Single-Side Mounted Bed Frame Storage to Reduce Floor Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bed frame storage systems in healthcare facilities are inefficient due to the large floor space required and limited flexibility, particularly in systems using winches and pulleys that restrict access and configurability.
Innovation Solution
A bed frame storing apparatus with a mounting device on only one side, allowing for more compact design and improved access, combined with a control unit for operating multiple apparatus, enabling efficient vertical storage and loading from either side or front.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a frame and winch and pulley arrangement is used to store bed frames vertically, then bed frames can be stored in a compact vertical space, but the system occupies additional floor space and limits flexibility and configurability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the surrounding frame structure from the storage system, extracting only the essential lifting function. The bed supports move independently on tracks without being enclosed by a frame, eliminating the space-consuming frame while maintaining vertical storage capability
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting device is designed to accommodate multiple bed supports with different configurations and sizes. The system can store various types of bed frames (adult, pediatric, bariatric) using the same mounting device and track structure, increasing versatility without requiring additional floor space
2Stability of the object's composition
If a support frame surrounds the platforms for receiving bed frames, then the platforms are retained in position, but loading bed frames can only be done from one end and the system becomes less flexible
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the support structure into separate mounting devices, each with its own independent track. This segmentation allows multiple loading points and configurations without requiring a single enclosing frame, enabling loading from different sides while maintaining platform stability through the track-guided support mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The bed supports are designed to move dynamically along the tracks rather than being fixed in position. This dynamic capability allows the supports to be positioned flexibly for loading from any side, then secured in place during storage, combining accessibility with position retention
3Reliability
If four chains are used to suspend the platforms at each corner, then the platforms are securely retained, but the system complexity increases and requires more components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the suspension and positioning functions into a single integrated bed support structure that moves along the track. This eliminates the need for separate chains at each corner, as the track-guided support provides both suspension and positional control through its movement along the predefined track path
Solution Approach 2:
The complex chain and pulley suspension system is replaced with a simpler track-and-support mechanism. The bed supports ride along the tracks using gravity and friction for suspension, eliminating the need for mechanical chains, pulleys, and winches while maintaining reliable position retention
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus (1) for storing bed frames includes a mounting device and at least one bed support (16, 19, 20). The at least one bed support (16, 19, 20) is mounted on the mounting device for movement between a loading position and a storage position. The at least one bed support (16, 19, 20) is adapted to receive a bed frame (90). The at least one bed support (16, 19, 20) is mounted on the mounting device on only one side of the bed support (16, 19, 20). Drive means (11, 12) is mounted on the mounting device and is adapted to move the bed support (16, 19, 20) between the loading position and the storage position, in use.