1 The present invention relates to a bed arrange¬ ment, especially beds for hospitals, institutions and thelike, comprising a bed base divided into two sec¬ tions, namely a back support, section which is pivot- able about a horizontal, transverse axis about at the centre of the bed base, together with a leg support section which cooperates with and in a normal use position is in alignment with the back support section in a substantially horizontal position. With bed bases- which are divided into two sec¬ tions it is generally possible to adjust the sections into various angular positions with respect to each other, so that the user according to desire and need can assume a normal flat-lying rest position and a more or less sitting position or a position with the upper part of the body inclined more or less backwards and a position with the legs extending more or less obliquely upwards.

A bed of the afore-mentioned type is illu- strated and described in Norwegian Patent 141,780 and is specially designed for the handling and nursing of bedridden persons and especially patients who need help in connection with motions, washing and the like. There is especially a need to be able to place a bed- pan under and remove a used bed-pan from the underside of the bedridden in an easy and simple manner. This is solved according to said patent by designing the back support-forming bed base section as a frame member having an extra back support board which is pivotable about a tranverse, horizontal axis at the top of the frame member by the head portion of the user. The free end of the back support board can hereby be raised up¬ wards relative to the opposite pivotable end of the frame member with the user resting against the back support board and with the back portion and seat portion of the user raised upwards above the bed base besides. A problem with said solution is that, at the T)

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same time as the free end of the back support board is raised upwards, the user must be raised correspon¬ dingly upwards, and there is a need in consequence for extra lifting power. In addition, many of the users have during the lifting operation a feeling of insecurity with such an extra lifting operation.

With the present invention the aim is a solution where one can achieve advantages correspon¬ ding to the solution according to the afore-mentioned patent, but in addition avoid several of the dis¬ advantages in the solution according to the afore¬ mentioned patent _*

The arrangement according to the invention is characterised in that the leg support section at the end which faces towards the back support section is vertically adjustable relative to the pivotal axis of the back support section for rearrangement of said end of the leg support section from an aligned to a prolapsed position relative to the back support section, and that the bed is provided with a link arm mechanism for controlled lowering and raising of the leg support section relative to the back support section.

According to the invention there can be placed in an easy way in a manner corresponding to the solution according to the afore-mentioned patent a bed-pan under and remove a used bed-pane from the underside of the bedridden in an easy and simple manner. This is achieved according to the invention in a less complicated way by dropping down the leg support section instead of raising up parts of the back support section. By this the user can assume the same supported position and the same level in the bed in the normal position of the leg support section as well as in its prolapsed position or more specifi¬ cally without the user being raised or lowered and thereby without having to exert an especially power-

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demanding rearrangement force and without creating a feeling of insecurity in the user during the re¬ arrangement of the leg support section to and from the. prolapsed position. A particular advantage of the solution accor¬ ding to the invention is that the user of the bed, after the bed-pan is placed under the user in the flat-lying or more or less rearwardly inclined position of the latter, can be swung easily without particular lifting force to an upright sitting position, by pivoting of the back support section, in order thereby to bring the user directly into place in a sitting position on the bed-pan. After use of the bed-pan the user can be brought back to the starting position in a correspondingly ready manner for easy removal of the bed-pan.

It is preferred that the said one end of the leg support section is provided with one or- a pair of guide castors which cooperate with an associated approximately vertical control having upper and lower end stops for the guide castors or adjacent means.

Firstly, one will be able to control the re¬ arrangement of the leg support section in this way in a precise manner with the least possible friction. Xn addition, the transverse axis through the guide castor or the guide castors will be able to form a pivotal axis for said one end of the leg support section, so that the leg support section can be utilised in addition in a known way for separate adjustment of this at various angles about the said transverse axis. In this way the leg support section can be adjusted into arbitrary inclined positions from the normal starting position of the leg support section as well as from its prolapsed position. Such a further possibility for adjustment of the bed base sections relative to each other makes it possible to

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wash and nurse the bedridden person in a simpler and easier manner than hitherto possible.

Further features of the invention will be evident from the following description having regard to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a bed according to the invention seen from the side and illustrated in a normal starting position.

Fig. 2 shows the same as in Fig. 1 with a section of the bed base illustrated in a prolapsed position.

Fig. 3 shows details of the bed, seen from the side on a larger scale.

The arrangement according to the invention is shown in the illustrated embodiment in combination with a bed of the kind which is usually used, in hospitals, institutions and the like, but it will also be possible to use the base of the bed with accessories, if necessary with a certain adaptation, in conventional beds also. Generally there will only be referred herein to a bed consisting of a bed foundation member 10 with associated bed base.11.

The bed base 11 is composed in a known manner of two cooperating bed base sections 12 and 13, that is to say a back support section 12- and a leg support section 13.

The back support section 12 is of a construction known per se and is pivotable about a transverse, horizontal pivotal axis 14 about at the centre of the longitudinal dimension of the bed. The back support section 12 can be supported in various inclined positions relative to the bed foundation member 10 by means of a support bow 15 which engages an arrest notch 16 on a support member 17 in the bed foundation member 10. If desired, the support bow and the cooperating arrest notch can be so arranged that the back support section can be supported in successive

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positions from ^* a horizontal position to a more or less vertical upstanding _, position (not shown further) . The back support section can if desired be raised and lowered by means of an electric motor (not shown) which can. be controlled in a manner known per se via an air breaker.

The leg support section 13 is also of partially known construction, that is to say its lower end can be raised upwards and supported by means of a bow 18 in arrest notch 19 in a support member 20 on the bed foundation member 10.

A novel feature in the leg support section 13 is that its one end 13a, which faces towards the back support section 12, is vertically adjustable relative to the stationary pivotal axis 14 of the back support section 12, that is to say end 13a of the leg support section 13 is adapted to be dropped downwards from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. This dropping down and a corresponding letting up of the leg support section 13 can be effected in a controlled manner by means of a link arm mechanism. The link arm mechanism comprises a dual branched link arm 21, 22, 23 having a first, short branch 21 with a rectilinear contour and a second, long branch 22 having an L-shaped contour and with an intermediate pivotal axis 23 which extends horizontally across the bed. The link arm mechanism 21-23 is secured via the pivotal axis 23 to the lower end of a pair of parallel arms 24 which project substantially vertically downwards from the bearing bracket 14a for the pivotal axis 14 on each side of the bed base. The short branch 21 is provided at the free end with a castor 25 which forms a support abutment against the underside of the leg support section, while the long branch 22 is provided at its outer portion 22a of the L-shape with a handle 26. In the prolapsed position (Fig. 2) of the leg support

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section the short branch 21 extends substantially parallel to the _. underside of the leg. support section, while in the let up (normal) position (Fig. 1) of the leg support sectioxi it is pivoted somewhat beyond a dead centre position relative to the pivotal axis 23. In. the starting position as shown in Fig. 1 the outer portion 22a of the long branch 22 extends substanti¬ ally parallel to and at the level of the bed base in its horizontal position, while said outer portion in the prolapsed position (Fig. 2) of the leg support section projects vertically upwards relative to the base of the bed. At one end 13a of the leg support section 13 there are rotatably mounted control castors 27 which are adapted to roll along control surfaces on the said mutually parallel arms 24. As shown in more detail in Fig. 3, the arms 24 extend with a curved contour, that is to say with an arc contour concentrically about a horizontal (imaginary) axis at the opposite end of the leg support section 13. The curved portion of the arms 24 is terminated lower¬ most with an abruptly bent around stop-forming portion 24a which forms the lower limit for the falling down movement of the leg support section 13. A check means not shown further at the bracket 14a for the pivotal axis 14 of the back support section can form corre¬ sponding stops for limiting movement of the leg support section in an upward direction.

In the illustrated embodiment there is employed a mattress of foamed material 28 which conforms to a significant degree to the base and produces a de¬ pression 29 in the bed base between the back support section 12 and the leg support section 13 in the position shown in Fig. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment there is employed a manually adjustable link arm mechanism 21-23 for rearranging the leg support section 13, but alterna¬ tively it is possible to employ an adjustment means

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which is electrical , pneumatic or power-driven in another way for adjustment of the leg support section 13 into various positions as shown in Fig. 1 and 2 .

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