US20110101749A1

US20110101749A1 - Lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair

Info

Publication number: US20110101749A1
Application number: US12/610,372
Authority: US
Inventors: Lung-Tan Shih
Original assignee: Ruoey Lung Enterprise Corp
Current assignee: Ruoey Lung Enterprise Corp
Priority date: 2009-11-02
Filing date: 2009-11-02
Publication date: 2011-05-05

Abstract

A lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair includes a sliding base, two scissor lifts, a driver and a supporting member. The sliding base has a pair of slide slots and a pair of rotating pins, a securing portion between the two rotating pins, and a plurality of the locking apertures. Two scissor lifts both have an X-shaped frame having a pivot. A driver has a positioning end, an extendable rod, a through hole and a sliding rod placed through the slide slot, the through hole and the first front cotter holes. A supporting member has a pair of slide tracks and a pair of rotating holes. The driver drives the sliding rod along the slide slot of the sliding base to shorten the extendable rod, the scissor lifts rotate around the pivots to lift such that the supporting member is pushed away from the sliding base.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair, and more particularly to a lower-back supporting assembly that provides lower-back support to improve the comfort afforded by a bed frame or chair, which employs scissor lifts that are capable of a scissoring movement to increase the lift height of the supporting member, thereby providing a lower-back supporting structure that can help users suffering from lower-back pain.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, most bed frames are designed for a user to lay flat while sleeping, and a typical bed frame includes four legs and supports. However, due to the stresses of modern life, many people suffer from insomnia and therefore suffer from a lack of sufficient rest. Consequently, many bed frames have included additional features, such as providing head or leg lifting capabilities, and the user can select and adjust a suitable position for him or herself. However, these prior art bed frames all lack a lower-back support function. The lower-back of the human body supports the upper-body weight and has a concaved shape, which is the narrowest portion in the upper body; therefore, the lower-back endures tremendous pressure. If, when the user is laying flat, his or her lower-back is not supported by the bed surface, the user cannot experience the most comfortable posture or release the stresses around the lower-back.
Some typical chairs have lower-back support structures, but the user must manually do the adjustment. The prior structure utilizes an elastic sheet to provide support to a back board, and the back board is attached to a string. With a tightening rotation or release of the string, the back board is placed in different positions to provide lower-back support. However, the prior art lower-back support structure requires manual operation which is inconvenient, and the elastic sheet cannot provide sufficient support height.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair comprises a sliding base, two scissor lifts, a driver and a supporting member. The sliding base is a rectangular frame, and front ends and rear ends of two length-wise sides respectively have a pair of slide slots and a pair of rotating pins. Each slide slot is an elongate slot having an inner arcuate region and an outer arcuate region at two respective ends. A securing portion is disposed on a down-extended portion between the two rotating pins, and the sliding base includes a plurality of locking apertures. The two scissor lifts both are an X-shaped frame having a pivot; two bottom ends of each has a first front cotter hole and a rear cotter hole, and two top ends of each has a second front cotter hole and rear rotating pin. The first front cotter hole of each scissor lift is aligned with the slide slot of the sliding base, the rear cotter hole of each scissor lift is pivoted to the rotating pin, and a sliding pin is placed through the two second front cotter holes of the two scissor lifts. A first spacer tube and a first pair of washers are jacketed on the sliding pin. The driver is an electric motor or a hydraulic device. The driver has a positioning end; the positioning end is pivoted to the securing portion of the sliding base, and the securing portion of the sliding base and the positioning end of the driver are pivoted together by a pin. Another end of the driver has an extendable rod and a through hole disposed at an end of the extendable rod. The through hole is aligned with the slide slot of the sliding base. A sliding rod is placed through the slide slot, the through hole and the first front cotter holes. Furthermore, two second spacer tubes and a second pair of washers are jacketed on the sliding rod among the slide slot, the through hole and the first front cotter holes. Therefore, the driver and the sliding base are capable of moving relative to each other. A supporting member has four corners corresponding to the four top ends of the two scissor lifts, a pair of slide tracks and a pair of rotating holes; each slide track corresponds with the sliding pin, and each rotating hole is pivoted to a corresponding rear rotating pin. Subsequently, the driver drives the sliding rod along the slide slot of the sliding base to shorten the extendable rod, the scissor lifts rotate around the pivots to lift such that the supporting member is pushed away from the sliding base.
When the extendable rod of the driver is extended, the extendable rod pushes the sliding rod towards the outer arcuate regions of the slide slots, and the first front cotter holes of the scissor lifts are pushed in the same direction so the scissor lifts rotate around their pivots. A maximum distance between the first front cotter hole and the rear cotter hole is then reached. Alternatively, when the extendable rod of the driver contracts, the through hole of the extendable rod pulls the sliding rod to slide towards the inner arcuate regions of the slide slots, and with the sliding rod being pivoted to the first front cotter holes of the scissor lifts the sliding rod simultaneously pulls the first front cotter holes to slide towards the rear cotter holes. Meanwhile, the scissor lifts rotate around their pivots, and a minimum distance between the first front cotter holes and the rear cotter holes is then reached. Additionally, the second front cotter holes and the rear rotating pins of the scissor lifts also move to closer to each other. The rear rotating pins are pivoted on the rotating holes of the supporting member, and the rear rotating pins of the scissor lifts lift the ends having the rotating holes of the supporting member. The second front cotter holes with the sliding pin slides and pushes against the slide track of the supporting member. Therefore, with the contraction of the driver and the simultaneous rotation of the scissor lifts, the supporting member is able to lift up while remaining horizontal.
The lower-back supporting structure utilizes the driver to push the sliding rod along the slide slots, and with the scissoring movement of the scissor lifts the supporting is lifted horizontally. This simple assembly structure can provide lower-back support to improve the comfort of the bed frame or chair. Moreover, the scissor lifts both are an X-shaped frame and capable of scissoring movement around the pivots to increase the lift height of the supporting member. Therefore, the lower-back supporting structure can help users to ease their lower-back pain.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a pushing movement according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view showing an embodiment of the present invention being installed onto a bed frame.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a lower-back supporting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing showing an embodiment lower-back supporting structure being installed onto a bed frame and lifting up.

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing showing an embodiment supporting member with a soft padding according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a user laying flat on an embodiment bed frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. An embodiment lower-back supporting structure 100 for a bed or a chair comprises a sliding base 10, two scissor lifts 20, a driver 30 and a supporting member 40. The sliding base 10 is a rectangular frame, and front ends and rear ends of two length-wise sides respectively have a pair of slide slots 11 and a pair of rotating pins 12. Each slide slot 11 is an elongate slot having an inner arcuate region 111 and an outer arcuate region 112 at two respective ends. A securing portion 13 is disposed on a down-extended portion between the two rotating pins 12, and the sliding base 10 includes a plurality of locking apertures 14. The two scissor lifts 20 both are an X-shaped frame having a pivot 21; two bottom ends of each has a first front cotter hole 22 and a rear cotter hole 23, and two top ends of each has a second front cotter hole 24 and rear rotating pin 25. The first front cotter hole 22 of each scissor lift 20 is aligned with the slide slot 11 of the sliding base 10, the rear cotter hole 23 of each scissor lift 20 is pivoted to the rotating pin 12, and a sliding pin 241 is placed through the two second front cotter holes 24 of the two scissor lifts 20. A first spacer tube 242 and a first pair of washers 243 are jacketed on the sliding pin 241. The driver 30 is an electric motor or a hydraulic device. The driver 30 has a positioning end 31; the positioning end 31 is pivoted to the securing portion 13 of the sliding base 10, and the securing portion 13 of the sliding base 10 and the positioning end 31 of the driver 30 are pivoted together by a pin 32. Another end of the driver 30 has an extendable rod 33 and a through hole 331 disposed at an end of the extendable rod 33. The through hole 331 is aligned with the slide slot 11 of the sliding base 10. A sliding rod 34 is placed through the slide slot 11, the through hole 331 and the first front cotter holes 22. Furthermore, two second spacer tubes 341 and a second pair of washers 342 are jacketed on the sliding rod 34 among the slide slot 11, the through hole 331 and the first front cotter holes 22. Therefore, the driver 30 and the sliding base 10 are capable of moving relative to each other. A supporting member 40 has four corners corresponding to the four top ends of the two scissor lifts 20, a pair of slide tracks 41 and a pair of rotating holes 42; each slide track 41 corresponds with the sliding pin 241, and each rotating hole 42 is pivoted to a corresponding rear rotating pin 25. Subsequently, the driver 30 drives the sliding rod 34 along the slide slot 11 of the sliding base 10 to shorten the extendable rod, the scissor lifts 20 rotate around the pivots 21 to lift such that the supporting member 40 is pushed away from the sliding base 10.
For an embodiment structure of the present invention, please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The two scissor lifts 20 are separately placed at two length-wise sides of the sliding base 10, and the first front cotter holes 22 of the scissor lifts 20 are placed adjacent to the inner side of the slide slot 11. The rear cotter holes 23 of the scissor lifts 20 are pivoted to the rotating pin 12 so that the two scissor lifts 20 are installed symmetrically. The driver 30 is coupled with the pin 32, which passes through the positioning end 31, so that the positioning end 31 is pivoted to the securing portion 13 of the sliding base 10. The extendable rod 33 of the driver 30 is arranged towards the slide slots 11 of the sliding base 10 and placed between the two scissor lifts 20. The sliding rod 34 is placed through the slide slot 11 for sliding movement and also through the first front cotter holes 22 of the two scissor lifts 20 and the through hole 331 of the driver 30, and the first spacer tube 341 and the washer 342 are jacketed on the sliding rod 34 at two sides of the through hole 331 to secure the movement of the driver 30 and also serve as spacers to prevent the legs of the scissor lifts 20 from collapsing towards each other. The supporting member 40 is placed above the scissor lifts 20, and the inner side of the rotating holes 42 are pivoted to the rear rotating pins 25 of the two scissor lifts 20. The second front cotter holes 24 of the scissor lifts 20 are placed on the outer side of the slide track 41 of the supporting member 40, and the sliding pin 241 is placed through both of the second front cotter holes 24 and the slide tracks 41. The first spacer tube 242 and the washer 243 are jacketed on the sliding pin 241 between the two slide tracks 41. Therefore, the scissor lifts 20 and the supporting member 40 are capable of relative sliding movements, and the assembly structure of the lower-back supporting structure 100 is completed.
For the actual operation, please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 with further reference to FIG. 2. When the extendable rod 33 of the driver 30 is extended, the extendable rod 33 pushes the sliding rod 34 towards the outer arcuate regions 112 of the slide slots 11, and the first front cotter holes 22 of the scissor lifts 20 are pushed in the same direction so the scissor lifts 20 rotate around their pivots 21. A maximum distance between the first front cotter hole 22 and the rear cotter hole 23 is then reached. Alternatively, when the extendable rod 33 of the driver 30 contracts, the through hole 331 of the extendable rod 33 pulls the sliding rod 34 to slide towards the inner arcuate regions 111 of the slide slots 11, and with the sliding rod 34 being pivoted to the first front cotter holes 22 of the scissor lifts 20 the sliding rod 34 simultaneously pulls the first front cotter holes 22 to slide towards the rear cotter holes 23. Meanwhile, the scissor lifts 20 rotate around their pivots 21, and a minimum distance between the first front cotter holes 22 and the rear cotter holes 23 is then reached. Additionally, the second front cotter holes 24 and the rear rotating pins 25 of the scissor lifts 20 also move to closer to each other. The rear rotating pins 25 are pivoted on the rotating holes 42 of the supporting member 40, and the rear rotating pins 25 of the scissor lifts 20 lift the ends having the rotating holes 42 of the supporting member 40. The second front cotter holes 24 with the sliding pin 241 slides and pushes against the slide track 41 of the supporting member 40. Therefore, with the contraction of the driver 30 and the simultaneous rotation of the scissor lifts 20, the supporting member 40 is able to lift up while remaining horizontal.
For an embodiment application, please refer to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 with further reference to FIG. 2. The lower-back supporting structure 100 can be installed onto an upper bed board 51 of a bed frame 50 or a chair back of a chair. Therefore, when a user lays flat or sits, his or her lower-back is above the lower-back supporting structure 100. Taking the bed frame 50 as an example, the lower-back supporting structure 100 is screwed onto an opening 52 of the bed frame 50 through the locking aperture 14 of the sliding base 10, and the opening 52 is located at a position on upper bed board 51 corresponding to the lower-back of the user. When the lower-back supporting structure 100 is not activated, the driver 30 is extended, the scissor lifts 20 stretch out like opened scissors, and so the supporting member 40 is not pushed away from the sliding base 10. In addition, the upper bed board 51 is able to have a raised lower-back supporting structure in a horizontal state or an inclined state. A mattress 53 is placed above the bed frame 50 to provide more comfort for the user. When the user wants to have lower-back support, he or she only needs to control the driver 30 for contraction to drive the scissor lifts 20 to close up and thus lift up the supporting member 40, and a raised area on the mattress 53 is thereby formed under the lower-back of the user. Please refer to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. A soft padding 54 is placed on the upper side of the supporting member 40, and the entire structure is capable of being contained in the mattress 53 and individually supporting the lower-back area. Accordingly, the supporting member 40 can support the lower-back area of the user, to reduce stress around the lower-back area when the user is laying flat, which can help the user feel more comfortable.
With the above-mentioned structure, the following benefits can be obtained: the lower-back supporting structure 100 utilizes the driver 30 to push the sliding rod 34 along the slide slots 11, and with the scissoring movement of the scissor lifts 20 the supporting 40 is lifted horizontally. This simple assembly structure can provide lower-back support to improve the comfort of the bed frame 50 or chair. Moreover, the scissor lifts 20 both are an X-shaped frame and capable of scissoring movement around the pivots 21 to increase the lift height of the supporting member 40. Therefore, the lower-back supporting structure 100 can help users to ease their lower-back pain.
Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair comprising:

a sliding base forming a rectangular frame, front ends and rear ends of two length-wise sides respectively having a pair of slide slots and a pair of rotating pins, a securing portion disposed on a down-extended portion between the two rotating pins, and the sliding base including a plurality of the locking apertures;

two scissor lifts both forming an X-shaped frame having a pivot, two bottom ends of each having a first front cotter hole and a rear cotter hole, two top ends of each having a second front cotter hole and rear rotating pin, the first front cotter hole of each scissor lift aligned with the slide slot of the sliding base, the rear cotter hole of each scissor lift pivoted to the rotating pin, and a sliding pin is placed through the two second front cotter holes of the two scissor lifts;

a driver having a positioning end, the positioning end pivoted to the securing portion of the sliding base, another end of the driver having an extendable rod and a through hole disposed at an end of the extendable rod, the through hole aligned with the slide slot of the sliding base; and a sliding rod is placed through the slide slot, the through hole and the first front cotter holes; and

a supporting member having four corners corresponding to the four top ends of the two scissor lifts, a pair of slide tracks and a pair of rotating holes, each slide track corresponding to the sliding pin, and each rotating hole pivoted to the rear rotating pins;

wherein the driver drives the sliding rod along the slide slot of the sliding base to shorten the extendable rod, the scissor lifts rotate around the pivots to lift such that the supporting member is pushed away from the sliding base.

2. The lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slide slot is an elongate slot having an inner arcuate region and an outer arcuate region at two respective ends.

3. The lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing portion of the sliding base and the positioning end of the driver are pivoted together.

4. The lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver is an electric motor.

5. The lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver is a hydraulic device.

6. The lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first spacer tube and a first pair of washers are jacketed on the sliding pin between the two slide tracks of the supporting member.

7. The lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two second spacer tubes and a second pair of washers are jacketed on the sliding rod among the slide slot, the through hole and the first front cotter hole.

8. The lower-back supporting structure for a bed or a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein a soft padding is disposed on the supporting member.