WO2005097035A1

WO2005097035A1 - Adjustable bed

Info

Publication number: WO2005097035A1
Application number: PCT/AU2005/000507
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Gilbert Bosshard; Luciano Papi
Original assignee: Australian Healthcare Equipment Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Australian Healthcare Equipment Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-04-08
Filing date: 2005-04-07
Publication date: 2005-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-08

Abstract

An adjustable bed incorporates a mattress base (11), a support assembly (12) operative to support the mattress base off the ground, and a mattress support platform (13) disposed on the mattress base. The support assembly incorporates front and rear leg assemblies (18 and 19) which in one form include a pair of spaced apart legs (20, 21, 22, 23). The leg assemblies are each pivotally mounted at respective upper ends to the mattress enabling the angle at which the legs extend from the base to be varied to adjust the position of the mattress base relative to the underlying structure.

Description

ADJUSTABLE BED

Technical Field The present invention relates generally to beds and to components for use in such beds. The invention has been developed especially, but not exclusively, for adjustable beds for aged or invalid care, or for use in hospitals as ward or trolley beds, and the invention is herein described in that context .

Background of the Invention Specially designed beds are widely used in hospitals and for aged or invalid care. These beds are designed to be adjusted so as to assist in patient care with the range and type of movement required varying depending on the intended application of the bed. However common forms of adjustment include height adjustment and adjustment in the inclination of the bed from the horizontal to provide Trendelenburg foot or head tilt. Also the mattress support may be adjustable to provide for example an adjustable backrest or footrest or to provide a knee break. In the past, to provide beds that include these range of movements have involved complex mechanisms that are not only expensive to manufacture but are also limited in their application. These mechanisms often involve the use of separate base assemblies, one mounting the mattress support, the other having the wheels mounted thereto, and a lifting mechanism disposed between these elements to instigate the range of required movements. As such, in the past beds that are specifically designed say for hospital use are often not appropriate for aged care use. Summary of the Invention In a first aspect, the present invention provides an adjustable bed comprising a mattress base; and a support assembly for supporting the mattress base above an underlying structure, the support assembly comprising a plurality of legs mounted to the base, and wherein the legs are movable relative to the base so that the angle at which each leg extends from the base may be varied so as to adjust the position of the mattress base relative to the underlying structure. The mattress base forms part of, or at least supports, the mattress support system of the bed. Further, in the context of the specification, the "angle" at which a respective one of the legs extend from the mattress base is defined as being that formed between a notional reference plane of the mattress base and a notional centre line of that leg. In this regard, the direction of movement of the legs relative to the mattress base to instigate the change in the angle may vary depending on the design. However, in a particular embodiment, the direction of movement is principally in a forward and rearward direction relative to the front (or foot) end of the bed and the rear (or head) end of the bed. In a particular embodiment, the legs are movable relative to the base in a coordinated manner so as to allow the height of the mattress base from the underlying structure to be varied. In one form this movement is provided without causing any significant displacement of the mattress base in a horizontal plane. In a particular embodiment, the legs form part of front and rear leg assemblies. Further, one leg assembly is movable relative to the mattress base independently of the other leg assembly so that the angle at which one leg assembly extends from the base may be varied independently of the other leg assembly so as to allow for forward or rearward adjustment in the inclination of the mattress base relative to the horizontal plane. In one form, the adjustable bed further comprises at least one drive assembly operative to move the legs relative to the base so as to adjust the angle at which legs extend from the base . In one form, each of the front and rear leg assemblies includes a plurality of spaced apart legs. In one form, each of the pairs of spaced apart legs are interconnected to the mattress base through a common element so that the legs of that leg assembly are movable relative to the mattress base in unison. In an alternative arrangement, each of the legs is independently mounted to the base. In this latter application, the legs in a leg assembly may be moved independently so as to increase the range of movement of the base through pivoting of the legs. In another form, whilst the legs of a particular leg assembly are not directly connected together, they may be moved in unison by incorporating an appropriate means to control their movement . In yet a further form, the pair of legs in one of the front or rear assemblies may be interconnected whilst in the other leg assembly the legs are independently mounted to the mattress base. In one form, a single drive assembly is provided to drive each of the legs. In alternative form, independent drive assemblies may be provided either at each respective leg assembly, or on each specific leg of those leg assemblies to impart drive so as to angularly adjust those legs or leg assemblies relative to the mattress base. In one form, the or each drive assembly imparts drive in response to a central controller. By providing a centralised control function, enables the or each drive assembly to be coordinated to control the adjustment of the bed. In one form, the leg assemblies incorporate feet at the respective lower ends thereof. In one embodiment, the feet are connected to legs via the leg assemblies through a linkage mechanism that compensates for changes in the orientation of the leg assembly on adjustment of the position of the mattress base. In one form, the feet are in the form of caster wheels, rotatable around a castor axis. In one form, the linkage mechanism is arranged so that the orientation of the castor axis remains substantially constant on angular adjustment of the legs. In one form, the drive arrangements and the central controller are all electrically driven and preferably operate under a low voltage such as 24 volts D.C. In this arrangement, the actuation system of the bed may be operated under battery or via mains power with a transformer that reduces the voltage . In one form, the transformer is located at the wall outlet so that only 24 volt D.C. current reaches any of the bed components. In a particular form, the leg assemblies are pivotally mounted to the base. However, in another form, at least one of the leg assemblies may be mounted to the base so that the angular adjustment of that leg assembly relative to the mattress base involves both a translation and rotation movement. An adjustable bed made in accordance with a particular embodiment offers a range of movement of the mattress base that satisfies Australian and European standards requirements. Further the bed allows for full height adjustment without any significant translation of the bed in a horizontal plane when lowering or raising the bed. Furthermore, the same adjustment system can be equally applied to hospital and aged care beds even though they have differing height requirements. The applicant has found that the only modification that may be required to change from a hospital to an aged care bed (where it is preferential to lower the base of the bed to the ground) is length of the legs used. It is to be appreciated that the adjustable support assembly described above can be used in conjunction with any mattress base construction. In a further aspect, the invention relates to an improved construction of mattress base. In its broadest terms, this aspect relates to a support beam for a mattress base, the beam having a central axis, opposite ends spaced apart along the axis, and one or more connecting elements extending between said ends, the or each connecting element being arranged to allow other components of a bed to be connected to said beam. In accordance with this aspect, the support beam has the dual role of providing the main structure of the mattress base and the building platform to which the other components of the bed are connected. In one form, the or each connecting element extends continuously along the length of the beam. In another form the connecting element extends only part way along the length of the beam, or extends along a plurality of discrete sections of the beam. Thus, the term "connecting element" as herein is to be construed not only as a single elongated item but also a functionally equivalent row of spaced apart, shorter sections of such an item. In one form, a said connecting element extends along opposite sides of the beam. In one form, the or each connecting element is in the form of rail and/or groove that is operative to interengage with a complementary shaped connecting element so as to form a coupling point on the beam. In one form, the complementary shaped connecting element is movable into and out of clamping engagement with the connecting element on the beam so that it can be moved along the beam to which it is connected so as to vary the position of the coupling point formed by the interengaging elements. In one form, the beam is formed by an extrusion process and has a constant cross sectional profile. The beam may be made of any suitable material but in a particular embodiment is formed from extruded metal which is preferably aluminium. In one form, the beam is designed to receive the bed ends at respective ones of the ends of the beam. In one form, the position of at least one of the bed ends on the beam can be varied so as to allow for simple adjustment in the length of the bed. In one form, the ends of the beam include cavities and the bed ends incorporate supports that are receivable in the cavities. In a particular embodiment, the connecting element of the beam is formed as a rail having a T-shaped profile incorporating a stem and a head. In one form, where each beam includes an opposite connecting element, the external dimension of the connecting elements is the same so as to allow a complementary shaped connecting element to be used with either of the connecting elements of the beam. In one form, the beam incorporates a channel along its length that is operative to receive at least one cable, such as a data or power cable. In one form, the channel is incorporated in the head of the T-shaped rail in or at least one of the rails if there are a plurality of connecting elements on the beam. In one form, the beam is hollow. In one form, this allows the beam to receive the bed end supports and also allows for the additional running of cables, tubes or the like through the beams. By receiving the bed end supports in the end of the beam, provides a system where the length of the bed can be easily extended by varying the distance the supports extend into the ends of the beam. In yet a further aspect, the invention relates to a mattress base for a bed, the base comprising at least one support beam according to any form described above, the at least one support beam being arranged to extend between opposite ends of the bed. In one form, the mattress base further comprises a pair of the support beams, these support beams being spaced apart and extending between the ends of the bed. In one form, the mattress base further comprises at least one cross beam which interconnects the support beams . The cross beams are connected to respective ones of the connecting elements on each of these support beams. In one form, the support beams incorporate connecting elements along both an inner and outer side of the respective beams. In this way, some components of the bed, such as the support assembly and/or the mattress support system, can be coupled to the inner connecting elements of the base whilst other elements such as side rails, tables, or medical equipment (in instances where the bed is used for patient care) may be coupled to the outer side. The mattress base according to the above form may be advantageous used with either a fixed or adjustable support assembly. In a particular form, the mattress base is advantageously incorporated in the adjustable bed according to the first aspect of the invention. In one form of this arrangement, the support assembly is mounted directly to the mattress base via the inner connecting elements of the support beams. In yet a further aspect, the invention relates to an mattress support platform. In accordance with this aspect, a mattress support platform is provided that comprises an adjustable support structure, a plurality of slats disposed on the support structure, first coupling elements interconnecting a plurality adjacent slats together to form a plurality of panels, wherein the relative orientation of the panels may be changed under operation of the support structure. A mattress support platform according to this form has the advantage that it is modular in form. The platform is able to use individual slats that are identical, but are able to be formed into groups to form panels that may differ in size, depending on the number of slats in a panel, but which can each function as single entity. Further, a mattress support platform according to this form is able to provide the range of movements often required in patient care. These include adjustable head and foot rests and knee break configurations. Also, the mattress support platform can provide additional movements to improve patient care such as providing changes in the angle of the upper head slats on changing of the backrest angle . In one form adjacent panels are interconnected by hinge connections disposed between the first coupling elements of those panels. In one form, the mattress platform further comprises second coupling elements interconnecting respective panels to the support structure. The mattress platform according to this aspect of the invention may be used in conjunction with any suitable form of mattress base or support assembly. However, the mattress platform find particular advantage when being used in conjunction with the mattress base described above. In that arrangement, the adjustable support structure may be connected to the support beams through the connecting elements disposed on the beams. Accordingly, an adjustable bed of the particular forms described above is based on a modular design principle to cater for a wide range of applications and to address the specific needs of equipment for the aged care, hospital and trolley beds.

Brief Description of the Drawings It is convenient to hereinafter describe embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The particularity of the drawings and the related description is to be understood as not superseding the preceding broad description of the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable bed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bed of Fig. 1 in a raised position; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bed of Fig. 1 in a lowered position; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bed of Fig. 1 in a forward tilt position; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the bed of Fig. 1 in a rearward tilt position: Fig. 6 is an underside view of the bed of Fig. 1 showing the actuation system of the legs. For clarity, the support structure for the mattress platform is not shown; Fig. 7 is cross sectional view of a support beam used in the mattress base of the bed of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is an outer side view of the support beam of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is an inner side view of the support beam of Fig. 7; Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view of the coupling of the support assembly to the support beam in the bed of Fig. 1; Fig. 11 is the detailed sectional view of Fig. 9 with the addition of a side rail and mattress platform coupled to the support beam; Fig. 12 is a plan view of the mattress platform of the bed of Fig. 1; Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the bed of Fig. 1 showing the mattress support in a back rest position; Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the bed of Fig. 1 showing the mattress support with back rest and foot rest in position; Fig. 15 are detailed views of the end couplings for the mattress platform in Fig. 12; Fig. 16 are detailed views of the clamps used to secure the panels of the mattress platform to the support structure; Fig. 17 is an underside view of the bed of Fig. 1 showing the adjustable support structure of the mattress platform. For clarity, the support assembly of the bed is omitted; Fig. 18 is an exploded partial perspective view of the bed of Fig. 1 showing the connection of the bed ends to the support beams; Fig. 19 is a side view of the adjustable bend configured for aged care use; and Fig. 20 is a side view of the adjustable bed configured for hospital use.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment Turning firstly to Fig. 1, an adjustable bed 10 includes a main mattress base 11, a support assembly 12 operative to support the mattress base 11 off the ground, and a mattress support platform 13 disposed on the mattress base 11. The bed 10 also incorporates bed ends 14 and 15 that are mounted to the mattress base 11. The bed 10 is typically used in patient care such as in a hospital environment or for aged care, and is able to be adjusted through both the support assembly 12 and through the mattress support platform 13. The main mattress base 11 incorporates two support beams (16, 17) that extend between the bed ends 14 and 15. These support beams are each formed as an extruded hollow metal section which in the illustrated form is made from aluminium. The support assembly 12 incorporates front and rear leg assemblies (18, 19) , each including a pair of spaced apart legs (20, 21, 22, 23) that are each pivotally mounted at respective upper ends (24, 25, 26, 27) to the support beams 16 and 17 through respective axles 28, 29 (as shown in Fig.6). A lower end (30, 31, 32, 33) of the legs are pivotally connected to caster bases (34, 35) which in turn are connected to caster wheels 36. Each leg assembly also includes two tie rods (37, 38) that are pivotally connected to the support beams 16, 17 through the respective axles 28, 29, and to the caster base (30, 31) . Each leg assembly (18, 19) is independently able to pivot about the mattress base 11 so as to vary the angle o^α¹ (see Fig. 2) formed between the plane of the mattress base (as represented by the line MF) and the centre line of the respective legs of that leg assembly (as represented by the line CL) . As the legs of the respective leg assemblies are mounted to a common axle 28, 29 at their upper end and to a respective one of the caster bases 30, 31 at their lower ends, those legs pivot in unison so that the angle α,α^x at which they extend from the mattress base remains the same for each leg in a particular leg assembly. Through this pivoting action of the leg assemblies, the mattress base 11 is able to be moved into a range of positions as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 5. Fig. 2 shows the bed in a raised position. The leg assemblies 18, 19 extend from the support beams 16, 17 at an angle α,-*¹ that is the same and is approximately 45°. The bed 10 is able to be moved from this raised position to the lowered position as shown in Fig. 3 by pivoting of the legs to close up the angle o^α¹ to effectively zero. This causes the beams 16, 17 to be disposed just above the ground. Also if the rate of pivoting is controlled so that angles cx_^α¹ remain the same, the bed is able to be lowered or raised purely by a vertical motion without introducing any tilt into the mattress base 11 or any translation of the mattress base in a horizontal plane. Also in pivoting of the leg assemblies, the casters 36 remain in a constant orientation relative to the plane MF of the mattress base by virtue of their connection to the caster bases 34 and 35. The castor bases in turn remain aligned with the mattress base because of the influence of the tie rods 37, 38. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the arrangement where the leg assemblies pivot independently of one another so as to introduce forward or rearward tilt to the mattress base 11. In Fig. 4 a forward tilt is induced by pivoting the front leg assembly 18 to close up angle α whilst maintaining the rear leg assembly open. In Fig. 5, a rearward tilt is introduced by the reverse arrangement. Fig. 6 illustrates the actuation system 39 to drive the leg assemblies 18, 19. Each leg assembly is driven by a single linear actuator 40, 41 that is activated by a DC motor. The actuators are coupled to the respective axles 28, 29 so as to impart rotation to those axles which in turn cause pivoting of the leg assemblies to which they are connected. Each linear actuator is able to be controlled using a cental control system to coordinate movement of the leg assemblies. Each of the support beams 16, 17 is of identical design and its configuration is best shown Figs. 7 to 9. The basic shape of the beams is an elongated oval. On the flattened sides of the elongated oval there are two horizontal T-shaped extruded profiles 42, 43. These extruded profiles form connection elements to which other components such as the support assembly 12 and mattress support assembly 13 are secured as will be explained in more detail below. One of the profiles 42, which forms the inner side of the beam also includes a central groove 44 to allow data cables to be run and fixed. The beams are hollow and therefore incorporate a central passage 45 which is used to secure the bed ends 14, 15 as will be described in more detail below, and also to allow the passage of further cables and tubes along the bed. As mentioned above, all the main components of the bed are arranged to be disposed from the main beams 16, 17. Fig. 10 is a detail view of part of the connection of the support assembly 12 to the beams 16, 17. The support assembly incorporates clamping devices 46 that are complementary in shape to the connecting elements 42, 44 and operative to form a coupling between the main beam and the device 46. As best illustrated in Fig. 6, the support assembly 12 incorporates four of these clamping devices 46 which are connected to cross beams 47, 48 to form a subassembly to support the linear actuators 40 and 41 for the support assembly 12 as well as the actuator 49 for the mattress support platform 13 (see Fig. 17) . The drive axles 28 and 29, as well as support platform axles 51, 52 also are connected to the beams through the clamping devices 46. Other components are also able to be supported from the main beams from the outer connecting element 43. As illustrated in Fig. 11, side rail 53 can be secured to the outer side of the bed through a clamp 54 which is coupled to the outer connecting element 43 of the beam 17. One advantage of this arrangement is that side rails are able to be easily located in any position along the length of the bed. The lengthwise adjustment of the side rails is especially advantageous in the case of a small person or child being placed on the bed. The side rails 53 are also designed to be able to be swung away from the bed or removed from the bed altogether without the need for tools. In a similar manner other components could be mounted to the beams using the clamp 54. These components include a table, oxygen bottles, drip stand, or a connection having standard hospital connections such as luer locks, usb ports, rs232 connectors and quick coupling for hospital gases. Figs. 12 to 17 illustrate the mattress support platform 13 in more detail. The mattress support platform includes a plurality of individual slats 55 that are mounted to an adjustable support structure 56. The slats are all identical in size and shape and are preferably extruded from a special grade of x-ray translucent nylon raw material that allows a patient to be x-ray in the bed. The slats are interconnected into groups by moulded end links 57 shown in detail in Fig. 15. The links come in two sizes, one for grouping two slats, the other for grouping four slats together. By using these end links the slats form a series of seven panels (generally designated 58) with each panel functioning effectively as a single member. The panels 58 are interconnected by hinges 59 which extend between adjacent end links 57. In this way, the panels 58 whilst being interconnected are free to pivot relative to their adjacent panels. The support structure 56 is mounted to the support beams 16,17 through the cross beams 47 and 48, which as described above are coupled to the inner connecting device 42 through the clamps 46. The support structure is designed to be able to locate the panels 58 of the mattress platform 13 into various positions and incorporates a dual actuator that is a double drive system that is able to rotate axles 51 and 52 independently from a single unit. The actuator is activated by a DC motor that operates under 24 volts. Foot and head linkage mechanisms 59, 60 and 61 are connected to the axles 51 and 52 respectively and within the available range, the dual actuator 49 provides for an infinite adjustment of the panels 58 via the linkage mechanisms 59, 60 and 61. The linkage mechanisms 59, 60 and 61 also support the panels 58 and as such the edge of the individual slats 55 sit above the support beams 16 and 17 even when the platform is in its fully lowered position as shown in Fig. 1. To secure the panels 58 to the support system 56, clamps 62 and 63 are provided. These clamps are in two parts that are secured together by a mechanical fastener (not shown) . The clamps locate between adjacent slats 55 in a manner that side margins of the slats are captured within recesses 64 formed on the sides of the clamps 62 , 63. The clamp 62 is smaller and is sized to fit snugly within the spacings of the slats as determined by the end links 57. The other clamp 63 is larger and is used at the bed ends when the length of the bed is extended to accommodate taller people by the addition of additional slats 65 as shown in Fig. 12. The arrangement by which the bed can be extended is disclosed in more detail below. The platform 13 is arranged with the panels 58 in four sections, namely a back section incorporating the head rest, the seat section which is the only fixed section of the platform, and the upper and lower leg sections. This allows for the required movements of the platform to allow for an adjustable head rest, and foot rest and to provide a knee break. Figs. 13 and 14 show the platform in various positions. In Fig. 13 the head rest is the only part of the platform that is elevated, whilst in Fig. 14, both the head and upper and lower leg sections are raised. The position of the mattress platform can be controlled from the same central controller used for the support assembly 12 so that all adjustments of the bed 10 can be made from a single unit . Fig. 18 is an exploded view of the bed 10 and shows the method of connection of the bed ends 14 and 15 to the main beams 16 and 17. The bed ends incorporate supports 66 that locate into the end of the support beams 16, 17 within the internal passage 45 of the beams. This forms a telescopic joint and with this arrangement the length of bed can be easily adjusted without requiring the use of tools merely by adjusting the position of the bed end supports 66 in the beams 16, 17. If the bed is to be extended, additional slats 65 may be installed as mentioned above using the clamps 63. These slats ςan be supported directly on the beams 16, 17 or on the supports 66. As indicated above, the bed 10 has wide application and the adjustment system can equally be applied to hospital and aged care beds even though they have different height requirements. Fig. 19 illustrates the bed for use as an aged care bed whereas Fig. 20 illustrates the bed adapted for hospital use. Both beds include the same components with the only differences being that the legs (20, 21, 22 and 23) are slightly longer in the hospital bed version than in the a aged care version and the castors are slightly larger. In other respects the beds are identical . Accordingly, the bed 10 is fully adjustable both in height and tilt of the mattress base and also has a fully adjustable mattress platform. This allows the bed to be used in many applications and specifically for both aged care and hospital use. The bed with its twin beam construction is lighter than existing beds with similar functionality and is designed for ease of manufacture. It is modular in design allowing it to be transported in knock down form. The modularity of the design has been extended to all components and therefore there is no handed parts. This reduces the both the manufacturing costs and the need for a user to store different spare parts. The bed operates under 24 volts D.C. In use, the transformer that reduces the voltage is disposed at the wall outlet and therefore there is no 240 volt current that will reach any of the bed components. In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as

"comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. It is to be appreciated that variations and/or modifications may be made to the parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Claims

1. An adjustable bed comprising a mattress base; and a support assembly for supporting the mattress base above an underlying structure, the support assembly comprising a plurality of legs mounted to the base, and wherein the legs are movable relative to the base so that the angle at which the legs extend from the base may be varied so as to adjust the position of the mattress base relative to the underlying structure.

2. An adjustable bed according to claim 1, wherein the legs are movable relative to the base in a coordinated manner so as to allow the height of the mattress base from the underlying structure to be varied.

3. An adjustable bed according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the legs form part of front and rear leg assemblies, one leg assembly being movable relative to the mattress base independently of the other leg assembly so that the angle at which one leg assembly extends from the base may be varied independently of the other leg assembly so as to allow for forward or rearward adjustment in the inclination of the mattress base relative to a horizontal plane.

4. An adjustable bed according to any preceding claim, further comprising at least one drive assembly operative to move the legs relative to the base so as to adjust the angle at which legs extends from the base.

5. An adjustable bed according to claim 4, further comprising at least one controller operative to control the or each drive assembly so as to coordinate operation the or each drive assembly to control adjustment of said bed.

6. An adjustable bed according to any preceding claim, further incorporating feet associated with the legs, the feet being connected to the legs through a linkage mechanism that compensates for changes in the orientation of the legs .

7. An adjustable bed according to claim 6, wherein the feet are in the form of castor wheels rotatable around a castor axis, the linking mechanism being arranged so that the orientation of the castor axis remains substantially constant on angular adjustment of the legs.

8. A support beam for a mattress base, the beam having a central axis, opposite ends spaced apart along the axis, and one or more connecting elements extending between said ends, the or each connecting element being arranged to allow other components of a bed to be connected to said beam.

9. A support beam according to claim 8, wherein a said connecting element is disposed along each of opposite sides of said beam.

10. A support beam according to either claim 8 or 9, wherein the, or at least one of the, connecting elements is in the form of an elongate recess or rail extending along the beam.

11. A support beam according to claim 10, wherein the or at least one of the connecting elements, is in the form of a rail having a generally T-shaped profile having a stem and an enlarged head.

12. A support beam according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising a cable channel that extend along said beam between said ends .

13. A support beam according to claim 12, when dependent on claim 11, wherein the cable channel is disposed in the head of said T-shaped connecting element.

14. A support beam according to any one of claims 10 to 13 , wherein the external dimensions of each of the connecting elements disposed on respective opposite sides of the beam are the same.

15. A support beam according to any one of claims 8 to 14, wherein a cross sectional profile of said beam taken perpendicular to said central axis is constant along its length.

16. A mattress base for a bed, the base comprising at least one support beam according to any one of claims 8 to 15, the at least one support beam being arranged to extend between opposite ends of said bed.

17. A mattress base according to claim 16, wherein the base comprises a pair of said support beams, said support beams being spaced apart and extending between said opposite ends of the bed.

18. A mattress base according to claim 17, further comprising at least one cross beam which interconnects said support beams, said cross beams being connected to a respective one of the connecting elements on each of said support beams .

19. A mattress base according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein each beam incorporates said connecting element along both an inner and an outer side of that beam.

20. A mattress support platform comprising an adjustable support structure, a plurality of slats disposed on the support structure, first coupling elements interconnecting a plurality adjacent slats together to form a plurality of panels, wherein the relative orientation of the panels may be changed under operation of the support structure.

21. A mattress support platform according to claim 20, wherein adjacent panels are interconnected by hinge connections disposed between the first coupling elements of those panels.

22. A mattress support platform according to claim 20 or 21, further comprising second coupling elements interconnecting respective panels to the support structure .

23. An adjustable bed according to any one of claims 1 to 7, having a mattress base according to any one of claims 16 to 19.

24. An adjustable bed according to claim 28, further comprising a mattress support platform according to any one of claims 20 to 22.

25. A mattress base according to any one of claims 16 to 19, further comprising a mattress support platform comprising any one of claims 20 to 22