ACTUATORSUPPORT SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a bed assembly and in particular to an actuator support system for supporting one or more actuators provided to move one or more portions of the bed.

Typical modern hospital beds are adjustable into a plurality of different profiles to suit the needs and comfort of the patient and hospital staff. For example, many hospital beds can be adjusted so as to place the patient in one of numerous sitting positions, some with the patient's knees raised, as well as numerous lying configurations other than a flat horizontal configuration, such as with the head higher than the feet and vice versa.

Many modern hospital beds of this type are electrically operated, being provided with a plurality of electrically operated actuators coupled to move and pivot the different sections of the bed. These enable hospital staff and the patient to adjust the configuration of the bed by the simple pressing of one or more buttons on a key pad.

The electrically operated actuators need to be located in suitable positions in the bed assembly and these typically are as close as possible to the point of use. However, the increasing complexity of hospital beds are as close as possible to the point of use.

However, the increasing complexity of hospital beds in particular, caused by the increasing number of bed adjustments provided for and increasing electrical features makes the design of bed assemblies and location of the various components increasingly complex.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved bed assembly and sub-frame for a bed assembly.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bed assembly including a sub-frame, a bed frame coupled to the sub-frame and a bed base coupled to the sub-frame; the sub-frame being formed by a plurality of connected frame struts and including a support member extending between first and second ones of said frame struts, the support member being provided with at least one bend therein.

Advantageously, the support member includes a plurality of sections arranged substantially at right angles to one another, hi the preferred embodiment, there are provided three sections, a central one of which extends substantially parallel to said first and second frame struts and is coupled at its ends to said first and second frame struts by two sections extending substantially perpendicular thereto and to the frame struts.

Advantageously, the sections are provided with actuator coupling elements. These may provide for an actuator to be coupled thereto in a direction substantially perpendicular

to the sub-frame section. However, there may also be provided one or more coupling elements designed to provide for an actuator coupled thereto to extend in a direction substantially parallel to its associated sub-frame section.

The sub-frame sections are preferably integral with the sub-frame struts. The design of the sub-frame provides a variety of coupling locations for coupling a plurality of electrical actuators thereto and in particular a plurality of actuators which extend in substantially parallel directions. This can be particularly advantageous given the fact that most bed adjustments require actuators to be oriented along the longitudinal direction of the bed assembly, that is in parallel. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sub-frame for a bed assembly formed by a plurality of connected frame struts and including a support member extending between first and second ones of said frame struts, the support member being provided with at least one bend therein.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of a bed assembly including a preferred embodiment of sub-frame; and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the sub-frame of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown a preferred embodiment of part of a bed assembly 10 which includes a sub-frame 14 and a configurable mattress support frame member 14. The sub-frame is in practice coupled by a plurality of pivotable struts (not shown) to a wheeled base member (also not shown).

The configurable frame 12 includes, in this embodiment, aback rest section 16, a seat section 18, a thigh rest section 20 and a foot rest section 22. The back rest section 16 can pivot about the seat section 18 by means of the hinges 24. The thigh rest section 20 can pivot about the seat section 18 by means of the hinges 26. The leg rest section can pivot about the thigh rest section 20 by means of the hinges 28 and can also be raised into a legs up position to help vascular flow.

The configurable frame 12 allows the bed to be configured between a flat position to a variety of sitting positions and legs up positions, generally controlled electrically by means of a keypad (not shown). Such functions are well known in the art.

The frame 12 supports a plurality of mattress support panels and, thereon, a mattress and forms part of what could be called the bed platform.

In order to achieve adjustment of the positions and configurations of the various frame sections 16-22, there is provided a plurality of electrically operated actuators 30-38, these actuators also providing for adjustment of the pivotable struts which move the sub- frame 14 relative to the base member of the bed. These actuators 30-38 can be of any known type.

The actuators 30-38 are hingedly coupled at one end to a respective pivotable or movable frame member or strut and at the other end to the sub-frame 14. As will be apparent from Figure 1, the actuators 30-38, by virtue of the design of the sub-frame 14, described in further detail below, are arranged in a compact form and all lie within the perimeter of the sub frame 14. This is particularly advantageous for the supply of electrical power and control signals to the various actuators, which supply is therefore into a compact space. The arrangement is also very advantageous in simplifying the structure of the bed assembly by enabling all of the actuators to be coupled directly to the sub-frame.

Figure 2 shows in clearer detail the design of the sub-frame 14 alone.

In this embodiment, the sub-frame 14 is of a rectangular form, provided by four connected frame struts 40-46. These are typically welded together.

Within the rectangular frame provided by the struts 40-46, there is a support member 50 which is formed of a plurality of sections 52-56 arranged substantially at right angles to one another. In the preferred embodiment there are provided three sections, a central one 52 of which extends substantially parallel to the long frame struts 40, 42 and is coupled at its ends to these frame struts by two sections 54, 56 extending substantially perpendicular thereto and to the frame struts 40, 42. The shape could be described as two L-shaped sections coupled together to have a single combined body member (the strut 52), with the feet of the L-shapes (the struts 54, 56) extending in opposing directions.

The support sections 52/56 are provided with actuator coupling elements 58-66. The elements are preferably analogous to existing coupling elements are their design is dependent upon the coupling arrangement provided for in any one actuator. They may, for example, be in the form of two substantially parallel flanges having aligned apertures therein which in use receive a bolt or similar fixing, which bolt or other fixing passes through an aperture in a part of the actuator. Such an arrangement allows for the actuator

to be pivotably coupled to the coupling element and therefore to whatever support to which it is attached.

The coupling elements 58-64 provide for the actuators to be oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support section 54/56 to which they are attached. However, the embodiment of Figure 2 also includes a coupling element 66 which provides for an actuator comiected thereto to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the support section 52. This coupling element 55 allows for additional actuators to be coupled to the support member 50 while still extending in the longitudinal direction of the bed. This element 66 could, for example, include a pair of opposing flanges which either bend at right angles to the section 52 or may be attached to a projecting element (such as a rod or tubing) which projects at right angles from the section 52. A suitable design for the element 66 will be apparent to the skilled person from the teachings herein.

The arrangement of the actuators 30-38 relative to the support member 50 will be apparent from a comparison of Figures 1 and 2. The support member 50 and the coupling elements 54-66 are typically formed from metal and are welded to the struts 40-46. It is preferred that the members 40-56 are of hollow tubular form and it is most preferred that there is a channel extending at least between one of the struts 40, 42 to inside the support member 50 so as to provide a channel for electrical wires to the actuators 30-38. As will be apparent from Figure 2, the support structure 50 allows for many actuators 30-38 to be located within the sub frame, in a very compact form. Not only is the arrangement compact but the sub-frame 14 can also allow for relatively simple electrical connection to the actuators at the locations of the coupling elements 58-66. The coupling elements 58-66 may themselves provide a channel for the passage of electrical wires to the actuators 30-38 from within the sections 52-56.

The embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 provides a simple and effective support structure. However, the teachings herein are not limited to the embodiment described. An alternative arrangement could provide a support member having only a single bend therein, and may, for example, be coupled between adjacent struts 40-46. Of course, there may be provided a plurality of support members. hi another embodiment, the support member may be of three dimensional form, that is may include one or more sections extending in an upward or downward direction.