Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to headboards for beds.

Background of the invention

Quality of sleep and relaxation is essential to good human health and well-being. Many types of beds have been developed for that purpose, including box spring beds, water beds, air mattresses, elevation beds, and memory foam mattresses. In spite of the wide diversity of beds that are available, only a few of them solves the problem of wanting to sit comfortable in the bed. Some try to solve this problem by filling the bed with cushions and pillows, but they take away the space in the bed, and are annoying to remove at night and even more annoying to refit in the morning. Elevation beds do solve the problem to some extent, but when used as a bed for two persons, or when two beds are used together with a single top mattress, one person will annoy or disturb the other, or specially developed top mattresses and sheets will have to be used. Furthermore, elevation beds are expensive and thus rarely used at e.g., hotels. A further problem with elevation beds is that the mattress is worn in the areas where the mattress is bent.

Description of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution for beds without integrated elevation.

A first aspect relates to a headboard for a bed, said headboard comprising:

- a frame adapted for being wall mounted, bed mounted, or free standing, behind the head end of a bed;

- a first panel with an upper part and a lower part, and adapted for being moved between a first vertical position to a second or an alternative further oblique position, relative to said frame, wherein the first panel is hingedly mounted to the frame by a hinge mechanism, thereby allowing the first panel to tilt back and forth relative to said frame; wherein said first panel is adapted for being moved downwards relative to said frame while being moved between said first vertical position to said second or alternative further oblique position; and

- a third panel positioned above the first panel and configured to move up and down together with the first panel, preferably acting as a barrier minimizing the risk that a user or bystander can reach the hinge mechanism by his or her hands or fingers during operation of the first panel.

The introduction of a "third” panel does not necessarily mean that a “second” panel should be present. An exemplary embodiment with a second panel is described below.

A second aspect relates to a headboard for a bed, said headboard comprising:

- a frame adapted for being wall mounted, bed mounted, or free standing, behind the head end of a bed; and

- a first panel with an upper part and a lower part, and adapted for being moved between a first vertical position to a second or an alternative further oblique position, relative to said frame, wherein the first panel, preferably the upper part of said first panel, is hingedly mounted to said frame, thereby allowing the first panel to tilt back and forth relative to said frame.

By integrating a backrest in a headboard, any bed may be used with it. Furthermore, as the backrest can be returned to a vertical position, preferably within the headboard, no space of the bed is lost. Preferably, the backrest, here in the form of a first panel, can be moved into several oblique positions, just like an elevation bed, thereby securing a continuous backrest elevation of e.g., within the range of 10-90 degrees, preferably within the range of 20-90 degrees, and more preferably within the range of 30-90 degrees. A backrest elevation 0 degrees can obviously be obtained by not using the headboard as a backrest. A backrest elevation of 90 degrees is when the backrest is returned to the vertical position.

The first and/or third panel may be upholstered, such as covered with a textile, padding, and/or cushion. This may also be the case for other panels described below. In one or more embodiments, the upper part of said first panel and said third panel are hingedly connected to one another, thereby allowing said first panel to tilt relative to said third panel when being moved between a first vertical position to a second or an alternative further oblique position, relative to said frame.

In one or more embodiments, the headboard further comprises:

- a hinge operably mounted to both the first panel and the third panel and extending along the entire length of the panels.

In one or more embodiments, the frame comprises a first frame part and a second frame part, wherein said first frame part is movably connected to said second frame part - preferably in a vertical direction. Preferably, one or more hinges are operably connected to the first frame part and the upper part of the first panel, thereby allowing the upper part of the first panel to be hingedly mounted to said frame.

In one or more embodiments, the headboard further comprises a mechanism adapted for activating the one or more hinges to move from a closed configuration to an open configuration. This mechanism may take several forms, and a few nonlimiting examples are discussed below.

In one or more embodiments, the mechanism comprises a first guide tube or rail (e.g., a U-profile) formed in the second frame part, a first guide rod formed in the first frame part and adapted for moving up and down within said first guide tube. Preferably, one or more hinges are operably mounted to the first guide rod such that the one or more hinges moves a) from a closed configuration to an open configuration when said first guide rod moves into said first guide tube or rail, and b) from an open configuration to the closed configuration when said first guide rod moves out of said first guide tube or rail.

In one or more embodiments, the mechanism comprises a first guide tube or rail (e.g., a U-profile) formed in the second frame part, a first guide rod formed in said first frame part and adapted for moving up and down within said first guide tube or rail, wherein an end edge of said first guide tube or rail functions to force the one or more hinges from a closed configuration into an open configuration as said first guide rod moves into said first guide tube or rail.

In one or more embodiments, the headboard further comprises an actuator, preferably electrical, configured for vertically moving the first frame part up and down relative to the second frame part.

In one or more embodiments, both the upper part and the lower part of said first panel are adapted for being moved downwards while being moved between said first vertical position to said second or alternative further oblique position.

In one or more embodiments, both the upper part and the lower part of said first panel are adapted for being moved downwards while being moved between said first vertical position to said second or alternative further oblique position, and for being moved upwards while being moved between said second or alternative further oblique position and back to said first vertical position.

In one or more embodiments, both the upper part and the lower part of said first panel are adapted for being moved downwards while being moved between said first vertical position to said second or alternative further oblique position.

In one or more embodiments, the first panel is adapted for being moved downwards while being moved between said first vertical position to said second or alternative further oblique position, and for being moved upwards while being moved between said second or alternative further oblique position and back to said first vertical position.

In one or more embodiments, the headboard further comprises a second panel positioned below said first panel, and wherein the lower part (or at least the bottom edge) of said first panel is adapted for being positioned in front of said second panel while moved to said second or alternative further oblique position.

In one or more embodiments, the headboard further comprises an electrical actuator configured for directly or indirectly moving said first panel between said first vertical position to said second or said alternative further oblique position, relative to said frame.

A third aspect relates to a bed system comprising:

- one or more beds; and

- one or more headboards according to the present invention.

In one or more embodiments, the bottom edge of the first panel, when the first panel is in its retracted position, is positioned at least 1 cm, such as at least 10 cm, above the mattress of the bed, such as within the range of 1-20 cm above the mattress of the bed, such as within the range of 10-20 cm above the mattress of the bed preferably 2-5 cm above the mattress of the bed.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" or "approximately" one particular value and/or to "about" or "approximately" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about", it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

It should be noted that embodiments and features described in the context of one of the aspects of the present invention also apply to the other aspects of the invention.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bed system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where the headboard is in a use position.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a bed system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where the headboard is in a retracted position. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a headboard in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a bottom view of a headboard in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a side view of a headboard in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a rear view of a headboard in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a headboard in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where parts of the frame have been removed.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a bed system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where the headboard is in a use position.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a bed system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where the headboard is in a retracted position.

Figure 10 shows a side view of a bed system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where the headboard is in a use position.

Figure 11 shows a side view of a bed system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where the headboard is in a retracted position.

Detailed embodiments of the invention

The following description is to be seen as non-limiting examples of a bed system 100, 200 and headboard 200 according to various embodiments of the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, the general scheme of the invention is shown, where a bed system is shown comprising a bed 100 and a headboard 200. The headboard is shown in a use position, whereas Figure 2 shows the headboard in a retracted position.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a headboard 200 in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The headboard 200 comprises a frame 210 and a first panel 220. The frame 210 is adapted for being bed mounted behind the head end of a bed by use of brackets 216, although in general, the frame 210 may just as well be configured as wall mounted, or free standing. The first panel 220 defines whether the headboard 200 is in a use position (as shown, where the first panel 220 is in an extended oblique position), or in a retracted position (as shown in Figure 2, where the first panel 220 is in a retracted position). The first panel 220 comprises an upper part 222 and a lower part 224. The upper part 222 includes the top edge 223 of the first panel 220, and the lower part 224 includes the bottom edge 225 of the first panel 220. The upper part 222 of the first panel 220 is mounted to the frame 210 with two hinges 230 (easier seen in Figure 4), thereby allowing the first panel 220 to tilt back (into a retracted position) and forth (into an extended oblique position) relative to the frame 210. The frame 210 is shown with two side panels 218, each with a guide recess adapted for guiding and supporting the side edges 226 of the first panel 220. A mechanism, which is exemplified in an embodiment below, is adapted for activating the hinges 230 to move from a closed configuration to an open configuration. The frame 210 comprises a first frame part 212 and a second frame part 214 (see Figure 7, where the two side panels 218 have been removed). The first frame part 212 is movably connected to the second frame part 214. Two guide tubes are formed at each side of the second frame part 214 and a two guide rods are formed at each side of the first frame part 212. The hinges 230 are each mounted to each first guide rod. The first guide rods are each adapted for moving up and down within each first guide tube. An end edge 215 of the first guide tube functions to force a hinge 230 from a closed configuration into an open configuration as the first guide rod moves into the first guide tube.

The headboard 200 is also shown with a second panel 250 positioned below the first panel 220. This second panel 250 is preferably of a height corresponding to a pillow and/or a duvet, thereby securing that the first panel will not push a pillow and/or duvet lying on the bed 100. In this way, the headboard may be operated while the bed is made. In some embodiments, the first panel 220 may be operated such that the bottom edge 225 of the first panel 220 is positioned in front of the second panel 250 while moved to an extended oblique position. This configuration allows the user a more comfortable lower back support. An actuator 240, preferably electrical, together with other components of the mechanism, is configured for moving and directing the first panel 220 between a first vertical position to an extended oblique position, relative to the frame 210. A third panel 260 may be present to secure that a user will not get their hands or fingers squeezed in the two hinges 230 during operation of the first panel. The third panel 260 may be configured to move up and down together with the first panel 220. This movement may be aided by a rear plate

219 with guide slots as well as, or alternatively, by the two side panels 218 via their guide recesses adapted for guiding and supporting the side edges the third panel 260.

Figures 8 and 9 show perspective views of a bed system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, where the headboard is, respectively, in a use position and in a retracted position. Here, third panel 260 is configured to move up and down together with the first panel 220. This movement is aided by a hinge 262 operably mounted to both the first panel 220 and the third panel 260. The hinge 262 is here shown extending along the entire length of the panels 220, 260, but could in other embodiments comprise multiple hinges arranged in a side-by-side relationship, preferably covering the entire length of the panels 220, 260 to avoid finger being pinched between the two panels 220, 260. The hinge 262 also allow the first panel

220 to tilt relative to the third panel 260 when being moved between a first vertical position to a second or an alternative further oblique position, relative to the frame 210.

The frame 210 comprises a first frame part 212 and a second frame part 214. The first frame part 212 is movably connected to the second frame part 214. Two guide tubes are formed at each side of the second frame part 214 and a two guide rods are formed at each side of the first frame part 212. The guide rods are each adapted for moving up and down within each guide tube. The hinges 230 are mounted to the first frame part 212 at one end and to the first panel 220 at the other end.

The third panel 260 is also supported in its movements by an arrangement of guide rods and guide tubes, where the guide rods are each adapted for moving up and down within each guide tube. This movement is easier seen in Figures 10 and 11 that show side views, respectively, where the headboard is in a use position, and in a retracted position.

References

100 Bed

200 Headboard

210 Frame

212 First frame part

214 Second frame part

215 Edge

216 Bracket

218 Side panel

219 Rear panel

220 First panel

222 Upper part

223 Top edge

224 Lower part

225 Bottom edge

226 Side edge

230 Hinge

240 Actuator/piston unit

250 Second panel

260 Third panel

262 Hinge