Patent Publication Number: US-8533878-B2

Title: Hospital bed

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hospital bed and, more particularly, to a hospital bed including a frame, a head board, a foot board, two motor units, a shaft unit and a gear box so that the elements can easily be connected to one another for use and detached from one another for transportation and that the frame can be lifted or lowered on the head board and the foot board in a mode or tilted on the head board and the foot board in another mode. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     A hospital bed typically includes an apparatus for lifting and lowering a head board and a foot board. Two conventional hospital beds will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a first conventional hospital bed includes a head board  1 , a foot board  2 , a dual-gear unit  3  provided below the head board  1 , and another dual-gear unit  3  provided below the foot board. Thus, the head board  1  and the foot board  2  can be lifted and lowered because of the dual-gear units  3 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , a second conventional hospital bed includes a frame  4 , a dual-gear unit  5 , a head board  6  and a foot board  7 . Both of the head board  6  and the foot board  7  are connected to the dual-gear unit  5 . Thus, the head board  6  and the foot board  7  are lifted and lowered together with each other. 
     In the first and second conventional hospital beds, the head board and the foot board can be lifted and lowered. The dual-gear units are used together with shafts, cranks and other parts so that the cranks can be manually operated to lift and lower the head board and the foot board. Each of the first and second conventional hospital beds can be modified by connecting a motor unit to the dual-gear units or unit to lift and lower the head board and the foot board automatically. It however takes a considerably long period of time to dismantle each of the first and second conventional hospital beds in order to connect the motor unit to the dual-gear units or unit. The modification is difficult. The transportation of such a large amount of parts is inconvenient. Electric and/or electronic units could be damaged during the transportation. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a modular hospital bed with several units that can easily be transported and connected to one another. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide an automatic hospital bed. 
     To achieve the foregoing objectives, the hospital bed includes a frame, a head board, a foot board and an apparatus for lifting and lowering the head board and the foot board. The apparatus includes a first motor unit, a shaft unit, a gear box and a second motor unit. The first motor unit is provided beneath the frame. The shaft unit is connected to both of the head board and the foot board. The gear box is provided on a side of the first motor unit and connected to the shaft unit for lifting and lowering the head board and the foot board. The second motor unit includes a motor and a pair of wires. The motor is provided with a mandrel. The mandrel is engaged with the gear box. The second motor unit is electrically connected to the first motor unit through the pair of wires for automatically lifting and lowering the head board and the foot board. 
     In another aspect, the hospital bed includes a frame, a head board a foot board, and an apparatus for lifting and lower the head board and the foot board. The apparatus includes a motor unit, a shaft unit and a gear box. The motor unit is provided beneath the frame. The shaft unit includes first shaft and a second shaft. The first shaft is connected to the head board. The second shaft is connected to the foot board. The gear box is provided on a side of the motor unit and connected to the shaft unit for lifting and lowering the head board and the foot board. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of two embodiments versus the prior art referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a conventional hospital bed; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another conventional hospital bed; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a hospital bed according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an apparatus for lifting and lowering a head board and a foot board of the hospital bed shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial, front view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the hospital bed shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the hospital bed in another position than shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an apparatus for lifting and lowering a head board and a foot board of a hospital bed shown according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 10  is a partial, front view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 through 8 , there is shown a hospital bed  100  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The hospital bed  100  includes a frame  10 , a head board  20 , a foot board  30  and an apparatus for lifting and lowering the head board  20  and the foot board  30 . A matrix or pad is supported on the frame  10  when the hospital bed  100  is in use. The apparatus includes a first motor unit  40 , a shaft unit  50 , a gear box  60  a second motor unit  70  and a crank  80 . 
     The hospital bed  100  further includes a torso-supporting unit  11  pivotally connected to the frame  10  and a leg-supporting unit  12  pivotally connected to the frame  10 . The head board  20  is movably connected to an end of the frame  10  while the foot board  30  is movably connected to an opposite end of the frame  10 . 
     The first motor unit  40  is provided beneath the frame  10 . Furthermore, the first motor unit  40  is connected to the torso-supporting unit  11  and the leg-supporting unit  12  through a linkage. The first motor unit  40  is electrically connected to an external control interface device such as remote controller. Thus, the remote controller is operable to actuate the first motor unit  40  to pivot up and down the torso-supporting unit  11  and the leg-supporting unit  12  through the leakage. How the torso-supporting unit  11  and the leg-supporting unit  12  are pivoted up and down will not be described in detail for not being the spirit of the present invention. However, it should be noted that the first motor unit  40  includes a pair of sockets  41  exposed to the exterior. 
     The shaft unit  50  includes a first shaft  51  and a second shaft  52 . The first shaft  51  is connected to the head board  20  while the second shaft  52  is connected to the foot board  30 . Both of the first shaft  51  and the second shaft  52  are in the form of a telescopic shaft that includes a plurality of tubes partially inserted in one another. Thus, both of the first shaft  51  and the second shaft  52  can be extended and shrunk. Moreover, the second shaft  52  is connected to the crank  80  that can be operated to lift and lower the head board  20  and the foot board  30  manually. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the gear box  60  is provided on a side of the first motor unit  40  and connected to the shaft unit  50  for lifting and lowering the head board  20  and the foot board  30 . The gear box  60  includes a shell  61 , a the first gear  62 , a second gear  63 , a first axle  64 , a second axle  65  and a cover  66 . The first gear  62  is provided on the first axle  64  while the second gear  63  is provided on the second axle  65 . The first gear  62  is engaged with the second gear  63 . The cover  66  is attached to the shell  61  by a plurality of screws  67  after the first gear  62  and the second gear  63  are located in the shell  61  and the first axle  64  and the second axle  65  are inserted through the shell  61 . However, each of the first axle  64  and the second axle  65  includes two ends extending beyond the shell  61  and the cover  66 . 
     In the first embodiment, the first axle  64  of the gear box  60  is a circular rod while the second axle  65  of the gear box  60  is a hexagonal rod. 
     The second motor unit  70  includes a motor  71 , a pair of wires  72  and a shell  73 . The motor  71  is provided in the shell  73 . The shell  73  of the second motor unit  70  is secured to the shell  61  of the gear box  60  by several screws  74 . The motor  71  includes a mandrel  711  and a pair of leads  712 . Each of the wires  72  includes a first end  721  and a second end  722 . The first end  721  of each of the wires  72  is electrically connected to a related one of leads  712  of the motor  71  in a plug-and-socket manner. The second end  722  of each of the wires  72  is inserted in a related one of the sockets  41  of the first motor unit  40 . The mandrel  711  is engaged with both of the first gear  62  and the second gear  63  of the gear box  60 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7 , to lift and lower the head board  20  and the foot board  30  synchronously, both of the first shaft  51  and the second shaft  52  are connected to the first axle  64 . The mandrel  711  of the motor  71  is used to rotate the first gear  62  and the second gear  63 . As the first gear  62  is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow head A, the second gear  63  is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow head B. Now, the head board  20  and the foot board  30  are lowered synchronously. That is, the frame  10  is lifted since both of the boards  20  and  30  are located on the ground or a floor. As the first gear  62  is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow head C, the second gear  63  is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow head D. Now, the head board  20  and the foot board  30  lifted synchronously. That is, the frame  10  is lowered. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  8 , to lift or lower the head board  20  but lower or lift the foot board  30 , the first shaft  51  is connected to the second axle  65  while the second shaft  52  is connected to the first axle  64  as shown by phantom lines in  FIG. 4 . The mandrel  711  of the motor  71  is used to rotate the first gear  62  and the second gear  63 . As the first gear  62  is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow head A, the second gear  63  is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow head B. Now, the foot board  30  is lowered while the head board  20  is lifted. That is, the frame  10  is tilted in a direction. As the first gear  62  is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow head C, the second gear  63  is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow head D. Now, the foot board  30  is lifted while the head board  20  is lowered. That is, the frame  10  is tilted in an opposite direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , there is shown a hospital bed according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except for two things. At first, the apparatus for lifting and lowering the head board  20  and the foot board  30  does not include the second motor unit  70 . That is, the apparatus for lifting and lowering the head board  20  and the foot board  30  only includes the first motor unit  40 , the shaft unit  50 , the gear box  60  and the crank  80 . Secondly, the gear  60  includes a shell  68  and a cover  69  instead of the shell  61  and the cover  66 . The shell  68  is close to the cover  69  in size. The shell  61  is much bigger than the cover  66  in size. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the first gear  62  is rotated clockwise as indicated by the arrow head A while the second gear  63  is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow head B. The first gear  62  is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow head C while the second gear  63  is rotated clockwise as indicated by the arrow head D. Therefore, based on the different manners in which the shaft unit  50  is connected to gear box  60 , there are two modes for the lifting and lowering of the head board  20  and the foot board  30 . In the first mode, the head board  20  and the foot board  30  are synchronously lifted and lowered. In the second mode, the head board  20  is lifted (or lowered) while the foot board  30  is lowered (or lifted). The operation of the shaft unit  50  and the gear box  60  is identical as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     As discussed above, the hospital bed of the present invention exhibits at least three advantages. 
     At first, the first motor unit  40 , the gear box  60  and the second motor unit  70  are connected to one another like one so that the head board  20  and the foot board  30  can be lifted and lowered and that the modularization of the motor units  40  and  70  makes it easy to transport the apparatus. 
     Secondly, by switching the manners in which the shaft unit  50  is connected to gear box  60 , the hospital bed  100  can easily be switch between two modes. In the first mode, the frame  10  is lowered or lifted or lowered on the head board  20  and the foot board  30  as the head board  20  and the foot board  30  are synchronously lowered and lifted relative to the frame  10 . In the second mode, the frame  10  is tilted as the head board  20  is lifted (or lowered) while the foot board  30  is lowered (or lifted) relative to the frame  10 . 
     Thirdly, the first motor unit  40  and the second motor unit  70  are provided beneath the frame  10  so that the hospital bed  100  looks neat and the first motor unit  40  and that the second motor unit  70  are protected during transportation. 
     The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.