US-20260123764-A1 - Width Adjustable Electric Bed Frame

US20260123764A1US 20260123764 A1US20260123764 A1US 20260123764A1US-20260123764-A1

Abstract

A width-adjustable electric bed frame includes a base frame and support units on the base frame. Each support unit includes a main frame body, two sliding connectors, and an extension frame. The main frame body includes first front and rear rods, and two first longitudinal rods connected at top sides thereof with the first front and rear rods. The sliding connectors connect the first front and rear rods, forming front and rear sliding grooves, respectively. The extension frame includes second front and rear rods, and a second longitudinal rod disposed at outer ends of the second front and rear rods, with inner ends of the second front and rear rods passing through the front and rear sliding grooves, respectively. The electric bed allows for reduced packaging or storage volume and enables consumers to adjust the width of the bed frame as needed.

Inventors

Horace Robert Eskridge, III
Chuan Huang Shih
Yu-Chi Yang

Assignees

Horace Robert Eskridge, III
Chuan Huang Shih
Yu-Chi Yang

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251021

Claims (17)

1 . A width-adjustable electric bed frame, comprising: a base frame defining a front-back direction and a left-right direction perpendicular to each other; and a plurality of support units located above the base frame and arranged along the front-back direction; wherein each of the support units comprises: a main frame body, comprising a first front rod, a first rear rod parallel to the first front rod, and two first longitudinal rods respectively located at left and right ends of the first front rod and the first rear rod; the first longitudinal rods each have a top side connected with bottom sides of the first front rod and the first rear rod; two sliding connectors, each of which has a top wall, a side wall extending downward from a side of the top wall, and a bottom wall extending laterally from a bottom side of the side wall; the two sliding connectors are respectively connected at the top and bottom walls thereof with the first front rod and the first rear rod in a way that a gap is left between the side wall of each of the two sliding connectors and each of the first front and rear rods, forming a front sliding groove and a rear sliding groove; the two sliding connectors are spaced from one of the first longitudinal rods at a distance; and an extension frame, comprising a second front rod, a second rear rod parallel to the second front rod, and a second longitudinal rod disposed at outer ends of the second front and rear rods; an inner end of the second front rod is inserted through the front sliding groove, and an inner end of the second rear rod is inserted through the rear sliding groove in a way that the second front and rear rods are supported by the top side of one of the first longitudinal rods.
2 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 1 , wherein the top walls of the two sliding connectors are connected with top sides of the first front rod and the first rear rod, respectively.
3 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 1 , wherein the bottom walls of the two sliding connectors are connected with the bottom sides of the first front rod and the first rear rod, respectively.
4 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 1 , wherein the sliding connector is provided with a through hole, and one of the second front rod and the second rear rod of the extension frame is provided with at least one positioning hole; a pin is inserted through the through hole and the positioning hole to fix the extension frame.
5 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 4 , wherein the through hole is provided at the side wall of the sliding connector.
6 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 1 , wherein a top side of the first front rod is flush with a top side of the second front rod.
7 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 1 , wherein the second longitudinal rod has a height greater than or equal to that of the second front rod and the second rear rod.
8 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator connected with one of the support units for driving the one of the support units to swing upward relative to the base frame.
9 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 1 , wherein the base frame comprises a front frame and a rear frame; the rear frame is pivotally connected at a front side thereof with the front frame, such that the front frame and the rear frame are pivotally foldable with respect to each other.
10 . A width-adjustable electric bed frame comprising: a fixed base frame; a plurality of support units attached to said base frame, each of said support units having a left side and a right side; a multiplicity of extension frames slideably attached to each of said left side and said right side of said support units; wherein each of said extension frames can slide toward and away from each of said left side and said right side of said support units thereby extending the width of said electric bed frame.
11 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of support units comprise a fixed hip support unit fixedly attached to said base frame, an adjustable back support unit rotatably attached to a first side of said fixed hip support unit and driven by a first actuator, an adjustable thigh support unit rotatably attached to a second side of said fixed hip support unit and driven by a second actuator, and an adjustable calf support unit rotatably attached to said adjustable thigh support unit.
12 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 11 , wherein each of said plurality of support units comprises a main frame body having a first front rod and a first rear rod parallel to the first front rod, and two longitudinal rods perpendicular to and fixedly attached between the first front rod and the first rear rod to create a main body frame; wherein said first front rod and said first rear rod have a left side and a right side, and wherein a sliding connector is attached to each of the first front rod left side and right side and each of the first rear rod left side and right side, and wherein each of the extension frames have a second front rod and a second rear rod fixedly attached; and wherein said second front rod slideably engages said sliding connector attached to said first front rod, and said second rear rod slidebably engages said sliding connector attached to said first rear rod, thereby allowing said extension frame to slideably move on said support units, with said second front rod parallel to and sliding against said first front rod, and said second rear rod parallel to and sliding against said first rear rod.
13 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 12 , wherein a first of said two longitudinal rods is attached at the right side of the first front rod and first rear rod, and a second of said two longitudinal rods is attached at the left side of the first front rod and first rear rod.
14 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 13 , wherein each sliding connector comprises a top wall, a side wall extending downwardly from a side of the top wall and a bottom wall extending laterally from a bottom side of said side wall to create a U-shaped member, wherein said U-shaped member of said sliding connector attaches to said first front rod such that a sliding groove is created and wherein said second front rod slidably engages within said sliding groove whereby said second front rod slides parallel to said first front rod, and wherein said U-shaped member of said sliding connector attached to said first rear front rod such that a sliding groove is created and wherein said second rear rod slidably engages within said sliding groove whereby said second rear rod slides parallel to said first rear rod; thereby allowing said extension frame to slide towards or away from said left or right side to alter the width of said electric bed frame.
15 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 12 , wherein each of said multiplicity of extension frames consists of a second longitudinal member wherein the second front rod is attached perpendicular to said second longitudinal member and wherein the second rear rod is attached perpendicular to said second longitudinal member, and wherein further when said extension frames are slide towards and abut said support units it creates a first sized bed, and wherein when said extension frames are slide away from said support units it creates a second sized bed frame.
16 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 10 , wherein the base frame comprises a front frame and a rear frame pivotally attached to said front frame wherein said front frame and said rear frame are foldable with respect to each other.
17 . The width-adjustable electric bed frame of claim 15 , including a through hole at the end of the second front rod and the second rear rod, and two through holes through each of the first front rod and the first rear rod, wherein a first through hole is located to correspond to, and secure said rods to create the first sized bed and the second through hole is located to correspond to and secure said second sized bed.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/715,061, filed on Nov. 1, 2024, and fully incorporated herein by reference. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT Not Applicable INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to electric beds frames, and more particularly to a width-adjustable electric bed frame. Description of the Related Art Conventional electric bed frames generally comprise a base frame, multiple support units positioned above the base frame, and several actuators connected with the base frame and the support units. These support units can be driven by the actuators to swing upward or move to different positions. An example can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 11,399,998, which discloses a fixed base frame and movable support units for the back, thigh, and calf of the user. Due to the inclusion of actuators and related electronic devices, as well as the need for additional connecting rods between the support units and the base frame, electric beds and bed frames are not only relatively heavy but also have larger packaging dimensions. This increases the transportation and storage costs, making it difficult to reduce the product price. Electric beds and their frames come in various sizes, such as single, queen, and king sizes. Manufacturers or retailers need to prepare packaging in different sizes and store electric beds and their bed frames of different specifications in separate areas, which requires considerable manpower for management. From a consumer perspective, the mechanism of an electric bed frame is more complex than that of a non-electric bed frame. Additionally, there are currently no designs of electric bed frames with adjustable width. If consumers want to change the bed frame width, they have no choice but to purchase a new bed frame, which can be a financial burden. It is also not environmentally friendly, as the old bed, including frame and mattress, must be discarded. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a width-adjustable electric bed frame, which can reduce packaging volume and allow beds of different specifications to be packaged by using the same size packaging materials. It is another objective of the present invention to provide a width-adjustable electric bed frame, which enables consumers to adjust the width of the bed frame as needed, making it both economical and environmentally friendly. To attain the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a width-adjustable electric bed frame comprising a base frame and a plurality of support units. The base frame defines a front-back direction and a left-right direction perpendicular to each other. The support units are located above the base frame and arranged along the front-back direction. The support units are adjustable while the base frame is, generally, not adjustable. Each of the support units have the following width adjustment components: a main frame body, two sliding connectors, and an extension frame. The main frame body comprises a first front rod, a first rear rod parallel to the first front rod, and two first longitudinal rods respectively located at left and right ends of the first front rod and the first rear rod. The first longitudinal rods each have a top side connected with bottom sides of the first front rod and the first rear rod. The two sliding connectors each have a top wall, a side wall extending downward from a side of the top wall, and a bottom wall extending laterally from a bottom side of the side wall. The two sliding connectors are respectively connected at the top and bottom walls with the first front rod and the first rear rod in a way that a gap is left between the side wall of each of the two sliding connectors and each of the first front and rear rods, forming a front sliding groove and a rear sliding groove. The two sliding connectors are spaced from one of the first longitudinal rods at a distance. The extension frame comprises a second front rod, a second rear rod parallel to the second front rod, and a second longitudinal rod disposed at outer ends of the second front and rear rods. An inner end of the second front rod is inserted through the front sliding groove, and an inner end of the second rear rod is inserted through the rear sliding groove in a way that the second front and rear rods are supported by the top side of one of the first longitudinal rods. As a result, the width-adjustable electric bed of the present invention can reduce packaging volume and allows beds of different specifications to be packaged by using the same size packaging materials. Each