SUPPORT FOR FOOTBOARDS OR STRIPS IN MATTRESS BASES

Abstract: The support for footboards or strips of mattress bases comprises a symmetrical frame, which is partly open on one side and consists on the opposite side of an arched rod (5). The ends of the frame are joined to said rod by first bends (4, 4') and are joined to respective end portions of said partly open side by second bends (3, 3'). Said end portions are joined at their inner ends by third bends (2, 2') to two parallel legs (1, 1'), which extend generally transversely to the frame. When said frame has such an orien­ tation that the ends of the frame depend from the arched rod and said legs are horizontal, the legs are adapted to support a footboard or strip of a mattress base at an end portion (7), with which said footboard or strip extends through said frame.

Description: The present Application for Utility Model relates to a - "SUPPORT FOR FOOTBOARDS OR STRIPS IN MATTRESS BASES", which furnishes to its function specific essential characteristics of novelty and efficiency comprising notable advantages over those hitherto known in the field and currently on the market. With the aim of achieving an obvious construction simplicity for the mattress spring bottoms, or bases, of easy assembly, - great functionality, adequate flexibility, absolute safety and the consequent practical utility, a thorough research has been conducted which resulted in the design and embodiment of the - aforesaid support, the characteristic features and technical - peculiarities of which will become apparent as the following - detailed description of the invention is read in conjunction - with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention. Starting from the essential base comprised by a frame with conventional rectangular shape, of rounded vertices and tubular elements of any suitable section, consisting of two longitudinal halves assembled by the bolsters, the support which I have de­ signed has been created consisting of a steel assembly element, applicable to the ends of the footboards of flexible transver­ sal strips and to the sides or longtitudinal beams of the afore­ said frame, a support which is normally made of steel rods, of variable section and different finishes, according to applica­ tion requirements, adopting in its practical forming a symmetri­ cal figure with two initial straight and parallel spans and tri­ ple break at a straight angle on each side, terminating in a - central arching, thereby determining a rectangular opening in - which the ends of the footboards or flexible strips penetrate, which can be made of wood, plastic, metallic or any other mate­ rial provided with the basic property for these purposes: the precise essential flexibility in the spring bottom base. With the application of the support which I have devised, the essential advantage of furnishing very high resistance and rigidity to the spring bottom unit is obtained, thus facilita­ ting in turn the production process and the appropriate and - foolproof assembly of the different integrating elements. The end of the straight and parallel spans of the support, or male pieces of the same, penetrate to this effect with the necessary depth into the corresponding holes out of the inter­ nal face of the longitudinal beams of the frame, whereas in the rectangular opening, or female piece, which offers the support for its breaks and arched span received at the ends of the foot­ boards or flexible strips, realized optionally with sundry late­ ral staggered recesses which act as limiting stops of the pene­ tration in the support, whereby the estimated flexibility of the spring bottom is ensured, attaining at the same time a rigid and oscillation-free attachment. Upon assembling the support with the footboards or strips in the support base or frame of the spring bottom, it is concealed from view by means of a tip, optionally of plastic material, - which terminate the ends or heads of the strips and/or foot­ boards, incorporating in their bottom a dampener element made - preferably of rubber or the like, provided, consequently, with suitable elasticity to absorb the pressure or thrust of the ex­ treme ends of strips or footboards when the user uses the spring bottom. With the hereinabove described support as essential element of the mattress bases and the type of frame devised, consisting of two longitudinal halves jointable at the front ends to form the conventional rectangular shape, optionally with rounded - vertices as these are qualitatively more functional, being able to adopt in their section any appropriate figure for the per­ formance of the assigned duty, the aforesaid idea of cutting on the internal face of its sides or longitudinal beams the neces­ sary coupling orifices of the necessary supports have been de­ vised, without the need of subsequent screwing or other attach­ ment means. In the aforesaid supports are assembled the flexible foot­ boards or strips for the conformation of the spring bottom, hav­ ing provided for said footboards or strips, aside from a longi­ tudinal arching, sundry staggered recesses of the sides in a - section of each end, which act as penetration stops in the res­ pective supports, assembling in this manner flexible footboards or strips, supports and frames with appropriate resistance and - rigidity which eliminate all transversal oscillations. Said footboards, as a function of the physical type require­ ments which may affect the users, can be of uniform width so as to absorb the weight uniformly throughout the surface, or varia­ blw, with greater rigidity and resistance in the center of the spring bottom, or applying this quality all over the extent of the base, utilizing in the last two cases footboards of greater width coupled to two supports for each end, thus avoiding in any manner the pitching or lateral tipping without loss of the ideal flexibility on each surface of the mattress base, according to its construction modalities. In view of the foregoing description, the outstanding practi­ cal utility indicated is deduced simply by contemplating the - coupling of the flexible elements of the support base of the - mattress and the respective supports, the rigid element or frame further attaining a uniform support surface for the mattress and level evenness with the whole upper contour of the frame. The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings in which, merely as an example and without any limita­ tive nature, therefore, since practice may advice any light modi­ fication in structure without departing from the principles of - the invention, the embodiment which we consider ideal has been - represented and according to the preceding comment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the devised support. Figure 2 is a plan view at the ends of the same. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support and the end of a footboard or elastic strip indicating its coupling means. Figure 4 are plan and profile views of the elements illustra­ ted in figure 3 with the complementary tip and dampener and the frame or rigid element of the spring bottom. Figure 5 is a plan view of the normal mattress base. Figure 6 is the same view of another base or spring bottom with footboard or central flexible strip of greater width. Figure 7 is an identical view applying throughout the surface of the spring bottom wide footboards or flexible strips. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring initially to figure 1 shown therein are straight - and parallel spans -1- and -1´- of the spring bottom, the ends - of which comprise the means as a function of male pieces which - penetrate into the longitudinal beams of the frame, the first - symmetrical breaks -2- and -2´- at straight angle, the successive and superimposed breaks in the drawing -3-3´- and -4-4´- and the central arched span -5- determining the adjusted rectangular - - opening for assembly of the elastic footboards or strip. The plan view illustrated in figure 2 shows details similar to those in figure 1, with overlapping of the straight and pa­ rallel spans -1- and -1´- and the first straight angle breaks -2- and -2´-, observing in the drawing the rectangular configu­ ration for coupling of the elastic footboard or strip. Figure 3 shows the coupling system of the support and the - elastic footboard or strip -6- by the insertion of the end -7- in the opening of said support. Figure 4 illustrates the coupling of the elements stated in figure 3, in addition to the tip -8- which encompasses the up­ per face of the end of the elastic footboard or strip and the straight and parallel spans of the support on its lower face, the dampener element -9- and the rigid frame -10- on which the whole assembly of the spring bottom is carried out. Figure 5 shows the rectangular frame of rounded vertices - which forms the frame -11-, on which are mounted the supports -12- for the assembly with the ends -13- of each flexible foot­ board or strip -14- of a lightly arched rectangular structure. Figure 6, in addition to the levels indicated in the comment in figure 5, shows the aforesaid second possibility, consisting in the inclusion of a flexible footboard or strip -15- of great­ er width than the rest. Figure 7 shows that the aforesaid footboard of greater width -15- has been applied throughout the surface of the mattress - base, thereby attaining the desired maximum resistance, reducing the precalculated flexibility limits of the spring bottom in at­ tending to the therapeutic requirements of the user.

Claims: 1. - Support for footboards or strips in mattress bases, cha­ racterized as comprising a metallic assembly element, applicable to the ends of the flexible transversal footboards or strips, on the one hand, and on the other to the internal face of the sides or longitudinal beams of the frame, support which is normally of variable section steel rod, with different finishes, according - to application requirements, having adopted in its practical for­ ming a symmetrical figure with two initial straight and parallel spans, provided with triple break at straight angle for each one of its two sides, terminating with a central arching determining a rectangular opening in which the ends of the flexible foot­ boards or strips penetrate. 2. - Support, as defined in claim 1 and further characterized because for its assembly with the frame, a pair of holes in the indicated internal face of the longitudinal beams have been cut in it, for each support, whereas the rectangular opening or fe­ male piece shown by the breaks and arched span received at the ends of the flexible footboards or strips, realizing these with sundry recesses staggered laterally to act as limiting stops of their penetration in the support, assembly which ensures the es­ timated necessary flexibility of the spring bottom and furnishes a rigid and oscillation-free attachment. 3. - Support, as defined in claims 1 and 2 and further char­ acterized because assembly of the spring bottom is completed by means of a tip, preferably of plastic material, which terminates the ends or heads of strips and/or footboards incorporating in their bottom a rubber dampener element or the like to absorb the pressure or thrust of the end edges of the aforesaid strips or footboards when the user uses the spring bottom. 4. - Support, as defined in claims 1 to 3 and further charac­ terized because assembly of the unit, starts in the first place from a frame consisting of two longitudinal halves of tubular - structure jointable at the front ends to form the conventional rectangle, preferably of rounded vertices, which in their sec­ tion can adopt any appropriate figure for the assigned duty. 5. - Support, as defined in claims 1 to 4 and further charac­ terized because the aforesaid flexible footboards or strips are indistinctly of any appropriate material, such as wood, plastic metal or any other provided with the suitable flexibility for - the conformation of the spring bottom, having provided in its - configuration, in addition to a smooth longitudinal arching, - sundry likewise staggered recesses of the sides in one section of each end, details which act as penetration stops in the res­ pective supports, thereby attaining assembly of flexible foot­ boards or strips, supports and frame with the appropriate resis­ tance and rigidity, eliminating at the same time all transversal oscillations. 6. - Support, as defined in claims 1 to 5 and further charac­ terized because in attending to the requirements of a physical nature which the users may present, the flexible footboards or strips of each spring bottom may be of uniform width, that is, standardized so as to absorb uniformly the weight throughout the surface, or variable, with greater width, rigidity and conse­ quent resistance in the center, or applying these qualitites all over the base, coupling in the last two cases two supports at - each end of the flexible footboards or strips, avoiding in any way the lateral tilt.

Inventors: GUERRA, FERNANDO GARCIA
Applicants: FABRICAS LUCIA ANTONIO BETERE S.A. (FLABESA)
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A47C23
IPC codes: A47C23