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises an automatic mode for controlling three operations to perform, stop, and return a folding mode, and only the vertical folding mode is performed in the automatic mode.