Abstract:
A system of base blocks and attachment blocks used to securely elevate the head of various bed frames, including bed legs and straight back bed frames. Both the base blocks and the attachment blocks have a well disposed within their top surface, which allows for support of a bed leg. The wells of each of the base block and attachment block have removable first and second side pieces, which allow for a straight back bed frame to be securely elevated. The remaining front and rear walls of the well provide a support mechanism for the straight back bed frame, thus providing stability to the elevated bed. The wells on the attachment blocks have a retaining side wall formed therearound, extending past the bottom surface of the attachment block. The retaining side wall of the well is of a size and shape to match the well of the base block or another attachment block, providing a stable nesting feature, thus allowing for the elevation of a bed to be easily adjusted.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to provisional patent application 60/180,648 filed on Feb. 7, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to a bed elevating device, capable of receiving and securely elevating various types of headboards for beds, including straight-back bed frames as well as other types of legs of beds.  
           [0004]    2. Review of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Persons with certain medical conditions, such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease, are often advised by their physicians to raise the head of their beds, to introduce a tilt to their sleeping surface, which can have beneficial physiological effects. For example, when gastro-esophageal reflux disease is present in an individual, the tilting of a sleeping surface utilizes gravity to decrease the likelihood that acidic stomach contents will pass upward through the esophageal sphincter. Elevation of the head of a bed may also be useful to assist individuals with other physical ailments such as sinusitis, allergy symptoms and other conditions. Depending on the nature and severity of the condition, doctors may give different advice as to the degree of tilt necessary to alleviate a condition. Doctors may also advise an individual to initially start with a greater tilt and gradually taper the degree of tilt as the condition improves. For this reason, it is advantageous to have a system that allows for an individual to easily and securely adjust the head of a bed to various specific heights.  
           [0006]    There are many inventions disclosed in the prior art capable of elevating furniture or bed frames; however, none of the prior art has the adaptive capability to elevate all types of bed frames, including a straight back bed frame in a secure fashion. Additionally, the prior art does not provide for a system of elevating the head of a bed, along with providing support for the elevated middle support post of the bed to a proportional height. Finally, other bed elevating devices do not allow for the bed to be easily moved once it is in the elevated position.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The object of the present invention is to provide a bed elevating device that is capable of adaptively receiving and securely elevating legs of beds or the bottom portion of a straight back bed frame. This objective is achieved by utilizing a base block having a well disposed within its top surface, capable of receiving most legs of beds. The top surface of the base block also has first and second side walls which can be removed, leaving raised walls capable of receiving and securely elevating and retaining a straight back bed frame or an unusually large or unique shaped leg of a bed. The raised walls serve to retain the bed frame in an elevated position and thus prevents the bed frame from slipping off of the bed elevating device.  
           [0008]    The present invention also allows a bed in the elevated position to be easily moved, since the leg or straight back bed frame is securely retained when in the elevated position. Also, the bottom surface of the base block is created of a non-frictional material capable of sliding easily across a floor and the bottom surface of the base block may also be adapted to receive rollers, thus facilitating the ease of movement.  
           [0009]    An attachment block can also be utilized in conjunction with the base block to provide for increased elevation of a bed. An attachment block has a top surface with a well formed therein, a retaining side wall formed therearound, extending downward below the bottom surface the attachment block. The retaining side wall of the well is of a size and a shape to match the well in the base block or another attachment block, thus providing for a stable nesting of the blocks. The well of the attachment block also has first and second side walls which can be removed, leaving a raised front and rear wall capable of receiving and securely elevating a straight back bed frame or a unusually large or unique shaped leg of a bed.  
           [0010]    Another object of this invention is to provide a bed elevating device with features that prevent damage from occurring to the leg of a bed or bed frame that is elevated. The present invention utilizes inserts that fit within the well of the base block or attachment block to allow for minute adjustments to the elevation height of the bed. These inserts may also have an inclined or tilted surface so as to provide that the bottom of the bed leg or bed frame lay flush on the bed elevating device, thus preventing the possibility that damage will occur to the bed frame or leg of the bed. Additionally, these inserts may be padded, thus further providing additional protection for the bed leg or frame.  
           [0011]    Finally, this invention utilizes a system wherein the middle support posts of a bed may also be supported at a proportionate height to the elevation of the head of the bed. A combination of all these factors provides an easily adjustable and secure means for elevating a bed. 
       
    
    
     A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a base block of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base block of the present invention with the first and second side walls of the well removed.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the first and second side walls of the well and the base block of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an attachment block of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the attachment block of FIG. 4.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is an exploded view of an insert and a base block of the present invention with the first and second side walls of the well removed.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a tilted insert and a base block of the present invention with the first and second side walls of the well removed.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a base block nested with two attachment blocks of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a base block nested with an attachment block of the present invention that has the first and second side walls of the well removed, and supporting a straight back bed frame.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a base block and an attachment block of the present invention with the first and second side walls of the well retained supporting a leg of a bed.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 is a side view of a bed elevated by a base block and an attachment block of the present invention at the head and proportionately shorter base block and attachment block at the middle support post.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12 is a side view of a head of a bed frame elevated by a base block of the present invention with a tilted insert.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the bottom surface of a base block of the present invention with rollers.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a tilted insert showing a padded top.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0026]    The initial component of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, which discloses a rectangular shaped base block  1  with a well  2  disposed within its top surface  3 . The well  2  has a first and second side wall,  4 ,  5  and a front and rear wall  6 ,  7 . The disclosed shape of the base block  1  is a rectangle, but the shape may vary to include, but not limited to, a round, square, oval or other design shape. The bottom surface  15  of the base block  1  is flat and is comprised of a non-frictional surface, thus enabling it to slide easily across any type of flooring, including carpet. In its preferred embodiment, the base block  1  would be constructed of a hard plastic material; however, it may also be constructed of wood, metal or another comparable material. Additionally, the bottom surface  15  of the base block  1  may contain apertures  16 , as shown in FIG. 13 to allow for the insertion of rollers,  17  to additionally facilitate ease of movement of an elevated bed. The apertures  16  may be placed along the four corners of the bottom surface  15  of the base block  1 , and the rollers  17  may be attached to the bottom surface  15  similar to a self-locking dowel system.  
         [0027]    The well  2  of the base block  1  is sufficient depth into which the leg of a bed  71 , shown in FIG. 11, may be placed and securely maintained by the well  2 . The well  2  is typically a depth of at least one to one-half inches, but the depth may be varied. The well  2 , as is shown in FIG. 1, is the shape of a rectangle; however, this shape may vary to include, but not be limited to, other shapes, such as round, square, oval or other design.  
         [0028]    The first and second side walls  4 ,  5  of the well  2  of the base block  1  are removable, as is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 shows that once these first and second side walls  4 ,  5  are removed, the base block  1  is capable of receiving a straight back bed frame  70 , shown in FIG. 9, which is securely retained by the raised front and rear walls  6 ,  7 . The raised front and rear walls  6 ,  7  provide a support structure that prevents a straight back bed frame  70  from inadvertently sliding off of the base block  1 . The additional support provided by the raised front and rear walls  6 ,  7  also allow for a bed to be moved while in an elevated position.  
         [0029]    The well  1  may be defined by many shapes, in which case the side walls  4 ,  5  may merely be portions of the surrounding structure of well  2 . This may also be utilized in design of the corresponding attachment blocks  20 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3 shows the first and second side walls  4 ,  5  of the well  2  attached to the base block  1  by means of two mortise structures  8 ,  9  on the first and second side walls of the well  4 ,  5  of the base block  1  and two tenon structures  10 ,  11  on the raised front and rear walls  6 ,  7  of the well  2 . Similar connecting devices, such as a dovetail or flared insert design, could also be utilized for attaching the first and second side walls  4 ,  5  to the base block  1  when necessary. FIG. 3 also shows the bottom surface  12  of the well  2  of the base block  1 , which has a plurality of apertures  13  formed therein. The first and second side walls  4 ,  5  have a plurality of extensions  14  on the bottom surface of each first and second side wall  4 ,  5 , which are removably retained by the apertures  13  of the bottom surface  12  of the well  2 , thus providing for additional support to retain the first and second side walls  4 ,  5  of the well  2  to the base block  1 . Recessed bolts, screws, clamps or other means could also be utilized to secure the first and second side walls  4 ,  5  of the well  2  to the base block  1 .  
         [0031]    When the first and second side walls  4 ,  5  of the well  2  are secured to the base block  1 , as depicted in FIG. 1, the base block  1  is capable of receiving an attachment block  20 , shown in FIG. 4, to provide for additional elevation of a bed. The attachment block  20  has a top surface  21  that contains a well  22  formed by a retaining side wall  23 , which extends downward though the attachment block  20 . The well  22  extends throughout the width of the attachment block  20  and past the bottom surface  31  of the attachment block  20 , as is shown in FIG. 5. The depth of the well  22  of the attachment block  20  may vary, but does not extend past the bottom surface  31  of the attachment block  20 . The retaining wall  23  of the well  22  of the attachment block  20 , which extends throughout the attachment block  20  and past the bottom surface  31  of the attachment block  20 , is a solid piece.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 illustrates that the well  22  on the attachment block  20  also has first and second side walls  24 ,  25  that are removably retained by the attachment block  20 . When the first and second side walls  24 ,  25  of the well  22  of the attachment block  20  are retained, the attachment block  20  is capable of securely receiving and elevating the leg of a bed  71 , as is shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 9 shows that once these first and second side walls  24 ,  25  are removed, the attachment block  20  is capable of receiving a straight back bed frame  70 , which is then securely supported by raised front and rear walls  26 ,  27  of the attachment block  20 .  
         [0033]    As is illustrated in FIG. 4, each of these first and second side walls  24 ,  25  of the attachment block  20  are connected to the attachment block  20  by two mortise structures  28 ,  29  on the first and second side walls  24 ,  25  of the attachment block  20  and two tenon  30 ,  31  structures on the front and rear walls  26 ,  27  of the well  22  on the attachment block  20 . The well  22  of the attachment block  20  also has a bottom surface  32  that has a plurality of apertures  33  formed therein. The first and second side walls  24 ,  25  of the attachment block  20  additionally have a plurality of extensions  34  on the bottom surfaces, which are removably retained by the apertures  33  of the bottom surface  32  of the well  22  of the attachment block  20 , which provides additional support for the first and second side walls  24 ,  25  when they are retained by the attachment block  20 . Recessed bolts, screws, clamps or other means could also be utilized to secure the first and second side walls  24 ,  25  of the well  22  to the attachment block  20 . Both the base block  1  and the attachment blocks  20  may be constructed without the ability to remove the first and second side walls  4 ,  5 ,  24 ,  25 , of the wells  2 ,  22 .  
         [0034]    When a bed frame is to be elevated to a level greater than the height of a combined base block  1  and attachment block  20 , a second attachment block  40 , as is shown in FIG. 8, may be used to increase the level of elevation. If a second attachment block  40  is utilized with a combined base block  1  and attachment block  20 , the first and second side walls  4 ,  5  of the well  2  on the base block  1  must be retained, along with the first and second side walls  24 ,  25  of the well  22  of the attachment block  20 . The second attachment block  40  may then have the first and second side walls  44 ,  45  of the well  42  removed or retained, depending on the type of bed frame needing elevation. If the first and second side walls  44 ,  45  of the well  42  are removed to accommodate a straight back bed frame  70 , then the raised front and rear walls  46 ,  47  assist in securely maintaining the bed frame.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 8 illustrates how the retaining side wall  43  of the well  42  of the second attachment block  40 , which extends beyond the bottom surface  51  of the second attachment block  40 , is designed to fit securely into the well  22  of the attachment block  20 . Accordingly, the retaining side wall  23  of the well  22  of the attachment block  20  must correspond to the shape of the well  2  of the base block  1  into which it is to be inserted. Once two or more attachment blocks  20  are utilized in this stacking manner, the stacked attachment blocks  20  are all retained within the well  2  of the base block  1 . Although the well  22  of the attachment block  20  and well  42  of the second attachment block  40  are both shown in the accompanying drawings in the shape of a rectangle, its shape can vary to include, but not be limited to, round, square, oval or other design. If increased elevation is required, more than two attachment blocks  20  may be utilized.  
         [0036]    Base blocks  1  and attachment blocks  20  of varying heights may also be used to elevate the middle support post  73  of a bed. As is shown in FIG. 11, the base block  1  or combination of base block  1  and attachment blocks  20  used to elevate the middle support post  73  of the bed should be proportionately shorter than the base block  1  or combination of base block  1  and attachment blocks  20  used at the head of a bed by a factor of approximately one-half, since the middle support posts for beds are typically approximately midway between the top and bottom of the frame, and is thus raised approximately one-half as high as the front of the bed.  
         [0037]    The height to which a bed is elevated by the present invention may vary. For example, a base block  1  of four inches in height along with an attachment block  20  of four inches may be utilized to raise the head of the bed. In this situation, if a middle support bar was present on the bed, a base block  1  or a combination of a base block  1  and an attachment block  20  could be utilized to elevate the middle support post  73 . For example, the middle support post  73  could be supported by a base block  1  of four inches in height or a combination of a base block  1  of two inches and an attachment block  20  of two inches in height. It is anticipated that base blocks  1  and attachment blocks  20  of varying heights could be produced to allow for beds to be raised to numerous desired increments.  
         [0038]    The bottom surfaces of the wells  12 ,  32  of both the base block  1  and the attachment block  20  may be covered with a non-slip material  61 , as is shown in FIG. 2, to prevent the resting leg, roller or straight back frame of the bed from slipping off the base block  1  or attachment block  20 . This non-slip material  61  increases the stability of the elevated bed and assists in ensuring that the bed leg or frame does not slip off the bed elevating device.  
         [0039]    The height of the blocks may be minutely adjusted by use of inserts  80 , as is shown in FIG. 6. These inserts  80  have a top surface  81  and a bottom surface  82 , which fit on the bottom surfaces of the wells  12 ,  32  of either the base block  1  or the adjustment block  22 . These inserts  80  can be utilized either with the first and second side walls  4 ,  5 ,  24 ,  25  of the wells  2 ,  22  retained or with the first and second side walls  4 ,  5 ,  24 ,  25  removed. If utilized with the first and second side walls  4 ,  5 ,  24 ,  25  retained, the insert  80  would be designed to fit within the well  2 ,  22  structure itself If the insert  80  is utilized with the first and second side walls  4 ,  5 ,  24 ,  25  removed, then the insert  80  would be designed to cover the entire bottom surface of the well  12 ,  32 , as is shown in FIG. 6, which illustrates an insert  80  utilized with a base block  1  with the first and second side walls  4 ,  5  of the well  2  removed. The insert  80  has a plurality of extensions  83  on its bottom surface  82 , designed to fit within the plurality of apertures  16 ,  36  formed on the bottom surfaces of the well  12 ,  32  on the base block  1  or attachment block  20 . The inserts  80  could also be attached to the base block  1  or attachment block  20  by means of recessed bolts, screws, clamps or other means.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 7 shows how tilted inserts  85  may also be used in conjunction with the base block  1  or an attachment block  20 . The tilted inserts  85  have an inclined top surface  86 , resembling a ramp-type structure, and attach to the base block  1  or attachment block  20  in the same fashion as the inserts  80  previously discussed. The tilted inserts  85  serve to provide an inclined structure on which to rest the frame or leg of the bed, as is shown in FIG. 12, providing that the bottom of the bed frame will rest flush on the bottom surface of the well  12 ,  32 , thus reducing the possibility that damage to the bed may occur with use of the bed elevating device. The degree of incline on the top surface  86  of the tilted inserts  85  may be varied to provide various degrees of angles. Additionally, the inserts  80  and tilted inserts  85  may also contain a pad  90  on their top surfaces  81 ,  86 , as is shown in FIG. 14, to further provide protection from damage to the bed frame or leg of the bed.  
         [0041]    The inserts  80  and the tilted inserts  85  may be covered with a non-slip material  61  to assist in preventing the bed frame or leg from slipping off of the base block  1  or attachment block  20 . Also, the exterior shape of the inserts  80  and tilted inserts  85  may be varied to accommodate the shape of the well  2 ,  22  of the base block  1  or the attachment block  20  with which it is to be utilized.  
         [0042]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications thereof can&#39;t be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.