Bed having articulated frame

Claim 2

A bed comprising: a base, a body support frame mounted on said base and including a movable head section for adjusting the inclination of a user's upper torso, a motor, connecting means operably coupling said motor to said head section of said frame for changing the inclination of said head section at a speed governed by said motor, and release means including a manually operated actuator member arranged inaccessibly to a user lying on the bed and movable relative to said head section in a first direction for uncoupling the drive connection between said motor and said head section to enable the latter to be moved downwardly independently of said motor, said actuator member being movable relative to said head section in a second direction for recoupling said drive connection.

Claim 3

A bed according to claim 1, wherein said actuator member is mounted on said head section.

Claim 4

A bed according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes a rotary output shaft in the form of a screw, a nut threadedly mounted on said screw, and means preventing rotation of said nut such that said nut converts rotary motion of said screw into longitudinal movement for moving said head section, said release means being arranged to uncouple said rotation-preventing means from said nut.

Claim 5

A bed according to claim 3, wherein said rotation-preventing means comprises a member mounted on said nut, said member being constrained against rotation, and a latch movable into and from interconnection between said nut and said member, said latch preventing rotation of said nut when interconnecting said member and said nut and permitting rotation of said nut when disconnected.

Claim 6

A bed according to claim 4, wherein said member comprises a sleeve mounted on said nut by means of rotary bearings, an arm rigidly fastened on said sleeve and having an apertured end slidably mounted on a rod extending parallel to said screw, and a linkage connecting said sleeve with said head portion of said frame.

Claim 7

A bed according to claim 5, wherein said latch is slidably mounted on said sleeve and is engageable within a notch in a collar portion of said nut, said actuator member comprising a handle mounted on the underside of said head portion and connected by a wire to said latch.

Claim 8

A bed according to claim 6, wherein said latch is spring-biased toward said notch.

Claim 9

A bed according to claim 6 including manually releasable locking means for preventing movement of said handle.

Claim 10

A bed according to claim 1 including a spring for moving said actuator member in said second direction upon release of said actuator member.

Claim 11

A bed comprising: a base, a frame movably mounted on said base and including a movable head section for adjusting a user's upper torso to various inclinations, an electric motor mounted on said frame, a screw operably connected to said motor for rotation thereby about an axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bed, a traveling unit mounted on the screw for longitudinal traveling movement therealong in response to screw rotation, said traveling unit including: a first part threadedly mounted on said screw and movable longitudinally therealong, a second, non-rotatable part movable longitudinally with said first part and operably connected to said head section of said frame to move said head section in response to longitudinal movement of said first part, force transmitting means movable between: a first position interconnecting said first and second parts to prevent rotation of said first part and thereby constrain the speed of said traveling member to be governed by the speed of said motor, and a second position permitting rotation of said first part to enable said traveling unit to move longitudinally along said screw independently of the speed of said motor, and an actuator means including a manually operated actuator member arranged inaccessibly to a user lying on the bed and connected to said force transmitting means, said actuator member being movable relative to said head section in a first direction for moving said force transmitting means to said second position to enable said head section to be moved downwardly independently of said motor, said actuator member being movable relative to said head section in a second direction for reinterconnecting said first and second parts.

Claim 12

A bed comprising: a base, a frame movably mounted on said base and including a movable head section for adjusting a user's upper torso to various inclinations, an electric motor mounted on said frame, a screw operably connected to said motor for rotation thereby about an axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bed, a traveling unit mounted on the screw for longitudinal traveling movement therealong in response to screw rotation, said traveling unit including: a first part threadedly mounted on said screw and movable longitudinally therealong, a second, non-rotatable part movable longitudinally with said first part and operably connected to said head section of said frame to move said head section in response to longitudinal movement of said first part, force transmitting means movable between: a first position interconnecting said first and second parts to prevent rotation of said first part and thereby constrain the speed of said traveling member to be governed by the speed of said motor, and a second position permitting rotation of said first part to enable said traveling unit to move longitudinally along said screw independently of the speed of said motor, and an actuator means including a manually operated actuator member arranged inaccessibly to a user lying on the bed and connected to said force transmitting means, said actuator member being movable relative to said head section in a first direction for moving said force transmitting means to said second position to enable said head section to be moved downwardly independently of said motor, said actuator member being movable relative to said head section in a second direction for reinterconnecting said first and second parts.

Claim 13

A bed according to claim 10, wherein said force transmitting means includes a movable element mounted on one of said first and second parts and releasably engageable with the other, said actuator member being connected to said element to shift same.

Claim 14

A bed according to claim 11, wherein said actuator member comprises a handle mounted on the underside of said head section.

Claim 15

A bed according to claim 12 including manually releasable locking means preventing movement of said handle.

Claim 16

A bed according to claim 10, wherein said first part is a nut and said second part is a sleeve mounted on said nut by bearing means for permitting relative rotation between said sleeve and said nut about the axis of said screw.

Claim 17

A bed according to claim 14, said sleeve including an arm slidably mounted on a stationary arm of said frame to prevent rotation of said second part.

Claim 18

A bed according to claim 10 including a spring for moving said actuator member in said second direction upon release thereof.

Claim 19

A bed comprising: a base, a frame mounted on said base and including an articulated head section for adjusting the inclination of a user's upper torso, a motor, a screw oriented lengthwise of the bed and being connected to said motor for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a nut mounted on said screw for longitudinal movement therealong, a non-rotatable sleeve mounted on said nut by bearing means permitting rotation of said nut relative to said sleeve about said axis, linkage interconnecting said sleeve with said head section for changing the inclination of the latter in response to longitudinal movement of said sleeve, an element of said sleeve spring-biased into operable connection with said nut for preventing rotation of said nut and thereby constraining said nut for longitudinal movement along said screw in accordance with the speed of rotation of said screw, and means including a manually actuable handle mounted on said head section inaccessibly to a user lying on the bed and connected to said element for releasing said element from said nut when said handle is moved relative to said head section in a first direction, allowing said nut to rotate upon said screw and travel longitudinally therealong independently of the speed of rotation of said screw, said handle being movable relative to said head section in a second direction to enable said spring-biased element to be reconnected with said nut.

Claim 20

A bed comprising: a base, a frame mounted on said base and including an articulated head section for adjusting the inclination of a user's upper torso, a motor, a screw oriented lengthwise of the bed and being connected to said motor for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a nut mounted on said screw for longitudinal movement therealong, a non-rotatable sleeve mounted on said nut by bearing means permitting rotation of said nut relative to said sleeve about said axis, linkage interconnecting said sleeve with said head section for changing the inclination of the latter in response to longitudinal movement of said sleeve, an element of said sleeve spring-biased into operable connection with said nut for preventing rotation of said nut and thereby constraining said nut for longitudinal movement along said screw in accordance with the speed of rotation of said screw, and means including a manually actuable handle mounted on said head section inaccessibly to a user lying on the bed and connected to said element for releasing said element from said nut when said handle is moved relative to said head section in a first direction, allowing said nut to rotate upon said screw and travel longitudinally therealong independently of the speed of rotation of said screw, said handle being movable relative to said head section in a second direction to enable said spring-biased element to be reconnected with said nut.