Abstract:
A bed frame has a bed frame having side frame members and cross supports interconnecting the side frame members for supporting one of a mattress and box springs and an integrated roller system which actuates the bed frame between a first wheels up position rollers connected to said bed frame are operably disposed between said bed frame and a floor to ready mobility of the bed frame via the rollers and a second wheels down position such that the bed frame in is in contact with the floor without the rollers contacting the floor and is generally frictionally disposed to inhibit movement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to beds. More particularly, the invention relates to bed frames with integrated rollers. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Conventional beds come in a variety of sizes, such as twin, queen and king and frames which accommodate these sizes. The frames are typically made of metal and/or wood construction. Some of the frames come with wheels fixed at the bottom of the frame which makes it easier to move the beds when the mattress is disposed in the bed frame, however, the drawback of such frames is that they also undesirably move at certain times and are not as aesthetically appealing to the eye as bed frames which are fixable disposed on the floor. In the case of such existing roller bed frames, roller cups are placed under the rollers to keep the bed fixed. This creates a nuisance by the user in having to remove the roller cups each time the bed is required to be moved. It remains desirable to have a bed frame which can be easily moved to readily permit cleaning or changing of bed. 
     Insofar as a manufacturer of beds frames is concerned, it would be highly advantageous to use a roller bed frame which provides for relatively easy moving of a bed while also being aesthetically appealing and also provides a readily fixably position. This invention provides a novel and unobvious roller system for bed frames at a reasonable cost. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object to improve a bed frame. 
     It is a further object to provide an improved roller bed frame. 
     It is another object to provide a roller bed frame which provides for relatively easy moving of a bed while also being aesthetically appealing and readily fixably positioned 
     Another object is provide a roller system which is integrated into a bed frame. 
     Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention is provide a bed frame having side frame members and cross supports interconnecting the side frame members for supporting one of a mattress and box springs and an integrated roller system which actuates the bed frame between one position (e.g., “wheels down”) wherein rollers connected to the bed frame are operably disposed between the bed frame and a floor to ready mobility of the bed frame via the rollers and another position (“wheels up”) such that the bed frame is in contact with the floor without the rollers contacting the floor and is generally frictionally disposed on the floor to inhibit movement. 
     In a preferred embodiment, each side frame member can include a front leg and a rearward leg wherein at least the rearward leg is axially spaced from a terminal end of the side frame member. When the bed frame and bed is disposed on the floor, the legs serve to support the bed frame in a relatively fixed position when disposed on the floor. 
     A rear roller is operably disposed rearward to each rearward leg and is connected to the respective side frame member in a manner such that when the legs are in contact with the floor, the rear rollers are not in contact with floor. By way of example when the legs are in contact with the floor, the rear rollers are spaced above the floor at least about 0.1 cm and preferably about 0.2-0.5 cm. 
     A forward roller is operably connected to an actuating device which is connected to the bed frame and enables actuating the forward roller to a lower position contacting the floor whereupon so doing the rear rollers are caused to contact the floor and preferably raise the legs out of contact with the floor. In a preferred embodiment, the actuating device includes a pedal which is depressed by one&#39;s foot. The actuating device also provides an elevated position for front roller such that the rollers are not contacting the floor leaving legs of the bed frame in contact with the floor and thus generally fixing the position of the bed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bed frame having an integrated roller system. 
         FIG. 2  is a side perspective view a portion of the bed frame having an integrated roller system in a “wheels up” position. 
         FIG. 3  is a side perspective view a portion of the bed frame having an integrated roller system in a “wheels down” position. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a part section view of a rear roller of the instant invention. 
     
    
    
     With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, a bed frame having an integrated roller system of the instant invention is generally designated by the numeral  10 . The bed frame having an integrated roller system  10  includes an adjustable bed frame  12  upon which rests a mattress (or box springs) M of a conventional construction. 
     One embodiment of the novel bed frame and integrated roller system  10  constructed in accordance with this invention is as follows. The bed frame  12  includes end frame members  14  and side frame members  16  (which opposing members are mirror images of each other). Each side frame member  16  includes a forward end  18  and rearward end  20  and can preferably include a longitudinal ledge  22  formed of a steel strip tube secured to the side frame member  16  by screws for example, which can be connected adjacent upper edge  23  of each side frame member  16 . A plurality of cross supports  24  interconnect the side frame members  16  wherein ends  26  of cross supports  24  are retained on the ledge  22  by suitable fasteners, such as screws  28 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, each side frame member  16  can include a front leg  30  and a rearward leg  32 . Each rearward leg  32  is axially spaced from a terminal point  21  of rearward end  20 . Additionally, there can be a central support member  34  which interconnect one or more of the cross supports  24  by suitable fasteners, such as screws  36 . In the case of larger beds, such as king size bed, additional longitudinal support (not shown) can be provided and likewise connected to the cross members  24  and can be similarly formed as central support  34 , and in this case two or more supports  34  can be used and connected to cross member  35  as described herein. The central support member  34  does not rigidly connect to end frame members  14  which is important to allow the cross members  24  to flex due to weight. 
     The central support member  34  can preferably include one or more legs  38  which are of a length such that when the legs  30  and  32  are in contact with the floor F, the rearward legs  38  would normally suspend slightly above the floor F, for example, 0.2 to 0.5 cm above the floor F to accommodate situations where a floor may not be level and assuring the outer most leg  30  touch the floor F before the legs  38 . When the bed frame  12  (with sufficient weight from bed mattress and person thereon) is disposed on the floor F, the legs  38  are caused to touch the floor F due to flex of the cross supports  24  (typically wood slats), and the legs  30  with legs  38  serve to support the bed frame  12  in a first fixed position. 
     Also, a rear roller  40  is operably disposed rearward to each back leg  32  and is connected to the respective side frame member  16  by way of a suitable bracket  42  having an axle bearing thereon which rollably supports the rear roller  40 . The rear rollers  40  are slightly suspended above the floor F in a manner such that when at least the legs  30  and  32  are in contact with the floor F, the rear rollers  40  are not in contact with floor. By way of example, when the legs  30  are in contact with the floor F, the rear rollers  40  are spaced above the floor a sufficient amount to readily facilitate the invention, e.g., at least above about 0.1 cm, and preferably about 0.2-0.5 cm to provide ease of movement. 
     A forward roller  44  can be operably disposed below the bed frame  12  and is operably connected to an actuating device  46  which is connected to the bed frame  12  as will be discussed further herein and enables actuating the forward roller  44  to a lower position contacting floor F wherein the rear rollers  40  are caused to contact the floor F upon such actuation and preferably raise the legs  30  and  32  out of contact with the floor F. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the actuating device  46  includes a pedal member  48  which is depressed by one&#39;s foot and connects to a front support member  53 , side support members  50  which are laterally spaced and interconnect a back support member  52  and the front support member  53 . A rear portion of each side support member  50  includes a through hole  54  which are axially aligned with a through hole  56  in a forwardly disposed leg  38 . When coaxially aligned, a bolt  58  (or other bearing pin) is inserted through holes  54  and  56  and secured using a nut and washer  60 . Also, a stabilizing leg  39  is rigidly connected to central support  34  and extends downward though and between a forward end of side support members  50  and serves to keep the side support members  50  pivoting substantially about an axis of bolt  58 . To further aid in this regard, there is an additional cross member  35  which rigidly connects to a back side  41  of forward leg  38  and underside of central support  34  by means of threaded members, such as screws  43 . Ends  37  of cross member  35  do not connect to side frame member  16  to permit the flex movement of the cross members  24 . The stabilizing leg  39  is of sufficiently shorter length than leg  38  to avoid contacting the floor F when the bed frame  12  is in either position wherein the other legs  38  are contacting the floor F, the leg  39  does not interfere with the actuating device  46 . The front support member  53  includes a notched receiving surface  62 . 
     To the front end member  14  is connected a hinge  64  which interconnects a stop support brace  66 . The stop support brace  66  hingedly swings between an up position and down engaged position. The stop support brace  66  has a leg  68  which is configured with a complementary notched end to be received in the notched surface  62  when in the down position and thus lock the actuating device  46  in a “wheels down” position wherein the rollers  44  and  40  all contact the floor F. There is also provided a kick leg  69  which extends (preferably laterally to the leg  68  at 90 degree, for example) from the support brace  66  to enable easy pivoting of the support brace  66  and insertion/removal of leg  68  into notched surface  62 . 
     The actuating device  46  thus provides an elevated position for front roller  44  at which position the rollers  40  are likewise not contacting the floor F, leaving legs  30 , 38  of the bed frame  12  in contact with the floor F and thus fixing the position of the bed and inhibiting mobility. When the mattress M is on the bed frame  12 , despite that it may weigh a significant amount, one can easily actuate the same between a fixed disposed position (“wheels up”) and a mobile position (wheels down) to move the same on a plurality of wheels, as shown in the drawings by depressing with one&#39;s foot. The pedal member  48  causes canting of bed frame  10  where support brace leg  68  can move into an engaged position within the notched surface  62 . To release, one depresses the foot pedal  48 , pushes the engaged leg  68  out of notched surface  62  and while to holding releases the foot pedal  48  to move to the “wheels up” position. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.