Bed system

Abstract

To improve convenience in a bed system.SOLUTION: A bed system comprises: a floor board on which a mattress is placed: a drive mechanism for deforming the floor board; a controller having a plurality of buttons including the button to input a command related to the deformation of the floor board; a control section for controlling the drive mechanism in response to an operation of the buttons; and a setting section for setting a specified form of the floor board and timing to shift the floor board into the form. The control section controls the drive mechanism so as to allow the floor board to be deformed into the form set by the setting section in response to an arrival of the timing set by the setting section, and stops a movement to deform the floor board in response to an operation of one of the buttons during the movement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bed system with a deformable bed plate. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional bed system includes an electric bed that can change the shape of a bed plate on which a mattress is placed, and a controller that has buttons for inputting commands related to the change of the bed plate. The controller is connected to the electric bed via a cord, for example.

[0003] As an example, the floor boards include a back floor board that supports the user's back, a waist floor board that supports the lower back and thighs, a leg floor board that supports the legs below the knees, etc. In this case, the controller may include a button for moving the back floor board and buttons for moving the waist floor board and the leg floor board.

[0004] There is a demand for further improvements in convenience in such bed systems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6681368 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7406337 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to improve the convenience of a bed system. More detailed objects of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A bed system according to one embodiment includes a bed plate on which a mattress is placed, a drive mechanism for transforming the bed plate, a controller provided with a plurality of buttons including a button for inputting commands related to the transformation of the bed plate, a control unit for controlling the drive mechanism in response to operation of the plurality of buttons, and a setting unit for setting a specific shape of the bed plate and a timing for the bed plate to transition to that shape. The control unit controls the drive mechanism so that the bed plate transforms into the shape set by the setting unit in response to the arrival of the timing set by the setting unit, and stops the operation in response to operation of any of the plurality of buttons during the transformation of the bed plate.

[0008] The bed system may further include a terminal device having a display capable of displaying a screen for inputting commands related to the deformation of the bed board, and in this case, the control unit may control the drive mechanism in response to an operation on the screen.

[0009] The control unit may transition to a locked state that prohibits control of the drive mechanism in response to operations on the screen of the terminal device in response to any of the plurality of buttons being operated during the operation of the floorboard transforming into the shape set by the setting unit.

[0010] Furthermore, after transitioning to the locked state, the control unit may release the locked state in response to an operation of any one of the plurality of buttons. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the convenience of the bed system. More detailed effects of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bed system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of the bed system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of deformation of a floorboard caused by a driving mechanism. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration applicable to a remote controller. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display of the terminal device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the setting process. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process that is executed when the set time arrives. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bed system BS according to this embodiment. The bed system BS includes a bed apparatus 1, which is a so-called electric bed. In the example of Fig. 1, the bed apparatus 1 includes a bed frame 2, a floorboard 3, a drive mechanism 4, and a control device 5. For example, a mattress M is placed on the floorboard 3.

[0014] The bed frame 2 supports a bed plate 3, a drive mechanism 4, and a control device 5. The bed plate 3 is divided into multiple sections aligned in the longitudinal direction of the bed apparatus 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the bed plate 3 includes a back plate 31 that supports the back of the user, a waist plate 32 that supports the user's lower back and thighs, and a leg plate 33 that supports the user's legs below the knees. However, the configuration of the bed plate 3 is not limited to this example, and it may be divided into more sections, or may be divided into two sections: one that supports the user's upper body and one that supports the user's lower body.

[0015] The bed system BS further includes a remote controller 6, a terminal device 7, and a server 8. The remote controller 6 is connected to the control device 5, for example, via a cord 60. Communication between the remote controller 6 and the control device 5 and power supply to the remote controller 6 are performed via this cord 60. As another example, the remote controller 6 and the control device 5 may be connected for communication wirelessly.

[0016] The terminal device 7 is, for example, a portable device equipped with a touch sensor display 70. Such a terminal device 7 may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet.

[0017] The server 8 is located, for example, at a remote location from the bed apparatus 1, and can communicate with the control device 5 and the terminal device 7 via a network of the facility where the bed apparatus 1 is located or via the Internet. A cloud server may be used as the server 8, but is not limited to this example. The server 8 stores a shape setting file 81 related to the shape (posture) of the bed board 3 of the bed apparatus 1, and a time setting file 82 related to the schedule function and timer function described below.

[0018] At least a part of the communication path between the remote controller 6, the terminal device 7, and the server 8 may be configured by wireless communication based on a communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Furthermore, for example, communication between the remote controller 6 and the terminal device 7 may be wireless communication based on a short-range communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0019] 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of the bed system BS. In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 4 includes a back-raising mechanism 41, a leg-raising mechanism 42, and motors MT1 and MT2 (drive sources).

[0020] The back-raising mechanism 41 is made up of a frame, links, etc. that support the back board 31, and is operated by the power of a motor MT1. The leg-raising mechanism 42 is made up of a frame, links, etc. that support the waist board 32 and leg board 33, and is operated by the power of a motor MT2. The configurations of the back-raising mechanism 41 and the leg-raising mechanism 42 are not particularly limited, and various known structures can be applied.

[0021] The bed system BS has, as its main functions according to this embodiment, a setting unit 90 and a control unit 91. The setting unit 90 sets a specific shape of the bed board 3 and the timing at which the bed board 3 should transition to that shape. The settings made by the setting unit 90 are saved in the server 8 as a shape setting file 81 and a time setting file 82.

[0022] The control unit 91 controls the drive mechanism 4 in response to commands input by operating buttons (the buttons shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) on the remote controller 6 or the terminal device 7. The control unit 91 also controls the drive mechanism 4 so that, when the time set in the time setting file 82 arrives, the floorboards 3 are transformed into the specific shape set in the time setting file 82.

[0023] For example, the function of the control unit 91 disclosed in this embodiment is realized by cooperation of a plurality of control elements such as the control device 5 of the bed apparatus 1, the processor of the remote controller 6, the processor of the terminal device 7, and the server 8. However, the function of the control unit 91 may be realized by any one of these control elements. Also, in this embodiment, the setting unit 90 is mainly realized by the processor of the terminal device 7. However, the function of the setting unit 90 may be realized by cooperation of the above-mentioned plurality of control elements.

[0024] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of deformation of the floorboard 3 by the drive mechanism 4. In Fig. 3A, the floorboard 3 is flat overall. That is, the back floorboard 31, the waist floorboard 32, and the leg floorboard 33 are all horizontal.

[0025] In Figure 3(b), the back board 31 is inclined so that the end on the head side (left side in the figure) of the back board 31 is positioned higher than the end on the foot side (right side in the figure).On the other hand, the waist board 32 and the leg board 33 are in a horizontal position.

[0026] In Figure 3(c), the lumbar board 32 is inclined so that the end on the foot side of the board 32 is positioned higher than the end on the head side. Also, the leg board 33 is inclined so that the end on the head side of the board 33 is positioned higher than the end on the foot side. Meanwhile, the back board 31 is in a horizontal position. For example, the inclination angles of the lumbar board 32 and the leg board 33 are the same.

[0027] In FIG. 3(d), the back board 31 is inclined in the same manner as in FIG. 3(b), and the waist board 32 and leg board 33 are inclined in the same manner as in FIG. 3(c).

[0028] 3, the deformation of the back board 31 is realized by a back-raising mechanism 41. The deformation of the waist board 32 and the leg board 33 is realized by a leg-raising mechanism .

[0029] Commands for the operation of the bed apparatus 1, including the deformation of the bed board 3, can be input to the control device 5 not only by the remote controller 6 but also by the terminal device 7. To realize such a function, an application for controlling the bed apparatus 1 is installed in the terminal device 7.

[0030] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration applicable to the remote controller 6. The remote controller 6 includes a lock button 61, a custom / stop button 62, operation buttons 63a, 63b, 64a, 64b, 65a, and 65b, and lamps 66, 67, 68, and 69. The lamp 66 is lit when the bed apparatus 1 and the remote controller 6 are powered on. The lamp 67 is lit when the bed apparatus 1 is operating in response to a command from an application on the terminal device 7.

[0031] When the lock button 61 is operated, the bed apparatus 1 transitions to an application prohibition mode that prohibits deformation of the bed board 3 by an application installed on the terminal device 7. After that, for example, when the lock button 61 is pressed and held for several seconds, the application prohibition mode is released. While the bed apparatus 1 transitions to the application prohibition mode, the lock button 61 lights up, for example, in red.

[0032] When the custom stop button 62 is operated, processing is executed regarding the setting of the link between the remote controller 6 and the application of the terminal device 7. Furthermore, when the custom stop button 62 is operated while an alarm is sounding from the speaker built into the remote controller 6, the alarm is stopped.

[0033] The operation buttons 63a and 63b are buttons for operating the back-raising mechanism 41. Specifically, when the operation button 63a is operated, the control unit 91 drives the back-raising motor MT1 in a first rotation direction, thereby operating the back-raising mechanism 41 to steepen the inclination of the back base plate 31. When the operation button 63b is operated, the control unit 91 drives the back-raising motor MT1 in a second rotation direction, thereby operating the back-raising mechanism 41 to make the inclination of the back base plate 31 gentler (closer to horizontal).

[0034] The operation buttons 64a and 64b are buttons for operating the leg-raising mechanism 42. Specifically, when the operation button 64a is operated, the control unit 91 drives the leg-raising motor MT2 in a first rotation direction, thereby operating the leg-raising mechanism 42 to steepen the inclination of the waist board 32 and the leg board 33. When the operation button 64b is operated, the control unit 91 drives the leg-raising motor MT2 in a second rotation direction, thereby operating the leg-raising mechanism 42 to gentler the inclination of the waist board 32 and the leg board 33 (to approach horizontal).

[0035] Operation buttons 65a and 65b are buttons for simultaneously operating the back-raising mechanism 41 and the leg-raising mechanism 42. Specifically, when operation button 65a is operated, the control unit 91 drives the back-raising motor MT1 and the leg-raising motor MT2 in the first rotation direction, respectively, whereby the back-raising mechanism 41 and the leg-raising mechanism 42 operate so as to steepen the inclination of the back board 31, the lumbar board 32, and the leg board 33. Furthermore, when operation button 65b is operated, the control unit 91 drives the back-raising motor MT1 and the leg-raising motor MT2 in the second rotation direction, respectively, whereby the back-raising mechanism 41 and the leg-raising mechanism 42 operate so as to gentler the inclination of the back board 31, the lumbar board 32, and the leg board 33 (to approach horizontal).

[0036] 4, the remote controller 6 further includes a pairing button for pairing with the terminal device 7. Such a pairing button can be located on the back side of the remote controller 6, for example.

[0037] When the pairing button is operated, the lamp 69 lights up. This causes the remote controller 6 to enter pairing mode. In pairing mode, the remote controller 6 and the terminal device 7 communicate with each other, and the bed apparatus 1 is set as an object to be operated by an application of the terminal device 7.

[0038] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the application on the display 70 of the terminal device 7. This screen has a wake-up button 71a, a bedtime button 71b, memory buttons 71c and 71d, a horizontal button 71e, operation buttons 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b, 74a and 74b, a schedule / timer button 75, a history button 76, and a setting button 77.

[0039] The wake-up button 71a and the sleep-down button 71b are buttons for changing the shape of the bed board 3 into shapes suitable for waking up and going to sleep, respectively.

[0040] The memory buttons 71c and 71d are buttons for transforming the floorboard 3 into a shape arbitrarily set by the user.

[0041] The horizontal button 71e is a button for changing the floorboard 3 into the horizontal state shown in FIG. 3(a).

[0042] The shapes of the bed boards 3 assigned to the wake-up button 71a, the sleep button 71b, the memory buttons 71c and 71d, and the horizontal button 71e are recorded in a shape setting file 81. The shape of the bed board 3 in the shape setting file 81 can be expressed by the angle of the back bed board 31 (for example, 0 to 60 degrees) and the angles of the waist bed board 32 and the leg bed board 33 (for example, 0 to 30 degrees).

[0043] In one example, default values ​​of 60 degrees for the back board 31 and 30 degrees for the waist board 32 and leg board 33 are assigned to the wake-up button 71a and the sleep button 71b in the shape setting file 81. These angles can be changed, for example, on a setting screen displayed by operating the setting button 77. The angles assigned to the memory buttons 71c and 71d in the shape setting file 81 can also be changed on the setting screen. The horizontal button 71e is assigned a shape of 0 degrees for the back board 31 and 0 degrees for the waist board 32 and leg board 33 in the shape setting file 81.

[0044] When any of the wake-up button 71a, the sleep button 71b, the memory buttons 71c and 71d, and the horizontal button 71e is operated, the control unit 91 transforms the floorboard 3 into the shape assigned to the operated button in the shape setting file 81.

[0045] The operation buttons 72a and 72b are buttons for operating the back-raising mechanism 41. The operation buttons 73a and 73b are buttons for operating the leg-raising mechanism 42. The operation buttons 74a and 74b are buttons for simultaneously operating the back-raising mechanism 41 and the leg-raising mechanism 42. The operations performed when these operation buttons 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b, 74a, and 74b are operated are the same as the operations performed when the operation buttons 63a, 63b, 64a, 64b, 65a, and 65b on the remote controller 6 are operated.

[0046] When buttons 63a, 63b, 64a, 64b, 65a, and 65b of remote controller 6 are being operated, a message indicating that operation is being performed by remote controller 6, such as "External remote control in operation," is displayed on the screen of terminal device 7. In this state, operation of drive mechanism 4 by wake-up button 71a, sleep button 71b, memory buttons 71c and 71d, horizontal button 71e, and operation buttons 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b, 74a, and 74b is prohibited. In other words, input from remote controller 6 takes priority over input from terminal device 7.

[0047] When the history button 76 is operated, the history of operations performed by the terminal device 7 is displayed on the display 70. When the setting button 77 is operated, various screens including the setting screen are displayed.

[0048] When the schedule timer button 75 is operated, the setting unit 90 executes setting processing relating to the schedule timer function.

[0049] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the setting process. In the setting process, a selection screen is first displayed on the display 70, and a selection of whether to set the schedule function or the timer function is accepted (step S11).

[0050] When the schedule function is selected in step S11 ("Schedule" in step S11), a schedule setting screen is displayed on the display 70 (step S12).

[0051] This schedule setting screen includes a GUI for specifying the time, a GUI for specifying the day of the week or a specific date, and a GUI for specifying the shape of the bed board 3 to be set. The shape of the bed board 3 can be selected from the shapes assigned to, for example, the wake-up button 71a, the sleep button 71b, the memory buttons 71c and 71d, and the horizontal button 71e. As another example, the angles of the back board 31, the waist board 32, and the leg board 33 may be specified on the schedule setting screen.

[0052] If the timer function is selected in step S11 ("Timer" in step S11), a timer setting screen is displayed on the display 70 (step S13).

[0053] This timer setting screen includes a GUI for specifying the timer activation time, for example, X hours and Y minutes later, and a GUI for specifying the shape of the bed board 3 to be set. As in the case of the schedule setting screen, the shape of the bed board 3 can be selected from the shapes assigned to, for example, the wake-up button 71a, the sleep button 71b, the memory buttons 71c and 71d, and the horizontal button 71e. As another example, the angles of the back board 31, the waist board 32, and the leg board 33 may be specified on the timer setting screen.

[0054] When the settings on the schedule setting screen or timer setting screen are completed, a time setting file 82 indicating the settings is generated and saved in the server 8 (step S14). This completes the setting process.

[0055] The time setting file 82 includes activation timing information and shape information indicating the shape of the bed plate 3. For example, the timing information of the time setting file 82 generated by the schedule function corresponds to the day of the week and time specified on the schedule setting screen. Furthermore, the timing information of the time setting file 82 generated by the timer function corresponds to the time according to the timer activation time specified on the timer setting screen, more specifically, the time after the timer activation time has elapsed from the current time at the time the time setting file 82 is generated. For example, in both the time setting file 82 generated by the schedule function and the timer function, the shape information is identification information for the wake-up button 71a, the sleep button 71b, the memory buttons 71c and 71d, and the horizontal button 71e. However, the shape information may also indicate the angle of the back bed plate 31 and the angles of the waist bed plate 32 and the leg bed plate 33.

[0056] When the time indicated by the timing information in the time setting file 82 arrives, the control unit 91 executes the process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 7. In this process, first, the floorboard 3 starts to move into a shape (posture) according to the shape information in the time setting file 82 (step S21).

[0057] For example, if the shape information in the time setting file 82 is identification information for the memory button 71c, the control unit 91 drives the motors MT1 and MT2 so that the floorboard 3 deforms into the shape assigned to the memory button 71c in the shape setting file 81. Similarly, if the shape information is identification information for any of the other buttons 71a, 71b, 71d, and 71e, the motors MT1 and MT2 are driven so that the floorboard deforms into the shape assigned to that button in the shape setting file 81.

[0058] While the floorboard 3 is being deformed, it is determined whether the remote controller 6 is operated (step S22). It is also determined whether the deformation of the floorboard 3 is complete (step S23). If the deformation of the floorboard 3 is complete without the remote controller 6 being operated (YES in step S23), the processing shown in the flowchart is completed.

[0059] On the other hand, if any of the multiple buttons on the remote controller 6, namely the lock button 61, the custom / stop button 62, and the operation buttons 63a, 63b, 64a, 64b, 65a, and 65b, is operated during the operation of deforming the floorboard 3 (YES in step S22), the operation is stopped in an emergency (step S24).

[0060] At this time, the emergency stop is notified by, for example, lighting up the lamp 68 of the remote controller 6 or displaying a message on the display 70 of the terminal device 7 (step S25). Furthermore, the bed system BS transitions to a lock state in which control of the drive mechanism 4 in response to operations on the screen of the terminal device 7 shown in Fig. 5 is prohibited (step S26). In this lock state, even if the operation buttons 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b, 74a, and 74b are operated, the operation is invalid. Alternatively, in the lock state, the operation buttons 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b, 74a, and 74b are not displayed.

[0061] After transitioning to the locked state, the system waits for an operation of the remote controller 6 (step S27). When any of the buttons on the remote controller 6, namely, the lock button 61, the custom / stop button 62, and the operation buttons 63a, 63b, 64a, 64b, 65a, and 65b, is operated (YES in step S27), the lock state is released (step S28). This completes the processing shown in the flowchart.

[0062] Note that when a button is operated to release the locked state, the control unit 91 does not execute the intended operation of that button. After the locked state is released, the control unit 91 executes the operation according to the operation of each button on the remote controller 6 or the terminal device 7 as usual. As another example, the operation of each button on the remote controller 6 or the terminal device 7 may be treated as invalid for a certain period of time after an emergency stop.

[0063] The illumination of the lamp 68 and the display of a message on the display 70 in step S25 are stopped, for example, when the locked state is released. Note that if the remote controller 6 is not operated for a certain period of time in the locked state, the locked state may be automatically released.

[0064] In the present embodiment described above, the shape of the bed board 3 can be changed not only by the remote controller 6 but also by the terminal device 7. This significantly improves the operability of the bed apparatus 1.

[0065] Furthermore, by using the schedule function or timer function, the floorboard 3 can be automatically deformed at specific times. This allows the user to realize the desired shape of the floorboard 3, for example, when going to bed or waking up, without having to operate the remote controller 6 or terminal device 7.

[0066] It should be noted that when the floorboard 3 is being transformed by the schedule function or timer function, there may be times when you want to quickly stop the operation. If the transformation of the floorboard 3 by the schedule function or timer function cannot be stopped unless you operate a stop button (for example, the custom stop button 62), it would be difficult to operate that button in an instant. In contrast, in this embodiment, the operation of the floorboard 3 is stopped in an instant by operating any button on the remote controller 6, rather than by operating a specific button. With this configuration, it is extremely easy to stop the operation even when you operate the remote controller 6 in an instant.

[0067] Furthermore, when the operation is stopped in an emergency, the bed system BS transitions to a locked state that prohibits control of the drive mechanism 4 in response to operation of the terminal device 7. This prevents deformation of the bed board 3 due to erroneous operation of the terminal device 7 during the emergency stop. Furthermore, the locked state can be released by operating any button on the remote controller 6, making the release operation easy.

[0068] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the convenience of the bed system BS. Note that this embodiment can also provide various other advantageous effects in addition to those described above.

[0069] The configuration disclosed in this embodiment can be modified in various ways. For example, the drive mechanism 4 may include a mechanism that not only deforms the floorboard 3 but also raises and lowers the floorboard 3. In this case, the screen of the display 70 of the remote controller 6 or the terminal device 7 may include buttons for raising and lowering the floorboard 3. Furthermore, a schedule function or a timer function may be used to set the height of the floorboard 3 in addition to the shape of the floorboard 3.

[0070] The bed system BS may include operation means other than the buttons on the remote controller 6 and the terminal device 7. For example, such operation means may include operation using a voice recognition function installed in the terminal device 7. The bed system BS may also include a device such as a smart speaker separate from the terminal device 7, in which case commands for transforming the bed board 3 may be input using the device.

[0071] When the floorboard 3 is being deformed based on the time setting file 82, the deformation operation may also be stopped by operating a button on the terminal device 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] BS...bed system, 1...bed device, 2...bed frame, 3...bed board, 4...driving mechanism, 41...back-raising mechanism, 42...leg-raising mechanism, 6...remote controller, 7...terminal device, 8...server, 91...setting unit, 91...control unit.

Claims

1. The floorboard on which the mattress is placed, a drive mechanism that deforms the floorboard; a controller provided with a plurality of buttons including a button for inputting commands related to the deformation of the floorboard; a control unit that controls the drive mechanism in response to operations of the plurality of buttons; a setting unit that sets a specific shape of the floorboard and a timing at which the floorboard should be transitioned to that shape; Equipped with The control unit controls the drive mechanism so that the floorboard is deformed into the shape set by the setting unit in response to the arrival of the timing set by the setting unit, and stops the operation in response to the operation of operating any of the plurality of buttons during the operation of the floorboard being deformed. Bed system.

2. A terminal device having a display capable of displaying a screen for inputting commands related to the deformation of the floorboard is further provided, the control unit controls the drive mechanism in response to an operation on the screen. The bed system according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit transitions to a locked state in which control of the drive mechanism in response to an operation on the screen of the terminal device is prohibited in response to an operation of any of the plurality of buttons during an operation in which the floorboard is deformed into the shape set by the setting unit.

3. The bed system according to claim 2.

4. After the control unit has transitioned to the locked state, the control unit releases the locked state in response to an operation of any one of the plurality of buttons.

4. The bed system according to claim 3.

Images