Drop-down bed for a vehicle

Abstract

A drop-down bed (H) for a vehicle, in particular for a camper, motorhome or caravan, comprising: • at least four individual supports (1) each with a threaded rod (13) for height adjustment, • at least two connecting rods (2) supporting a slatted base (4) and connected to the individual supports (1), • at least one stepper motor (3) on each individual support (1) driving the threaded rod (13) to adjust the height of the slatted base (4), • a position sensor (5) for determining the position of the slatted base (4), and • a control unit (6) controlling the stepper motors (3) based on the sensor data to achieve automatic leveling of the slatted base (4).

Description

The invention relates to a lifting bed for a vehicle, in particular for a camera, a motorhome or a motorhome, according to the features of claim 1.Lift beds are known which are manually height adjustable to optimally utilize the limited space in vehicles. However, these often require manual adjustments to ensure a horizontal sleeping position. In particular on uneven terrain or in the case of uneven loading of the vehicle, this can lead to losses of comfort. In addition, known lifting beds are often not constructed in modular fashion, which makes subsequent installation into existing vehicles more difficult.It is the object of the present invention to provide a lifting bed in which the disadvantages of the prior art are eliminated. It is intended to allow automatic leveling of the slat rack in order to increase sleep comfort and simplify operation.This object is achieved with the lifting bed according to the features in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of dependent claims.The lifting bed according to the invention comprises at least four individual supports each having a threaded rod for height adjustment, wherein each threaded rod is connected, expediently via a coupling with vibration damping, to at least one stepping motor which drives the threaded rod. A threaded rod is a threaded rod that permits linear movement by rotational movements. A stepper motor is a motor that moves in precise steps and is used for accurate positioning. The vibration damping clutch compensates for irregularities and shocks which may occur during operation, thus reducing the transmission of vibrations to the slat base. This increases user comfort and extends the life of the mechanical components. Another advantage of this arrangement is the reduction of wear on the mechanical components and the reduction of noises, which increases the comfort for the user.At least two connecting rods are fastened to the at least four individual supports, which rods support the slat grid. In one embodiment of the invention, the connection between the connecting rods and the threaded rods is effected via a fastening system which expediently comprises a slide carriage. A slide carriage is a movable element that slides along a guide and allows low friction movement. As a result, the connecting rod can be moved along the threaded rod without tilting or blockages occurring.In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connecting rods are of telescopic design, that is to say they are displaceable in their length. This makes it possible to compensate tilting of the slat grid and to make adjustments to different bed widths or vehicle dimensions. This is furthermore particularly advantageous if the vehicle is standing on uneven ground or if the bed is loaded in an uneven manner.Joints, in particular ball heads, can be attached to the connection points between connecting rod and slide, which joints make a flexible connection with the slide. A ball head is a joint that allows movements in multiple directions and thus ensures high flexibility. These joints can prevent mechanical stresses in the system and contribute to increased stability of the bed.To determine the position of the slat base, a position sensor, for example an acceleration sensor, is provided, which continuously measures the inclination of the slat base and determines its angular position in space. In this context, it serves for measuring the orientation in space, similar to an inclination sensor. In addition, a control unit is present which processes the sensor data of the position sensor and controls the stepping motors accordingly in order to achieve automatic leveling of the slat rack. For example, if the sensor detects a forward inclination, the front stand-alone supports are lowered or the rear ones are raised to restore the horizontal orientation.The stepping motor is configured in one embodiment of the invention to drive the stepping motors independently of each other in order to individually adjust the height of each individual support. This enables the side sill to be aligned horizontally with precision even when the vehicle is standing on uneven terrain.In another embodiment of the invention, optical limit switches are installed at the upper and lower end points of the threaded rods and connected to the control device. An optical limit switch is a sensor which detects the reaching of an end point and prevents further movements. The connection to the control device enables the limit switches to actively engage in the control. When a limit switch is activated, it sends a signal to the control device, which then stops the movement of the corresponding stepper motor. This prevents the slat grid from being moved beyond its maximum limits, which could lead to damage. The integration of the limit switches into the control system increases safety and improves operating comfort.In a further variant of the invention, individual supports are designed as modular structural units which can be installed in the vehicle and removed again. A modular assembly is a component that can be installed or removed independently. This facilitates the subsequent installation of the lifting bed into existing vehicles and maintenance work. If necessary, the individual supports can be removed or replaced without requiring extensive work on the vehicle.In a further embodiment of the invention, the control device has a storage unit for storing and retrieving various height positions of the slat grid. Thus, the user can preset preferred positions such as a sleeping or sitting position and recall them by pressing a button. This increases the operating convenience considerably, since frequently used positions can be set quickly and easily. Furthermore, an additional sensor can be provided for detecting the position of the individual individual supports. This position sensor measures the exact height of each individual support and transmits this information to the control device. This increases the precision of the height adjustment and supports the synchronization of the stepping motors, thereby ensuring that the slat rack is always in the desired position and tilting is avoided.By combining these features, the lifting bed according to the invention offers several advantages over the prior art. The automatic adaptation of the height of each individual support ensures a always horizontal alignment of the slat grid and increases the comfort of sleep. The vibration damping clutches reduce mechanical loads and extend the life of the components. The telescopically formed connecting rods enable the compensation of tilts and adaptations to different vehicle dimensions. Joints such as ball heads at the joints increase flexibility and prevent stresses, leading to higher stability of the bed. The optical limit switches connected to the control device prevent overloading and increase operational reliability. The modular construction of the individual supports facilitates subsequent installation and maintenance work, while the storage unit in the control unit enables the simple retrieval of preferred height positions and simplifies operationThe invention further relates to a control system for a lifting bed having a position sensor for determining the position of the slat grid, a control device for controlling stepping motors on individual supports of a lifting bed in order to effect automatic height adjustment for leveling the lifting bed and optical limit switches for limiting the range of movement of the lifting bed.The invention is explained further below with reference to figures. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a lifting bed according to the invention in a side view, FIG. 2 shows an enlarged representation of an individual support with a stepping motor FIG. 3 shows an enlarged representation of two individual supports with connecting rod.FIG. 1 shows a lifting bed H according to the invention in a side view with two individual supports 1. A connecting rod 2 is arranged between the individual supports 1, which essentially serves as a support point for a lath grid 4 with a mattress (not shown).A position sensor 5 or an inclination sensor is fastened to the slat grid 4. Furthermore, a control device 6 is present. This control device 6 can be installed directly on the lifting bed H or also in the vehicle (not shown). Position sensor 5 is connected to control unit 6 via a signal line 7. The control device is connected via further signal lines 7 to the stepping motors 3 of the individual supports 1. In accordance with the signal of the position sensor 5, which indicates the position of the slat grid 4 in space, the control unit 6 controls the stepping motors 3 in different ways, if appropriate, so that the slat grid 4 can be moved into a horizontal position.The individual supports 1 each have a threaded rod 13 which runs along the individual support 1 and is connected to the stepper motor 3. The connecting rod 2 is connected via a fastening system 11, 12 to the threaded rods 13 of two individual supports 1 (FIG. 3 ).The fastening system 11, 12 consists of a slide slide 11 which is movably connected to the threaded rod 13 and a joint 12, and if the threaded rod 13 of an individual support 1 is driven by the stepping motor 3, the slide 11 moves vertically or along the threaded rod 13.A coupling 8 is arranged between the threaded rod 13 and the stepping motor 3. By means of this coupling 8, vibrations can be damped, for example. Furthermore, optical limit switches 9 are located at the upper and at the lower end of the threaded rod. By means of these optical limit switches 9, it is achieved that the slide slide 11 is displaceable only in a predetermined range (FIG. 2 ).List of reference charactersH lifting bed 1 individual support 2 connecting rod 3 stepping motor 4 lath grid 5 position sensor 6 control device 7 signal line 8 coupling 9 limit switch 11 sliding slide 12 joint 13 threaded rod

Claims

Lift bed (H) for a vehicle, in particular for a camera, a motor homes or a recreational vehicle, comprising: • at least four individual supports (1) each with a threaded rod (13) for height adjustment, • at least two connecting rods (2) supporting a lath grid (4) and connected to the individual supports (1), • at least one stepping motor (3) at each individual support (1) driving the threaded rod (13) to adjust the height of the lath grid (4), • a position sensor (5) for determining the position of the lath grid (4), and • a control device (6) controlling the stepping motors (3) based on the sensor data to achieve automatic leveling of the lath grid (4).The lifting bed according to claim 1, wherein the control device (4) is configured to control the stepping motors (3) independently of each other in order to enable an individual adjustment of the height of each individual support (1).The lifting bed according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting rods (2) are mounted displaceably on the individual supports (1) in order to enable an adjustment of the height position of the slat grid (4) by the movement of the stepping motors (3).The lifting bed according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stepping motors are controlled by a control device (6) with an automatic levelling function, which evaluates the data of the position sensor (5) in order to ensure a horizontal position of the slat grid (4).Lifting bed according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising optical limit switches (9) which limit the movement of the slat grid (4) in a defined range.Lift bed according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the individual supports (1) are designed as modular structural units which can be installed in the vehicle and removed again.The lift bed according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (6) comprises a storage unit for storing and retrieving different height positions of the slat grid (4).The lifting bed according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an additional sensor for detecting the position of the individual individual supports.Control system for a lifting bed, comprising: • a position sensor (5) for determining the position of the slat grid (4), • a control device (6) for controlling stepping motors (3) on individual supports (1) of a lifting bed (H) in order to effect automatic height adjustment for levelling the lifting bed (H), and • optical limit switches (9) for limiting the range of movement of the lifting bed (H).

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