Fitting arrangement for a folding bed

A fitting arrangement for a folding bed, preferably a wall folding bed, includes a first fitting part on the corpus or body of the bed; a second fitting part on the folding bed, supported pivotally on the first fitting part; and a first holder on the corpus of the bed and a second holder on the folding bed to hold devices, especially spring devices, which exert force on the folding bed to push it into its up position. The first holder is provided on the first fitting part and the second holder is provided on the second fitting part.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to a fitting arrangement for a folding bed,
 preferably a wall folding bed, with a first fitting part on the corpus or
 body of the bed; a second fitting part on the folding bed, supported
 pivotally on the first fitting part; and with a first holder on the corpus
 of the bed and a second holder on the folding bed to hold devices,
 especially spring devices, which exert force on the folding bed to push it
 into its up position.
 2. Description of the Related Art
 In beds which can be folded such as wall folding beds or Murphy beds, the
 folding bed can be pivoted between its folded-up position and its
 folded-down position within both sides of a bed frame. To make it easier
 to fold the bed up, a pneumatic spring on each side acts between the bed
 and the bed corpus; when the bed is folded down, the spring is tensioned,
 and thus the amount of force required to fold the bed up is reduced.
 In known fitting arrangements, fitting parts for supporting the bed and
 separate holders for the pneumatic springs are provided on the bed corpus
 and on the bed. Because the pneumatic spring acts not only between the bed
 and the corpus but also between the fitting parts and the holders on the
 bed and the corpus, the bed and the corpus, which are usually made of
 wood, must be made with sufficient mass to absorb the forces of the
 pneumatic spring. To ensure the optimum function of the pneumatic spring,
 the holders should be attached only to specific points on the bed and
 corpus.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to improve the
 design of the fittings of the general type described above in such a way
 that the forces exerted on, and to be absorbed by, the corpus and on the
 bed by the force-exerting device can be reduced.
 In accordance with the present invention, the first holder is provided on
 the first fitting part and the second holder is provided on the second
 fitting part.
 This fitting arrangement forms a complete unit and is characterized by
 great strength, because the forces of the pneumatic springs are not
 absorbed via the wood of the bed or bed corpus but rather directly by the
 two fitting parts. Especially in the case of beds of large dimensions, the
 weight of the bed and the pneumatic springs are capable of producing
 powerful forces, but, because of the design of the fittings, these forces
 can be absorbed optimally between the fitting parts and the hinge points
 of the spring device. In addition, the lever ratios can be effectively
 determined by the permanent setting of the distance between the holders
 and the center of rotation of the bed.
 Because the first and second fitting parts can be screwed to the bed corpus
 and to the folding bed, respectively, installation is simple and easy. The
 two fitting parts can, for example, be designed as screw-on plates, on
 which preferably stops are provided to ensure that the plates are
 installed parallel to the edges of the bed or corpus. In addition, there
 is also the possibility of supplying the fittings with the force-exerting
 device of pneumatic springs preinstalled on them.
 In a preferred embodiment, a safety device is provided, especially in the
 case of transversely oriented wall folding beds, to hold the bed securely
 in its down-folded position against the force of the force-exerting
 device. Thus, even when a person is lying in the bed behind the center of
 rotation, the bed is prevented from folding up by itself unintentionally.
 In accordance with an advantageous further development of this embodiment,
 a safety lever is supported pivotally on one of the fitting parts; when
 the bed is folded down, this lever locks behind a projection on the other
 fitting part. This safety lever must be freed manually when it is desired
 to fold the bed up.
 In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this further development, it
 is provided that the support of the safety lever is also installed on one
 of the fitting parts and/or that the projection is also provided on the
 other fitting part.
 Additional advantages of the invention can be derived from the description
 and from the drawing. In addition, the features described above and the
 features according to the invention which are described in more detail
 below can be used individually on their own or in any desired combination.
 The embodiments indicated and described are not to be understood as a
 final list; on the contrary, they have merely the character of examples,
 which have been selected to facilitate the description of the invention.
 The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are
 pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part
 of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its
 operating advantages, specific objects attained by its use, reference
 should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are
 illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 The fitting arrangement for a wall folding bed, designated by reference
 number 1 in the drawing, has a first fitting part 3 to be attached to one
 side of a corpus 2, shown in FIG. 3, and a second fitting part 5 to be
 attached to the corresponding side of the folding bed or bed frame 4. A
 fitting arrangement 1 such as this is provided on each side of the folding
 bed. The two fitting parts 3, 5 are connected to each other by a bearing 6
 around which they can rotate; this bearing simultaneously forms the axis
 of rotation around which the bed 4 can be folded up and down with respect
 to the corpus 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the two fitting parts 3, 5
 are screw-on plates, which can be attached by a plurality of holes 7, 8 to
 the corpus and to the side of the bed by means of screw fasteners 9, 9',
 10, wherein the position on the bed 4 is determined by a guide edge 11 on
 the second fitting part 5. In FIGS. 1 and 2, fitting arrangement 1 is
 shown in the position it occupies when the bed 4 is folded down.
 To make it easier for the bed 4 to be folded up, a force-exerting device
 12, especially a compression spring, i.e., pneumatic spring, acts between
 the corpus 2 and the bed 4. When the bed is folded down, the device is put
 under tension, and thus the amount of force required to fold the bed 4 up
 later is reduced. For this purpose, a holder 13, 14, in the form of studs,
 is provided on each fitting part 3, 5; one end of the force-exerting
 device 12 is attached to the end of each of these studs. In the
 illustrated embodiment, a pneumatic spring is fitted onto the stud and
 held in place by a screw 15, as shown in FIG. 3. The forces acting as a
 result of the force-exerting device 12 are not transmitted to the wood of
 the bed 4 or the corpus 2 but rather are absorbed directly by the two
 fitting parts 3, 5.
 To prevent the bed 4 from folding up unintentionally by itself, a locking
 lever 16 is mounted as a safety device on the bed 4 in such a way that it
 is free to pivot, as shown in FIG. 4. One of its ends 17 is hook-shaped so
 that it can lock behind a projection 18 on the corpus 2 after the bed 4
 has been folded down and thus can hold the bed 4 in its folded-down
 position against the force of the device 12. To fold the bed 4 up, this
 safety lever 16 must then be freed manually by manipulating its other end
 19. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 18 and the bearing 20 of
 the safety lever 16 are each provided on separate fitting parts 21, 22 on
 the bed 4 and the corpus 2, respectively. If necessary, these fitting
 parts 21, 22 can also be provided on the first or second fitting part 3,
 5.
 While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described
 in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood
 that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such
 principles.