Patent Publication Number: US-4928333-A

Title: Collapsible article of furniture

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 109,950, filed, 10-19-87, now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an article of furniture that is collapsible and to a kit therefor. More particularly, the invention relates to a collapsible bed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention there is provided a collapsible article of furniture which includes 
     at least two support members which are spaced apart, each support member defining a pair of support surface regions that are substantially horizontally oriented and spaced apart and a pair of guiding and stretching surface regions, one for each support surface region with the guiding and stretching surface region of each support region extending upwardly from its associated support surface region; 
     a pair of elongate elements, one element extending between and being supported on one support surface region of one of the support members and a corresponding support surface region of the other support member and the other element extending between and being supported on the other two support surface regions; and 
     a flexible web secured to the elongate elements and extending therebetween. 
     The article of furniture may be provided in kit form. 
     Thus, the invention extends to a kit for a collapsible article of furniture, which includes 
     at least two support members each support member defining a pair of support surface regions that are spaced apart and which are, in use, oriented substantially horizontally and a pair of guiding and stretching surface regions, there being a guiding and stretching surface region for each support surface region with the guiding and stretching surface region of each support surface region extending from its associated support surface region in what is, in use, an upward direction; 
     a pair of elongate elements, that are receivable on the support surface regions to be supported thereby when the support members are spaced apart, with one element extending between one support surface region of one support member and one support surface region of the other support member and the other element extending between the other two support surface regions; and 
     a flexible web that is securable to the elongate elements to extend therebetween. 
     The guiding and stretching surface regions of each support member slope towards one another. Conveniently, each guiding and stretching surface region may be at an angle of between 100° and 105° to its support surface region. 
     Each support member may also define a pair of locking surface regions, a locking surface region extending upwardly from each support surface region on the opposite side thereof to its guiding and stretching surface region. 
     In one form each support member may define a pair of &#34;U&#34;-shaped recesses, each recess having a base surface that constitutes a support surface region and two side surfaces, one of which constitutes a guiding and stretching surface region and the other a locking surface region. 
     Spaced restraining formations may be provided on each elongate element, that are engageable with those portions of the support member that define the support surface regions to restrain the support members against longitudinal movement relative to the elongate elements. Each elongate element may carry a pair of disc-like components that are spaced apart and are receivable on the support surface regions, these components having the restraining formations.Each component may have a channel, the sides thereof consituting the restraining formations for that component. Preferably, each component is circular and its channel extends around its cylindrical extremity, and each support member has an arcuate transition region, with a radius that is similar to that of the components, between each of its support surface regions and guiding and stretching surface regions. 
     The elongate elements may be rotatably secured to the web. The web may accordingly have loops or casings in which the elongate elements are received. 
     In one form, the support members may be of shaped lengths of tube and uprights. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is now described by way of an example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. 
     In the drawings, 
     FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a collapsible bed in accordance with the invention in its collapsed configuration; and 
     FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the bed of FIG. 1 in its erected configuration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a bed is designated generally by the reference numberal 10. The bed 10 comprises a pair of support members in the form of frames 12 and 14, and a pair of elongate elements in the form of collapsible bars 16 and 18 respectively. 
     Each frame 12, 14 is formed from tube 20. Each length of tube 20 is shaped to form a pair of spaced apart substantially U-shaped recesses 22 within which discs 24 of the bars 16,18 are removably receivable. Each disc 24 has a channel 26 formed in its periphery so that when the disc 24 is inserted into one of the recesses 22 of the frames 12,14, that portion of the frame 12,14 forming the recess 22 is snugly received within the channel 26 of the disc 24. The discs 24 are fast with the ends of the bars 16, 18. 
     The frames 12 and 14 each include legs 28 depending from those portions of the tubes 20 defining the recesses 22. 
     An elongate sheet of a flexible material, such as a canvas material, is provided to serve as a bed base 30. Casings 32 are defined in the longitudinal edges of the bed base 30 within which the bars 16 and 18 are rotatably receivable. 
     The bars 16 and 18 are each provided in two sections 16.1 and 16.2, and 18.1 and 18.2 respectively. The sections 16.2 and 18.2 have athinner region 16.3 and 18.3 respectively which define spigot-like formations 34 which are insertable into socket openings 36 in the free ends of the sections 16.1 and 18.1 respectively. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, the bed 10 is shown in its erected configuration. To erect the bed 10, the sections 16.1 are inserted into the casings 32 of the bed base 30 from one end of the casings 32. The sections 16.2 and 18.2 are then inserted into the casings 32 from the other ends thereof so that the spigot formations 34 are received within the openings 36 of the sections 16.1 and 18.1. The bars 16 and 18 are rotatable in the casings 32. The frames 12 and 14 are then placed in a desired location with the recesses 22 of the frames 12 and 14 in alignment. The discs 24 of one of the bars are inserted into those recesses 22 of the frames 12 and 14 on one side which are aligned with each other. The discs 24 of the other bar are then inserted into the recesses 22 on the other side of the frames 12 and 14 so that the bed base 30 is stretched and made taut and spans the space between the bars 16 and 18. 
     To facilitate insertion of the discs 24 into the recesses 22 and stretching of the bed base 30, portions 38 of the tubular members 20 which form part of the U-shaped recesses 22 are angled at about 10° to 15° to the vertical and slope towards one another from the base of recesses 22 upwardly. Once the discs 24 are in the recesses 22, they are securely held therein. 
     It is an advantage of the invention that with an article of collapsible furniture in accordance with the invention, such furniture can be stowed easily and in a space-saving manner when not required for use. Also, the articles of furntiure can be relatively quickly erected by a single person when required for use and are extremely stable.