Patent Publication Number: US-9420889-B2

Title: Furniture unit convertible to bed

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to furniture, and more specifically a furniture unit that is convertible into a bed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Furniture units that are convertible into beds are popular with consumers because of their multifunctionality. Many consumers find it very convenient to have a sofa or chair that can provide a bed for a guest, as such a unit can eliminate the need for an additional, separate bed. One popular sofa-bed design includes its own complete mattress that is folded within the cavity of the sofa during periods of non-use. One such example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,941 to Gill et al. This type of sofa-bed can be quite heavy, and typically requires not only the separate mattress, but also a relatively intricate mechanism to control the unfolding and folding of the mattress. 
     Other furniture units lack a complete mattress, but instead are constructed of separate sections that serve as support surfaces of the sofa and unfold to form a flat, mattress-like sleeping surface. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,131 to Vogel et al.; others are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,194 to Bradley and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0283491 to Murphy, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     In spite of the existence of these different foldable beds, it may be desirable to offer additional furniture units that can house foldable beds. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a furniture unit containing a foldable bed. The furniture unit comprises: a base including a storage cavity; a seat section; an intermediate section; a head section; and a mechanism having pivotally interconnected links, the mechanism interconnecting the base with the head, intermediate and seat sections. The mechanism controls the movement of the head, intermediate and seat sections between a folded position, in which the head, intermediate and seat sections are generally horizontally disposed and positioned in vertically stacked relationship, with the head section below the intermediate section and the seat section above the intermediate section, the head and intermediate sections being positioned in the cavity of the base, and an unfolded position, in which the head, intermediate and seat sections are horizontally disposed and serially aligned to form a sleeping surface. 
     As a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a furniture unit containing a foldable bed, comprising: a base including a storage cavity; a seat section; an intermediate section; a head section; and a mechanism having pivotally interconnected links, the mechanism interconnecting the base with the head, intermediate and seat sections. The mechanism controls the movement of the head, intermediate and seat sections between a folded position, in which the head, intermediate and seat sections are generally horizontally disposed and positioned in vertically stacked relationship, with the head section below the intermediate section and the seat section above the intermediate section, the head and intermediate sections being positioned in the cavity of the base, and an unfolded position, in which the head, intermediate and seat sections are horizontally disposed and serially aligned to form a sleeping surface. In the folded position, the intermediate section is inverted from its orientation in the unfolded position. The seating unit further includes front and rear legs coupled with the mechanism, and wherein the mechanism is configured to fold the front and rear legs under the seat section when the furniture unit is in the folded position. 
     As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a furniture unit containing a foldable bed, comprising: a base including a storage cavity; a seat section; an intermediate section; a head section; and a mechanism having pivotally interconnected links, the mechanism interconnecting the base with the head, intermediate and seat sections. The mechanism controls the movement of the head, intermediate and seat sections between a folded position, in which the head, intermediate and seat sections are generally horizontally disposed and positioned in vertically stacked relationship, with the head section below the intermediate section and the seat section above the intermediate section, the head and intermediate sections being positioned in the cavity of the base, and an unfolded position, in which the head, intermediate and seat sections are horizontally disposed and serially aligned to form a sleeping surface. The head section resides above the base in the unfolded position, and in the folded position, the intermediate section is inverted from its orientation in the unfolded position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an ottoman containing a foldable bed according to embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cutaway side view of the ottoman of  FIG. 1  with the foldable bed shown in its folded position. 
         FIG. 3  is a cutaway side view of the ottoman of  FIG. 1  with the foldable bed shown in an intermediate position. 
         FIG. 4  is a cutaway side view of the ottoman of  FIG. 1  with the foldable bed shown in another intermediate position. 
         FIG. 5  is a cutaway side view of the ottoman of  FIG. 1  with the foldable bed shown in its unfolded position. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the ottoman of  FIG. 1  with the foldable bed shown in its unfolded position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will be described more particularly hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not intended to be limited to the illustrated embodiments; rather, these embodiments are intended to fully and completely disclose the invention to those skilled in this art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some components may be exaggerated for clarity. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein the expression “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     In addition, spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     Referring now to the figures, an ottoman, designated broadly at  10 , is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-6 . The ottoman  10  includes a base  11  having a front wall  12 , a rear wall  13 , and opposed side walls  14  that define a cavity  17 . A foldable bed  15  includes a seat section  16  with an underlying seat panel  18 , an intermediate section  20  with an underlying seat panel  22 , and a head section  24  with an underlying head panel  26 . The bed  15  is movable between a folded position, in which the seat, intermediate and head sections  16 ,  20 ,  24  are generally horizontally disposed and positioned in vertically stacked relationship, with the head section  24  below the intermediate section  20  and the seat section  16  above the intermediate section  20 , and with the head and intermediate sections  24 ,  20  being positioned in the cavity  17  of the base  11  (see  FIG. 2 ), and an unfolded position, in which the seat, intermediate and head sections  16 ,  20 ,  24  are horizontally disposed and serially aligned to form a sleeping surface (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). 
     The movement of the sections  16 ,  20 ,  24  of the bed  15  is controlled by a pair of mechanisms  30 , which will be described in greater detail below. The mechanisms  30  are mirror images of each other about a vertical plane  P   ( FIG. 6 ) that bisects the ottoman  10  normal to the front wall  12 ; as such, only one mechanism  30  will be described herein, with the understanding that the description is applicable to the other mechanism also. 
     For the sake of clarity, the bed  15  will be described initially in the unfolded position of  FIGS. 5 and 6 ; movement to the folded position of  FIG. 2  will then follow. As used herein to describe the relative positions of components, the terms “lateral”, “outward” and derivatives thereof indicate the directions defined by a vector beginning at the vertical plane  P  that bisects the ottoman  10  normal to the front wall  12 . Conversely, the terms “inward”, “inboard” and derivatives thereof indicate the direction opposite the “outward” direction. Together, the “inward” and “outward” directions comprise the “transverse” axis of the ottoman  10 . The “rear” of the unfolded bed  15  is located at the end of the bed  15  nearest the rear wall  13  of the base  11  (i.e., toward the head section  24 ), and the “front” of the bed  15  is located at the end nearest the seat section  16 . The “front” and “rear” directions comprise the “longitudinal” axis of the bed  15 . 
     In addition, some components of the mechanisms  30  are illustrated herein as a series of pivotally interconnected links. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the pivots between links or other components can take a variety of configurations, such as pivot pins, rivets, bolt and nut combinations, and the like, any of which may be suitable for use with the present invention. Also, the shapes and configurations of the links themselves may vary, as will be understood by those skilled in this art. Further, some links may be omitted entirely in some embodiments, and additional links may be included in some embodiments. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the mechanism  30  includes a Z-shaped mounting bracket  32  that is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall  14 . An extension  32   a  extends upwardly from the forward leg of the mounting bracket  32 . An angled rear swing link  34  is attached to the mounting bracket  32  at a pivot  36  located the rear vertex thereof and extends upwardly and rearwardly therefrom. A similarly-shaped front pivot link  38  is attached to the mounting bracket  32  at a pivot  40  located near the extension  32   a ; the front pivot link  36  extends upwardly and rearwardly from the pivot  38 . A head section mounting bracket  42  is mounted to the lateral edge of the head panel  26 . The rear swing link  34  is attached to the head section mounting bracket  42  at a pivot  44 , and the front swing link  38  is attached to the head section mounting bracket  42  at a pivot  46 . A connecting link  48  extends parallel to and below the head section mounting bracket  42  and is attached to the ends of the rear and front swing links  34 ,  38  at pivots  50 ,  52  respectively. These links control the movement of the head section  24  between the folded and unfolded positions. 
     A coupling link  68  is attached to the front swing link  38  via a pin  38   a  on the front swing link  38  that is received in a slot  68   a  in the coupling link  68 . In the unfolded position of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the pin  38   a  is positioned in the rear end of the slot  68   a . The coupling link  68  extends upwardly and forwardly from the pin  38   a  to terminate at a pivot  72  with a rear intermediate section mounting bracket  70  fixed to the side of the intermediate panel  22 . The rear intermediate section mounting bracket  70  is also attached to the extension  32   a  of the mounting bracket  32  at a pivot  74 . These links control the movement of the intermediate section  20  between the folded and unfolded positions and couple the movement of the intermediate section  20  to the head section  24 . In addition, the coupling link  68  maintains the head section  24  in position via the interaction between the pin  38   a  of the front swing link  38  and the rear end of the slot  68   a  of the coupling link  68 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the mechanism  30  also includes a leg folding unit  80 , which has a front intermediate section mounting bracket  82  that is fixed to the forward end of the intermediate panel  22 . At its forward end, the front intermediate section mounting bracket  82  is attached to a rear seat section mounting bracket  84  at a pivot  86 . An intermediate leg  88  is attached to the front intermediate section mounting bracket  82  at a pivot  90 . A brace  92  is attached to the intermediate leg  88  at a pivot  94  and to the rear seat section mounting bracket  84  at a pivot  96 . These components control the movement of the intermediate leg  88  between the folded and unfolded positions. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a connecting rod  98  is attached to the front intermediate section mounting bracket  82  at a pivot  100 , which is located just rearwardly of the pivot  86 . The connecting rod  100  extends forwardly and slightly downwardly from the pivot  86 . A front seat section mounting bracket  102  is fixed to the seat panel  18 . An angled folding link  112  is attached to the rear end of the front seat section mounting bracket  102  at a pivot  114  and extends downwardly therefrom to terminate at a pivot  120  with the connecting link  98 . A front leg  104  is attached to the front end of the front seat section mounting bracket  102  at a pivot  106  and extends downwardly therefrom. An angled control link  108  is attached to the front leg  104  at a pivot  110  and also to the vertex of the folding link  112  at a pivot  118 . The folding link  112  and the control link  108  control the folding of the front leg  104 , and the connecting rod  98  couples the front leg  104  to the folding motion of the intermediate section  20 . 
     Referring once again to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the mechanism  30  has a folding resist unit  53  that includes a spring  54 . The spring  54  is mounted at its rear end to the rear portion of the mounting bracket  32  via a pin  54   a , and is attached at its other end to a link  56  at a pin  54   b . The link  56  is then attached to a generally triangular transition plate  58  at a pivot  60 . The transition plate  58  is pivotally mounted to the mounting bracket  32  at the pivot  40 . The upper end of the transition plate  58  is attached at a pivot  66  to a stop link  64 . The stop link  64  extends forwardly from the pivot  66  to a pivot  69  with the rear intermediate section mounting bracket  70 . A stop  64   a  contacts the underside of the coupling link  68 . The spring  54  is in a relatively relaxed state. 
     To move the bed  15  from the unfolded position of  FIGS. 5 and 6  to the folded position of  FIG. 2 , a user lifts the front end of the seat section  16 . This action also lifts the intermediate section  20 , which begins to pivot (counterclockwise from the vantage point of  FIGS. 2-5  about the pivot  74 . The rotation of the intermediate section  20  also forces the coupling link  68  and its slot  68   a  rearwardly and downwardly, which allows the head section  24 , by virtue of its own weight, to descend as the rear and front swing links  34 ,  38  pivot counterclockwise about, respectively, the pivots  36 ,  40 . This motion continues as until the front swing link  38  strikes the pin  32   b  on the mounting bracket  32 , at which point the head section  24  has reached its lowest position within the cavity  13  (see  FIG. 3 ). The intermediate section  20  continues to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot  74  (with the slot  68   a  of the coupling link  68  sliding relative to the pin  38   a ) until it reaches an inverted disposition above the head section  24  ( FIG. 2 ). 
     It can be seen in  FIG. 4  that, as the head section  24  descends, it reaches a position in which the pivots  36 ,  40  are aligned with the pivots  44 ,  46 . In this position, in the absence of the connecting link  42 , the head section  24  could tend to become unstable and begin to twist or shift rather than continuing to descend in a horizontal disposition. The connecting link  48  can prevent such unwanted twisting. 
     It can also be seen that as the intermediate section  20  rotates about the pivot  74 , the stop link  64  moves rearwardly and forces the transition plate  58  to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot  40 . Rotation of the transition plate  58  causes the spring  54  to stretch ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and thereby resist the rotation of the transition plate  58 . As a result, as the foldable bed  15  is moved toward the folded position of  FIG. 2 , the resistance provided by the spring  54  can help to prevent the bed  15  from dropping or slamming into place due to its weight. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 3-5 , as the intermediate section  20  rotates about the pivot  74 , the weight of the seat section  16  causes it to rotate clockwise relative to the intermediate section  20  about the pivot  86 . This relative rotation of the seat section  16  forces the rear front seat section mounting bracket  84  toward the front intermediate section mounting bracket  82 , which in turn forces the brace  92  toward the intermediate leg  88 . The intermediate leg  88  rotates clockwise relative to the front intermediate section mounting bracket  82  about the pivot  90  and folds into a position that is generally parallel with the intermediate panel  22  and between the intermediate section  20  and the seat section  16  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     Simultaneously, the rotation of the seat section  16  relative to the intermediate section  20  forces the connecting rod  98  toward the front leg  104 . This movement rotates the folding link  112  counterclockwise relative to the front seat section mounting bracket  102  about the pivot  114 . This movement draws the control link  108  toward the front seat section mounting bracket  102 , which in turn induces the front leg  104  to pivot clockwise relative to the front seat section mounting bracket  102  about the pivot  106 . 
     The movement of the intermediate and front legs  88 ,  104  and the folding of the intermediate and seat sections  20 ,  16  are complete when the legs  88 ,  102  are folded between the intermediate and seat sections  20 ,  16 , with the intermediate section  20  inverted from its disposition in the unfolded position (see  FIG. 2 ). In this position, the seat section  16  is above the base  11  and can serve as a sitting or resting position for the ottoman. 
     It will be understood that the bed  15  can be unfolded from the base  11  by lifting the seat section  16  and drawing it forwardly. The links of unfolding mechanisms  30  reverse the movements described above, thereby enabling the bed  15  to move to the unfolded position of  FIG. 5 . 
     Although the foldable bed  15  is shown herein mounted in the housing of an ottoman, those skilled in this art will recognize that the bed  15  may be suitable for mounting in other furniture pieces. For example, the bed  15  may be mounted in a cocktail or occasional table. In particular, the table may have a movable top, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,086 to Hoffman et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. In such a unit, the top could be moved to its raised position, at which point the bed  15  could be unfolded from the base. In addition, the foldable bed  15  could be mounted to a chair, sofa, sectional sofa, or the like, or could serve as a console fixed between two chairs, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,049 to Helton et al. The bed  15  could also be mounted and stored in a cabinet or chest. 
     The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.