Abstract:
Expandable frames for lifting bed covers are provided. A representative frame includes: a movable frame segment; and a support frame segment operative to attach the support frame segment to a bed and support the movable frame segment; the movable frame segment being movable with respect to the support frame segment between a contracted position, which corresponds to lowering of bed covers draped across the movable frame segment, and an expanded position, which corresponds to raising of the bed covers.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This utility application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/037,722, filed on Mar. 19, 2008, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The invention concerns devices for lifting bed covers at the foot of a bed. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Devices for lifting bed covers are known. These devices typically are used in order to prevent bed covers from putting pressure on a person&#39;s feet while under the covers. This can be desirable for a number of reasons, such as when a person is afflicted with a condition that causes pain when pressure is exerted on the feet. 
         [0006]    While meeting with varying degrees of success, many prior art devices for lifting bed covers are complex and rather expensive. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    Expandable frames for lifting bed covers are provided. In this regard, an exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame comprises: a movable frame segment having a cross bar, a first distal end and a second distal end; and a support frame segment operative to attach the support frame segment to a bed and support the movable frame segment, the support frame segment having a first passage and a second passage, the first passage being operative to receive the first distal end, the second passage being operative to receive the second distal end; the movable frame segment being movable with respect to the support frame segment between a contracted position, which corresponds to lowering of bed covers draped across the movable frame segment, and an expanded position, which corresponds to raising of the bed covers; in the contracted position, the first distal end extending through the first passage and the second distal end extending through the second passage such that the support frame segment is positioned between the cross bar of the movable frame segment and the distal ends of the movable frame segment. 
         [0008]    Another exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame for lifting bed covers comprises: a first upright; a second upright; an upper cross bar; a lower cross bar oriented substantially parallel with respect to the upper cross bar; a first connector having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening receiving an upper end of the first upright, the second opening receiving a first end of the upper cross bar; a second connector having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening of the second connector receiving an upper end of the second upright, the second opening of the second connector receiving a second end of the upper cross bar; a first leg; a second leg; a third connector having a first opening, a second opening, a third opening and a fourth opening, the first opening of the third connector receiving a lower end of the first upright, the second opening of the third connector receiving a first end of the lower cross bar, and the third opening of the third connector receiving an attached end of the first leg such that a free end of the first leg extends outwardly from the third connector; and a fourth connector having a first opening, a second opening, a third opening and a fourth opening, the first opening of the fourth connector receiving a lower end of the second upright, the second opening of the fourth connector receiving a second end of the lower cross bar, and the third opening of the fourth connector receiving an attached end of the second leg such that a free end of the second leg extends outwardly from the fourth connector; the first upright being movable with respect to the third connector and the second upright being movable with respect to the fourth connector such that, in a contracted position, the upper cross bar is spaced from the lower cross bar at a first distance and, in an expanded position, the upper cross bar is positioned farther than the first distance from the lower cross bar to lift bed covers draped over the upper cross bar away from the lower cross bar. 
         [0009]    Other devices, systems, methods, features and/or advantages of this disclosure will be or may become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and/or advantages be included within this description and be within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the foot of a bed, including the springs, the mattress, and an exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame for lifting bed covers mounted to the bed, showing how the device lifts the bed covers at the foot of the bed over the feet of the person lying in the bed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame, showing the frame in its expanded configuration. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a lock button of the type that is used to lock the telescopic portions of an exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame in a fixed position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of a telescopic section of an exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame, showing the lock button in place in the inner tube, for expansion into the opening of the outer tube, with the outer tube broken open to show the lock button. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the expandable frame of  FIG. 1 , but showing the frame in its contracted position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame for lifting bed covers, with the frame in its expanded position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the expandable frame of  FIG. 5 , but showing the frame in its contracted position. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are perspective views of another exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame, showing the expandable frame in its expanded configuration and in its contracted configuration, respectively. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 9 and 10  are perspective views of another exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame, showing the expandable frame in its expanded configuration and in its contracted configuration, respectively. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows the foot of a bed  10 , including box springs  11  and a mattress  12  overlying the box springs. An exemplary embodiment of an expandable frame for lifting bed covers  14  is mounted to the foot of the bed by inserting the lateral support frame segment  15  between the box springs and the mattress, and the vertical support frame segment  16  extending upwardly from the lateral support frame segment, and the movable support frame segment  17  extending to a height higher than the upper surface of the mattress  12 . The bed covers  20  would be draped over the expandable support frame  14  and over the feet of the person  21  lying on the bed. When in its expanded position, the expandable frame forms a tent-like shape in the bed covers  20 , with the tent shape extending over the feet of the person. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows the expandable frame  14  in more detail. The lateral support frame segment  15  is approximately U-shaped, including rectilinear bars  23 ,  24  and  25  connected at their ends to form the U shape by elbow connectors  26  and  27 . The U-shape formed by the rectilinear bars and the elbow connectors are to extend beneath the mattress  12 , over the box springs  11  at the foot of the bed. The weight of the mattress holds the expandable frame  14  in place. 
         [0022]    Vertical support frame  16  comprises upright rectilinear bars  30  and  31  joined by elbows  32  and  33  to the bars  23  and  25  of the lateral support frame segment. 
         [0023]    Movable support frame segment  17  is rectangular and includes opposed lower and upper lateral bars  34  and  35  and opposed vertical end bars  36  and  37 . Elbow joints  38  and  39  connect the ends of the upper lateral bar  34  to the upper ends of the opposed vertical end bars  36  and  37 . T-connectors  40  and  41  join the lower ends of the opposed vertical end bars  36  and  37  to the ends of the lower lateral bar  34 . 
         [0024]    The upright bars  30  and  31  of the vertical support frame segment  16  and the opposed vertical end bars  36  and  37  of the movable support frame segment  17  are tubular, with the outside diameter of the upright bars  30  and  31  being smaller than the inside diameter of the opposed vertical end bars  36  and  37 , and smaller than the openings through the T connectors  40  and  41 . With this arrangement, the T connectors  40  and  41  and the opposed vertical bars  36  and  37  are telescopically movable about the smaller upright bars  30  and  31 , so that the movable support frame segment  17 , including its lower lateral bar and the elbow connectors, are movable along the lengths of the upright bars  30  and  31  of the vertical support frame segment  16 . This allows the movable support frame segment  17  to be moved up and down with respect to the lateral support frame segment  15 . 
         [0025]    When the expandable frame  14  is expanded as shown in  FIG. 2 , only the upper ends of the upright bars  30  and  31  of the vertical support frame segment  16  remain extended upwardly through the T connectors  40  and  41  and about two inches into the lower ends of the opposed vertical end bars  36  and  37  of the movable support frame segment  17 . The spring lock buttons  44  of the type show in  FIG. 3A  are positioned in the upper end portions of the smaller diameter of the upright bars  30  and  31 , with the lock buttons  44  in registration with an opening  43  through the upper portion of each of the upright bars  30  and  31 . The opposed vertical end bars  36  and  37  have openings  45  there through just above the T connectors  40  and  41  that will register with the lock buttons  44 . With this arrangement, when the movable support frame segment  17  is lifted to its up position, the lock button registers with the opening, such as opening  45 , holding the movable support frame segment  17  in its upward position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows the expandable frame in its expanded position with the covers lifted from the feet of the person  21 . When the expandable frame is to be contracted, by pressing the lock buttons  44  inwardly, this unlocks the movable support frame segment  17  from the vertical support frame segment  16 , allowing the movable support frame segment  17  to move downwardly and telescopically about the smaller upright bars  30  and  31  of the vertical support frame segment  16 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , this lowers the movable support frame segment  17  so that it does not protrude above the plane of the top surface of the mattress  12 . The bed covers  20  then lie flat on the surface of the mattress, with the expandable frame  14  substantially hidden from view. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show another embodiment  46  of the expandable frame. The upper movable support frame segment  47  is substantially identical to that of the movable support frame segment  17  of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . The upper movable support frame segment  47  is movable telescopically down about the upright bars  48  and  49  of the vertical support frame segment  50 . The bars  48  and  49  may be longer than the bars  30  and  31  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , providing a longer length of telescopic movement of the upper movable support frame segment  47 . This allows the movable support frame segment to extend upwardly farther than the movable support frame segment  17  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  and to move down farther down to a position below the level of the covers of the bed. A U-shaped lower support arrangement  54  is formed at the lower ends of the bars  48  and  49 , so that the lateral support frame segment  55  is located at the proper height for insertion between the box springs and the mattress. Lock buttons  56  may be used to maintain the upper movable segment in place. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 7 and 8  show another embodiment of the expandable frame. The expandable frame  60  includes a lateral support frame segment  61 , a vertical support frame segment  62 , and a movable frame segment  63 . The lateral support frame segment  61  is U-shaped, with end bars  64  and  65  and stabilizing bar  66 , with the stabilizing bar  66  connected at its ends by corner connectors to the end bars  64  and  65 , forming a U-shape. The other ends of the end bars  64  and  65  are each connected to the stem of a T-shaped connector  68  and  69 . 
         [0029]    The vertical segment support frame  62  comprises a pair of upright bars  70  and  71  that extend through the head openings of the T-shaped connectors  68  and  69 , respectively, with the upper end portions of the upright bars  70  and  71  received in T-shaped connectors  72  and  73 , respectively. A horizontal stabilizing bar  75  extends between the T-shaped connectors  72  and  73 , as shown. 
         [0030]    The movable vertical support frame segment  63  is an inverted U-shape and includes opposed upright telescope bars  78  and  79 , and horizontal support bar  80 . The support bar  80  is connected at its ends by elbow connectors to the upper ends of the opposed upright telescope bars  78  and  79 . 
         [0031]    The opposed upright telescope bars  78  and  79  are of smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of the T-shaped connectors  68 ,  69  and  72 ,  73  and are of smaller outside diameter than the upper end portions of the upright bars  70  and  71  or the vertical support frame segment  62 . This enables the movable vertical support frame segment  63  to move telescopically up and down with respect to the vertical support frame segment  62 , for substantially the full length of the upright bars  70  and  71 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , when the movable vertical support frame segment  63  is moved downward in the direction as indicated by arrow  81 , it can move to the position as shown in  FIG. 8 . Likewise, when the movable vertical support frame segment  63  is moved upwardly as shown in the direction of arrow  82 , it changes configuration from that shown in  FIG. 8  to that shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0033]    When in use, the expandable frame  60  is placed at the foot of a conventional bed having a box spring assembly and a mattress, by inserting the lateral support frame segment  61  between the box springs and the mattress, leaving the vertical support frame segment  62  and the movable frame segment  63  in vertical orientation juxtaposed the outside surface of the foot of the bed. The vertical dimension of the expandable frame  60  from the T connectors  68  and  69  up to the position of the horizontal support bar  80  when in its contracted position as shown in  FIG. 8  is configured so that the horizontal support bar  80  will be at or slightly below the plane of the top surface of the mattress. With this shape, the bed covers of the bed can be draped over the horizontal support bar  80  without significant visual obstruction. 
         [0034]    When it is desired to support the bed covers at the foot of the bed higher than the surface of the bed to accommodate the feet of the sleeper, as generally shown in  FIG. 1 , a person will lift the horizontal support bar  80  of  FIGS. 7 and 8  in the upward direction as indicated by arrow  82  until the horizontal support bar reaches the position shown in  FIG. 7 . Lock buttons, such as lock button  85  of  FIGS. 7 and 8 , are carried by the opposed upright telescope bars  78  and  79 , and the lock buttons will register with one of the lock button openings  86 , locking the movable vertical support frame segment  63  in the position as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0035]    Lateral support frame segment  61  is releasably connected to the T connectors  68  and  69 . The releasable connection can be formed by a lock button or threaded bolt or other conventional connector  67  through the stems of the T-shaped connectors  68  and  69 , and through the inner ends of the end bars  64  and  65 . With this arrangement, the lateral support segment  61  may be detached from the rest of the expandable frame  60  and the elements of the expandable frame  60  can be laid flat in a shipping container. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 9 and 10  show another embodiment of the expandable frame. The expandable frame  100  includes a support frame segment  101  and a movable frame segment  103 . The support frame segment  101  is U-shaped, with a stabilizing, lower cross bar  104 . The lower cross  104  is connected at its ends by corner (4-way) connectors  106 ,  108 . Legs  107 ,  109  extend outwardly from and substantially perpendicular to the lower cross bar  104  to form a U-shape. 
         [0037]    The movable frame segment  103  comprises a pair of upright bars (uprights)  110 ,  112  that extend through the head openings  113 ,  114 , respectively, of the connectors  106 ,  108 . Upper end portions of the uprights  110 ,  112  are received by connectors  116 ,  118 , respectively, which are elbow joints in this embodiment. Other ends of the connectors  116 ,  118  receive opposing ends of an upper cross bar  120 . 
         [0038]    The movable frame segment  103  forms a U-shape, which is inverted in operation. Distal ends  121 ,  122  of the movable frame segment lock within the connectors  106 ,  108  in the expanded position shown in  FIG. 9 . A locking mechanism (e.g., locking mechanism  130 ) selectively locks the first upright and the second upright in the expanded position. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism  130  comprises a lock button  132  carried by the upright  112  and a hole  133  (e.g., a drilled hole) positioned in the connector  108 . In the expanded position, the lock button  132  is received within the hole  133 . To facilitate movement to the contracted position, the lock button is released from the hole. In other embodiments, a locking mechanism could be included on each of the uprights. 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 10 , the contracted position involves the uprights being telescopically received by the connectors, thereby positioning the upper cross bar closer to the lower cross bar. In this embodiment, distal ends of the uprights extend through the lower openings  123 ,  124  of the connectors  106 ,  108 . In some embodiments, such as those in which conventional PVC connectors are used, modifications to off-the-shelf components may be required. By way of example, connectors oftentimes include internal flanges for positioning the ends of tubes received by the connectors. For the purpose of creating a connector through which a tube is to pass without restriction (e.g., connector  106 ), the internal flange may need to be altered, such as by drilling out the material that forms the flange. 
         [0040]    Although various materials can be used to form an expandable frame, PVC tubing may be preferred in some embodiments. As such, a representative embodiment formed of PVC tubing can include a movable frame segment consisting of three lengths of tubing and two connectors, and a support frame segment consisting of three lengths of tubing and two connectors. Other configurations can be used as well. 
         [0041]    It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of this disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. By way of example, although various embodiments are depicted that involve the use of two uprights, other embodiments (such as those that are wider, or otherwise require increased support) can use different numbers of uprights. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.