Patent Publication Number: US-2021177151-A1

Title: Reversible bed frame

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The therapeutic benefits of sleeping on an incline have been known for centuries—archeological evidence suggests that some Ancient Egyptians slept on inclined beds, where the head end of these beds was higher than the foot end. 
     Some of these benefits may include improvement in blood circulation, metabolism, respiratory, neurological and immune function, alleviation of symptoms associated with Alzheimer&#39;s, migraines, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, sleep apnea, acid reflux, varicose veins and more, alteration of intracranial pressure so that the glymphatic drainage is improved—by pumping spinal fluid through the brain&#39;s tissues, the glymphatic system flushes waste from the brain back into the circulatory system and onto the liver for elimination. When considering younger children, disturbed sleep due to nasal congestion is a common issue, and as a mother of two, I have observed improvement in my children&#39;s breathing when the head of the bed is raised. 
     In plants, the interplay between gravity and varying density of fluids is what causes the sap to circulate up and down in a perpetual loop, and the same mechanism appears to apply to human biology as well. Thus, sleeping on a full-body incline is not the same as sleeping on a partially inclined surface where only the upper body is elevated. A full-body incline provides proper alignment so that a person&#39;s blood may circulate freely throughout the whole body, while at the same time no additional stress is put on the hip joint, which is a common concern with partial-body inclines. 
     Numerous patents have been issued involving methods of providing a full-body incline. 
     Some of these methods employ the use of an accessory that is placed directly on a bed frame and below a mattress or a mattress base. U.S. patent 53,706 to Tucker (1866) describes a mechanism that allows elevation through the use of a bar, and the mechanism is then locked in place by a dog and ratchet. The assembly described in U.S. patent 70,448 to Mabett (1867) provides head elevation through the implementation of split slats and wedge-shaped blocks. In U.S. patent 234,303 to Libby (1880) the invention involves a slide mechanism that moves a set of slats to a chosen elevation. Other such accessories with more complex mechanisms are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,921 to Alsobrook (1966), U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,073 (1987) and 4,856,129 (1989) to Butler, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,007 to Sweet (1990). 
     Other methods may provide more elaborate mechanisms, such as the one described in U.S. patent 964,105 to Hogan and Meinecke (1910), which may be more suitable for hospital settings. A simpler approach is found in U.S. patent 448,209 to Chorlton and Scott (1891), which mentions the possibility of switching the legs on one end of a camping bed with legs of different height, thus obtaining a head elevation. 
     However, such bed frames and assemblies suffer from a number of disadvantages. Their manufacture requires the use of a variety of components, which may result in high costs of materials. The construction is rather complex, requiring precision, skillfulness, and more time to make and assemble. To obtain the inclined position the user must either perform several steps, such as unlocking, adjusting the incline, and relocking, or the bed frame or assembly must be designed to use a power source for automating the process. When not used properly the moving parts and/or mechanisms may present a safety hazard of pinched fingers or more serious injuries, especially with younger children. 
     There are also alternative methods that do not rely on mechanisms but instead involve the use of a wedge-like inclined mattress. For example, patent US 2010/0122418 A1 to Adler describes a full-body auxiliary mattress that may be placed on top of or in place of a regular mattress. A disadvantage of this method is the necessity for additional storage when the inclined mattress is not needed. In the case of an inflatable mattress a pump may be required, in combination with extra time of inflation and deflation. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A reversible bed frame that can transform its angular disposition from horizontal to inclined by turning it upside down is described herein. 
     The reversible bed frame comprises multiple load-bearing elements that are connected to and between two side rails thus providing a top surface and a bottom surface of rectangular shape, with both surfaces able to withstand a load, for example of a mattress and a human. Several elevating members provide elevation for both surfaces. In accordance with one embodiment the elevating members are of varying height so that the top surface is horizontal when facing upwards and the bottom surface is inclined when facing upwards. In accordance with another embodiment different measurement and positioning of the load-bearing elements provide a horizontal top surface and an inclined bottom surface. 
     Accordingly several advantages of one or more aspects of my invention are as follows: to provide bed frames with a horizontal and an inclined position that are durable, inexpensive, and simple to construct; that are single-step and easy to operate; that are safe and reliable to sleep on for persons of almost any age, through a construction that does not require any movable parts or mechanisms; that do not require additional storage for unused components. These and other advantages of one or more aspects will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view in the horizontal position of a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view in the inclined position of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  shows an orthogonal view in the horizontal position of the first embodiment, with details on the relationship between various measurements. 
         FIG. 4  shows an exploded perspective view in the horizontal position of the first embodiment, with details on example fixtures. 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view in the horizontal position of a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view in the inclined position of the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  shows an orthogonal view in the horizontal position of the second embodiment, with details on possible positioning of the load-bearing elements. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     First Embodiment—FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3 , and  4   
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of one embodiment is shown, in the horizontal position in  FIG. 1  and in the inclined position in  FIG. 2 . 
     The opposite ends of two side rails  110  are connected to a first elevating member, or leg  120  and to a second leg  130 , forming a rectangular shape. Multiple load-bearing elements  140  are rigidly connected to and between side rails  110 , thus providing a top mattress-support surface  150 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , and a bottom mattress-support surface, as shown in  FIG. 2 . A conventional mattress  160  is shown, which can be placed either on top surface  150  or on bottom surface  210 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an orthogonal view of this embodiment. Load-bearing elements  140  are positioned along the length of side rails  110 , with gaps  310  in between. Gaps  310  should be less than 6 cm when a conventional mattress (not shown) is placed directly onto top surface  150  or onto bottom surface  210  to prevent the mattress from sagging. 
     Leg  120  and leg  130  extend below bottom surface  210  to an equal length so that when facing upwards top surface  150  is horizontal. Leg  120  and leg  130  also extend above top surface  150  so that when facing upwards bottom surface  210  is inclined at a predetermined angle  320 . 
     A bed length  330  is the usable length for placing a conventional mattress (not shown) onto load-bearing elements  140 . A bottom elevation  340  is equal to the shortest distance between top surface  150  and the lower end of leg  130 . A foot elevation  350  is equal to the shortest distance between the upper end of leg  130  and bottom surface  210 . A head elevation  360  is equal to the shortest distance between the upper end of leg  120  and bottom surface  210 . 
     The values for angle  320 , bed length  330 , bottom elevation  340 , foot elevation  350 , and head elevation  360  depend upon the needs and comfort of the user. Referring to angle  320 , a value between 2.5° and 3.5° provides a gentle incline and may be particularly suitable for children, while a higher value may be more beneficial for adults. The value of angle  320  should not be greater than around 7°. Bed length  330  is determined by the desired mattress size. Lower values for bottom elevation  340  and foot elevation  350  provide a bed frame that is safer for use by younger children. Higher values may be more comfortable for adults. To ensure airflow, the value for bottom elevation  340  should not be lower than around 1 cm. This recommendation may vary and depends upon the type of surface on which the bed frame will be placed. 
     An elevation difference  370  is the difference between head elevation  360  and foot elevation  350 . When bed length  330  and angle  320  have been determined, the value for elevation difference  370  may then be calculated using the tangent ratio, as shown below: 
       tangent(angle 320)=elevation difference 370/bed length 330 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , this embodiment is shown in an exploded perspective view. Leg  120  and leg  130  are shown having notches  410  on two opposite ends. Notches  410  are of such shape and size to accommodate the opposite ends of side rails  110 . To determine the exact positioning of notches  410  the reader may refer to paragraphs [ 0024 ] through [ 0026 ] also taking into consideration the thickness of load-bearing elements  140 , which depends on intended use and choice of materials. 
     While notches  410  may provide adequate vertical support, load-bearing elements  140  may be further secured to leg  120  and leg  130  by bed bolts  420 . The use of a rigid but non-permanent connection, such as bed bolts  420 , is convenient as it allows disassembly. 
     In alternative to notches  410 , side rails  110  may be connected to leg  120  and leg  130  by bed bolts, pocket-hole joinery, tongue and groove joints, mortise and tenon joints, or the like. Under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as user preferences, structural requirements, cost, etc., other connection and/or attachment arrangements such as, for example, glue, latches, pins, screws, dowels, dovetail joints, etc., may be sufficient. 
     Side rails  110  are shown having multiple mortises  430  that are positioned on the inner side along the length of each side rail  110 . The number of mortises  430  on each side rail  110  is equal to the number of load-bearing elements  140 . Mortises  430  are of such shape and size to accommodate either the opposite ends of load-bearing elements  140  directly or tenons thereof. The depth of mortises  430  should be sufficient so that additional means of support for load-bearing elements  140  may be omitted. To permit disassembly, load-bearing elements  140  may be inserted into mortises  430  without the use of glue or other permanent fixture. 
     In alternative to a mortise/tenon joint, load-bearing elements  140  may be attached to side rails  110  employing additional elements, for example upright fitting plates, which can be positioned to provide support for load-bearing elements  140  from above and from below. Under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as user preferences, structural requirements, cost, etc., other connection and/or attachment arrangements such as, for example, glue, bolts, pocket-hole joinery, latches, pins, screws, dowels, dovetail joints, etc., may be sufficient. 
     When considering the choice of materials for the construction of the reversible bed frame, it should be noted that a suitable material is solid wood, which has many advantages, such as being readily available, simple to work with, and usually economical. However other materials may be used, for example, metal, medium density fiber, particleboard, plastic, etc., or a combination thereof. 
     Second Embodiment—FIGS.  5 ,  6 , and  7   
     A perspective view of another embodiment is shown in the horizontal position in  FIG. 5  and in the inclined position in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an orthogonal view. Load-bearing elements  140  are positioned along the length of side rails  110  in a way that top surface  150  is horizontal. The height of each load-bearing element  140  gradually decreases from one end of the bed frame to the other so that bottom surface  210  is inclined at angle  320 . 
     OPERATION OF THE INVENTION 
     A human may change the angular disposition of the reversible bed frame from horizontal to inclined by turning it upside down. 
     CONCLUSION 
     While my above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations of the scope, but rather as an exemplification of embodiments thereof. Many other modifications and variations are possible that achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.