Patent Publication Number: US-2017348186-A1

Title: Motorized bed frame with vibration motor

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to motorized bed frames; more particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting of a vibrational motor on a motorized bed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well-known to provide motor driven bed frames with vibrational motors that transfer vibrations to mattresses to simulate massage. These vibrational motors are typically mounted to some portion of the bed frames wherein a motor flange extends through a mattress support or backing. The flange providing the bulk of the transfer of the motor vibration to the mattress. 
     It is an important function of the vibrational motors to transfer simulated massage to an individual resting on the mattress. It is also important for the motor to be accessible for maintenance and repair. Prior attempts to provide desirably functional and accessible vibrational motors have failed to achieve a level of function and convenience that is optimal in the field of motorized bed frames. 
     The present invention is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior motorized bed frames of this type. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first aspect of the invention is directed to a motorized bed. The bed comprises a base frame and an articulating frame. The articulating frame is attached to the base frame and has an upper surface on which a mattress is supported and an opposite lower surface. The articulating frame comprises a linking frame, a plurality of support frames and support members, a mattress backing, and a vibration motor. The linking frame is attached to the base frame. The support frames are pivotally mounted on the linking frame. The support members join the support frames with the linking frame. The mattress backing is supported by the support frames. The vibration motor is mounted to the articulating frame by a vibration motor mount. The vibration motor mount comprises a flexible bracket fixed to the lower surface of the articulating frame and the vibration motor to suspend the vibration motor from the lower surface of the articulating frame. 
     The first aspect of the invention may comprise one or more of the following features, alone or in any reasonable combination. The motorized bed may further comprise an aperture in the mattress backing wherein the vibration motor is mounted within the aperture. The motorized bed may further comprise a cushion within the aperture and between vibration motor and the mattress backing. The motorized bed may further comprise a cover attached to the lower surface of the articulating frame and covering the vibration motor and the flexible bracket. The cover may be attached to the mattress backing by a hook and loop fastener. The flexible bracket may be produced from a fabric. The fabric may comprise woven strands. The message motor may comprise a flange joined to a curved motor housing wherein the flange is oriented downwardly relative to the lower surface and the curved housing extends into the aperture. The curved motor housing may extend through the aperture and upwardly such that a portion of the curved motor housing extends above a plane defined by the upper surface of the mattress backing. The flange may be attached to the flexible bracket by mechanical fasteners. The flexible bracket may deflect under forces provided by the vibration motor. The flexible bracket may be deflectable such that the vibration motor is movable within the aperture. The mattress backing may be produced from a rigid material. The mattress backing may be produced from a wood. The flexible bracket may be fastened to the mattress backing with a mechanical fastener. 
     A second aspect of the invention is also directed to a motorized bed. The bed comprises a base frame and an articulating frame a base frame. The articulating frame is attached to the base frame and has an upper surface on which a mattress is supported and an opposite lower surface. The articulating frame comprises a linking frame attached to the base frame, a plurality of support frames pivotally mounted on the linking frame, a plurality of support members joining the support frames with the linking frame; and a mattress backing supported by the support frames comprising an upper surface on which a mattress is supported, an opposite lower surface, and an aperture passing therethrough. A vibration motor mounted is to the articulating frame and extends within the aperture in the mattress backing. The vibration motor comprises a flange and a curved motor housing joined to the flange wherein the flange is oriented downwardly relative to the lower surface of the mattress backing and the curved housing extends into the aperture in the mattress backing. A vibration motor mount attaches the vibration motor to the mattress backing and orients the vibration motor within the aperture. 
     The second aspect of the invention may comprise one or more of the following features, alone or in any reasonable combination. The motor mount may be deflectable such that the vibration motor is movable within the aperture. The motorized bed may further comprise a cushion within the aperture and between vibration motor and the mattress backing. The vibration motor mount may comprise a flexible bracket fixed to the lower surface of the articulating frame and the vibration motor to suspend the vibration motor from lower surface of the articulating frame 
     A third aspect of the invention is also directed to a motorized bed. The bed comprises a base frame and an articulating frame attached to the base frame. The articulating frame comprises a linking frame attached to the base frame, a plurality of support frames pivotally mounted on the linking frame, a plurality of support members joining the support frames with the linking frame, and a mattress backing produced from a rigid material and supported by the support frames. The mattress backing comprises an upper surface on which a mattress is supported, an opposite lower surface, and an aperture passing therethrough. A vibration motor is mounted within the aperture. The vibration motor comprises a flange and a curved motor housing joined to the flange. The flange is oriented downwardly relative to the lower surface of the mattress backing, and the curved housing extends into and through the aperture and upwardly such that a portion of the curved motor housing extends above a plane defined by the upper surface of the mattress backing. A vibration motor mount comprises a flexible bracket produced from a fabric of woven strands fixed to the lower surface of the mattress backing and the vibration motor to suspend the vibration motor from lower surface of the mattress backing. The flexible bracket is deflectable such that the vibration motor is movable within the aperture. A cushion is located within the aperture and between vibration motor and the mattress backing. A cover is attached to the lower surface of the mattress backing and covers the vibration motor and the flexible bracket wherein the cover is attached to the mattress backing by a hook and loop fastener. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a motorized bed frame; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a motorized bed frame with a mattress backing or support removed; 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the motorized bed frame of  FIG. 1  showing an articulating frame in an alternate position relative to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side plane view of the motorized bed frame if  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the motorized bed frame of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a motorized bed frame showing a mattress backing and massage motors; 
         FIG. 7  is a side cross-sectional view of a motorized bed frame having massage motors; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view of a motorized bed frame; and 
         FIG. 9  is a partial cross-sectional view of a motorized bed frame illustrating a flexible nature of a woven fabric bracket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
     Referring to the figures, a motorized bed  10  comprises a base frame  14  and an articulating frame  100 . One of ordinary skill in art is familiar with this arrangement wherein the articulating frame  100  is movable relative to the base frame  14 . 
     The base frame  14  is provided with opposing guide rails  18 . 
     The articulating frame  100  includes a linking frame  104  movably mounted on the base frame  10 , a first support frame  108  is pivotally attached to the linking frame  104 , support members or beams  112  pivotally join the base frame  10  with the articulating frame  100  via a padded member (not shown), which is joined to the first support frame  108 , a second support frame  116  is pivotally joined to the linking frame  104 , a third support frame  120  is pivotally mounted to the second support frame  116 , additional support beams  124  pivotally join the linking frame  104  with and the third support frame  120 . 
     The linking frame  104  is outfitted with rollers  126  which extend downwardly. The rollers  126  are received within the opposing guides of the base frame  14  and traverse therein. 
     Typical furniture drive motors  128  are pivotally joined to the linking frame  104 . These furniture drive motors  128  include a cylinder which extends from a housing in response to an electrical signal and are well known in the art of motorized beds. Opposing ends of each drive motor  128  are pivotally joined to ends of shaped beams or actuator brackets  132 . Opposing ends of the actuator brackets  132  are attached to the first support frame  108  and the second support frame  116 , respectively. 
     The articulating frame  100  further includes a mattress backing  200 . The mattress backing has an upper surface  202  on which a mattress (not shown) is supported and an opposite lower surface  204 . The mattress backing  200  comprises a plurality of separate panels  208   a - d  which are supported above the articulating frame  100  by the first support frame  108 , the linking frame  104 , the second support frame  116 , and the third support frame  120 , respectively and moving in a direction from a head end of the motorized bed  10  to a foot end of the motorized bed  10 . The panels  208   a - d  are attached to their respective frame members. The panels  208   a - d  are produced from a substantially rigid material, primarily a wood. One or more of the panels  208   a - d  has an aperture  212  therein through which a portion of a vibration motor assembly  300  passes. The vibration motor assembly  300  comprises an electric massage or vibration motor  304 , a motor mount  308 , a cushion  312 , and an assembly cover  316 . 
     The massage or vibration motor  304  is of a type known on the art. It comprises a motor housing  320  and a flange  324 . The motor housing  320  has a curved surface, a major portion of a sidewall of which may be a portion of a right circular cylinder truncated by, or resting on, a plane defined by an upper surface  328  of the flange  324 , which upper surface  328  itself is truncated or interrupted by its intersection with the housing  320 . The flange  324  is outfitted with a plurality of through holes to accommodate fasteners  332  which attach the vibration motor  304  to the motor mount  308 . An example of a suitable massage motor  304  is the motor marketed under the name HJM2 by Qingdao Richriver Electrics Co., LTD. 
     The motor mounts  308  are used to attach vibration motors  304  to the articulating frame  100 . More specifically, a plurality of vibration motors  304  are attached to the panels  208   a - d , one vibration motor  304  per panel  208   a - d . The motor mounts  308  comprise flexible brackets  336 . Fasteners  340  attach the flexible brackets  336  to the lower surface  204  of the articulating frame  100  which corresponds to lower surfaces of the panels  208   a - d . The fasteners  340  are preferably wood screws, lag screws, or the like. However, one skilled in the art would readily recognize that the preferred choice of fastener  340  would be primarily dictated by the material to which the flexible brackets  336  are attached. Thus, any type of chemical or mechanical fastener that is compatible with both panels  208   a - d  and the flexible brackets  336  may be employed. In the preferred embodiment, the panels  208   a - d  are produced from a wood. 
     As best illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the flexible brackets  336  are produced from a pliable material that is fully flexible at room temperature. The flexible brackets  336  are preferably formed from a fabric, more preferably a fabric of woven strands or strands that is strong enough to support and retain the vibration motors  304  in a desired position relative to the apertures  212  in the panels  208   a - d . The strands can be natural but are preferably produced from a polymeric material with an elastic quality that allows the flexible brackets  336  to expand and return to their original dimensions under the forces experienced during intended use. 
     The flanges  324  of the vibration motors  304  are attached to the flexible brackets  336  using fasteners  332 , and the flexible brackets  336  are attached to the lower surfaces of the panels  208   a - d . This arrangement allows the housing  320  of each vibration motor  304  to be oriented upwardly and extend into a corresponding aperture  212  with the flange  324  oriented downwardly relative to the lower surface of the panel. The housing  320  preferably extends into and through the aperture  212  and upwardly such that a portion of the motor housing  320  extends above a plane defined by the upper surface  202  of the mattress backing  200 . Thus, the vibration motors  304  are suspended from the lower surface  204  of the mattress backing  200  wherein the flexible brackets  336  are deflectable such that the vibration motors  304  are movable within the aperture  212 . 
     The motor assemblies  300  further comprise cushions  312  which preferably substantially surround the housings  320  within the apertures  212  such that a portion of each cushion  312  is located between the housings  320  and the mattress backing to prevent contact of the housings  320  with sidewalls  220  of the mattress backing  200  that define an aperture  212  shape the within the aperture and between vibration motor and the mattress backing  200 . The cushions  312  are preferably produced from a foam material. 
     Covers  316  are provided to conceal and protect vibration motors  304 . The covers  316  are generally produced from a fabric and attached to the lower surface of the articulating frame  100  via hook and loop fasteners. The covers  316  preferably fully conceal the vibration motors  304  and the apertures  212 . 
     As illustrated best in  FIGS. 1, 8 and 9 , the upper surface  202  of the mattress backing  200  can have a padding  250  supported thereon. The padding  250  covers the apertures  212  and the motor assemblies  300 , providing a barrier between a mattress (not shown) and the panels  208   a - d.    
     The motorized bed  10  may further comprise a mattress retainer  400  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The mattress retainer  400  prevents a mattress (not shown) from unwanted movement from the foot of the bed frame  10 . 
     While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.