Patent Application
20210127845
The present disclosure generally relates to bed frames, also known as foundations or bedsteads, for supporting mattresses; and more particularly to bed frames that can be assembled and disassembled by the end user with ease.
Conventional bed frames, for the most part, consist of a plurality of wood members, usually combined with rigid metal frame members, arranged to form a rectangular box. The bed frames provide a relatively rigid platform on which a mattress or a box spring is placed. The rigid frame members may include several interconnecting members which are assembled into shape of the bed frame for use. These rigid members, generally, include a pair of opposed side rails and a pair of opposed cross-rails, which serve to interconnect the side rails, typically adjacent the ends thereof. Further, legs are ordinarily provided to support the frame. The construction of bed frames has generally relied upon clamps, nuts and bolts, metal screws, and the like for interconnecting the various frame members together and to maintain the proper spacing between the side rails of the frame.
Typical bed frames come pre-assembled from the factory. If the seller or the manufacturer were to ship the parts of the bed frame and leave assembly up to the consumer, the consumer would likely not have the skill to properly assemble the bed frame. Therefore, mostly bed frames are shipped fully assembled despite the extra shipping costs charged for large volume packages. These fully assembled bed frames not only incur shipping penalties, but they are difficult to handle, both during delivery to the consumer and by the consumer once in the consumer's home. For example, it is not uncommon, in the case of larger sized beds that an assembled bed frame is unable to fit up a stairwell, or around certain doors or corners.
Some bed frames are known in the art which allows for easy packaging and shipping in disassembled form, and can be assembled at site by the consumer. However, there are notable disadvantages in assembling the bed frames according to known methods. For example, the known methods require the use of either nuts or bolts, clamps, machine screws, etc. for interconnecting various members, and, as such, these types of fasteners require that the consumer may possess some specialized tools for assembling the bed frame elements, which may not always be the case. Other known methods require the use of clamps to hold the cross-rails together, but this technique presents a further problem, in that the members must be properly aligned before assembly and distance between the side rails shall be accurately determined by a measurement, which may not always be possible for an unskilled consumer trying assembling of the bed frame.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a bed frame which can be disassembled to be made compact for packaging, storage or transport, and further, designed to be easily assembled at site without requiring specialized tools or any specific skill set on part of the user.
Documents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problems described above in an efficient and economical way. None of the documents suggest the novel features of the present invention.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a locking arrangement for assembly of a bed frame is provided. The locking arrangement comprises a first rail member comprising at least two first projecting interlocking holes. One set of the at least two first projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a top end of the first rail member and other of the at least two first projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a bottom end of the first rail member. The locking arrangement also comprises a second rail member comprising at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes. One set of the at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a top end of the second rail member and the other set of the at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a bottom end of the second rail member. The locking arrangement further comprises a set of pins such that, in assembled form of the bed frame, the first rail member and the second rail member are disposed in abutment with each other such that each of the at least two first projecting interlocking holes are received within one set of the at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes to form a provisional locking structure, and each pin of the set of pins is engaged with one of the formed provisional locking structure by passing through the corresponding first projecting interlocking holes and the corresponding second projecting interlocking holes thereof, to secure the first rail member and the second rail member.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a bed frame is provided. The bed frame comprises four panels, including a first panel and a second panel, arranged to form a box structure in the assembled form, with the first panel and the second panel adjoining each other along respective vertical edges thereof. The bed frame comprises a locking arrangement. The locking arrangement comprises a first rail member comprising at least two first projecting interlocking holes. One set of the at least two first projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a top end of the first rail member and the other set of the at least two first projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a bottom end of the first rail member. The first rail member is disposed along the vertical edge of the first panel. The locking arrangement also comprises a second rail member comprising at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes. One set of the at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a top end of the second rail member and other of the at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes is arranged proximal to a bottom end of the second rail member. The second rail member is disposed along the vertical edge of the second panel. The locking arrangement further comprises a set of pins such that, in assembled form of the bed frame, the first rail member and the second rail member are disposed in abutment with each other such that each of the at least two first projecting interlocking holes are received within one set of the at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes to form a provisional locking structure, and each pin of the set of pins is engaged with one of the formed provisional locking structure by passing through the corresponding first projecting interlocking holes and the corresponding second projecting interlocking holes thereof, to secure the first rail member and the second rail member.
In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of assembling a bed frame is provided. The method comprises providing four panels including a first panel and a second panel. The method further comprises arranging the four panels to form a box structure, with the first panel and the second panel adjoining each other along respective vertical edges thereof such that each of at least two first projecting interlocking holes of a first rail member disposed along a vertical edge of a first panel are received within one set of the at least two sets of second projecting interlocking holes of a second rail member disposed along a vertical edge of a second panel to form a provisional locking structure. The method further comprises providing a set of pins. The method further comprises engaging each pin of the set of pins with one of the formed provisional locking structure by passing through the corresponding first projecting interlocking holes and the corresponding second projecting interlocking holes thereof, to secure the first rail member and the second rail member.
Further aspects and objectives of the present disclosure will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description of embodiments is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing any limitations thereon.
With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In some instances, well-known structures, processes, and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments in which the presently disclosed process can be practiced. The term “exemplary” used throughout this description means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The detailed description includes specific details for providing a thorough understanding of the presently disclosed method and system. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the presently disclosed process may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the presently disclosed method and system.
In the present specification, an embodiment showing a singular component should not be considered limiting. Rather, the subject matter preferably encompasses other embodiments including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the present subject matter encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration.
It shall be noted that unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively while adhering to the concepts of the present invention. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” and “an embodiment” are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
Referring to
In the present bed frame 100, the panels 102 are typically constructed of wood material, preferably solid wood. Some of the most common types of wood materials used for constructing the panels 102 may include, but not limited to, oak, mahogany, pine, walnut, maple and the like. The panels 102, made of wood, also may be designed or customized to be unique based on the texture of the wood and the slight variations in color. Further, ornamental carvings or the like may be formed on the panels 102 as desired. In other examples, the panels 102 may be constructed of other suitable materials. For instance, in some examples, the panels 102 may be constructed of metallic materials such as iron or steel, plastic material such as acrylic or plexiglass and the like without any limitations. The panels 102 are usually pre-finished, that is, the panels 102 are pre-coated with desired paints and pre-treated with required chemicals before assembly of the bed frame 100. The panels 102 pre-finished can be made of any material or surface because the panels 102 are not disturbed by the installation process.
In the present examples, each of the four panels 102 are generally rectangular structures. Each of such panel 102 includes two vertical edges and two horizontal edges, typically with the horizontal edges longer than vertical edges thereof. For example, the first panel 102a includes a first vertical edge 104a, a second vertical edge 104b, a first horizontal edge 104c and a second horizontal edge 104d; and the second panel 102b includes a first vertical edge 106a, a second vertical edge 106b, a first horizontal edge 106c and a second horizontal edge 106d. Similarly, the third panel 102c includes a first vertical edge 108a, a second vertical edge 108b, a first horizontal edge 108c and a second horizontal edge 108d; and the fourth panel 102d includes a first vertical edge 110a, a second vertical edge 110b, a first horizontal edge 110c and a second horizontal edge 110d. Each of the panels 102 include an inner surface and an outer surface. In the illustration of
In the illustration of
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the bed frame 100 includes a locking arrangement 120. The locking arrangement 120 includes a plurality of first rail members 122 and second rail members 124. Herein, the first rail members 122 and the second rail members 124 are interconnecting members arranged along the vertical edges of the panels 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the first panel 102a is shown to include two first rail members 122 along each of the two vertical edges 104a and 104b thereof, the second panel 102b is shown to include two second rail members 124 along each of the two vertical edges 106a and 106b thereof, the third panel 102c is shown to include two first rail members 122 along each of the two vertical edges 108a and 108b thereof, and the fourth panel 102d is shown to include two second rail members 124 along each of the two vertical edges 110a and 110b thereof. It may be appreciated that the neighboring panels 102 of the bed frame 100 are provided with one or other of the first rail members 122 and the second rail members 124. In an alternate embodiment, each of the panels 102 may be provided with one first rail member 122 along one of their vertical edge and the second rail member 124 along other of their vertical edge, such that the neighboring panels 102 are arranged with the first rail member 122 and the second rail member 124 disposed in adjacent to each other when the vertical edges of the corresponding panels are aligned for assembly of the bed frame 100.
It may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the sets of second projecting interlocking holes 132 are adapted to receive projecting interlocking holes, such as the first projecting interlocking holes 128 therein. Herein, the first projecting interlocking holes 128, or specifically the brackets 128a may have certain thickness. Further, in each of the set of second projecting interlocking holes 132, the brackets 134 and 136 have spaces in between sufficient for receiving the bracket 128a of the first projecting interlocking holes 128. In some examples, one or more sets of second projecting interlocking holes 132 include more than two projecting interlocking holes 132 to allow for adjustment of height of the first rail member 122 with respect to the second rail member 124, if required. Therefore, when the first rail member 122 and the second rail member 124 are disposed in abutment with each other, each of the two first projecting interlocking holes 128 are received within one set of the two sets of second projecting interlocking holes 130, to form a provisional locking structure (as shown and generally designated by the numeral 137 and discussed in detail later in the description with reference to
It may be contemplated from
In the present examples, each of the set of pins 138 is a push pin. The pins 138 are generally thicker and have tight tolerances for inserting into and engaging with holes in the provisional locking structure 137. That is, the pin 138 may simply be pushed into the aligned holes of the provisional locking structure 137, without the need of any specialized tool. The pin 138 may be received and retained in the provisional locking structure 137 by means of gravity. As better illustrated in
Referring back to
Referring again to
Referring to
The present disclosure further provides a method of assembling a bed frame (such as, the bed frame 100 of
The bed frame 100 of the present disclosure can be easily assembled and disassembled by a user. The design of the bed frame 100 allows for rigidly interconnecting the rail members 122 and 124. The rail members 122 and 124 provide a mechanism for interconnecting the panels 102 of the bed frame 100 with a positive interlock between those portions. As described in the aforementioned method, the use may need to align the panels 102 with their vertical edges placed adjacent to each other. The user may then arrange the panels 102 such that for each of the pair of panels 102 adjacent to each other, the corresponding rail members 122 and 124 are interlocked with each other to form provisional locking structures 137. The user may then simply utilize pins 138 and push the pins 138 into the formed provisional locking structures 137 between the rail members 122 and 124 for securing thereof, without requiring the use of any tools or any specialized skills. Since the locking arrangement 120 of the present disclosure is arranged on the inside of the panels 102, with no screws or bolts on the outside, this allows for using pre-finished panels 102 because the panels 102 are not disturbed by the installation.
The use of set of pins 138, with one pin 138 for each of the formed provisional locking structure 137 provides more secure interconnection for securing the rail members 122 and 124. The pins 138 simply drop into the holes in the provisional locking structures 137 and are held in place by gravity (without the need to hammer or screw the pin into the hole). The shaft 138b of the pin 138 being straight and not tapered further helps to simply drop the pin 138 into the holes in the provisional locking structures 137. The pins 138 are further easy to uninstall by simply pushing out. The use of set of pins 138 allows for assembly of higher vertical length bed frames 100 with ease. This makes it easier for the user to assemble as well as disassemble the bed frame 100, in contrast to existing art which generally utilize single long screws or the like for each interconnection and which are generally harder to insert and cumbersome to handle.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The detailed description set forth herein in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments in which the presently disclosed subject matter may be practiced. The term “exemplary” used throughout this description means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
This detailed description of illustrative embodiments includes specific details for providing a thorough understanding of the presently disclosed subject matter. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the presently disclosed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the presently disclosed method and system.
The foregoing description of embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel principles and subject matter disclosed herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use of the innovative faculty. The claimed subject matter set forth in the claims is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. It is contemplated that additional embodiments are within the spirit and true scope of the disclosed subject matter.
