Transformable furniture

A transformable piece of furniture transforms between a bed, a sofa and a desk. The furniture includes a bed frame pivotally mounted between a pair of frame members and movable between a horizontal bed orientation and a vertical orientation. A seat member is pivotally mounted to a desk member below the bed frame such that the seat member is exposed when the bed frame is vertically oriented. The desk member can be raised to desk height by raising it and flipping the seat member into a vertical orientation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to furniture which can be transformed from a bed to a sofa to a desk.

Transformable beds which can be elevated to make room for additional living space are well known in the art. These beds, often called Murphy Beds, generally consist of a base member with a bedframe pivotally mounted thereto. The bedframe can be pivoted between a lowered position wherein the bed is horizontal and parallel to the floor, and an elevated position wherein the bedframe is vertically oriented and perpendicular to the floor. In its lowered position, a user can use the bed much like any standard bed. When the bed is not in use, it can be placed into its elevated position which allows the bed to occupy less space.

Other design approaches have been taken to create a bed which transforms into a sofa. For example, the mattress frame can be made to fold such that the bed can transform into a sofa. Bed/sofa transformable furniture has been available for some time as a result of various designs. However, to date there have been few attempts at a transformable bed which can transform between three separate orientations to form a single piece of furniture which can fulfill more than two separate roles.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a piece of furniture which can transform between a bed, a sofa seat and a work desk. The furniture includes a housing having right and left frame members coupled together by at least one transverse member. A bed frame is positioned between and pivotally coupled to the frame members and the bed frame is pivotally movable between a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation. Right and left elongated arms are pivotally coupled to the right and right and left frame members and a desk member is coupled to the arms. The desk member extends between the frame members, the desk member having opposite first and second ends pivotally coupled to the left and right elongated arms, respectively. A seat member is pivotally connected to the desk member and positioned between the desk member and the bed frame with the seat member extending between the frame members. The seat member has opposite first and second ends pivotally connected to the first and second ends of the desk member, respectively. The desk member and the seat member are movable between a seat orientation and a desk orientation when the bed frame is in its vertical orientation, the seat member being horizontally oriented with the desk member positioned below the seat member when in the seat orientation, the desk member being elevated with the seat member being vertically oriented when in the desk orientation.

With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIG. 1, a convertible bed (furniture) made in accordance with the present invention is shown generally as item10and consists of a pair of left and right frame members12and14. It will be appreciated that transformable bed10has bilateral symmetry so that the left and right sides are identical with identical components. For the purposes of this disclosure, only one side, the left side, will be discussed in detail, but it is to be understood that every component and feature found on the left side has it's mirror image on the right side. Frame member12is preferably L-shaped having upper portion16and lower portion18(a right L-shaped member12having an upper right portion16and a lower right portion18, the lower right portion being set at a right angle to the upper right portion and having a bottom right edge13and a top right edge15; a left L-shaped member14having an upper left portion17and a lower left portion19, the lower left portion being set at a right angle to the upper left portion and having a bottom left edge21and a top left edge23). Transverse members20are mounted to frame members12and14so as to keep the two frame members rigidly parallel to each other. Bedframe22is positioned between frame members12and14. The bed frame has opposite ends24and26which are pivotally coupled to frame members12and14, respectively.

Bed frame22is dimensioned and configured to receive bed mattress28. Desk member30is movably mounted to frame members12and14below bed frame22. Seat member32is pivotally mounted to desk member30and is positioned between the desk member and bed frame22. Bed frame22can pivot between a horizontal orientation as shown inFIG. 1and a vertical orientation as shown inFIG. 2. When the bed frame is in its horizontal orientation, bed10can be used as a standard bed with the user being able to recline onto the horizontally positioned mattress. Additional support legs may be provided at end25of the bed frame to provide additional support to the bed frame when someone rests on the mattress.

Referring now toFIG. 2, when bed frame22is in its vertical orientation, the bed frame will be nestled within upper portions16of frame members12and14and seat member32will be exposed. Seat member32can take the form of a frame which is configured to receive seat cushion34. In the orientation shown inFIG. 2, seat member32can act as a seat allowing users to use convertible furniture10as a sofa. Seat member32will have a flat surface (flat seat surface32A having flat seat surface32A, first seat edge32B, second seat edge32C, top seat side32D, and bottom seat side32E) upon which the user can sit on, which in the example illustrated inFIG. 2, is covered by seat cushion34. Seat member32is positioned adjacent top edge36of bottom portion18of frame members12and14so that the seat member is nested within and between the frame members. Bed frame22acts as a back rest permitting the furniture to appear and act very much like a sofa. Desk member30is kept in its lower position adjacent lower edge38of frame members12and14.

Referring now toFIG. 3, desk member30can be placed in a raised position as shown inFIG. 3. In order to position desk member30into its raised position, seat member32must be pivoted into a vertical position (as seen inFIG. 3) such that the seat member is parallel to bed frame26and perpendicular to desk member30. Seat member has opposite ends40and42which are pivotally mounted to opposite ends44and46, respectively, of desk member30, so pivoting the seat member into its vertical orientation is relatively easy to do. When desk member30is in its elevated position, flat surface48is held horizontally so that the desk member can act as a desk.

Referring now toFIG. 4, bed frame22is pivotally mounted to frame members at pivot point27(upper right pivot point27, upper left pivot point29). Since only the left side of bed10is shown inFIG. 4, we can see that end24of bed frame22is pivotally connected at point27to frame member12. Support leg19may be pivotally connected to bed frame22at side24to act as a support member to help support the end of bed frame22when the bed is in it's bed orientation as shown inFIG. 4. An identical arrangement is found on the right side of bed10including the pivot point and the support leg. Desk member30is pivotally connected to the frame members by support arms50(a right elongated arm50A pivotally connected to the lower right portion at a lower right pivot point52and the first desk end, the lower right pivot point being on a lower right section of the lower right portion orthogonal to the upper right portion; a left elongated arm50B pivotally connected to the lower left portion at a lower left pivot point52A and the second desk end, the lower left pivot point being on a lower left section of the lower left portion orthogonal to said upper left portion). Arm50is pivotally attached to frame member12at point52and it is pivotally attached to end44of desk member30at point54(first desk pivot point54, second desk pivot point54A). Seat member32is pivotally mounted to desk member30by pivotal attachment joint58such that the seat member is positioned between bed frame22and desk member30. End40of seat member32has projecting arm60with peripheral end62(a first projecting arm60extending perpendicularly at the first seat end from said bottom seat side toward the elongated desk member and being comprised of a first peripheral end62; a second projecting arm60A extending perpendicularly at the second seat end from the bottom seat side toward the elongated desk member and being comprised of a second peripheral end62A). Peripheral end62is pivotally coupled to pivotal attachment joint58. Projecting arm60is dimensioned such that rear end64of seat member32can be pivoted behind rear end66of desk member30as shown inFIG. 6.

Referring now toFIG. 5, bed frame22can be placed into a vertical orientation as shown wherein the bed frame is preferably nestled between upper portions16of the frame members12. Support leg19is folded so that it is parallel with bed frame22and tucks in between upper portions16. Pivot point27is positioned such that rear portion61of bed frame22does not contact rear portion64of seat member32when the bed frame is in its vertical orientation. In this orientation, seat member32is exposed and the user may sit on seat cushion34and use transformable bed10as a sofa. The weight of seat member32and the user sitting on the seat cushion is carried by arm60down to desk member30which is recumbent on the floor since the desk member is in its lowered orientation.

Referring now toFIG. 6, desk member30can be placed into its raised orientation by physically raising the desk member by pivoting arm50about pivot point52. Seat member32can be pivoted into a vertical orientation as desk member30is raised, with the intent of placing seat member32into its vertical orientation where it is parallel to bed frame22and perpendicular to the desk member. In this orientation, transformable furniture10can be used as a desk. Arm50is dimensioned such that here is sufficient room under desk member30to accommodate a user's legs permitting the user to use the desk member as a desk. Suspension element56(a first dampener56pivotally connected to the right elongated arm and the lower right section of the lower right portion; a second dampener56A pivotally connected to the left elongated arm and the lower left section of the lower left portion) preferably comprises a gas spring which is configured to keep desk member30in its raised position.

The present invention has many advantages over the prior art. In particular, the invention permits the same piece of furniture to fulfill three separate functions. Also, by effectively including three separate types of furniture into a single item, considerable space can be saved. The net effect is that this single piece of furniture can be used in spaces where space is at a premium such as a small bedroom or a small apartment.

A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however, several variations of the disclosed embodiment could be envisioned as within the scope of this invention.