Abstract:
A storable sleeping bed made up of a foldable bed platform configured for folding storage within a cabinet, a plurality of vertical support pieces configured to support the bed. An air mattress configured to be inflated for use and deflated when storage is desired, and an air mattress. The entire assembly held within a cabinet, which has a thickness of less than twelve inches.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to foldable furniture, and more particularly to multiple use furniture such as foldaway beds that are housed within cabinets or other furniture.  
         [0003]     2. Background Information  
         [0004]     Folding beds of various types have been used for extended periods of time in the prior art. These beds are particularly useful in those situations where living space is cramped or where a single living space may be required to be used for a variety of living functions. An example of such a situation is a small one room apartment or similar living space where a party must sleep, eat, entertain, and live in the same small space. In many of these circumstances, various forms of furniture, such as the foldable beds or so-called Murphy beds, have been utilized to increase the available space and increase the various storage options available to the user. These same folding type beds are similarly useful in locations where a party wishes to provide a sleeping area for guests; however, they do not wish to dedicate an entire portion of a living area for that effect. These types of devices and embodiments are particularly useful in various instances such as hospital rooms.  
         [0005]     One embodiment of the Murphy bed folds a bed into the wall of the room in which it is located. This feature greatly reduces the amount of bed that occupies floor space within the room when the bed is folded. However, this feature also has increased cost in that the wall of the room in which the device is located must be permanently changed in order to accommodate and receive the bed into the wall. This installation also makes these structures generally permanent in the location in which they are positioned. Other types of folding beds also exist wherein a bed folds into a piece of furniture that has the appearance of another piece of furniture or device such as a chair, chest or dresser. While these devices are generally more easily transportable, easier to put in place, and less permanent than those other devices that exist in the prior art, these devices also typically occupy a relatively large amount of floor space, which results in a cabinet that is significantly bulky, large, and in some cases aesthetically undesirable.  
         [0006]     Of particular concern in these embodiments is the overall thickness of these devices. The thickness of these devices provides a profile that projects the front portion of these pieces of furniture a substantial distance from the back of the same piece of furniture. This projection causes a substantial portion of the floor space in the room to be taken up by the furniture itself. This is an undesirable result because it further limits the available living space in a typically cramped embodiment.  
         [0007]     Another problem that exists in the prior art is that the foldaway furniture pieces in the prior art typically provide poor sleeping arrangements and sleeping support for the individuals who sleep upon these foldaway beds. This instability then leads to discomfort on the part of the individual sleeping on the foldaway bed. As a result, many individuals are hesitant to use foldaway beds because of the resulting pain and discomfort that occurs from their use.  
         [0008]     Another problem that exists in the prior art folding bed cabinets is that many of these pieces are made from multiple folding pieces that pinch or injure the person that is folding the bed into or unfolding the bed from the piece of furniture in which the bed is stored. In addition, many times the devices that are folded out require locking mechanisms or other features that require a designated level of expertise and require time and knowledge in order to properly set up and secure the folding bed. As a result, many times such devices are inherently unsafe both to the person setting up the device as well as to the person sleeping on the bed due to the potential errors that could occur in the securing of the bed itself in a desired position.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to simplify and enhance a folding bed and cabinet combination. It is another object of this invention to provide a folding bed that reduces the number of folding parts and simplifies the set up and take down of the folding bed. It is another object of the present invention to provide a folding bed cabinet with a reduced size and thickness therefore resulting in a cabinet that occupies less floor space than other cabinets that exist in the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bed that folds into a cabinet and while in a closed position, can be used as a utility bar or a counter. It is a further object of the invention to provide a self-supporting fold down bed that is safer to use than the other embodiments that exist in the prior art. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a storage cabinet that is configured to hold all of the required materials for sleeping including the bedding that is used with a mattress and which also utilizes a thinner profile within the living area itself as compared to the existing prior art devices. The present invention provides all of these features.  
         [0010]     Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The present invention is a storable sleeping cabinet having a cabinet portion comprised of two sides, a top, a bottom, and a back. The cabinet also has a front portion comprised of a lower face plate fixedly attached to the sides and an upper faceplate hingedly connected to the lower face plate through a hinge. The upper face plate further comprises a plurality of panels that are hingedly attached to a front surface of the upper face plate. These panels are configured to fold away from their generally horizontal position along the front surface, and to form a generally vertically oriented support plate to support the front panel when the front panel is oriented in a generally horizontal orientation. The sides of the cabinet are configured to have a horizontal dimension of less than twelve inches. The cabinet is further configured to define a chamber designed to hold an air compressor, bedding, and an air mattress therein. The cabinet portion of the sleeping bed also comprises a foldaway platform extension portion made up of an extension portion. The extension portion has a first end hingedly connected to a back portion of the upper face plate and extends to a second end. The extension portion is further connected to a support portion. The foot support portion is hingedly connected to the extension portion and is configured to fold away from the extension portion so as to form a generally vertical support to the extension portion of the device itself.  
         [0012]     When the device is no longer in use and a party wishes to fold the bed into the cabinet for storage, this may be accomplished by simply raising the extension portion of the device and folding this portion on top of the upper portion of the front face plate portion of the device. When the extension portion is raised, the foot support portion folds downward and lies against the extension portion when the extension portion is laid upon the upper portion of the front faceplate. The upper portion of the front face plate is also configured to then be folded upward so as to contact the sides of the device. The lid of the device is then lifted and replaced over the top portion of the upper faceplate so as retain the upper face portion in a desired position and orientation.  
         [0013]     In addition to the support platform, the inner portion of the cabinet portion of the device includes an air mattress, an air compressor to inflate the mattress, and appropriate bedding for the air mattress. The inclusion of an air mattress and associated materials provides a sleeping configuration that has a significantly lesser thickness than other devices that are taught in the prior art.  
         [0014]     The purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.  
         [0015]     Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description wherein I have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a closed position.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  showing the lid in a raised position.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  with the upper face portion folded out from the cabinet.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a view of the embodiment showing  FIGS. 1-3  with the extended portion folded away.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4  with an air mattress in place upon the fold out platform.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 1-4  show a preferred first embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is a foldaway sleeping arrangement made up of a cabinet portion and an extension portion which folds away from the cabinet into a bed. The cabinet portion and the extension portion together define a sleeping surface adequate to support a sleeping mattress and bedding thereupon. Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of the present invention in an upright folded orientation is shown.  FIG. 1  shows a storage cabinet  12 , the cabinet having two sides  14  and  16 , each of the sides having a dimension  18  of less than twelve inches. The cabinet having a top  20 , a bottom  22 , a back  24  (not shown in this Figure), and a front  26 . The front comprised of an upper face portion  30  and a lower face portion  28 . On the front  26 , the connection between the lower face plate  28  and the upper faceplate  30  is accomplished by a hinge  32 .  
         [0023]     In the preferred embodiment, this hinge  32  is a long piano hinge. However, it is to be specifically understood that depending upon the desires of the user, the configuration of this hinge may be variously embodied. In the preferred embodiment, a piano hinge is utilized so as to provide a continuous hinge that runs nearly the entire length of the upper face portion  30 . This feature reduces the number of joints and gaps between the lower and upper face plates  28  and  30 , and reduces the likelihood that items such as a person&#39;s fingers would be pinched within these gaps while folding or unfolding the bed. In the preferred embodiment, the upper face plate  30  and the extension  42  are made from a sturdy material. In the preferred embodiment this is wooden plywood having a thickness of at least one half inch. While this material is described in this description of the preferred embodiment, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to meet the specific needs of a user.  
         [0024]     The upper face plate  30  comprises a variety of short panels  38  and a variety of long panels  36 . These long panels, in the preferred embodiment, are positioned for decorative purposes only. The short panels  38  are hingedly connected to the front surface  40  of the upper face plate  30 . The panels  38  extend downward so that when the upper face portion  30  is moved from a generally vertical orientation, as shown in  FIG. 1 , to a generally horizontal orientation, as is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , these panels  38  fold downward from the front face portion  40  and as such, form a support for the airbed mattress portion. In the preferred embodiment, when the device is folded into the storage cabinet embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the item occupies a significantly reduced amount of space as compared to the other devices that exist in the prior art.  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a view of the embodiment from  FIG. 1  is shown with the lid  44  raised in an elevated position. In this position, the lid  44  has a lip  46 , which in the configuration shown in  FIG. 1  extends over a portion of the upper face plate  30  to hold the upper face plate in a desired vertical orientation. When a user wishes to access and use the foldaway bed, this lid  44  is raised and the upper face plate  30  will then be separated from the sides  14  and  16  of the cabinet. The lower face plate  28  remains in a fixed direction with the sides  14  and  16 . With the upper portion  30  now released from engagement with the sides  14  and  16 , the upper portion  30  can then be lowered and laid flat.  
         [0026]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  is now shown with the upper face plate  30  laid down in a generally horizontal orientation. In this configuration, the upper face plate  30  has been laid in a horizontal orientation while the lower face plate  28  remains connected to the sides  14  and  16  of the device. When this occurs, the short panels  38  fold away from the upper surface  30  and form generally vertically oriented braces, which assist to support and hold the platform forming portions of the device. In the preferred embodiment, the short panels are all interconnected together and fold up and down as one piece.  
         [0027]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a view of the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 2  is shown. In this figure, the back portion  24  of the cabinet  10  is visible. Within the cabinet  10 , a rod  48  is utilized to hold various features within the cabinet. For example, in the preferred embodiment, this rod  48  holds the bedding and the air mattress within the cabinet in a desired position and orientation, and allows these items to be easily accessed by a user at an appropriate time.  
         [0028]     In addition, the cabinet  10  defines a container compartment  50 , which defines an area wherein an air compressor is stored. In addition, additional space is also occupied within this area to hold an air mattress, pillows and other assorted bedding components. To further proceed with the setup of the bed, the extension portion  42  must be unfolded from the upper face portion  30 . This step is shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0029]     In  FIG. 4 , the foldaway platform extension  42  is folded away from the horizontally oriented upper face plate  30 . The foldaway platform extension  42  is then folded away from the upper face plate  30 . A foot support  52 , which is hingedly connected to the platform extension  42 , then supports the extension portion  42  of the bed. When this extension platform  42  has then folded out of the cabinet  12  and is supported by a foot support  52 , a sleeping surface is established. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the air mattress  60  can then be removed from the container compartment  50 , inflated utilizing the air compressor  56  and positioned upon the platform as desired. Bedding can then be placed upon the air mattress so as to accommodate the user.  
         [0030]     The advantage of an air mattress  60  is that in addition to its ease of folding, the variable hardness of the air mattress itself can be modified to accommodate the specific desires of a user. This then allows a user to adjust and accommodate the bed to achieve the desired firmness that is specifically desired. The air mattress also enables the device to have a thinner profile and thus is a part of the preferred embodiment. However, it is to be distinctly understood that other types of mattresses could also be utilized in the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims of the present invention.  
         [0031]     After a party has slept upon the mattress and the bed is no longer desired for use, the bed can be simply and easily stored. In the preferred embodiment, this is done by simply deflating the air mattress, removing the air mattress and returning the air mattress to the desired storage location within the cabinet. The bedding is similarly removed and placed in a desired storing position.  
         [0032]     The sleeping surface is then folded by raising the extension portion  42  of the device and folding this portion  42  on top of the upper portion  30  of the front face plate portion  26  of the device. When the extension portion  42  is raised, the foot support portion  52  folds downward and lies against the extension portion  42  when the extension portion  42  is laid upon the upper portion  30  of the front face plate  26 . The upper portion of the front face plate  26  is also then folded upward so as to contact the sides  14  and  16  of the device. The lid  44  of the device is then lifted and replaced over the top portion of the upper face plate  30  so as to retain the upper face portion  30  in a desired generally vertical position and orientation.  
         [0033]     The present invention thus provides a foldaway bed that has fewer moving pieces than those in the prior art, is easier to use and occupies less space than other devices that exist in the prior art. The present invention overcomes several of the deficiencies that exist in the prior art and acceptance and allowance of the present application is respectfully requested.  
         [0034]     While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.