Lounger bed and adjustable body supporting assembly

An adjustable body supporting assembly composed of a foundation and panel on which an assembly of pivotally connected plates rests, being mounted on said foundation with its centrally positioned part and provided with the means to adjust each plate in relation to its adjacent plate. A mattress is forming the top of the bed being held securely in position by encompassing plates of the said assembly. The foundation type panel is distinguished by its compact and simplified construction representing in effect an unbending lower foundation usually associated with regular assemblies composed of foundation and mattress. Means such as powered activators for the adjustment of the plates on which the mattress is mounted are incorporated in the foundation panel. In a more refined embodiment the invention encompasses a separate head-part, adjustable in relation to the backpart, and an additional main feature of the invention is the operation of the various movements with one single power source such as a compressor, making it possible, together with the simplified construction of this invention, to reduce production costs substantially, and make this important item of personal comfort available at lower prices.

HISTORY OF THE INVENTION AND PRESENT STATE OF THE ART 
Lounger-Beds with adjustable supports are being built for a long time and 
have been in use mainly to provide adjustable comfort for sick and 
handicapped persons. Originally the metal frames used for beds were 
adapted by adding some pivotal sections and operating them by hand or 
later by a manually turned screw. In time the manual screws were replaced 
by electric motor driven screws and fixed controls evolved into movable 
remote controls. 
However, while certain structural changes and improvements were made, the 
basic form has remained more or less static formed by a cumbersome and 
costly metal structure, usually associated with machinery and being highly 
visible, many potential users have been turned off, both by the looks and 
the price originating in such complex structure. 
The present high cost of production and the machinery type form do no only 
make the product unlikable and unattainable, but prevent the wide use of 
adjustable beds by many otherwise potential users. For the advent of 
television in particular is causing many viewers to assume positions 
detrimental to healthy body posture while watching television from their 
beds, ultimately causing harm to spine and posture. Many other activities 
such as reading and conversing require an adjusted body posture. And for 
many sick or handicapped people adjustable beds are a must, as evidenced 
by the fact that all beds in hospitals are adjustable. 
Presently made adjustable beds have some additional important 
disadvantages. One is the absence of a separate adjustment of the head in 
relation to the back, causing many people to place a number of pillows 
under their head while watching TV or reading. This in turn results often 
in falling asleep in such unproper and health detrimental position of a 
sharply bend head. An adjustment by remote control is easier than 
rearranging pillows. 
Another disadvantage of presently built adjustable beds is the fact that 
mattresses are not held securely on the supporting assembly and are apt to 
move out when supports are adjusted for height, restrained mostly by a "U" 
type fixture connected to the foot end. This present fixture does not look 
good and does not restrain the mattress from raising in the center. 
A very important disadvantage of presently built beds is the use of a 
separate power movement for each adjustable feature, usually a screw type 
drive with an electric motor. This is a handicap to multi-featured 
adjustable beds, as every additional feature required such addition of 
cost and weight and serves as restraint to the development of low cost, 
multi-featured adjustable beds. So far only one type of two-feature bed is 
built, but both features, back and knee have to be operated together, as 
the motor activates both features at the same time, in effect not 
producing an separate adjustment for the different body parts. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
With the foregoing state of the art in mind the invention has the following 
objectives: 
1. To provide a simplified adjustable body supporting assembly in order to 
reduce cost and make it attainable to more people; 
2. To provide an adjustable assembly with more adjustable features; 
3. To provide such adjustable assembly with a simplified means of 
operation; 
4. To provide such an adjustable assembly with a simple and secure means of 
holding the mattress in position irrespective of the movements of supports 
for adjustment of position by providing the mattress with a means to 
insert the body supports; 
5. To provide such an adjustable assembly with the additional feature of 
adjustable headrest by inserting an inflatable bladder on the upper 
portion of the backrest or dividing the backrest into two transverse parts 
and providing the upper part with a separate means for adjustment in 
relation to the lower part. 
6. To provide such adjustable assembly with a simple foundation type panel 
serving as base for the body supporting assembly mounted on it and to 
place between that panel and the movable parts of the body supporting 
assembly inflatable bladders for adjustment together with controls, 
conduits and a source of fluid such as an compressor; 
7. To provide such adjustable assembly with wheels and means for manual or 
powered mobility such as electric motors; 
8. To provide such adjustable body supporting assembly with individually 
adjustable leg supports, for adjustable elevation and slant; 
9. To provide such leg supports as separate and parallel individually 
adjustable supports and cover them or the whole assembly with a flexible 
and expanding material or mattress to bridge the gaps between individual 
adjusted supports; 
10. To provide such assembly with an expandable leg or wheelbase, capable 
to retract for sitting or moving; 
11. To provide an attachable traction device capable to operate by pressure 
exerted with an inflatable bladder, and to cause alternating strain and 
relaxation by inflation or deflation and in any required or preset timing. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The foregoing objects are achieved by providing a base which includes legs 
that engage the floor, a frame supported by said legs and surface members 
stretching from one side of the frame to the other side onto which 
individually inflatable bags are positioned at supporting points and a 
body supporting assembly resting with its bottom members on said 
inflatable bags. If the horizontal position of the body supporting 
assembly is to be changed in relation to the base, inflation and deflation 
of one pair of inflatable bags at an end side will affect a longitudinal 
adjustment of the respective side, inflation and deflation of a 
combination of 2 individually inflatable bags one out of each pair 
comprising the inflatable support at a long side, will affect a transverse 
adjustment of the body supporting assembly, and the inflation and 
deflation of the combination of all 4 bags will provide adjustment for 
height of the whole body supporting assembly. 
Similarly, the angle of sections of a sectionally divided body supporting 
assembly could be adjusted by inflation and deflation of a combination of 
the inflatable bags on which the respective parts rest. To provide 
adjustment of the body supporting assembly in relation to the base 
combined with adjustment of the different sections of a divided body 
supporting assembly a panel linked to the base is interposed between the 
base and the body supporting assembly. The inflatable bags positioned on 
the base effect adjustment of the panel, and inflatable bags positioned 
between the panel and the back section of the body supporting assembly at 
its pivotal connection to a middle support mounted on said panel and 
between the panel and the knee support at its pivotal connection to the 
other side of said middle support provide for adjustment of said back and 
knee support relative to said middle support. An additional inflatable bag 
positioned at the pivotal connection of a leg support and the second side 
of said knee support, and supporting said leg support while resting 
against a member extending at a right angle downward from the knee 
support, causes adjustment of said leg support relative to the knee 
support by inflation and deflation. 
It is evident that by using a combination of inflatable bags the occupant 
can assume a great variety of positions as may be required for comfort, 
for functions and for care. A continued inflation of bags positioned 
between the base and the interposing panel will provide a swining movement 
of that panel and the body supporting assembly mounted on said panel when 
the panel is linked to foot near portion of the base, and this will move 
the occupant into vertically elevated positions of sitting and standing 
up. Similarily, a deflation will cause the position of the occupant to 
change from standing up to sitting, reclining and lying down. 
Providing a mattress like assembly of inflatable bags over the body 
supporting assembly covered with a flexible layer improves the comfort of 
the occupant by giving adjustment of pressures at individually selected 
parts and when outfitted with a timer mechanism, a sequencial inflation 
and deflation to provide relief from pressures and their effects. 
On a simplified version one or two mattresses may be used, although in most 
cases one good mattress will provide all the resilent comfort required. 
The mattress may be fitted with transvers pockets on each side, permitting 
insertion of support plates into the mattress which can be turned around 
or with a zipper at the head side, permitting both the placement of an 
inflatable headrest, and the insertion of a complete assembly of pivotally 
connected plates serving as adjustable body supports, except for the plate 
in the center, which is mounted to the foundation panel. When the mattress 
is fitted with transverse pockets, the plate assembly is inserted from 
both ends into the pockets, thereby loosing their visibility and holding 
the mattress securely in position, irrespective of the adjustable 
movements. 
The assembly of plates can be made in a sandwich type form by gluing a 
flexible material as inner ply of the plates and thus connecting one plate 
to the other, or by fastening a flexible material from one or both sides 
to the plates, whereby the flexible material serves as hinge. Thus heavy 
framing or hinges can be eliminated together with the accompanying noise. 
In another modification of the invention, the plates forming the back and 
knee parts of the assembly are prolonged downward, and extend below the 
pivoting point. Pressure from an inflatable bladder placed between the 
downward extending part and the panel part which forms the center part of 
the plate assembly, or on which the centerpart of said plate assembly is 
mounted, is pushing the downward extention down and thus the support up in 
relation to the foundation panel and serve for adjustment by inflation or 
deflation. The support plates are less apt to move into the 
counter-pressure direction then in the simplified embodiment, where 
springs may be required to secure the supports. 
An additional bladder placed similarly between a downward extention of the 
upper half of a divided back plate and the lower half of the back from 
behind, will cause the headpart to move upward in relation to the back and 
thus serve effectively for the adjustment of the head for activities such 
as TV viewing or reading. 
Another additional bladder placed between as right angle extention of 
either the knee or legrest and the other respective support will provide 
by inflation or delation for adjustment of the legrest in relation to the 
knee. 
The above mentioned modification of the invention whereby the back and knee 
plates extend downward, can in the above simplified manner of a relative 
inexpensive foundation panel be modified to be operated with screwdrive 
electric motors which are pivotally mounted to such extention or to a 
member secured to said back or knee plate on one side and on the other 
side pivotally secured to a head or foot part of the foundation panel. 
This also is possible because of the improved and simplified means of 
construction as shown in this invention and will lead to the reduction of 
cost and price. Ultimately lower cost and price will be achieved by the 
fluid powered versions which can at the same time power additional 
features at little extra cost. 
One additional important feature could be provided for adjustable 
positioning or elevation of each leg separately, by two parallel mounted 
legrests, each powered by an inflatable tube mounted to the bottom and 
extending from the knee support to below the legsupport whereby increased 
inflation the pivoting legrest is elevated until it is aligned with the 
kneesupport. A flexible mattress or expanding covering will serve to 
bridge gaps between separately adjusted supports and to cover the whole 
assembly. 
A simplified but versatile traction device is an additional novel feature, 
capable to operate by the source of fluid under pressure operating the 
lounger-bed. The device will be attached to the supporting assembly 
structure at the required position, the human body part tied to a movable 
member of this traction device, and the required strain or relaxation 
caused by inflation or deflation of an bladder pressing against said 
device-member to any selected position, or selectively causing alternating 
strain and relaxation in a selected or sequented manner, or progressively 
increasing the strain. With this multi-featured traction device, a more 
progressive and less painful traction system is provided over the existing 
art. 
Another important novel feature using the fluid under pressure as power 
source is provided with the power operated extendable leg or wheelbase, 
required to retract for moving and turning purposes. This novel feature is 
accomplished by mounting the rearward extending legs in a pivoting manner 
just below the pivoting point of the leg support to the knee support, and 
resting on said rearward extending legs of the base the inflatable bladder 
serving for adjustment of the knee support relative to the base while 
inflating the bladder for more horizontal positioning of the knee support 
for sitting purposes, pressure is exerted against the rearward extending 
legs and causes them to contract, with the fixed front legs of the base 
resting on the floor, in a manner similar to the opening of scissors. 
Similarely, when the bladder is deflated for reclining purposes of the 
knee support serving as seat part, the rearward extending legs expand 
outward and increase the leg or wheelbase providing increased stability 
for horizontal positions. In a more refined embodiment of this invention 
serving for wheel chair purposes a expanding wheelbase with scissor type 
horizontal elements is expanded and retracted by means of inflating or 
deflating tube like bladders operating in part against counter-acting 
springs. This in itself is an important advancement of the art, as the use 
of fluid under pressure to operate with simple bladders various features, 
permits the building of relative light multi-featured wheeled loungers or 
beds, whereas under the present art wheelchairs are built with heavy 
weight and high cost screw type electric motors or hydraulic cylinders for 
each feature

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A multi feature adjustable lounger bed of novel design is shown in FIG 1. A 
foundation like base panel 1, which can be put into regular bedframes or 
supported on its own legs 28,29 and the casters 30,31 serves to support an 
mattress like upper part 25 supported by pivotally connected panels 
2,3,4,5 which are inserted within the covering 59 into transverse openings 
as shown in more detail in FIG. 2 as 34, so as to make the structural and 
operating parts less visible, and to make the upper part look like a 
regular mattress, while actually including the adjustable elements for 
back and knee and the novel adjustments for head and legs. 
A sandwich type formation with a flexible material as the center layer 
serves in this embodiment for the pivoting panel assembly composed of the 
back panel 2, the middle panel 3, the knee panel 4 and the leg panel 5. 
The outer layers 60 encompass the flexible layer 24 shown here as serving 
for the pivotal connection the middle panel 3 to the knee panel 4. An 
inflatable bladder 7 is positioned on the upper portion of the backrest 2 
and serves by inflation or deflation for adjusted elevation of an 
occupants head in relation to said backrest. The bladder 7 is connected by 
conduit 8 to the control and valve 14 on the control board. Pushing said 
control to an "open" position and activating the fluid flow in the desired 
direction by means of the three position control 19 will provide the 
desired inflation or deflation. 
An extention 22 of the back panel 2 which is pivotally mounted to the 
middle panel 3, is extending downward into a recess divided by member 9 
serving also as transverse transom of the foundation type base panel 1. A 
bladder 10 positioned between said extention 22 and the bottom side of the 
middle panel 3, serves for raising or lowering the back panel 2 by 
inflation or deflation provided from a fluid source through conduit 13, 
control and valve 20 on the control panel. Similarely, bladder 11 together 
with conduit 12 and control and valve 18 serves for adjustment of the knee 
panel 4 in relation to said middle panel 3 by means of the pressure 
extended on the extention 23 of said knee panel 4. 
A tube like bladder 26 is shown here supporting the leg panel 5. The tube 
itself is mounted onto the bottom of the knee panel and is held securely 
by holder 27 so as to extend from a folding position, which permits the 
adjustable bending of the leg as shown in FIG. 1, to a straight outward 
position in direct alignment with the knee panel when inflated. Inflation 
and deflation of bladder 26 through conduits 15 and control and valve 17 
will provide any desired positioning of the leg panel. 
A covering and mattress 35 is shown in FIG. 2. The covering is provided on 
both the upper and the lower side with transverse openings 34, serving to 
insert the back panel into the direction of the head, and the leg and knee 
panel into the direction of the foot. The part of the cover covering the 
center part 32 is shown extending below the cover of the transverse 
openings 33. Being provided with transverse openings on both sides, the 
mattress can be reversed. 
A modified embodiment for the assumption of various positions as may be 
required for special treatment and care is shown in FIG. 3. The base panel 
58 is more compact and provided with greater wheels 55,57 for better 
movement. A mattress like body supporting assembly 36 has a back panel 2 
pivotally mounted at 39 to middle panel 3. A knee panel 4 is pivotally 
mounted at 38 to said middle panel at its other transverse side, and a leg 
panel 5 is pivotally mounted at 37 to the other transverse side of said 
knee panel. An inflatable bellow type bladder serves for elevation of the 
middle panel in relation to the base panel. The bellow type bladder 41 is 
connected by conduits 44 to the fluid source by means of control and valve 
52. The middle panel is securely held to the base panel by means of 
scissor type links, which can be locked to a desired position 54. A bellow 
type bladder 42 is resting on the base panel 58 and supporting the back 
panel 2. The bladder 42 is connected by conduit 43 and control and valve 
53 to the source of fluid, and since the middle panel is in an elevated 
position, an deflation of bellow 42 will cause the back panel to slant 
downward, and inflation will cause the back panel to assume any desired 
position of elevation. Similarely, bellow 40 with conduit 45 control and 
valve 4 will cause by deflation to lower the knee panel 4 and by inflation 
to elevate said panel to a selected position. The tube like bladder 26 is 
supporting the leg panel 5 in a bend position when deflated and raises 
said leg panel in relation to the knee panel, when inflated to a selected 
position. The bladder 26 is connected to the fluid source by conduit 46 
control and valve 48, and inflation or deflation is caused by pushing the 
control knob 51 in the desired direction. This method of operation 
eliminates the need for electrically operated parts in case of danger from 
oxygen, but electrical control buttoms serving each bladder in both 
directions will simplify the controls. 
A modification of the special treatment and care lounger bed described in 
FIG. 3, is shown in FIG. 4. The middle panel 63 of the body supporting 
assembly 36 is raised by means of member 66 positioned on each side 
between said middle panel and the base panel 1. A turnable member 72 is 
pivotally mounted to part 73 mounted for pivoting purposes on the base 
panel. The turnable member 72 is shown locked into an upright position to 
stop a downward movement of the back panel 62, and align said back panel 
with the fixed middle panel for regular use as an upward adjustable bed. 
However, when the turnable member is turned downward into a flat position 
as shown in 74, the back panel can be adjusted downward by means of 
deflation of the bellow type bladder 42. Similarely, the knee panel can be 
secured into a regular aligned position with the middle panel by means of 
turnable member 70 which is pivotally mounted to the base panel at 71, and 
the leg panel 65, secured by means of the turnable member 67 pivoted to 
the base panel at 68. The bellow 40 with conduit 45 and control 49 serve 
for the adjustment of the knee panel to a selected position, and the tube 
like bladder 26 with conduits 46 and control 48 serves for adjustment of 
the leg panel in relation to the knee panel. 
This embodiment as shown in FIG. 4 when fitted with a handheld remote 
control can serve for many care purposes and provide, especially when 
fitted with the additional feature of raising the whole body supporting 
assembly by means of an inflatable bladder below the middle panel as shown 
in FIG. 3, for many hospital purposes for which at present different beds 
are needed to provide different features. 
The embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 can both serve as multi feature hospital 
bed, and in a more compact form as a kind of transporter, to transfer 
persons, to move them outside and sit them up, to raise the transporter to 
bed height for easy transfer of patients, and to help recuperating persons 
to get up, from a position adjusted for such purpose. The transporter can 
be provided with its own fluid source in the form a small airpump powered 
from a battery, or moved by an attendant and hooked up on location and 
with the additional feature of the adjustable headrest of this invention. 
Turning now to FIG. 5 a more compact version of the lounger bed is shown in 
position for reclining. The headrest 75 which is formed by the upper 
portion 76 of the divided back panel 81 is pivoted by means of spring 
loaded hinges 104 to said back panel and is adjusted forward by means of 
inflating the bladder 78 positioned between said back panel and the 
extention 77 of the headrest panel 76. Conduit 79 leads to fluid source 
through control 96 on control box 97. When operated by a hand held or side 
arm fixed remote control, the valves and controls in the box 97 are 
activated by electric or other impulses. Similarly, the back panel is 
adjusted in relation to the combined middle and knee panel 88 by means of 
bladder 83, conduit 84 and control 95. 
This lounger bed is provided with a relative short base for easier movement 
and better turning by having a divided support structure serving as 
expandable base. The front support 102 is fixedly mounted to the front 
part of the combined middle and knee support serving as seating portion. 
When not provided with casters, or when provided with securable wheels, 
this front support will serve as lower pivoting point for the lounger bed. 
The rear support is extending diagonally upward, and is pivotally mounted 
to the front of the seating portion, with a bladder positioned on said 
support structure 100, below the panel 87. When bladder 88 is inflated it 
causes a swinging movement to the whole lounger assembly by pressing on 
the rear support structure 100, causing it to move toward the front 
support and thus effectively shortening the base, and at the same time 
move the front of the seating portion 86 forward and a little bit upward, 
while raising the back of the seating portion to any desired position of 
eleva- such as may be required for desk work, viewing and other purposes. 
This upward movement can be continued by further inflation of bladder 88 
and reach a semi vertical position to facilitate the exit or sitting down 
of persons in need of such additional feature. The bladder 88 is served by 
control 94 of box 97 directly or by remote control. 
The legrest 89 of this modification of the invention is made up of 
pivotally hinged members 90, 91, and 92, and is provided with a tube like 
bladder extending from below the seating portion in a manner which causes 
the inflation of bladder 98 to extend the legrest members forward. A 
partial deflation will cause the legrest members to a lower position, but 
still providing an uninterrupted continuous body support, and a further 
deflation will cause the tube to fold permitting the legrest members to 
fold down and inward by means of the spring loaded hinges 105, 106 and 107 
serving as the pivoting connections of said legrest members and as 
pivoting connection to the seating portion of the lounger. 
Turning now to FIG. 7, a further modification of the previous embodiment is 
shown with certain parts in section. The adjustment of the headrest is 
accomplished here by the inflatable bladder 128 positioned at the upper 
part of backrest 133. An extention of the back panel 129 shown as 132 is 
pressured outward by bladder 151. This bellow type bladders is interposing 
between said extention and the bottom of the rear seating portion 144 
against panel 155. Inflation of said bladder causes the backrest 133 to 
swing forward in relation to the seating portion 144, while delation 
causes the backrest to swing rearward up to a semi aligned position with 
the seating portion which when lowered, moves the rear support structure 
further backward and thus effectively increase the leg and wheelbase, a 
very important requirement for more horizontal reclining. This is achieved 
by deflation of the bladder 150, positioned on said rear support structure 
and against panel 155 of the seating portion, and inflation of this bellow 
bladder is causing an elevating movement of the seating portion, pivoted 
at 147. The legrest composed of members 145, 146, and 156 is shown folded 
downward, with the tube like inflatable bladder 148 folded inward. 
Inflation of said tube like bladder which is mounted to the bottom of the 
front seat portion at 157, will cause the tube to expand against the 
spring held retracted legrest members and to elevate the uninterrupted 
continuation of the body-supporting assembly to a selected position. 
A further important novel feature is shown in this embodiment by the mode 
of pivoting armrest side elements to the lounger structure 159 which is 
fixedly connected with the seating portion, and the means of raising said 
armrests by inflating a bladder positioned between the downward extentions 
159 of said armrests, and extending said armrests forward by means of a 
fluid operated cylinder as shown at 161 and piston 160. 
These extendable armrests as shown in FIG. 7 can be provided with multiply 
cylinders, one extending out of the other, and thus provide a more 
extendable support, which can serve well many persons suffering from weak 
legs, as these develop usually strong arms, and serve to support them on 
their arms, or below the arms for transfer, standing up or sitting down. 
Similarly, the pivoting and extendable side elements can serve as 
siderails on the hospital type beds. 
Another important feature of novel design is shown in FIG. 6, as traction 
device utilizing the same source of power as provided for the other 
features of the invention, and thus complementing the hospital type and 
care beds with this important device at relative low cost. The device 
consists of a mounting arrangement with horizontal extending member 121 
positioned below a body-supporting panel and secured with screws against 
said panel, while upper horizontal member 125 is positioned above said 
body support. Both horizontal members 121 and 125 are mounted on to a 
vertical member 120 to which another semi vertical member 115 is pivotally 
mounted at 117. An inflatable bladder 116 is positioned between said 
members 115 and 120, and causes by inflation member 115 to move outward. A 
harnessing assembly 112 is shown positioned and secured to human body part 
110 at one side at at the other side attached to a hook 114 connected to 
member 115 at its upper end. 
Inflation of said bladder 116 can be adjusted by means of control 120 on 
control box 126 for the required strain, or by means of a pre-set control 
system to alternating strain and relaxation, and also as all other 
features, by remote control.