CA1178401A - Spring suspension for sofa-bed - Google Patents
Spring suspension for sofa-bedInfo
- Publication number
- CA1178401A CA1178401A CA000387069A CA387069A CA1178401A CA 1178401 A CA1178401 A CA 1178401A CA 000387069 A CA000387069 A CA 000387069A CA 387069 A CA387069 A CA 387069A CA 1178401 A CA1178401 A CA 1178401A
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- bed frame
- sofa
- frame
- mounting bracket
- bed
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Abstract
SPRING SUSPENSION FOR SOFA-BED
Abstract of the Disclosure The bed frame of a sofa-bed is resiliently supported within the sofa frame by spring suspension assemblies on each side of the frame. Each spring suspension assembly includes a first mounting bracket attached to the sofa frame, a second mounting bracketattached to the bed frame, and a resilient support between the first and second mounting brackets.
Abstract of the Disclosure The bed frame of a sofa-bed is resiliently supported within the sofa frame by spring suspension assemblies on each side of the frame. Each spring suspension assembly includes a first mounting bracket attached to the sofa frame, a second mounting bracketattached to the bed frame, and a resilient support between the first and second mounting brackets.
Description
- ~ li 7~401 Backsround This invention relates to convertible so~as or sofa-beds which include a foldable bed frame which can be unfolded to a sleeping position. More particularly, the invention relates to a spring suspension for resiliently supporting the bed frame inside the sofa frame.
Sofa-beds are well known and have been available for many years. The advantage of a sofa-bed is that it can be used both as a sofa and as a bed. One of the disadvantages of a sofa-bed is that, when used as a sofa, it is not as c~mfortable as a conventional sofa. This is because a con~entional sofa includes a resilient support for the seat cushions, such as an inner spring, which is designed specifically for providing seating comfort. On the other hand, a sofa-bed is used for both sitting and sleeping, and comfort in both positions is compromised in order to accommodate the dual function.
A sofa-bed conventionally includes a sofa frame and a foldable bed frame. The bed frame is folded inside of the sofa frame when the sofa-bed is used as a sofa, and the bed frame is unfolded so that it extends forwardly f~om the fro~t of the sofa frame when the sofa-bed is used as a bed. When the so.a-bed is used as a sofa, the seat cushions are supported by the bed frame and by the bed mattress, and the sofa feels relatively stiff or firm compared to a regular sofa.
Su~ y of the Invention The invention greatly increases the seating comfort of a sofa-bed by providing a spring suspension or floating support for the bed frame. A compressible spring resilie~tly supports the bed frame below each of the four corners of the seat cushion.
.. ~
1.1'7t~4()1 1 When a person sits on the seat ~ushion, the seat cushion and the bed frame which supports the seat cushion can move downwardly to provide a cushioning action and a greater feeling of comfort.
Description of the Drawin~
The invention will be explained in conjunction with illustra-, ....
: tive embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which--Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sofa-bed with the bed frame unfolded to-the sleeping position;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the unfolded bed lo frame showing one embodiment of the invention;
~` Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the unfolded bed frame taken along the line 2-2 of ~ig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the bed frame folded to the sitting position, portions o~ the bed frame being omitted for clarity;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the spring suspension assemblies of the first embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the spring sus-pension assemblies of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of one of the spring suspension assemblies;
Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket for the sofa frame;
Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the mounting bracket for the sofa frame;
Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket for the bed frame;
Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the mounting bracket for the bed frame;
1 Fig. 12 is an ele~ational view of the bushing for the mounting bracket for the sofa frame;
-- Fig. 13 is an elevational view of the tubular connector of the spring support assembly;
Fig. 14 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view illustrating one of the spring suspension assemblies being attached to the bed frame;
~-~ Fig. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the spring suspension assemblies attached to the bed frame;
lo Fig. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a pair of spring suspenison assemblies attached to one side of the bed frame;
Fig. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one side of the bed frame resiliently mounted on one side of the sofa frame by a pair of spring suspenison assemblies; and Fig. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spring suspension assembly;
Fig. 19 is an elevational view of the spring suspension assembly of Fig. 18;
Fig. 20 is a side elevational view of the spring suspension assembly taken along the line 20-20 of Fig. 19;
Fig. 21 is a bottom plan view of the spring suspension assembly of Fig. 20; and Fig. 22 is a view similar to Fig. 15 showing the spring suspension assembly of Fig. 18 attached to the bed frame.
.........
Description of Specific Embodiment : .
Referring first to Figs. 1-3, a sofa bed 20 inclùdes a sofa frame 21, a bed frame 22, and a mattress 23. The sofa frame is conventional and includes a back 24, a pair of arms .
1 1'7~ ~tOl , 1 25 and 26 on each side of the sofa frame, and a front board 27.
The bed frame and mattress are foldable between a sleeping position illustrated in ~ig. 1 in which the bed frame and mattress extend horizontally from the sofa frame and a sitting position illustrated in ~ig. ~ in which the bed frame and mattress are folded and positioned within the confines of the sofa frame. A seat cushi~n 28 (Fig. ~) is positioned over the folded mattress when the sofa-bed is used as a sofa.
The bed fra~e is also conventional except for its attachment to the sofa frame, which will be described in detail hereinafter. Since the bed frame is con~entional and well known, it is unnecessary to e~:plain it in detail. T~e bed frame includes a foot section 30, a middle section 31, and a head section 32 which are pivotally connected by pi~s 33 and 34. Conventionzl wire supports extend across the sections of the bed frame for supporting the mattress. The foot section is supported by a ~olding supporting leg 35, and the middle section is supported by a folding support leg 36.
A parallelogram link mechanism 37 (Fig. 2) on each side of 20 the bed frame supports both the middle section and the ~ront section and permits the bed frame to be pivoted forwardly and downwardly lnto the area between the back of the sofa frzme ~- and the front board and between the arms (Pig. 4) so that the bed frame is confi~ed within the sofa frame.
Each parallelogram link mechanism includes a pair of links 38 and 39 which are pivotally oonnected 'o a bottom rail 4D on each side of the bed frame. E~ch r~il 40 h-s a front-end .
--` 11'7840~
1 41 and a rear end~42, and the length of tbe rail i9 approximately the same as the front-to-back dimension of the seat cushion (see Fig. 4). Each end of each side rail is resiliently supported on the sofa frame by front and rear spring suspension assemblies 43 and 44 so that the bed frame is resiliently supported below each of the ~our corners of the seat cushion.
,f While I h~ve referred to the seat cushion in the singular, ... .
it will be understood that the sofa can include a number of indi~idual cushions depending upon the length and design o~
the sofa, and the term n seat cushion" should not be considered as being lLmited to a single cusion. Rather, it should be considered as referring to the cushioning material which covers the seating area of the sofa.
Referring now to ~igs. 5-7, each of the s~ring support assemblies includes 2 large L-shaped mounting bracket 46 which is adapted to be attached to the sofa frame and a small ~shaped mounting bracket 47 which is adapted to ~e attached to the bed frame. The large mounting bracket 46 includes a ~ertically extending attaching plate 48 which is attached to the sofa frame 20 and a horizontally extending support plate 49. The small mounting bracket 47 similarly includes a vertically extending attaching plate 50 which is attached to the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame and a horizontally extendin5 support plate 51.
(; The support plate 51 is provided with a circular ope~ing 52 (~i~. 11), and the support plate 49 is provided with a cir-cular opening 53 (Fig. 9). A tubular connector ~4 extends through the openinss 52 and 53, and the upper and lower en~s of t~e tubular connector are flared over the support plates 51 and 49 at 55 and 56, respectively. A coil spring 57 30 surrounds the tubular connecto_ and forces the su??ort ?lates 51 znd ~9 against the flared en_s 3l the connector.
, .
~ 1 The upper support plate 51 is captured at the upper end of the tubular connector 54 between the upper ~lared end 55 and a radially outwardly extending crimp 59 (see Fig. 13) - in the tubular connector. The upper support plate is thereby fixed against sliding movement relative to the tubular connector.
~ he lower end of the tubular connector is supported for sliding vertical movement relative to the lower support plate 49 by a nylon bushing 60 (see also Fis. 12). The-bushi~g - includes a cylindrical portion 61 which fits into the opening lo 53 in the lower support plate 49 and a radially outwardly extending shoulder 62 which is held against the top surface of the support plate by the spri~g 57. A washer 63 below the bushing extends radially beyond the opening in the s~pport plate 49 and prevents the flared end 56 o the tubular connector from passing through the opening.
. .
The attaching plate 50 of the small mounting bracket 47 is provided with two holes 65 to permit the small bracket to ..
be attached to the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame. The attaching plate 48 of the large mounting bracket 46 is pro~ided ` . 20 with two relatively large holes 66 which are aligned wit~ thr holes 6~ (Figs. 6 and 7) to facilitate attaching the small , . . .
;~ ;.......... mounting brac~et to the bed frame. Referring to Fig. 14, the ï .
front end of the bottom rail 40 is provided with a pair o~
openings 67 whlch are spaced apart the same distance as the openings 65, and the small mounting bracket 47 can ~e attached to the bed frame by fasteners which extend through the aligned .. . .
a --6--~ 4(31 . 1 openings 65 and 6~ The openings 66 in the large mounting - bracket are large enough to permit a riveting tool ~r the - like to be used to attach the small brac~et. Fig. 15 shows the spxing suspension assembly 43 mounted on the front of the bottom rail 40 by rivets 68.
.
~- ~he attaching plate 48 of the large mounting bracket 46 .
is pro~ici~d with a pair of countersunk openings 69 at the upper end thereof and a pair of angled slots 70 which extend inwardly and upwardly from the side edges. The upper end of each slot lo is countersunk at 71.
Fig. 17 illustrates the bed frame 22 mounted on the sofa frame 21. The large mounting bracket 46 of each of the spring suspension assemblies 43 and 44 is attached to the side wall 71 of the sofa by screws 72 which extend through the openings i 69 of the large mounting bracket and screws 73 which are positioned at the countersunX ends of the slots 70. In order to facilitate the positioning of the bed frame r~lative to the sofa frame, one of the screws 73 for each of the spring sus-pension assemblies can be screwed into the side wall of the 20 sofa frame, and the entire bed frame can be lowered into the sofa frame until the screws 73 enter the slots 70 and support the front and rear ends of the bed frame on each side. The . . .
- - other screw 73 and the two screws 72 can then be inserted and tightened.
The only attachment between the bed frame and the sofa frame is provided by the spring suspension zssemblies~ and the spring suspension assemblies therefore pro~ide a floatins action for the bed rame when the bed frame is folded and the : .
.
11'7~
, 1 sofa-bed is used as a sofa. When a person sits on the seat ~ cushion, the weight of the person compresses the coil spring 57 of each of the spring suspension assemblies and permits the bed frame to move downwardly. The tubular connector 54 slides through the bushing 60 in the bottom support plate 49 and guides the ~ertical movement of the bed frame mounting ~ .
bracket 47. When the person stands up, the springs m~e the bed frame back to its original position. ~ore-and_aft mo~e-ment of the bed frame relative to the sofa frame is prevented lo by the tu~ul~r connectors 54.
Each coil spring is preferably preloaded or compressed even when the two mounting brackets axe positioned at the ends of the tubular co~nector as illustrated in ~igs. 6 and 7. The preload pre~ents the bed ~rame rrom moving downwardly until the preload force is overcome. This prevents the s?ring ~rom being compressed by the weight of the bed frame, the mattress, and the seat cushio~. The preload may also be selected so that a certain force must be applied to the seat cushion before the spring will be further compressed and the bed frame will move downwardly. In one embodiment of the invention the springs ~ad a spring constantof 123 poun~s per inch and were preloaded to 75 pounds.
If desired, the springs at the rear end of the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame, which are under the rear corners of the seat cushion, can ~e weaker or have less of a preload than the springs at the front end of the bottom rail. This will enable the rear of the cu5hion to sink deeper as the person sits down and will provlde a slight-pitching action which ~ill tilt the person against the back cushions.
In the specific embodiment illustrated, the bed frame was supported by four spring suspension ~ssemblies, one below each of the four corners oi the seating area. However, a modified floating action or suspension can be obtained by using only two suspension assemblies, one at each of the rear corners of the seating area.
The front end of the bottom rail of the bed frame can be attached directly to the sofa frame in a manner which will permit the rear of the bed frame to pivot downwardly.
The spring suspension assemblies shown and described utilize a compressible spring for resiliently supporting the support plate of the bed frame bracket above the support plate of the sofa bracket. However, equivalent means for resiliently supporting the bed frame relative to the sofa frame can also be utilized.
Another embodiment of a spring suspension assembly is illus-trated in Pigs. 18-22. The assembly 78 includes a generally S-shaped spring portion 79 having flat upper and lower leg portions 80 and 81 which are connected by a cross member 82. An upper mounting bracket 83 extends upwardly from the upper leg, and a lower mounting bracket 84 extends downwardly from the lower leg.
The upper mounting bracket is provided with a pair of openings 85, and the lower mounting bracket is provided wit~ a pair of openings 86. A triangular reinforcing rib 87 extends between the lower mounting bracket 84 and the lower leg 81.
The entire spring suspension assembly can be formed integrally, and the particular spring suspension assembly illustrated was molded from flexible and resilient plastic or elastomeric material.
Alternatively, the assembly can be formed from spring metal. When opposed vertical forces are exerted on the leg portions 80 and 81 of the assembly, the U-shaped transition portions 88 and 89 which join the leg poirtions to the cross member 82 act as hinges, and the leg portions move toward each other. When the forces are reduced or removed, the resilient suspension assembly tends to return to its original position.
1 A pair of semicircular stops 90 and 91 are molded onto the legs 80 and 81~and are engageable with the cross member 82 to prevent excessive compression of the spring suspension assembly.
.. .. . .
Referring to Fig. 22, the upper mounting bracket 83 is attached to the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame by bolts or rivets 93 which extend through the openings 85 in the mounting bracket.
The lower mounting bracket 84 can be attached to the sofa frame by screws or bolts which can be inserted through the openings 86 in the lower mounting bracket.
lo A spring suspension assembly 78 may be positioned at each corner of the bed frame, and the spring suspension assemblies provide a resilient and compressible spring suspension for the bed frame.
While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention were set forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that many of the details described herein may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
t ; '.
Sofa-beds are well known and have been available for many years. The advantage of a sofa-bed is that it can be used both as a sofa and as a bed. One of the disadvantages of a sofa-bed is that, when used as a sofa, it is not as c~mfortable as a conventional sofa. This is because a con~entional sofa includes a resilient support for the seat cushions, such as an inner spring, which is designed specifically for providing seating comfort. On the other hand, a sofa-bed is used for both sitting and sleeping, and comfort in both positions is compromised in order to accommodate the dual function.
A sofa-bed conventionally includes a sofa frame and a foldable bed frame. The bed frame is folded inside of the sofa frame when the sofa-bed is used as a sofa, and the bed frame is unfolded so that it extends forwardly f~om the fro~t of the sofa frame when the sofa-bed is used as a bed. When the so.a-bed is used as a sofa, the seat cushions are supported by the bed frame and by the bed mattress, and the sofa feels relatively stiff or firm compared to a regular sofa.
Su~ y of the Invention The invention greatly increases the seating comfort of a sofa-bed by providing a spring suspension or floating support for the bed frame. A compressible spring resilie~tly supports the bed frame below each of the four corners of the seat cushion.
.. ~
1.1'7t~4()1 1 When a person sits on the seat ~ushion, the seat cushion and the bed frame which supports the seat cushion can move downwardly to provide a cushioning action and a greater feeling of comfort.
Description of the Drawin~
The invention will be explained in conjunction with illustra-, ....
: tive embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which--Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sofa-bed with the bed frame unfolded to-the sleeping position;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the unfolded bed lo frame showing one embodiment of the invention;
~` Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the unfolded bed frame taken along the line 2-2 of ~ig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the bed frame folded to the sitting position, portions o~ the bed frame being omitted for clarity;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the spring suspension assemblies of the first embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the spring sus-pension assemblies of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of one of the spring suspension assemblies;
Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket for the sofa frame;
Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the mounting bracket for the sofa frame;
Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket for the bed frame;
Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the mounting bracket for the bed frame;
1 Fig. 12 is an ele~ational view of the bushing for the mounting bracket for the sofa frame;
-- Fig. 13 is an elevational view of the tubular connector of the spring support assembly;
Fig. 14 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view illustrating one of the spring suspension assemblies being attached to the bed frame;
~-~ Fig. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the spring suspension assemblies attached to the bed frame;
lo Fig. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a pair of spring suspenison assemblies attached to one side of the bed frame;
Fig. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one side of the bed frame resiliently mounted on one side of the sofa frame by a pair of spring suspenison assemblies; and Fig. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spring suspension assembly;
Fig. 19 is an elevational view of the spring suspension assembly of Fig. 18;
Fig. 20 is a side elevational view of the spring suspension assembly taken along the line 20-20 of Fig. 19;
Fig. 21 is a bottom plan view of the spring suspension assembly of Fig. 20; and Fig. 22 is a view similar to Fig. 15 showing the spring suspension assembly of Fig. 18 attached to the bed frame.
.........
Description of Specific Embodiment : .
Referring first to Figs. 1-3, a sofa bed 20 inclùdes a sofa frame 21, a bed frame 22, and a mattress 23. The sofa frame is conventional and includes a back 24, a pair of arms .
1 1'7~ ~tOl , 1 25 and 26 on each side of the sofa frame, and a front board 27.
The bed frame and mattress are foldable between a sleeping position illustrated in ~ig. 1 in which the bed frame and mattress extend horizontally from the sofa frame and a sitting position illustrated in ~ig. ~ in which the bed frame and mattress are folded and positioned within the confines of the sofa frame. A seat cushi~n 28 (Fig. ~) is positioned over the folded mattress when the sofa-bed is used as a sofa.
The bed fra~e is also conventional except for its attachment to the sofa frame, which will be described in detail hereinafter. Since the bed frame is con~entional and well known, it is unnecessary to e~:plain it in detail. T~e bed frame includes a foot section 30, a middle section 31, and a head section 32 which are pivotally connected by pi~s 33 and 34. Conventionzl wire supports extend across the sections of the bed frame for supporting the mattress. The foot section is supported by a ~olding supporting leg 35, and the middle section is supported by a folding support leg 36.
A parallelogram link mechanism 37 (Fig. 2) on each side of 20 the bed frame supports both the middle section and the ~ront section and permits the bed frame to be pivoted forwardly and downwardly lnto the area between the back of the sofa frzme ~- and the front board and between the arms (Pig. 4) so that the bed frame is confi~ed within the sofa frame.
Each parallelogram link mechanism includes a pair of links 38 and 39 which are pivotally oonnected 'o a bottom rail 4D on each side of the bed frame. E~ch r~il 40 h-s a front-end .
--` 11'7840~
1 41 and a rear end~42, and the length of tbe rail i9 approximately the same as the front-to-back dimension of the seat cushion (see Fig. 4). Each end of each side rail is resiliently supported on the sofa frame by front and rear spring suspension assemblies 43 and 44 so that the bed frame is resiliently supported below each of the ~our corners of the seat cushion.
,f While I h~ve referred to the seat cushion in the singular, ... .
it will be understood that the sofa can include a number of indi~idual cushions depending upon the length and design o~
the sofa, and the term n seat cushion" should not be considered as being lLmited to a single cusion. Rather, it should be considered as referring to the cushioning material which covers the seating area of the sofa.
Referring now to ~igs. 5-7, each of the s~ring support assemblies includes 2 large L-shaped mounting bracket 46 which is adapted to be attached to the sofa frame and a small ~shaped mounting bracket 47 which is adapted to ~e attached to the bed frame. The large mounting bracket 46 includes a ~ertically extending attaching plate 48 which is attached to the sofa frame 20 and a horizontally extending support plate 49. The small mounting bracket 47 similarly includes a vertically extending attaching plate 50 which is attached to the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame and a horizontally extendin5 support plate 51.
(; The support plate 51 is provided with a circular ope~ing 52 (~i~. 11), and the support plate 49 is provided with a cir-cular opening 53 (Fig. 9). A tubular connector ~4 extends through the openinss 52 and 53, and the upper and lower en~s of t~e tubular connector are flared over the support plates 51 and 49 at 55 and 56, respectively. A coil spring 57 30 surrounds the tubular connecto_ and forces the su??ort ?lates 51 znd ~9 against the flared en_s 3l the connector.
, .
~ 1 The upper support plate 51 is captured at the upper end of the tubular connector 54 between the upper ~lared end 55 and a radially outwardly extending crimp 59 (see Fig. 13) - in the tubular connector. The upper support plate is thereby fixed against sliding movement relative to the tubular connector.
~ he lower end of the tubular connector is supported for sliding vertical movement relative to the lower support plate 49 by a nylon bushing 60 (see also Fis. 12). The-bushi~g - includes a cylindrical portion 61 which fits into the opening lo 53 in the lower support plate 49 and a radially outwardly extending shoulder 62 which is held against the top surface of the support plate by the spri~g 57. A washer 63 below the bushing extends radially beyond the opening in the s~pport plate 49 and prevents the flared end 56 o the tubular connector from passing through the opening.
. .
The attaching plate 50 of the small mounting bracket 47 is provided with two holes 65 to permit the small bracket to ..
be attached to the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame. The attaching plate 48 of the large mounting bracket 46 is pro~ided ` . 20 with two relatively large holes 66 which are aligned wit~ thr holes 6~ (Figs. 6 and 7) to facilitate attaching the small , . . .
;~ ;.......... mounting brac~et to the bed frame. Referring to Fig. 14, the ï .
front end of the bottom rail 40 is provided with a pair o~
openings 67 whlch are spaced apart the same distance as the openings 65, and the small mounting bracket 47 can ~e attached to the bed frame by fasteners which extend through the aligned .. . .
a --6--~ 4(31 . 1 openings 65 and 6~ The openings 66 in the large mounting - bracket are large enough to permit a riveting tool ~r the - like to be used to attach the small brac~et. Fig. 15 shows the spxing suspension assembly 43 mounted on the front of the bottom rail 40 by rivets 68.
.
~- ~he attaching plate 48 of the large mounting bracket 46 .
is pro~ici~d with a pair of countersunk openings 69 at the upper end thereof and a pair of angled slots 70 which extend inwardly and upwardly from the side edges. The upper end of each slot lo is countersunk at 71.
Fig. 17 illustrates the bed frame 22 mounted on the sofa frame 21. The large mounting bracket 46 of each of the spring suspension assemblies 43 and 44 is attached to the side wall 71 of the sofa by screws 72 which extend through the openings i 69 of the large mounting bracket and screws 73 which are positioned at the countersunX ends of the slots 70. In order to facilitate the positioning of the bed frame r~lative to the sofa frame, one of the screws 73 for each of the spring sus-pension assemblies can be screwed into the side wall of the 20 sofa frame, and the entire bed frame can be lowered into the sofa frame until the screws 73 enter the slots 70 and support the front and rear ends of the bed frame on each side. The . . .
- - other screw 73 and the two screws 72 can then be inserted and tightened.
The only attachment between the bed frame and the sofa frame is provided by the spring suspension zssemblies~ and the spring suspension assemblies therefore pro~ide a floatins action for the bed rame when the bed frame is folded and the : .
.
11'7~
, 1 sofa-bed is used as a sofa. When a person sits on the seat ~ cushion, the weight of the person compresses the coil spring 57 of each of the spring suspension assemblies and permits the bed frame to move downwardly. The tubular connector 54 slides through the bushing 60 in the bottom support plate 49 and guides the ~ertical movement of the bed frame mounting ~ .
bracket 47. When the person stands up, the springs m~e the bed frame back to its original position. ~ore-and_aft mo~e-ment of the bed frame relative to the sofa frame is prevented lo by the tu~ul~r connectors 54.
Each coil spring is preferably preloaded or compressed even when the two mounting brackets axe positioned at the ends of the tubular co~nector as illustrated in ~igs. 6 and 7. The preload pre~ents the bed ~rame rrom moving downwardly until the preload force is overcome. This prevents the s?ring ~rom being compressed by the weight of the bed frame, the mattress, and the seat cushio~. The preload may also be selected so that a certain force must be applied to the seat cushion before the spring will be further compressed and the bed frame will move downwardly. In one embodiment of the invention the springs ~ad a spring constantof 123 poun~s per inch and were preloaded to 75 pounds.
If desired, the springs at the rear end of the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame, which are under the rear corners of the seat cushion, can ~e weaker or have less of a preload than the springs at the front end of the bottom rail. This will enable the rear of the cu5hion to sink deeper as the person sits down and will provlde a slight-pitching action which ~ill tilt the person against the back cushions.
In the specific embodiment illustrated, the bed frame was supported by four spring suspension ~ssemblies, one below each of the four corners oi the seating area. However, a modified floating action or suspension can be obtained by using only two suspension assemblies, one at each of the rear corners of the seating area.
The front end of the bottom rail of the bed frame can be attached directly to the sofa frame in a manner which will permit the rear of the bed frame to pivot downwardly.
The spring suspension assemblies shown and described utilize a compressible spring for resiliently supporting the support plate of the bed frame bracket above the support plate of the sofa bracket. However, equivalent means for resiliently supporting the bed frame relative to the sofa frame can also be utilized.
Another embodiment of a spring suspension assembly is illus-trated in Pigs. 18-22. The assembly 78 includes a generally S-shaped spring portion 79 having flat upper and lower leg portions 80 and 81 which are connected by a cross member 82. An upper mounting bracket 83 extends upwardly from the upper leg, and a lower mounting bracket 84 extends downwardly from the lower leg.
The upper mounting bracket is provided with a pair of openings 85, and the lower mounting bracket is provided wit~ a pair of openings 86. A triangular reinforcing rib 87 extends between the lower mounting bracket 84 and the lower leg 81.
The entire spring suspension assembly can be formed integrally, and the particular spring suspension assembly illustrated was molded from flexible and resilient plastic or elastomeric material.
Alternatively, the assembly can be formed from spring metal. When opposed vertical forces are exerted on the leg portions 80 and 81 of the assembly, the U-shaped transition portions 88 and 89 which join the leg poirtions to the cross member 82 act as hinges, and the leg portions move toward each other. When the forces are reduced or removed, the resilient suspension assembly tends to return to its original position.
1 A pair of semicircular stops 90 and 91 are molded onto the legs 80 and 81~and are engageable with the cross member 82 to prevent excessive compression of the spring suspension assembly.
.. .. . .
Referring to Fig. 22, the upper mounting bracket 83 is attached to the bottom rail 40 of the bed frame by bolts or rivets 93 which extend through the openings 85 in the mounting bracket.
The lower mounting bracket 84 can be attached to the sofa frame by screws or bolts which can be inserted through the openings 86 in the lower mounting bracket.
lo A spring suspension assembly 78 may be positioned at each corner of the bed frame, and the spring suspension assemblies provide a resilient and compressible spring suspension for the bed frame.
While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention were set forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that many of the details described herein may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
t ; '.
Claims (13)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In a sofa-bed having a sofa frame and a folding bed frame, the sofa frame having a front, a pair of sides, and a back, the bed frame being foldable between a sitting position in which the bed frame is confined within the sofa frame and a sleeping position in which the bed frame extends forwardly from the sofa frame, the improvement comprising spring suspension means for resiliently supporting the bed frame on each of the sides of the sofa frame, each of the spring suspension means comprising an upper mounting bracket attached to the bed frame, a lower mounting bracket attached to the sofa frame, and a compression spring between the upper and lower mounting brackets for movably and resiliently supporting the upper mounting bracket relative to the lower mounting bracket, said upper mounting bracket being movable downwardly toward said lower mounting bracket and said compression spring being compressible when a person sits on the bed frame.
2. The structure of claim 1 including means for preventing separation of the upper and lower mounting brackets beyond an initial position, said compression spring being compressed between the upper and lower mounting brackets so that the compression spring exerts a reload support force on the upper mounting bracket attached to the bed frame whereby the bed frame will not move downwardly until a force sufficient to overcome the preload force of the compression spring is exerted on the bed frame.
3. The structure of claim 1 in which the sofa-bed includes a seat cushion supported by the bed frame when the bed frame is in the sitting position and including four of said spring suspension means for resiliently supporting the bed frame generally below the front and rear of the seat cushion on each side of the sofa frame.
4. The structure of claim 3 in which the springs of the spring suspension means below the rear of the seat cushion are more compressible than the springs of the spring suspersion means at the front of the seat cushion whereby the rear of the seat cushion will move downwardly more than the front of the seat cushion when a person sits on the seat cushion.
5. The structure of claim 3 including a tube attached to one of the mounting brackets and slidably connected to the other mounting bracket, the compression spring surrounding the tube between the two mounting brackets.
6. The structure of claim 5 in which the springs of the spring suspension means below the rear of the seat cushion are more compressiblethan the springs of the spring suspension means at the front of the seat cushion whereby the rear of the seat cushion will move downwardly more than the front of the seat cushion when a person sits on the seat cushion.
7. The structure of claim 1 including a tube attached to one of the mounting brackets and slidably connected to the other mounting bracket, the compression spring surrounding the tube between the two mounting brackets.
8. The structure of claim 1 in which each of said lower mounting brackets is generally L-shaped and includes a generally vertically extending attaching portion which is attached to the sofa frame and a generally horizontally extending support portion, and each of said upper mounting brackets is generally L-shaped and includes a generally vertical extending attaching portion which is attached to the bed frame and a generally horizontally extending support portion which is spaced above the support portion of the first mounting bracket, and a generally verticially extending tube attached to the support portion of one of said mounting brackets and extending through an opening in the support portion of the other mounting bracket, said compression spring surrounding the tube between the two support portions.
9. The structure of claim 8 in which each of the springs is compressed between the two support portions of the two mounting brackets so that each of the springs exerts a preload support force on the mounting bracket attached to the bed frame whereby the bed frame will not move downwardly until a force sufficient to overcome the preload force of the springs is exerted on the bed frame.
10. The structure of claim 1 in which each of the compression springs is generally S-shaped and includes a first leg portion which is connected to the upper mounting bracket and a second leg portion which is connected to the lower mounting bracket.
11. The structure of claim 10 in which each of the compression springs is integrally molded from plastic.
12. The structure of claim 10 in which each of the compression springs is integrally formed from spring metal.
13. The structure of claim 10 in which each of the compression springs is integrally molded from elastomeric material.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US06/231,619 US4435860A (en) | 1980-04-30 | 1981-02-05 | Spring suspension for sofa-bed |
| US231,619 | 1981-02-05 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1178401A true CA1178401A (en) | 1984-11-27 |
Family
ID=22869993
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000387069A Expired CA1178401A (en) | 1981-02-05 | 1981-10-01 | Spring suspension for sofa-bed |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1178401A (en) |
-
1981
- 1981-10-01 CA CA000387069A patent/CA1178401A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |