The overall field of this invention generally relates to a wall bed assembly, and more specifically, to a wall bed assembly having an integrated fireplace feature which is movable from the wall bed, a vertically adjustable workstation, and other features that can be used to customize the wall bed to a user's preference.
Living spaces are becoming relatively smaller due to the exponential rise in the cost of real estate. Lifestyles and the high-tech age are driving people to bigger and more populous cities. The same factors are also driving the cost of homes and apartments in these cities. At the same time, people are looking to simplify their busy lives by moving closer to their jobs, which may be in an urban setting or simplify their lives by getting smaller homes. In all these situations, the living environments are often less spacious. As such, convertible furniture, such as a wall bed is a useful and beneficial piece of furniture. Generally, a wall bed is a bed that is hinged at one end to store vertically against a wall, or inside a closet or cabinet. Wall beds serve the purpose of transforming a living space from day to night and thus turning the room into a multifunctional space to maximize space.
Over the years, wall beds have become much more than simple platforms that fold down from the wall. Wall bed designs now integrate shelving, desks, tables, and seating to maximize space and functionality. Some wall beds may be designed with a space to mount a television. The shelving, desks, tables, and seating may include fold out or fixed in place options. However, in these wall beds with integrated features, the television mounted on the wall bed is only usable when the wall bed is in the closed position. With limited budgets or limited space, some individuals may not be able to afford another television to watch when in bed or in a part of the room where the view is not clear to the wall bed mounted television. Additionally, with a lifestyle trending toward working from home, individuals would also like some flexibility with adjusting the height of their workstations to their ergonomic working position or even have the option to adjust from a sit to stand position or vice versa. These options are not presented and thus unavailable with the wall beds currently in use.
Hence, there exists a need for an improved wall bed which includes features that are more versatile and addresses the significant reduction in living space requirements.
Accordingly, the present disclosure recognizes the unsolved need for an improved wall bed and more versatile wall bed that accommodates features for the modern lifestyle including and not limited to a reduction in living space and the trend of working from home. The present disclosure combines a bed, office, and entertainment center into a living space. The invention as presently described will have multiple uses and will allow the room to simulate the appearance of a family room, living room, bedroom, or office with simple movements. Thus, this invention addresses the significant reduction in living space requirements and associated cost per square feet. This invention also addresses the current trend of working from home. Additionally, this invention also addresses accommodating group living arrangements.
In a non-limiting preferred embodiment, a wall bed system is provided which comprises of a cabinet, a rotation module with a bed, a removable fireplace, an adjustable workstation, and one or more televisions. The cabinet and the rotation module are coupled to each other at a left side and a right side of the cabinet with a hinge that may utilize a wall bed lift mechanism which lowers and raises the rotation module between a horizontal and vertical positions, respectively. A fulcrum, which is an enclosed box located at a bottom end of the cabinet and extends from a left side to a right side of the cabinet is positioned relatively below where the cabinet and rotation module are coupled to each other. The fulcrum is affixed at the bottom end of the cabinet to enclose any hardware mechanism necessary to raise and lower the rotation module, electrical wiring, and offer support to the rotation module when the rotation module is in a horizontal or lowered position. When the rotation module is in a vertical position, the rotation module is stowed in the cabinet and together the cabinet and the rotation module form an enclosed box.
The cabinet is permanently affixed to a wall in a room and further comprises of a canopy which is configured with one or more light fixtures. The cabinet may further comprise of one or more fixtures within the cabinet. The one or more fixtures may include and not be limited to a television, a mirror, a picture frame, or a painting that are visible when the rotation module with the bed is lowered into a horizontal position. The rotation module contains the bed which is stowed within the cabinet when in a vertical position. The rotation module pulls down from the stowed vertical position away from the cabinet to a horizontal position to present the bed.
The rotation module comprises of an inner side and an outer side. The inner side faces within the cabinet and contains the bed. The outer side of the rotation module faces a room when the rotation module is in the vertical position wherein the rotation module is folded upward in toward the cabinet to form the enclosed box The outer side of the rotation module comprises of one or more fixtures. In a non-limiting embodiment, the outer side of the rotation module may comprise of a fireplace feature, an adjustable workstation, and a decorative feature.
A lower portion on the outer side of the rotation module may comprise of the fireplace feature. The fireplace feature may comprise of a television inserted into a rectangular opening having an appearance of a fireplace. The television allows normal television viewing and mimics an active burning fire when using a fire display programming such as an Amazon Firestick. A mantle may be configured on a top portion of the fireplace feature. The fireplace feature may be a removable feature such that it may be removed from the outer side of the rotation module allowing the fireplace to be moved to a different part of the room.
Another fixture that may comprise part of the outer side of the rotation module is the adjustable workstation. The adjustable workstation may be configured relatively near a middle of the rotation module immediately above the fireplace feature. The adjustable workstation may comprise of a desktop that pivots to open and close, and a height of the desktop is adjustable. When not in use, the workstation folds vertically to rest parallel to the rotation module. To use, the workstation is folded downward and rests perpendicular to the rotation module. The workstation may slide up or down to accommodate a preferred height of using the workstation, in essence allowing a user to sit or stand at the workstation. One or more power outlets may also be integrated into the rotation module wall relatively proximate to the workstation.
An upper portion of the outer side of the rotation module, which is relatively above the workstation may comprise of other decorative or usable features. Non-limiting examples of decorative or usable features may include, and not be limited to, shelving, mirror, artwork, or other wall decoration.
In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the wall bed with the removable fireplace and the adjustable workstation in detail, it is to be understood that the wall bed with the removable fireplace and the adjustable workstation is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the wall bed with removable fireplace and adjustable workstation.
It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the wall bed with removable fireplace and adjustable workstation. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which:
In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature may also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.
Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps may be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method may include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).
“Exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described in this document as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.
Throughout the drawings, like reference characters are used to designate like elements. As used herein, the term “coupled” or “coupling” may indicate a connection. The connection may be a direct or an indirect connection between one or more items. Further, the term “set” as used herein may denote one or more of any items, so a “set of items” may indicate the presence of only one item or may indicate more items. Thus, the term “set” may be equivalent to “one or more” as used herein.
In referring to the figures, a non-limiting embodiment of a wall bed system is illustrated in
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In the preferred embodiment, the fireplace 120 is configured to be a removable feature of the wall bed 100. In this embodiment, the fireplace 120 may be designed and configured with means to allow it to be easily mounted onto the recessed section and subsequently also be easily removed from within the recessed section in the rotation module 110. These means may include and not be limited to wheels that are connected to the bottom of the fireplace 120 such that it may be rolled into and out of the recessed area within the rotation module 110. The fireplace 120 also includes means to be secured within the recessed area such that when the rotation module 110 is moved into an open horizontal position the fireplace 120 stays within the recessed area.
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The cabinet 102 of the wall bed 100 may be described as a furniture item comprising an open sided, rectangular box. The cabinet 102 is permanently affixed to a wall in a room with the open side facing toward the room (wall and room not shown in the illustrations). As best seen in
The canopy 104 also comprises part of the wall bed 100. The canopy 104 may be coupled to the cabinet 102. As best seen in
Similar to the cabinet 102, the rotation module 110 may also be described as a furniture item comprising an outer side and an inner side. The outer side of the rotation module 110 faces toward a room and the inner side of the rotation module faces the cabinet 102 when the wall bed 100 is in the vertical closed orientation. As seen in
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The rotation module 110 may pivot down to a horizontal open position for use as a bed. The rotation module 110 is coupled to the cabinet 102 with one or more hinges 119 which allow the rotation module 110 to pivot between the vertical and horizontal positions, and vice versa. The rotation module 110 is coupled to the cabinet right side 102e and the cabinet left side 102d (not visible in the figure due to the angle of the illustration) by the one or more hinges 119, wherein at least one hinge 119 is on each side. More specifically, the one or more hinges 119 are attached to and couple the first end 110a of the rotation module 110 to the cabinet 102 at a portion that is relatively closer to the cabinet bottom side 102c such that rotation module 110 may pivot at the one or more hinges 119 without any hinderance with the cabinet back wall 102a.
The rotation module 110 may be designed with the standard wall bed lift mechanisms that are currently known in the arts and any that may be available in the future. Some examples of standard wall bed lift mechanisms that are currently known in the arts include, and are not limited to, a piston lift mechanism and a spring lift mechanism (not shown in the figures). The piston lift mechanism may utilize either gas or air pressure in their function when lowering and lifting the wall bed. The mechanism is contained within the cabinet 102 and coupled to the rotation module 110. The spring lift mechanism may be a coil driven mechanism which generally consists of a heavy duty compressed steel spring system composed of several individual coils.
A fulcrum (not shown in the illustration), which is an enclosed box is configured and positioned at a bottom end of the cabinet and extends from a left side 102d to a right side 102e of the cabinet 102. The fulcrum is positioned relatively below where the cabinet 102 and the rotation module 110 are coupled to each other. The fulcrum is affixed at the bottom end of the cabinet to enclose any hardware mechanism (e.g., the wall bed lift mechanism) necessary to raise and lower the rotation module 110, electrical wiring, and offer support to the second end 110b of the rotation module 110 when the rotation module 110 is in a horizontal or lowered position.
The one or more legs 114 are coupled to the bed frame 112 at the second end 110b of the rotation module 110 and may orient and support the bed frame 112 and the mattress 200 when the rotation module 110 is in the horizontal down position. The bed frame 112 of the rotation module 110 may be dimensioned to match any standard bed mattress. As non-limiting examples, the bed frame 112 and the mattress 200 may be twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, or California king. Therefore, the wall bed 100 may also be dimensioned to match the standard bed mattress sizes and come in varying sizes.
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The adjustable workstation 130 can be easily adjusted for either standing or sitting. The advantage being that a user may adjust a height of the adjustable workstation 130 to their preference. A variety of height adjustment mechanisms for the adjustable workstation 130 are within the disclosure of the present disclosure of the wall bed 100. Height adjustment mechanisms may include manual means of adjusting the height of the adjustable workstation 130 or include assistive means such as and not limited to hydraulic, electromechanical, electric, or pneumatic. An example of a manual means of adjusting the height of the adjustable workstation 130 is described below.
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The height adjustment handle 158 may pivotably couple to the support bracket 157 and may be operable to release the individual height adjuster from the individual desk track so that the height of the desktop 134 may be changed. Specifically, the height adjustment handle 158 may pivot at a pivot axis 161. When the height adjustment handle 158 that extends towards the desktop 134 is lifted, the height adjustment handle 158 may pivot and withdraw the slide stop pin 162 from the plurality of height adjustment slots 148 so that the height may be changed. A spring 163 may force the height adjustment handle 158 to pivot back to the starting position where the slide stop pin 162 extends through a pin aperture 164 in the support bracket 157 and into one of the plurality of height adjustment slots 148 to fix the newly selected height. In some embodiments, an underside of the desktop 134 (i.e., a side of the desktop that faces the floor when in the down position) may comprise pivoting, telescoping legs that extend toward a floor to support the front edge of the desktop 134 when opened.
In use, the wall bed 100 may provide a decorative element within a room when the rotation module 110 is in the vertical closed position wherein the mattress 200 on the inner side of the rotation module 110 is not accessible and is enclosed within the cabinet 102. Specifically, in this vertical closed position, the rotation module 110 may present the fireplace 120, the adjustable workstation 130, and the fixture 118 on the outer side of the rotation module 110. As described above, the fixture 118 may include and not be limited to a mirror, an artwork, or a shelving unit. When the rotation module 110 is in the horizontal open position, the mattress 200 is accessible for use as a bed. In the open position, the rotation module 110 may also present the cabinet fixture 108 which may include and not be limited to a television, an artwork, or a mirror.
Accordingly, the present description provides one or more embodiments for a useful wall bed system. It may be an advantage of the wall bed system, as described herein in one or more embodiments, that a user may maximize their living space with a functional bed that can transform from daytime use to nighttime use. In one exemplary embodiment, the wall bed system is provided with a fireplace that has an embedded television which can function both as a television and be used to display a fire via an external source connected to the television via its USB port. Additionally, the fireplace may be removed with ease and transferred to another part of the room. Another advantage of the embodiments described herein is the feature of an adjustable workstation so a user may work either standing up or sitting down to suit their preference. These features are not present in other wall bed systems. Thus, the wall bed system, as described in one or more non-limiting embodiments throughout this document, offers an improved device for functionally maximizing a small living space.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The present invention according to one or more embodiments described in the present description may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive of the present invention.
This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/054209 filed on Jul. 20, 2020, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63054209 | Jul 2020 | US |