Beds – Invalid bed or surgical support – Sectional user supporting surface
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-07
2002-12-31
Grosz, Alexander (Department: 3673)
Beds
Invalid bed or surgical support
Sectional user supporting surface
C005S933000, C601S056000, C601S059000, C601S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06499161
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to beds and more particularly, to improvements to beds.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Adjustable beds have been used for many years to permit the user to adjust the head and foot sections of the bed to different positions. While originally only manually adjustable, more recently, the head and foot sections are moved by motors operated by the user via a remote control.
Adjustable beds were originally designed principally for use in medical environments by patients who had to spend long periods of time in bed for reasons of health, injury, etc. However, more recently, adjustable beds are also being used in residential environments by users who have no health or physical impairment. An increasing number of people place televisions and other entertainment devices in the bedroom, and more time is spent lounging in bed. Hence, the bed, and in particular, an adjustable bed, is considered by many users an alternative piece of leisure furniture. As the market for leisure beds grows, there is continuing effort by suppliers to provide leisure beds that are more comfortable, have more options, for example, massage capabilities, more sophisticated controls, and are more affordable.
One recent development in adjustable beds is the development of a “wallhugger” adjustable bed. The wallhugger adjustable bed maintains the user in the same position with respect to adjacent appliances and furniture as the head portion of the bed is moved between flat and elevated positions. To achieve that purpose, as the head section pivots upward, an upper bed frame portion translates toward the head end of the bed with respect to a stationary lower bed frame section.
Almost all adjustable beds utilize one or more massage motors which are controllable by a user to provide a massaging action while the user is in the bed. In one embodiment, a massage motor is rigidly connected to an underside of a rigid platform, for example, a head board or a foot board, that is hinged to a center board or platform. Further, the whole articulated platform normally supports a mattress base, for example, a foam pad approximately 4 inches thick, over which is placed beneath a mattress. Thus, any vibration applied to the underside of the head board must vibrate the whole head board; and further, the vibration is partially absorbed and attenuated by the soft materials in the mattress base and the mattress. The resulting or net vibration applied to a user lying on the mattress is often substantially less than is desired. In other designs, the massage motor is rigidly mounted to a resonator board that is inserted into a centrally located slit and cutout portion of the mattress base. The resonator board is then bonded to an interior surface within the slit in the mattress base, and the massage motor extends downward through the cutout in the mattress base and a contiguous cutout in the platform supporting the mattress base and the mattress. As with the former design, the vibrating action of the massage motor is substantially attenuated by the thick foam mattress base.
Thus, there is a need for an improved bed structure for more effectively transmitting massaging actions or vibrations from a massage motor to a user lying on the bed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a bed having an improved massage capability, thereby increasing the satisfaction of the user with the bed. The bed of the present invention is especially useful when used with an adjustable bed in which multiple massage motors are used.
According to the principles of the present invention and in accordance with one embodiment, the bed of the present invention has a bed frame and a support section supported by the bed frame and adapted to support a user. The bed further has a resonator board nonrigidly mounted to an upper surface of the support section, and a massage motor mounted to the resonator board. This massage mounting structure greatly improves the transmission of vibrations created by the massage motor to a user.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the bed has a mattress base having a thickness of approximately one inch for covering the support section. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the resonator board is resiliently mounted to the upper side of the support section; and the massage motor is mounted to a lower side of the resonator board. Thus, the resonator board is mounted such that vibrations from the massage motor are transmitted to the user with a minimum of attenuation by the foam mattress base and the mattress.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5140977 (1992-08-01), Raffel
patent: 5577280 (1996-11-01), Elliott
patent: 6006379 (1999-12-01), Hensley
patent: 6101647 (2000-08-01), Stroud et al.
patent: 6115861 (2000-09-01), Reeder et al.
Grosz Alexander
L&P Property Management Company
Wood Herron & Evans L.L.P.
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