Patent Publication Number: US-2006016002-A1

Title: Convertible headboard

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention involves a combination headboard and stowable tray. A tray stowing compartment is created between front and back surfaces of the headboard to provide a space for stowing the tray to provide a headboard of conventional appearance. However, the stowable tray is pivotally removable from the headboard providing a convenient and functional tabletop capable of providing a level of convenience and functionality heretofore unattainable.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      It is quite common to employ trays and tables adjacent to beds for a multitude of purposes. Many people find it relaxing the have breakfast or some other meal in bed where a tray is placed on or in conjunction with a user. However, as one or more persons shift their weight in bed, trays residing upon a mattress surface or on the lap of a user can often times shift resulting in liquids and other consumables spilling from the tray and onto a user or the surrounding bedding surface.  
      Trays and portable tables are also used in hospitals and similar environments where a bedridden patient is forced to consume his or her meals in a prone or semi-prone orientation. Generally, portable tabletops are wheeled adjacent the bed to provide a substantially horizontally-oriented tabletop surface. However, portable trays of this type are generally supported by vertically extending support members and are usually attached to a wheeled base which limits access to the patient. Further, as a nurse or other healthcare practitioner works with the patient in proximity to the portable tray, the structure can be nudged or bumped inadvertently causing the contents residing on the tray surface to spill.  
      It is quite apparent that there are a wide variety of uses for horizontally-oriented trays in conjunction with bedding. However, the prior art has seemingly completely ignored the above-recited limitations.  
      It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a combination headboard and stowable tray while avoiding the limitations of the prior art.  
      It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a combination headboard and stowable tray which can function to provide a horizontally-oriented tabletop surface on demand but which, when not in use, can appear as a decorative headboard similar to those of the prior art.  
      These and further objects will become more readily apparent when considering the following disclosure and appended claims.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention is directed to a combination headboard and stowable tray comprising a bed headboard having a vertically extending front member and vertically extending back member. The vertically extending front and back members are spaced apart from one another to create a tray stowing compartment. A tray is provided being pivotally appended to the bed headboard and oriented substantially in a vertical orientation when stowed within the headboard and between the vertically extending front and back members. The tray is rotatable about a first pivot to extend the tray outwardly from between the vertically extending front and back members while maintaining its vertical orientation. A second pivot is provided for rotating the tray to a substantially horizontal orientation for its deployment as a tabletop.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       FIG. 1  is a side plan view of the headboard of the present invention as it would visually appear to a user.  
       FIG. 2  is a side plan view of the headboard of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional plan view of the headboard of  FIG. 2  taken along cross sectional line  3 - 3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Turning first to  FIG. 1 , headboard  10  is depicted wherein stowable tray  20  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) is stowed. Headboard  10  is generally rectangular having top and bottom edges  3  and  4  and side edges  5  and  6 . The headboard is supported by legs  12  and  14  with cross brace member  13 . Obviously, bedding to be used in conjunction with headboard  10  is not depicted.  
      Headboard  10  is provided with a vertically extending front surface  11  and vertically extending back surface  9  being spaced apart from one another to create tray stowing compartment  45  ( FIG. 3 ). Tray  20  is pivotally appended to headboard  10  and is oriented substantially in a vertically orientation when stowed within tray stowing compartment  45  and between vertically extending front and back surfaces  9  and  11 .  
      As best visualized by reference to  FIG. 2 , tray  20  is rotatable about first pivot  25  to extend tray  20  outwardly from tray stowing compartment  45  while maintaining its vertical orientation. Second pivot  23  is provided for rotating tray  20  to a substantially horizontal orientation for its deployment as a tabletop.  
      To provide an aesthetically pleasing presentation, headboard  10  can be padded or finished in a variety of veneers suitable for virtually any decor. Preferably, the finished appearance of headboard  10  can be enhanced by providing bridging slats  28 , the width of which define the width of tray stowing compartment  45 . Functionally, slats  28  are provided with opening  7  of sufficient size to enable a user&#39;s finger to enter tray stowing compartment  45  and to pivotally rotate tray  20  from tray stowing compartment  45  about first pivot  25 . Alternatively, tray  20  can be pulled from compartment  45  by grasping pull tabs  57  ( FIG. 3 ). As noted by reference to  FIG. 3 , a second tray  40  can likewise be provided deplorable from tray stowing compartment  45  and pivotally extendable from side edge  6 . An opening similar to opening  7  ( FIG. 2 ) on pull tab  57  would obviously be provided to enable one to access tray  40  and remove it from tray stowing compartment  45  as needed.  
      As a preferred embodiment, tray  20  is appended to a tray support comprising first and second orthogonally extending tray supporting members  21  and  22 , respectively. It is noted by referring to tray  40  that when the tray is in its substantially vertically stowed position, first tray supporting member  41  resides within opening  7  ( FIG. 2 ) between front and back surfaces  9  and  11  at bridging slat  28 . This orientation is maintained through the use of stop members  35  and  55  which limit pivotal rotation of first and second orthogonally extending tray support members  21 / 22  and  41 / 42  as trays  20  and  40  are stowed within tray stowing compartment  45 . Note that in doing so, as the respective trays are stowed, tray support members  21  and  41  assume a substantially vertical orientation while tray support members  22  and  42 , residing upon stop members  35  and  55 , respectively, assume a substantially horizontal orientation.  
      As noted, stop members  35  and  42  are appended to and are supported by horizontally extending frame member  32 .  
      Turning again to  FIG. 3 , internally maintained structural support members  31 ,  32  and  33  act to create tray storing compartment  45  by defining the spacing between vertically extending front and back surfaces  9  and  11 . It is noted that as tray  20  rotates about first pivot  25 , second tray supporting member  22  moves counter clockwise. Second tray support member  22  (as well as second tray supporting member  42 ) is sized with regard to opening  7  as to limit pivotal rotation of first and second orthogonally extending tray support members  21  and  22  as the tray is pivotally rotated out of the tray storing compartment. Ideally, second tray supporting member  22  is sized to substantially completely fill opening  7  between front and back members  9  and  11  as tray  20  is completely pivoted out of tray storing compartment  45 . As an alternative expedient, extender  26  can be fastened to second tray supporting member  22  acting as a rotational stop as it abuts stop plate  26   a.  In doing so, second tray support member  22  substantially completely fills opening  7  to create a finished and aesthetically pleasing visual appearance as opening  7  within headboard  10  is filled upon tray deployment.  
      Once trays  20  and  40  are rotated from tray stowing compartment  45 , they are rotated through second pivots  23  and  43 , respectively. Ideally, the second pivots are hinges enabling trays  20  and  40  to rotate from their stowed vertical to functional horizontal orientations with respect to first orthogonally tray supporting members  21  and  41 , respectively.  
      As noted from the above discussion, what has been provided is a traditionally appearing headboard which can function with regard to traditional bedding but which also can provide enhanced functionality by presenting to a user one or more horizontally extending trays. As such, such headboard can be employed over a wide variety of applications.