[0031] FIG。 8 is a side elevation view illustrating how the nursing care bed with the wheel chair facility may be folded by operating the reclining mechanism in accordance with one embodiment of the present  invention。

BEST MODES OF EMBODYING  THE

INVENTION

[0032] Several preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by referring to the accom- panying drawings。

[0033] Referring to FIG。 1, the nursing care bed with the wheel chair facility comprises a head board portion 1and a bed frame 6, wherein the bed frame 6 includes a first bed body 2 and a second bed body 4, each of the first and second bed bodies 2, 4 having one end thereof secured to each corresponding one of the lateral sides of the head board portion 1。

[0034] The first bed body 2 and the second bed body 4 extend in the longitudinal direction of the bed frame 6, and a wheel chair bed body 7 is provided in the middle space between the first and second bed bodies 2, 4 so that it can be moving into or out of the middle space as indicated by arrows 100, 101。

[0035] The wheel chair bed body 7 is equipped  with casters 9 beneath it as shown in FIG。 1, on which the wheel chair can be traveling on the  floor。

[0036] The first bed body 2 has a first bed mat section 3 on the upper side thereof, the first bed mat section 3 including a back bed mat part 3a, a seat bed mat part 3b, a leg bed mat part 3c and a foot bed mat part   3d。

[0037] Similarly, the second bed body 4 has a second bed mat section 5 on the upper side thereof, the second bed mat section 5 including a back bed mat part 5s, a seat bed mat part 5b, a leg bed mat part 5c and a foot bed mat part 5d。

[0038] The second bed body 4 further includes a bed reclining mechanism that may be operated so that the back bed mat part 5s, seat bed mat part 5b, leg bed mat part 5c and foot bed mat part 5d included in the second bed mat section 5 can be folded as shown in FIG。   8。

[0039] Similarly, the first bed body 2  further  includes a bed reclining mechanism that may be operated so that the back bed mat part 3a, seat bed mat part 3b, leg bed mat part 3c and foot bed mat part 3d included in the first bed mat section 3 can be folded。

[0040] By operating those bed reclining mechanisms, the first bed body 2 and second bed body 4 may be reclined between the state as shown in FIG。 6 in which the first bed mat section 3 and second bed mat section 5 are placed in their flat positions and the state as shown in FIG。 8 in which the respective back bed mat parts 3a, 5s, seat bed mat parts 3b, 5b, leg bed mat parts 3c, 5c and foot bed mat parts 3d, 5d included in the first bed mat section 3 and second bed mat section 5 are placed in their folded  positions。

[0041] The first bed body 2 and second bed body 4 have casters 10 beneath them, respectively, on which the bed can be traveling on the floor。

[0042] The wheel chair bed body 7 has a wheel chair mat section 8 including a wheel chair back mat part 8s, a wheel chair seat mat part 8b, a wheel chair leg mat part 8c and a wheel chair foot mat part 8d, and further has a wheel chair reclining mechanism and a wheel chair lifting  mechanism。

[0043] The wheel chair reclining mechanism may be oper- ated so that the wheel chair back mat part 8s, wheel chair seat mat part 8b, wheel chair leg mat part 8c and wheel chair foot mat part 8d included in the wheel chair mat section 8 can be folded as shown in FIG。  4。

[0044] By operating the wheel chair reclining mechanism, the wheel chair bed body 7 may be reclined between the state as shown in FIG。 5 in which the wheel chair mat section 8 is placed in its flat position and the state as shown in FIG。 4 in which the wheel chair back mat part 8s, wheel chair seat mat part 8b, wheel chair leg mat part 8c and wheel chair foot mat part 8d are placed in their folded   positions。