Beds – Sofa bed – Reverting back
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-09
2002-08-06
Lavinder, Jack (Department: 3628)
Beds
Sofa bed
Reverting back
C297S354130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427262
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting device. for a piece of furniture, such as a sofa bed, more particularly to a connecting devrice for connecting a backrest frame and a seat frame at adjustable positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional sofa bed
1
which includes left and right leg frames
11
, front and rear horizontal bars
15
extending between the leg frames
11
, and a seat frame
13
and a backrest frame
12
disposed on the horizontal bars
15
and between the leg frames
11
. The sofa bed
1
incorporates a pair of connecting devices
2
for connecting the backrest frame
12
adjustably to the seat frame
13
such that the sofa bed
1
can serve as a bed or a sofa as desired. With further reference to
FIG. 2
, the connecting device
2
mainly includes a first connecting member
22
secured to the backrest frame
12
, a second connecting member
23
pivoted to the first connecting member
22
and secured to the seat frame
13
, a fixing plate
21
disposed below the first and second connecting members
22
,
23
and attached securely to a cross-bar
111
of one of the leg frames
11
, front and rear fixed support plates
24
interconnecting securely the fixing plate
21
and the second connecting member
23
, a positioning piece
32
extending from the first connecting member
22
and formed with a plurality of positioning grooves
321
, a holding pin
35
projecting from the second connecting member
23
for engaging one of the positioning grooves
321
so as to retain the backrest frame
12
at a folded position or an unfolded position relative to the seat frame
13
, and a spring
331
for urging the positioning piece
32
against the holding pin
35
. To adjust the position of the backrest frame
12
, the backrest frame
12
is moved forwardly or rearwardly relative to the seat frame
13
for engaging the holding pin
35
with a selected one of the positioning grooves
321
. However, since the second connecting member
23
is connected securely to the fixing plate
21
, the seat frame
13
is kept stationary relative to the leg frames
11
. As such, the sofa bed
1
still occupies a relatively large amount of space even when it is converted to a sofa, and is thus not satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connecting device for a sofa bed to enable the sofa bed to occupy less amount of space when converted to a sofa.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sofa bed of the aforementioned type.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a connecting device is provided for use in a furniture frame having a support frame and first and second frame members disposed on the support frame. The connecting device includes a first connecting member, a second connecting member, a mounting plate and a pivotable linking plate unit. The first connecting member has a first end portion adapted to be fixed to the first frame member, and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion and formed with a plurality of ratchet teeth. The second connecting member has a front end portion adapted to be fixed to the second frame member, and a rear end portion pivoted to the second end portion of the first connecting member. The rear end portion is provided with a spring-loaded pawl unit. The mounting plate is disposed below the first and second connecting members, and is adapted to be fixes to the support frame. The linking plate unit has an upper end pivoted to the first end portion of the first connecting member, and a lower end pivoted to the mounting plate such that the first connecting member is movable forward and rearward relative to the mounting plate. The second connecting member is pivotable relative to the first connecting member in a first direction so as to enable the pawl unit to engage one of the ratchet teeth in order to retain the second connecting member at a certain angular position relative to the first connecting member. The second connecting member is pivotable relative to the first connecting member in a second direction opposite to the first direction so as to enable the pawl unit to slide past the ratchet teeth in order to dispose the front end portion of the second connecting member at a position coplanar with the first end portion of the first connecting member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a furniture frame includes a support frame adapted to be supported on a ground surface, a first frame member disposed on the support frame, a second frame member disposed on the support frame and anteriorly of the first frame member, and a connecting device which includes first and second connecting members, a mounting plate and a pivotable linking plate unit. The first connecting member has a first end portion fixed to the first frame member, and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion and formed with a plurality of ratchet teeth. The second connecting member has a front end portion fixed to the second frame member, and a rear end portion pivoted to the second end portion of the first connecting member. The rear end portion is provided with a spring-loaded pawl unit. The mounting plate is disposed below the first and second connecting members and is fixed to the support frame. The linking plate unit has an upper end pivoted to the first end portion of the first connecting member, and a lower end pivoted to the mounting plate such that the first connecting member is movable forward and rearward relative to the mounting plate. The second frame member is pivotable relative to the first frame member in a first direction so as to enable the pawl unit to engage one of the ratchet teeth in order to retain the second frame member at a certain angular position relative to the first frame member. The second frame member is further pivotable relative to the first frame member in a second direction opposite to the first direction so as to enable the pawl unit to slide past the ratchet teeth in order to dispose the second frame member at a position coplanar with the first frame member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4131960 (1979-01-01), Quakenbush
patent: 4654902 (1987-04-01), Shrock et al.
patent: 5860702 (1999-01-01), Pilarczyk et al.
patent: 6082805 (2000-07-01), Gray et al.
patent: 6209154 (2001-04-01), Huang
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Conley Fredrick
Lavinder Jack
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