Webbed frame for furniture

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6584627
  • Patent Number
    6,584,627
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, January 16, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 1, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Grosz; Alexander
    Agents
    • Trop, Pruner & Hu, P.C.
Abstract
A webbed frame includes a plurality of first and second straps mounted on a frame body to form a net. Each of the first and second straps has two opposite end sections trained on the frame body. A plurality of spaced apart retainers are fixed on the frame body. Each of several adjuster units includes a connector mounted slidably on a respective one of the retainers and connected to a respective one of the first and second straps. An adjusting bolt threadedly engages and extends through the connector, and has an abutting end that abuts against the frame body such that rotation of the adjusting bolt results in concurrent movement of the connector and the respective one of the first and second straps so as to adjust tension of the net on the frame body.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a frame, more particularly to a webbed frame for use in a piece of furniture.




2. Description of the Related Art




Referring to

FIGS. 1

,


2


A and


2


B, a conventional webbed frame for use in a piece of furniture, such as a bed, is shown to include a rectangular frame body


13


, a plurality of first and second straps


12


, a plurality of hooks


123


,


16


, and a plurality of strap adjuster units.




As illustrated, the first and second straps


12


are mounted on the frame body


13


, and extend in criss-cross manner to form a net


121


above the frame body


13


. Each of the first and second straps


12


has a first strap section


122


fastened to the frame body


13


via the hook


123


and a screw


133


, and a second strap section


124


fastened to the frame body


13


via the hook


16


and one of the strap adjuster units. Each of the strap adjuster units includes a threaded bolt


153


and a mounting plate


15


that is secured on the hook


16


, which is detachably mounted on the frame body


13


, and that has a lower portion


150


holding the second strap section


124


of each of the straps


12


which passes over a rear side of the mounting plate


15


. The threaded bolt


153


threadedly extends through the mounting plate


15


, and has an abutting end that abuts against the second strap section


124


of the strap


12


in such a manner that rotation of the bolt


153


relative to the mounting plate


15


results in pressing or non-pressing action on the second strap section


124


of the first and second straps


12


so as to change tension of the net


121


on the frame body


13


.




The conventional webbed frame is disadvantageous in that the mounting plate


15


tends to disconnect from the hook


16


due to a pulling force acting on the lower portion


150


via the second strap section


124


when the first or second strap


12


is pressed by the bolt


153


.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a webbed frame for furniture, the webbed frame having a specific structure such that the aforesaid disadvantage encountered during use of the conventional webbed frame can be avoided.




Accordingly, a webbed frame of the present invention is adapted to be used in a piece of furniture, and includes a frame body defining a frame space, a plurality of adjuster units, and a plurality of first and second straps which are mounted on the frame body and which extend in criss-cross manner to form a net that covers the frame space. Each of the first and second straps has two opposite end sections that are trained on and turned around the frame body and that have terminating ends disposed underneath the net. A plurality of spaced apart retainers are fixed on and along the length of the frame body, and extend into the frame space. Each of the adjuster units includes a connector and an adjusting bolt. The connector is mounted slidably on a respective one of the retainers and is connected to a respective one of the terminating ends of the first and second straps so that movement of the connector on the respective one of the retainers results in concurrent movement of the respective one of the terminating ends so as to tighten or loosen the first and second straps on the frame body and so as to adjust tension of the net. The adjusting bolt threadedly engages and extends through the connector, and has an abutting end that abuts against the frame body so that rotation of the adjusting bolt results in concurrent movement of the connector and the respective one of the terminating ends so as to permit adjustment of the tension of the net on the frame body.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a conventional webbed frame use in a piece of furniture;





FIGS. 2A and 2B

are respectively fragmentary exploded perspective and schematic sectional views of the conventional webbed frame, illustrating how a plurality of straps are mounted on a frame body;





FIG. 3

is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a webbed frame according to the present invention for use in a bed;





FIG. 4

is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment taken along lines IV—IV in

FIG. 3

, illustrating how a net is mounted on a rectangular frame body;





FIG. 5

is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how the webbed frame is strengthened by a plurality of strengthening frames;





FIG. 6

is an exploded perspective view showing a modified preferred embodiment of a webbed frame according to the present invention for use in a bed;





FIG. 7

is a fragmentary perspective view of the modified preferred embodiment shown in

FIG. 6

;





FIG. 8

is a fragmentary side view illustrating two pivotally connected frame halves of the modified preferred embodiment with straps removed therefrom;





FIG. 9

is a fragmentary sectional view of the modified preferred embodiment taken along lines IX—IX of

FIG. 6

, illustrating how a net is mounted on the frame halves; and





FIG. 10

is a fragmentary perspective view of the modified preferred embodiment in a stored position.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the following preferred embodiments, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote similar elements throughout the specification.




Referring to

FIGS. 3 and 4

, a preferred embodiment of a webbed frame


2


according to the present invention is adapted for use in a bed, and includes a rectangular frame body


20


, a plurality of first and second straps


33


,


34


, a plurality of spaced apart retainers


25


, a plurality of adjuster units


4


, a mattress cover


5


, a ventilated mattress


8


, and a bed sheet


7


.




As illustrated, the frame body


20


includes left, right, front and rear frame portions


21


,


22


,


23


,


24


which cooperatively define a frame space


200


therein.




The first and second straps


33


,


34


, preferably made from metal, are mounted on the frame body


20


, and extend in criss-cross manner to form a net


300


that covers the frame space


200


(see FIG.


4


). Each of the first and second straps


33


,


34


has two opposite end sections


331


,


341


that are trained on and turned around the frame body


20


and that have terminating ends


332


,


342


disposed underneath the net


300


.




The retainers


25


are uniformly spaced apart from each other, and are fixed on and along the entire length of the frame body


20


in such a manner that the retainers


25


extend into the frame space


200


.




Each of the adjuster units


4


includes a connector


44


and an adjusting bolt


43


. The connector


44


is mounted slidably on a respective one of the retainers


25


, and is further connected to a respective one of the terminating ends


332


,


342


of the first and second straps


33


,


34


so that movement of the connector


44


on the respective one of the retainers


25


results in concurrent movement of the respective one of the terminating ends


332


,


342


so as to tighten or loosen the first and second straps


33


,


34


on the frame body


20


and so as to adjust tension of the net


300


. The adjusting bolt


43


engages threadedly and extends through the connector


44


, and has an abutting end


43


B that abuts against the frame body


20


in such a manner that rotation of the adjusting bolt


43


results in concurrent movement of the connector


44


and the respective one of the terminating ends


332


,


342


so as to permit adjustment of the tension of the net


300


on the frame body


20


.




Since the connector


44


and the respective one of the terminating ends


332


,


342


are concurrently moved in the same direction during tightening of the net


300


, the disconnection drawback as encountered in the prior art can be eliminated.




Each of the retainers


25


is generally U-shaped, and has one end fixed on the frame body


20


. The connector


44


is in the form of a plate having a top end formed with an upper hole


41


for extension of the other end of the retainer


25


, a bottom end formed with a lower hole


42


for extension of the respective one of the terminating ends


332


,


342


, and a threaded hole


45


formed between the upper and lower holes


41


,


42


to permit threaded extension of the adjusting bolt


43


. Each of the terminating ends


332


,


342


is formed into a loop that loops around the bottom end of the plate.




Preferably, a plurality of strengthening frame portions


31


which are disposed in the frame space


200


and are connected to the frame body


20


so as to enhance rigidity of the webbed frame and so as to define a cushion receiving space


32


between the net


300


and the strengthening frame portions


31


. A cushion member (not visible) can be disposed in the cushion receiving space


32


so as to absorb a load applied on the net


300


.




Since the specific structures of the mattress cover


5


, the ventilated mattress


8


and the bed sheet


7


are not pertinent to the present invention, a detailed description of the same are omitted herein for the sake of brevity.




Referring to

FIGS. 6

,


7


and


8


, a modified preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to have a structure similar to that of the previous embodiment. The main difference resides in that the frame body


20


includes two pivotally connected frame halves


20


″, which are movable relative to each other between a storage position, where the frame halves


20


″ are stacked one above the other, as best shown in

FIG. 10

, and a use position, where the frame halves


20


″ are unfolded, as best shown in FIG.


7


.




Referring to

FIG. 9

, each of the adjuster units


4


further includes a rigid washer


48


and a nut


47


. The rigid washer


48


is sleeved around the adjusting bolt


43


. The nut


47


is mounted threadedly on the adjusting bolt


43


in such a manner that rotation of the nut


47


in a clockwise direction on the adjusting bolt


43


results in movement of the washer


48


toward the connector


44


and permits the washer


48


and the connector


44


to cooperate with each other to clamp the respective terminating end


332


,


342


of the first and second straps


33


,


34


therebetween, thereby preventing loosening and disorder of the first and second straps


33


,


34


when the frame halves


20


″ are folded into the storage position. The frame halves


20


″ are preferably provided with two connector plates


93


that overlap each other when the webbed frame of the present invention is disposed at the use position. The plates


93


can be immobilized by bolt-and-nut sets


94


,as best shown in

FIG. 7

, so as to enhance stability of the webbed frame at the use position.




While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.



Claims
  • 1. A webbed frame for furniture, comprising:a frame body defining a frame space; a plurality of first and second straps mounted on said frame body and extending in criss-cross manner to form a net that covers said frame space, each of said first and second straps having two opposite end sections that are trained on and turned around said frame body and that have terminating ends disposed underneath said net; a plurality of spaced apart retainers fixed on and along the length of said frame body and extending into said frame space; a plurality of adjuster units, each of which includes a connector mounted slidably on a respective one of said retainers and connected to a respective one of said terminating ends of said first and second straps so that movement of said connector on the respective one of said retainers results in concurrent movement of said respective one of said terminating ends so as to tighten or loosen said first and second straps on said frame body and so as to adjust tension of said net, and an adjusting bolt threadedly engaging and extending through said connector and having an abutting end that abuts against said frame body so that rotation of said adjusting bolt results in concurrent movement of said connector and said respective one of said terminating ends so as to permit adjustment of the tension of said net on said frame body.
  • 2. The webbed frame as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said retainers is generally U-shaped, and has one end fixed on said frame body.
  • 3. The webbed frame as defined in claim 2, wherein said connector is in the form of a plate having a top end formed with an upper hole for extension of the other end of said retainer, a bottom end formed with a lower hole for extension of said respective one of said terminating ends, and a threaded hole formed between said upper and lower holes to permit threaded extension of said adjusting bolt, each of said terminating ends of said first and second straps being formed into a loop that loops around said bottom end of said plate.
  • 4. The webbed frame as defined in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of strengthening frame portions disposed in said frame space and connected to said frame body so as to enhance rigidity of said webbed frame and so as to define a cushion receiving space between said net and said strengthening frame portions, and a cushion member disposed in said cushion receiving space so as to absorb a load applied on said net.
  • 5. The webbed frame as defined in claim 1, wherein said frame body includes two pivotally connected frame halves, which are movable relative to each other between a storage position, where said frame halves are stacked one above the other, and a use position, where said frame halves are unfolded.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
1242960 McIntosh Oct 1917 A
2615178 Karg Oct 1952 A
3289220 Grimshaw Dec 1966 A
3346891 Cundiff Oct 1967 A
3968528 Poerink Jul 1976 A