Beds – Bedsteads – Upending
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-17
2001-01-23
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Beds
Bedsteads
Upending
C005S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175975
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fitting arrangement for a folding bed, preferably a wall folding bed, with a first fitting part on the corpus or body of the bed; a second fitting part on the folding bed, supported pivotally on the first fitting part; and with a first holder on the corpus of the bed and a second holder on the folding bed to hold devices, especially spring devices, which exert force on the folding bed to push it into its up position.
2. Description of the Related Art
In beds which can be folded such as wall folding beds or Murphy beds, the folding bed can be pivoted between its folded-up position and its folded-down position within both sides of a bed frame. To make it easier to fold the bed up, a pneumatic spring on each side acts between the bed and the bed corpus; when the bed is folded down, the spring is tensioned, and thus the amount of force required to fold the bed up is reduced.
In known fitting arrangements, fitting parts for supporting the bed and separate holders for the pneumatic springs are provided on the bed corpus and on the bed. Because the pneumatic spring acts not only between the bed and the corpus but also between the fitting parts and the holders on the bed and the corpus, the bed and the corpus, which are usually made of wood, must be made with sufficient mass to absorb the forces of the pneumatic spring. To ensure the optimum function of the pneumatic spring, the holders should be attached only to specific points on the bed and corpus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to improve the design of the fittings of the general type described above in such a way that the forces exerted on, and to be absorbed by, the corpus and on the bed by the force-exerting device can be reduced.
In accordance with the present invention, the first holder is provided on the first fitting part and the second holder is provided on the second fitting part.
This fitting arrangement forms a complete unit and is characterized by great strength, because the forces of the pneumatic springs are not absorbed via the wood of the bed or bed corpus but rather directly by the two fitting parts. Especially in the case of beds of large dimensions, the weight of the bed and the pneumatic springs are capable of producing powerful forces, but, because of the design of the fittings, these forces can be absorbed optimally between the fitting parts and the hinge points of the spring device. In addition, the lever ratios can be effectively determined by the permanent setting of the distance between the holders and the center of rotation of the bed.
Because the first and second fitting parts can be screwed to the bed corpus and to the folding bed, respectively, installation is simple and easy. The two fitting parts can, for example, be designed as screw-on plates, on which preferably stops are provided to ensure that the plates are installed parallel to the edges of the bed or corpus. In addition, there is also the possibility of supplying the fittings with the force-exerting device of pneumatic springs preinstalled on them.
In a preferred embodiment, a safety device is provided, especially in the case of transversely oriented wall folding beds, to hold the bed securely in its down-folded position against the force of the force-exerting device. Thus, even when a person is lying in the bed behind the center of rotation, the bed is prevented from folding up by itself unintentionally.
In accordance with an advantageous further development of this embodiment, a safety lever is supported pivotally on one of the fitting parts; when the bed is folded down, this lever locks behind a projection on the other fitting part. This safety lever must be freed manually when it is desired to fold the bed up.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this further development, it is provided that the support of the safety lever is also installed on one of the fitting parts and/or that the projection is also provided on the other fitting part.
Additional advantages of the invention can be derived from the description and from the drawing. In addition, the features described above and the features according to the invention which are described in more detail below can be used individually on their own or in any desired combination. The embodiments indicated and described are not to be understood as a final list; on the contrary, they have merely the character of examples, which have been selected to facilitate the description of the invention.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1358209 (1920-11-01), Hoilo
patent: 4901382 (1990-02-01), Spitz
patent: 5033134 (1991-07-01), Burchett
Bottcher Wolfram-Dietrich
Krauter Jochen
Walther Ronald
Conley Fredrick
H{umlaut over (a)}fele GmbH & Co.
Kueffner Friedrich
Melius Terry Lee
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