US2985892A - Convertible sofa lounge for use as a seat and a bed - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1961 R. o. GARRIGUS, sR., ET AL 2,985,892

CONVERTIBLE SOFA LOUNGE FOR USE AS A SEAT AND A BED Filed Jan. 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 20/5527- o. 6022/60: me

wan/0a Al- 6422/605' May 30, 1961 R. o. GARRIGUS, SR. ET AL 2,985,892

CONVERTIBLE SOFA LOUNGE FOR USE AS A SEAT AND A BED Filed Jan. 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'ZO on J w w t L'ZQ 2e, 14 ('26 INVENTOR leaeser o GZQQQIGUS se.,

w4/v04 I-l. 6422/6708 AT T02 N EYS CONVERTIBLE SOFA LOUNGE FOR USE AS A SEAT AND A BED Robert 0. Garrigus, Sn, and Wanda H. Garrigus, both of 1322 27th St., Sarasota, Fla.

Filed Jan. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 788,583

1 Claim. (Cl. -12) The present invention appertains to new and novel improvements in an article of furniture and is particularly directed to novel improvements in a convertible piece of furniture, which can be used as a sofa or as a lounge or bed.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a dual purpose article of furniture, which can be easily and simply converted without any tools and without the use of any great amount of manual power from a bed into a seat and from a seat back into a bed.

The lounge of the present invention is dual purpose in its nature and construction and is intended to have a frame member, which can be disposed fiat or level for sleeping purposes. However, such position is not too comfortable for sitting and it is desired that the frame member be convertible from the level surface into a slanted position, wherein it would slant from the front to the back. Thus, the primary aim and purpose of the present invention is to provide a sofa lounge having a frame member, which can be disposed level for sleeping and which can be easily moved to a slanted position for sitting purposes. 7

A further important object of the present invention resides in the construction of the frame member with a first set of fixed and depending legs and with a second set of legs, which are opposed to the first set, and which are hingedly attached to the frame member in such a way as to support the frame member in a level position or in a slanted position.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide means operatively associated with the hinge attachment of the second set of legs with the frame member for securely and elfectively supporting the frame member on such set of legs in either a slanted or in a level position.

The present invention comprehends the provision of a flat frame member, which is to be used for sitting or sleeping, and which may be of any construction and provided with any type of cushion means. It is proposed that a first set of legs be placed at the front of the frame portion and be fixed thereto so as to securely support the front end of the frame member.

In order to carry out the purpose of the present invention, the second or rear set of legs is hingedly attached by arms to the frame member and the frame member is movable about such hinge means into a level or a slanted position. In the slanted position, it is pro posed that the frame member rest directly on the supporting arms whereas in the level position, it is proposed to interpose bar members between the frame member and the supporting arms so as to support the frame member in a level position.

In order to carry out an easy conversion of the frame member from a level position, wherein it rests on the bar members that, in turn, rest on the rear legs or on the supporting hinged arms, it is proposed to slidably mount the bar members and then to move the bar members out of their interposed position by an easy mechanical movement, which is effected with a very minimum amount of manual exertion.

In order to convert the frame member from such level position and back into a slanted position, the bar members are easily withdrawn from engagement with the rear legs or from their interposed position between the rear legs and the frame member or between the supporting arms and the frame member. It is proposed that spring means be provided to automatically urge the bar members into such interposed position so that by merely raising the frame member, the bar members will slide into such interposed position and thereby support the frame member in a level position.

The foregoing and ancillary objects, including the provision of an inexpensive, compact, sturdy and simply constructed and actuated supporting means for the frame member of the sofa lounge, are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a view in perspective of the sofa lounge, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof, showing the frame member disposed in a slanted position for use as a seat;

Figure 3 is a similar end elevational view and showing the frame member in a level position for use as a bed or lounge;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the frame member, showing the operating means for effecting the conversion of the sofa lounge from a bed into a seat or from a seat into a bed;

Figure 5 is a detail, fragmentary, rear elevational view, showing the operating mechanism; 7

Figure 6 is a detail, cross-sectional view taken on-line 6-6 of Figure 5; and,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of one corner portion of the underside of the frame member.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the convertible sofa lounge 10 includes a frame member 12, which may be of any suitable construction. As shown, the frame member is rectangular and includes front and rear sides 14 and 16 and ends 18 and 20. The center portion of the frame member is open to receive, a suitable fabric covering and spring structure 22. Any type of suitable cushion means 24 may be seated on the frame member.

A first set of leg members 26, which may be of any suitable shape, design or size, are securely fastened to the underside of the front side 14 of the frame member and support the front side of the frame member.

The important feature of the present invention resides in the mounting of the rear legs 28 in such a fashion that the frame member may be moved vertically relative thereto so as to move the frame member from the level, bed position of Figure 3 into the slanted seat position of Figure 2.

As shown, the rear legs 28 are secured to supporting arms 30, which extend transversely of the frame member and are secured by hinge means 35 to the front side :14. The support arms 30 extend transversely of the frame member, adjacent the ends 18 and 20 and are disposed, adjacent such ends. ends of the arms 30 and the arms are connected by a longitudinal connecting bar 32. The connecting bar 32 extends longitudinally under the frame member. Flexible straps 34 are secured at their endsto the inside of the rear side 16 of the frame member and form supporting loops which encircle the connecting bar 32 and prevent an extreme relative movement between the support- Patented May 30, 1961 The legs 28 are secured to the rear ing arms 30 and the frame member. straps 34 prevent complete disengagement of such parts and limit the relative pivotal movement of the frame member and the supporting arms 30 about the hinge35, It is to be particularly noted that the legs 28 are shorter in length than the fixed front legs 26 and, therefore, when the underside of the rear side .16 of the frame member rests directly on the upper surface of the supporting arms 30, the frame member is disposed in a rearwardly inclined or slanted position, as shown in Figure 2.

In order to compensate for the differences in the lengths of the legs 26 and 28, so as to, dispose the frame member in a level position, slide bars 36 are provided on the underside of the rear side 16 of the frame and are adapted to slide into a position where they would be interposed between the supporting arms 30 and the underside of the rear side 16, as shown in Figure 6.

The bars 36 are T-shaped in cross-section and have transverse heads 38, which slide in channel-shaped guides 40 secured by fasteners 42 to the underside of the rear side 16 of the frame member. The web portion of the channel guide is formed with an axial slot 44 through which the tail portions of the slide bars 36 extend.

The slide bars 36 are normally urged in the guides into a position where they are interposed between the underside of the rear side 16 and the supporting arms 30. Thus, coil springs 46 are attached to fasteners 48, which are secured to the guides 40. The opposite ends of the coil springs 46 are secured to supports 50, which are attached to the slide bars 36.

Accordingly, as can be seen from Figure 4, when the frame member is raised about the hinge 35, the rear legs 28 remain in engagement with the floor and the support arms 30 maintain the same position, as shown in Figure 6. However, such movement of the frame member about the hinge 35 raises the slide bars 36 above the support arms 30 and the springs 46 are active to slide the slide bars over on top of the supporting arms 30, as shown in Figure 6. This then disposes the frame member in a level position for use as a bed. To convert the frame member into a slanted position, for use as a seat, flexible members 52 are attached to the rear edge of each of the slide bars and extend through guide eyes 54. The flexible elements are commonly connected to a flexible strap 56, which extends transversely of the frame member over to the front side bar 14. By pulling on the strap 56, the slide bars are moved inwardly, responsive to the pull of the flexible elements 52. The pull is continued until the slide bars clear the support arms 30, whereupon the frame member drops by gravity down into a position, where the underside of the rear side 16 rests on the support arms 30, as shown in Figure 2.

Accordingly, it can be seen that a simply constructed and actuated means is provided for securely disposing The attaching the frame member in either a horizontal, level position or in a rearwardly slanted or sloped position.

A backrest-58 may be provided and carried by the frame member so as to support a bolster 60, which is conventional practice.

While the best known form of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is believed that other embodiments may be madeand practiced within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A convertible sofa lounge comprising a substantially rectangular, flat frame, said frame including a frontal portion, side portions, and a rear portion; front legs fixedly secured to said frame adjacent the frontal portion; a supporting arm hingedly secured to said frame adjacent each of said front legs and extending transversely of the frame toward said rear portion; a rear leg secured to each of said supporting arms, said rear legs being of lesser length than said frontlegs, and said frame being adapted to be supported on said rear legs so that the frame is maintained in a slanted plane; and a pluraJity of means slidably carried on said rear portion of said frame and adapted to be selectively interposed between the rear legs and said rear portion, said means being of a dimension such that when so interposed the frame is maintainedin a substantially horizontalplane, said slidable means each including an elongated slide bar of generally T-shaped cross-section having a transverse head, a channel shaped guide secured to said rear portion of said frame, said head being slidably received in said channel-shaped guide, and spring means secured to said slide bar and to said guide constantly urging said bar to said position wherein it is interposed between the rear portion of the frame and one of said rear legs; and control means adapted to commonly actuate saidslidable means and being remotely positionedtherefrom on said frontal portion of said frame.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 606,612 White June 28, 1898 1,401,027 Adler Dec. 20, 1921 1,786,045 Vogt Dec. 23, 1930 1,988,317 Jaeger et al. Jan. 15, 1935 2,015,138 Drake Sept. 24, 1935 2,570,401 Stein u Oct. 9, 1951 2,627,299 Martin Feb. 3, 1953 2,679,653 Blankeet al. June 1, 1954 2,748,835 Barecki June 5, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 104,893 Switzerland May 16, 1924 603,980 Great Britain June 25, 1948 1,013,465 France Apr. 30, 1952

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