The present invention relates generally to beds, and more particularly to folding beds.
Beds can take up a large amount of floor space within a room. Some beds are foldable so that when the bed is not in use less space is required.
For example, some beds include a foldable mattress support and an extending drawer that supports part of the mattress support. Some of these extending drawers include a front cover that extends high enough to provide support for part of the foldable mattress support when the foldable mattress support is horizontal.
Also, previously known extending drawers have been connected to another part of the bed. For example, the sides of some extending drawers are connected via telescoping rails to sides of a lower part of the bed. Other extending drawers are not connected to the lower part of the bed via telescoping rails, instead such other extending drawers are connected to the lower part of the bed via folding/pivoting extension panels.
The present application provides a cabinet bed that includes a movable spacer, attached to an extendable support (e.g., a movable drawer), for supporting a movable sleeping section and/or includes at least one laterally extending slidable guide to maintain the extendable support in alignment with the movable sleeping section. For example, the cabinet bed may include the movable spacer that is pivotably attached to the extendable support underneath the movable sleeping section when in a horizontal position. The cabinet bed may also include a pair of laterally extending slidable guides extending from each side of the extendable support and/or a second pair of laterally extending slidable glides extending toward a respective side of the extendable support to maintain the extendable support in alignment with the movable sleeping section.
The movable spacer may move to a support position where the movable sleeping section, when in the horizontal position, would rest on the movable spacer. The movable spacer may allow the extendable support to easily move from underneath a cabinet floor and provide support for the movable sleeping section when in an extended position. Also, the movable spacer enables the movable sleeping section to be more evenly supported than would otherwise be provided with an extendable support without the spacer.
For example, a portion of the extendable support that is movable from a position underneath a cabinet floor may be vertically spaced from the cabinet floor and the movable spacer may be movable to a position higher than the portion of the extendable support. In an embodiment, when the movable spacer is in the support position and the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position, the top surface of the movable spacer would be coplanar with the bottom surface of the movable sleeping section and the top surface of the movable sleeping section would be coplanar with the top surface of the cabinet floor.
The laterally extending slidable guides may allow the extendable support to remain aligned with the movable sleeping section without connecting to any part of the cabinet bed that defines an extendable support receiving opening that the extendable support is disposed within when in a retracted position. The laterally extending slidable guides may enable the extendable support to be aligned during use while not connected to another part of the cabinet bed. For example, the laterally extending slidable guides may include wheels that are rotatable about an axis parallel with a corresponding side of the extendable support.
The cabinet bed may include a pair of supports that are each pivotably attached to a respective lateral side of the movable sleeping section. For example, the pair of supports may be pivotable about an axis that is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the movable sleeping section when the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position.
According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for transforming between a bed and a cabinet, comprises a rear cabinet panel, a cabinet top attached to the rear cabinet panel along a top edge of the rear cabinet panel, a first cabinet side attached to the rear cabinet panel along a first side edge of the rear cabinet panel, a second cabinet side attached to the rear cabinet panel along a second side edge, of the rear cabinet panel, opposite the first side edge, a cabinet floor, a movable sleeping section that is movable from a first position to a horizontal position where the movable sleeping section would be parallel with the cabinet floor. When the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position the cabinet floor and the movable sleeping section would be arranged to together support a mattress. The apparatus may further include a base comprising an extendable support receiving opening, an extendable support that is movable from a retracted position within the extendable support receiving opening to an extended position at least partially outside of the extendable support receiving opening, when in the extended position the extendable support would be underneath the movable sleeping section when the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position, and a first movable spacer that is movably attached to the extendable support, wherein the first movable spacer is movable from a first position, where a topmost surface of the first movable spacer is below an upward facing surface of the cabinet floor, to a second position where the topmost surface is higher than when in the first position. When the extendable support is in the extended position the first movable spacer may support the movable sleeping section when the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position.
According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for transforming between a bed and a cabinet, comprises a rear cabinet panel, a cabinet top attached to the rear cabinet panel along a top edge of the rear cabinet panel, a first cabinet side attached to the rear cabinet panel along a first side edge of the rear cabinet panel, a second cabinet set attached to the rear cabinet panel along a second side edge, of the rear cabinet panel, opposite the first side edge, a cabinet floor, a movable sleeping section that is movable from a first position to a horizontal position where the movable sleeping section would be parallel with the cabinet floor. When the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position the cabinet floor and the movable sleeping section would be arranged to together support a mattress. The apparatus may further include a base comprising an extendable support receiving opening, and an extendable support that is movable from a retracted position within the extendable support receiving opening to an extended position at least partially outside of the extendable support receiving opening. When in the extended position the extendable support would be underneath the movable sleeping section when the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position, and the extendable support includes a first laterally extending slidable guide protruding laterally from a first side of the extendable support toward a first side of the base, and includes a second laterally extending slidable guide protruding laterally from a second side of the extendable support toward a second side of the base.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The principles of this present application have particular application to cabinet beds, such as cabinet beds with the appearance of a large pair of doors and a lower drawer, and thus will be described below chiefly in this context. It will be appreciated that principles of this invention may be applicable to other foldable beds, such as having the appearance of a chest of drawers or a single upper door with a bottom base.
Referring now to the drawings and initially to
Turning to
The cabinet top 36 may include a rear part 60 and a front part 62 that is pivotable relative to the rear part 60. For example, the cabinet top 36 includes hinges 64 that hingedly connect the front part 62 to the rear part 60. The hinge 60 may bisect the cabinet top 36. In an embodiment, only a single hinge hingedly connects the front part to the rear part. In another embodiment, the cabinet top is a single rigid panel.
The cabinet sides 38 and 40 may each be orthogonal to the rear cabinet panel 42, the cabinet floor 44, and the cabinet top 36 when the cabinet top 36 is in a horizontal position. The cabinet sides 38 and 40 may be attached along opposite side edges of the cabinet floor 44 and attached along opposite side edges of the cabinet top 36. For example, the cabinet sides 38 and 40 are laterally spaced from one another and attached to opposite sides of the cabinet floor 44 and attached to opposite sides of the rear part 60 of the cabinet top 36.
The rear cabinet panel 42 may be attached along its top and bottom edges to the cabinet top 36 and the cabinet floor 44, respectively, and may be attached along its side edges to the cabinet sides 38 and 40. For example, the rear cabinet panel 42 is entirely circumscribed by, orthogonal to, and attached to the cabinet sides 38 and 40, the cabinet floor 44, and the rear part 60 of the cabinet top 36.
The base 24 may include a bottom drawer 66 with a drawer front 68, base side panels 70 and 72 (illustrated in
The base 24 has a smaller footprint than the upper cabinet 22. For example, the cabinet sides 38 and 40 are offset outside of the base side panels 70 and 72 and the cabinet floor 44 extends laterally beyond the base side panels 70 and 72.
The base side panels 70 and 72 may each include a joining member 80 and 82 (shown in
Referring now to
The movable spacers 94 and 96 are movably attached to corresponding drawer side panel 90 or 92. For example, each movable spacer 94 and 96 is a mirror image of the other and pivotably attached by hinges 102 to the corresponding drawer side panel 90 or 92.
Each movable spacer 94 and 96 is movable from a first position (e.g., as shown in
For example, the movable spacers 94 and 96 are each configured to pivot about a corresponding axis that is parallel to a length of the movable sleeping section 26 when the movable sleeping section 26 is in the horizontal position. In an embodiment, at least one movable spacer is configured to pivot about another axis, such as an axis perpendicular to the length of the movable sleeping section when the movable sleeping section is in the horizontal position
Still referring to
In an embodiment, at least one of the movable spacers has another shape.
Referring now to
Each laterally extending guides 124 and 126 may limit forward movement of the corresponding laterally extending guide 120 or 122 at a predetermined distance from the base back panel 74 of the base 24. For example, the laterally extending guides 120, 122, 124, and 126 are disposed within a single plane that is parallel with the ground. The laterally extending guides 120 and 122 are disposed at the rear of the corresponding drawer side panel 90 or 92 and the laterally extending guides 124 and 126 are disposed at the front of the corresponding base side panel 70 or 72. When the bottom drawer 66 moves forward a predetermined distance from its closed position the laterally extending guides 120 and 122 move into contact with the laterally extending guides 124 and 126.
The laterally extending guides 120, 122, 124, and 126 enable the bottom drawer 66 to be aligned with the movable sleeping section 26 when moving rearward or forward without connecting the bottom drawer 66 to any part of the cabinet bed 20 that defines the drawer receiving opening. For example, the bottom drawer 66 is not connected to the base side panels 70 and 72, the base back panel 74, and the cabinet floor 44.
The laterally extending guides 120, 122, 124, and 126 may be identical to one another. For example, each laterally extending guide 120, 122, 124, and 126 may include a wheel 128, 130, 132, or 134 that is contacts the corresponding base side panel 70 or 72 or drawer side panel 90 or 92. Each wheel 128, 130, 132, and 134 may be rotatable about a respective axis (e.g., aligned with a corresponding pin 136, 138, 140, or 142) parallel with one another and/or the corresponding drawer side panel 90 or 92.
In an embodiment, the laterally extending guides are not identical to one another. In another embodiment, the base does not include any laterally extending guides. In yet another embodiment, the bottom drawer includes laterally outwardly extending guides and does not include laterally extending guides that protrude laterally inward from the base side panels. In another embodiment, the base side panels include laterally inwardly extending guides and does not include laterally extending guides that protrude laterally outward from the bottom drawer.
Referring now to only
As illustrated in
Also, each base side panel 70 and 72 (illustrated in
Referring again to
The inside front panel 202 is movable relative to the front cabinet panel 200 from an inverted position (exemplified in
The upper cabinet 22 may include locking mechanisms 210 (also illustrated in
In another embodiment, the inside front panel includes a handle to assist in folding the movable sleeping section into its closed position. The handle on inside front panel could be positioned to face downward when the movable sleeping section is in its horizontal position to receive the mattress, for example positioned such that the handle would not touch the bottom drawer or another component.
In yet another embodiment, the inside front panel is movably connected to the cabinet front panel in a different manner and/or the cabinet front panel is movably connected to the cabinet floor in a different manner. In yet another embodiment, the movable sleeping section does not include an inside panel.
Still referring to
Fasteners 230 such as screws, glue or rivets can be used to hold various pieces together, including hinges and panels as appropriate.
Also, additional features can be added to the cabinet bed 20 to improve ease of use and/or reduce wear on the parts. For example, the topmost surface of the movable spacers 94 and 96 and/or the topmost surfaces of the bottom drawer 66 may be formed partially or entirely of felt or another soft surface, as exemplified in
As shown in
Referring still to
In an embodiment, pulling the bottom drawer forward, from its closed position underneath the cabinet floor, includes unfolding hingedly connected extension panels that are hingedly connected to the bottom drawer and another part of the base. In an alternative embodiment, pulling the bottom drawer forward includes extending telescopic rails that are connected to the bottom drawer and another part of the base, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,574,758 issued on Aug. 18, 2009 to Arason.
When the front cabinet panel 200 is in the horizontal open position, the front part 62 of cabinet top 36 can be moved back to its horizontal position to reduce the visibility obstructed by the height of the profile of the upper cabinet 22.
The mattress may be stored inside the upper cabinet 22 above the cabinet floor 44 when the upper cabinet 22 is closed, and when the upper cabinet 22 is opened the mattress can be pulled out of the upper cabinet 22 and unfolded onto the front cabinet panel 200 and the inside front panel 202. When the mattress is laying flat, the bed can be made by putting bedding stored in the bottom drawer 66 on the mattress and placing pillows stored in the bottom drawer 66 on the mattress. In an embodiment, the mattress is made of three sections which can be hingedly attached to one another in a chain by fabric so that the mattress easily folds up and unfolds in sections similar in size to the upward facing surfaces of the cabinet floor 44, the front cabinet panel 200, and the inside cabinet panel 200.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design Application No. 29/630,628 filed Dec. 21, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 29630628 | Dec 2017 | US |
Child | 16247300 | US |