Abstract:
This disclosure relates generally to furniture, and, more specifically, to an over-bed structure for a bed and to a bed including such a structure.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/339,596 filed Jan. 25, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    (1) Field 
         [0003]    This disclosure relates generally to furniture, and, more specifically, to an over-bed structure for a bed and to a bed including such a structure. 
         [0004]    (2) Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Although beds having canopies are known, these known canopies are not capable of supporting the weight of an adult during sexual activities. Or, if they are capable of supporting an adult, they are usually obtrusive in the bedroom and so unattractive as to discourage their use. Thus, a bed having a support structure that is at once able to support the weight of a human adult in a comfortable position during sexual activity and an acceptable decorative piece of bedroom furniture is needed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    This disclosure describes embodiments of an adult bed. The bed may include a base providing a first area for receiving a mattress and retaining the mattress in a substantially fixed position. The bed may further include a framework capable of suspending the weight of an adult human above the first area, the framework comprising members in a second area that is about three and a half feet to about five feet above a top of the first area. Furthermore, the members may be spaced to provide unobstructed openings above the first area, each opening sized adequately to permit an adult human to stand on the first area and extend its torso between the members. In addition, the bed may include a support suspending the framework and capable of suspending the framework with the framework suspending the weight of an adult human. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a bed including an over-bed structure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a bed including an over-bed structure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3   a  is also a front view of alternative embodiment of a bed including an over-bed structure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3   b  is front view of an alternative embodiment of the bed shown in  FIG. 3   a;    
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a front view of another alternative embodiment of a bed including an over-bed structure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a front view of yet another alternative embodiment of a bed including an over-bed structure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of a bed showing adults using the bed; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is also a front perspective view of a bed showing adults using the bed; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a top view of a canopy for a bed; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the canopy; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is side view of the canopy; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is bottom perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the canopy; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is also a bottom perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the canopy. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward,” “rearward,” “left,” “right,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and the like are words of convenience and are not limiting terms. In addition, while the illustrations and descriptions describe embodiments of an apparatus, the apparatus is not limited to any particular embodiment described or disclosed. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1-5  show embodiments of an adult bed  10 . Each bed  10  includes a base  20 , one or more supports  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34  extending upwardly and an over-bed structure  60  supported by the supports  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34 . The base  20  may include one or more feet, such as the foot  25 , that are configured to contact a floor or other substrate at a lower margin of the base  20  that also forms the lower margin of the bed  10 . The foot  25  is substantially rigidly connected to the base  20 , which is configured to support a mattress that can take the form of a foam cushion, an inflatable air or water container, or any other structure providing a substrate for supporting adults. In addition, although the foot  25  is substantially rigidly connected to the base  20 , some vertical adjustability of the foot  25  with respect to the base  20  may be provided for leveling the bed  10 , and while the foot  25  is shown as a distinct appendage projecting downwardly to suspend the remainder of the base  20  above a substrate below, the foot  25  can also be, for example, one or more rails defining a lower margin of the base  20 . In either case, the base  20  provides a fixed area  40  for the substrate-providing structure. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , in particular, illustrate the position of the fixed area  40 . The area  40  is generally a box that is about the size of the mattress for which the bed is designed. In some embodiments, this fixed area  40  is defined at its bottom by the surface of a support structure for suspending a box spring, or pair of box springs, and thus, the fixed area  40  for the mattress extends vertically from its bottom at a horizontal plane that is about eight inches, assuming the bed is designed to receive a box spring that is about eight inches in vertical dimension from top to bottom surface, above the surface of the support structure to a parallel plane about a foot higher. Where the bed is designed for a mattress without a box spring below, such as, for example, with a platform bed, the bottom of the fixed area  40  may be a plane at the top of a surface  26  of the structure for supporting the mattress, and may extend vertically to another, parallel plane about a foot above, as shown in  FIG. 3   b , assuming the bed is designed to receive a mattress that is about a foot in dimension from its bottom to top surface. Also, although the mattress received by the base  20  may slide a bit horizontally, and perhaps flex downwardly somewhat, the base  20  is configured to contain the structure within a substantially fixed area with respect to a floor below and remainder of the bed  10 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 7 and 8  show an embodiment of the adult bed  10  and adults in various positions on the bed  10 . Usually, an adult bed is one that is referred to in the industry as a “king,” “California king,” “queen,” “full,” “standard” “double,” or may be referenced by other terms having similar meanings. Thus, in this regard, an adult bed is substantially larger than a baby crib or children&#39;s bed, and is usually larger than what is often called a “twin” or “single” bed. Note also that while the base  20  is shown herein generally in the shape of a quadrilateral, it can, of course, take various other shapes, including, but not limited to, circular, oval, elliptical, polygonal, or triangular. Similarly, the supports  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34  are shown at four corners of the base  20 , but they can, alternatively, be positioned to extend upwardly from a substrate below, with or without being coupled to the base  20 . For example, if the base has a circular shape, a support may extend from a central area within the base. No matter their position, the supports  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34  are of a sturdy construction, adequate to support the over-bed structure  60  with the structure  60  partially or wholly suspending the weight of an adult from any part. In this regard, an adult is assumed to weigh at least 200 pounds. Accordingly, the supports  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34  can be of solid or laminated wood construction, or they can include metal, plastic, or virtually any other material formed to meet this requirement, and while they are shown as vertical supports in the figures, they can have a somewhat curved shape, or they can be formed to include any other styling, so long as they are of adequate strength to suspend the structure  60 . Similarly, interfaces  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34  between the over-bed structure  60  and the supports  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34  must have a construction sufficient to prevent failure of the bed  10  under the expected load. Additionally, the over-bed structure  60  should be supported by the supports  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34  at a distance  77  from the base  20  that permits an adult to access the structure  60  from a kneeling or sitting position on any adult-supporting structure received by the base  20 . Accordingly, the distance  77  is one that provides from about 3½ feet to about 5 feet between the over-bed structure  60  and any adult-supporting structures at the base  20 . For example, the bed  10  shown is configured to receive a box spring  11  and mattress atop the box spring  11  such that the top surface of the mattress is generally about four feet from the over-bed structure  60 . Thus, since a box spring is usually about eight inches thick from bottom to top surface and a mattress about a foot thick, the base  20  supports the box springs at a level that is generally less than about five foot eight inches from the over-bed structure  60  to provide the desired distance  77  in one embodiment. 
         [0024]      FIGS. 8 ,  9 , and  10  show an embodiment of the over-bed structure  60  having a steel construction that includes a peripheral framework with the members  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  and an interior latticework including the members  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68 . In this embodiment of the structure  60 , each of the members  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  is tubular with a square cross section and opposing beveled ends that are each welded to an adjacent member  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64 . Each member  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  of the interior latticework is tubular with a round cross section and is welded at opposing ends to the peripheral frame. Notably, the members  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  have a round or oval-shaped cross-section, or are otherwise constructed with portions have no angular edges, so that they provide a comfortable surface for grasping. Welded to the four outside corners of the peripheral frame are the projections  81 ,  82 ,  83  and  84  which each include a steel plate, such as the plate  69 , that can be secured in a slot formed in bedposts with fasteners such as screws, although the particular material from which the structure  60  is formed and the means used to connect the members of the structure  60  to each other and in turn the structure  60  to the remainder of the bed are shown by way of example. Components of the over-bed structure  60  can include wood, or components having a metal core and wood surface layer, or aluminum, iron, or plastic members, or the like. Similarly, fasteners for joining members together and for joining the structure  60  to the remainder of the bed  10  can take any form, so long as the bed  10  is capable of performing its function. 
         [0025]    The members  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  of the interior latticework or framework are positioned in relation to one another and in relation to each other and the members  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  of the peripheral framework to provide one or more openings, such as the openings  88  and  89 , in the structure  60 , of sufficient size to permit, when attached to the remainder of a bed  10 , an adult to stand on the bed placing his or her torso through one of the openings  88  and  89 . In this regard, each opening  88  and  89  provides at least a space in the shape an ellipse having a major axis of at least 22 inches, preferably at least 24 inches, and a minor axis of at least 10 inches, preferably at least 12 inches. That is, the members  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  themselves may form roughly diamond and triangular shapes, respectively, when viewing the structure  60  from above or below, as in  FIG. 8 . Yet the roughly diamond and triangular shaped spaces  88  and  89  between the members  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  are large enough to provide an unobstructed opening at least the size of an ellipse having these dimensions to fit, with axes of the ellipse oriented in generally coplanar relationship with structure  60 , between the members  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68 . Note also that, as shown particularly in  FIG. 10 , that the members  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  may have some upward curvature that places portions of each of them in the area  40  at varying distances from the top surface of the mattress, yet the entirety of each member  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  may reside in the area that is about 3½ feet to about 5 feet above the top surface of the mattress. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 11 ,  12 , and  13  show alternative embodiments of the structure  60 . Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. All such modifications and improvements have not been included herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but may nevertheless properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.