Adjustable hospital and nursing home bed

The adjustable hospital and nursing home bed, has a three-part support frame for mattresses, the head, middle and foot part of which are pivotably connected to one another via pivot shafts and are supported in a suspension frame of a bed frame such that they are pivotable in height directly by means of a force provider, preferably a gas spring and indirectly via a lever linkage. The suspension frame is embodied such that it is divided transversely to the longitudinal direction of the bed and such that it can be taken apart, and is retained removably on head- and footboards of the bed frame. The headboard and footboard are embodied such that they telescope within one another and are continuously adjustable in height along with the suspension frame and the support frame, by means of gas springs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to an adjustable hospital and nursing home bed, 
having a three-part support frame for mattresses, the head, middle and 
foot frame portions of which are pivotably connected to one another via 
pivot shafts and are supported in such a manner as to be adjustable in 
height in a suspension frame of a bed frame by a force provider, 
preferably a gas spring, directly or indirectly via a lever linkage. 
2. The Prior Art 
A hospital and nursing home bed of this kind is disclosed in German Utility 
Model No. 85 13 264, but its suspension frame forms an intrinsically 
inseparable structural unit, so the complete bed is relatively bulky to 
store and ship. 
Furthermore, only the height of the support frame parts with respect to the 
stationary suspension frame can be adjusted, so that this adjustment 
option often is inadequate. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is to embody a hospital and nursing 
home bed of the above generic type such that it can be knocked down and 
stored and shipped in a space-saving manner, and so that dismantling and 
assembling of the bed parts and of the adjusting mechanism can be done 
quickly and reliably with relatively few manual operations. 
According to the invention, this object is attained by providing that the 
suspension frame is embodied such that it is divided transversely to the 
longitudinal direction of the bed such that it can be taken apart and is 
retained removably on head and footboards of the bed frame. The division 
of the suspension frame is located inside the two long struts in the 
abutting region between the head part and the middle part of the support 
frame and their pivot shafts on the suspension frame. The head part of the 
frame is supported in one U-shaped suspension part, and the middle and 
foot parts of the support frame are supported in the second U-shaped 
suspension frame part, such that they are pivotable in height. The 
suspension frame parts are removable from the head and footboard, 
respectively. The two long struts of the two support frame parts are 
plugged into one another in the abutting division region and this plug 
connection is locked by means of one screw, plug bolts, or the like. 
Offset plug-in extensions are provided on the long struts of one of the 
parts of the suspension frame. These extensions fit into the long struts 
of the second suspension frame part. The suspension frame has laterally 
secured bearing brackets with protrusions on the head and foot end of its 
two suspension frame parts, and suspension brackets having suspension 
slits are secured to the head and footboard. The suspension frame parts 
are detachably suspended with their protrusions in these suspension slits. 
The gas spring articulately engages two adjacent frame parts, and the two 
levers of the lever linkage, which is supported on the two adjacent frame 
parts and are couplable to one another kinetically, are detachably 
connected at a connecting point located at one side of the support frame 
division. The gas spring rests pivotably with one long end in the pivot 
shaft on a lever secured to the head part of the support frame with its 
other long end, with a transverse bolt, removably suspended in suspension 
hooks of one traverse strut of the suspension frame part, and is secured 
in the suspended position by a U-shaped shackle that can be slipped onto 
this end. 
The transverse bolt, with suspension protrusions on its face ends, engages 
angular suspension slits of two suspension hooks. The transverse bolt in 
the suspension position is located between the two suspension hooks and 
the U-shaped shackle, inserted from above, resting with its transverse 
strut between the vertical edge and the hook protrusions of the suspension 
hooks and with its downwardly oriented legs fitting over the face ends of 
the transverse bolt and extending in front of the suspension protrusions, 
thereby fixing the suspension protrusions in the slit ends of the 
suspension slits. 
A transverse rod, serving as a pivot shaft, extends through the extension 
hooks, having one bend hand lever on each of its two long ends, and a push 
lever is disposed between the suspension hooks. This push lever, when the 
transverse rod is pivoted, actuates a control pin of the gas spring. 
The force provider maybe embodied by an electric motor having a threaded 
spindle that is displaceable in a telescoping fashion. This threaded 
spindle pivotably rests with one end in the pivot shaft on the lever of 
the head part of the support frame and is removably suspended, with a 
transverse bolt disposed on the electric motor, in suspension hooks of the 
suspension frame part and is fixed in the suspended position by means of a 
U-shaped shackle that can be slipped onto it. 
A further object is an improved and expanded adjusting option compared with 
the known beds of this kind, specifically providing a separate adjustment 
for the head part of the frame, a joint adjustment of the head, middle and 
foot part of the frame, and an additional adjustment in height of the 
head, middle and foot parts of the frame. 
This object is attained by providing that a shaft, with a bushing slipped 
over it, is disposed on the head part of the support frame in a coaxial 
extension to its pivot shaft. Two lever arms having a transverse rod 
located between them and extending parallel to the shaft, are secured on 
this bushing in an extension of the head part of the support frame. A 
shackle is welded to the middle part of the support frame, the shackle 
extending with a gap below the transverse rod when the head part is in the 
horizontal position and entering into an articulated pivot connection with 
the transverse rod. A separable locking device having a spring-loaded 
locking bar and two catches secure on the bushing and on the shaft and 
penetrated by the locking rod, is provided on the shaft and bushing. 
The headboard and footboard are embodied as telescoping with one another 
and are continuously adjustably in height one with a suspension frame and 
the support frame by means of gas springs. 
The headboard and footboard are each embodied by a U-shape shackle, with 
the suspension brackets secured thereon and removably retaining the 
suspension frame. Two tubes engaging the inside of the legs of the 
U-shaped shackle from below and joined by a transverse strut are provided 
wherein a vertical gas spring 10 extends from between the two transverse 
struts and the horizontal cross bar of the U-shaped shackle. 
The gas spring, with its displaceable piston rod, is firmly supported on a 
bearing secured to the transverse strut. A foot pedal that is pivotable 
about a horizontal shaft actuates the gas spring being supported in the 
bearing, and the foot pedal is secured against unintentional actuation by 
means of a securing ring disposed pivotably on the transverse strut. 
The scope of the invention encompasses not only the characteristics of the 
individual claims but also their combination with one another. 
The advantages of the invention are as follows: 
1. The complete hospital and nursing home bed is embodied such that it can 
be knocked down; its suspension frame, with the support frame adjustably 
retained in the suspension frame, can be taken apart transversely to the 
longitudinal direction and removed from the headboard and footboard, thus 
creating bed parts that are compact and thus can be stored and shipped in 
a space-saving manner. 
2. Assembly and dismantling of the bed parts can be done conveniently and 
quickly with few manual operations, and the connecting points of the bed 
parts have connecting means that mesh reliably and stably with one 
another. 
3. By the use of a gas spring or a motor-driven telescoping spindle, a 
separate adjustment of the inclination of the head part of the frame is 
attainable, and in combination with the lever linkage, an adjustment of 
the inclination of the head and middle parts of the frame simultaneously, 
in a separate pivoting motion, is possible. 
4. These adjusting devices (telescoping springs or telescoping spindle and 
lever linkage) are easy to remove at their connecting points when the bed 
is dismantled. 
5. Because the headboard and footboard are continuously adjustable in 
height in telescoping fashion by means of gas springs, the height of the 
suspension frame and supporting frame can also be set, independently of 
the setting for the inclination of the support frame, which makes it 
possible for the entire bed to be individually set. 
Still other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present 
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading 
of the following detailed description of the embodiments constructed in 
accordance therewith, taken in conjunction with the accompanyinq drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The adjustable hospital and nursing home bed has a three-part support frame 
for mattresses, which comprises a head, middle and foot part 1, 2, 3; 
these three frame parts 1, 2, 3 are pivotably connected within a 
suspension frame 7 and to one another and via pivot shafts 4, 5, 6 and are 
supported in this suspension frame 7 such that they are directly 
adjustable in height by a force provider, preferably a gas spring 8, and 
indirectly via a lever linkage 9. 
The suspension frame 7, together with a headboard and footboard 10, 11, 
respectively, forms a bed frame. The support frame 7 is divided transverse 
to the longitudinal direction of the bed and is embodied such that it can 
be taken apart and is removably retained on the headboard and footboards 
10, 11. 
The dividing line of the support frame 7 is located in its two long struts 
12a, 13a in the abutting region 14 between the head part 1 and middle part 
2 of the support frame and their pivot shafts 5, 6 on the suspension frame 
7; as a result, the support frame 7 is divided into two support frame 
parts 12, 13, each having a basically U-shaped form, which two frame parts 
12, 13 are removably connected to one another. The two long struts 12a, 
13a, which extend on both sides of the suspension frame 7 and thus 
parallel to the suspension frame parts 12, 13, are inserted into one 
another at the dividing point 14, and this plug-in connection is locked in 
place by a screw 15, a plug bolt or the like. 
The long struts 12a, 13a are embodied by profiled tubes having a polygonal 
cross section, for instance a square or rectangular cross section, and the 
two long struts 12a have offset insertion extensions 12b, with which they 
fit into the long struts 13a. 
The screw 15 in each case meshes with the inside of this plug connection 
12b, 13a. 
The suspension frame 7, at the head and foot end of its two suspension 
frame parts 12, 13, has laterally secured support brackets 16 with 
protrusions 17, and suspension brackets 18 with suspension slits 19 are 
secured to the headboard 10 and footboard 
The suspension frame 7 is detachably suspended with the protrusions 17 in 
the suspension slits 19 of the headboard 10 and footboard 11. 
Each support bracket 16 has two protrusions 17, one above the other, and 
each suspension bracket 18 has an upper vertical suspension slit 19 and a 
lower suspension slit 19 extending at an angle. 
The head part 1 of the support frame is supported such that it is 
adjustable in height in one part 12 of the suspension frame, while the 
middle and foot parts 2, 3 of the support frame are supported, adjustably 
in height, in the second suspension frame part 13. Thus, the suspension 
frame part 12 and head part 1 of the support frame are detachable from the 
suspension frame part 13, and the other two support frame parts 2, 3, and 
both suspension frame parts 12, 13, with their support frame parts 1 or 2, 
3, respectively, are removable from the associated headboard 1o or 
footboard 11. 
The gas spring 8 serves to adjust the height of the head part 1 of the 
support frame and, in combination with the lever linkage 9, to pivot the 
height of the middle and foot parts 2, 3 of the support frame. The gas 
spring 8 is pivotably supported at two adjacent parts of the frame, that 
is, on the head part 1 of the support frame and also on the suspension 
frame part 12, and is detachable from the head part 1 on which it is 
pivotably supported. 
As FIGS. 2 and 5 show, the support spring 8, with one long end, rests in 
the pivot shaft 20 in levers 21 secured to the head part 1 of the support 
frame. The displaceable piston rod 8a of the gas spring 8, at its free 
end, has a cross bolt 22, with suspension protrusions 23 protruding from 
both face ends, and this cross bolt 22, with its suspension protrusion 23, 
engages angular suspension slits 24 of two suspension hooks 25, which are 
secured on a cross strut 26 of the suspension frame part 13. 
In the suspended position, the cross bolt 22 is located between the two 
suspension hooks 25, and the suspension hooks 23 extend within the 
suspension slits 24. 
Securing of this suspension connection is effected by a U-shaped shackle 
27, which from above fits over both face ends of the cross bolt 22, and 
with its cross beam 27a rests between the vertical edge 25a and the hook 
protrusions 25b of the suspension hooks 25, and with its legs 27b oriented 
downward is placed in front of the suspension protrusions 23 and fixes it 
in the end 24a of the suspension slits 24 (see FIGS. 2 and 3a, as well as 
FIG. 5). 
For locking the detachable suspension connection, the U-shaped shackle 27 
is simply fitted on from above and then is selfholding. 
To disconnect the suspension connection, U-shaped shackle 27 is removed 
upwardly, so that the cross bolt 22 and its suspension protrusion 23 can 
be removed from the suspension hook 25. 
A transverse rod 28 extends through the suspension hook 25 and serves as a 
pivot shaft, which is equipped on both long ends with a bent hand lever 
29. A push lever 30 is attached to the transverse rod 28, for actuating a 
control pin 31 of the gas spring 8 upon pivoting of the transverse rod. 
The person in the bed pivots the hand lever 29, thus pressing the push 
lever 30 against the control pin 31, which actuates the gas spring 8, 
which then extends or retracts again in order to pivot the head part I of 
the support frame. 
A stop 32 secured to the suspension hook 25 is provided for the push lever 
30 in the outset position. 
In the variant embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 3a, the force provider is embodied 
by an electric motor 33 having a threaded spindle 34 that is displaceable 
in telescoping fashion; the threaded spindle 34, in turn, is pivotably 
supported with one end in the pivot shaft 20 on the lever 21 of the head 
part 1 of the support frame, and with a cross bolt 22 protruding from the 
electric motor is detachably suspendable in the suspension hook 25 and 
fixable by means of the U-shaped shackle 27. 
This detachable suspension connection is equivalent to the embodiment of 
FIGS. 2 and 2a. 
The threaded spindle 34 is embodied in two parts. One spindle part 34a is 
rotated by the motor 33, causing the other spindle part 34b to execute a 
displacement motion in the longitudinal direction. 
The cross bolt 22 is secured to the motor 33 via spacers 2a. 
As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 5-7, the head part 1 of the support frame 
has a shaft 35 in a coaxial extension of its pivot shaft 6; a bushing 36 
is slipped over this shaft 35. Two lever arms 37 are welded to the bushing 
36 in an extension of the head part 1, and between them a transverse rod 
38, preferably surrounded by a roller (not shown), is inserted parallel to 
the shaft 35. 
A shackle 39 is welded to the middle part 2 of the support frame, which 
protrudes past the pivot shaft 5 toward the head part 1 with a segment 2a 
functioning as a lever arm; the shackle 39 extends below the transverse 
rod 38 by a gap S, when the head part 1 is located horizontally. 
The transverse rod 38 with its roller and its lever arms 37, together with 
the U shaped shackle 39, form the lever linkage 9 and produce a partly 
articulated connection, on the condition that the bushing 36 is connected 
to the shaft 35. 
In the position shown in FIG. 5, the articulated connection is separated 
about the gap S, because the middle support frame part 2 is held in a 
horizontal position. If the head support frame part 1 is pivoted about the 
angle W, for instance 10 to 15.degree. then the articulated connection 
comes into engagement in that the transverse rod 38 presses on the 
U-shaped shackle 39, and upon further pivoting, the middle part 2 of the 
support frame is jointly pivoted about its shaft 5. 
The shape and inclination of the legs of the shackle 39 with respect to the 
radius of the path of motion of the transverse rod 38 defines the ratio of 
the inclinations of the two frame parts 1, 2 to one another. 
In the embodiment shown, once engagement of the articulated connection 38, 
39 begins, the middle frame part 2 is positioned with a relatively 
pronounced increase in pivot angle, which decreases once again as pivoting 
continues. 
With the pivoting of the middle frame part 2, a pivoting of the foot frame 
part 3 is performed simultaneously. 
The foot frame part 3 can also be guide by a known height guide means 40 
and/or by a gas spring 40 having a hand lever 40a when the middle frame 
part is pivoted, or can be adjusted in height in a separate operation (see 
FIG. 1). 
For pivoting the head and middle frame parts 1, 2, the shaft 35 and the 
bushing 36 are coupled to one another by a locking device 41. 
This locking device 41 has two cooperating catches 42, 43. Catch 43, is 
secured to the shaft 35 and catch 42 is secured to the bushing 36. These 
two catches 42, 43 extend downward in an angle, preferably a right angle, 
to the lever arms 37. A sheath 44, in which a locking bar 45 is 
displaceably supported, is secured to the catch 43. 
The locking bar 45 protrudes at both ends from the sheath 44 and at one end 
has an operating button 46, while its other end, in the locking position, 
engages a bore 47 of the catch 42 secured to the bushing 36. 
A prestressed compression spring 48, which retains the locking bar 45 in 
the bore 47, is located in the sheath 44. The locking bar 45 is secured 
against torsion in the locking position by a cross pin 49, which 
cooperates with an axial slit 50 in the sheath 44. 
By pulling on the knob 46 counter to the spring force, the locking bar 45 
can be removed from the bore 47 into the unlocking position, whereupon the 
cross pin 49, by rotation of the knob 46, can be moved into a flat groove 
51 on the face end of the sheath 45, and the locking bar 45 can thus be 
retained in the unlocking position. 
The kinetic connection of the shaft 35 and bushing 3 is thus broken, and 
the head part 1 of the support frame can be pivoted by the gas spring 8, 
while the middle part 2 remains in 15 its horizontal position. 
As can be seen from FIG. 1, the headboard 10 and footboard 11 are each 
continuously adjustable in height by mean of one gas spring 52 for each of 
them, and when this adjustment in height is made, the suspension frame 7 
along with the support frame 1, 2, 3 is likewise adjusted in height. 
The headboard and footboard 10, 11 are each embodied by one U-shaped 
shackle 53, with the support brackets 18 secured to it and holding the 
suspension frame 7 in a removable manner, and by two tubes 54 engaging the 
inside of the legs of the U-shaped shackle 53 from below; these two tubes 
54 are joined by a transverse strut 55, on which rotatable and steerable 
wheels 56 are disposed. 
The vertical gas spring 52 extends between the transverse strut 55 and the 
horizontal cross bar of the U-shaped shackle 53; the displaceable piston 
rod 52 of the gas spring is firmly placed on a bearing 57 secured to the 
transverse strut 55. This bearing 57 receives a foot pedal 59 that is 
pivotable about a horizontal shaft 58 and in its pivoting actuates the 
control pin 52b of the gas spring 52 in order to extend and retract it. 
A securing ring 60 pivotably supported on the transverse strut 55 can be 
pivoted under the foot pedal 59, as FIG. 4 shows, and secures the foot 
pedal from unintentional actuation. For actuating the foot pedal, the 
securing ring 60 is pivoted out of the way underneath the foot pedal 59 in 
the direction of the arrow. 
As schematically shown in FIG. 1, it is also possible to dispose the gas 
spring 8 articulately between the head part 1 of the support frame and the 
suspension frame part 12; in that case, not only can the head part 1 be 
adjusted separately with respect to the suspension frame 7 by means of 
this gas spring 8, but also a joint pivoting of the middle part 2 of the 
support frame simultaneously with the locking of the lever linkage 9 by 
the cooperating pivot levers 3, 38/39 is possible. 
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal 
the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current 
knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such 
specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, 
therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and ar intended to be 
comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed 
embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology 
employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.