Abstract:
A bed frame connector is connectable between upper and lower lateral bars of a foldable bed frame. The bed frame connector includes an L-shaped plate structure that includes a straight body and an angled section extending outward from an end of the straight body. A pivot hole is formed in an end of the straight body and the angled section. The straight body includes two support blocks that project from an edge thereof intersecting the angled section. The two support blocks are positionable between and respectively abutting the upper and lower lateral bars. The present invention has a simple structure and a reduced manufacturing cost and provides secure support and smooth foldability.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a bed frame, and more particularly to a bed frame connector. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     In a bed frame, particularly a foldable bed frame, connectors are mounted to provide necessary supporting.  FIG. 1  shows a foldable bed frame, which comprises a basic bed frame assembly  1 ′ comprising an upper frame sub-assembly  11 ′ and a lower frame sub-assembly  12 ′. The upper frame sub-assembly  11 ′ comprises two lateral bars  111 ′ pivotally connected to a connection unit  2 ′ and two longitudinal bars  112 ′ connected between the two lateral bars  111 ′. Two longitudinal beams  113 ′ are arranged between the two lateral bars  111 ′ and a plurality of lateral beams  114 ′ is arranged between the two longitudinal bars  112 ′ to improve the supporting force that the upper frame sub-assembly  11 ′ supports a mattress or a bed board positioned thereon. The lower frame sub-assembly  12 ′ has two lateral bars  121 ′ that are also pivotally connected to the connection unit  2 ′. In the basic bed frame assembly  1 ′, a plurality of connectors  3 ′ is arranged between and pivotally connected to the lateral bars  111 ′ and the lateral bars  121 ′ of the upper and lower frame sub-assemblies for supporting the upper frame sub-assembly  12 ′. 
     A commonly used structure of the connector comprises simply a connection plate that is directly pivoted to and arranged between the lateral bars of the upper and lower frame sub-assemblies to serve as an upright support brace. The conventional connector of a bed frame suffers insecure supporting and unsmoothness of folding and the present inventor has proposed, in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN202790059U, a bed frame connector, which is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The bed frame connector  3 ′ comprises an L-shaped plate structure having a vertical section having an upper end in which a pivot hole  31 ′ is formed for pivotal connection with the lateral bars  111 ′ of the bed frame. The connector  3 ′ has a lower end from which an angled section  32 ′ extends. The angled section  32 ′ has a width that substantially corresponds to a width of the lateral bars. The angled section  32 ′ comprises a pivot hole  321 ′ formed therein to allow for pivotal connection of the lower end of the connector  3 ′ to the lateral bars  112 ′. The vertical section of the connector  3 ′ has an inside edge having a middle portion from which a projection flange  33 ′ extends upwards or downwards. The projection flange  33 ′ has a length substantially corresponding to a distance between the lateral bar  111 ′ and the lateral bar  121 ′. The connector  3 ′ is included and arranged in such a way that when the connector  3 ′ is mounted to connect and support the two lateral bars, the projection flange  33 ′ is exactly located between the two lateral bars. 
     For such a structure of the connector  3 ′, the projection flange  33 ′ extends along the connector  3 ′ to a length corresponding to the spacing distance between the upper and lower lateral bars. In such a structure of the connector  3 ′, the projection flange  33 ′ requires a large amount of material for formation and this increases the manufacturing cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a bed frame connector, which has a simple structure and a reduced manufacturing cost and provides advantages of secure support and smooth folding. 
     To achieve the above object, a solution adopted in the present invention is as follows: 
     A bed frame connector is connectable between upper and lower lateral bars of a foldable bed frame. The bed frame connector comprises an L-shaped plate structure that comprises a straight body and an angled section extending outward from an end of the straight body. A pivot hole is formed in an end of the straight body and the angled section. The straight body comprises two support blocks that project from an edge thereof intersecting the angled section. The two support blocks are positionable between and respectively abutting the upper and lower lateral bars. 
     The angled section has a width substantially corresponding to a width of the lateral bars. 
     The pivot hole of the end of the straight body and the pivot hole of the angled section are respectively and pivotally connected to side surfaces of the upper and lower lateral bars. 
     The two support blocks of the connector are arranged at the same side and are each arranged perpendicular to a plane of the plate of the straight body. 
     The connector is connected between the upper and lower lateral bars in such a way that one of the support blocks that is located at an upper portion is positioned under the upper lateral bar and the other one of the support blocks that is located at a lower portion is positioned on and abutting the lower lateral bar. 
     One of the two support blocks of the connector is arranged at a location above the angled section and the other one of the support blocks is arranged at a location that is spaced from an end of the straight body by a distance corresponding to a width of the lateral bars. 
     With such a structure, when the bed frame is in an expanded condition, the bed frame connector connects and supports the two lateral bars and the support blocks are exactly located between the two lateral bars to provide support against forces applied to the lateral bars thereby providing a support to a weight placed on the bed frame, making the bed frame supported in a more stable manner and also helping reduce the thickness of the connector. In the present invention, the connector is structured to comprise two support blocks, also for improving the effect of securely supporting and at the same time, saving material cost. When the bed frame is folded, through the connector pivotally connected between the two lateral bars and one end of the connector forming an angled section that is coupled to a side surface of the lateral bars, folding and collecting conducted between the lateral bars can be made more smooth and the bars, after folding, are put close to each other and concentrated, making storage easy. 
     The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
     Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional bed frame. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional bed frame connector. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a bed frame connector according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a bed frame connector according to another embodiment of the present invention (where support blocks are made projecting in a different direction). 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a bed frame to which the bed frame connector of the present invention is applied (where the bed frame is in an expanded condition). 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the bed frame to which the bed frame connector of the present invention is applied (where the bed frame is in a partly folded condition). 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the bed frame to which the bed frame connector of the present invention is applied (where the bed frame is in a folded condition). 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a foldable bed frame comprises a left-side and a right-side basic bed frame assemblies  1 . The two basic bed frame assemblies  1  are pivotally jointed at the middle of the bed frame. Each of the basic bed frame assemblies  1  comprises an upper frame sub-assembly  11  and a lower frame sub-assembly  12 . The upper frame sub-assembly  11  comprises two lateral bars  111  and two longitudinal bars  112  connected between the two lateral bars  111 . Also included are a plurality of longitudinal beams  113  arranged between two lateral bars  111  and a lateral beam  114  arranged between the two longitudinal bars  112  for increasing a supporting force that the upper frame sub-assembly  11  provides to support a mattress or a bed board placed thereon. A plurality of slender threaded rods  115  may be arranged between the two longitudinal bars  112 . The lower frame sub-assembly  12  also comprises two lateral bars  121  and two longitudinal bars  122  connected between the two lateral bars  121 ; and a lateral beam  124  is arranged between the two longitudinal bars  122  to be located below and corresponding to the lateral beam  114 . The two frames of each of the two basic bed frame assemblies  1  are pivotally jointed by means of a connection unit or a connector as shown in the drawings. In the instant embodiment, in the left-side and right-side basic bed frame assemblies, two lateral bars  111  of the two upper frame sub-assemblies  11  are pivotally connected by an upper connection plate  21  and two lateral bars  121  of the two lower frame sub-assemblies  12  are pivotally connected by a lower connection plate  22  so that the two lateral bars that are pivotally connected to the connection plate are allowed to rotate or fold toward each other. 
     In each of the basic bed frame assemblies  1 , the lateral bars  111  and the lateral bars  121  of the upper and lower frame sub-assemblies are pivotally connected by means of a plurality of connectors  3  that serves as upright support bars to support the upper frame sub-assembly  12  in position. In the instant embodiment, in each of the basic bed frame assemblies, three connectors  3  are pivotally connected between the upper frame sub-assembly and the lower frame sub-assembly. The connectors  3  are respectively connected to two ends and a middle portion of the lateral bar  111  and the lateral bar  121  so as to provide a secure support to the upper frame sub-assembly  11 . 
     Each of the connectors  3  has upper and lower ends that are respectively and pivotally connected to the lateral bar  111  and the lateral bar  121 . For the connector  3  provided in the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the connector  3  has an L-shaped plate structure and the connector  3  comprises a straight body  30  having an end in which a pivot hole  31  is formed for pivotal connection with one of the lateral bars of the bed frame sub-assemblies. An opposite end of the straight body  30  forms an angled section  32  extending perpendicular therefrom. The angled section  32  has a width substantially corresponding to the width of the lateral bars. The angled section  32  comprises a pivot hole  321  formed therein to allow the opposite end of the connector  3  to be pivotally connected to the lateral bars of the upper or lower frame. The connector  3  comprises two support blocks  33  that are formed on and projecting from an edge of the straight body  30  with which the angled section  32  intersects. The two support blocks  33  are perpendicular to a plane on which the connector  3  is set. The two support blocks  33  are located on the same side and are both perpendicular to the plane of the plate of the straight body  30 . The two support blocks  33  are respectively set against and abutting two lateral bars of the upper and lower frame sub-assemblies. The connectors  3  are connected between the two lateral bars in such a way that one of the support blocks  33  that is located on an upper portion is positioned under the upper lateral bar, while the other one of the support blocks  33  that is located on a lower portion is set on the lower lateral bar for supporting and positioning of the lower lateral bar. Preferably, one of the support blocks  33  is arranged at a location just above the angled section  32 , while the other one of the support blocks  33  is arranged at a location that is spaced from the end of the straight body  30  by a distance corresponding to the width of the lateral bars. 
     Referring additionally to  FIG. 5 , in an expanded condition of the bed frame, the pivot holes  31 ,  321  at upper and lower ends of the connector  3  are respectively connected to two opposite lateral bars in such a way that the support blocks  33  positioned against and abutting the two lateral bars to provide additional supporting and positioning. Thus, the direction of projection of the support blocks  33  can be determined according to the orientation of an actual connection.  FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate example structures of the connector for suiting the need of being connected at various locations of the bed frame. The support blocks  33  can be lapped on the lateral bars of the bed frame and the lateral bars  111  and the lateral bars  121  are pivotally connected to the connector  3  that serves as supporting bars therebetween, with the connector  3  comprising the support blocks  33  formed thereon, so that when the connector  3  is arranged to connect and support the two lateral bars, the two support blocks  33  are located between the two lateral bars to provide supports against forces applied to the lateral bars thereby providing a support to a weight placed on the bed frame, making the bed frame supported in a more stable manner and also helping reduce the thickness of the connector  3  to save material cost. In the present invention, the connector is structured to comprise two support blocks  33 , also for improving the effect of securely supporting and at the same time, saving material cost. 
     Referring collectively to  FIGS. 5-7 , when the bed frame is folded, the two basic bed frame assemblies  1  are folded through the connection plates pivotally connected in the middle portion. In the folding process, the upper frame sub-assembly  11  and the lower frame sub-assembly  12  of each of the basic bed frame assemblies are folded at the same time. In the upper frame sub-assembly  11  and the lower frame sub-assembly  12 , the lateral bars  111  and the lateral bars  121  are pivotally connected through the connectors  3  and each of the connectors  3  has an angled section  32  formed at one end thereof. The angled section  32  is coupled to a side surface of the lateral bar  111  or the lateral beam  114  so that folding the lateral bars can be conducted in a smoother manner and the bars, after folding, are put close to each other and concentrated, making storage easy. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention.