GB2044085A - Improvements in furniture assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

A furniture assembly comprises upper and lower bed bases 10, 11 mounted on a floor standing support structure 12, 13, 14. There is provided a removable play surface 21 which may be stored horizontally below the upper bed base 10 and, when required for use, withdrawn from the storage position and located over the lower bed base 11. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in furniture assemblies The invention relates to furniture assemblies and provides an assembly which is particularly suitable for increasing the available usable space in a small bedroom.

It is well known to save space in a small bedroom, particularly a bedroom for children, by providing bunk beds comprising one bed mounted above another. However, such bunk beds are normally only suitable for sleeping and resting, and any other activities must take place in the remaining space in the bedroom. Many activities carried out by children require a comparatively large playing surface and it is often not possible to provide a surface of large area in a small bedroom. For example, a small bedroom may not provide sufficient room to allow the setting up of a model railway layout, a car track, a battleground for toy soldies or cowboys and indians, a farmyard, a toy town with roads, a playing surface for toy football games, a pool table, or any other large prepared surface for similar activities.The invention sets out to provide a furniture assembly which provides both a bed and also a playing surface for these and similar activities.

According to the invention there is provided a furniture assembly comprising a bed base at least partly surrounded by side members extending upwardly therefrom, a floor standing support structure on which the bed base is mounted at an elevated level, a play surface, first support means on the support structure for locating the play surface in an operative position where it extends substantially horizontally and is spaced below the bed base, and second support means for locating the play surface in a storage position on the support structure.

Thus the play surface may be located in an accessible position below the elevated bed base when required for use, but may be stowed away in the storage position when not required.

Preferably said second support means are so located as to support the play surface horizontally immediately below the bed base when in the storage position.

The furniture assembly may comprise a lower bed base mounted on the support structure below the first said bed base, the play surface then being located immediately above the lower bed base when in said operative position.

In this case the lower bed base may itself constitute the first support means, the play surface being supported by the lower bed base when in the operative position. For example, the play surface may rest on a mattress on the lower bed base.

'rhe play surface preferably comprises a rectangular panel and the second support means may provide two horizontally spaced slots to receive opposite edges of the panel to retain it in the storage position.

Preferably the first said bed base is rectangular, and in this case the support structure may include four spaced vertical support posts disposed at the corners of the bed base.

The assembly may further comprise storage containers mountd on the support structure below the first support means, so that the play surface is located above the storage containers when in the operative position. In the case where a lower bed base is provided mounted on the support structure below the first said bed base, the storage containers may comprise drawers mounted beneath the lower bed base.

The following is a more detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic perspective view of a furniture assembly in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the furniture assembly, which is of wooden construction, comprises an upper bed base 10 and a lower bed base 11. The bed bases are rectangular in configuration and are carried by a support structure comprising four spaced vertical support posts 12 disposed at the corners of the bed bases. The two posts at each end of the assembly are connected by upper and lower pairs of horizontal cross bars 13, an infill panel 14 being provided between the cross bars of each pair to provide head boards and foot boards for the beds.

Alternatively the cross bars 13 may be omitted and the support posts connected together by the panels 14 alone.

Each bed base comprises two longitudinal side members 15 between which extend transverse slats 16 for supporting a mattress, shown dotted at 25 in the drawing.

The side members 15 of the bed bases have secured thereto at opposite ends thereof shaped side wall portions 17. The ends of the side members 15 are rebated into the support posts 12 and are connected to the support posts by bolts which project through holes in the support posts, side members and the side wall portions 17 and receive wing nuts 18. Thus, by unscrewing the wing nuts 18 the bed bases may be detached from the end frames, each end frame comprising two vertical posts 12 and cross bars 13, so that the assembly can be demounted for storage.

Immediately below the upper bed base 10, horizontal runners 19 extend between the support posts at each end of the bed base. The runners 19 are formed with inwardly facing slots 20. Slidable into and out of these slots so as to lie beneath the upper bed base 10 is a flat rectangular panel 21 constituting the aforementioned play surface. Longitudinal reinforcing bars 22 extend along the under side of the panel 21 adjacent the edges thereof, and transverse reinforcing bars (not shown) may also be provided if required.

The panel 21, which is shown partly withdrawn from the slots 20 in the drawing, is of such a size that it may be received on the lower bed base 11 between the side wall portions 17 and the end infill panels 14 of that bed base. The panel, depending on its width, may either rest on the side members 15 of the lower bed base or on the transverse slats 16. Alternatively, and preferably, the dimensions of the panel and reinforcing bars 22 are such that when the bars 22 rest on the transverse slats 16, the side edge portions of the panel 21 rest on the upper edges of the side members 15.

Alternatively the panel may be simply rested on the upper surface of a mattress on the lower bed base.

Beneath the lower bed base are mounted storage drawers 23 which are slidable along runners 24 secured transversely between the side members 15 of the lower bed base.

When the furniture assembly is to be used as bunk beds, the panel 21 is stowed away in the storage position, that is to say it is slid horizontally into the slots in the runners 19 so as to lie beneath the upper bed base 10. The assembly may thus be used as conventional bunk beds. When it is wished to use the play surface, the panel 21 is simply withdrawn from the runners 19 and positioned in an operative position on the lower bed base, as described above.

Instead of the lower bed base comprising the support means for the panel when in the operative position, separate support means may be provided for locating the panel immediately above the lower bed base For example, such separate support means may comprise further slotted runners similarly to the runners 19. In this case the lower bed base may be omitted so that when the play surface is returned to the upper storage position the whole space below the upper bed base becomes available for any required use.

The surface of the panel 21 is shown as plain in the drawing, for clarity, but it will be appreciated that it may take several alternative forms depending on the activity to be carried out on the play surface. For example, as previously mentioned, it may comprise a model railway layout. If the play surface is designed for such use, it may be wished to mount of the surface items which project above it, such as railway track and buildings. In this case the spacing of the runners 19 below the upper bed base 10 must be such as to provide sufficient clearance for insertion in the slots 20 of the panel carrying such items.

A number of alternative prepared surfaces may be provided and a number of support means, such as the runners 19, may be provided one above another on the support posts 12 for retaining those play surfaces which are not, for the time being, in use.

The toys and other components which are to be used with the play surfaces may be stored in the drawers 23.

A ladder (not shown) may be provided in conventional manner to provide access to the upper bed base. Such ladder may be separate from the furniture assembly or may be integrally formed with it.

Claims (10)

1. A furniture assembly comprising a bed base at least partly surroundded by side members extending upwardly therefrom, a floor standing support structure on which the bed base is mounted at an elevated level, a play surface, first support means on the support structure for locating the play surface in an operative position where it extends substantially horizontally and is spaced below the bed base, and second support means for locating the play surface in a storage position on the support structure.

2. A furniture assembly according to claim 1, wherein said second support means are so located as to support the play surface horizontally immediately below the bed base when in the storage position.

3. A furniture assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, and comprising a lower bed base mounted on the support structure below the first said bed base, the play surface being located immediately above the lower bed base when in said operative position.

4. Afurniture assembly according to claim 3, wherein said lower bed base itself constitutes said first support means, the play surface being supported by the lower bed base when in said operative position.

5. A furniture assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a mattress on said lower bed base, the play surface resting on the mattress when in said operative position.

6. A furniture assembly according to any of the preceding claims wherein the play surface comprises a rectangular panel, and said second support means provide two horizontally spaced slots to receive opposite edges of the panel to retain it in the storage position.

7. Afurniture assembly according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein the first said bed base is rectangular, and the support structure includes four spaced vertical support posts disposed at the corners of the bed base.

8. A furniture assembly according to any of the preceding claims, and further comprising storage containers mounted on the support structure below the first support means, so that the play surface is located above the storage containers when in the operative position.

9. A furniture assembly according to claim 8, and in which there is provided a lower bed base mounted on the support structure below the first said bed base, wherein said storage containers comprise drawers mounted beneath said lower bed base.

10. A furniture assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.