BED

Abstract: A rotary bed capable of raising the upper body of a physically handicapped or an aged lying on the bed until he sits on the bed sideways, or vice versa. The bed is divided into front and rear parts and provided with a turning mechanism to turn the front part in the forward or reverse direction, when viewed from above, with respect to the rear part.

Description: The present invention relates to a bed according to the preamble of claim 1, which is suitable for use by a physically handicapped person or an aged person having trouble in the body thereof. According to the document GB-A-1 259 181 which is considered to represent the closest prior art there is known a generic bed construction comprising four panels hinged together at adjacent edges, said panels representing bed sections which may be moved in respect to the bed frame and swung to different positions with respect to each other. As a bed used by a person having trouble in the body thereof, available is also a bed in which a part thereof supporting the upper half of a human body is pivotally provided to be moved upward and downward and the upper half of the human body can be raised from a condition that the person is laid on the back thereof to a condition that the person eats a meal or reads a book. Also, as a bed which is used for medical treatment, there are known beds used for the medical treatment of the spinal cord as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1977/27472 and Japanese Patent No. 86424. The bed for medical treatment disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Publication No. 1977/27472 is designed to treat an unusual spinal cord in such a manner to change the posture of a human body by pivoting somewhat rightward and leftward, moving somewhat forward and backward, or twisting somewhat the feet part of the bed. Also, the bed for medical treatment described in Japanese Patent No. 86424 is similarly designed to pivot rightward and leftward the feet part of the bed. Accordingly, either of the beds is the one used for spinal cord treatment in such a manner that the upper half of the body part of the bed is fixed, while the feet part, that is, the lower half of the body part is moved to cure a deformation of the spinal cord. In prior art beds, however, it has been very difficult for a physically handicapped person or an aged person having trouble in the body thereof to turn the body direction 90 degrees by one-self and then assume a posture such that the feet hang on the floor when the person comes down from a bed to the floor, is held by a male nurse, or carried on his back. The object of the present invention is to provide a bed capable of changing easily the posture of a physically handicapped person or an aged person having trouble in the body thereof from a posture of lying on the back of the body to a posture convenient to come down on the floor or to be held by a nurse. This object is achieved by the combination of the features defined in claim 1. Preferable embodiments of the invention are recited in the subclaims. In the following the invention is further illustrated by an embodiment with reference to the enclosed figures. Fig. 1 is a side view of the whole of a bed; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the whole of a bed; Fig. 3 is a side view of a pivoting frame; Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3.; Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 3.; Fig. 6 is a side view of a principal part of an actuating mechanism for actuating the pivoting frame; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the principal part; Fig. 8 is a principal part showing a condition of the mounting of a back supporting frame; Fig. 9 is a side view of a handrail; Fig. 10 is a side view showing a pivoting mechanism of the handrail; Fig. 11 is a front view of a principal part showing the pivoting of the handrail; Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15 are plan views showing drawings of the pivoting process of the pivoting mechanism for the pivoting frame; Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are side views of a pricipal part showing the operation and the process of the bending actuation of a front bed section; Fig. 21 is a side view showing the whole posture changed condition; Fig. 22 is a side view showing a posture when a person on the bed is taking a meal or a condition at a time when pivoting is started; Fig. 23 is a side view showing a condition that the pivoting frame has completed pivoting thereof and then a person goes gown and stands on the floor, or a condition that a person is held by a male nurse or carried on his back.; In the drawings, a fixed frame 1 of a bed is supported by front feet 2 and rear feet 3, the middle part the frame in the forward-backward direction is concaved downward when viewed from side, and a right side frame 1a and a left side frame 1b are properly connected by joining frames 1c when viewed from above. Signs 4 and 5 indicate a front board and a rear board, respectively. A pivoting frame 6 of the bed is fixed to a pivoting plate 8 which is pivotally provided by being supported upward and downward with bearings in a clearance between a lower fixed ring 7a fixed to the joining frame 1c located on the concave being the middle part of the fixed frame 1 and a upper fixed ring 7b integrally fixed to the lower fixed ring 7a. The pivoting frame 6 also comprises side frames 6a and 6b stretching in the forward-backward direction on the right and left side, a tie frame 6c, a tie frame 6c for connecting to the pivoting plate 8, a mounting frame 6d for connecting the tie frame 6c, and the like. The pivoting mechanism of the pivoting frame 6 will be explined hereinafter. First, fixed cams 9a and 9b are fixedly secured on the fixed ring 7b with the cams extending on the right and left side on the upper surface of the ring and is provided with cam grooves A and B displaced toward the center in the backward-to-forward direction. On the other hand, the pivoting frame 6 is provided with a transmission mounting frame 16 which is integrally fixed to the frame 6 and formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above; on the frame 16 a motor 10 is mounted in such a manner that the direction of a drive output shaft 10a is in the forward-backward direction; a screw shaft 12 is in the forward-backward direction connected through a friction transmission joint 11 serving also as a shock release to the shaft 10a; and the screw shaft 12 is pivotally beared by the transmission mounting frame 16. A screw cylinder 13 is threadly engaged with the screw shaft 12; shafts 14 and 15 as a mechanism for stopping the rotation of the screw cylinder 13 are provided on the right and left side of the cylinder; and to the shafts, rollers 17 are mounted which abute and are rollingly moved on the right and left frames 16a and 16b of the frame 16. A lateral frame 18 has holes 18a and 18b on the right and left side for inserting or disinserting cam pins 19; and the pins are arranged such that, when the pin 19 is inserted into the right hole 18a or the left hole 18b of the lateral frame 18 and the motor 10 is rotated to move forward the screw cylinder 13, the lower end of the pin 19 is fitted into the cam groov A of the cam 9a or the cam groove B of the cam 9b in a manner to pivot in a body with the motor 10 through the transmission mounting fram 16 the pivoting frame 6 rightward or leftward. Also, the pins are arranged such that, when the motor 10 is reversely rotated to move backward the screw cylinder 13, the cam action at the time when the pin 19 is slided out from the cam groove A or B causes the pivoting frame 6 to be pivoted reversely to the above motion and to be reset. Although the pivoting angle of the pivoting frame 6 varies with the displaced angle and length of the cam grooves A and B, in the present invention, when the pivoting frame pivotes substantially 90 degrees, the friction transmission joint 11 acts to stop the frame. The bed is divided into a front bed section 20a for receiving the upper half of the body at least above the femur and a rear bed section 20b for receiving the lower half of the body under the leg; the shape of the divided part between the both bed sections when viewed from above is formed in circular arc traced with the center of the front bed section 20a; and a pivoting mechanism is provided between a fixed frame 1 and a pivoting fram 6 in a manner to pivot a convex circular arc part of the front bed section 20a with respect to the fixed rear bed section 20b from a condition that the section is moved forward and backward to a condition that the section is moved in the direction of either rightward or leftward and stopped. The arrangement allows the posture of a human body to be easily changed such that, when a physically handicapped person or an aged person is got off a bed, held by a male nurse, or carried on his back, the pivoting mechanism is drived to pivot the front bed section 20a 90 degrees with respect to the rear bed section 20b, thereby easily changing to a posture convenient for the feet to slide on the surface of the fixed rear bed section 20b and come down from the bed, or to a posture convenient to be held by a male nurse or carried on his back. A supporting frame 21 of the front bed section 20a is divided into a waist supporting frame 21a and a back supporting frame 21b, and the free end of the waist supporting frame 21a is pivotably provided to be moved upward so that a femur supporting part on the waist supporting side of the front bed section 20a can be swung to a higher position; a pivoting mechanism is provided between a fixed frame 1 and a pivoting fram 6 in a manner to pivot the front bed section 20a from a condition that the section is moved forward and backward with respect to the fixed rear bed section 20b to a condition that the section is moved in the direction of either rightward or leftward and stopped; and an actuating mechanism is provided for upward moving the free end of the waist supporting frame 21a so as to upward move at least the femur supporting part of the front bed section 20a when the pivoting frame is pivoted by the drive force of the pivoting mechanism. The arrangement allows a smooth pivoting to be performed such that, when the feet slides on the surface of the fixed rear bed section 20b during pivoting of the front bed section 20a, by raising the femur supporting part of the front bed section 20a, the section can be pivoted without difficulty in a condition that only the feet top slides on the surface of the fixed rear bed section 20b in a knee upward bending posture. If a bending mechanism for standing up the back supporting frame 21b is provided, the pivoting becomes more effective because a condition that a person using the bed raises the upper half of the body thereof can be obtained when the pivoti ng frame is pivoted by the drive force of the pivoting mechanism. The front bed supporting frame 21 for supporting the front bed section 20a for receiving the upper half of the body above the femur on the pivoting frame 6 is provided with brackets 24 and 25 for fixing with pins 23 the waist supporting frame 21a and the back supporting frame 21b, respectively, to projection frames 22 projected in reverse U-shape from the pivot frame 6; the bases of the supporting frames 21a and 21b are pivotally secured; and the pivoting tops thereof are properly supported by the pivoting frame 6 in a manner to become substantilly horizontal. Also, the top of the back supporting frame 21b is provided with a head supporting frame 21c pivotally secured with a pin 26 on the frame 21c; and the head supporting frame 21c is arranged such that the frame 21c is connected through links 27 to the projection frames 22 to keep only the head supporting frame 21c in a horizontal posture when the back supporting frame 21b is pivoted upward. When the base of a rod 27a of the link 27 is connected to a bracket 28 fixedly secured on the back supporting frame 21b, the head supporting frame 21c is pivoted in a body with the back supporting frame 21b without pivoting horizontally, whereby posture change-over means for changing the mounting of the rod 27a is arranged. Cylinders 30 for inserting and disinserting the handrail 29 are provided on the four corners of the pivoting frame 6. The handrail 29 comprises a gate-shape fixed handrail 29a which is inserted into the cylinders 30 and fixed thereto and a pivoting handrail 29b which is pivotally inserted in the forward-backward direction into bosses 29c formed integrally with the rear upper end of the handrail 29a and which is then mounted with a screw 31 and a slip-out preventive groove 32a cutted on an insertion shaft 32. The pivoting handrail 29b is formed in substantially elliptical loop with a pipe, and arranged such that the position of the handrail 29b is chanded over to a position at which the handrail hangs down or to a position at which the handrail is stopped diagonally somewhat downward by means of pivoting stopper 29d and 32b provided on the boss 29c and the pivoting handrail 29b at the end face of the insertion shaft 32, respectively. Sign 32c indicates a cover of the stoppers. The front bed section 20a being a mat for normal bendable bed is placed on the upper surface of the front bed supporting frame 21 provided as described above on the pivoting frame 6, and the rear end of the front bed section 20a is formed in circular arc traced with the pivoting center of the pivoting frame 6 as a center. The rear bed section 20b is placed on the upper surface on the rear side of the fixed frame 1, the front end face is formed in circular arc traced with the pivoting center of the pivoting frame 6 as a center, and projections C and D on the right and left sides of the bed 20b having a concave shape when viewd form above are inclined in such amanner that the more close to the both edges they reach, the thinner they become than other part. The pivoting mechanisim of the waist supporting frame 21a and the back supporting frame 21b pivotally mounted through the projection frames 22 on the pivoting frame 6 will be explained hereinafter. On the underside of the supporting frames 21a and 21b, cam rollers 35 and 36 through brackets 33 and 34 are rollingly provided through laterally mounted shafts. Also, a cam 37 abuting on the cam roller 35 is fixedly secured on the right side of the lateral frame being in a body with the screw cylinder 13, and a cam 38 abutting on the cam roller 36 is fixedly secured on the left side of the screw cylinder 13; and when the screw shaft 12 is rotated by the motor 10 to move forward the screw cylinder 13, the cam roller 36 is pushed by the front end vertical face of the cam 38 to cause the back supporting frame 21b to be gradually pivoted backward, and substantially at the same time the cam roller 35 is gradually pushed up by the cam 37 to cause the rear side of the waist supporting frame 21a to be pivoted somewhat upward. Then, somewhat prior to the condition as shown in Fig. 18, the cam pin 19 having been inserted into the hole 18a or 18b on the one side of the lateral frame 18 is fitted into the cam groove A or B of the fixed cam 9a or 9b located on the pin 19 side, and thereafter when the screw cylinder 13 moves forward and the pin 19 approaches the bias of the cam groove, the pivoting frame 6 begins to pivot rightward or leftward. Then, when the frame 6 pivots substantially 45 degrees, the back supporting frame 21b lowers in a manner to become gentle in inclination and at the same time the waist supporting frame 21a becomes gradually sharp in inclination while the pivoting frame 6 further pivots. Thereafter, when the pivoting frame 6 assumes a final pivoting posture in which the frame pivots substantially 90 degrees, the back supporting frame 21b side becomes in vertical condition and the waist supporting frame 21b returns to horizontal condition. In such manner as described above, the relative position of each cam to pin or cam roller, and the shape of the cam has been set. A switch box 39 is provided in such a manner that a person having trouble in the body thereof or an aged person on the bed, or a male nurse can freely operate through the switch box with a cord from any position the motor 10, and arranged such that the motor can be freely rotated naturally or reversely by change-over of the switch, whereby the rotation direction of the screw shaft 12 is changed to cause the screw cylinder 13 to be moved forward or backward. Sign 40 indicates a slide member which is made of leather or synthetic rubber and provided on the one end face or both end faces between the convex circular arc end face of the upper half of the body supporting bed section 20a and the concave circular arc end face of the lower half of the body supporting bed section 20b to smooth the pivoting of the both end faces. The operation of the above example will be explained in detail hereinafter. A person having trouble in the body thereof or an aged person is laid on back thereof on the bed with the upper half of the body above the waist supported by the front bed section 20a and with the leg supported by the rear bed section 20b. When such person wants to change the posture thereof from a posture in which the person is lying to a posture in which the person raises the upper half of the body thereof to take a meal, to a posture in which the person comes down on the right side ( left side with respect to the laid person ) floor 41, or to a posture in which the person is held by a male nurse or carried on his back, the cam pin 19 has previously been inserted into the left side hole 18a of the lateral frame 18 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and then the screw shaft 12 is allowed to rotate rightward by the motor 10 to move forward the screw cylinder 13. Then, the cam roller 35 mounted through the bracket 33 on the waist supporting frame 21a is first pushed up by the cam 37, and at the same time the cam roller 36 mounted through the bracket 34 on the back supporting frame 21b abutes on the front face of the cam 38 to pivot the supporting frames 21a and 21b as shown in the operation processes of Figs. 16 though 18, whereby a posture in which the upper half of the body is raised to take a meal or read a book as shown in Fig. 21 and 22 is attained. However, if only the posture is desired, the cam pin 19 needs not to have been inserted into the hole 18. Then, when the motor 10 is further rotated from such condition to move forward the screw cylinder 13, the cam pin 19 abutes on the bias part in the cam groove A of the right fixed cam 9a provided on the bed fixed frame 1 to pivot the frame 16 provided with the motor 10 and the pivoting frame 6 being in a body with the frame 16 rightward ( in the arrow E direction) with respect to the fixed frame 1 as shown in the conditions of Fig. 13 through Fig. 14. Fig. 15. At the time when the condition of Fig. 14 in the course of pivoting is attained, the relative position of the cam rollers 35 and 36 to the cams 37 and 38 is in the condition of Fig. 18, and when the screw cylinder 13 is further moved forward, the pivoting frame 6 and the drive including the motor 10 are pivoted substantially 45 degrees from the condition of Fig. 14 to that of Fig. 15, that is, about 90 degrees from the first condition. At the time when the final pivoting of about 45 degrees is performed, the relative position of the cam rollers 35 and 36 to the cams 37 and 38 is changed from the condition of Fig. 18 to that of Fig. 20, that is, the back supporting frame 21b once pivots somewhat backward and at the same time the waist supporting frame 21a becomes somewhat higher, and thereafter the back supporting frame 21b again stands and at the same time the waist supporting frame 21a becomes horizontal. That is, the laid person assumes finally through the condition of Fig. 22 the posture of Fig. 23. In order to return the posture of Fig. 23 to the original posture in which the bed is in the forward-backward direction, the motor 10 is allowed to rotate rightward (reverse to the above-described rotation ), whereby an operation completely reverse to the above-described operation can be performed to return to the original lying posture. Further, in order to pivot reversely the pivoting frame 6 to reverse the come-down side, the cam pin 19 must be inserted into the other hole 18b to be fitted into the cam groove B of the right fixed cam 9b. On the other hand, in the processes of the front bed section 20a operation as shown in Fig. 22 to 23, the waist supporting frame 21a and the back supporting frame 21b are operated in the conditions shown in Fig. 18 through 20 as described above, so that a person on the bed swings somewhat upward the femur near the waist thereof supported by the top of the waist supporting frame 21a to prevent the free thereof from pivoting while being wholly rubbed on the fixed rear bed section 20b,and to prevent the foot opposite to the pivoting direction from being caught by the fixed rear bed section 20b to cause foot twisting. At this time, swinging only the waist supporting frame 21a causes the person on the bed to be excessively bent and have a pain, so that, to prevent such condition, an operation is performed such that the back supporting frame 21b is fell somewhat backward, and thereafter stands up again at the same time when the waist supporting frame 21a returns to horizontal condition. Accordingly, a lying person can finally be in the posture of Fig. 23 to be faced toward the side of the bed. When the person wants to come down on the floor 41 in that posture, by allowing the handrail 29b to pivot to the virtual line in Fig.11 and to be in a posture of Fig. 23 in which the handrail is pivoted, the person can come down on the floor 41 while grasping the handrail 29b without difficulty. Where in order to prevent a pillow 42 or a book placed near the pillow from falling when the front bed section 20a is pivoted and bent, the base of the rod 27a of the link mechanism 27 is allowed to have been connected to the bracket 22a of the projection 22, when the back supporting frame 21b is pivoted upward, the head supporting frame 21c is kept at all times horizontal as shown with the virtual line in Fig. 8, so that the head side bed section is hardly changed as in the posture of Fig. 21 or 22, thereby preventing the pillow 42 or another object placed near the pillow from slipping off.

Claims: A bed divided into a front bed section (20a) for receiving the upper part of a human body at least above the femur and a rear bed section (20b) for receiving the lower part of the body and comprising: a fixed frame (1) supporting a pivoting frame (6) and said rear bed section (20b), said pivoting frame (6) supporting said front bed section (20a); a pivoting mechanism provided between said pivoting frame (6) and said fixed frame (1) in a manner to pivot and stop said front bed section (21 to 24) either rightward or leftward; characterized in that the rear bed section (20b) is fixed to the frame (1); and the shape of a partition between the two bed sections when viewed from above is formed as a circular arc, the center of which is in said front bed section (20a). A bed according to claim 1, characterized in that an actuating mechanism is provided for moving a waist supporting frame (21a) and a back supporting frame (21b) of said front bed section (20a) upward. A bed according to claim 1, characterized in that a collision preventing mechanism (S) is provided for separating upward and downward said front bed section (20a) from said rear bed section (20b) when said front bed section (20a) is pivoted so as to prevent the end faces of said bed sections (20a),(20b) from colliding with each other. A bed according to claim 1, characterized in that a handrail (29) having a pivotable portion (29b) is provided on the right and left sides of said bed, which pivotable portion (29b) can be set toward the inside of said bed.

Inventors: IURA TADASHI, IURA, TADASHI
Applicants: IURA TADASHI, IURA, TADASHI
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A61G7
IPC codes: A61G7