GB2261163A - Interconvertible seat/bed assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

An interconvertible seat/bed assembly has a base (1) with an open-topped compartment (6) at one end which can receive a dual-purpose panel (8). When upright and partially housed in the pocket (6), the upper part of the panel (8) provides a side or back for a seat on the base (1). The panel (8) can be drawn up and slid or rolled over a horizontal fulcrum (7), being guided by a sliding linkage (10, 11), and then lowered to form a level extension of the base (1) and thus a bed or bench seat. A separate cushion will normally be provided for the panel 8, and in the seat mode will also be partially housed in the compartment (6). <IMAGE>

Description

"Improvements relating to Seat/Bed Assemblies" This invention relates to seat/bed assemblies and is concerned with those which can convert between the two modes of use. Such assemblies are commonly found in caravans, motor caravans and, sometimes, boats.

In our co-pending Applications Nos. 9100802.9 and 9121503.8 we have described a conversion where the back of a seat flattens out to form part of a bed. The person using the seat normally sits facing in the longitudinal direction of the bed. But there are arrangements where the seat will normally be used by a person facing transversely of the bed, and this poses different problems. If the seat has arm rests, at least one of those has to be shifted as the conversion is made. Also, to have a seat with a back-tofront dimension of reasonable comfort, that dimension should be somewhat less than the width of a bed or bunk. Otherwise, it would require excessive padding at the back in order that the user's knees should bend comfortably over the forward edge of the seat. It is the aim of this invention to provide a conversion which should answer these problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a convertible bed/seat assembly comprising a fixed seat base, a substantially horizontal fulcrum offset and parallel to an edge of the base below the level of its top, and a panel, wherein the panel has two operative positions, one being inserted between the fulcrum and the base and thereby being held upright for its upper portion to serve as a side for the seat, and the other being level and partially supported on the fulcrum to serve as an extension to the top of the seat, transforming the latter into a larger seat or bed, the panel being lifted from said one position and pivotally slid or rolled over said fulcrum to achieve said other position, and the reverse motion following a corresponding path.

Conveniently, there is pivoted linkage between the panel and a fixture below the fulcrum, the pivot axes being parallel to the fulcrum, and the pivotal connection to the panel being slidable perpendicularly to the fulcrum over the underside of the panel, the linkage guiding the panel as it is shifted between said operative positions. The linkage may comprise two parallel links, and the or each pivotedsliding connection to the panel may comprise a track or rod on the underside of the panel and a block captive thereto but slidable along it, the pivotal connection of the linkage being to the block or blocks.

The fulcrum may be at the upper end of a pocket or open-topped compartment which receives the panel in said one position. Normally, the seat base of the panel will have cushioning on the side remote'f'rom'the fulcrum, part of which may also be receivable in the pocket or compartment.

This will provide a padded side or back for the seat part of the mattress for the bed. In the seat mode, the panel cushion can substantially fill the remaining space in the pocket or compartment not occupied by the panel and thereby help to keep the panel stable and upright.

Various means may be provided for supporting the panel, additional to the fulcrum, including one or more legs or fittings on an adjacent wall or cabinet. It may even be partially suspended.

For reasons explained above, the bed should be wider than the depth of the seat, and so the panel may then be of greater span across the bed than the seat base. To augment the width of the seat base, it may be provided with a sliding panel that can be drawn out until a platform of the same width as the first panel is achieved.

For a better understanding of the present invention, one embodimerit will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a seat/bed assembly, and Figure 2 shows a series of front elevations of part of the assembly as it is converted from a seat to a bed.

A convertible seat/bed assembly has an elongate base 1 with spaces 2 for drawers and whose top 3 is covered by a sliding panel 4 which can be shifted transversely in the direction in which one would pull and push drawers into the spaces. No cushioning is shown in Figure 1 but normally there will be a cushion 5 covering the panel 4.

At one end of the base 1 there is a box-like compartment 6, which is open-topped. It projects out beyond the base 1 in the drawer pulling direction. Across this box 6, near its open upper end and parallel to and spaced from the side of the seat, there extends a rod 7. This serves as a fulcrum just below the level of the panel 4 for a panel 8 which provides either a side for the seat or an extension of the base 1, enabling it to form a bed. The panel 8 has pairs of brackets 9 on its underside and between these extend rods 10 perpendicular to the rod 7, which is captive between the rods 10 and the underside of the panel 8. Each rod 10 has a block 11 which is slidable along it on the portion clear of the box 6. Each block 11 is coupled by a bent link 12 to a bracket 13 fixed low down on the side of the box 6 remote from the base 1.The pivotal axes at the ends of the links 12 are parallel to the fulcrum rod 7.

The panel 8 in the seat mode has an upright position as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2(a) where half of it is within the box 6 and the other half extends above the box to form a side for the seat. The panel 8 is padded on the side remote from the fulcrum 7 by a cushion 14 which also slots down into the box 6, where it may rest on a step 15. This step also has the function of preventing the panel 8 pivoting in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in Figure 2, the lower end of the panel 8 then being trapped between the step 15 and the outer wall of the box 6.

To convert to a bed from the Figure 2(a) position, the cushion 14 may be temporarily removed. Then the panel 8 is raised vertically until its lower edge clears the step 15. This of course is allowed by the sliding of the blocks 11 on the rods 10. Then the panel can be tilted about the fulcrum rod 7 as shown in Figure 2(b) while being pulled out of the box 6. Throughout this motion, the links 12 prevent the panel 8 being skewed in its own plane. Finally it will reach the horizontal position as shown in Figure 2(c), when the cushion 14 can be restored to cover it and provide part of a mattress for the bed. The panel 8 is supported at one end by the rod 7 but, as explained above, there are various choices for giving support elsewhere, such as legs or fixed ledges. These are not shown.

The conversion back to a seat is the reverse of this, the cushion 14 first being removed to allow free entry of the panel 8 into the box 6.

Also as part of the conversion, the panel 4 will be pulled out so that its leading edge aligns with the front side of the box 6.

Claims (9)

1. A convertible bed/seat assembly comprising a fixed seat base, a substantially horizontal fulcrum offset and parallel to an edge of the base below the level of its top, and a panel, wherein the panel has two operative positions, one being inserted between the fulcrum and the base and thereby being held upright for its upper portion to serve as a side for the seat, and the other being level and partially supported on the fulcrum to serve as an extension to the top of the seat, transforming the latter into a larger seat or bed,;the panel being lifted from said one position and pivotally slid or rolled over said fulcrum to achieve said other position, and the reverse motion following a corresponding path.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein there is a pivoted linkage between the panel and a fixture below the fulcrum, the pivot axes being parallel to the fulcrum, and the pivotal connection to the panel being slidable perpendicularly to the fulcrum over the underside of the panel, the linkage guiding the panel as it is shifted between said operative positions.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the linkage comprises two parallel links.

4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the or each pivoted-sliding connection to the panel comprises a track or rod on the underside of the panel and a block captive thereto but slidable along it, the pivotal connection of the linkage being to the block or blocks.

5. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the fulcrum is at the upper end of a pocket or opentopped compartment which receives the panel in said one position.

6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the panel has cushioning on the side remote from the fulcrum, part of which is also receivable in said pocket or compartment.

7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein in the seat mode, the panel cushioning substantially fills the remaining space in the pocket or compartment not occupied by the panel and thereby helps to keep the panel stable and upright.

8. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the bed is wider than the depth of the seat, the panel being of greater span across the bed than the seat base, and wherein to augment the width of the seat base, it is provided with a sliding panel that can be drawn out until a platform of the same width as the first panel is achieved.

9. A convertible bed/seat assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.