Patent Application
20090013464
The present invention is related generally to the field of bed structures and more specifically, to a bed foundation that can be configured to make beds of different sizes.
Beds generally comprise a mattress and box spring, which lies upon a frame consisting of at least four extended members that connect together at the corners to form a rectangle. Each member typically includes a protruding ledge for holding the box spring which supports a mattress placed thereon. The spaced parallel protruding ledges support the outer periphery of the box spring mattress. Although sufficient for most beds that are smaller in size, the rectangular configuration fails to sufficiently support the center of most large beds, such as queen or king-sized beds. Up to 70% of the weight of a sleeper rests on the center “support zone” of the bed and a lack of support in the support zone can result in bowing of the mattress and instability. Such bowing and instability of the mattress can result in discomfort for the sleeper and excessive wear on the mattress and bed frame.
A common approach to providing support to the center zone of the bed is to use a plurality of wooden slats that rest on the side bars of the frame and extend along the width of the bed. However, wooden slats are generally undesirable due to their lack of rigidity and tendency to sag, warp or break after extended exposure to the weight of the bedding and/or the sleeper. Further, this arrangement may lead to instability at the ends where the box springs are not supported by the wooden slats.
Undue sag or deflection of mattress and box spring support may be avoided by using stiffer materials, such as metal rails in place of the wood slats. Although an improvement over wooden slats, metal cross-rails and bed frames of varying sizes are needed to fit each individual type of bed size. Given the large number of bed widths, retailers frequently encounter the problem of having too many, or too few, of a certain type of frame and cross-rails.
Conventionally, box springs are important because it supports the comfort of the overlaid mattress and a lack of a proper box spring support results in premature compaction and deterioration of the padding layers in a mattress, which may precipitate the need for buying a new mattress again. However, buying a new box spring incrementally increases the cost of mattress for a user. Moreover, box springs are large, difficult to transport, not amenable to partition (for easier shipping), and not fully fire-resistant.
It would be advantageous to have a bed foundation that eliminates the need for using separate frames and box springs for varying sizes of mattresses. There is also a need for a bed foundation that not only provides good support, but is also fire-resistant, easy to manufacture and install, easy to transport, and requires a minimal number of parts.
The present invention is directed towards a bed foundation that, in one embodiment, eliminates the need for a separate frame and box spring. In addition, by employing cross beams of different lengths, the bed foundation of the present invention can be adjusted to fit varying mattress sizes. In one embodiment, the bed foundation of the present invention eliminates the need for a separate frame and box spring and can be configured to create various bed sizes.
One embodiment of the present invention is a bed foundation kit that comprises four corner pieces wherein each corner piece comprises a frame made of a first rectangle having four corners and a second rectangle having four corners, wherein each corner of the first rectangle is attached to each corresponding corner of the second rectangle by a lateral member, and wherein said frame has at least one corner with an exposed hole and a plurality of cross beams of different lengths wherein the end of at least one cross beam is tapered to fit into said exposed hole; and wherein the combined length of two corner pieces and at least one cross beam is in the range of approximately 70 inches to 88 inches and wherein the combined width of two corner pieces and at least one cross beam is in the range of approximately 34 inches to 80 inches.
Optionally, each of the corner pieces is approximately 7 inches high, approximately 28 inches long, and approximately 12 inches wide. The two corner pieces and at least one cross beam are connected to form a bed foundation that is approximately 38 inches wide and 74 inches long. The two corner pieces and at least one cross beam are connected to form a bed foundation that is approximately 38 inches wide and 80 inches long. The two corner pieces and at least one cross beam are connected to form a bed foundation that is approximately 54 inches wide and 74 inches long. The two corner pieces and at least one cross beam are connected to form a bed foundation that is approximately 54 inches wide and 80 inches long. The two corner pieces and at least one cross beam are connected to form a bed foundation that is approximately 60 inches wide and 80 inches long. The two corner pieces and at least one cross beam are connected to form a bed foundation that is approximately 76 inches wide and 80 inches long. The two corner pieces and at least one cross beam are connected to form a bed foundation that is approximately 72 inches wide and 84 inches long.
Optionally, the bed foundation further comprises four legs, each of which is connected to one of the four corner pieces. Alternatively, the bed foundation further comprises four wheels, each of which is connected to one of the four corner pieces.
In another embodiment, the bed foundation comprises four corner pieces wherein each corner piece comprises a frame made of a first rectangle having four corners and a second rectangle having four corners, wherein each corner of the first rectangle is attached to each corresponding corner of the second rectangle by a lateral member, and wherein said frame has at least one corner with an exposed hole; and a plurality of cross beams of different lengths wherein the end of at least one cross beam is tapered to fit into said exposed hole; wherein the cross beams physically interconnect with said four corner pieces to create said bed foundation.
Optionally, each corner piece is approximately 7 inches high, approximately 28 inches long, and approximately 12 inches wide. The cross beam is used to connect two corner pieces together along a length of said foundation and has a length of approximately 18 inches. The cross beam is used to connect two corner pieces together along a width of said foundation and has a length of approximately 14 inches.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated, as they become better understood by reference to the detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings:
a illustrates a method of packaging the corner pieces longitudinally, for shipping ease; and
b illustrates a method of packaging the corner pieces laterally, for shipping ease.
The present invention is directed towards a bed foundation that, in one embodiment, eliminates the need for a separate frame and box spring. In addition, by employing cross beams of different lengths, the bed foundation of the present invention can be adjusted to fit varying mattress sizes. In one embodiment, the bed foundation of the present invention eliminates the need for a separate frame and box spring and can be configured to create various bed sizes.
In another embodiment, the present invention is directed towards a bed foundation that comprises four corner pieces and a set of cross beams. The bed foundation is shipped unassembled and thus allows for facile and cost-effective shipping. Therefore, the bed foundation kits can be sold that comprise a) a set of cross beams, b) corner pieces, c), optionally, attachment bolts, screws, or clamps and d), optionally, one or more foundation covers of varying dimensions.
Various modifications to the preferred embodiment will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the disclosure set forth herein may be applicable to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the claims appended hereto.
Reference will now be made to specific embodiments of the present invention. The embodiment described herein is not a general disavowal of any one specific embodiment or used to limit the claims beyond the meaning of the terms used therein.
Referring now to
As shown in
Each of the four corner pieces comprise a frame made of a first rectangle having four corners and a second rectangle having four corners, wherein each corner of the first rectangle is attached to each corresponding corner of the second rectangle by a lateral member. The rectangles and lateral members are fixedly attached.
In one embodiment, corner pieces 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d are integrated with a plurality of cross beams 120 to create the structure of bed foundation. The integration is preferably removable, thereby permitting the cross beams and the corner pieces to be readily physically separated. Preferably, the dimensions of each of the corner pieces remain the same while the dimensions of cross beams vary in order to create the various bed sizes.
In the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, the corner pieces may be connected to the cross beams using any attachment means, including but not limited to male/female mating members, locking members, bolts, screws, clamps, or threaded fasteners. The use of such attachment means lends more portability, and enhances the ease of packaging and shipping the corner pieces and cross beams. In addition, the use of removably attachable means enhances the ease of assembly for the consumer or other user of the bed foundation. In one preferred embodiment, the ends of the cross beams are tapered to fit into the holes located at the corners of the corner pieces.
In one embodiment, the metallic foundation of the present invention may be covered with a layer of any suitable natural material such as, but not limited to, cotton canvas or natural latex. In another embodiment, the metallic foundation of the present invention may be covered with a layer of a suitable synthetic material such as, but not limited to, synthetic latex or polyester based materials. In yet another embodiment, the metallic foundation of the present invention may be covered with a layer of a hypo-allergenic material.
As mentioned previously, the bed foundation of the present invention can be configured to create beds of various sizes simply by varying the dimensions and arrangement of cross beams. Preferably, the dimensions of the corner pieces remain the same for any size bed and are optimized to balance competing design issues of size and weight, and sturdiness. Large corner pieces are less desirable, since a larger corner piece will contribute to the overall weight of the structure significantly, thereby increasing the transportation and/or shipping cost. Small corner pieces, on the other hand are also less desirable, because more stress is placed on the cross beams. In such conditions, the likelihood of failure of the foundation structure to support the mattress significantly increases. In the design of the present invention, the dimensions of corner pieces are designed to maintain optimal equilibrium between size, weight, and strength, and provide the most favorable bed foundation structure. Also, the structure of corner pieces, which is similar to that of hollow building blocks, lends robustness while at the same time keeping the weight low for ease of shipping and transport.
In one embodiment, each corner piece is between 4 and 10 inches high (more preferably 7 inches high), between 20 and 36 inches long (more preferably 28 inches long), and between 7 and 17 inches wide (more preferably 12 inches wide). The corner pieces can be combined with the cross beams, as mentioned above, to make any of the following known bed sizes (in inches): TWIN (38×74); TWIN LONG (38×80); FULL/DOUBLE (54×74); FULL LONG (54×80); QUEEN (60×80); EASTERN KING (76×80); and CALIFORNIA KING (72×84).
Notwithstanding the above-mentioned standard bed sizes, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the dimensions and arrangement of the corner pieces as well as cross beams may be custom manufactured to create any bed size.
The center zone of the twin-sized bed foundation is, in one embodiment, supported by two pairs of cross beams 460 and 470. Cross beams 460 are 18 inches in length each and extend parallel to each other along the length of the bed foundation to join the inner corners of the corner pieces 410a with 410b and 410c with 410d. Cross beams 470 are 14 inches long each and extend parallel to each other across the width of the bed foundation to join the inner corners of the corner pieces 410a with 410c and 410b with 410d. It should be appreciated that any other arrangement of cross beams suitable for supporting the center zone of the bed may be made. Further, as illustrated in
The center zone of the queen-sized bed foundation is supported by two pairs of cross beams 560 and 570. Cross beams 560 are 24 inches in length each and extend parallel to each other along the length of the bed foundation to join the inner corners of the corner pieces 510a with 510b and 510c with 510d. Cross beams 570 are 36 inches long each and extend parallel to each other across the width of the bed foundation to join the inner corners of the corner pieces 510a with 510c and 510b with 510d. It may be noted that besides the arrangement illustrated in the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment of the bed foundation of the present invention, the corner pieces and the cross beams may be packaged and shipped separately and assembled later.
Referring now to
The above examples are merely illustrative of the many applications of the system of present invention. Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, it should be understood that the present invention might be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.
