and leg bed mat part 3c may be fixed in position below them as shown in FIG。 6。 The foot bed mat part 5d, wheel chair mat part 8d and foot bed mat part 3d may be fixed in position below them as shown in FIG。  6。

[0063] When the wheel chair reclining mechanism is operated in the above state, it may cause the bed reclining mechanisms for the first bed body 2 and second bed body 4 to be operated through the respective linkages with the wheel chair reclining mechanism。 In this manner, 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 and the respective back bed mat parts 3s, 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 may be caused to be folded through the respective linkages as shown in FIG。 8。

[0064] The wheel chair lifting mechanism for the wheel chair bed body 7 includes a crank mechanism 28 and a crank drive (not shown)。

[0065] When the crank mechanism 28 is driven by the crank drive (not shown) so that it may cause the frames 30, 31 pivotally mounted to a base frame 29 to be pivotally rotated in the direction of arrow 32, it will then cause the wheel chair seat mat part 8b to be lowered in the direction of arrow 105 in FIG。 5。 The position of the wheel chair seat mat part 8b that has been lowered in this way from the position shown in FIG。 3(a) to the position shown in FIG。 3(b) corresponds to the position in which the upper side of the nursing care bed is formed by bringing the upper side of the wheel chair mat part 8 for the wheel chair bed body 7 now in its flat position into being flush with the upper side of the first bed mat section 3 for the first bed body 2 and the upper side of the second bed mat section 5 for the second bed body 4。文献综述

[0066] Conversely, when the crank  mechanism  28 is driven by the crank drive (not shown) so that it may cause the frames 30, 31 pivotally mounted to the base frame 29 to be pivotally rotated in the direction of arrow 33, it will then cause the wheel chair seat mat part 8b to be raised in the direction of arrow 104 in FIG。 5。 The position of the wheel chair seat mat part 8b that has been raised in this way from the position shown in FIG。 3(b) corresponds to the position shown in FIG。 3(a)。

[0067] As shown in FIGS。 3(a), 3(b) and 5, the wheel chair mat section 8 may be moved up and down in the vertical direction when it is placed in its flat position by being extended in the horizontal direction, or the position of the wheel chair seat mat part 8b in the vertical direction may be moved up and down as shown by arrows 102, 103 when the wheel chair is placed in the state shown in FIG。 4 by operating the wheel chair reclining mechanism。

[0068] The operations of turning the frames 30, 31 pivot- ally in the direction of arrows 32, 33 and moving them up and down from the state shown in FIG。 3(a), FIG。 5 to the state shown in FIG。 3(b) os Tom the state shown in FIG。 (b) to the state shown in FIG。 3(a), FIG。 5 may be performed by controlling the drive (not shown) remotely under control of the controller (not  shown)。

[0069] The wheel chair bed body 7 may be equipped with foldable external frames 40, 41 as shown in FIGS。 4 and  5。

The foldable external frames 40, 41 prevent the person sitting on the wheel chair bed body 7 shown in FIG。 4 or the person lying on his or her back on the wheel chair bed body 7 shown in FIG。 5 from falling accidentally from the wheel chair bed body 7。 The external frames 40, 41 may be folded by turning them pivotally as indicated by arrows 42, 43 in FIG。 5。

[0070] The nursing care bed with the wheel chair facility has been described so far in accordance with the particular embodiment of the present invention, and now how it can be used will be described below。