US 4,398,313 AGranted

Manual control system for adjustable hospital bed

AssigneeB-W Health Products, Inc.

InventorLarry D. Mitchell

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Abstract

Independently operable lifting mechanisms are provided at the head and foot ends of the fixed lower base frame of an adjustable hospital bed in order to facilitate independent height adjustment of the head and foot ends of the bed's movable upper frame. The lifting mechanisms are actuated by respective drive screws which may be rotated individually or simultaneously and in either direction to position the upper frame at any desired height and at any selected tilt angle. By turning only one drive screw, one end of the upper frame is elevated or lowered and the tilt angle will be changed. By rotating both drive screws simultaneously, the upper frame will be raised or lowered at a constant tilt angle. A manual control system provides for selective manual engagement of the lifting mechanisms and automatic disengagement thereof. When engaged, the lifting mechanisms may be manually actuated.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An adjustable bed including a relatively fixed frame;

a movable frame;
a mattress support structure;
head and foot lift mechanisms for raising and lowering the head and foot ends respectively of said movable frame;
back and knee lift mechanisms for raising and lowering the back and knee sections respectively of said mattress support structure;
power actuating means including transmission means engageable for directing torque to said lift mechanisms for actuation thereof, said transmission means including head, foot, back and knee lift screws respectively in driving relationship with said lift mechanisms, a gear train including a drive gear and head, foot, back and knee driven gears in meshing relationship with said drive gear, and head, foot, back and knee clutches selectively engageable for respectively establishing engagement of said driven gears with said lift screws, and motor means for supplying torque to said drive gear;
and manual actuating means including control means for selectively engaging said transmission means with any number of said lift mechanisms for simultaneous actuation thereof, said control means including manually actuated head, foot, back and knee selecting means for selectively effecting engagement of any number of said clutches, and a hand crank engageable with said drive gear, said selecting means including a fixed plate defining head, foot, back and knee openings, head, foot, back and knee selector rods respectively operatively related to said clutches and extending into said openings, said rods being movable within said openings for effecting said clutch engagement, a plate slidable between first and second positions relative to said fixed plate, said slidable plate defining head, foot, back and knee surfaces respectively cooperable with said openings when said slidable plate is in its second position such that said rods are movable for effecting said clutch engagement and also movable into contact with said surfaces for maintaining said clutch engagement.

3 more elements

A hospital bed comprising:

a base frame;
a movable frame located over the base frame;
at least one linkage arrangement extended between the base frame and movable frame for supporting the movable frame above the base frame, the linkage arrangement being adapted to elevate or depress the movable frame when moved;
a mattress-supporting structure mounted on the movable frame and including at least one section that pivots relative to the movable frame;
a nut engaged with each drive screw such that the nut will move axially along the screw when the screw turns;
a thrust member connected between the nut on one of the drive screws and the linkage arrangement such that when the nut moves the linkage arrangement will move and change the elevation of the movable frame;
another thrust member connected between a nut on another of the drive screws and the pivoted section of the mattress-supporting structure such that when that nut moves the pivoted section pivots relative to the movable frame;
a drive gear at the end of each drive screw, the drive gears of all of the drive screws being connected so they rotate in unison;
a solenoid-actuated clutch for coupling each drive screw with its drive gear, each clutch being capable of shifting between an engaged condition wherein it couples its drive screw with the drive gear for that screw and a disengaged condition wherein it disconnects the screw from the gear so the gear can rotate relative to the screw, each clutch being normally in its disengaged condition and moving to its engaged condition when its solenoid is energized;
a motor connected with the drive gears such that it rotates those gears in unison;
means for coupling a hand crank to the drive gears such that when the crank turns all of the drive gears will revolve in unison;
a slutch operating linkage connected with each of the clutches and being exposed at the end of the movable frame for moving its clutch to the engaged condition without energizing the solenoid of that clutch;
and latching means for on a selective basis holding each clutch operating linkage in a position that maintains the clutch to which that operating linkage is connected in its engaged condition.

10 more elements

A hospital bed comprising:

a frame;
movable components attached to the frame;
a plurality of drive screws mounted on the frame for rotation thereon, there being a separate drive screw for each movable component;
a nut on each drive screw and being connected with the movable component for that drive screw such that the position of the movable component relative to the frame will change as the nut moves along its drive screw;
a rotatable drive element at the end of each drive screw, the drive elements for all of the drive screws being connected together so that they rotate in unison;
a clutch at the end of each drive screw and being capable of shifting between engaged and disengaged conditions, each clutch when in its engaged condition coupling its drive screw with the drive element for that drive screw so that the drive element will turn the drive screw, each clutch when in its disengaged condition disconnecting its drive screw from the drive element for that screw so that the drive element can rotate relative to the screw;
a solenoid connected to each clutch for changing the condition of the clutch;
a motor connected to the drive elements for rotating them in unison;
means for supporting a hand crank on the frame such that it can rotate and for further coupling the crank with the drive elements such that it can rotate all of the drive elements in unison;
a clutch operating element connected with each clutch for changing the condition of the clutch when the operating element is moved, the end of the operating element being exposed along the frame near the handle of the hand crank so that the operating element may be grasped and moved by one operating the crank, whereby the clutches may be shifted selectively to their respective engaged conditions prior to turning the crank;
and latching means for holding the operating elements either individually or in combination in the positions in which the clutches for those elements are in their engaged conditions, whereby the drive screw associated with any operating element that causes a clutch to be engaged will rotate when the hand crank is turned, even though the solenoid for the clutch of that drive screw is not energized.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.