Assemblable mattress support whose components fit inside the headboard

An assemblable mattress support can be shipped with all of its components compactly packed into the headboard. The mattress support includes a foldable longitudinal bar, a lateral bar, side panels, wooden slats, block legs and a footboard, all of which fit inside a compartment in the headboard. In an assembled state of the mattress support, a first connector at one end of the longitudinal bar attaches to a third connector on the outside of the headboard. A second connector at the other end of the longitudinal bar attaches to a fourth connector on the footboard. The middle of the lateral bar connects to the middle of the longitudinal bar. The block legs are attached to the bottom sides of the headboard and footboard. The slats are attached to one another by fabric ribbons and are placed in parallel over the longitudinal bar and support ledges on the side panels.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The described embodiments relate to bedding products, and more particularly to a bed frame assembled from components that fit compactly inside the headboard of the bed frame.

BACKGROUND

Conventional beds in the United States typically include a bed frame that supports a box spring and a mattress. The bed frame can be a simple metal frame or a more substantial piece of furniture. Platform beds and other types of bedroom furniture are typically heavy and bulky and are difficult to move and assemble without professional assistance. Simple metal bed frames typically includes two side rails connected by a plurality of cross bars. The box spring typically rests on wooden slats that span between the side rails. While the cross bars may include multiple overlapping pieces, each side rail of a conventional metal frame is a single piece of metal about as long as the box spring and mattress that are to be supported in order to maintain stability. The side rails and cross bars are usually formed from elongated pieces of steel having an L-shaped cross-section (also called angle iron). A horizontal flange of each side rail supports the box spring, and a vertical flange prevents each side rail from bending under the weight of the box spring, the mattress and the occupants of the bed. Thick metal is used to provide structural integrity to the side rails, rending them heavy, long and awkward.

Moving and assembling conventional beds is cumbersome because multiple tools and many non-intuitive steps are typically involved. Another shortcoming of conventional beds is the relatively heavy weight of the wood of the furniture-type beds and of the thick steel of the metal bed frames. The heavy weight results in higher shipping costs and difficulty of assembly.

Thus, a bed is sought that overcomes the shortcomings of conventional beds, such as the long length of the side rails, the heavy weight of the wood and steel components and the complicated assembly that requires multiple tools. The bed should be compact, light weight and easily assembled.

SUMMARY

An assemblable mattress support can be shipped in a compact state with all of its components compactly packed into the headboard. The mattress support includes a foldable longitudinal bar, a lateral bar, side panels, wooden slats, block legs and a footboard, all of which fit inside a compartment in the headboard. The headboard and footboard have leather coverings. The compartment is accessible through a flap in the leather covering, which is closed by a zipper. A first connector at one end of the longitudinal bar is adapted to attach to a third connector on the headboard. A second connector at the other end of the longitudinal bar is adapted to attach to a fourth connector on the footboard. In the assembled state of the mattress support, the first connector is attached to the third connector, and the second connector is attached to the fourth connector. A bracket at the middle of the lateral bar fits into a slot at the middle of the extended longitudinal bar. Support legs are pivotally attached to the longitudinal and lateral bars. The block legs are attached to the outer bottom side of the headboard and to the bottom side of the footboard. The wooden slats are attached to one another by fabric ribbons and are extended in parallel over the longitudinal bar and support ledges on the insides of the side panels. The wooden slats are approximately as long as the lateral bar. Various embodiments of the mattress support are designed to accommodate different sized mattresses.

A method of packing the assemblable mattress support includes folding the longitudinal bar before placing the longitudinal bar inside the compartment in the headboard. The lateral bar, footboard, wooden slats, block legs and side panels are also placed in the compartment. The compartment is closed by zipping a flap in the back side of the headboard closed. The first connector on the longitudinal bar is adapted to attach to a third connector on the outside of the headboard. And the second connector on the longitudinal bar is adapted to attach to a fourth connector on the footboard. The lateral bar is adapted to attach to the longitudinal bar at the middle of the lateral bar. The packed headboard is then placed inside a packing box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1shows a compact assemblable mattress support10in an assembled state. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, mattress support10supports a Queen size mattress. Other embodiments support full, Eastern King and California King size mattresses. No box spring is required when using mattress support10because the mattress can rest directly on slats11of the mattress support. Mattress support10includes a headboard12, a footboard13, side panels14-17, block legs18-21, slats11, a longitudinal bar22and a lateral bar23.

All of the remaining components of mattress support10can be packed inside headboard12in a compact state of the mattress support that is suitable both for shipping from the manufacturer to wholesalers and retailers and for transporting from the place of purchase to the location where the customer will assemble his bed. Each side of mattress support10is divided into two side panels14-15and16-17because the full length of the mattress support (also the length of an associated mattress) would not fit inside headboard12. All of the components, including the block legs18-19that attach to the bottom side of headboard12fit compactly inside a compartment that opens from the back side of the headboard. Thus, the packed headboard12fits efficiently into a rectangular shipping box.

By enabling the user to assemble the components of mattress support10after the packing box has been transported to the location where the bed will be assembled, damage to stair wells, elevators and doorways can be avoided. The long and heavy side rails of a conventional metal bed frame, and even the packing box containing the rails, are difficult to maneuver without damaging stair wells, elevators and doorways. Bedroom furniture, such as a platform bed, is also difficult to move. The packing box containing the components of mattress support10can be more easily maneuvered up stairs, into apartment elevators and around corners. In addition, the packing box containing the components of mattress support10is light and compact enough to fit in a typical sports utility vehicle and, therefore, can be sold in mass-market, general merchandise retail stores (discount department stores) that do not provide furniture delivery. Thus, mattress support10can be sold in discount department stores without customer assistance, whereas conventional metal bed frames and bedroom furniture can be sold only at specialty stores that offer assistance (personnel or special carts) for transporting the metal frames and platform beds to the check-out counter and to the customer's vehicle. Mattress support10can also be sold online and delivered by a standard shipper.

FIG. 2shows mattress support10viewed from the back side22of headboard12. Headboard12is covered by leather, artificial leather or fabric. A flap23in back side22is closed by a zipper24. In one embodiment, the front side of headboard12is made of leather, and back side22is made of fabric. A compartment inside headboard12is accessible by folding back flap23in back side22. the opening for the compartment is usually not visible because the back side of the headboard12is typically placed against a wall.

FIG. 3shows headboard12lying on the floor with flap23opened. A compartment25in headboard12accommodates the remaining components of mattress support10. For example, a customer who is assembling mattress support10in a bedroom would find the components of the mattress support packed as illustrated in compartment25after opening flap23. InFIG. 3, block legs18-19have already been removed from compartment25and have been screwed into the bottom side of headboard12. The other two block legs20-21are still in compartment25.FIG. 3shows how footboard13, side panels14-17, block legs18-21, slats11, longitudinal bar22and lateral bar23fit into compartment25. Note that the length of each side panel14-17is more than half of the length of compartment25. Thus, a single piece side panel of mattress support10would not fit inside compartment25. Longitudinal bar22must be folded in order to fit into compartment25. Lateral bar23and slats11have approximately the same length, which corresponds to the width of the mattress that mattress support10is designed to support. The inner length of compartment25is at least as long as the length of slats11and lateral bar23. Footboard13is even longer than slats11and lateral bar23and also fits inside compartment25.

FIG. 4shows slats11, longitudinal bar22and lateral bar23in more detail. Slats11are wooden planks about sixty inches long and three inches wide. The fifteen wooden slats11are attached to each other near their ends by ribbons26made of strong synthetic fabric. The ribbons26are attached to the bottom side of each slat11, for example by staples, so that the slats can be stacked flat against each other in compartment25as shown inFIG. 3or expanded out in parallel across longitudinal bar22as shown inFIG. 1. The ends of wooden slats11rest on support ledges27that are attached to the insides of side panels14-17. Wooden slats11are shown inFIG. 4as flat boards. In another embodiment, however, wooden slats11are bowed such that they rest on support ledges27but bow above longitudinal bar22. The bowed slats can be stacked all in the same bowed orientation in compartment25. In yet another embodiment, there are two sets of fifteen bowed slats whose lengths are half of the slat length shown inFIG. 1. One side of both sets of slats rests on longitudinal bar22, and the other side of both sets of slats rests on support ledges27of side panels14-17. The slats are distributed out in parallel over longitudinal bar22and support ledges27such that each slat bows upwards at its middle.

Longitudinal bar22is shown inFIG. 4in a folded configuration as bar22would be packed in compartment25. Longitudinal bar22includes a first connector28, a second connector29and support legs30-32. Support leg30is pivotally attached to an upper portion33, and support leg31is pivotally attached to a lower portion34of longitudinal bar22. A slot35is formed in longitudinal bar22between upper portion33and lower portion34when the portions are unfolded and extended parallel to one another. Lateral bar23also has support legs. Support legs36-37are pivotally attached at the ends of lateral bar23. Each support leg36-37has an angled bracket38-39and a connector40-41. Lateral bar23has a bracket42at its center that is adapted to fit over slot35in longitudinal bar22. Thus, lateral bar23is adapted to attach to longitudinal bar22at the middle of lateral bar23when mattress support10is in its assembled state.

FIG. 5illustrates an assembly step of mattress support10after the components have been removed from compartment25, flap23has been zipped closed, block legs18-19have been attached to the bottom side of headboard12, and headboard12has been stood up on legs18-19. Longitudinal bar22is unfolded, and pivotally attached support legs30-31are extended. First connector28on longitudinal bar22is attached to a third connector43on the front side of headboard12. Third connector43is formed by two bolts with large flat heads. Alternatively, regular bolts with washers can be used to form third connector43. First connector28has two slots that slide down over the bolts of third connector43. Thus, the two bolts are spaced apart by the same distance as are the two slots. The bolts are then tightened, for example, using an Allen wrench.

FIG. 6shows a next assembly step in which lateral bar23is attached to longitudinal bar22. Pivotally attached support legs36-37are first extended before lateral bar23is placed over longitudinal bar22. Lateral bar23attaches to longitudinal bar22when bracket42at the middle of lateral bar23slips down over slot35at the middle of longitudinal bar22. Next, block legs20-21are screwed into the bottom side of footboard13, and second connector29on longitudinal bar22is attached to a fourth connector44on footboard13.

FIG. 7shows second connector29on longitudinal bar22being attached to fourth connector44on footboard13. Fourth connector44is formed by two bolts with washers over which slots in connector29slide. A slot in connector29has not yet slid down over bolt44inFIG. 7. Next, side panel17attaches to the bolts and washers shown to the left on footboard13inFIG. 7.

FIG. 8shows how side panel17is attached to footboard13. A connector45on side panel17has slots that slide down over Allen bolts that protrude from the inside of footboard13. Washers separate the bolt heads from connector45. Connector45is an angled piece of metal that is permanently screwed to the inside of side panel17. The other end of side panel17opposite connector45attaches to angled bracket39and connector41on lateral bar23.FIG. 8also shows a support ledge27on the inside of side panel17. Support ledge27is a piece of wood screwed to the inside of side panel17and on which the wooden slats11rest.

FIG. 9shows that side panel16attaches to headboard12in a similar manner to how side panel17attached to footboard13. Slots in a connector46slide down over bolts on the inside of headboard12.

FIG. 10shows side panel17being attached to angled bracket39and connector41on support leg37of lateral bar23. A bolt on the inside of side panel17slides down into a slot in connector41. Another bolt passes through a hole in angled bracket39and screws into the bottom side of side panel17. Optionally, two bolts can attach side panel17to angled bracket39.FIG. 10also shows two holes47in angled bracket39and an upwardly opening slot48in connector41that will be used to attach side panel16to support leg37of lateral bar23.

FIG. 11shows mattress support10after it has been assembled but before the wooden slats11have been laid across the support ledges27and longitudinal bar22. Although the mattress support10has inner dimensions that accommodate a Queen size mattress (60×80 inches), the longitudinal and lateral bars of other embodiments of mattress support are 74 and 54 inches, respectively, to accommodate a Full size mattress, 84 and 72 inches to accommodate a California King size mattress, and 80 and 76 inches to accommodate an Eastern King size mattress.

FIG. 12is a flowchart of steps50-56for packaging assemblable mattress support10to be shipped from the manufacturer to a warehouse of an online retailer or of a mass-market retail store. The components of mattress support10fit into a packing box that is more compact than a packing box that contains a conventional metal bed frame. Each side rail of a conventional metal bed frame is a single piece of angle iron. Thus, the packing box for a conventional metal bed frame is typically more than seventy-five inches long. In contrast, the packing box containing mattress support10has a length that is only about six inches longer than the width of the mattress that mattress support10is to accommodate.

In a step50, support legs30-31are folded in, and longitudinal bar22is folded together as shown inFIG. 4. In step51, longitudinal bar22is placed inside compartment25in headboard12. Longitudinal bar22has first connector28that is adapted to attach to third connector43on the outside of headboard12.

In step52, footboard13is placed inside compartment25. Longitudinal bar22has second connector29that is adapted to attach to fourth connector44on footboard13. In step53, wooden slats11are placed in compartment25. Wooden slats are attached to one another by fabric ribbons26.

In step54, lateral bar23is placed in compartment25. Lateral bar23has bracket42that is adapted to fit into socket35such that lateral bar23attaches at its middle to longitudinal bar22. Lateral bar23is approximately as long as are wooden slats11. The side panels14-17and block legs18-21are also placed in compartment25. Flap23is then zipped closed.

In step55, packed headboard12is placed in a packing box whose length is about six inches longer than the width of the mattress that is to be supported.

In step56, instructions are placed in the packing box that instruct a purchaser of assemblable mattress support10on how to assemble the mattress support and to place a mattress on top of the assembled mattress support.

Although certain specific exemplary embodiments are described above in order to illustrate the invention, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.