Abstract:
A multiple use item of furniture which acts as both couch and bed, comprised of two pad support members attached in a pivotal and displaceable fashion wherein the members have limited lateral motion along the pivot point to allow for temporary locking and unlocking of the two pad support members to enable one of the pad support members to be temporarily used as a lever arm to move the other pad support member from a bed position to a back rest position.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to futon frames and, more specifically, to improvements to futon frames enabling quick yet secure conversion of a futon frame from a bed position to a couch position and vice versa. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The concept of devices for tilting a sofa bed or futon frame between a bed position and a couch position are old in the art. Typically, they use some type of a pawl or dog which lockingly engages one part of a folding frame with a second part of a folding frame. Generally, these members require gravity to force the pawl or dog into a position which causes latching between the two parts of the folding frame. The present invention eliminates the need for separate pawls or dogs by using pad support members that can be brought into temporary mechanical lever type engagement with one another to move one of the pad support members from the bed position to the couch position. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,640 shows a latching assembly for a sofa bed which uses pawls to hold the seat and back in position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,730 shows a sofa bed recliner with a mechanism which allows the back member to move forward as a user converts the unit from a couch to a bed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,611 shows a sofa bed recliner with a detent which locks the frames to allow movement from a horizontal to a vertical condition. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 835,770 shows a convertible couch and bed with pivoting links for movement from a couch position to a seat position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,343,642 shows a latch and dog arrangement for holding the back in relation to the seat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,675 shows a further embodiment of the latch and dog arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 2,343,642. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,244 shows sofa bed with a triangular block for engaging the back and seat area with each other. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,893 illustrates a sofa bed utilizing a pair of reaction plates to adjoin the seat and back areas together. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,823 depicts a sofa bed wherein the backrest engages forward upon formation of the bed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,206 shows a sofa bed with seat and back not mechanically connected with one another. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,319,337 depicts a sofa bed wherein the back and seat are connected by permenant fixed bolts. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,294,475 illustrates a sofa bed with back and seat members engaging one another by means of an attached side plate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the invention comprises a futon which tilts from a bed position to a couch position and vice versa with the futon including a first pad support member and a second pad support member with the second pad support member laterally and pivotally displaceable with respect to the first pad support member to enable the second pad support member to temporarily form a lever arm for engaging the first pad support member to enable the second pad support member to raise the first pad support member from a horizontal position to a generally vertical position to thereby convert the futon from a bed to a couch. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a side view of the futon of the present invention in the bed position; 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the pad support members of the present invention in the unassembled position; 
     FIG. 3 shows a top view of the pad support members of the present invention in the bed position with the the pad support members located in pivotal engagement with each other; 
     FIG. 4 shows a partial view of the pivotal members that connect the pad support members to each other; 
     FIG. 5 shows a side of the futon pad support members in the bed position; 
     FIG. 6 shows the pad support members of FIG. 5 with the members extended from each other in an unlocked position to initiate the process of converting the bed into a couch; 
     FIG. 7 shows the pad support members of FIG. 5 with one of the pad support members pivoted upward; 
     FIG. 8 shows the pad support members of FIG. 5 with one of the pad support members pivoted upward sufficiently far so as to form a lever type engagement with the other pad support member; 
     FIG. 9 shows the pad support members of FIG. 5 with one of the pad support members being used as a lever to move the other pad support member; 
     FIG. 10 shows the pad support members of FIG. 5 with one of the pad support members located in the back rest position and the other in the seat cushion position; and 
     FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of one of the arms of the futon. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 reference numeral 10 identifies a futon frame having a first arm 11. Extending laterally outward from arm 11 is a first pad support member 12 and a second pad support member 13. FIG. 11 shows a second arm 11a with cross rails 50 and 51 that connects arm 11 to arm 11a to form a rectangular frame for supporting the pad support members. Arm 11 includes a first slot 21 shown in dashed lies for engaging a roller 22 attached to the side of pad support member 12 and a second slot 24 for engaging a second roller 25. Similarly, arm 11 on the opposite side (FIG. 11) includes slots 21&#39; and 24&#39; for supporting corresponding rollers on the opposite side of pad support member 12. 
     FIG. 2 shows the pad support members 12 and 13 in the unassembled position. In the embodiment shown, pad support member 12 could be the back rest frame member and pad support member 13 could be the seat frame member when the futon frame is converted into a couch. One end of pad support member 12 includes a first extension 30a with an opening 30c therein. Similarly, the opposite end of pad support member 12 includes a second extension 30 with an opening 30d therein. Pad support member 13 includes a front cross member 13c, a rear cross member 13d and two end members 13a and 13b and slats 14c. End member 13a includes an elongated opening 40 and similarly end member 13b includes an elongated opening 33. Pad support member 13 is sufficiently smaller in width than pad support member 12 to allow end members 13a and 13b to be held between first extension 30a and second extension 30 with free movement between the pad members with respect to each other. Located on the bottom of pad support member 13 is a first stop 13s and a second stop (not shown) which form engagment with cross rail 51. 
     FIG. 3 shows the pad support members 12 and 13 in the assembled position. In the assembled position a pin 32 connects extension 30a to end member 13a and similarly a pin 32a connects extension 30 to end member 13b. Pad support member 12 includes side members 12d and 12g, and cross members 12f and 12e and a set of slats 12c. Similarly pad support member 13 includes slats 13c for supporting a futon pad thereon. Located on one side of pad support member 12 are rollers 22 and 25 and located on the opposite side of pad support member 13 are rollers 26 and 27. 
     FIG. 4 shows a partial sectional and exploded view of the pin 32a that connects extension 30 to member 13b. As pin 32 is identical, only pin 32a will be described. Pin 32a comprises a bolt 35, a nylon roller 34 that fits around bolt 35 and a cap nut 36 for securing to threads of bolt 35. In the assembled position roller 34 is positioned within a closed end 33a and a closed end 33b elongated guide slot 33 to permit lateral displacement of end member 13b with respect to extension 30. Similarly, pin 32 is position with respect to a first closed end and a second closed end elongated slot 40 to permit lateral displacement of end member 13a with respect to extension 30a. 
     FIGS. 5 through 10 show a schematic of how the futon frame is converted from the bed position to the couch position. FIG. 5 is taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 3 to illustrate the relationship of pad support members 12 and 13 during the repositioning of the couch. To illustrate how pad 12 moves with respect to the backrest guide slots in the end frame the slots in the end frame 11 are illustrated as 21&#39; and 24&#39;. The rollers 27 and 26 which are located on the right side of pad 12 are illustrated in their various positions in regard to the back rest guide slots 21&#39; and 24&#39; so that the action of converting the futon from a bed to a couch position can be illustrated. 
     FIG. 5 shows pad support member 12 and pad support member 13 in an abutting end to end relationship with each other. In this position pin 32a is located in the far right end of elongated slot 33. Pad support member 12 is supported by cross rail 50 and pad support member is supported by cross rail 51. 
     FIG. 6 shows that pad support member 13 has been pulled longitudinally outward and away from pad support member 12. Note, end 13e is now spaced from member 12e with pin 32a now located in the left end of elongated slot 33. 
     FIG. 7 shows that pad support member 13 being rotated counterclockwise about pin 32a. In this condition the end member 13e clears end member 12e to permit the upward rotation of pad support member 13. 
     FIG. 8 shows that pad support member 13 has been rotated sufficiently so that the top edge 13f of pad support member 13 sits in engagement with member 12e of pad support member 12. Note the weight of pad support member 13 causes pad support member 13 to slide downward along pin 32a thus putting pin 32a at the top of elongated slot 33. In this condition, the two pad support members 12 and 13 are no longer in clearing relationship to each other but are in a temporary interlocking engagement with each other. 
     FIG. 9 shows pad support member 12 being rotated clockwise as pad support member 12 is temporarily used as a lever arm. Note that as the pad support member 12 is pivoted upward with the guide rollers 27 and 25 move along the slots 21&#39; and 24&#39; respectively. Thus the application of a lever like force to one end of pad support member 12 causes pad support member 12 to move from the horizontal position toward an upright position with the movement of the pad support member 12 being controlled by back rest guide slots 21&#39; and 24&#39;. 
     FIG. 10 shows that continued clockwise movement of pad support member 13 forces pad support member 12 to move to the backrest position and pad support member 13 to the seat position. Thus, from view of FIG. 5 to FIG. 10 it is apparent that all one has to do to move the futon frame from a bed position to a couch position is to pull out pad support member 13, rotate it upward until the pad support member 13 interlocks with pad support member 12, push down on pad support member 13 to raise the pad support member 12 and bring the unit into the couch position, wherein pad support member 12 acts as a back rest and pad support member 13 acts as a seat. 
     If one wants to covert the unit from the couch position to the bed position the user lifts up on pad support member 13 and pulls on pad support member 13 causing pad support member 12 to move with respect to back rest guide slots 21&#39; and 24&#39;. That is, a pulling force on pad support member 12 pulls pad support members 12 and 13 free of interlocking relationship to permit the pad support member 13 to move to the horizontal position shown in FIG. 5.