Care Bed Lifting Assembly Telescopic Actuators Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional care bed lifting mechanisms have limited height adjustment range, posing safety risks for patients and caregivers due to fixed components under the mattress platform, and existing solutions like scissor-type or pulley systems are hazardous or prone to jamming.
Innovation Solution
A lifting assembly using telescopic linear actuators mounted at the end frames of the care bed, allowing the mattress platform to adjust vertically from ground level to over 800 mm, with actuators working in series to maximize height adjustment while maintaining head and footboard height relative to the mattress, reducing the risk of falls and discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional lifting mechanisms with fixed components under the mattress platform are used, then height adjustment is achieved, but the range of movement is limited and the minimum height achievable is too high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the actuator mounting location from underneath the mattress platform to the end frames (head and foot ends) of the bed. This spatial relocation allows the lifting mechanism to achieve full range of motion without fixed components interfering with the platform's descent to ground level, thereby extending the vertical movement range while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Length of moving object
If scissor-type lifting mechanism is used, then greater range of movement is achieved, but it becomes hazardous to children or pets and bedding may become trapped and jam the mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the actuator mechanisms from the concealed space under the mattress platform and relocates them to the end frames where they are accessible yet isolated from the patient area. This separation removes the hazard of exposed scissor mechanisms near patients while preventing bedding from interfering with the lifting action, thereby eliminating both safety risks and jamming possibilities.
3Length of moving object
If telescopic linear actuator mounted at end of bed is used, then mattress platform can be lowered to ground level, but there is minimal headboard available in fully raised position presenting potential risk of falls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the actuator system into two independent actuators: one dedicated to lowering the platform to ground level and another responsible for raising it to treatment height. This segmentation allows each actuator to be optimized for its specific function, ensuring that when the platform is raised, the headboard maintains adequate height for patient safety while the system still achieves full ground-level access capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A lifting assembly for a care bed comprising a first end frame and a second end frame having a mattress platform extending longitudinally between the end frames. At least one actuator mechanism is mounted to at least one of the first and/or second end frames that is configured to provide a corresponding vertical height adjustment of the mattress platform relative to the ground that is the sum of the stroke length of respective first and second linear actuators of the actuator mechanism.