초록 ▼

A low profile hospital bed includes a mattress support frame and pivotably mounted wheel frames. Lift actuators connecting between the mattress support frame and the wheel frames move the wheel frames between a folded position and an unfolded position. When the wheel frames are in the folded positio

A low profile hospital bed includes a mattress support frame and pivotably mounted wheel frames. Lift actuators connecting between the mattress support frame and the wheel frames move the wheel frames between a folded position and an unfolded position. When the wheel frames are in the folded position, the lift actuators are relatively horizontal and thus unable to provide enough vertical force to move the wheel frames. Accordingly, connecting between the actuators and the wheel frames are leverage members which rotate and urge the wheel frames away from mattress support frame during an initial, first stage of movement as the wheel frames partially unfold. After the first stage of movement, the leverage members function as simple mechanical links between the lift actuators and the wheel frames as the lift actuators continue to power the complete unfolding of the wheel frames.

대표청구항 ▼

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 1. A bed comprising: a mattress support frame for supporting a mattress; a wheel frame movably coupled with the mattress support frame to allow for movement of the mattress support frame betw

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 1. A bed comprising: a mattress support frame for supporting a mattress; a wheel frame movably coupled with the mattress support frame to allow for movement of the mattress support frame between a fully lowered position and a fully raised position relative to the wheel frame; a leverage member movably mounted between the mattress support frame and the wheel frame; and a lift actuator operable to retract and extend, with the lift actuator and the leverage member being arranged such that an initial extension of the lift actuator causes the leverage member to urge the mattress support frame away from the wheel frame until the mattress support frame moves from the fully lowered position to a partially raised position, and such that a subsequent extension of the lift actuator causes the mattress support frame to move from the partially raised position to the fully raised position relative to the wheel frame, wherein the leverage member includes a first end and a second end, and the leverage member is pivotably mounted between the mattress support frame and the wheel frame about a fulcrum located between the first end and the second end, and the lift actuator is pivotably coupled with the second end of the leverage member. 2. The bed as set forth in claim 1, wherein the mattress support frame includes a substantially rigid portion and an articulated portion. 3. The bed as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fully lowered position conesponds to a fully folded configuration of the bed, and wherein the fully raised position conesponds to a fully unfolded configuration of the bed. 4. The bed as set forth in claim 1, wherein the leverage member further includes a roller movably coupled with the first end of the leverage member to facilitate urging the mattress support frame away from the wheel frame. 5. The bed as set forth in claim 4, wherein the lift actuator is pivotably coupled with the mattress support frame, the fulcrum is associated with the wheel frame, and the roller pushes against the mattress support frame in order to urge the mattress support frame away from the wheel frame. 6. The bed as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are at least two wheel frames movably coupled with the mattress support frame. 7. The bed as set forth in claim 6, wherein there are at least two leverage members and two lift actuators, with each of the at least two wheel frames being associated with a respective one of the at least two leverage members and a respective one of the at least two lift actuators. 8. A low profile hospital bed comprising: a mattress support frame for supporting a mattress; a wheel frame movably coupled with the mattress support frame to allow for movement of the mattress support frame between a fully lowered position and a fully raised position relative to the wheel frame; a leverage member having a first end and a second end, with a roller being movably coupled with the first end, and with the leverage member being pivotably mounted between the mattress support frame and the wheel frame about a fulcrum located between the first end and the second end; and a lift actuator operable to retract and extend, with the lift actuator and the leverage member being arranged such that an initial extension of the lift actuator causes the leverage member to urge the mattress support frame away from the wheel frame until the mattress support frame moves from the fully lowered position to a partially raised position, and such that a subsequent extension of the lift actuator causes the mattress support frame to move from the partially raised position to the fully raised position relative to the wheel frame. 9. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 8, wherein the mattress support frame includes a substantially rigid portion and an articulated portion. 10. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 8, wherein the fully lowered position conesponds to a fully folded configuration of the bed, and wherein the fully raised position corresponds to a fully unfolded configuration of the bed. 11. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 8, wherein the lift actuator is pivotably coupled with the mattress support frame, the fulcrum is associated with the wheel frame, and the roller pushes against the mattress support frame in order to urge the mattress support frame away from the wheel frame. 12. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 8, wherein there are at least two wheel frames movably coupled with the mattress support frame. 13. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 12, wherein there are at least two leverage members and two lift actuators, with each of the at least two wheel frames being associated with a respective one of the at least two leverage members and a respective one of the at least two lift actuators. 14. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 8, further including a stop block, wherein the leverage member is allowed to move between a first position, in which the mattress support frame is in the fully lowered position, and a second position, in which the mattress support frame is in the partially raised position, and the stop block prevents further movement of the leverage member while the mattress support frame moves from the partially raised position to the fully raised position relative to the wheel frame. 15. A low profile hospital bed comprising: a mattress support frame for supporting a mattress; at least two wheel frames, with each of the at least two wheel frames being movably coupled with the mattress support frame to allow for movement of the mattress frame between a fully raised position, which corresponds to a fully folded configuration of the low profile hospital bed, and a fully raised position, which corresponds to a fully unfolded configuration of the low profile hospital bed, relative to the at least two wheel frames; at least two leverage members, with each of the at least two leverage members being associated with a respective one of the at least two wheel frames, and with each of the at least two leverage members having a first end and a second end with a roller being movably coupled with the first end, and with each of the at least two leverage members being pivotably mounted between the mattress support frame and the respective one of the at least two wheel frames about a fulcrum located between the first end and the second end; and at least two lift actuators, with each of the at least two lift actuators being associated with a respective one of the at least two wheel frames, and with each of the at least two lift actuators being operable to retract and extend and to cooperate with a respective one of the at least two leverage members such that extension of each of the at least two lift actuators causes the respective one of the at least two leverage members to urge the mattress support frame away from the respective one of the at least two wheel frames until the mattress support frame moves from the fully lowered position to a partially raised position and such that a subsequent extension of each of the at least two lift actuators causes the mattress support frame to move from the partially raised position to the fully raised position relative to the respective one of the at least two wheel frames. 16. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 15, wherein the mattress support frame includes a substantially rigid portion and an articulated portion. 17. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 15, wherein each of the at least two lift actuators is pivotably coupled with the mattress support frame, each fulcrum is associated with the respective one of the at least two wheel frames, and each roller pushes against the mattress support frame in order to urge the mattress support frame away from the respective one of the at least two wheel frames. 18. The low profile hospital bed as set forth in claim 15, further including at least two stop blocks, with each of the at least two stop blocks being associated with a respective one of the at least two leverage members such that each of the at least two leverage arms is allowed to move between a first position, in which the mattress support frame is in the fully lowered position, and a second position, in which the mattress support frame is in the partially raised folded position, and each of the at least two stop blocks prevents further movement of the respective one of the at least two leverage members while the mattress support frame moves from the partially raised position to the fully raised position relative to the respective one of the at least two wheel frames. 19. A bed comprising: a mattress support frame for supporting a mattress; a wheel frame movably coupled with the mattress support frame to allow for movement of the mattress support frame between a fully lowered position and a fully raised position relative to the wheel frame; a leverage member movably mounted between the mattress support frame and the wheel frame; a lift actuator operable to retract and extend, with the lift actuator and the leverage member being arranged such that an initial extension of the lift actuator causes the leverage member to urge the mattress support frame away from the wheel frame until the mattress support frame moves from the fully lowered position to a partially raised position, and such that a subsequent extension of the lift actuator causes the mattress support frame to move from the partially raised position to the fully raised position relative to the wheel frame; and a stop block, wherein the leverage member is allowed to move between a first position, in which the mattress support frame is in the fully lowered position, and a second position, in which the mattress support frame is in the partially raised position, and the stop block prevents further movement of the leverage member while the mattress support frame moves from the partially raised position to the fully raised position relative to the wheel frame.