Anti-Pinch Electric Bed

The present invention relates generally to an electric bed and more particularly, to an anti-pinch electric bed.

Conventional electric beds can be controlled by the user to lift the back supporting frame or leg supporting frame, and the back supporting frame or leg supporting frame can also be controlled to swing downward to return to a horizontal position. When the back supporting frame or leg supporting frame swings downward, as it gradually approaches the base frame, if children, pets, human hands, or feet accidently enter the space between the back supporting frame (leg supporting frame) and the base frame, they may be pinched by the electric bed. If other objects, such as furniture, are mistakenly placed in the aforesaid space, the objects may be pinched or the electric bed may be damaged. Therefore, how to prevent the electric bed from pinching people, other living beings, or objects has become an urgent issue to be solved in the industry.

The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is an objective of the present invention to provide an anti-pinch electric bed, which can prevent injury to people, other living beings, or objects.

To attain the above and other objectives, the present invention provides an anti-pinch electric bed comprising a first frame, a second frame, an actuator, a pin, and a detect switch. The first frame includes a first pivot portion provided with a first pivot hole. The second frame is pivotally connected with the first frame and includes a second pivot portion. The actuator includes an end having a first coupling portion connected with the first pivot portion, and the other end having a second coupling portion pivotally connected with the second pivot portion. The first coupling portion has a first coupling hole corresponding to the first pivot hole. One of the first pivot hole and the first coupling hole is an elongated hole having a contact end. The actuator drives the second frame to swing relative to the first frame. The pin is inserted into the first pivot hole and the first coupling hole and abutted against the contact end of the elongated hole to connect the first coupling portion and the first pivot portion in a way that the pin is reciprocatingly moveable along the elongated hole. The detect switch is disposed to the first pivot portion or the first coupling portion to detect whether the pin is in contact with the contact end of the elongated hole. When the detect switch detects that the pin is not in contact with the contact end of the elongated hole, the detect switch sends a signal to stop the actuator or to reverse a rotation of the actuator. As a result, the anti-pinch electric bed can prevent injury to people, other living beings, or objects.

The structure and technical features of the present invention will be detailedly described hereunder by three embodiments and accompany drawings. As shown in, an anti-pinch electric bedprovided by a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first frame, a second frame, an actuator, a pin, and a detect switch. For illustrative purposes, the left side ofis referred to as the front side, and the right side is referred to as the rear side. However, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims of the present application.

The first frameis stationary, i.e., being fixed and immobile. It comprises a base frame, a front buttock supporting framedisposed on the base frame, and a rear buttock supporting framealso disposed on the base frameand located behind the front buttock supporting frame. The front buttock supporting frameincludes a first framework, a first pivot portionextending downward and forward from the first framework, and two first pivot holesprovided at the first pivot portion. These first pivot holesare elongated holes, where the term “elongated hole” refers to a hole having a length greater than its width. Further the rear side of the elongated hole has a contact end.

The second framehas a second frameworkpivotally connected with the first frame, and a second pivot portionlocated at a front side of the second framework. The second framecan swing up and down relative to the first frame. In this embodiment, the second frameserves as a back supporting frame, but in other embodiments, it can be a thigh supporting frame or a calf supporting frame.

The actuatorhas two ends, namely an end and the other end or a front end and a rear end, provided respectively with a first coupling portionconnected with the first pivot portion, and a second coupling portionpivotally connected with the second pivot portion. The first coupling portionhas two first coupling holescorresponding to the two first pivot holes. The actuatorcan drive the second frameto swing up and down relative to the first frame.

The pinis inserted into the two first pivot holesand the two first coupling holesand abutted against the contact endsof the elongated holes (i.e., the first pivot holes), thereby connecting the first coupling portionand the first pivot portiontogether. The cross-section of the pinhas a circular shape with a diameter slightly smaller than the width of the elongated holes, allowing the pinto reciprocatingly move along the elongated holes (i.e., the first pivot holes).

The detect switchis a limit switch and mounted to a place of the first pivot portion, which is adjacent to the contact endof one of the first pivot holes, for detecting whether the pinis in contact with the contact endof the elongated hole (i.e., the first pivot hole). When the pinabuts against the contact end, it also presses against the detect switch. When the pindisengages from the contact end, it also disengages from the detect switch. In this way, as soon as the pinis disengaged from the detect switch, the disengagement can be sensed by the detect switchimmediately. When the detect switchsenses that the pinhas disengaged from the contact endof the first pivot hole, it sends a signal to a control unit. Since the control unitis disposed to the first frameworkand electrically connected with the detect switchand the actuator, it can control the operation of the actuatorbased on the signal from the detect switch, causing the actuatorto stop or reverse its direction of rotation.

With the above disclosed structural features, as the actuatorgradually extends, the first coupling portiondrives the pinto abut against the contact endsof the first pivot holes, allowing the second frameto be driven by the actuatorto swing upward. Conversely, as the actuatorgradually retracts, the second frameswings downward. During this process, the weight of the second frameexerts on the pinthrough the actuator, such that the pinwill continuously abut against the contact endsof the first pivot holes. If, at this time, children, pets, or human hands or feet are accidently caught between the second frameand the base frame, the second framecannot continue to swing downward. Under the continued retraction of the actuator, the pinwill move away from the contact ends, as shown in. Once the pinis disengaged from the contact ends, the disengagement of the pinwill be sensed by the detect switch, which then sends a signal to the control unitto stop actuatoror reverse the rotation direction of the actuator(i.e., extending the actuator) to cause that the second frameno longer swing downward or the second framestarts to swing upward instead, thereby preventing injury to people, other living beings, or objects to achieve the objective of the present invention.

Based on the design of the above-mentioned structural features, various modifications to the structure of the anti-pinch electric bedmay be made. For example,shows an anti-pinch electric bedprovided by a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The difference lies in: the first pivot holeis a circular hole while the first coupling holeis an elongated hole, and the contact endof the first coupling holeis located at the front end of the first coupling hole. The detect switchis located at the first coupling portionand is adjacent to the contact end. In this way, when the actuatorgradually extends, the contact endof the first coupling holeabuts against the pin, allowing the second frameto be driven by the actuatorto swing upward. Conversely, as the actuatorgradually retracts, the second frameswings downward. During this process, the weight of the second frameexerts on the contact endthrough the actuator, such that the contact endcontinuously abuts against the pin. If, at this time, a child, pet, or a human hand or foot is accidently caught between the second frameand the base frame of the first frame, the second framecannot continue to swing downward. Under the continued retraction of the actuator, the contact endwill be disengaged from the pin, as shown in. Once the pinis disengaged from the contact end, the disengagement of the pinwill be sensed by the detect switch, such that the actuatorcan be controlled to stop or reverse its rotational direction (i.e., extending the actuator), thereby preventing injury to people, other living beings, or objects so as to achieve the objective of the present invention.

Furthermore,shows an anti-pinch electric bedprovided by a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, which has a structure similar to that of the second embodiment, except that the roles of the first frame and the second frame are swapped. Specifically, the first frame, which is the back supporting frame, can be driven by the actuatorto swing. The second framenow includes the stationary base frame, the front buttock supporting frame, and the rear buttock supporting frame. The actuatorhas a front end with a first coupling portionconnected with the first pivot portion, and a rear end with a second coupling portionpivotally connected with the second pivot portion. The first coupling holeis the elongated hole, and the detect switchis positioned at the first coupling portionadjacent to the contact end. Thus, when the actuatorextends gradually, the contact endof the first coupling holeabuts against the pin, causing the first frameto be driven by the actuatorto swing upward. Conversely, when the actuatorretracts gradually, the first frameswings downward. During this process, the weight of the first frameexerts on the pinthrough the first pivot portion, such that the pincontinuously abuts against the contact end. If, at this point, a child, pet, or human hand or foot is accidently caught between the first frameand the base frame of the second frame, the first framecannot continue to swing downward. As the actuatorcontinues to retract, the contact endwill be disengaged from the pin, as shown in. Once the pinis disengaged from the contact end, the disengagement of the pinwill be detected by the detect switch, such that the actuatorcan be controlled to stop or reverse the rotational direction (i.e., extending the actuator), thereby preventing injury to people, other living beings, or objects so as to achieve the objective of the present invention.

Similarly, in the third embodiment, the elongated hole and the detect switchcan also be arranged at the first pivot portion. In this case, the first pivot hole is the elongated hole, achieving the same anti-pinch effect.

Moreover, the detect switchmay be of other types, such as an infrared sensor switch or a laser sensor switch, as long as it can detect whether the pin is disengaged from the contact end. If the actuator has a built-in control unit, the detect switch can also be directly electrically connected to the actuator, such that the actuator can act upon receiving the signal from the detect switch. Any such readily conceivable structural changes should be encompassed within the scope of the claims of the patent application.