Hidden safe associated with a bed

An improved concealed safe is disclosed for concealment of firearms and other valuables therein, the safe being sized and shaped to replace a bed box-springs. The safe includes a top surface to support a mattress of a bed, a bottom surface to engage a supporting floor, a plurality of exterior side walls and corners being sized and shaped to support a mattress bed. The safe includes an internal storage cavity bounded by interior walls a lower floor. The safe includes side wall openings through at least one of the exterior side walls and through respective interior walls, into which one or more drawers can be inserted into the storage cavity. Each drawer is lockable and concealed from view when inserted into the safe in a concealed position, and each drawer is extendable outwards from the storage cavity into an exposed position. A rolling means supports each drawer and allows each drawer to be moved along at least one pair of roller tracks positioned on an interior wall within the storage cavity, providing a user ease of opening and loading each drawer in the exposed position, and allowing closing each drawer to the concealed position into the concealed safe that is hidden under a mattress and appears as a bed box-springs.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
 1. Field of Invention
 This invention relates to the field of concealed safes. More specifically
 this invention relates to a concealed safe hidden under a bed, with the
 safe having lockable drawers for storage of firearms and other valuables.
 2. Description of Related Art
 Prior support frames for beds have provided internal compartments within
 the support frames for storage of items. Typical bed support frames are
 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,435, issued to Dufresne, which discloses
 a space saver platform, hiding bed assembly having rigid covers that open
 upwards to reveal multiple storage compartments. A bed mattress can be
 placed on the rigid covers but must be removed before the rigid covers can
 be opened upwards.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,566, issued to Russell, discloses a storage locker that
 can support a bed, the storage locker having side wall doors that pivot
 upwards for entry into the storage locker. The side wall doors of the
 storage locker can be opened a distance upwards that is limited by the
 amount of overhang of a bed mattress placed on top of the storage locker.
 U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,435, issued to Philips et al., discloses an article of
 furniture that includes a top surface that can support couch cushions, bed
 mattresses, and/or additional furniture, and includes side wall drawers of
 generally light weight that open laterally outwards for storage of items
 within the drawers within the furniture.
 Additional prior devices that relate to beds and safes are discussed in the
 following U.S. Patents that define beds and/or bed frames having internal,
 lockable containers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,650, issued to King, et al.,
 discloses a furniture unit including a frame having at least one secure
 container within the frame. A door of the secure container is lockable in
 a closed position in the frame by a padlock positioned on the door. The
 secure container fits into a frame side that opposes a second frame side
 having drawers therein. The secure container includes means extending from
 the secure container into the frame to secure the container in a fixed
 position within the frame. The means extending includes a nut welded to
 the frame, and a bolt securing arrangement that is fixed to and within the
 frame. The secure container includes a quick access door separate from the
 lockable door, with the quick access door independently lockable within
 the container.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,315, issued to Wachenheim, discloses a waterbed
 pedestal for supporting a waterbed frame and mattress. The pedestal
 includes a plurality of panels defining a cavity in the pedestal, with a
 safe positioned within the cavity. The safe is secured within the cavity
 with an attaching means, such as fixed flanges, to position the safe in
 the cavity behind a removable panel that hides the cavity and the safe. An
 anti-theft means secures the safe in position by attaching the safe to one
 of the sides of the cavity. The removable panel includes a door hinged and
 mounted to the pedestal panel to hide the safe. The safe is not removable
 from a fixed position within the cavity unless the attaching means, hidden
 behind the safe, is disconnected.
 The prior support frames are generally frames having an internal cavity
 into which drawers are positioned, with a lockable safe or secure
 container positioned permanently within the support frame. Therefore, a
 user must open one or more panels or doors, and reach into the safe or
 container to retrieve one or more generally small and/or light-weight
 items of value stored within the safe. There is a need for an improved,
 hidden safe containing sliding drawers that provide ease of access to
 articles of value having extended length, width, and/or heavy weight.
 There is also a need for a concealed safe that is positionable in an
 inconspicuous position in a home and that is quickly accessible to an
 owner.
 Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
 safe that replaces a bed box-springs to support a mattress of a bed.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide a concealed safe
 of sufficient size and shape to be generally unmovable by an intruder, and
 to provide a reinforced interior cavity accessible to a user for lockable
 storage of articles of value.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide a concealed safe
 that is sized and shaped to support a mattress of a bed, the safe having
 at least one lockable drawer slidably extendable from the interior of the
 safe, into which firearms and other sizable articles of value can be
 placed for safekeeping and concealment.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide a plurality of
 independently lockable storage compartments within a disguised safe
 supporting a mattress of a bed, with the storage compartments having
 drawers that are slidably movable into the safe for disguised storage of
 weapons and other articles of value.
 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 Other objects and advantages will be accomplished by the present invention
 which includes an improved concealed safe being sized and shaped to
 replace a box-springs for a bed, the concealed safe including exterior
 walls having a top surface to support a mattress for a bed, a bottom
 surface to engage a supporting floor, a plurality of exterior side walls
 being connected between the top surface and the bottom surface, and
 exterior corners being sized and shaped to support the mattress. The
 concealed safe provides for secure storage of portable firearms and other
 articles of value having extended length and/or width. The concealed safe
 includes a plurality of interior walls being generally oriented parallel
 to each respective wall of the exterior walls, the interior walls having
 internal surfaces, the plurality of interior walls including a lower
 surface parallel to and interior of the bottom surface of the exterior
 walls of the safe. A storage cavity is formed within the safe and is
 bounded by the internal surfaces of the plurality of interior walls. An
 opening is provided through one of the plurality of exterior side walls of
 the concealed safe, the opening being extended through the respective
 interior wall into the storage cavity. A drawer is provided and is movable
 through the opening, the drawer being positionable in a concealed position
 by being inserted into the storage cavity, the drawer also being
 positionable in an exposed position by being extended outwards from the
 storage cavity through the opening, the drawer including an outwardly
 faced surface having at least one rolling means attached thereon. The
 drawer includes an end cover being oriented to cover the opening when the
 drawer is in the concealed position. The end cover includes a lock
 thereon, the drawer being lockable with the lock when in the concealed
 position. The interior walls of the storage cavity and/or portions of the
 outwardly faced surface of the drawer include at least one roller track on
 at least one of the interior walls, preferably on the lower floor of the
 storage cavity. The at least one roller track being aligned with the at
 least one rolling means attached on the drawer. The user of the concealed
 safe can position a mattress bed on top of the concealed safe, which
 replaces the box-springs, and can place the articles of value having
 extended length and/or width such as guns and/or rifles into the drawer
 when the drawer is positioned in the exposed position. The user can
 position the drawer to the concealed position by the rolling means being
 rolled along the at least one roller track until the drawer is concealed
 within the storage cavity. The drawer is lockable in the concealed
 position with the lock. A plurality of drawers having locks can be
 provided in the exterior side walls to provide space-efficient, secure
 storage in the concealed safe for firearms and other articles of value,
 with the concealed safe disguised as a replacement box-springs positioned
 underneath a mattress for a bed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 An improved concealed safe is disclosed incorporating various features of
 the present invention as illustrated generally at 10 in FIG. 1. The
 improved concealed safe 10, is designed in a configuration having
 generally the size and shape of a mattress 12 (see FIG. 2) having
 twin-size, queen-size, or king-size proportions. The concealed safe 10 is
 configured in a height 14 of generally the height of a bed box-springs
 that the concealed safe 10 is designed to replace and mimic in size and
 shape a mattress 12.
 The preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4b, is designed to
 support a mattress for a bed, by placement of the concealed safe 10
 underneath the mattress and directly on the supporting surface of the
 floor, or by placement within a bed support frame (not shown) that is
 built to support the heavy weight of the concealed safe 10. The preferred
 embodiment of concealed safe 10 does not include support springs within
 the upper portion of the height 14 of the safe as an alternative
 embodiment may include, but a cushioned pad (not shown) can be provided to
 cover the top surface 20, and/or the plurality of exterior side walls. As
 shown in FIG. 1, a head board first end 16 comprises the first end of the
 plurality of exterior walls of the concealed safe 10, with the opposing
 end being the foot board second end 18. If preferred by an user to bolster
 the disguise of the concealed safe 10 as a box-springs, a bed head board
 (not shown), and a bed foot board can be attachable by brackets (not
 shown) to the respective first end 16 and/or second end 18.
 In FIGS. 1-3a, one exterior side wall, namely the first side wall 24 that
 is opposite a second side wall 26, can include an opening 28 through which
 a movable first elongated drawer 30 is positioned. FIG. 2 illustrates the
 first drawer 30 in a concealed position within the first side wall 24.
 The preferred embodiment provides the drawer 30 having an interior drawer
 floor 32 (see FIG. 4b), and an end cover 34 that covers the opening 28
 when the drawer 30 is positioned in a concealed position as shown in FIG.
 2. The end cover 34 can include a locking mechanism 36 such as a rotary
 lock, or alternatively a key operated lock (not shown), along with one or
 more handles 38, 38' for opening and closing the drawer 30.
 As illustrated in FIG. 1, one embodiment includes a second drawer 42 that
 is positioned in the foot end 18 of the concealed safe 10. The second
 drawer 42 can be a relatively narrow width in relation to the elongated
 first drawer 30, to allow both drawers to be positioned in concealed
 positions in the safe 10 and underneath the mattress 12 without internal
 contact of each drawer within the concealed safe 10. The second drawer 42
 includes an interior floor 44 onto which articles of value can be
 positioned and/or attached, includes an end cover 45, and includes a
 second drawer lock 46 and at least one drawer handle 48.
 As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4a, the concealed safe 10 includes exterior
 walls having the top surface 20, a bottom surface 22 facing the supporting
 floor, the first side wall 24, second side wall 26, first end 16, and
 second end 18. Each drawer, if more than one drawer is utilized, is
 positionable in the concealed position within a storage cavity 50 within
 the safe 10. The storage cavity 50 is bounded by a plurality of interior
 walls of the safe 10, thereby providing a double-walled configuration that
 provides increased structural strength to the safe 10, and provides
 increased security for articles of value stored within or on the floor 32
 of first drawer 30, and/or floor 44 of second drawer 42.
 As illustrated in FIG. 4a, the plurality of interior walls of the storage
 cavity 50 include interior head side wall 52 that is oriented parallel to
 head board end 16, and second side wall 54 that is oriented generally
 parallel to second outer side wall 26. A foot side wall 56 is oriented
 generally parallel to foot board end 18, except for a corner section 56'
 that connects with second opening 40, with corner section 56' being
 generally oriented parallel to second side wall 26. The interior surface
 58 of the drawer end cover 34 serves as the interior first side wall, and
 is generally parallel to the outer first side wall 24. In an alternative
 embodiment, first drawer 30 can be oriented to be insertable through an
 opening (not shown) in second side wall 26, with first side wall 24 being
 a solid surface with a solid interior side wall (not shown). The exterior
 of the concealed safe 10 and interior walls 52, 54, 56, 56', 58 can be
 constructed of steel or other high-strength metal or composite material
 that deters forcible entry by breakage of one or more of the exterior
 walls. The interior side walls 52, 54, 56, 56' that are stationary are
 connected to an interior floor 60 of the interior of the cavity. The
 interior floor 60 is oriented generally parallel to the bottom exterior
 surface 22 of the safe 10.
 As illustrated in FIGS. 3a, 3b, and 4b, a first drawer 30 is positionable
 outwards 66 in an exposed position (see FIG. 3a), or positionable inwards
 68 in a concealed position (see FIGS. 3a and 4b), by being insertable
 through opening 28 and into the storage cavity within concealed safe 10.
 The means of movement of the drawer 30 is by a rolling means attachable to
 at least one outwardly faced surface of the drawer, either the two sides
 of the drawer, or preferably the underneath surface 70 of the drawer 30.
 The rolling means includes a first rolling unit having at least a first
 set of a plurality of rollers 72 having about two to five, or more,
 generally cylindrical or spherical rollers. The rolling means also
 includes a channel unit being oppositely disposed within the storage
 cavity for movable support of the drawer, the channel unit positioned
 adjacent the first rolling unit to allow the drawer to be movably
 positioned in the concealed position or in the exposed position.
 The rolling unit includes a first set of rollers 72, having two to five, or
 more, generally cylindrical or spherical rollers, with each suspended on
 separate rotational axes between a parallel pair of brackets or tracks 74
 for the first set of rollers. A second set of a plurality of rollers 76
 includes about two to five, or more, generally cylindrical or spherical
 rollers, with each roller aligned and suspended on separate rotational
 axes between a parallel pair of brackets or tracks 74 for the first set of
 rollers. The first set of rollers 72, and second set of rollers 76, and
 associated brackets or tracks 74, 78, are aligned parallel to each other,
 and oriented in the direction of movement 66, 68 of drawer 30, and
 attachable to the under surface 70 of first drawer 30. Alternative
 configurations of rollers are known to persons skilled in the art and can
 be utilized to allow the drawer 30 to be positionable along the direction
 of movement 66, 68. Similar configurations of sets of rollers are attached
 to the underside surface of the floor 44 of second drawer 42, and each
 additional drawers that are to be insertable into additional openings in
 side walls of concealed safe 10.
 When the drawer 30 is positioned into the storage cavity 50 in the
 concealed position, each of the sets of rollers 72, 76 follow along and
 into channel units that include a pair of rolling tracks 82, 84. In one
 embodiment, each roller track 82, 84 is oriented inside the storage cavity
 50 along an upper faced portion of the lower interior floor 60 (see FIG.
 4a). Each roller track 82, 84 is positionable parallel to the other pair
 of roller tracks for alignment with the at least one rolling means
 attached to the underside of the drawer 30. In one embodiment, the at
 least two pair of roller tracks 82, 84 is indented a sufficient depth into
 the upper faced portion of the lower interior floor 60 so that the
 indented roller tracts form channels for the at least one rolling means to
 follow along in when the drawer 30 is positioned in the concealed
 position, and when drawer 30 is moved to the exposed position. A
 sufficient depth into the upper faced portion of the floor 60 can range
 from about one eighth (1/8) inch, to about one half (1/2) inch, with each
 roller track 82, 84 having a width of about one quarter (1/4) inch to
 about one inch wide. Utilizing two generally parallel and adequately
 indented roller tracks allows a heavy drawer 30 containing a plurality of
 heavy articles of value to move smoothly into the storage cavity to the
 concealed position (see FIG. 4b). Similar parallel spaced roller tracks
 86, 88 are oriented inside the second opening 40, extending into the
 storage cavity 50, to allow the potentially heavily weighted second drawer
 42 to be positioned in the concealed position.
 An alternate embodiment for the rolling means includes at least one set of
 side rollers movable between pairs of rails attachable to each side of
 drawer 30. The side oriented rollers are insertable into, and mate with a
 set of parallel side tracks (not shown) on each of the interior surfaces
 of interior wall 52 and 56, with each respective side of drawer 30 movably
 supported between interior walls 52, 56.
 A further alternative embodiment provides one centered roller track, or two
 parallel roller tracks in the interior ceiling (not shown) of the storage
 cavity for each drawer that is insertable into a respective opening. By
 providing roller tracks in the interior ceiling, the user is provided the
 option for removal of appropriate drawers and flipping over of the bulky
 concealed safe 10 in the shape of a mattress 12, with reinsertion of
 appropriate drawers in an upright orientation into one or more openings
 oriented on the appropriate side of the concealed safe 10. Repositioning
 of the concealed safe for covering by a mattress 12, and reinsertion of
 the drawers therein, allows for a user to position the concealed safe 10
 underneath a bed mattress 12 in a variety of locations within a room to
 hide the drawers from the sight of a potential intruder entering the room
 of the user. A box springs (not shown) can be placed on the top surface 20
 between the surface 20 and the mattress 12 for additional disguise of the
 concealed safe 10.
 An alternative embodiment provides a configuration (not shown) that
 positions at least two indented roller tracks on the underneath surface 70
 of the drawer 30, and on the underneath surface of each additional drawer
 insertable into the concealed safe 10. At least one set of a plurality of
 in-line rollers, with each set supported between a pair of rails, can be
 attachable to the interior floor 60 underneath each drawer within the
 interior of the cavity to provide a rolling means for each respective
 drawer.
 As recognized by those skilled in the art, an alternative roller means can
 include a pair of heavy equipment drawer slides 112, 112' positioned on
 side walls of first drawer 30, comparably positioned drawer slides 116,
 116' on the second drawer 42 (see FIGS. 4a-4c), and additional slides for
 additional drawers (not shown). Associated track and/or channel units can
 be positioned on interior walls within storage cavity 50, at locations
 110, 110' for support of first drawer 50, at locations 114, 114' for
 support of second drawer 42, and at locations 118, 118' for support of a
 third drawer 90 (if utilized). The heavy equipment drawer slides and
 tracks provide support for the side walls of each drawer to minimize
 dipping in a downwardly direction when each drawer is in exposed position
 66. The drawer slides can include rolling metal wheels and rows of steel
 ball bearings fitting into rails of precise dimensions for support of
 heavy loads as may be placed into each respective drawer of the concealed
 safe 10.
 An additional alternative embodiment can include a third drawer 90 and lock
 (not shown) in the position as illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 5, if the depth
 of the first drawer 30 is reduced. A further alternative embodiment can
 include a fourth drawer 102 and lock 104 in the position as illustrated in
 FIG. 5. Additional combinations of lockable drawers, either side-by-side,
 or stacked one above another will be recognizable to those skilled in the
 art.
 In an alternate embodiment, the drawer 90 similar to first elongated drawer
 30, but having a limited depth into storage cavity 50, can also be
 positioned in the second side wall 26 (see FIG. 5), without obstructing
 either first drawer 30 in first side wall 24, or second drawer 42 in
 second end 18.
 From the foregoing description, it will be recognized by those skilled in
 the art that an improved hidden safe offering advantages over the prior
 art has been provided. Specifically, the concealed safe provides a
 space-efficient, secure storage for articles of value such as rifles
 and/or pistols, with the concealed safe disguised as a replacement bed
 box-springs positionable underneath a bed mattress. The side-mounted
 drawer provides for convenient and rapid access to a weapon for an owner
 on the bed mattress supported by the concealed safe, while also providing
 a lockable storage unit that is out-of-sight of other family members, such
 as young children. The disguised nature of the concealed safe can be
 improved by covering the concealed safe with a mattress pad, box springs
 cover, or a bed skirt that overhangs the locks and drawers, while still
 providing easy access by an owner having the combination to the locks. The
 concealed safe can include attaching members on a header end opposite the
 end having one or more drawers therein, to allow a headboard to be
 attachable to the header end to increase the disguise of the concealed
 safe. A further benefit of the disguised safe is that the large
 dimensions, either twin-size, queen-size, or king-size, and the bulky
 weight of the disguised safe decreases the possibility of one or two
 intruders removing the safe if the intruders fail to breach the lockable
 drawers.
 While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be
 understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosure, but rather it
 is intended to cover all modifications and alternate methods falling
 within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the
 appended claims.