Beds – Bedsteads – Having bottom
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-20
2004-03-09
Santos, Robert G. (Department: 3673)
Beds
Bedsteads
Having bottom
C005S238000, C005S242000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06701550
ABSTRACT:
This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT International Application No. PCT/CH01/00215 which has an International filing date of Apr. 3, 2001, which designated the United States of America.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a slatted base for furniture for lying on according to the preamble of the independent patent claim, it being possible for the slatted base to be positioned, in particular, in the framework of a piece of furniture for lying on.
2. Prior Art
BICO Birchler & Co. AG's European Patent Application EP-A1-0 761 138 describes a slatted base for furniture for lying on. Since the resilient-slat-bearing longitudinal supports, which are designed as outer longitudinal spars of a slatted-base frame, are inclined inward, space is provided for fitting supporting bodies for the resilient slats on the outer side of the longitudinal supports. These supporting bodies are produced from hard plastic and elastomeric material. Since, on the one hand, the entire overall height of a slatted base which can be positioned in a bedstead is limited by the dimensions of the bedstead and, on the other hand, the supporting bodies of the slatted base according to EP-A1-0 761 138 are arranged at least partially over the longitudinal supports, the level of resilient deflection which is available for the slats in the region of the longitudinal supports is relatively low.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to specify a slatted base which, on the one hand, is of a low overall height and, on the other hand, ensures a high level of resilient deflection for the slats, in particular also in the region of the longitudinal supports bearing the slats.
The object is achieved by the features of claim
1
. According to the invention, a slatted base for furniture for lying on has two longitudinally running, essentially parallel longitudinal supports with mutually facing inner sides. The terms “inner” and “outer” should always be understood, in the present context, in respect of the slatted base. The slatted base also has a plurality of slats which are spaced apart transversely to the longitudinal supports and together form a bearing surface for a mattress. The slats are connected to the longitudinal supports by means of [sic] essentially two-legged leaf-spring elements, in each case one leg of a leaf-spring element being fitted on one of the slats and the other leg of said leaf-spring element being fitted on the inner side of one of the longitudinal supports.
A two-legged leaf-spring element should be understood, in conjunction with the present description and the patent claims, as a spring element which has two legs in the manner of leaf springs which has a leaf-like or strip-like, essentially flat structure.
Since, according to the invention, the slats are connected to the longitudinal supports, or are borne thereon, by means of flat, leaf-spring-like elements which are fitted on the side surface of the longitudinal supports, the connecting elements require just a small amount of space in the spring-movement direction, i.e. essentially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the supports and to the longitudinal direction of the slats. The space required in the spring-movement direction by said flat leaf-spring elements in the region of the longitudinal supports corresponds essentially to the thickness of the spring legs fitted on the slats. This small amount of space which is required is advantageous, in particular, in slatted-base structures in which the spring legs fitted on the slats are arranged partially between the slats and the longitudinal supports and, by virtue of the slatted base being subjected to loading, are pressed down onto said longitudinal supports.
According to a preferred manner of implementing the invention, in the case of a slatted base, at least one of the leaf-spring elements is arranged such that its spring leg which is fitted on the longitudinal support extends, from the region in which it is fitted on the longitudinal support, in a direction which, in relation to the plane defined by the two longitudinal supports, is inclined toward the slat which is connected to the leaf-spring element. It is preferable for even all of the leaf-spring elements to be arranged in this way.
The slatted base, or the slatted-base plane defined by the two longitudinal supports, is usually arranged essentially horizontally. In this case, the spring leg extends, in the region of the longitudinal support, obliquely upward from the longitudinal support. As a result, in the case of a horizontal arrangement of the slatted base, the force to which the two longitudinal supports are subjected by the spring elements, which are subjected to loading essentially vertically from above by the slats, is introduced obliquely downward rather than, as is conventional, either in the horizontal direction or in the vertical direction. This geometrical arrangement of the slats, of the leaf-spring elements and of the longitudinal supports relative to one another is particularly well adapted to the present situation. The angle of inclination between the spring legs and the (usually horizontal) plane defined by the two longitudinal supports in the region in which the spring legs are fitted on the longitudinal supports is preferably between 5 and 80 degrees, angles of inclination between 20 and 45 degrees, in particular angles of inclination of approximately 30 degrees, being particularly preferred.
A leaf-spring element of a slatted base according to the invention preferably has an essentially U-shaped configuration with two leg sections and a web section connecting these two leg sections. In this case, the spring element is preferably fitted on the slatted base such that the web section is arranged in the interior of the slatted base (i.e. between the two longitudinal supports), with the result that the two leg sections extend outward, from the web section, toward the locations at which they are respectively fitted on the slat and on the inner side of the longitudinal support.
The leaf-spring elements of a slatted base according to the invention may be produced from glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, it being possible for the glass fibers to be arranged such that they run at least partially in a unidirectional manner, preferably ever wholly in a unidirectional manner, in the longitudinal direction of the leaf-spring elements. Leaf-spring elements made of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic are distinguished by a particularly long service life. They are not subject to fatigue even after years of constant use. As an alternative to leaf-spring elements made of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, it is also possible for the spring elements to be produced from spring sheet steel or from other materials which are suitable for leaf springs.
The inner side of a longitudinal support of a slatted base according to the invention is preferably provided with spring-securing means which are designed such that one or more of the leaf-spring elements can be fitted therein. The spring-securing means may be designed as integral constituent parts of the longitudinal support, or they may be fitted as separate parts on the inner side of the longitudinal support. They may be produced from plastic, from spring sheet steel, from aluminum or from other suitable materials.
According to a preferred manner of implementing the invention, the spring-securing means comprise a hollow profile, preferably an extruded aluminum profile, which is arranged on the inner side of one longitudinal support, a groove being formed in the profile wall of the latter which is directed toward the other longitudinal support, and the groove being suitable for accommodating those leg ends of the leaf-spring elements which are to be fitted on said spring-securing means. It is possible here for the profile wall of the hollow profile which is directed toward the other longitudinal support to be essentially planar and, in relation to the (usually horizontal) plane defined by the two longitudinal
D. Li Florin Baeriswyl
Santos Robert G.
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