EP0134796B1

EP0134796B1 - A combination furniture

Info

Publication number: EP0134796B1
Application number: EP84900556A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stig Holst
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-01-21
Filing date: 1984-01-19
Publication date: 1986-09-17
Also published as: SE8300304L; EP0134796A1; WO1984002835A1; DE3460716D1; SE446148B; SE8300304D0

Abstract

A combination furniture comprising a bed and a chest, preferably a child's cradle and a chest, whereby it comprises the combination of four side wall pieces (2, 3, 4, 5) forming a case frame (1), a lid piece (7), preferably being swingably mounted onto one of said side wall pieces (2), a bottom piece (12) removably arranged to said case frame (1) to the formation of a bottom, and at least two leg pieces (13, 14), preferably in the form of rockers, arranged to be removably attached to two opposite side wall pieces (3, 5) to the formation of a leg part, said leg pieces (13, 14) further being arranged to be able to fix said lid piece (7) to firm abutment against all said side wall pieces (2, 3, 4, 5).

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to an article of combination furniture convertible from a bed, preferably a child's cradle to a chest, and vice versa.
The object of the present invention is to obtain a possibility to obtain an article of combination furniture, which can easily be changed from a child's bed to a chest, and vice versa, and thereby can fulfill several purposes and thus be used for a long time.

Background of the invention

It is known to have combination furniture, such as child's bed and chair; children's toy bed and crib; child's rocking chair, a child's chair, and a child's car for playing purposes (US-A-824,488; US-A-1,383,727; US-A-3,879,083), which is particularly adapted for children's need and purposes. This furniture, although easily changeable, turns out to have too short a life-time in that the children will very soon grow out of the furniture. Thus they have a very short life-time of use, as short as 1 to 3 years, whereafter they are put aside, to more or less no use.

Description of the present invention

It has now surprisingly turned out that it is possible to obtain an article of combination furniture which is convertible between a bed and a chest, and which fulfills the requirement of being easily switched to either configuration and thereby being useful for a very long time period.
According to the invention the article of combination furniture comprises four substantially vertical side walls forming a case frame, said case frame being inverted between the bed and the chest configurations, a lid mounted on said case frame, preferably swingably mounted relative to one of said side walls, a bottom panel removably mounted on said case frame for the formation of a bottom therein in both the bed and chest configurations, means for supporting said bottom panel within the case frame at two different locations respectively corresponding to the two configurations, and at least two leg members arranged to be removably attached to two opposite sidewalls in the bed configuration for the formation of supporting legs, said leg members serving further in the bed configuration to fix said lid firmly against all said side walls.
Preferred characterizing features are evident from the accompanying dependent claims.
The invention will be described more in detail below with reference to the attached drawing, wherein

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an article of combination furniture of the present invention in the chest configuration;
Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of Fig. 1 in the cradle configuration;
Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 along the line III-I in Fig. 1; and
Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 2 along the line IV-IV in Fig. 2.

A case frame, generally denoted 1, comprises four side walls 2,3,4,5, respectively. In the embodiment shown the case frame 1 is rectangularly designed, having slightly leaning, vertical side walls, so that the top opening in Fig. 1 is slightly smaller than the bottom opening. The side walls 2,3,4,5 are interconnected with each other by means of four corner posts 6, which are somewhat higher than the side walls 2 to 5. A rectangular lid 7 is fixedly arranged to side wall 2 by means of hinges 8, whereby the lid 7 can be swung at least 90° around the side edge of the side wall 2. The lid 7 is further arranged to fit closely against the side edges 9 of the side walls 2 to 5, which side edges 9 are orientated in the same plane. At some distance from the side edges 10 of the side walls 2 to 5, which side edges are opposite said lid 7 receiving edges 9, a frame 11 is removably arranged to said side walls 2 to 5, said frame 11 comprising four separate parts, or strips. The frame being arranged on the inside of the case frame 1 is arranged to removably receive a bottom panel 12, which is arranged to rest on said frame 11, and thereby form a closed case space together with the said side walls 2 to 5, and said lid 7.
The corner posts 6 form the legs of the furniture when used as a chest.
Further, the article of combination furniture comprises two leg members 13 and 14, in the embodiment shown, these being in the form of rockers, which are arranged, in one configuration using the furniture as a chest, to be removably fixed to the underneath side of the bottom panel 12 by means of fixedly arranged pin bolts in said bottom panel 12, and lockings arranged in said rockers 13, 14, or through-going bolts 15 provided with (wing-) nuts 16. The rockers 13, 14 are at least on their one side surface provided with grooves 17, which are arranged to be able to receive the side edges 18 of the lid 7, as shown in Fig. 4. The rockers 13,14 are further arranged to be removably attached to the side walls 3 and 5 by means of screw joints, preferably arranged in the corner posts 6. The rockers 13, 14 provide for a rocking movement to be obtained when the furniture has been placed resting upon them. When the rockers 13, 14 have been attached to the side walls 3 and 5 the furniture is arranged as a bed, preferably as a child's cradle. To obtain the bed configuration from the chest configuration the bottom panel 12 is first removed as well as the frame 11. The case frame is inverted and the frame 11 and the bottom panel 12 are placed upon the inside surface of the lid 7. The bottom panel 12 will hereby serve as a bed bottom upon which a mattress can be placed.
The frame 11 can be substituted with pin bolts which are removably placed in lockings in said side walls 2 to 5, the bolts being preferably arranged to snap into said lockings to attach them more securely.
The article of combination furniture is preferably made of wood or wooden material, and the lid as well as the side walls can be provided with carvings for decorative purposes. The corner posts 6 can likewise be decoratively designed with turned top knobs and cut grooves. The lid 7 can be constructed of a frame and a plane part to prevent movements in the wood, all in accordance with common cabinetmakers practice.
Besides wood and other wooden material such as chipboard, fibre boards, etc., the material used can be any suitable composite material.

Claims

1. An article of combination furniture convertible from a bed to chest and vice versa, preferably a child's cradle and a chest, comprising four substantially vertical side walls (2 to 5) forming a case frame (1), said case frame being inverted between the bed and chest configurations, a lid (7) mounted on said case frame, preferably swingably mounted relative to one of said side walls (2), a bottom panel (12) removably mounted on said case frame for the formation of a bottom therein in both the bed and chest configurations, means (11 ) for supporting said bottom panel within the case frame at two different locations respectively corresponding to the two configurations, and at least two leg members (13, 14) arranged to be removably attached to two opposite said side walls (3,5) in the bed configuration for the formation of supporting legs, said leg members (13,14) serving further in the bed configuration to fix said lid (7) firmly against all said side walls.

2. An article of combination furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the leg members (13,14) are designed as rockers (13,14) to be able to provide a cradle.

3. An article of combination furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the case frame (1 ) on its inside is provided with removably attached means (11) for receiving said bottom panel (12).

4. An article of combination furniture according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the leg members (13,14) are arranged to be removably attached to the underneath side of the bottom panel (12) in the chest configuration.

5. An article of combination furniture according to claim 3, characterized in that the case frame (1 ) on its inside is provided with a removably attached frame (11), which is arranged at some distance from the edges (10) opposite to the lid receiving edges (9) of the side watts (2 to 5), said frame (11) being arranged for receiving said bottom panel (12).

6. An article of combination furniture according to claim 3, characterized in that said means (11) consists of bolts removably arranged in said side walls (2 to 5).