The present invention generally relates to a wall bed assembly and, more specifically, to a wall bed assembly having an improved bed frame, an improved wall cabinet, and to a bed frame which can be used in a customized wall bed cabinet.
Busy lifestyles and the high-tech age have seen the emergence of a simpler and more modern approach to how we live our lives. This applies to both urban and suburban lifestyles. For many, urban living has become an increasingly popular lifestyle choice to simplify busy lives. Urban living environments are often less spacious than their suburban alternatives. As such, convertible furniture, such as a wall bed, is desirable in limited space environments. Such furniture permits a room to serve multiple functions by allowing a bed to be stored in a wall unit or a wall when not in use. This feature is also advantageous in more spacious environments rendering a room more versatile and multi-functional, such as for an occasional need for a bed. In commercial environments, such as hotels, multi-functioning rooms and/or rooms requiring selective extra sleeping accommodations are desirable. These requirements are achieved with the addition of a wall bed.
Typically, wall beds include a bed frame and a wall cabinet for housing the bed frame. The bed frame is moveable from a generally vertical or stored position within the cabinet, to a horizontal position for use as a bed. Common features among prior art wall beds include counter-balancing springs or pistons for counter balancing the weight of the bed frame and bed so that the bed frame may be easily raised into a stored position. Counter balancing springs or pistons also assist in positioning the bed for use so as to counteract the gravitational forces of the bed as it is being drawn downward. Prior art wall beds include legs to support the bed in use but which often are fixedly mounted to the bed frame such that they protrude outward when the bed is in the stored position, thereby adversely effecting the profile of the stored bed. Also common to prior art wall beds are beds having excessive weight resulting from complicated mattress support spring systems and complicated structures which adversely impacts the ease at which the bed may be moved from a stored to a useable position and vice versa The excessive weight of prior art wall beds renders them cumbersome to manipulate and, in some instances, renders them unsafe such as when the bed is released from a vertical position to a horizontal position. Without precautionary measures, the weight of the bed frame and mattress can pivot downward with great force, even with counterbalancing pistons, which can be especially problematic if the bed is unintentionally released. Prior art wall beds include bed frames permanently mounted to the wall cabinets. Accordingly, the bed frame is only provided with a certain cabinet preventing use of the bed frame within a customized cabinet or other housing structure.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,134 to Burchett (hereinafter “the '134 Patent”) is directed to a cabinet wall bed including a cabinet, a bed frame, a counterbalancing system and a leg-locking and supporting system. The leg-locking and supporting system is an intricate system including numerous components and extends from the underside of the bottom bed frame support. The leg-locking system according to the '134 Patent includes, in addition to numerous other components, a spring loaded leg support which is also the handle for moving the bed to and from the stored position, and which cooperates with a locking bar to secure the bed frame in a stored position. To pivot the bed frame to a vertical position, the complicated handle and leg is manually forced shut against compressive forces of the spring, and the bed is lifted. Assumedly this would require the user to reach beneath the bed frame to apply sufficient force to overcome the compression springs of the intricate leg-locking system to disengage the legs and use the legs as a handle to pivot the bed frame. Moreover, should the leg-locking system be unintentionally dislodged from the locking bar, the bed rotates to the horizontal position with no interim safety position.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,452 to Rulis (hereinafter “the '452 Patent”) is directed to a folding bed assembly including a shell (or cabinet) and a bed pad for supporting a mattress. The shell includes a two piece outer, front surface including the underside of the bed pad and a separate foot which extends across the width of the bed pad and which serves as the uppermost portion of the outer, front surface. The relatively large “foot” according to the '452 Patent is pivotally connected to the outer surface of bed pad by a hinge such that when the handle of the “foot” is pulled downward, the bed pad pivots toward the horizontal position and the “foot” swings under forces of gravity to extend perpendicularly from the bottom and across the full width of the bed pad.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, a wall bed assembly for mounting on a wall including a wall cabinet and a convertible bed frame assembly is provided. The wall cabinet includes a pair of side panels, an upper surface, and an anterior panel. The bed frame is secured to an interior surface of the anterior panel and the bed frame is pivotally connected to the wall cabinet to pivot from a first, substantially vertical position wherein the bed frame is stored in the wall cabinet to a second, substantially horizontal position wherein the bed frame and the anterior panel are positioned to support a mattress for use as a bed.
The bed frame is pivotally connected on each side to the wall cabinet side panels by a unique combination of components comprising a first upper bracket, a second pivot bracket, a counterbalancing piston, and a fixed plate. The first bracket is generally circular and is attached to the wall cabinet side panel to pivotally connect an upper end of the counterbalancing piston to the wall cabinet. The bottom end of the counterbalancing piston is pivotally secured to the second, pivot bracket. The second pivot bracket extends upwardly from the bed frame side member and defines a fulcrum receiving aperture and a piston receiving aperture. Securing means are provided to secure the counterbalancing piston to the piston receiving aperture of the pivot bracket. The fixed plate is secured to the wall cabinet side panel and includes an outwardly extending fulcrum member. The fulcrum member of the fixed plate is received within the fulcrum receiving aperture of the second pivot bracket and securing means pivotally connects the pivot bracket to the fixed plate. Accordingly, the bed frame pivots about the fulcrum member as the bed frame and anterior panel are moved between the vertical, stored position and the horizontal position for use as a bed. These positions, including a third, safety release position described below, are readily assumed, at least in part, due to the counterbalancing pistons which counterbalance the gravitational forces acting on the bed frame when the bed is being lowered. The pistons also counterbalance the effect of gravitational forces and the weight of the bed frame by allowing the bed to be pivotally raised without excessive force.
In the substantially horizontal position, the bed frame and anterior panel are supported by a pair of legs, one each located along the side of each bed frame side members. The legs are uniquely configured and uniquely secured to the bed frame such that the legs assume a supportive position due to gravitational forces. More specifically, the legs are pivotally secured to each side member such that they pivot from a position substantially parallel to the side member to a position generally perpendicular thereto to support the bed frame upon the floor surface. The legs are uniquely configured to be non-linear and include an angular outer edge. A stop is provided to prevent over rotation of the legs and to prevent wear of the anterior panel.
A securing mechanism including at least one, and preferably two, retractable magnets and an extendable shaft are provided on the upper surface of the wall cabinet to secure the wall bed assembly in the stored position and to prevent unintentional or accidental pivoting of the bed frame toward the horizontal position. The retractable magnets cooperate with the bed frame foot rail to secure the wall bed assembly. Pressure applied to the anterior panel releases the magnets from the foot rail and the extendable shaft urges the anterior panel and bed frame forward. The anterior panel and bed frame are released only to a safety release position, that is, about six inches from the vertical. This is achieved by the unique configuration of the various components of the wall bed in combination with the counterbalancing pistons. The bed frame and anterior panel may then manually be further pivoted toward the horizontal position. This feature further ensures the safety of the user of the wall bed in that, even if the bed frame is unintentionally removed from the vertical position, the bed frame does not pivot to the horizontal position without additional, intentional forces supplied by the user.
The unique configuration of the bed frame and its novel connection to the wall cabinet renders the bed frame fully convertible and customizable. The bed frame is generally lightweight and may be secured to conventional wall frames with only minor modifications thereto. Therefore, the convertible bed frame may be provided to be installed into an existing wall cabinet or permanent wall structure.
The present invention will now be described in detail hereinafter by reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described; rather, this detailed description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention.
In
The anterior panel 11 advantageously is defined by a plurality of anterior members 12 and, preferably, four anterior members 12 (as shown). The anterior members 12 provide the exterior, aesthetic appearance of the wall cabinet 5 in the vertical position as best shown in
The anterior surface frame 14 is defined by longitudinally extending frame members 15 which extend along the sides of each anterior member 12 shown in
The wall cabinet 5 also includes a pair of side panels 20, an upper surface 22, and a posterior brace 23, shown in
As shown in
The posterior brace 23 extends between the side panels 20 and braces the wall cabinet 5. As shown in
The bed frame 10 is supported and stored by the wall cabinet 5 and supports a mattress 33 to provide a bed when the bed frame 10 is in the generally horizontal position as shown in
The bed frame 10 includes a pair of laterally extending members, one member 40 defining the head of the bed frame 10 and one member 41 defining the foot of the bed frame 10 as shown in
The laterally extending medial members 42 comprises a pair of members, each extending between the respective side member 43 and the longitudinally extending medial member 45. Each laterally extending medial member 42 comprises a plate 47 defining apertures for receiving securing means, such as a bolt and nut, to secure the laterally extending medial member to the respective side member 43 and longitudinally extending medial member 45. Similarly, the longitudinally extending medial member 45 includes a plate 48 on each end thereof having apertures for receiving securing means for securing the longitudinal medial member 45 to the head frame member 40 and foot frame member 41. These bed frame members, as best shown in
Secured to the bed frame 10 is a plurality of slats 50 for supporting the mattress 33 as shown in
Although it is within the scope of the invention to provide any number of slats 50, in the preferred embodiment shown in
The bed frame 10 is attached to each side panel 20 of the wall cabinet 5 by a counterbalancing piston 60, a first upper bracket 72, a second pivot bracket 64, and a fixed plate 65. As shown in
As shown in
The piston arm 62, at its bottom portion, includes a generally perpendicularly extending member 63. The pivot bracket 64 includes a piston arm receiving aperture 67 for receiving the perpendicular member 63 extending from the piston arm 62 and securing means 71, such as a threaded nut, pivotally secures the bottom end of the piston 60 to the fixed plate 65. A spacer 69 is provided, and is secured to the pivot bracket 64, e.g., welded thereto, to properly position the piston 60 and the fixed plate 65 such that the piston 60 pivots relative to the fixed plate 65 about the perpendicular member 63.
The second bracket 64 also includes a fulcrum member receiving aperture 68 for receiving the fulcrum member 70 of the fixed plate 65. When the pivot bracket 64 is positioned on the fixed plate 65 such that the fulcrum member 70 extends through the corresponding pivot bracket aperture 68, securing means 75, such as a nut, is threaded onto the threaded fulcrum member 70 to secure the two plates in pivotal relationship. The fulcrum member 70 serves as the fulcrum, or point at which the bed frame pivots, when it is converted from the stored, vertical position to the horizontal position and back again. The upper end of each piston 60 is pivotally connected to the side panel 20 of the wall cabinet 5 by a circular bracket 72 having apertures 73 corresponding to the uppermost piston receiving apertures 24 of the wall cabinet as shown in
The counterbalancing pistons 60 provide an appropriate resistive force to the downward acting gravitational force acting on the bed frame 10 and mattress 33. The pistons 60 assist in both the lowering of the bed frame 10 and mattress 33 for use as a bed and lifting the components to the vertical, stored position. The pistons 60 become compressed as the bed frame 10 is lowered, as discussed in more detail below, thus counteracting the force of gravity, enabling the bed frame 10 and mattress 33 to be controllably pivoted by the user from the vertical to the horizontal positions. Additionally, due to the compressive forces of the gas pistons 60, the user need supply only nominal force to overcome the weight of the bed frame 10 and mattress 33 and easily raise the bed to a vertical position. In order to pivot the bed frame 10 from the horizontal to the vertical position, a residual lifting force is required thereby preventing unintentional closing of the wall bed assembly 1. The pistons 60 are selected to exert the necessary compressive forces to perform the aforementioned functions, for example, between 550 and 750 lbs per square inch, preferably compressive forces of 650 lbs. per square inch. The force requirement of the pistons 60 and the position thereof may be adjusted to balance properly the bed frame 10 within the wall cabinet 5.
When the bed frame 10 (and mattress 33) is pivoted from the vertical, stored position to the substantially horizontal position for use as a bed, it is supported, at its outermost, or foot, end by a pair of legs 78 shown in
To prevent over rotation of the legs 78, a stop 80 is provided. The stop 80 is positioned and configured to abut the upper portion of the legs 78 and is supported on the side member 43 of the bed frame 10. As shown in
The guides 86 are defined by each side edge of the anterior panel 11 of the wall cabinet 5. This permits the legs 78 to assume a stored position, that is, extending adjacent the side member 43, when the bed is in the stored, vertical position as shown in
The wall bed assembly I according to the present invention provides a bed frame 10 which is securely retained within the wall cabinet 5 in the vertical, stored position as shown in
The extendable shaft 93 is received within a housing 94 and is retractable therein. An enclosure (not shown) may be provided to surround the extendable shaft 93 and the housing 94. The shaft 93 is biased outwardly from the housing 94 so as to exert outward forces against the foot rail 38 of the bed frame 10. This bias preferably is provided by springs. The outward bias forces of the retractable shaft 93 are overcome by, that is, are less than, the magnetic forces of the retractable magnets 89 such that the bed frame 10 is securely maintained in the vertical position. Upon pressure applied to the exterior of the wall cabinet 5, such as along the upper portion of the anterior panel 11 of the wall cabinet 5, the retractable magnets 89 are urged rearward within the magnet housings 90, thereby releasing the magnetic forces of the magnets 89. This allows the bias forces of the extendable shaft 93 to urge the foot rail 38 forward as shown in
This novel feature enables the user to press against the anterior panel 11 of the wall cabinet 5 to release the anterior panel 11 and bed frame 10 to the safety release position shown in
To raise the bed frame 10 to the substantially vertical, stored position, the user may grasp any member, e.g., the foot rail 38, bottom of anterior panel 11, etc., to lift the foot of the bed frame 10 to initiate its pivotal movement from the substantially horizontal position to the substantially vertical position. This movement is made relatively effortless due to the counterbalancing effects of the counterbalancing pistons 60 and the unique, relatively lightweight construction of the wall bed assembly I according to the present invention. When raised and pivoted to the substantially vertical position, the retractable magnets 89 attract the foot rail 38, thereby securing the bed frame in the vertical position. Such configuration uniquely prevents unintentional or accidental removal of the bed frame 11 from the wall cabinet 5 and provides a beneficial safety feature.
The convertible bed frame 11 according to the present invention, including the slats 50, may be provided independent of the wall cabinet 5 shown. That is, the bed frame 11 may be inserted into conventional wall cabinets by drilling piston receiving apertures 24 into the side panels. The retractable magnets 89 and extendable shaft 93 and housing 94 may also be provided to be installed in the appropriate locations of a conventional wall cabinet 5. This enables the convertible bed frame 11 of the present invention to be completely customizable, allowing it the flexibility to be positioned within any wall cabinet. Alternatively, the bed frame 11 according to the present invention may be secured to a permanent structure (not shown) such as a wall framed to have a permanent bed frame receiving configuration.
In the drawings and the specification, there has been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.
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1236515 | Welch | Aug 1917 | A |
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5033134 | Burchett | Jul 1991 | A |
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6701551 | Antinori | Mar 2004 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100043142 A1 | Feb 2010 | US |