CA2098438C - Support deck for mattress or seat - Google Patents

Abstract

A support deck for a sofa bed having a plurality of support members interconnected at joints such that when a force is applied to one side of the deck the deck will yield but when a force is applied to the opposite side, the deck will be relatively unyieldable.

Description

rronT D~CI~ ro~ Tr~ n SEAT
20984~8 U~ID ~r Yl~ rIoN
qlle ~r~sent lllv~-tion generally relates to metllod ar7d apparatus for providlng a ~upport ~leclc for a mattre3n or a seat.
qhe support ~ec]c o~ tlle l)resent lllvel-tloll is particularly suit~ble for use ln soEa heds altltough tlle inventloll need nok be limited thereto. In the past, sofn bed matt~ess deck~ hnve been made witl~
llnk fabrlcs or polyprop~lene whicll are attached to an outside frame witll !looks or llellcals. l'lle llnk fabrlc declc~ have ~n inllerent flaw because they are comprise~ of n qrid of wires wllich are free to pivot or yield thus offering little resistnnce when a person slts or rest~ on tlle unfolded sofa be~, tl~ls effect ls known ln tlle industry as ~'llammoclcil1g". The sofa bed declts made from polypropylene also suffer from tlle same inllerent flaw in that tlley collslst of a canvas-type material attaclled to a frame witll lloolcs or llellcals wllich simply are not reslllellt or strong enough to provide proper support for a person slttinq or resting on tl~e sofa bed.
~ notl~er problem wltll tlle prlor n~t 1~ wll~t i5 knowtl ln the lndustry as "crowning". Crownillg occurs when the so~a bed mattress, aEter havlng beell ~olded and recessed baclc into the sofa, is so tlllck as to push up~ards agalnst the sofa bed dcck causing a bulge because the soEa bed deck is not strong enough ~o restraln tlle compacted mattress. This bulge tilen mnke~ lt imposslble ~or seat cuslliolls to lay flut 011 the 60~cl l a condition known ill the lndustry a5 cusllion "smllillg"~ Sittlnq on ~ soE~ wltll "smlllllq"
cushiolls is also unpleasant slnce one slt5 011 a flrm bulge o~
mattress almost teeterlllg bac]c ulld forth.
Tlle presellt invelltloll illvolves tlle use oE a unique 209~3~

interlockillg grid system in a suppo~t deck in order to eliminate mattress "hammoc~ g", "crownlng" nn-l seat cushion "smiling" in ~ ;
sofa beds.
o~JEc~S o~ ~IE_l~lvE~ITION

An object of the present invention is to provide a unique deck structure that may be ured ln sofa bedr. or otl~er scatillg or bcdd~ng support systems.
Another object of the present iovention i3 to provide a novel soEa bed mattress declc that e1iminat~s the problem of "hammocklng"
identified above. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress dec~. that will also eliminate mattress "crowning" and cushion "smilin~
It is a further object of the presellt invention to provide a .
sofa bed mattress deck that can accommodate a thicker or longer sofa bed mattress yet at the same time provide for neat and compact storage or folding of the mattress bacl~ in the sofa hed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sofa 'oed mattress declc that ~/'nen fully c10snd not only enables a ~ -sofa cushion to lay flat on it but also provides a flat and soft ~;
seat penetratioll as in a convelltiolla' soEa with standard sprung seats.
further object of the present invelltioll is to provide a sofa ~ bed mattress deck that will acllleve the above objects and yet is ; relatively inexpellsive to manufacture.

SUMIlARY OF ~l'IIE IN~J~ LO~
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The present invention is embodied in a grid attached to a :' 209~38 frame, -the grid ~eing formecl hy wire-like members joined together such that the grid whell pushed or forced ~rom one side resists and maintains its flat surEace ti.e. i~ is in the locked position) but when pushed or forced from the otller side yields. As a result whell the so~a bed is unLoldecl, a ~irm mattress is provided that contours to the user's bod~ witho;lt e~cessive sagging. ~1hen folded and stored, the deck provide-; a flat surface upon whicll the sofa bed cushions can be placed without smiling or bulging ~pward.
In tllis conditioll, the mattress is pushing upward and outward against the side of the deck that is in a locked position which resists the force of the mattress.
The support provided for a person sitting on the sofa bed when in the sofa mode simulates that of a standard sofa that has a sprung seat, due to the fact that the cleck grid while locked against upward movement will yielcl in downward movement caused by the person's weigllt.

DRAWI~IGS

Other ob~ects iand advantages of the present invention will -~
become apparent from the c'~etai1ed description below taken in con~unction with the attached drawings in which:
". ,~ ~
Fig. 1 is a side elevatiollal view of a sofa bed in open position and incorporatinc~ a c3ack constituting a preferred embodiment of tlle present invelltion; I -Fig. 2 is a side view of the sofa bed of Fig. 1 with portions removed to show internal parts;

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Fig. 3 is a fragmental view of a mattress supported on a convelltior1al deck and illustrating hlmmocl;ing:

Fig. ~ is a view genernl1y similar to Fig. 2 but of a conventional sofa and deck illustrating the problem of crowning ;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the sofa bed while in the sofa mode and Witll the cUslliolls removed to show portions of the deck;

Fig. G is an enlarged frac3mental perspective view of a portion of the bottom side of tlle deck whetl in tlle folded inverted position of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of tlle declc witll portions broken away showillg the upper side of the deck as seen when the sofa bed is in tlle bed mode;

Fig. 8 is a fragemental plan view oE a joint corresponding to the view sllowll in Fig. G;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the joint of Fig. ~ out as seen from the opposite side tllereof~

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectiona1 view oE the jolll~ as shown in Fig. 9: ;

Fig. 11 is a view generally similar to Fig. 10 but With the joint in stressed condit;ioll;

~1 2098~3~

Fig. 12 is a plan view oC a joint in accordance witll another embodiment of the present inventioll:
Fig. l~ is a cross-sectiollal view of the joint shown in Fig.

~ig. 1~ is a cross-sectional view through a sofa bed incorporatillg another imbod;ment of the dec~ of the present invention;
Fig. 15 is a plan view Oe the declc shown in Fig. 1~;
Fig. 16 is a fragmental p]an vlew of a ~oint included in the deck of Figs. 1~ and 15;
Fig. 17 is a fragmental plan view similar to Fig. 16 but showing a modification of a pivot pin that may be also emplo,yed in tlle embodiment of Figs. 1~ and 15;
Fig. 18 is a fragmental side view of another embodiment of the deck oP tlle present invention;
Fig. l9 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment "
of the deck of the present invention; and ; Fig. 20 is a plan view Or the deck shown in Fig. 19.
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...

la, DE1'A~LED D~SCRIPTIO~ ~
~.-~eferring to the drawings in detail there is shown for -~
illustrative purposes only in Fig. 1 a sofa bed generally designated 10 incorporatiny a support decX generally desiqnated 12 in accordance with the presellt in~ention for supporting a mattress 13 for movement between a b~d position shown in Fig. 1 and a sofa position shown in Figs. 2 and 5. So~a bed 10 may have a conventional frame structl~re incIudinrJ a backrest frame 16 upstanding from a base frame s~lpport:ed on the floor by legs l~, and a front rail 14. The afo1-ementio;led frame defines a cavity for receiving the sofa bed in the sofa position shown in Fig. 2 and ~or allowing the bed to be unfoIr1ed from the sofa position into the bed position shown in Fig. 1. ~ny conventional sofa bed frame may be utilized in conjunctioll with the deck of the present invention. ''~-In addition, the deck may hc mounted to tlle frame by any suitable Iinkag~ shown for eY.ample at 22 and 24 for movement between the sofa and b~d positions mentioned above. In addition, a conventional leg arrangement such as shown at 26 and 27 may be employed to support the dec'~ in th~ bed position shown in Fig. 1 and yet at the same time to l-e foldable with the deck into the sofa position shown in Flg. 2. The mattress 13 itself may alsc be any conventional mattress although as wlll be apparent after reading ~;~

-~ 209~3~

the description below, the deck of t11e present inve1ltion will allow mattresses of greater de~ths to be employed than have been lleretofore possible.
Fig. 3 s1-ows a conventional mattress 3 supported 011 a conventional deck 2 of the ~rior art and illustrates the problem of "hammocking" due to t1-e fact that the deck 2 has insufficient strengtl- to resist the weight of tho mattress and an occupant of the mattress. Fig. ~ discloses the same conventional deck 2 when the sofa bed is in the folded or sofa position, and it is seen that due to the inadequate strength of the deck 2, the mattress 3 bulges upwardly to form a crown with a convex p]ane or surface 2a. ~s noted above, the so~a bed cusl-ions cannot lie flat on a crowned surface. This provides both an unsiyhtly appearance and an '~
uncomfortable seat.
The above problems are solved by tl-e unique deck of the present inventio11 which in the preferred embodiment may include any suitable perimeter frame 20 made from woocl, tubular metal or any other suitable materials; the framo being shown as rectangular in ;~ Fig. 7. The deck includes a plurality of wire or wire-like members 32 which in the shown embodiment l1ave descrete lengths of about 5~ inches and are arranged in a grid whic11 in the shown embodiment is a rectangular grid In accordance with tl-e ~resent invention, the adjacent ends of the wires 32 where their pat11s would intersect if extended, are connected by or throug11 means which allow the wires 32 to yield or pivot when loaded or forced from one side but which will prevent the wires from pivoting or yieLding w11e11 forced or loaded from the opposite side. ~Ihe dec~ is arran~Jed in the sofa bed such that when the sofa bed is in the bed pOSitiO11, the deck will not yield ~ - 2098~s~ :

:
in a downward direction ur:der tlle weigllt oE the mattress or the occupant oE the mattress but rather wo~lld provide a sturdy flat planar support structure. Ilcwever, when the deck is moved into the soEa position alld part of the deck at the remote end is foldecl with the mattress into the overlying pOsitioll represented by 12a in Fig.

2, that portion of the deck will yield downwardly under the weight of the occupant of the sofa as is desirable to provide a soft and comfortable seat, but at tl~e same time that portlon of the deck will not be movable upwardl~i into a crowned or convex position under forces from tho mattress, but ratller will remain in a generally horizontal posi'cion as sho~n in Fig. 2. This not only provides a comfortable seatlng surface but also allows the sofa ~ -cushions to be placed on the deck so that they lie flat on the deck rather than "smile".
In one preEerred embodlmellt of the invention, the deck wires 32 are joined by a conriectillg elemellt 3G shown as a rectangular i ~ ~
plate which is made from a suitable material such as steel and ~ -having a plurality of apertures respectively receiving the ends of the wires 32 which in the specific embodinellt are sllown as having hook shapes 33. l~oreover, in the specific embodiment shown, the apertures in the connecting member 36 are formed by a cruciform aperture having four sections respectively receiving the hook portions 33 such that the straight portion 32a (see Fig. 10) of the wire is located on one side of the conllectillg plate 36 and a bite portion 33a is located on the opposite side oE the connecting plate 36. The hook portions 33 of the wires 32 are retained in position relative to each other and to the connecting plate 36 by means of a retaining meinber whicll in the shown embodiment is a ring or ring-like structure ~10 whicll is sholnl in Fig. 10 as lying on one side 2093~38 of the conl;ecti;-g plata ~6. Th(; '~ite portion 33a of the hooked ends 33 of tl~e wireS 3? are 3 ceiv---.1 ahout the retainer 40 and with the extre,llity 33b extendil)g br31Ow tlle r~t;li.ner ~0 and througll the cruciror n slot ~0 as sllown in Fiq. 10. It w;11 thlls he seell that if a forcc sucll a5 Fl :In i~ 3. 10 is ;Jppliell to the joint, the wires 32a will not pivot dowllwar~li abo-:L tll~ retaining rings ~o. Thls orientation of the wires al;~:l tl~il jOi:lts as sl~own i.n Pig. lo is utili~ed for the bed po:itlt~n of t.!~e dec~ to provlde a substantially rigid planar support Gurface for the mattress.
~eferring to Fig. 11, i.~: a force F is applied to the jOilltS '~
from the side opposite tlle Xorce rl desr.~ibed above, lt will be ~.;
seen tl~at the wires 3~ ~iLl be ~... ree t~ pivot relative to the -~
connectillg plates 36 and tlle ret;lin ng rillg ~0 to allow the jolnts ~.
and the wires to yield, thus provi~:llng a ~:oEt comfortablo seating surface when in thc sofa pc~5.1tion; 5110W71 for example in Fig. 5.
Ill that position WhiCIl is al;~.~ sl)o~-n .in lig. 2, the upper top layer lZa of the deck shown i.n Fi.g. 2 wi:Ll bc ~ree to yield downwardly to provide a soft seat wlli:le tll~3 ].~,we3: laver of the deck will be unyie].dable to provide a sul)s~:alltialLy ri-!id planar support.
The wire grid of the deck oL tlle ~;r.esent invention may be ::
attached to the frame 7.0 in any sl;itable mallner; one being shown in Fig. 7 where coi.l comr)res!;l.on spli.ags 5')1~ave one of their ends 52 s~3cured to tlle frame 20 w~.i.le the;r otllrer ends are received in , ..
one of the sections of the c3.uci.Lor.r~ slcl:s 37 of the connecting members. It sholll.d ~ uncle3.;too~ tl~at althougll a certain amount of flexability or yieldability in tile grid structure will result from tlle elongatioll or llexirl~ of tle coil sprill-Js 5~ upon loading, .~.
tlle joints of the wil:~es 32 wi.].l still be relatively unyieldable wllen forces are applied in one ~irr!s~ion as described above.

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Althougl) one specif ic IIIC-IIlS fOI ;ntercollllectillg the grid wires 32 to carry out the invelltioll has b3en showll and described above, other means may be employed withirl the scope of the present invention. For example, w;th rererellce to Figs. 12 and 13, a connecting plate Gû may be provided ~"ith upstanding portions 62 spaced from the plane of the plates 60 to provide apertures 6~ -which will receive thc grid wires 70 with tlle hook portions 68 oE
the wires extending about the of Lset portions 62 as best shown in Fig. 13. Connecting plate 60 wou1d also be provided with a central aperture 66 througll whicll the hooked wire portions 68 would extend. In addition to the connecting member 60 showll in Figs.
12 and 13, other means may be employed including connecting the ends of the grid wires to each other directly.
In the speciEic embodiment showll and clescribed, the grid wires 32 may be made from spring wire. In addition the retaining rings ~10 may have a diameter of about 5/8 oE an incll. Connecting plates 86 may be 1 1/2 inch squares with :~lots 37 1 1/~ inches in length.
Obviously other sizes and shaE)es ma~; also be employed. The wire grid including the joints desc. ibed above may extend throughout the length and width of the dec~. Erame 20 or only a portion of the deck. The declc support of the ; n~ention may also be employed internally to Eorm a support in a bo~; spring. It may also be made without a foldable frame, that is, for a m~ttress or seat that does not f old as clisclosed above .
r~eferring now to Figs. 1/1 and 15 there is shown a support deck constltuting another embodimert of the present invention including a plurality of elongated support meioi)ers ~Jllich may be wire-like or rod-like members Bl and 8Z of any S!~' table material such as steel rod or spring stee]. In the preferred embo~iment the support members extend in the same general cli-~ection in a plurality of rows between the head and foot ends of the support frame 83 to which they are conllected by any suitahle means such as helical coil springs not shown. Ilowever n the ~rsEerr~d embodiment snown in Figs. 1~ and 15 they are collllect:e(l to the frame by links 85 received in a mounting bracl et sho,/ll as a plate 8~1 fixed to the 2~9~3~

~rame 8~. ~racket ~-1 has a scrics o~ apertures provided at predetermined locations several of ~thich are offset from each other to control tension in the support members so that they are in uniform tensioll across tl-e decJc. ~lote from Fig. 15 that the apertures ~6 in the central area of the bracket 8~ are of~set outwardly of the frame relative to the other apertures while the end apertures 87 adjacent tlle oE~posite sides of the frame are positioned inwardly of tlle intermediate apertures 88 which are positioned inwardly o~ central apertures 8G. Lin~s 85 have their opposite ends formed with hook portions, one being 89 received in an aperture of the bracket 8~ and the otller being 90 received about ~ I ::.. ...
a pivot 91 of an outermost sur:port member 81 or 82 as shown in Fig.
1~. ' The support members are provided in groups which axe interconnected at joints generally designated J. In the shown embodiment the group 81 and tlle group 82 of support members each includes a plurality of suppvrt mombers, tlle specific number of which may vary dependi;lg on t~e si~e of tlle deck and load to which it will be subjected. Eacll of the ~oints J in this embodiment includes at least two pivots which in the embodiment of Fig. 16 is provided by separate pivot pins 91 alld 92 and in the embodiment of Fig. 17 is provided by the opposite legs 93 and 94 of a U-sllaped pivot member 95. ~etUrniJ~g to Figs. l~-l6, support members 81 are mounted on pivot 91 for pi ctal movement about pivot 91 while support members 82 are mounted on pivot 92 for pivotal movement about pi~ot 92. In the preferred embo~iment of tlle support members shown, the opposite ellds of the support me~nbers are each provided with an aperture showll a; being formed by bending the opposite ends 81a al-d 8za of tl~e support mel~bers ~1 and ~2 into loops. Pivot pins 91 and 92 are received in the loops and retained thereill hy enlarged l~eads 95 and 97 formed on tlle opposite ellds of the pivot pillS as shown in ~ig. 16.
In order to intercollnec~ or link the groups 81 and 82 to form tlle joints J, the end loops 81a and 82a o~ each group are positiolled between the end E,ottiolls of the adjacent group 82 and ~9~3~
81 respective1y with their pivot pins 91 and 92 located inwardly of the encls o~ the adjacellt group sucll that the pivot pins of one group are capt-:red by the support membsrs of the adjacent group.
Note tha. tlle pivot pins 91 and 93 oE each joint lie in generally the same plane on one side of tlle straight body portions of the support members ~l and 32. It will thus be seen that although the support members ~1 arld ~ nre free to pivot about their respective pivot pins when loaded in one clirection a~, shown by the arrow 93 in Fig. 1~ they wi]l be prevented from pivoting in the opposite direction by the pivot pins 91 and 92 which will act as stops engaging the support members to limit movement. As illustrated in Fig. 14 the support members in the upper run of the deck will be yie1dab1e downward1y when the cushion C is loaded to provide comfortable seating but at the same time will not bulye or ;
move upwardly being the planar condition shown in Fig. 14 when unloaded-thus holding the cushion C in the desired position shown in Fig. 1~.
Referring now to Fig. lU there is shown anotller embodiment of t1le present invelltion including a plurality of support members 100 extending in the same general direction between opposite end portions of the deck frame or border (not shown). The support members are connected or 1inlced togetller at joillts such as by pivot pins lol. In order to prevellt or 1imit movement of the support members 100 in one directioll wllen loaded in one direction by ~orces represented by the arrow 102 in Fig. 18, a plurality of stops 103 are formed or otherwise fixied on the support members 100 intermediate tlleir ends to be engageab1e with each other as shown in Pig. 18 when tlle support me~nbers are loaded in one direction.
Ilowever whell the deck is loaded in the opposite direction, the ~-support members 100 will be ~ree to yield and move in that direction due to the spacing between the stops 103 shown in phantom lilles in Pig. 13. Stops 103 may be made from wood, plastic or any other suitable material formed separate from or integral witll the support members 100. Similarly tl~c support members loo may be formed in any suitable manner.

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20~8~38 , ~ efel-rillg now to ligs. 19 alld 20 there is shown a preferred form o~ the invention wl~ere~ the support me7mbers 110 and 111 are lin7ced together by pivot ~ins 112 ln the opposite ends thereof whicll havt-~ recessed ~or~icl~s 111 11~ for accommodating the adjacent projccting e:ld portion J15 and llG of the neighboring support member. In this enihod7imc~ the projecting end portions ; ~;
115 and 11G are forme(l as a h;llgc l~arrel for receivint;T pivot pins ~ ' 112 for pivotally linking the support memc70rs together. Pins 112a are provided for receiving links ~S wllich connect to the frame T33 via bracket 8~ described abo~e. l~eferring to Fig. 19 the recessed end portions 113 and 11~ ter~.inate at a stop surface 117 which is engageable with a projeCtintJ stop surEace 11~ formed on the acdjacent end portions 1]5 116 to limit relative pivotal movement between the support members 110 111 about pivot pin 112 in one angular direction whetl subjocted to forces represented by the arrow 130 in Pig. 19. 1he support m~mbers however 110, 111 are free to pivot relative to each other in the opposite angular direction as i11ustratecl by tile plrarltom lines in Fig. 19.
In the preferred form oE the emhodime~t, the cross-section of ~;
the recesse7d portions 113 11~ is arcuate as indicated at 132 to ~-comp1ement and provide a seat for tht arcuate surface of the mating end portion 115 11G of the a(7jaceJlt: support member. ~loreover it is preferred that the support members 110 111 be extruded as an integral piece from a suitable plastic. It is further preferred that the support members llave a genera11y flat elongated rectangular surface on one side 1;0 whicll will receive a seat cushiotl when the deck is folc7etl in the so~a mode when in use in a sofa bed as 5l10WT1 in Fig. l3. Tlle underside Oe each support member is provided with an in egral reillforcing rib 121 extending lonqitudirla11y along the axis ~rom el~d to elld as best shown in Pig. ~ ;

20. In the sofa mode posltioll of the support members, a substantia11y continuous p1anar sur~ace 120 will be presented to the cushions of the associate~] sofa had allcl yet the support members will be yie1dab1e downward1y t:o pr-vicle co~nfort and unyield~ble upwardly to prevent crowning.

2 0 e9 8 4 3 8 , ~
In a modificatioll (not showll) Or the embodiment shown in Figs.
19 and 20 the opposite emls Or t11e support members are not biEurcated as showll in Fiy. ~0 but instead have a single recess 113 and a sing1e projection o; eac:l cnd which receive a mating projection and recess on an adjacellt end.
It will thus ~e seeu ~I:ut in all oP tlle various embodiments descrihe-l above support members are pivotally interconnected to allow re1ative movement in one an-Jular directioll but stops are provided to prevent or limi~ movement in the opposite or counter ~-direction. In the embodiment of ~igs. 5 through 11 the stops are provided by the plates 36 inc1udillg the retaining rings and the support wires engageable therewitll. In the embodiments of Figs.
1~-17 the stops are provided by the pivot pins and the support members engageable therewith while in the embodiment of Figs. 1~
20, the stops are provi~ed by engageab1e surfaces on the opposite ends of the support members, A1though App1icallt hn; showll and described specific embodimellts oE the invelltioll various modifications will become apparent to those 5ki1]ed in tlle art but without departing from the scope of the present invention which is indicated in the appendant claims.

Claims (23)

1. A deck for seating or bedding comprising a plurality of support members extending in the same general direction to form a support, said members being arranged in first and second groups spaced from each other along said direction said support members having adjacent ends connected to each other for movement relative to each other, and means preventing movement of said ends in one direction and allowing movement of said ends in a direction opposite said one direction, said means including stops on said support members.

2. The deck defined in claim 1 wherein said means includes a pair of laterally spaced pivots receiving the ends of said members.

3. The deck defined in claim 2 wherein each group of support members has four wire-like members whose ends are connected by one of said pivots.

4. The deck defined in claim 2 wherein said pivots are included in a generally U-shaped member having opposite legs forming said pivots.

5. The deck defined in claim 1 wherein said ends of the wire-like members are apertured and receive pivots.

6. The deck defined in claim 2 wherein said ends of the wire-like members are bent into loops defining apertures receiving said pivots.

7. The deck defined in claim 2 wherein said pivots prevent pivoting of the support members about said pivots in one direction but allow pivoting of said members about said pivots in an opposite direction.

8. The deck defined in claim 1 wherein ends of the members of one group are located between ends of the members of the other group.

9. The deck defined in claim 2 wherein said ends of the members of one group extend across the pivot to which the ends, of the other group are mounted.

10. A deck for seating or bedding comprising a plurality of support members extending generally in the same direction to form a support, said support members having adjacent ends connected to each other for movement relative to each other, and means including stops included on said members, arranged such that upon movement of said members in one direction the stops will engage a support member to limit movement and upon movement of the members in a direction opposite said one direction the stops will be spaced from the support member to permit movement in said opposite direction.

11. The deck defined in claim 10 wherein said stops are provided intermediate the ends of said support members.

12. The deck defined in claim 10 wherein said stops are provided at opposite ends of said support members.

13. The deck defined in claim 10 wherein said stops include pivot pins in the ends of the support members.

14. The deck defined in claim 12 wherein the opposite ends of each support member are provided with recesses and projections mating with recesses and projections on adjacent support members.

15. The deck defined in claim 14 wherein the opposite ends of each of the support members are bifurcated and receive mating bifurcated end portions of adjacent support members.

16. The deck defined in claim 10 wherein said support members have planar surfaces on one side thereof.

17. The deck defined in claim 16 wherein said support members are made from extruded plastic.

18. The deck defined in claim 10 including a border frame having a series of apertures spaced along the frame with several apertures offset outwardly of the frame relative to other apertures, and a plurality of links received in said apertures and connected to support members for suspending the support members from the frame.

19. The deck defined in claim 10 wherein each support includes a body having on each of its opposite ends a projection and recess for receiving a complementary recess and projection on an adjacent support member, an aperture extending in said projection receiving a pivot pin to connect the body to an adjacent support member, and said stops are on the opposite ends of the body for engaging stops on an adjacent support member when in a generally coplanar position relative to the adjacent support member, said body being integrally formed and having a generally planar surface on one side thereof.

20. In a sofa bed having a frame movable between a folded position for sofa use and an unfolded position for bed use, said frame including a deck for supporting bedding, said deck having an end portion adapted to overly bedding when the frame is in the folded position and to underly bedding when the frame is in the unfolded position, said deck portion being yieldable in a downward direction and relatively unyieldable in an upward direction when the frame is in the folded position, said deck portion including a plurality of support members pivotally connected to each other and having stop means for limiting movement of said members in said upward direction.

21. The sofa bed defined in claim 20 wherein said stop means are located at opposite end portions of said members.

22. The sofa bed defined in claim 20 wherein said stop means are pivot pins in the opposite ends of said support members.

23. The sofa bed defined in claim 20 wherein said deck portion includes support members connected to each other at joints and wherein there is included means preventing movement of the support members at the joints when forces are applied to the joints in said upward direction when the frame is in the folded position.