EP0463916A1 - Under-mattress for beds - Google Patents

Abstract

A slatted bed base comprising a series of units (13) each of which includes an upper slat (3) on a lower support (5) mounted on a rigid, central and longitudinal beam (7) which is fixed in relation to the floor. The lower support (5) and the upper slat (3) are connected by a flexible linking element (14) allowing relative movement between the support (5) and the slat (3). The units (13) are spaced apart so that they can move independently of each other.

Description

The present invention relates to a bed base.

A box spring is a flexible part of a bed, which rests in the frame of the bed or on legs (couches, sofa beds, ...) and on which the mattress extends.

We know the box springs, formed of a wooden box with rigid transverse bars furnished with springs and covered with fabrics; metal box springs or stretched wire mesh. We still know the slatted bed bases; these include a series of flexible slats, generally made up of several thin strips of beech. The slats are fixed at their ends on a rigid frame, and they are often bent upwards to increase the flexibility stroke.

The slatted bed bases have the advantage over the box springs of having a longer life: the springs become soft, while the slats retain their quality.

However the slatted bases, like the metal bases have the disadvantage of having a greater or lesser stiffness when one approaches the frame, or the wooden case: the slats, like the wire mesh, are fixed on a frame, in wood or metal, and it is thanks to this fixing of their end on this stationary frame that said slats and said trellis can acquire the desired elasticity. But it is the center of the battened surface or the canvas and not their edges which is elastic. This mechanical necessity therefore represents a drawback since the box spring is ultimately flexible and pleasant only in the middle.

Slatted bed bases were produced, the ends of which are mounted on the chassis by means of springs. such box springs are described in particular in EP-A-1,050,873, CH-A-399,712. However on the one hand the presence of a chassis to which the slats are linked further limits the freedom of movement of the slats, on the other hand the springs are made of metal of the leaf type or equivalent which limits their longevity.

There has also been produced in US-A-2,349,839 a slatted base, the ends of which can move vertically without being mechanically linked by a spring mounted on a chassis. It is made up of modules composed of a horizontal upper slat rigidly mounted on a curved lower slat. The modules are linked to each other on the one hand by a central lower beam on which they rest on the other hand by three horizontal upper slats. However, the constitution of this bed base does not make it possible to obtain satisfactory deformations due to the rigidity of the connections: the assembly forms a practically non-deformable portion of cylinder which can only oscillate very slightly around the beam.

The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned drawbacks, and relates to a slatted frame of the kind consisting of a succession of modules each comprising a slat above carried by a lower support mounted on a rigid central longitudinal beam, and fixed by relative to the ground characterized in that the lower support and the upper slat are linked by a flexible connecting member in order to allow the relative movements of the elements between them, and in that the modules are separated from each other so that their movements are independent.

• le module comporte plusieurs lattes identiques pour un support inférieur;
• l'organe de liaison ou satellite comporte une pièce rigide indéformable, sur laquelle est monté un embout ou rotule, en caoutchouc, destiné à recevoir et maintenir à coulissement la ou des lattes, et sous laquelle est vissée l'extrémité du support.
• l'envergure du support inférieur est plus petite que celle de la ou des lattes supérieures et l'embout de l'organe de liaison est traversant en forme de passant ou équivalent, destiné à recevoir et maintenir la latte tout en autorisant le déplacement relatif de la latte sur le support.
• le support inférieur est constitué de deux bras rigides indéformables montés pivotants sur la poutre autour d'un axe horizontal, et munis chacun d'un ressort ou équivalent qui lève les bras vers le haut.
• le support inférieur est constitué de bras opposés qui s'étendent latéralement.
• la latte supérieure est une toile ou un treillis métallique.
• la poutre est de largeur variable, et l'extrémité des bras décrit un bord rectiligne de telle sorte que les bras qui s'étendent sur chacun de ses côtés aient une longueur variable;
• la poutre comporte deux éléments parallèles reliés rigidement l'un à l'autre par au moins une traverse, chacune portant une pluralité de bras s'étendant d'un seul côté vers l'extérieur;
• la poutre est montée su un piètement définissant une surface de sustentation de même ordre de grandeur que celle du sommier;

The bed base according to the invention is also remarkable for the following characteristics:

• the module comprises several identical slats for a lower support;
• the link or satellite member comprises a rigid non-deformable part, on which is mounted a nozzle or ball joint, made of rubber, intended to receive and maintain at sliding the slat (s), and under which the end of the support is screwed.
• the span of the lower support is smaller than that of the upper slat (s) and the end piece of the connecting member is through in the form of a pass or equivalent, intended to receive and maintain the slat while allowing the relative displacement of the batten on the support.
• the lower support consists of two rigid non-deformable arms pivotally mounted on the beam around a horizontal axis, and each provided with a spring or equivalent which lifts the arms upwards.
• the lower support consists of opposite arms which extend laterally.
• the upper slat is a canvas or a wire mesh.
• the beam is of variable width, and the end of the arms describes a straight edge so that the arms which extend on each of its sides have a variable length;
• the beam comprises two parallel elements rigidly connected to each other by at least one cross member, each carrying a plurality of arms extending from one side outward;
• the beam is mounted on a base defining a lift surface of the same order of magnitude as that of the bed base;

The bed base according to the invention thus comprises a succession of slats or group of slats whose ends, which are completely independent of each other, no longer rest and are no longer fixed on a rigid frame, but are held by the end of the arm . By their flexibility these can under the weight of a person.

The slats or group of slats constituting the bed base can then flex independently of each other, pivot on themselves by the flexibility of the ball joints and thus ensure the flexibility of the bed base, not only near its axis of symmetry, but also at the ends. side.

As can be seen, the invention is not limited to box springs with wooden slats but also extends to box springs with metal surfaces, the slats being replaced by lattices of comparable width, and the lower slats by blades, rods or similar.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective schématique du sommier,
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un module de support de lattes selon l'invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique de profil transversal du sommier selon l'invention,
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe verticale d'un satellite,
• la figure 5 est une vue en perspective d'un module équipé d'une barre de torsion d'équilibrage,
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique de profil transversal d'une variante de réalisation d'un sommier à lattes selon l'invention,
• la figure 7 est une vie en perspective d'une seconde variante de réalisation d'un sommier selon l'invention,
• la figure 8 est une vue schématique de profil d'une troisième variante de réalisation du sommier selon l'invention.
• la figure 9 est une vue schématique de dessus d'une variante de poutre du sommier selon l'invention.
• la figure 10 est une vue schématique de profil d'une quatrième variante de réalisation du sommier selon l'invention.

In order to better understand the invention, there is shown in the appended drawing a non-limiting example of the production of a box spring according to the invention, in which:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the bed base,
• FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a slat support module according to the invention,
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view in transverse profile of the bed base according to the invention,
• FIG. 4 is a view in vertical section of a satellite,
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a module fitted with a balancing torsion bar,
• FIG. 6 is a schematic view in transverse profile of an alternative embodiment of a slatted base according to the invention,
• FIG. 7 is a life in perspective of a second variant embodiment of a bed base according to the invention,
• Figure 8 is a schematic profile view of a third alternative embodiment of the bed base according to the invention.
• Figure 9 is a schematic top view of a variant beam of the bed base according to the invention.
• Figure 10 is a schematic profile view of a fourth alternative embodiment of the bed base according to the invention.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 6, the bed base 1 is of the slatted type, that is to say with elements of semi-rigid, longitudinal surfaces; these elements are intended to receive a mattress and are generally arranged perpendicular to the main axis 2 of the bed. The bed base rests on the ground by a stable and rigid base constituting a fixed structure or member on which the slats will come to bear.

According to the invention, the slats 3 are mounted floating: their ends 4 no longer rest on a traditional frame or similar element which prohibits any movement at the ends situated on the same side; the slats are mounted on supports: they are linked to the end 23 of arms 5, flexible like them, which are mounted by their other end to the structure 6, fixed relative to the ground.

Slats 3 and support arms 5 being flexible, when a force is applied to the end 4 of a slat, the arm which supports it bends with it towards the arm of a height H, as shown in FIG. 3, opposing a certain resistance to the force F imposed. When this disappears the arm goes up and simultaneously raises the slat to its initial position.

According to the invention the structure or fixed member comprises at least one beam 7 which extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 2 of the bed base and over approximately its entire length between the two ends. The beam is fixedly mounted on the base 8. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the beam is in one rigid piece and mounted on two end crosspieces 10 carrying the feet 11. In the variant of FIG. 6, the beam comprises several rigid parts 12 articulated around horizontal axes 20. One of the rigid parts 12 ′ is mounted on a support 9 constituting the base.

The beam carries a plurality of lower supports or arms 5, flexible, which extend on either side of each of its sides. They preferably extend substantially perpendicular to the axis 2 of the beam, but any other arrangement can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the first variant (Figures 1 to 5) the arms 5 are fixed to the end 4 of the slats 3.

• au moins une latte supérieure 3 (deux dans l'exemple) et au moins une latte inférieure 5 traversant le sommier sur toute sa largeur.
• deux organes de liaison ou satellites de liaison 14, un à chaque extrémité 4 de lattes, destinés à assembler la ou les lattes inférieures à la ou aux lattes supérieures.

The base consists of juxtaposed modules 13, independent, each comprising:

• at least one upper slat 3 (two in the example) and at least one lower slat 5 passing through the bed base over its entire width.
• two connecting members or connecting satellites 14, one at each end 4 of slats, intended to assemble the lower slat or slats to the upper slat or slats.

The connection between the end of an arm 5 and the batten 3 is flexible: it is indeed necessary that this connection is not opposed to the approximation of the batten and the arm which occurs during bending. For this purpose each satellite 14 has a nozzle 15 or ball joint, made of rubber, intended to receive the end of the upper or lower slats or of all the slats. However, in order to maintain a certain resistance to the connection, provision is made to mount the end of the lower slats 5 without play or flexibility (by screwing or otherwise) on a solid part 16, the flexible ball joints being mounted, for example, on the upper side of said solid part as shown in the figures.

The ball joints 15 have mainly two functions: the first one, to allow a certain torsion of the element that it receives (slat or arm) around its longitudinal axis as illustrated in Figure 4-arrow f, that second to allow the relative longitudinal movements of the ends of the elements, slats and arms, during bending: the slats slide one in relation to the other. The semi-rigid mounting of the satellite with the solid part inserted between the lower and upper slats also allows the flexibility of the module to be used in torsion, as indicated by arrow F.

The modules 13 are preferably placed on the beam approximately in their middle and perpendicularly: the beam then forms the axis of symmetry of the bed base.

The modules 13 are preferably also regularly distributed along the beam, but it is possible on the contrary to provide an irregular distribution, for example tighter at the levels supporting greater forces. It is also possible to use modules with variable characteristics (surface of the slats, intervals, resistances, ...) with constant intervals between modules.

The lower batten 5 is mounted on the beam 7, so that the module is carried in a practically irremovable manner by the beam (except dismantling). The assembly is rigid and without play: the slat portion 17 applied to the beam is stationary whatever the forces applied to the upper slats, that is to say on the bed base. This arrangement is important because, without any other additional device, it is this which ensures the general stability of the bed base when a force is applied to the end 4 of one or more slats.

On the other hand, stability is ensured by the support surface of the base: the spacing of the feet 11 will preferably be determined so that the support surface corresponds to that of the bed base, in particular in the case of a bed for one person. .

As can be seen, the bed base according to the invention thus consists of a succession of upper slats 3 assembled two by two by independent modules 13, resting on a single beam 7, lower, to which they are held. The upper slats are shown curved upwards but they can just as well be rectilinear, the flexibility of the connecting members allowing the movements of the ends of the slats inwards and outwards. The modules are deformable by the flexibility of the upper and lower slats and this deformability ensures flexible vertical travel over the entire length of the module, that is to say including at the ends 4.

• 1- le module peut comporter des nombres différents de lattes aussi bien supérieures 3 qu'inférieures 5, par exemples une latte supérieure pour une inférieure, deux pour deux, trois pour une ou deux, etc.
• 2- les lattes supérieures comportent un dispositif de raidissement constitué d'une contre-latte 18 disposée sur leur face inférieure, et maintenue par deux bagues 19 coulissantes (figure 3). Lorsque les bagues 19 sont rapprochées vers le centre de la latte le contact de la contre-latte sur la latte s'étend sur une faible portion de surface: le raidissement est faible; lorsque les bagues sont écartées le contact de la contre-latte sur la latte s'étend sur une grande portion de surface: le raidissement augmente.
• 3- la variante de la figure 9 illutre un dispositif de raidissement des bras support: la poutre, qui s'étend entre les deux extrémités longitudinales 40,41 est de largeur 43 inégale; elle est, par exemple en forme de losange étroit, constituée de quatre demi-poutres 44 assemblées par soudage ou autre. L'extrémité 23 des bras décrit un bord rectiligne 45, parallèle à l'axe 46 de la poutre. Les bras ont alors une longueur portante 47, et par conséquence une souplesse variables, maximales au point de la poutre le plus étroit, minimales au point de la poutre le plus large. Dans l'exemple la flexibilité du sommier diminue de la tête 48 vers le centre 49.
• 4- le support inférieur peut être constitué de deux bras séparés rigides et indéformables 5′,5˝,montés pivotant sur la poutre autour d'un axe horizontal 50 (figure 10). Un ressort 51 ou tout autre dispositif équivalent est monté entre la poutre 7 (ou le piétement 8′) et le bras pour maintenir le bras contre la latte et réaliser la souplesse du montage.
• 5- la poutre peut être composée de plusieurs parties rigides 12, 12', articulées autours d'axes horizontaux 20 (figure 6). Une des parties rigides est montée sur un support 9 constituant le piètement. Cette variante permet de replier le lit, de réaliser un lit convertible en chaise longue,...
• 6- il est possible de prévoir sur la latte ou les bras inférieurs 5 une barre de torsion 21, comme le montre la figure 5. En effet on a vu que selon l'invention une force appliquée à l'extrémité d'un module déplace celle-ci vers le bas d'une hauteur H; simultanément l'extrémité opposée se déplace légèrement vers le bas d'une hauteur h. Il est possible de forcer cette extrémité opposée à se déplacer d'une hauteur équivalente H, pour obtenir un sommier constamment en équilibre horizontal en disposant une barre 21 dont les extrémités 22 sont en prise avec dans les pièces d'extrémité 16 de l'organe de liaison; la barre est coudée en forme de U, maintenue mais pivotant librement sur la poutre dans un fourreau 32. Lorsqu'un satellite 14 se déplace vers le bas, la barre pivote et cette torsion se transmet à l'autre extrémité 4 ce qui contraint ladite extrémité à se déplacer également vers le bas. Sur la figure le fourreau est disposé sur la latte inférieure, mais il est prévu de le monter sur la poutre ce qui permet de disposer de bras de levier plus longs.
• 7- il est possible de prévoir des bras supports ou une latte inférieure 5 moins longue que la ou les lattes supérieures 3. Dans cette variante représentée à la figure 8 les extrémités 23 de la latte inférieure s'appuient sur la surface inférieure 24 de la latte supérieure. Lesdites extrémités sont montées dans un embout 25 souple, lui-même fixé sur la latte supérieure, la souplesse de l'embout autorisant les mouvements des deux lattes lors des flexions. On prévoit encore de monter aux extrémités de la latte inférieure un organe de liaison à rotule, comme précédemment, mais la partie recevant la ou les lattes supérieure est rendue coulissante par tout moyen (étriers, colliers, etc) sur la ou les lattes supérieures. Cette variante contribue en outre au contrôle du raidissement dans la mesure où les bras 5 peuvent être de longueur variable et par conséquent de souplesse relativement variable.
• 8- dans le cas d'un lit à deux places, celui-ci est constitué de deux sommiers élémentaires 1 identiques, disposés en parallèle de manière connue. En variante on prévoit encore la disposition suivante : chacun comporte une poutre 7 mais qui peut de préférence être décalée vers le centre du lit par rapport à l'axe de symétrie 2 de son sommier respectif. Dans ce cas les bras 5 n'ont pas la même dimension de part et d'autre de la poutre.Cette disposition permet de contrôler la souplesse globale du sommier lorsque deux personnes sont allongées.
• 9- l'invention porte également sur des sommiers constitués non pas de lattes 3 mais de lés 26 de toile ou de treillis métalliques, comme l'illustre la figure 7. Dans cette variante la structure fixe comporte un cadre rigide 27 reposant sur quatre pieds 28 de manière traditionnelle. Le sommier dans ce cas comporte deux poutres 29, constituées par les deux côtés longitudinaux du cadre et reliées par une paire de traverses 33. Chacune des poutres porte une pluralité de bras 30 qui s'étendent d'un seul côté, le côté extérieur. Les bras 30 sont flexibles, ce sont des tiges, des lames ou analogues. A leur extrémité 31 on dispose des crochets ou équivalents sur lesquels les lés sont montés tendus.

The bed base can have many variant embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example:

• 1- the module can include different numbers of slats both upper 3 and lower 5, for example an upper slat for a lower one, two for two, three for one or two, etc.
• 2- the upper slats comprise a stiffening device consisting of a counter-slat 18 disposed on their underside, and held by two sliding rings 19 (FIG. 3). When the rings 19 are brought towards the center of the batten, the contact of the counter batten on the batten extends over a small portion of surface: the stiffening is low; when the rings are spread apart, the contact of the counter batten on the batten extends over a large portion of surface: the stiffening increases.
• 3- the variant of FIG. 9 illustrates a device for stiffening the support arms: the beam, which extends between the two longitudinal ends 40, 41 is of unequal width 43; it is, for example in the form of a narrow diamond, consisting of four half-beams 44 assembled by welding or the like. The end 23 of the arms describes a straight edge 45, parallel to the axis 46 of the beam. The arms then have a bearing length 47, and consequently a variable flexibility, maximum at the point of the narrowest beam, minimum at the point of the widest beam. In the example, the flexibility of the bed base decreases from the head 48 towards the center 49.
• 4- the lower support may consist of two separate rigid and non-deformable arms 5 ′, 5˝, pivotally mounted on the beam around a horizontal axis 50 (FIG. 10). A spring 51 or any other equivalent device is mounted between the beam 7 (or the base 8 ′) and the arm to hold the arm against the batten and achieve flexibility in mounting.
• 5- the beam can be composed of several rigid parts 12, 12 ′, articulated around horizontal axes 20 (FIG. 6). One of the rigid parts is mounted on a support 9 constituting the base. This variant allows you to fold the bed, make a bed convertible into a lounge chair, ...
• 6- it is possible to provide a torsion bar 21 on the batten or the lower arms 5, as shown in FIG. 5. In fact it has been seen that according to the invention a force applied to the end of a module displaces this down from a height H; simultaneously the opposite end moves slightly down a height h. It is possible to force this opposite end to move by an equivalent height H, in order to obtain a bed base constantly in horizontal equilibrium by arranging a bar 21 whose ends 22 are engaged with in the end pieces 16 of the member. link; the bar is bent in a U shape, maintained but pivoting freely on the beam in a sheath 32. When a satellite 14 moves downwards, the bar swivels and this torsion is transmitted to the other end 4 which constrains said end to also move down. In the figure, the sheath is placed on the lower batten, but it is planned to mount it on the beam which allows to have longer lever arms.
• 7- it is possible to provide support arms or a lower slat 5 shorter than the upper slat or slats 3. In this variant shown in FIG. 8 the ends 23 of the lower slat rest on the lower surface 24 of the upper batten. Said ends are mounted in a flexible end piece, itself fixed to the upper slat, the flexibility of the end piece allowing the movements of the two slats during bending. Provision is also made to mount at the ends of the lower slat a ball joint member, as above, but the part receiving the upper slat (s) is made to slide by any means (stirrups, collars, etc.) on the upper slat (s). This variant also contributes to the control of stiffening insofar as the arms 5 can be of variable length and consequently of relatively variable flexibility.
• 8- in the case of a double bed, it consists of two identical elementary bed bases 1, arranged in parallel in a known manner. As a variant, the following arrangement is also provided: each comprises a beam 7 but which can preferably be offset towards the center of the bed relative to the axis of symmetry 2 of its respective bed base. In this case, the arms 5 do not have the same dimension on either side of the beam. This arrangement makes it possible to control the overall flexibility of the bed base when two people are lying down.
• 9- the invention also relates to box springs made up not of slats 3 but of strips 26 of canvas or wire mesh, as illustrated in FIG. 7. In this variant the fixed structure comprises a rigid frame 27 resting on four feet 28 in the traditional way. The box spring in this case comprises two beams 29, constituted by the two longitudinal sides of the frame and connected by a pair of crosspieces 33. Each of the beams carries a plurality of arms 30 which extend on one side, the outer side. The arms 30 are flexible, they are rods, blades or the like. At their end 31 there are hooks or the like on which the strips are mounted stretched.

Of course these different variants are not limiting and in particular can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of the invention.

Finally, the invention can be implemented with different surface elements, both slats and stretched canvas, in particular by the use of elements made of composite materials.

Claims (8)

Slatted base of the kind made up of a succession of modules 13 each comprising a slat carried by a lower support mounted on a rigid central longitudinal beam, and fixed relative to the ground, characterized in that the lower support and the upper slat are linked by a flexible connecting member in order to allow the relative movements of the elements together, and in that the modules are separated from each other so that their movements are independent. Bed base according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting member or satellite 14 comprises a rigid non-deformable part, on which is mounted a nozzle 15 or ball joint, made of rubber, intended to receive and slide the slat (s) 3, and under which is screwed the end 23 of the support. Bed base according to claim 2 characterized in that the span of the lower support is smaller than that of the upper slat (s) and the end piece of the connecting member is through in the form of a pass-through intended to receive and hold the slat entirely by allowing the relative movement of the slat on the support. Bed base according to claim 1 characterized in that the lower support consists of opposite arms which extend laterally. Bed base according to Claim 1, characterized in that the upper slat 3 is a canvas or a wire mesh. Bed base according to claim 4 characterized in that the lower support consists of two rigid non-deformable arms pivotally mounted on the beam around a horizontal axis, and each provided with a spring or equivalent which lifts the arms upwards. Bed base according to Claim 4, characterized in that the beam 6 is of variable width 43, and the end 23 of the arms describes a straight edge so that the arms which extend on each of its sides have a variable length 47; Bed base according to claim 4 characterized in that the beam 6 comprises two parallel elements 29 rigidly connected to each other by at least one cross member 33, each carrying a plurality of arms 5 extending from one side towards the 'outside;

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