This invention relates generally to bedding and seating products and, more particularly, to a bedding foundation.
Bedding and seating products often have a rectangular wooden frame comprising four or more pieces. Two of the pieces are side pieces, one is a head end piece and the last piece is a foot end piece. In some bedding foundations, the wooden pieces of the frame are oriented with the larger of their width and height dimensions facing up and down. In other bedding and seating products the frame pieces are oriented “on edge” with the lesser of their width and height dimensions facing up and down. Securing a wooden side rail oriented “on edge” to a wooden head or foot rail oriented “on edge” is difficult due to the orientation of the rails.
In today's world of ecommerce, bedding products which may be ordered online and shipped in boxes are desirable. The smaller the box, the more desirable for the customer, because in general smaller boxes are cheaper to ship. Bedding foundations present a unique challenge with regards to shipping due to their size and construction. The more desirable bedding foundations capable of shipment in a box must be ready to assembly by the customer at the point of delivery.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,990,979 discloses a ready to assemble bedding foundation. The bedding foundation has four legs, each one of which fits into a connector assembly like the connector assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,500. One drawback to this configuration is that the force exerted by a load on one of the legs is transferred directly to one of the connector assemblies which increases the odds of damaging one of the connector assemblies. If one of the connector assemblies is damaged, the damaged connector assembly will not support a leg. The entire product then will not be capable of functioning correctly and the product will no longer be raised off the ground by the legs. Each of the legs must work for the foundation to be properly supported off the ground.
It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a bedding foundation with legs supported by a novel structure below a connector assembly.
It is further an objective of this invention to provide a bedding foundation having four legs, each of the legs aiding in securing together overlapping brackets at a corner of the product for stability.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a novel bedding foundation incorporates a stabilizer assembly used to stabilize a corner of the product and receive a leg assembly to lift the product off the ground. Each corner of the product has a stabilizer assembly below a connector assembly. The combination of a connector assembly and a stabilizer assembly joins a first truss to a second truss at a corner of the product, the second truss extending generally perpendicular to the first truss. Each of the stabilizer assemblies comprises a first bracket secured to the first truss and a second bracket secured to the second truss. One of the first and second brackets has a threaded boss and the other of the first and second brackets has a non-threaded opening aligned with the threaded boss. Each of the stabilizer assemblies further comprises a leg assembly comprising a leg and a threaded rod, the threaded rod extending through the non-threaded opening and aligned threaded boss of the first and second brackets, respectively, of the stabilizer assembly. The leg has a generally planar upper portion which abuts one of the first and second brackets to support the trusses above the ground and provide additional stability to the trusses.
The connector assembly at each of the four corners of the product joins a first truss to a second truss the first and second trusses extending perpendicular to each other. Each connector assembly further comprises first and second connector blocks, each of the connector blocks having multiple fingers. Each of the fingers has an opening through which extends a tapered pin when the fingers are aligned.
According to another aspect of the invention, an assembled foundation comprises side and trusses and a connector assembly at each of four corners of the assembled foundation for joining one of the side trusses to one of the end trusses. The side truss extends generally perpendicular to the end truss upon assembly. Each of the connector assemblies comprises a first connector block attached to one of the trusses and a second connector block attached to the other of the trusses. The first and second connector blocks each have interlocking fingers held together with a tapered pin which extends through the openings in the fingers of the connector blocks when the fingers are aligned.
A stabilizer assembly is located below the connector assembly at each of the corners of the assembled foundation. Each of the stabilizer assemblies comprises a top corner leg bracket having a threaded boss and two holes. Each of the stabilizer assemblies further comprises a bottom corner leg bracket having a non-threaded opening aligned with the threaded boss and two dowels extending through the holes in the top corner leg bracket to align the top and bottom corner leg brackets.
Each stabilizer assembly further comprises a leg assembly comprising a leg and a threaded rod, the threaded rod extending through the aligned threaded boss and non-threaded opening of the top and bottom corner leg brackets. The leg has a generally planar upper portion upon which the bottom corner leg bracket rests to support the corner of the foundation above the ground and provide additional stability to the foundation.
According to another aspect of the invention, an assembled bedding foundation comprises two side trusses and two end trusses. Each side truss comprises an upper member, a lower member, at least one spacer, end brackets and a connector block secured to each end bracket. Likewise, each end truss comprises an upper member, a lower member, at least one spacer, end brackets and a connector block secured to each end bracket. Each of the connector blocks has multiple fingers, each of the fingers having an opening.
The assembled bedding foundation further comprises four connector assemblies, one of the connector assemblies being at each of corners of the product for joining one of the side trusses to one of the end trusses. Each of the connector assemblies comprises a first connector block attached to the side truss and a second connector block attached to the end truss, the first and second connector blocks each having interlocking fingers held together with a tapered pin which extends through the openings in the fingers of the connector blocks when the fingers are aligned.
The assembled foundation further comprises a stabilizer assembly at each of the four corners of the foundation. Each of the stabilizer assemblies comprises a top corner leg bracket having a threaded boss and first and second tabs. One of the first and second tabs wraps around a portion of the lower member of one of the side trusses and the other of the first and second tabs wraps around a portion of the lower member of one of the end trusses. Each stabilizer assembly further comprises a bottom corner leg bracket having a non-threaded opening aligned with the threaded boss and first and second walls extending upwardly from a base. One of the first and second walls is outside the lower member of the one of the side trusses and the other of the first and second walls is outside the lower member of the one of the end trusses such that said first and second walls of the bottom corner leg bracket cooperate with the first and second tabs of the top corner leg bracket to fully surround the lower member of the one of the side trusses and the lower member of the one of the end trusses. Each stabilizer assembly further comprises a leg assembly comprising a leg and a threaded rod, the threaded rod extending through the aligned threaded boss and the opening of the top and bottom corner leg brackets. The leg has a generally planar upper portion upon which the bottom corner leg bracket rests to support the corner of the foundation above the ground and provide additional stability to the foundation.
According to another aspect of the invention, a ready to assemble bedding foundation comprises two side trusses and two end trusses. Each side truss comprises an upper member, a lower member, at least one spacer, end bracket:, and a connector block secured to each end bracket. Likewise, each end truss comprises an upper member, a lower member, at least one spacer, end bracket:, and a connector block secured to each end bracket. Each of the connector blocks has multiple fingers, each of the fingers having an opening.
The ready to assemble bedding foundation further comprises four tapered pins. Each tapered pin is adapted to extend through the openings in the fingers of the connector blocks when the fingers are aligned.
The ready to assemble bedding foundation further comprises four top corner leg brackets and four bottom corner leg brackets. Each of the top corner leg brackets has a threaded boss and first and second tabs. One of the tabs is sized to wrap around a portion of the lower member of one of the side trusses and the other tab is sized to wrap around a portion of the lower member of one of the end trusses. Each bottom corner leg bracket has an opening adapted to align with the threaded boss of the top corner leg bracket and first and second walls extending upwardly from a base. One of the first and second walls is adapted to fit outside the lower member of one of the side trusses and the other of the first and second walls is adapted to fit outside the lower member of one of the end trusses.
The ready to assemble bedding foundation further comprises four leg assemblies. Each leg assembly comprises a leg and a threaded rod. The threaded rod is adapted to extend through the aligned threaded boss of the top corner leg bracket and the opening of the bottom corner leg bracket. Two decking assemblies and a cover complete the ready to assembly bedding foundation. The cover has an open bottom. The cover has pieces of hook and loop fastener adapted to engage other pieces of hook and loop fastener secured to the trusses to secure the cover over the assembled foundation. Although two decking assemblies are typical any number of decking assemblies may be used including a singe one. The decking assembly or assemblies are adapted to rest on the upper members of the trusses.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the summary of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the drawings given below, explain the principles of the present invention.
Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a bedding product in the form of a ready to assemble foundation 10 incorporating the principles of the present invention. This ready to assemble foundation 10 is shown in
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Each end truss 20 comprises upper and lower member 36, 38 with a middle spacer 40 and two mounting brackets 42 extending between the upper and lower members 34, 36. One of the first connector blocks 32 is secured to one of the mounting brackets 46 and one of the second connector blocks 34 is secured to the other mounting bracket 46.
Each of the side trusses 22 comprises upper and lower member 44, 46 with spacers 48 extending between the upper and lower members 44, 46. Two mounting brackets 50 on opposite sides of the spacers 48 also extend between the upper and lower members 44, 46 of each side truss 22. For each side truss 22, one of the first connector blocks 32 is secured to one of the mounting brackets 50 and one of the second connector blocks 34 is secured to the other mounting bracket 50. As best shown in
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The center truss 24 comprises upper and lower member 62, 64 with spacers 66 extending between the upper and lower members 62, 64. As best shown in
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One advantage of the present invention is that a customer may receive the product in a box via the mail or a common carrier and assemble the bedding foundation quickly and easily resulting in an upholstered, attractive product without the use of tools. The open interiors of the trusses enable multiple trusses to be stacked together as shown in
The various embodiments of the invention shown and described are merely for illustrative purposes only, as the drawings and the description are not intended to restrict or limit in any way the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate various changes, modifications, and improvements which can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and representative apparatus and methods shown and described. Departures may therefore be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept. The invention resides in each individual feature described herein, alone, and in all combinations of those features. Accordingly, The scope of the invention shall be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.