GB2258150A - Beds - Google Patents

Abstract

A bed 10 comprises a pair of longitudinal members 12 and a pair of transverse members 14 which are secured together at A at intersections 16 between their ends to produce a lattice-like supporting structure 18. The members 12 and 14 may be secured together at the intersections by means of mutually cooperable slots. The free ends of the members 14 and 12 may be releasably fastened to side members 34 and end members 36 respectively, at B, to define a rectangular frame which may itself be releasably joined together at the corners thereof (C). <IMAGE>

Description

BEDS The present invention relates generally to beds and is more especially but not exclusively concerned with beds having individually adjustable sleeping positions.

For many years, a typical bed has included a mattress which rests upon a fixed sprung base secured within a rectangular frame formed from a pair of side members and a pair of end members which are joined together at their ends to produce the corners of the rectangular frame.

Legs or castors are usually provided to lift the bed off the floor.

In recent years, however, the fixed sprung base has been replaced by an adjustable slatted base formed by a plurality of resilient slats held spaced apart from one another by opposed side rails which are hinged at one or more positions along their lengths to allow, for example, the slats at a head end of the bed to be tilted together at a desired angle relatively to the slats at a foot end of the bed.

The adjustable slatted base typically includes its own rectangular support. Tilting between the slats and the support may be effected manually by a deckchair-like adjustment of pivotable struts locatable within selected notches. Alternatively, tilting may be effected by operation of one or more electric motors for raising or lowering selected opposed sections of the side rails.

For commercial reasons it is desirable for the base to be available separately from the remainder of the bed - it has thus been the practice for the rectangular support forming part of the base merely to rest upon flanges or cross pieces fixed internally to the rectangular frame forming part of the remainder of the bed.

Disadvantages of these known arrangements are that the rectangular frame is difficult and time consuming to manufacture, cannot readily be assembled or disassembled by a user either upon original purchase or upon house removal, and is thus difficult and awkward to handle.

According to the present invention, however, a bed comprises a pair of longitudinal members and a pair of transverse members which are secured together at intersections between their ends to produce a lattice-like supporting structure.

The present invention is applicable to different constructions of bed requiring more than two of the longitudinal members and/or the transverse members.

In use, a conventional adjustable slatted base can be placed on the lattice-like supporting structure, possibly with a rectangular support forming part of the base resting at a total of eight positions upon end parts, of the longitudinal members and the transverse members, located outwardly of the intersections.

Moreover, in use, otherwise conventional side members and end members can be releasably fastened to the free ends of the end parts of the transverse members and the longitudinal members, respectively, to define a rectangular frame which is not necessarily releasably joined together at the corners thereof but can still locate a conventional mattress therewithin.

Removable castors may be provided at the intersections.

If desired, the castors could be replaced by legs which may be secured to one another by a sub-frame, and the sub-frame may itself be secured to the lattice-like supporting structure.

It should be noted that the longitudinal members and the transverse members of the lattice-like supporting structure may intersect at right angles and may extend in parallel to the head, sides and foot of the bed as appropriate.

Preferably, the longitudinal members and the transverse members are releasably secured together at the intersections by means of mutually co-operable slots. Each slot could extend for an identical distance representing 50% of the depth of the associated member. However, to reduce risk of the intersections opening up if the bed is subjected to heavy weights, the upper (preferably transverse) member may have shorter slots of say 40% of their depth, whereas the lower (preferably longitudinal) members may have longer slots of say 60% of their depth.

It will be appreciated that preferred embodiments of the present invention are easily assembled or disassembled by a user allowing convenience in packaging for initial sale and convenience in handling during subsequent transit.

A bed, in accordance with the present invention, will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of the bed; and Figures 2, 3 and 4 are respectively enlarged fragmentary perspective views of the details indicated as A, B and C in Figure 1.

A bed 10, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a pair of longitudinal members 12 and a pair of transverse members 14 which are secured together at intersections 16 between their ends to produce a lattice- like supporting structure 18.

Each of the longitudinal members 12 may have a pair of slots 20, and each of the transverse members 14 may have a pair of slots 22. As indicated in Figure 2, the slots 20 and 22 may be mutually co-operable to give a "half-lapped" joint at each of the intersections 16. The slots 20 and 22 need not be of identical depth even though the longitudinal members 12 and the transverse members 14 may be of identical depth. As also indicated in Figure 2, each of the intersections 16 may be provided on its lower surface with a detachable castor 24.

Referring now to Figure 3, each free end of the longitudinal members 12 and the transverse members 14 may be provided with a conventional metal connector 26. The metal connector 26 may have an end surface (not shown) including a raised portion of disk shape which is connected to the remainder of the end surface by leg(s) to give a Tsection profile in plan. When assembled, the leg(s) are a sliding fit in a slot 28 formed in a raised portion 30 of another conventional metal connector 32, and the raised portion of disc shape is a sliding fit behind parts of the raised portion 30 defining the slot 28. Clearly, the metal connectors 32 are provided on each of two side members 34 and two end members 36.

The side members 34 and the end members 36 need not be joined together. As shown in Figure 4, however, conventional metal snap-fit connectors 38 and 40 may be provided if desired on the side members 34 and the end members 36. The connectors 38 and 40 are shown before assembly into the arrangement of Figure 1.

Each of the longitudinal members 12 may be provided with a dip 42 to assist in location of an electric motor for a conventional adjustable slatted base which is to be placed on the structure 18 within the rectangular frame defined by the side members 34 and the end members 36.

End parts of the longitudinal members 12 and the transverse members 14, such as end part 44 located outwardly of the adjacent intersection 16, may themselves be notched on their upper surfaces (not shown) to assist in location of the conventional adjustable slatted base.

It will be appreciated that the side members 34 and the end members 36 may be easily replaced by corresponding components of different style and colour giving increased versatility with increased manufacturing advantages.

Claims (9)

1. A bed comprising a pair of longitudinal members and a pair of transverse members which are secured together at intersections between their ends to produce a lattice-like supporting structure.

2. A bed according to claim 1, in which the longitudinal members and the transverse members intersect at right angles.

3. A bed according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the longitudinal members and the transverse members are releasably secured together at the intersections by means of mutually co-operable slots.

4. A bed according to claim 3, in which the slots in the upper (transverse or longitudinal) members are shorter than the slots in the lower (longitudinal or transverse) members.

5. A bed according to any one of the preceding claims, in which removable castors or legs are provided at the intersections.

6. A bed according to any one of the preceding claims, in which side members and end members are releasably fastened to the free ends of the transverse members and the longitudinal members, respectively, to define a rectangular frame.

7. A bed according to claim 6, in which the rectangular frame is releasably joined together at the corners thereof.

8. A bed according to any one of the preceding claims, in which an adjustable slatted base is provided on the lattice-like supporting structure, with a rectangular support forming part of the base resting upon end parts, of the longitudinal members and the transverse members, located outwardly of the intersections.

9. A bed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.