Sheet stretching apparatus

Abstract

To provide a sheet stretching apparatus capable of reducing labor when folding a sheet onto a rear surface side of a mattress and stretching the sheet.SOLUTION: A sheet stretching apparatus 10 according to the present invention is a sheet stretching apparatus 10 for stretching, on a mattress formed in a substantially-rectangular parallelepiped shape and positioned above a bed frame 30, a sheet which is formed in a substantially-rectangular shape in a plan view having two pairs of opposing sides and in which a plurality of hook portions are arranged side by side along at least one pair of the opposing sides. The sheet stretching apparatus 10 includes a stretching unit 100 that is disposed in a gap formed between the bed frame 30 and the mattress and pulls the sheet in a first direction substantially orthogonal to the opposing sides of the bed frame 30. The stretching unit 100 includes an engagement / disengagement member provided with an engagement / disengagement portion that can be engaged with / disengaged from the hook portions of the sheet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet stretching device, and more particularly to a technique for easily changing sheets when making a bed. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in hotels and nursing homes, there are many beds for users to sleep in, and sheets are placed on the beds to cover the mattresses. Every time the bed is used, the sheets are removed and new, clean sheets are placed on the bed.

[0003] A sheet is made of a single piece of roughly rectangular fabric material that is larger than the mattress. To stretch the sheet so that it wraps around a roughly rectangular parallelepiped mattress, the sheet is first placed unfolded on the mattress, then the mattress is partially lifted, and the edge of the sheet is tucked under the backside of the lifted mattress. To tuck the edge of the sheet under the backside of the mattress, a user must reach under the mattress toward the center and pull the edge of the sheet. The folded sheet is then pulled evenly under the mattress toward the center to prevent wrinkles. This operation must be performed on all four sides of the mattress to place a single sheet, and it requires considerable effort to place the sheet neatly and without wrinkles. Furthermore, the number of beds installed in hotels and nursing homes is enormous, and changing the sheets on all of the beds with limited manpower is a significant burden.

[0004] Therefore, technologies have been proposed to reduce the effort required for changing sheets.For example, the technology described in Patent Document 1 involves hooking sheet-pulling hooks onto multiple loops along the edge of the sheet, and then turning a handle to drive the sheet-pulling hooks, thereby moving the sheet-pulling hooks downward and setting the sheet (Patent Document 1).

[0005] In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 2 involves hooking belt-side fasteners at both ends of a belt with length adjustment function onto sheet-side fasteners provided on multiple edges of opposing sides of the sheet, and by shortening the length of the belt while the belt is wrapped around the bottom of the mattress, the opposing sheet-side fasteners are pulled together, allowing the sheet to be applied without wrinkles (Patent Document 2).

[0006] While the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 allow sheets to be installed with relatively little effort, they only allow the edges of the sheet to be pulled downward and cannot be tucked under the mattress, which results in an unattractive appearance.

[0007] That is, in order to stretch the sheet in an attractive manner, it is necessary to fold the edge of the sheet onto the back side of the mattress, but with the technology disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the edge of the sheet hangs down from the sides and front and back of the mattress, making it impossible to stretch the sheet in an attractive manner.

[0008] Furthermore, particularly in hotels and other accommodation facilities, there are multiple sizes of bed frames depending on the type of room, even within the same facility, and there is the problem that it is costly to prepare devices suitable for each different size bed frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2922464 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-292882 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention was made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a sheet tensioning device that can reduce the effort required when folding and tensioning a sheet on the back side of a mattress, is easy to handle, and allows fine adjustment of the degree of tensioning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The inventors of the present invention discovered that by installing a first reciprocating mechanism on the underside of the mattress that can reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the side of the bed frame, and a second reciprocating mechanism that is placed on the first reciprocating mechanism and can reciprocate in the same direction as the first reciprocating mechanism, the mattress becomes easy to handle and the degree of tension can be finely adjusted, leading to the present invention.

[0012] The present invention provides the following solutions.

[0013] The sheet stretching device according to the first feature is a sheet stretching device that stretches a sheet that is formed in a roughly rectangular shape in a plan view with two sets of opposing sides and has a plurality of hook portions arranged along at least one of the two sets of opposing sides, onto a mattress that is formed in a roughly rectangular shape and is located above a bed frame.

[0014] The sheet-stretching device includes a stretching unit disposed in a gap formed between the bed frame and the mattress, and stretching the sheet in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the opposing sides of the bed frame.

[0015] The tensioning unit comprises a first reciprocating section that is installed above the bed frame and performs a first reciprocating motion in a first direction, a second reciprocating section that is installed on the first reciprocating section and performs a first reciprocating motion in response to the first reciprocating section, and a second reciprocating motion that reciprocates in the first direction independently of the first reciprocating motion, and a hanging member that follows the second reciprocating section and has a hanging part that can be hung and detached from a hook part.

[0016] According to the first aspect of the invention, a sheet stretching device is provided which is provided with multiple stretching units arranged opposite each other, and by appropriately arranging the multiple stretching units on the bed frame, it is possible to provide a sheet stretching device which can stretch sheets in directions perpendicular to each of the long and short sides of the bed, regardless of the size of the bed.

[0017] Furthermore, the tensioning unit comprises a first reciprocating section that is installed above the bed frame and performs a first reciprocating motion in a first direction, a second reciprocating section that is installed on the first reciprocating section and performs a first reciprocating motion in response to the first reciprocating section, and a second reciprocating motion that reciprocates in the first direction independently of the first reciprocating motion, and a detaching member that is detachable from the second reciprocating section and has a detaching section that can be attached to and detached from a hook section.As a result, the sheet can be tensioned simply by reciprocating the first reciprocating section and the second reciprocating section in the same first direction, and an easy-to-use sheet tensioning device can be provided.

[0018] Furthermore, since the first reciprocating motion by the first reciprocating section and the second reciprocating motion by the second reciprocating section can be performed independently, it is possible to easily fine-tune the degree of tension regardless of the size of the mattress or the size of the sheet.

[0019] The invention relating to the second feature is the invention relating to the first feature, wherein the tensioning unit further comprises a base portion installed on the bed frame, the base portion comprising a base portion having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and placed on the bed frame, and a first rail portion arranged in a first direction within the range of the base portion, the first reciprocating portion comprising a first frame body having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, a second rail portion arranged in the first direction within the range of the first frame body, and a first sliding member capable of sliding within the first rail portion, and the second reciprocating portion comprising a second sliding member capable of sliding within the second rail portion, and a second frame body having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and forming a storage portion for accommodating the hanging / detaching member.

[0020] According to the second aspect of the invention, the base portion includes a base portion having a generally rectangular shape in plan view, and the first rail portion is disposed within the base portion, so that the first rail portion does not protrude from the base portion. This allows the extension unit to be adjusted to fit the size of the base portion of the base portion, facilitating installation. Furthermore, in the first reciprocating portion, the second rail portion is disposed within the first frame body, which is generally rectangular in plan view, so that the second rail portion does not protrude from the first frame body. Furthermore, the base portion, the first reciprocating portion, and the second reciprocating portion can be installed in a vertically stacked manner, allowing for compact installation in the limited space between the bed frame and the mattress.

[0021] The third feature of the invention is the second feature of the invention, further comprising a locking mechanism that restricts the movement of the second reciprocating part.

[0022] According to the third feature of the invention, a locking mechanism is further provided to restrict the movement of the second reciprocating part, so that after the second reciprocating part is moved to a desired position and tension is applied, the desired position can be maintained.

[0023] The fourth feature of the invention is the invention according to any one of the first to third features, wherein the hooking and unhooking portion is formed by a plurality of hook-shaped members.

[0024] According to the fourth feature of the invention, since the hooking / detaching portion is composed of a plurality of hook-shaped members, the end of the sheet within a predetermined range can be pulled simply by moving the first reciprocating portion and / or the second reciprocating portion toward the rear in the first direction, thereby saving the effort required to tension the sheet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sheet tensioning device that can reduce the effort required to fold and tension a sheet on the back side of a mattress, is easy to handle, and allows fine adjustment of the degree of tensioning. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a sheet 20 that is the target of tensioning by a sheet tensioning device 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 1(a) is a plan view of the entire sheet 20, and Fig. 1(b) is a partially enlarged view. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams showing in simplified form the overall configuration of the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment, with FIG. 2A being a perspective view and FIG. 2B being a plan view. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the reciprocable stretching unit 100, where FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view in a pulled-out state, and FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view in a pushed-in state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the reciprocable stretching unit 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view schematically showing the stretching unit 100 in a pulled-out state. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams showing details of the hooking and detaching member 140 constituting the tensioning unit 100, with FIG. 6A being a perspective view and FIG. 6B being a plan view. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for removing the hanging member 140 from the sheet stretching device 10 of this embodiment, where Figure 7(a) shows how the hanging member 140 is removed from the reciprocating stretching unit 100, and Figure 7(b) shows how the hanging member 140 is removed from the fixed stretching unit 100. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for spreading the sheet 20, which is the target to be stretched by the sheet stretching device 10 according to this embodiment, over the mattress 40. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for hanging the hanging member 140 on the sheet 20. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a sheet 20 is stretched using the sheet stretching device 10 according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these are merely examples, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0028] [Overall configuration of the sheet stretching device 10] The overall configuration of a sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment and a sheet 20 to be stretched will be described using Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a sheet 20 to be stretched by the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 1(a) shows a plan view of the entire sheet 20, and Figure 1(b) shows an enlarged portion. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 2(a) shows a perspective view, and Figure 2(b) shows a plan view. In this embodiment, "upper" refers to the upward direction in the direction of gravity, and "lower" refers to the downward direction in the direction of gravity. Furthermore, "near side" refers to the outer side of the mattress 40, and "far side" refers to the center side of the mattress 40. Furthermore, the "front side" of the mattress 40 refers to the side on which a user sits when using it for sleeping, etc., and the "back side" of the mattress 40 refers to the side facing the bed frame 30.

[0029] The sheet-stretching device 10 of this embodiment stretches a sheet 20 without wrinkles around a mattress 40 formed in a substantially rectangular shape and placed above a bed frame 30. The sheet 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape having two pairs of opposing sides (short sides 21a and long sides 21b) as shown in Fig. 1 and has a plurality of hooks 22 arranged along the edges of at least one of the two pairs of opposing sides (short sides 21a and long sides 21b) for pulling each of the sides 21a, 21b in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sides 21a, 21b. The sheet-stretching device 10 shows the state before the mattress 40 is placed on the support members 200 of the sheet-stretching device 10.

[0030] Before describing the sheet-tensioning device 10 of this embodiment, a sheet 20 to be tensioned by the sheet-tensioning device 10 will be described using Figure 1. The sheet 20 has a sheet body 21 formed in a substantially rectangular shape having opposing short sides 21a and long sides 21b, and a plurality of hooks 22 for pulling each side 21a, 21b of the sheet body 21 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sides 21a, 21b are formed along the edge. As shown in Figure 1(b), the hooks 22 on the short side 21a of the sheet body 21 are formed by uniformly forming sewn parts 23t at first predetermined intervals T1 on string-like members 23 having a predetermined width arranged along the edge of the short side 21a, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the edge, to generate a plurality of loops. Similarly, string-like members 23 having a predetermined width are arranged along the edge of long side 21b, and sewn portions 23t are formed at equal intervals of second predetermined intervals T2 to generate multiple loops, thereby forming hook portions 22 on long side 21b. In this embodiment, the multiple hook portions 22 are formed by sewing string-like members 23 to the fabric of sheet 20 at predetermined intervals, but the means for forming hook portions 22 is not limited to this. For example, multiple hook portions may be formed by sewing both ends of short string-like members to the fabric of sheet 20 along the edge of the side.

[0031] The overall configuration of the sheet-stretching device 10 of this embodiment will be described using Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the sheet-stretching device 10 is composed of a plurality of stretching units 100 arranged to face each other on two sets of opposing edges of the bed frame 30, and a support member 200 arranged between the plurality of stretching units 100 on the bed frame 30 and supporting the mattress 40 at a predetermined height.

[0032] The tensioning units 100 are arranged to face each other on two pairs of opposing edge portions of the bed frame 30, and at least one of the pair of opposing tensioning units 100 is configured to be able to move back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the side of the bed frame 30 and is able to pull the edge of the sheet 20 toward the center of the bed frame 30. For example, in the example shown in Figure 2, of a pair of opposing tensioning units 100 arranged near the long side of the bed frame 30, one can pull the edge of the sheet 20, while the other has a fixed structure that only holds the edge of the sheet 20. Furthermore, of a pair of opposing tensioning units 100 arranged near the short side of the bed frame 30, the foot-side tensioning unit 100 can pull the edge of the sheet 20, but the head-side tensioning unit 100 has a fixed structure that only holds the edge of the sheet 20. Thus, in the example shown in Figure 2, one of a pair of tensioning units 100 arranged opposite each other has a structure that allows it to move back and forth, and the other tensioning unit 100 has a fixed structure, but both of the pair of tensioning units 100 arranged opposite each other may also have a structure that allows them to move back and forth.

[0033] The support member 200 is installed on the top surface of the bed frame 30 between the bed frame 30 and the mattress 40, and is processed into an appropriate planar shape. The support member 200 is a member that supports the mattress 40. It has a predetermined height that is higher than the positions at which the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130 of the extension unit 100 (described later) reciprocate, so that the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130 can reciprocate. For example, in this embodiment, the height of the support member 200 is 45 mm, and the height of the extension unit 100 is 40 mm. The support member 200 is formed from a material, such as polystyrene foam or honeycomb, that has appropriate cushioning properties for supporting the mattress 40 and is easily processed into a desired shape. Furthermore, the support member 200 installed on the bed frame 30 does not necessarily have to be composed of a single member, but may be composed of several support members 200 combined together. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, it is composed of four support members 200 combined together. The support member 200 provided in the sheet-stretching device 10 supports the mattress 40, thereby forming a gap between the bed frame 30 and the mattress 40 for disposing the stretching unit 100 therein.

[0034] [Configuration of the tensioning unit 100] Next, a stretching unit 100 having a structure capable of pulling the edge of the sheet 20 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Note that a description of a stretching unit 100 having a fixed structure that only holds the edge of the sheet 20 without pulling it will be omitted.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the extended and stored states of the extension unit 100. Fig. 3(a) shows the extended state, and Fig. 3(b) shows the stored state. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the extension unit 100, which can reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the sides of the bed frame 30. Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the extension unit 100 in the extended state. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the details of the hanging member 140 that constitutes the extension unit 100. Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view, and Fig. 6(b) is a plan view.

[0036] The tensioning units 100, which are structured to be able to pull the edge of the sheet 20, each include a base portion 110 formed by a frame-shaped body that is approximately rectangular in plan view and that supports a first reciprocating portion 120 so that it can reciprocate; the first reciprocating portion 120 that is installed on the base portion 110 so as to perform a first reciprocating motion in a first direction that is approximately perpendicular to the opposing side of the bed frame 30; a second reciprocating portion 130 that is installed on the first reciprocating portion 120 and performs the first reciprocating motion in response to the first reciprocating portion 120, and also performs a second reciprocating motion in the first direction independent of the first reciprocating motion; and a detaching member 140 that follows the second reciprocating portion 130 and has a detaching portion 142 that can be attached to and detached from the hook portion 22 of the sheet 20.

[0037] The base portion 110 includes a frame-shaped base portion 111 that is formed in a roughly rectangular shape in a plan view and is elongated in a direction parallel to the edge where it is installed, and that is placed on the bed frame 30, a first rail portion 112 that extends in a first direction on the base portion 111 so that the first reciprocating portion 120 can reciprocate in the first direction, a locking mechanism 113 that restricts the movement of the second reciprocating portion 130, and a stopper portion 114 that prevents the first reciprocating portion 120 from slipping out of the base portion 110.

[0038] The base 111 is a member placed on the top surface of the bed frame 30 and serves as the foundation of the base 110, and is formed by a plate member 111a that is generally rectangular in plan view and a frame member 111b of a predetermined height that is arranged along the edge of the plate member 111a. The frame members 111b are arranged in three locations: the rear end and both widthwise ends of the base 111, but not at the front end. A pair of first rails 112, 112 that support the first reciprocating unit 120 so that it can make a first reciprocating movement in a first direction are arranged near the widthwise ends on the top surface of the plate member 111a of the base 111.

[0039] The first rail portion 112 is a rail-shaped member fixed to the base portion 111, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the side of the bed frame 30, i.e., along the first direction, when the extension unit 100 is placed on the edge of the bed frame 30. The first rail portion 112 is provided with a groove along the first direction so that a first sliding member 123 provided on the first reciprocating portion 120, which will be described later, can slide in the first direction.

[0040] The locking mechanism 113 positions the second reciprocating part 130 after it has been moved to an appropriate position to prevent it from moving unexpectedly, and is composed of a pressing member that can reciprocate in a first direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second reciprocating part 130 reciprocates. The pressing member is formed with uneven portions 113a that can engage with uneven portions formed as engaging portions 134 at both widthwise ends of the second reciprocating part 130, which will be described later. The movement of the second reciprocating part 130 is restricted by the pressing member pressing the second reciprocating part 130 in a state in which the uneven portions 113a of the locking mechanism 113 and the uneven portions of the engaging portions 134 are engaged. Note that the locking mechanism 113 may be any mechanism that can prevent unexpected movement of the second reciprocating part 130, and may be any mechanism other than an uneven portion, such as a clamping mechanism or a pressing mechanism.

[0041] The stopper portion 114 is a block-shaped member installed on the plate-shaped member 111a of the base portion 111, and is intended to prevent the first reciprocating portion 120, which makes a first reciprocating movement on the first rail portion 112, from slipping out of the base portion 110.

[0042] Next, a description will be given of the first reciprocating section 120. The first reciprocating section 120 includes a first frame 121 having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and holding the second reciprocating section 130 in an inner region thereof so as to be able to reciprocate in the second direction, a plurality of second rail sections 122 extending in the first direction in the inner region of the first frame 121 so that the second reciprocating section 130 can reciprocate in the first direction, a first sliding member 123 slidable in a groove formed in the first rail section 122, and a restricting section 124 at the front end of the first frame 121 to prevent the second reciprocating section 130 from slipping out of the first frame 121.

[0043] The first frame body 121 forms the framework of the first reciprocating section 120, and is formed by a rear wall member 121a of a predetermined height arranged in the width direction at the rear end, a plate-shaped front side girder member 121b arranged in the width direction at the front side, a plurality of connecting members 121c arranged in a first direction and connecting the rear wall member 121a and the front side girder member 121b, and end members 121d arranged in the depth direction at both widthwise ends of the rear wall member 121a.

[0044] The second rail portion 122 is a rail-shaped member fixed to the first frame body 121, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the side of the bed frame 30, i.e., along the first direction, when the extension unit 100 is placed on the edge of the bed frame 30. The second rail portion 122 is provided with a groove along the first direction so that a second sliding member 133 provided on the second reciprocating portion 130, which will be described later, can slide in the first direction.

[0045] The first sliding member 123 is a member that slides within the groove of the first rail portion 112 provided on the base portion 110, and the first reciprocating motion of the present invention functions when the first sliding member 123 slides within the groove of the first rail portion 112. The first sliding member 123 can be inserted into and removed from the first rail portion 112 only from the front end, and is particularly formed so that the first sliding member 123 will not come off the first rail portion 112 even if the first reciprocating portion 120 is lifted upward. A plurality of first sliding members 123 are provided on end members 121d that are arranged in the depth direction at both widthwise ends of the first frame 121.

[0046] The restricting portion 124 is a member for preventing the second reciprocating portion 130 from slipping out of the first reciprocating portion 120 even when the second reciprocating portion 130 is pulled toward the front. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 124 is formed by a wall-like member that extends in the width direction and has a predetermined height so that it can rotate toward the front or rear, and is disposed at the front end of the first frame 121. In this embodiment, when the restricting portion 124 is rotated toward the rear and placed upright, the second reciprocating portion 130 abuts against the restricting portion 124 even when pulled fully toward the front, thereby preventing the second reciprocating portion 130 from slipping out of the first reciprocating portion 120. Furthermore, when the restricting portion 124 is rotated toward the front and placed in a tilted position, the front end of the second rail portion 122 is released, as shown in FIG. 3( a). This allows the second sliding member 133 to be attached to and detached from the second rail portion 122. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 124 is configured to be switched between an unretainable state and a retainable state by switching it between an upright state and a reclined state, but the restricting portion 124 may also be configured as a non-rotatable plate-like member having a predetermined height provided at the front end of the first frame body 121.

[0047] Next, a description will be given of the second reciprocating section 130. The second reciprocating section 130 includes a second frame 131 that is generally rectangular in plan view and that holds the detachable member 140 in its inner region, a storage section 132 that holds the detachable member 140 and is formed inside the second frame 131, a second sliding member 133 that can slide within a groove formed in the second rail section 122 of the first reciprocating section 120, and an engaging section 134 that can engage with the uneven section 113 a of the locking mechanism 113 of the base section 110.

[0048] The second frame 131 forms the framework of the second reciprocating unit 130 and is formed by a frame-like body that is generally rectangular in plan view. The position of the upper end of the second frame 131 in the height direction is set so that the upper end of the second frame 131 is located below the upper surface of the support member 200 when the second sliding member 133 is inserted into the groove of the second rail portion 122. In addition, the position of the lower end of the second frame 131 in the height direction is set so that the upper end of the second frame 131 is located above the upper surface of the stopper portion 114 of the base portion 110 when the second sliding member 133 is inserted into the groove of the second rail portion 122.

[0049] The receiving portion 132 is formed in the inner region of the second frame 131 and holds the hook-and-loop member 140 .

[0050] The second sliding member 133 is a member that slides in the groove of the second rail portion 122 provided in the first reciprocating unit 120, and the second reciprocation of the present invention functions by the second sliding member 133 sliding in the groove of the second rail portion 122. The second sliding member 133 can be inserted and removed only from the front end of the second rail portion 122, and is formed so that the second sliding member 133 will not come off the second rail portion 122 even if the second reciprocating unit 130 is lifted upward. A plurality of second sliding members 133 are arranged side by side in the width direction at the front end of the second frame 131.

[0051] The engaging portions 134 are formed as recessed and projecting portions disposed in the depth direction at both widthwise ends of the second frame 131 so as to be engageable with recessed and projecting portions 113 a provided on the locking mechanism 113 of the base portion 110 .

[0052] The second reciprocating portion 130 formed in this manner is capable of reciprocating in a direction perpendicular to the side of the bed frame 30 below the position where the support member 200 supports the mattress 40 .

[0053] Next, the detachable member 140 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, the detachable member 140 according to this embodiment is configured with a plate portion 141 that is generally rectangular in plan view and elongated in a direction parallel to the edge where the stretching unit 100 is installed, and that has a shape that can be accommodated in the accommodation portion 132 of the second reciprocating portion 130, and a plurality of detachable portions 142 that are formed on one longitudinal side of the plate portion 141 and can be detached from hook portions 22 on the edge of the sheet 20. That is, a plurality of detachable portions 142 made of hook-shaped members are formed on one side of the generally rectangular plate portion 141. The detachable portions 142 are configured to pull the hook portions 22 of the sheet 20 that are engaged with the detachable portions 142 toward the back in the first direction when the second reciprocating portion 130 is moved toward the center of the bed frame 30 (toward the back in the first direction).

[0054] [Sheet stretching procedure using the sheet stretching device 10] Next, the procedure for tensioning the sheet 20 on the mattress 40 using the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for removing the hanging member 140 from the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for spreading the sheet 20, which is the target of tensioning by the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment, onto the mattress 40. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for hanging the hanging member 140 on the sheet 20. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the sheet 20 has been tensioned using the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment. Note that in FIGS. 8 and 10, the sheet-stretching device 10 according to this embodiment is sandwiched between the mattress 40 and the bed frame 30 and is therefore barely visible. At this time, the mattress 40 is placed on the support member 200 constituting the sheet-stretching device 10, and the first reciprocating unit 120 and the second reciprocating unit 130 are free to reciprocate without any restrictions.

[0055] First, the hooking / detaching member 140 is removed from the tensioning unit 100.

[0056] When removing the detachable member 140 from the tensioning unit 100, first, as shown in Figure 7(a), for the reciprocating tensioning unit 100, the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130 are pulled out from below the mattress 40 toward the front, and the detachable member 140 is removed from the storage section 132 of the second reciprocating section 130 (step S100).

[0057] In this case, first, the first reciprocating unit 120 is pulled out from below the mattress 40 toward the front in the first direction. At this time, the first reciprocating unit 120 may be pulled out toward the front in the first direction by hooking a finger on a restricting portion 124 formed by a wall-like member having a predetermined height. Because the restricting portion 124 is unable to rotate toward the front when within the range of the base unit 110, even if a finger is hooked, the first reciprocating unit 120 can be pulled out toward the front without rotating toward the front. Then, as shown in FIG. 3( a), the first reciprocating unit 120 is moved toward the front in the first direction on the base unit 110 until the rear wall member 121a of the first frame body 121 abuts against the stopper portion 114. At this time, the lower end of the second reciprocating unit 130 is set to be higher than the upper end of the stopper portion 114, and the second reciprocating unit 130 follows the movement of the first reciprocating unit 120 at a rear position in the inner region of the first frame body 121 without being hindered by the stopper portion 114.

[0058] Next, the second reciprocating unit 130 is moved toward the front in the first direction within the region of the first frame body 121 of the first reciprocating unit 120. At this time, the second sliding member 133 provided on the second reciprocating unit 130 slides in the groove of the second rail portion 122 provided on the first reciprocating unit 120, so that the second reciprocating unit 130 can be moved in the first direction independently of the first reciprocating unit 120 (second reciprocating movement). By drawing out the first reciprocating unit 120 and the second reciprocating unit 130 toward the front in the first direction in this manner, the second reciprocating unit 130, which was located at the rear in the first direction below the mattress 40 as shown in FIG. 3(b), can be drawn out toward the front in the first direction as shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 7(a).

[0059] 7(b), for the fixed-structure tensioning unit 100, the mattress 40 placed on the support member 200 is shifted in parallel to expose the fixed-structure tensioning unit 100 from the mattress 40, and the detachable member 140 is removed (step S110). At this time, the mattress 40 is placed on the support member 200 set to a predetermined height, and there are no other members in contact with the bottom surface of the mattress 40, so the mattress 40 can be shifted in parallel smoothly.

[0060] After the detachable members 140 have been removed from all of the stretching units 100 in steps S100 and S110, the sheet 20 is spread on the mattress 40 placed on the support member 200 of the sheet stretching device 10 according to this embodiment (step S120), as shown in Figures 8(a) to 8(c).

[0061] In this case, since each side of the sheet 20 is larger than the sides of the mattress 40, the end of the long side 21b may be folded so that the hook portion 22 on the long side 21b is placed on the mattress 40, as shown in Figure 8(c).

[0062] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(a), the sheet 20 is wound around the winding rod 50 with the ends of the long sides 21b folded, and the winding rod 50 around which the sheet 20 is wound is rolled over the mattress 40 (Figure 8(b)), thereby spreading the sheet 20 onto the mattress 40. In this way, by simply rolling the winding rod 50 over the mattress 40, the sheet 20 can be spread with the hook portions 22 of the long sides 21b exposed above the mattress 40, as shown in Figure 8(c).

[0063] It should be noted that the winding rod 50 as shown in Figure 8(a) is not required, and as long as the mattress sheet 20 of this embodiment can be spread out on the mattress 40, it may be spread out from a folded rectangular state, for example, without using the winding rod 50.

[0064] After all of the detachable members 140 stored in the storage compartment 132 of the second reciprocating section 130 have been removed and the sheet 20 has been spread over the mattress 40, as shown in FIG. 9, the detachable portion 142 of the detachable member 140 is engaged with the hooking portion 22 provided on the long side 21b of the sheet 20, and the detachable portion 142 of the detachable member 140 is engaged with the hooking portion 22 provided on the short side 21a (step S130). At this time, as shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the detachable portion 142 is engaged with the hooking portion 22 so that the detachable portion 142 is positioned outside the mattress 40. After engaging the detachable portion 142 with the hooking portion 22, the detachable member 140 may be turned over several times on the mattress 40 to wrap the sheet 20 around the detachable member 140. By winding the sheet 20 around this detachable member 140, the sheet 20 can be pulled reliably when the detachable member 140 is subsequently stored in the storage section 132 and stretched. The above-described operation of engaging, inverting, and winding is performed for all of the detachable members 140 that are engaged with the long sides 21b and short sides 21a, and the detachable members 140 are stored in the storage sections 132 corresponding to each detachable member 140. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9(b), one detachable member 140 is attached to the hook portion 22 of one long side 21b, and one detachable member 140 is attached to the hook portion 22 of one short side 21a, so that a total of four detachable members 140 are attached to two pairs of short sides 21a and long sides 21b.

[0065] Then, although not shown, the detachable members 140 attached to the hooks 22 on the short side 21a and the long side 21b are stored in the storage sections 132 of the second reciprocating section 130 of the tensioning unit 100 arranged on the corresponding edges (step S140). At this time, in the opposite order from when the detachable members 140 were removed, the detachable members 140 are first stored in the fixed tensioning unit 100, and after the position of the mattress 40 is returned to its normal state, the detachable members 140 are stored in the storage sections 132 of the reciprocating tensioning unit 100. In this way, all four detachable members 140 are stored in the tensioning unit 100.

[0066] Then, in the stretching unit 100 including the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130, the second reciprocating section 130 is pushed toward the rear in the first direction within the area of ​​the first frame body 121 of the first reciprocating section 120, and the first reciprocating section 120 is further pushed toward the rear in the first direction, thereby stretching the sheet 20 (step S150). This action allows the hooking section 142 on the back side of the mattress 40 to pull the hooking section 22 of the sheet 20 toward the center of the mattress 40, and at least in the stretching unit 100 in which the hooking member 140 is installed, the sheet 20 can be folded toward the back side of the mattress 40 without wrinkling.

[0067] In this case, in the sheet tensioning device 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, a fixed-structure tensioning unit 100 that does not have the first reciprocating section 120 or the second reciprocating section 130 is arranged on the side opposite the movable-structure tensioning unit 100 that has the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130, so that the end of one side of the sheet 20 can be pulled by the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130 starting from the fixed-structure tensioning unit 100, and the end of the sheet 20 can be folded onto the back side of the mattress 40 without forming wrinkles on the opposing pair of sides.

[0068] By performing the same operation on the other pair of opposing sides, the ends of the sheet 20 can be pulled at the opposing long side 21b and short side 21a starting from the fixed structure tensioning unit 100, and as shown in Figure 10, the ends of the sheet 20 can be folded onto the back side of the mattress 40 without forming wrinkles.

[0069] In addition, if both of the tensioning units 100 arranged on a pair of opposing sides are equipped with a first reciprocating section 120 and a second reciprocating section 130, the end of the sheet 20 can be pulled by the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130 one by one in sequence.

[0070] The sheet stretching device 10 configured in this manner is provided with a plurality of stretching units 100 arranged opposite each other, and by appropriately arranging the plurality of stretching units 100 on the bed frame 30, it is possible to provide a sheet stretching device 10 that can stretch the sheet 20 in directions perpendicular to each of the long side 21b and short side 21a, regardless of the size of the bed.

[0071] Furthermore, the stretching unit 100 is equipped with a first reciprocating section 120 that is installed above the bed frame 30 and performs a first reciprocating motion in a first direction, a second reciprocating section 130 that is installed on the first reciprocating section 120 and performs a first reciprocating motion in response to the first reciprocating section 120, and a second reciprocating motion that reciprocates in the first direction independently of the first reciprocating motion, and a hanging member 140 that is equipped with a hanging section 142 that is hung on and detached from the hook section 22 and follows the second reciprocating section 130, so that the sheet 20 can be stretched simply by moving the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating section 130 back and forth in the same first direction, thereby providing an easy-to-use sheet stretching device 10.

[0072] Furthermore, since the first reciprocating motion by the first reciprocating section 120 and the second reciprocating motion by the second reciprocating section 130 can be performed independently, the degree of tension can be easily fine-tuned regardless of the size of the mattress 40 or the size of the sheet 20.

[0073] Moreover, since the base portion 110 includes the base portion 111 that is generally rectangular in plan view, and the first rail portion 112 is disposed within the range of the base portion 111, the first rail portion 112 does not protrude from the base portion 111. Therefore, the extension unit 100 can be adjusted to fit the size of the base portion 111 of the base portion 110, making installation easier. Also, in the first reciprocating portion 120, the second rail portion 122 is disposed within the range of the first frame body 121 that is generally rectangular in plan view, so the second rail portion 122 does not protrude from the first frame body 121. Furthermore, since the base portion 110, the first reciprocating portion 120, and the second reciprocating portion 130 can be installed overlapping each other in the vertical direction, compact installation is possible in the limited space between the bed frame 30 and the mattress 40.

[0074] Furthermore, a locking mechanism 113 is further provided to restrict the movement of the second reciprocating section 130, so that after the second reciprocating section 130 is moved to a desired position and tension is applied, the desired position can be maintained.

[0075] Furthermore, since the hooking / detaching section 142 is composed of multiple hook-shaped members, the end of the sheet 20 within a predetermined range can be pulled simply by moving the first reciprocating section 120 and / or the second reciprocating section 130 toward the rear in the first direction, thereby saving the effort required to tension the sheet 20.

[0076] Although the first reciprocating portion 120 and the second reciprocating portion 130 are configured by members having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, the present invention is not limited to this and they may be configured by cylindrical members that slide in the longitudinal direction.

[0077] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely a list of the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0078] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the configurations described. [Industrial Applicability]

[0079] The sheet stretching device of this invention can be applied to facilities where bed making requires a great deal of effort, such as hotels and nursing homes. Furthermore, the technology of this invention can be applied not only to bed sheets, but also to facilities that require stretching various types of fabric, such as sofa covers and train seats. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10 Sheet tensioning device 100 Tensioning Unit 110 Base 111 Base 111a Plate-shaped member 111b Frame-shaped member 112 First rail section 113 Locking mechanism 113a Uneven part 114 Stopper part 120 First reciprocating section 121 First Frame 121a Rear wall member 121b Front stringer member 121c Connecting member 121d End member 122 Second rail section 123 First sliding member 124 Regulatory Department 130 Second reciprocating section 131 Second Frame 132 Storage unit 133 Second sliding member 134 Engagement part 140 Hanging and Detachable Member 141 Plate section 142 Hanging section 200 Support member 20 sheets 21 Sheet body 21a Short side 21b Long side 22 Hook 23 String-like member 23t Sewing section 30 Bed Frame 40 Mattress 50 Winding rod

Claims

1. A sheet stretching device stretches a sheet that is formed in a generally rectangular shape in a plan view having two pairs of opposing sides and has a plurality of hook portions arranged in a row along at least one of the two pairs of opposing sides, on a mattress that is formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and is located above a bed frame, The sheet-stretching device includes a stretching unit disposed in a gap formed between the bed frame and the mattress, and configured to stretch the sheet in a first direction substantially perpendicular to opposing sides of the bed frame; The tensioning unit includes a first reciprocating section that is installed above the bed frame and performs a first reciprocating motion in the first direction, a second reciprocating section that is installed on the first reciprocating section and performs the first reciprocating motion in response to the first reciprocating section, and performs a second reciprocating motion in the first direction independently of the first reciprocating motion, and a hooking member that follows the second reciprocating section and has a hooking portion that can be hooked and detached to the hooking portion. Sheet tensioning device.

2. The extension unit further includes a base portion installed on the bed frame, The base portion has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and includes a base portion placed on the bed frame, and a first rail portion disposed in the first direction within the range of the base portion. the first reciprocating portion includes a first frame body having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, a second rail portion disposed in the first direction within the range of the first frame body, and a first sliding member slidable within the first rail portion; The second reciprocating portion includes a second sliding member that can slide within the second rail portion, and a second frame body that is generally rectangular in plan view and forms an accommodation portion that accommodates the hook-and-loop member. The sheet tensioning device according to claim 1 .

3. A locking mechanism is further provided to restrict the movement of the second reciprocating portion. The sheet tensioning device according to claim 2.

4. The hook-and-release portion is formed by a plurality of hook-shaped members. The sheet stretching device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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