Patent Publication Number: US-9901183-B2

Title: Supporting frame of electric bed

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a supporting frame, and particularly, to a supporting frame of an electric bed. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     At present, the commercially available electric beds not only have a part changeable in angle or direction, but also provide a vibratory massage function for comforting and relaxing the user. The user or the manufacturer may further install a bed frame surrounding the electric bed to increase the usage security, reduce the probability of object invasion, and also achieve the performance in overall styling. 
     However, most of the extra bed frames are movable relative to the electric bed, that is, the bed frame and the electric bed are not fixed with each other and have a distance therebetween. If a child puts hands or feet into the space between the bed frame and the electric bed or a pet runs into the space by accident, and at the same time one side of the bed frame receives an external force, such as an unknowing person&#39;s pushing force, thereby moved toward the electric bed, the child or the pet may be pinched between the electric bed and the bed frame and get hurt. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the above-noted problems, an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a supporting frame of an electric bed, which is connected with a bed frame to disable the bed frame from being moved relative to the electric bed, and prevent the user from being pinched between the bed frame and a movable supporting portion or a base. 
     To achieve the above objective, the present disclosure provides a supporting frame of an electric bed, which is adapted to be connected with a lateral board of a bed frame, and includes a base, a supporting portion disposed on the base, and an extended supporter. At least one part of the supporting portion is movable relative to the base, and the lateral board is located adjacent to the edge of the supporting portion. The extended supporter has a transverse portion extended from the base toward the lateral board, and a connecting portion located at a free end of the transverse portion. The transverse portion and the supporting portion have a distance therebetween. The connecting portion is adapted to be connected with the lateral board. 
     Because the extended supporter connects the base and the lateral board, the lateral board is fixed effectively, so that the lateral board of the bed frame is prevented from being moved toward the base of the electric bed and the user is prevented from the danger of being pinched. In addition, because the transverse portion of the extended supporter and the supporting portion have the distance therebetween, the user is prevented from getting hurt by being pinched between the supporting portion and the extended supporter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a part of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of a part of a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a part of a third embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a part of a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a supporting frame  1  of an electric bed according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is adapted to be connected with two lateral boards  2 , a front board  3  and a rear board  4 . The supporting frame  1  of the electric bed includes a base  10 , a supporting portion  20  and four extended supporters  30 . In the following illustrations of the present disclosure, the right side of the supporting frame  1  of the electric bed is defined in the x-direction shown in  FIG. 1  and the left side of the supporting frame  1  is defined in the direction opposite to the x-direction; the top side of the supporting frame  1  of the electric bed is defined in the y-direction shown in  FIG. 1 , and the bottom side of the supporting frame  1  is defined in the direction opposite to the y-direction; the front side of the supporting frame  1  of the electric bed is defined in the z-direction shown in  FIG. 1 , and the rear side of the supporting frame  1  is defined in the direction opposite to the z-direction. In this embodiment, the two lateral boards  2  are located at the left and right sides of the supporting frame  1  of the electric bed respectively, and form a bed frame in cooperation with the front board  3  and the rear board  4 . However, the structure of the bed frame can be modified in other embodiments according to the practical situations. For example, the bed frame can have no such front board  3  located at the front side of the supporting frame  1  of the electric bed, so that the head portion of the electric bed can be abutted against a wall directly. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  the base  10  has four support legs  16  extended downwardly, and the supporting portion  20  is disposed on the base  10  and has a back plate  21 , a hip plate  23 , an upper leg plate  25  and a lower leg plate  27 . In this embodiment, the back plate  21  and the upper leg plate  25  can be swung upwardly or downwardly relative to the base  10 , and the lower leg plate  27  can be moved upwardly or downwardly following the upper leg plate  25 . When the supporting portion  20  is arranged to be flat for the user to lie down flat thereon, the lateral boards  2 , the front board  3  and the rear board  4  are adjacent to the edges at the left, right, front and rear sides of the supporting portion  20 , respectively. Specifically speaking, the two lateral boards  2  cover the left and right sides of the supporting portion  20 , and the front board  3  and the rear board  4  cover the front and rear sides of the supporting portion  20 . In other embodiments, the supporting portion  20  may cover the top sides of the lateral boards  2 , the front board  3  and the rear board  4 . In any case, the lateral boards  2 , the front board  3  and the rear board  4  are positioned adjacent to the edges of the supporting portion  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , two of the four extended supporters  30  of the supporting frame  1  of the electric bed are disposed at the left side of the base  10 , and the other two extended supporters  30  are disposed at the right side of the base  10 . Each extended supporter  30  has a transverse portion  32  extended from the base  10  toward the adjacent lateral board  2 , and a connecting portion  34  located at a free end of the transverse portion  32  to be connected with the adjacent lateral board  2 . Each transverse portion  32  and the supporting portion  20  have a distance D therebetween. As shown in  FIG. 3 , in each extended supporter  30  of this embodiment, the transverse portion  32  is connected with a central part of the connecting portion  34 , so that each extended supporter  30  is T-shaped. The base  10  has two transverse pipes  12 , each has two ends, which are sleeved onto the transverse portions  32  respectively, so that at least a part of each transverse portion  32  is received in the transverse pipe  12 . Each transverse pipe  12  has a first positioning hole  121  located at the top thereof, and each transverse portion  32  has a second positioning hole  321  located at the top thereof correspondingly to a first positioning hole. Each first positioning hole  121  and the second positioning hole  321  corresponding thereto are passed by a positioning member  14 , so that the transverse pipes  12  are fastened with the extended supporters  30 . Each positioning member  14  has a threaded rod  141 . Each first positioning hole  121  is a through hole  341  passed by the threaded rod  141  of the positioning member  14 , and each second positioning hole  321  is a threaded hole screwed with the threaded rod  141  of the positioning member  14 . Each connecting portion  34  has two through holes  341  which are respectively inserted by screws (not shown) for fastening the connecting portions  34  with the lateral boards  2 . In other embodiments, the first positioning hole  121  can be a threaded hole, and the amount of the through holes  341  can be modified according to usage requirements. 
     Because the transverse portion  32  of the extended supporter  30  and the supporting portion  20  have the distance D therebetween, the user is prevented from the danger of being pinched between the transverse portion  32  and the supporting portion  20  when the supporting portion  20  located above the transverse portions  32  is swung downwardly relative to the base  10 . For each extended supporter  30  of the supporting frame  1  of the electric bed, the transverse portion  32  is connected with the transverse pipe  12  of the base  10 , and the connecting portion  34  is connected with the lateral board  2 , so that the lateral boards  2  of the bed frame are unlike that of the prior art not movable relative to the electric bed. Therefore, the present disclosure can prevent the user from the danger of being pinched between the lateral board  2  and the electric bed, and also achieve the performance in overall styling. In particular, the lateral boards  2 , the front board  3  and the rear board  4  can be covered by cushions, such as foams, so that the user can be prevented from getting hurt even when the user&#39;s limb is put between the lateral board  2  and the supporting portion  20 . 
     In other embodiments, the connection of the base  10  and the extended supporter  30  can be implemented by variable manners. For example, the structures of the transverse portion  32  of the extended supporter  30  and the transverse pipe  12  of the base  10  can be exchanged, that is, the transverse portion  32  has an axial hole and is sleeved onto the transverse pipe  12  so that at least a part of the transverse pipe  12  is received in the transverse portion  32 . Alternatively, the base  10  and the extended supporter  30  of the supporting frame  1  may be as that provided in the second embodiment of the present disclosure as shown in  FIG. 4 , wherein the first positioning hole  121  is located at the bottom of the transverse pipe  12 , and the second positioning hole  321  is located at the bottom of the transverse portion  32  correspondingly to the first positioning hole  121 . In this case, each support leg  16  may have a threaded rod  161  extended upwardly and inserted into the first positioning hole  121  and the second positioning hole  321 . The first positioning hole  121  may be a through hole being passed by the threaded rod  161 , and the second positioning hole  321  is a threaded hole being screwed with the threaded rod  161 . In this structure, the support legs  16  are served as the positioning members  14  of the first embodiment. Alternatively, the base  10  and the extended supporter  30  of the supporting frame  1  may be as that provided in the third embodiment of the present disclosure as shown in  FIG. 5 , wherein the transverse portion  32  of the extended supporter  30  is not provided with such second positioning hole  321 . In this case, the first positioning hole  121  of the transverse pipe  12  may be a threaded hole being screwed with the positioning member  14 , and an end of the threaded rod  141  of the positioning member  14  is protruded out of the lower edge of the first positioning hole  121  and abutted against the top of the transverse portion  32 , thereby restraining the transverse portion  32 . In this embodiment, the connecting portion  34  of the extended supporter  30  and the transverse portion  32  are perpendicular with each other, so that the extended supporter  30  is L-shaped. 
     In addition to the aforesaid connecting manners, the base  10  and the extended supporter  30  may be connected by other manners according to the practical situation. For example, the positioning member  14  can be a pin being inserted into the first positioning hole  121  and the second positioning hole  321 ; in this case, the second positioning hole  321  may be not a threaded hole. The positioning member  14  is not limited to be screwed vertically, that is, upwardly or downwardly. For example, the positioning member  14  can be screwed with the extended supporter  30  horizontally, such as forwardly or backwardly, as long as the first positioning hole  121  or the second positioning hole  321  is located correspondingly to the positioning member  14 . The transverse portion  32  of the extended supporter  30  can be engaged with the transverse pipe  12  by any well-known engaged structure, such as a spring in cooperation with a steel ball. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the base  10  and the extended supporter  30  of the supporting frame  1  of a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure are difference from those of the aforesaid embodiments in that the base  10  and the extended supporter  30  of the fourth embodiment are connected directly by welding or soldering. In this embodiment, the transverse portion  32  of the extended supporter  30  has two supporting rods  323 , and the connecting portion  34  is connected with the free ends of the two supporting rods  323 , so that the extended supporter  30  is U-shaped. 
     The above description represents only the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, without any intention to limit the scope of the present disclosure thereto. Such structural variations or modifications not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims of the present invention. For example, the shape or the amount of the extended supporter  30  can be modified.