Anti-pinch apparatus for adjustable electric bed

Abstract

An anti-pinch apparatus of an electric bed includes a bedstead having a base mount and pivotally connected stationary and moveable units disposed above the base mount, at least one actuator to drive the movable unit to swing or move relative to the stationary unit, a plurality of infrared sensors electrically connected in series to have a sensing area covering the region under the movable unit, and a control unit electrically connected with the actuator and the infrared sensors and configured that when any of the infrared sensors detects the body temperature of a person or an animal, the control unit controls the actuator to stop or reverse its operation, causing the movable unit to cease movement or to swing or move upward. Accordingly, the anti-pinch apparatus effectively prevents injuries to people or animals during the operation of the electric bed.

Description

Eskridge et al. 25 S 81 ANTI-PINCH APPARATUS FOR AD JUSTABLE ELECTRIC BED CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSNot ApplicableSTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot ApplicableTHE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENTNot ApplicableINCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISCNot ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates generally to an automated anti -pinch mechanism for an adjustable electric bed.Description of the Related Art

[0002] Adjustable bed frames are increasingly common, and many of these frames are controlled by small electric motors that move the adjustable parts of the bed frame. A conventional adjustable electric bed is typically composed of a base mount, a stationary frame disposed above the base mount, a movable frame disposed onto the stationary frame, and one or more electric actuators having an end disposed with the stationary frame or the base mount, and the other end disposed with the movable frame. The actuator moves the adjustable parts. The moveable frame usually includes a movable back-supporting frame and a movable thigh-supporting frame. The movement of the adjustable portions creates the possibility that something can get caught between the moving parts. When the actuators extend, it drives the movable frame to swing upward. Conversely, when the actuator retracts,Eskridge et al. 25 S 81 the movable frame swings downward. Taking the back-supporting frame as an example, when the back-supporting frame swings downward and approaches the base mount, it is possible that a child, a pet, or human hand or foot could accidentally enter the space under the back-supporting frame, it may be pinched or injured by the moving portion of the electric bed. Because of this, there is a need for a system or device to prevent the moving components of an electric bed from pinching people or animals.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is an objective of the present invention to provide an anti-pinch apparatus for an adjustable electric bed, which can effectively prevent pinching injuries to people or animals during the operation of the electric bed. To attain the above objective, the present invention provides an anti-pinch apparatus of an electric bed, comprising a bedstead, at least one actuator, a plurality of infrared sensors, and a control unit. The bedstead includes a base mount, at least one stationary unit disposed above the base mount, and at least one movable unit pivotally connected with the stationary unit and positioned above the base mount. The actuator has an end disposed with the stationary unit or the base mount, and the other end disposed with the movable unit, such that the movable unit is drive-able by the actuator to swing or move relative to the stationary unit. The infrared sensors are electrically connected in series and disposed with the stationary unit, the base mount, or the movable unit in a way that the infrared sensors have a sensing area covering a region under the movable unit. The control unit is electrically connected with the actuator and the infrared sensors and configured in a way that when any of the infrared sensors detects the body temperature of a person or an animal, the control unit controls the actuator to stop or reverse its operation, causing the movable unit to cease movement or to swing or move upward. Accordingly, the anti-pinch apparatus of the electric bed can effectively prevent pinching injuries to people or animalsEskridge et al. 25 S 81 during the operation of the adjustable electric bed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

[0005] FIGS l is a perspective view of the top side of an anti-pinch apparatus for an adjustable electric bed.

[0006] FIG 2 is a is a perspective view of the bottom side of an anti-pinch apparatus for an adjustable electric bed.

[0007] FIG 3 is a perspective view showing the underside of the adjustable electric bed with the adjustable elements in the up position to show the anti-pinch apparatus.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The structure and technical features of the present invention will be described in detail by reference to an embodiment and the accompany drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the anti-pinch apparatus 1 of an electric bed, which is provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention, includes a bedstead 10, two actuators 24, a plurality of infrared sensors 26, and a control unit 28.

[0009] The bedstead 10 includes a two-piece base mount 11, two stationary units 14 disposed above the base mount 11, and two movable units 18 respectively pivotally connected with the two stationary units 14 and positioned above the two-piece base mount 11. The two-piece base mount 11 has a front frame 12 and a rear frame 13 pivotally connected to the front frame 12, such that the rear frame 13 can rotate relative to the front frame 12 to fold the base mount 11 for storage or shipping. Alternatively, the two-piece base mount 11 may be a unitary structure that cannot be folded. In this specification, the “front” refers to the head side of the bed, while the “rear” refers to the tail side of the bed. The baseEskridge et al. 25 S 81 mount 11 is positioned under the front frame 12 and rear frame 13, and often includes legs or a platform to support the bedstand 10 in a standard position above the floor.

[0010] The two stationary units 14 are disposed on the front frame 12 and the rear frame 13, respectively, for supporting the hips of the user. The stationary unit 14 at the front serves as the front hip-supporting frame 15, and the stationary unit 14 at the rear serves as the rear hipsupporting frame 16. However, the front hip-supporting frame 15 and the rear hip-supporting frame 16 may be combined into a single structure, meaning there could be only one stationary unit 14.

[0011] The two movable units 18 are used for supporting the back or legs of the user. The movable unit 18 at the front serves as the back-supporting frame 19, which is pivotally connected with the front hip-supporting frame 15. The movable unit 18 at the rear serves as the leg-supporting frame 20, which can be divided into a thigh-supporting frame 21 and a calf-supporting frame 22. The thigh-supporting frame 21 is pivotally connected with the rear hip-supporting frame 16, and the calf-supporting frame 22 is pivotally connected with the thigh-supporting frame 21. Bed boards 23 may be arranged above the front hip-supporting frame 15, the rear hip-supporting frame 16, the back-supporting frame 19, the thighsupporting frame 21, and the calf-supporting frame 22 to support the mattress (not shown) or the human body. These bed boards 23 form part of the two stationary units 14 and the two movable units 18. Alternatively, a mesh frame or other support structure may be used. A stop rack 231 may be arranged on the bed board 23 above the calf-supporting frame 22. The stop rack 231 is located at the tail side of the bed to prevent the mattress from sliding toward the tail side of the bed.

[0012] As best seen in FIG 3, the underside view of the bedstand 10, there are two actuators 24, one to move each of the two movable units 18, and both operate in the same manner. The actuator 24 has one end disposed with the stationary unit 14 or the base mount 11, and theEskridge et al. 25 S 81 other end disposed with the movable unit 18, such that the actuator 24 may drive the movable unit 18 to swing or move relative to the stationary unit 14. In this embodiment, the actuator 24 located at the front is disposed with its two ends at the front hip-supporting frame 15 and the back-supporting frame 19, respectively, enabling the back-supporting frame 19 to swing upward. The actuator 24 located at the rear is disposed with its two ends at the rear frame 13 and the thigh-supporting frame 21, respectively, enabling the thigh-supporting frame 21 to swing upward, thereby causing the calf-supporting frame 22 to also swing upward, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0013] There are a number of infrared sensors 26 disposed on the two-piece base mount 11, or elsewhere on the underside of the movable units 18, and positioned so that they will detect heat in the space between the fixed and movable components of the bed, particularly where the movable parts approach the non-moving parts. The infrared sensors 26 are conventional sensors that detect body heat, and so can detect the presence of a person or animal in the space near the sensor. The infrared sensors 26 may be disposed with the stationary units 14, the base mount 11, or the movable units 18, and provided with a sensing area covering, but not limited to, the region under one or two of the movable units 18. The infrared sensors 26 are electrically connected in series. In this embodiment, two infrared sensors 26 are disposed on the bottom side of the bed board 23 above the front hip-supporting frame 15, oriented to sense towards the front (i.e., the space under the back-supporting frame 19). Two infrared sensors 26 are disposed on the bottom side of the bed board 23 above the rear hip-supporting frame 16, oriented to sense towards the rear (i.e., the space under the thigh- supporting frame 21 and the calf-supporting frame 22). One infrared sensor 26 is disposed on the bottom side of the bed board 23 above the calf-supporting frame 22, oriented to sense towards the rear (i.e., the space under the calf-supporting frame 22).

[0014] There is a control unit 28 that is electrically connected with the two actuators 24 andEskridge et al. 25 S 81 the infrared sensors 26. The control unit 28 can be hardwired to the actuators 24 and sensors 26, or connected wirelessly. In this embodiment, the control unit 28 is disposed on the bottom side of one of the stationary units 14 (i.e., the front hip-supporting frame 15). In another embodiment, the control unit 28 may be disposed at other locations. One of the infrared sensors 26 is directly electrically connected with the control unit 28. When any of the infrared sensors 26 detects the body temperature of a person or an animal, it transmits a corresponsive signal to the control unit 28, the control unit 28 controls the two actuators 24 to stop or reverse their operation, causing the movable units 18 to cease movement or to swing or move upward. In this embodiment, the infrared sensors 26 have a self-check function. After failing to detect movement from a person or animal for a period of inactivity, the self-check status is uploaded to the control unit 28. If an infrared sensor 26 malfunctions, resulting in the transmission of an abnormal signal or failure to transmit the self-check signal, the control unit 28 locks the actuators 24 to prevent accidental pinching.

[0015] With the above structural features, the anti -pinch apparatus 1 of the electric bed provided by the present invention can effectively prevent pinching injuries to people or animals during the operation of the moveable components of the electric bed, thus achieving the objective of the present invention.

[0016] Based on the design of the present invention, various modifications to the anti -pinch apparatus 1 of the electric bed may be made. For example, the number and placement of the infrared sensors 26 may be adjusted and / or changed; the number of the infrared sensors 26 may be reduced for a single bed or increased for a larger double bed. One or more movable units 18 may be provided. Any such readily conceivable structural changes should be encompassed within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An anti-pinch apparatus of an electric bed, comprising:a bedstead including a base mount, at least one stationary unit disposed above the base mount, and at least one movable unit pivotally connected with the stationary unit and positioned above the base mount;at least one actuator having an end disposed with the stationary unit or the base mount, and the other end disposed with the movable unit, such that the movable unit is driveable by the actuator to swing or move relative to the stationary unit;a plurality of infrared sensors electrically connected in series and disposed with the stationary unit, the base mount, or the movable unit in a way that the infrared sensors have a sensing area covering a region under the movable unit; anda control unit electrically connected with the actuator and the infrared sensors and configured in a way that when any of the infrared sensors detects a body temperature of a person or an animal, the control unit controls the actuator to stop or reverse an operation of the actuator, causing the movable unit to cease movement or to swing or move upward.

2. The anti-pinch apparatus of the electric bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stationary unit is configured to support hips of a user, and the movable unit is configured to support a back or legs of the user.

3. The anti-pinch apparatus of the electric bed as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the infrared sensors are disposed on a bottom side of the stationary unit or the movable unit.

4. The anti-pinch apparatus of the electric bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein thecontrol unit is disposed on a bottom side of the stationary unit.

5. The anti-pinch apparatus of the electric bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the infrared sensors is directly electrically connected to the control unit.

6. The anti-pinch apparatus of the electric bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the infrared sensors each have a self-check function and transmit a self-check status to the control unit; when any of the infrared sensors malfunctions, resulting in transmitting an abnormal signal or failure to transmit a self-check signal, the control unit locks the actuator.

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