Abstract:
The invention relates to a safety restraint device for a bed for a motor vehicle to protect the bed&#39;s occupant during a crash situation without damaging the frame of the bed. The restraint device attaches to the bed with a pivot bolt. The pivot bolt also pivotally connects the side slat of the bed frame and a pivot bracket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a restraint device for a bed in a motor vehicle, especially a large motor vehicle such as a truck. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Long haul trucking plays a major role in North American shipping. For reasons of economy and convenience, long haul truck tractors are provided with sleepers, semi-enclosed sections of the vehicle cabs extending behind the operator section of the cab. The use of a sleeper on a truck allows the driver to rest and sleep when on the road and away from home. Sleepers typically include one or more bunks for sleeping, and sometimes amenities such as tables, chairs, storage closets and the like. Living space is at a premium in these sections, in part because the permissible length of the compartments is severely limited by legal limitations on the overall length of vehicles and the need to protect the swing clearance area for a trailer attached to the truck tractor&#39;s fifth wheel. Therefore, overhead fold down beds provide additional sleeping accommodations in limited space. Due to space constraints, access to the berths is typically limited to one side of the berth. 
     Being located within the cab structure, the furniture within the sleeper section must meet various performance requirements associated with the proper operation of the vehicle. The beds, whether a built-in bunk or overhead fold down bed, must meet various crash test standards in order to protect the vulnerable occupant sleeping on the bed during a crash. 
     A fold down bed not only has to meet crash standards, but the bed has to easily fold up and down and lock into a desired position. The beds typically have a net restraint system to protect the occupant. In the prior art shown in  FIG. 9 , the front of the bed frame  112  receives the load from the restraint system  114 . Because the load is concentrated in only two spots in the front, the load can distort the frame. To reduce or prevent this distortion, extra straps are needed for even load distribution. 
     Therefore, it would be an advantage to produce a restraint system for a bed that distributes the load from the restraint system somewhere other than only the front of the bed frame. It would also be advantageous to produce a restraint system for a bed that does not easily distort the bed during a crash situation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a motor vehicle, such as a truck, has a cab enclosure, including a back cab wall and parallel side cab walls. A bed is located within the cab enclosure. The bed has a bed frame with a front slat, a back slat, and opposite side slats between the front and back slats. Each side slat has a pivot hole. A mattress support attaches to the bed frame at the bottom. 
     A lower restraint device is located on the mattress support, typically between the mattress support and the mattress. Pivot bolts pivotally connect the side slats of the bed frame and pivot brackets and matingly engage the lower restraint device. The pivot brackets connect the bed frame with the side cab walls. 
     Additional effects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a motor vehicle with a fold down bed of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a bunk assembly and fold down bed in the folded position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a fold down bed with a safety restraint system of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a fold down bed with a safety restraint system of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of a fold down bed with a safety restraint system of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is partial top perspective view of a pivot joint with the bed pivotally connected to the cab of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial exploded view of the pivot joint of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial side perspective view of a fold down bed and restraint system of the invention installed in a cab; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a prior art fold down bed installed in a cab. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the figures where like reference numerals refer to like structures, a large motor vehicle  10 , such as a truck  11 , has a cab  12  with a front cab wall  15 , a back cab wall  14  and side cab walls  16 ,  17  therebetween to form a cab enclosure  18 . 
     A bunk assembly  20  is located against the back cab wall  14  and between the side cab walls  16 ,  17  as seen in  FIG. 2 . A fold down bed  22  is installed in the cab enclosure  18  above the bunk assembly  20 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the fold down bed  22  in the open position. The fold down bed has a bed frame  24  pivotally connected to a pivot bracket  26 . To protect the occupant of the fold down bed  22  during travel, the fold down bed  22  has a restraint system  28  coupled to the bed frame  24 . The restraint system  28  has releasably engaging upper and lower restraint devices  30 ,  32 . The restraint system  28  can also couple to a bed frame of the bunk assembly  20  (not shown). 
     The fold down bed  22  has a bed frame  24  with a front slat  34 , a back slat  36 , and opposite side slats  38  between the front and back slats  34 ,  36 . Each slat can have a lip  40 . Each side slat  38  has a pivot hole  42  located at one end near the back slat  36  when assembled. A bushing  90  can be located within the pivot hole  42  of the side slat  38 . 
     A mattress support  44 , such as a deck, attaches to the bottom of the bed frame  24 . A mattress  46  fits within the bed frame  24  and on top of the mattress support  44 . 
     When folded down, the fold down bed  22  is supported with front brackets  48  and rear pivot brackets  26  attached to the side cab walls. Front brackets  48  connect to the side cab walls  16 ,  17  and engage stops located on the outer face of the side slats  38  near the front slat  34 . 
     Pivot brackets  26 ,  27  fasten to the side cab walls  16 ,  17  near the back cab wall  14 . The pivot brackets  26 ,  27  pivotally connect to the side slats  38  of the bed frame  24  near the back slat  36 . Pivot bracket  26  can have a pivot bore  52  located at the bottom of the pivot bracket  26 . The pivot bracket  26  is preferably S-shaped. 
     Pivot bolts  50  pivotally connect the side slats  38  of the bed frame  24  and the pivot brackets  26 . A pivot bolt  50  inserts through the pivot bore  52  of one of the pivot brackets  26  and the pivot hole  42  or a bushing  90  located within the pivot hole  42  of the side slats  38 . The pivot bolt  50  is preferably a shoulder bolt  54  with a flat head  56 , a smooth shoulder  58  and a threaded shank  60 . When assembled, a nut  62  threads onto the shank  60  to lock the pivot bolt  50  to the pivot bracket  26 . 
     The restraint system  28  engages the bed frame  24  at the side slats  38  with the pivot bolts  50 . The restraint system  28  has a lower restraint device  32  located between the mattress support  44  and the mattress  46  of the fold down bed during use. The lower restraint device  32  matingly engages the pivot bolts  50  at the pivot brackets  26 . When in use, the lower restraint device  32  releasably engages an upper restraint device  30  with a mating device  71 , such as a buckle  72 . The lower restraint device  32  can have lower lateral straps  68 ,  69  engaging upper lateral straps  66 ,  67  of the upper restraint device  30  and a lower central strap  70  engaging an upper central strap  64 . Each end of the lower straps has part of the mating device  71 , such as a female receiver  74  at the end of the lower straps  68 ,  69 ,  70 . 
     The lower central strap  70  can be Y-shaped with two branches  78  fastened together or to a stem  80  at or near the front of the bed. The distal ends  82  of the lower central strap  70  can fasten to the lateral lower straps  68 ,  69 , preferably distal to the buckles  72 . The distal ends  83  of the lateral straps  68 ,  69  can have a plate  84  with an aperture  86  for receiving the pivot bolt  50 . The distal ends  83  of the lateral straps  68 ,  69  can twist or rotate to allow the plate  84  to parallel the side slat  38  before matingly engaging the pivot bolt  50 . 
     The upper restraint device  30  releasably engages the lower restraint device  32 , preferably with the buckle  72 . The upper restraint device  30  can have a tongue  76  that inserts within a female receiver  74  of the lower restraint device  32 . The upper restraint device  30  includes a net  88  that releasably fastens to the back cab wall  14  and side cab walls  16 ,  17  and can include tensioners. 
     The restraint system for a bed of the invention has a number of advantages. The restraint system redistributes the load from the front slat of the frame to the pivot bolt and pivot bracket. The pivot bolt transfers the load to the pivot bracket which is connected to the cab wall. The much larger cab wall receives the load and is better able to disperse the force. Because the load is better distributed, there is less of a chance of distorting the bed frame during use. The restraint system also is economical, requiring fewer straps or braces to prevent distortion. 
     While the invention is shown in only one of its forms, it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.