Beds – Invalid bed or surgical support – Vertically movable support for whole body of user
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-04
2004-01-20
Santos, Robert G. (Department: 3673)
Beds
Invalid bed or surgical support
Vertically movable support for whole body of user
C005S011000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678907
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a height-adjustable bed, in particular a sickbed or nursing bed, and further to a length-adjustable supporting element which can be used as a supporting leg for a bed.
Height-adjustable sickbeds and/or nursing beds are e. g. known from DE-C-39 40 666 and DE-A-44 05 509. Both known beds are provided with a lifting lower frame comprising four supporting legs Interconnected by connecting beams. Each supporting leg comprises at its lower end a swivelling and/or guide roller. In the completely retracted position of the lower frame said rollers are free such that the bed can be moved. If, however, the lower frame is extended, the lower ends of the supporting leges are placed on the floor in the case of the bed according to DE-C-39 40 666, whereas the swivelling rollers are braked in the case of the bed according to DE-A-44 05 509. Both known beds are not movable when the lower frame is moved out of its lowermost lifted position.
To enhance the comfort provided by a sickbed and/or nursing bed it is sometimes required that the bed can, on the one hand, be lowered to a relatively low position such that the patient can easily rise from the bed or sit down on the bed. On the other hand, it is required that the bed can be lifted as high as possible such that it is easily positionable into a working height convenient for the nursing personnel. The supporting legs of the known nursing beds cannot be retracted and extended to a sufficient degree to fully meet these requirements.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bed, in particular a sickbed and/or nursing bed, as well as a length-adjustable supporting element usable as a supporting leg for such a bed, which has a small overall height and can be extended and retracted to a relatively large degree.
For solving this object the invention proposes a length-adjustable supporting element to be used as a supporting leg for a height-adjustable bed, in particular a sickbed and/or nursing bed, provided with a supporting leg,
a supporting leg comprising a supporting edge at its lower end,
a swivelling and/or guide roller comprising a tread and being received by said supporting leg, wherein the roller designed for moving purposes is displaceable from the lower end of the supporting leg beyond Its supporting edge and into the lower end of the supporting leg, and
a lifting means movable out of the upper end of the supporting leg and into the upper end of the supporting leg, said lifting means comprising a supporting member which is attachable to a first element of an object to be supported by the supporting leg.
For said supporting element it is, provided according to the invention
that the lifting means comprises a double-spindle arrangement having an inner spindle and a hollow spindle receiving said inner spindle,
that said double-spindle arrangement can be brought in engagement with a driving element to be driven by a driving device attachable to the supporting member or the first part of the object,
that the inner spindle threadedly engages with the hollow spindle and the hollow spindle threadedly engages with the supporting leg, and that the double-spindle arrangement cooperates with the retainiing element of the roller such that
in the maximum lifted position of both spindles relative to the supporting edge of the supporting leg, the tread of the roller is moved into the supporting leg or aligned with the supporting edge of the supporting leg,
in a minimum lifted position of both spindles, the tread of the roller is in alignment with the supporting edge of the supporting leg, and
in a minimum retracted position of both spindles, the tread of the roller protrudes from the supporting edge of the supporting leg, in which minimum retracted position said spindles are moved beyond the minimum lifted position further into the supporting leg than in their minimum lifted position.
In the supporting element according to the invention the lifting means is configured as a double-spindle arrangement comprising two spindles which can be axially telescoped and threadedly engage with each other. The inner spindle can be rotatably driven by a driving device. Thus the inner spindle rotatingly moves into the second spindle configured as a hollow spindle or out of said second spindle. The hollow spindle threadedly engages with the supporting leg. The double-spindle arrangement and the retaining element for the roller are disposed such that, in a maximum lifted position of the double-spindle arrangement relative to the supporting edge of the supporting leg, the tread of the roller is moved into the supporting leg or aligned with the supporting edge of the supporting leg. In a minimum lifted position of the double-spindle arrangement the tread of the roller is in alignment with the supporting edge of the supporting leg; in other words, the roller does not protrude downwards beyond the supporting edge of the supporting leg. If the double-spindle arrangement is moved into the supporting leg from the direction of the maximum lifted position via the minimum lifted position further up to a minimum retracted, position, the tread of the roller protrudes beyond the supporting edge of the supporting leg.
The mechanism according to the invention can, on the one hand, be realized by the retainer of the swivelling roller being fastened to the hollow spindle or the inner spindle thus moving, together with the spindle, through the supporting leg as a function of the respective lifted position of the double-spindle arrangement. An alternative to this concept is supporting the retainer to the lower end of the swivelling roller such that the retainer is movable in axial direction of the supporting leg without the retaining element being permanently connected with the double-spindle arrangement. If the two spindles are arranged in a telescopic tube having at least two tube sections, it is also possible that one or both tube sections contact the retaining element of the swivelling roller when the minimum retracted position is approached and ensure extension of the retaining element beyond the lower end of the supporting leg. When the two spindles move, by rotation about their axes, into the supporting leg, one of the two inner ends of the spindles contacts the retaining element of the roller. At the moment of contact of the spindles or at least one spindle with the retaining element the supporting leg is retracted, its upper end displaying a distance to the fastening element arranged at the upper end of the inner spindle. Upon further rotation of the spindles the supporting leg is moved towards the fastening element which results in the supporting edge of the supporting leg moving upwards such that the roller protrudes downwards beyond the supporting edge. Thus the object resting on the supporting element can be moved.
Thus the invention provides a supporting element which has a small overall height and can be extended up to a maximum lifted position, wherein the functions of automatically fixing the object supported by the supporting element to protect it against movements, and automatically releasing said object from said fixed state for the purpose of moving the object are further integrated.
In a preferred aspect of the invention it is provided that the double-spindle arrangement is covered when it is moved upwards out of the supporting leg. For this purpose the lifting device comprises at least one tube section telescoping with the supporting leg, the tube section being attached to the fastening element and coaxially enclosing the double-spindle arrangement. Said at least one tube section is guided along the supporting leg. Appropriately, two or more such tube sections, which can be telescoped, are employed, wherein the lowermost tube section facing the supporting leg is guided along the supporting leg and can be telescoped with the latter.
If it is intended that the supporting element according to the invention has a minimum axial length in its minimum lifted position, it is appropriate to provide at least two tube sections which can be telescoped
Baumeister Karlheinz
Voelker Heinrich
Santos Robert G.
Voelker Moebelproduktionsgesellschaft mbH
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