Adjustable bed system

Abstract

An adjustable bed system includes a mattress and an adjustment mechanism. The mattress includes a head portion and a foot portion rearward of the head portion, and the head portion defines a cavity that is downwardly open. The adjustment mechanism includes a lower base formed of a planar substrate, an upper support formed of either a frame or another planar substrate that is movably coupled to the lower base, and an actuator operable to move the upper support relative to the lower base. The adjustment mechanism is positioned in the cavity and coupled to the mattress. When the actuator is operated, the adjustment mechanism moves the adjustable bed system between a flat and an inclined configuration. The mattress and the adjustment mechanism are configured to be positioned on a support surface with the adjustment mechanism having a higher coefficient of friction with the support surface than the mattress.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An adjustable bed system comprising:
 a mattress having a head portion and a foot portion rearward of the head portion, wherein the head portion defines a cavity that is downwardly open; and   an adjustment mechanism having a lower base formed of a planar substrate, an upper support formed of either a frame or another planar substrate that is movably coupled to the lower base, and an actuator operable to move the upper support relative to the lower base;   wherein the adjustment mechanism is positioned in the cavity and coupled to the mattress, and when the actuator is operated, the adjustment mechanism moves the adjustable bed system between a flat configuration in which the head portion is substantially coplanar with the foot portion and an inclined configuration in which the head portion is inclined relative to the foot portion; and   wherein the mattress and the adjustment mechanism are configured to be positioned on a support surface, the adjustment mechanism having a higher coefficient of friction with the support surface than the mattress.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base of the adjustment mechanism includes an elastomeric material that engages the support surface with the higher coefficient of friction;
 wherein the lower base is coextensive with a head portion of the mattress;   wherein the lower base includes one or more stanchions that are configured to be engaged by and support the upper support in the flat configuration;   wherein the lower base includes a bottom material that has the higher coefficient of friction and that is configured to couple to the mattress with a coupler.   
     
     
         3 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base of the adjustment mechanism includes an elastomeric material that engages the support surface with the higher coefficient of friction. 
     
     
         4 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 3 , wherein the elastomeric material forms less than 20% of the area of the surface to which it is applied. 
     
     
         5 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 3 , wherein the lower base includes a bottom material that is a woven or non-woven sheet material to which the elastomeric material applied on a lower surface thereof, and the bottom material of the lower base is the same material forming a lower covering of the mattress. 
     
     
         6 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base is coextensive with a head portion of the mattress. 
     
     
         7 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 6 , wherein the lower base has a base length that is greater than a cavity length of the cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 7 , wherein the lower base is configured to engage a vertical surface of a wall to prevent headward movement of the adjustable bed assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base includes one or more stanchions that are configured to be engaged by and support the upper support in the flat configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 9 , wherein in the flat configuration, the upper support is parallel with the lower base. 
     
     
         11 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 10 , wherein the upper support is pivotably coupled to the lower base with one or more hinges that form an axis of rotation at an approximate mid-height between the upper support and the lower base. 
     
     
         12 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base includes a bottom material that has the higher coefficient of friction and that is configured to couple to the mattress with a coupler. 
     
     
         13 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 12 , wherein the coupler is configured to releasably couple one or more of a head end, a left side, and a right side of the lower base to the mattress. 
     
     
         14 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 13 , further comprising a power cord having a plug, wherein the coupler is a zipper that releasably couples the head end, the left side, and the right side of the lower base to the mattress, and in a shipping configuration, the lower base is coupled to the mattress with the coupler and the plug is positioned on an opposite side of the cavity relative to a zipper pull of the coupler. 
     
     
         15 . The adjustable bed of  claim 12 , further comprising another coupler that couples a foot end of the lower base to the mattress in the flat configuration and the inclined configuration. 
     
     
         16 . An adjustable bed system comprising:
 a mattress having a head portion and a foot portion rearward of the head portion, wherein the head portion defines a cavity that is downwardly open; and   an adjustment mechanism having a lower base formed of a planar substrate, an upper support formed of either a frame or another planar substrate that is movably coupled to the lower base, and an actuator operable to move the upper support relative to the lower base;   wherein the adjustment mechanism is positioned in the cavity and coupled to the mattress, and when the actuator is operated, the adjustment mechanism moves the adjustable bed system between a flat configuration in which the head portion is substantially coplanar with the foot portion and an inclined configuration in which the head portion is inclined relative to the foot portion; and   wherein the upper support is configured to pivot relative to the base about a pivot axis that is vertically closer to a foot end than a head end of the upper support.   
     
     
         17 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 16 , wherein the pivot axis is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of the lower base. 
     
     
         18 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 17 , wherein the pivot axis is within fifteen millimeters of being coplanar with the upper surface of the lower base. 
     
     
         19 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 16 , wherein the upper support is inclined at an angle of three degrees or more relative to the lower base in the flat configuration. 
     
     
         20 . The adjustable bed system of  claim 16 , wherein an upper surface that defines a top surface of the cavity arranged at an angle relative to a lower surface of the mattress that is three degrees or more.