Bed system with vibration excitation

Abstract

The invention relates to a bed system comprising a bed and a vibration exciter (3) for initiating an oscillating movement of the bed. The bed includes a bed frame (1) mounted on spring feet (2), next to or below which the vibration exciter (3) is arranged. The vibration exciter (3) has a spring-elastic plunger (4) for contacting and impulse-induced oscillation of the bed frame (1). This plunger (4) enables soft, elastic excitation impulses that set the bed frame (1) into an oscillating movement, which is free from disruptive shocks or impacts. The bed system is flexibly installable and equally suitable for use with infants and adults.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a bed system comprising a bed and a vibration exciter for exciting a vibration movement of the bed.

[0002] It is generally known that rocking or swaying movements can help calm people lying down or sitting. This effect has long been used in cradles designed for infants and toddlers to promote sleep. Adults, too, are likely familiar with the calming effect of rocking sleeping or seating furniture, for example, from lying in a gently swaying hammock. To eliminate the manual operation required with traditional cradles, the rocking motion can be automated. Such automatically generated, alternating movements of sleeping furniture, usually designed as children's beds, are described, for example, in US 6,155,976 A or EP 3,261,495 A1. However, the bed systems with rocking motion disclosed therein are typically technically complex and sophisticated – and consequently, usually too expensive for the average consumer.

[0003] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a bed system with a vibration-stimulating bed that is characterized by a simple design with a low degree of complexity.

[0004] This problem is solved by a bed system with the features of claim 1 or by a bed system with the features of claim 14. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are listed in claims 2 to 13.

[0005] According to the invention, the bed system comprises a vibration-stimulating bed and a vibration exciter for initiating a vibration movement of the bed. The bed has a bed frame mounted on spring feet, the spring feet preferably being in the form of coil springs. The vibration exciter also comprises a spring-elastic, in particular a rubber-elastic, plunger for contact and impulse-induced oscillation of the bed frame. That is, excitation impulses are transmitted from the vibration exciter to the bed frame by means of the plunger, which excites the bed frame to vibrate. The plunger of the vibration exciter is designed with such spring elasticity that it deforms elastically upon impulse transmission from the vibration exciter to the bed frame, thus compensating for or dampening shocks during the excitation impulse.

[0006] This transmits a soft, elastic impulse to the bed frame, which, due to its springy mounting on the spring feet, is set into vibration. The impulse-induced vibration of the bed is therefore free from unpleasantly perceived shocks or impacts.

[0007] The proposed bed system is characterized by its simple design. For example, the vibration-activated bed can be built on the basis of a conventional standard bed frame, which is already equipped with spring feet or can be retrofitted with them. The vibration generator can be positioned – as an additional unit – to the side of the bed frame, for example, on the long sides, at the headboard, or at the footboard. Installation under the bed is also possible; in this case, the vibration generator acts, for example, on the inside of the bed frame.

[0008] The bed system according to the invention can be used equally for toddlers and adults.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the bed system, the plunger of the vibration exciter is designed as a rubber-elastic ball, in particular as an air-filled rubber-elastic ball. The vibration excitation through elastically damped impulse transmission is particularly gentle thanks to the plunger designed as a rubber-elastic ball. Another variant is the design of the plunger as a spring plunger, which functions similarly to the rubber-elastic ball.

[0010] The vibration exciter can, for example, include a linear drive or a lifting magnet to generate a cyclic alternating motion, i.e., a back-and-forth oscillating motion.

[0011] The vibration exciter can also be configured to keep its plunger in permanent contact with the bed frame during the impulse-driven oscillation of the bed frame. This permanent contact prevents impacts that can occur when the plunger strikes the bed frame after a previous break in contact.

[0012] Alternatively, the vibration exciter can be designed so that after each impulse transmission, the plunger disengages from the bed frame. This means the plunger is retracted sufficiently to allow the bed frame to continue oscillating freely after the impulse-induced oscillation, without touching the plunger. The oscillation, which subsides when an excitation impulse is absent, can be maintained by repeated impulse transmissions via the plunger. In this way, an oscillation similar to a hand-operated cradle can be simulated, with recurring excitation impulses and oscillations that cyclically subside between them.

[0013] The bed system can also include a motion sensor installed in or on the vibration exciter for time-resolved position determination of the oscillating bed frame. The motion sensor can, for example, be an ultrasonic sensor designed to detect the distance between the bed frame and the motion sensor over time. Using the motion sensor, the oscillation movement or the position of the bed frame can be detected and tracked over time. Based on the time-resolved position data, it is possible to check whether the bed is oscillating in the desired manner.

[0014] Furthermore, the time-resolved position data of the bed frame, acquired by the motion sensor, can be used to control the vibration exciter, i.e., to actively regulate the oscillation. For example, the vibration exciter can be configured to transmit the excitation impulse to the bed frame via the plunger, initiating an impulse-driven oscillation, after the oscillating bed frame has just passed the dead center of the oscillation movement near the motion sensor. Additionally, the bed system can include a control unit configured to use the time-resolved position data of the bed frame acquired by the motion sensor to control the vibration exciter in such a way that the impulse-driven oscillation of the bed frame, initiated by the vibration exciter, results in a uniform oscillation with a constant amplitude and frequency.

[0015] According to the invention, the vibration exciter can also be attached to the bed frame, wherein the spring-elastic plunger is designed to make contact with a room wall and to cause the bed frame to vibrate due to the impulse caused by contact with the room wall.

[0016] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the schematic drawings, wherein identical or similar features are designated with the same reference numerals. For this purpose, the following are shown: Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 Design of the bed system with vibration excitation in perspective view.

[0017] The bed system shown in the exemplary embodiments comprises a bed which is located in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 This is illustrated using the bed frame 1. The bed frame 1 is mounted on the spring feet 2, which are designed as conical spiral springs, so that they can oscillate.

[0018] The vibration exciter 3 is arranged on one side of the bed frame 1, which can exert an excitation impulse on the bed frame 1 by means of the plunger 4, which is designed in the form of a rubber-elastic ball, and thus excite the bed frame 1 to the intended oscillating movement, in the example to a lateral back-and-forth movement.

[0019] The plunger 4, designed as a rubber-elastic ball, can be in permanent contact with the bed frame 1 – as in Fig. 1 depicted - or cyclically detaching from the bed frame and then re-contacting it - as in Fig. 2 indicated by the dotted lines. Reference symbol list

[0020] 1 Bed frame 2 Spring feet 3 Vibration exciter 4 Plunger

Claims

1. Bed system with a vibration-stimulating bed, wherein the bed system has a vibration exciter (3) for exciting a vibration movement of the bed, characterized by the fact that the bed comprises a bed frame (1) mounted on spring feet (2), wherein the vibration exciter (3) is arranged next to or below the bed frame (1), and wherein the vibration exciter (3) has a spring-elastic plunger (4) for contacting and impulse-excited oscillation of the bed frame (1).

2. Bed system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that The spring feet (2) of the bed are coil springs.

3. Bed system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the plunger (4) of the vibration exciter (3) is designed as a rubber-elastic ball.

4. Bed system according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the plunger (4) of the vibration exciter (3) is designed as an air-filled, rubber-elastic ball.

5. Bed system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact thatthe plunger (4) of the vibration exciter (3) is designed as a spring plunger.

6. Bed system according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the fact that the vibration exciter (3) has a linear drive.

7. Bed system according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the fact that the vibration exciter (3) has a lifting magnet.

8. Bed system according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the fact that the vibration exciter (3) is designed to keep the plunger (4) in permanent contact with the bed frame (1) during the impulse-excited oscillation of the bed frame (1).

9. Bed system according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the fact that the vibration exciter (3) is designed to release the contact of the plunger (4) from the bed frame (1) after each impulse-excited oscillation of the bed frame (1) to form a free oscillation of the bed frame (1).

10. Bed system according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by the fact thatthe bed system has a motion sensor installed in or on the vibration exciter (3) for time-resolved position determination of the oscillating bed frame (1).

11. Bed system according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that The motion sensor is an ultrasonic sensor designed for time-resolved detection of the distance between the bed frame (1) and the motion sensor.

12. Bed system according to claim 10 or 11, characterized by the fact that the vibration exciter (3) is set up to transmit an excitation impulse to the bed frame (1) by means of the plunger (4) to cause the bed frame (1) to vibrate in an impulse-induced manner after the vibrating bed frame (1) has just passed the dead point of the vibration movement near the motion sensor.

13. Bed system according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized by the fact thatthe bed system has a control device which is set up to control the vibration exciter (3) on the basis of the time-resolved position data of the bed frame (1) recorded by the motion sensor, so that the impulse-excited oscillation of the bed frame (1) carried out by means of the vibration exciter (3) leads to a uniform oscillation movement with constant amplitude and constant oscillation frequency.

14. Bed system with a vibration-stimulating bed, wherein the bed system has a vibration exciter (3) for exciting a vibration movement of the bed, characterized by the fact that the bed comprises a bed frame (1) mounted on spring feet (2), wherein the vibration exciter (3) is attached to the bed frame (1), and wherein the vibration exciter (3) has a spring-elastic plunger (4) for impulse-excited oscillation of the bed frame (1) by touching a room wall.

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