# US 9,517,172 B2 · Electric bed > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,172 B2 - Document ID: US9517172B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/647,239 - Filed: 2014-09-12 - Published: 2015-11-05 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-17 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yohei Kume; Shohei Tsukada; Hideo Kawakami - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517172B2 ## CPC - A61G 7/018: Control or drive mechanisms - A47C 20/041: {by electric motors} - A47C 20/08: with means for adjusting two or more rests simultaneously - A61G 7/012: raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame (A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence) - A61G 7/015: divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position - A61G 7/0528: {Steering or braking devices for castor wheels} - A61G 7/16: converting a lying surface into a chair - A61G 7/165: {Chair detachable from bed} - A61G 2203/12: Remote controls - A61G 2203/40: for distance - A61G 2203/70: with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort - 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) - A47C: CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS ## Abstract An electric bed includes a first driver that performs rising and lowering operation of a second frame with respect to a first frame, a controller that controls the first driver, and an input unit that instructs the controller by switch manipulation of a lowering switch of the input unit. The controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at a basic speed when a bed height is a first predetermined height or more during depression of the lowering switch, and to lower the second frame at a first low speed slower than the basic speed when the bed height is less than the first predetermined height during the depression of the lowering switch, in case where the bed height is a height of an upper surface of the second frame. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric bed comprising: a first driver that performs rising and lowering operation of a second frame with respect to a first frame; a controller that controls the first driver; and an input unit that instructs the controller by switch manipulation of a lowering switch of the input unit, wherein the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at a basic speed when a bed height is a first predetermined height or more during depression of the lowering switch, and to lower the second frame at a first low speed slower than the basic speed without stopping once when the bed height is less than the first predetermined height during the depression of the lowering switch, in a case where the bed height is a height of an upper surface of the second frame. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric bed according to claim 1, wherein the basic speed and the first low speed each are a constant speed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electric bed according to claim 1, wherein the electric bed is a bed composed by separably combining a wheelchair portion with a bed portion, the lowering switch of the input unit includes a first switch that rises and/or lowers the second frame, and a second switch that rises and/or lowers the second frame and combines and/or separates the wheelchair portion and the bed portion, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the basic speed when the bed height is the first predetermined height or more during depression of the second switch, and to lower the second frame at the first low speed when the bed height is less than the first predetermined height during the depression of the second switch. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The electric bed according to claim 2, wherein the electric bed is a bed composed by separably combining a wheelchair portion with a bed portion, the lowering switch of the input unit includes a first switch that rises and/or lowers the second frame, and a second switch that rises and/or lowers the second frame and combines and/or separates the wheelchair portion and the bed portion, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the basic speed when the bed height is the first predetermined height or more during depression of the second switch, and to lower the second frame at the first low speed when the bed height is less than the first predetermined height during the depression of the second switch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The electric bed according to claim 3, wherein the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the basic speed when it is detected that a wheel of the wheelchair portion is grounded during the depression of the second switch and the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electric bed according to claim 1, wherein a second low speed that is slower than the basic speed and is faster than the first low speed is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the second low speed, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The electric bed according to claim 2, wherein a second low speed that is slower than the basic speed and is faster than the first low speed is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the second low speed, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The electric bed according to claim 3, wherein a second low speed that is slower than the basic speed and is faster than the first low speed is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the second low speed, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The electric bed according to claim 6, wherein the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the second low speed, in a case where the second frame is lowered at the first low speed for a predetermined time in a state where the bed height is less than the first predetermined height. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The electric bed according to claim 8, wherein the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the second low speed, in a case where the second frame is lowered at the first low speed for a predetermined time in a state where the bed height is less than the first predetermined height. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electric bed according to claim 1, wherein a third low speed that is slower than the basic speed, is faster than the first low speed, and whose speed changes in accordance with the bed height when the lowering switch is depressed is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the third low speed, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The electric bed according to claim 2, wherein a third low speed that is slower than the basic speed, is faster than the first low speed, and whose speed changes in accordance with the bed height when the lowering switch is depressed is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the third low speed, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The electric bed according to claim 3, wherein a third low speed that is slower than the basic speed, is faster than the first low speed, and whose speed changes in accordance with the bed height when the lowering switch is depressed is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the third low speed, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electric bed according to claim 1, wherein the first low speed is a variable first low speed in which the lower the bed height is, the slower the lowering speed is. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The electric bed according to claim 2, wherein the first low speed is a variable first low speed in which the lower the bed height is, the slower the lowering speed is. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The electric bed according to claim 3, wherein the first low speed is a variable first low speed in which the lower the bed height is, the slower the lowering speed is. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The electric bed according to claim 6, wherein the second low speed is a variable second low speed in which the lower the bed height is, the slower the lowering speed is. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The electric bed according to claim 8, wherein the second low speed is a variable second low speed in which the lower the bed height is, the slower the lowering speed is. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The electric bed according to claim 1, wherein a variable third low speed that is slower than the basic speed, and is faster than the first low speed, and whose initial speed changes in accordance with the bed height when the lowering switch is depressed, is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the variable third low speed in which the lower the bed height is, the slower the lowering speed is, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again. ### Claim 20 (depends on 3) The electric bed according to claim 3, wherein a variable third low speed that is slower than the basic speed, and is faster than the first low speed, and whose initial speed changes in accordance with the bed height when the lowering switch is depressed, is set, and the controller controls the first driver to lower the second frame at the variable third low speed in which the lower the bed height is, the slower the lowering speed, in a case where the depression of the lowering switch is released during the lowering of the second frame at the first low speed, and the lowering switch is thereafter depressed again.