EP1221294B1 - A mounting device for the slats of a bed base, and bed base equipped with such a device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for fastening slats to a bed base and a bed base to laths equipped with such a device.

Slat fasteners, generally consisting of synthetic media, are designed in such a way that they extend off load in a plane horizontal and are solicited essentially at the compression in position in charge of the device. Gold, the anatomy of the human body consists of hollows and bumps so some areas of the body do not never use compression slats since they are not supported by these supports.

It emerged, a few years ago, the need to develop a lath support whose design allows, when a slat sinks under the effect of the weight of the body resting on the bed base, the other slats to rise for come support the neighboring parties.

Such a support is in particular described in the patents FR-A-2287194 and FR-A-2215028. This latte support is consisting of a horizontal lever supported in the middle by a foot of fixation to the frame of the sommier. Each end of this lever in turn supports the middle of a lever horizontally smaller of which each termination has a fastener of known type for the end of a batten.

This batten support has various disadvantages of of the design of the slats support levers. Indeed, as soon as the slats are stressed, the levers tend to tilt so that it's the edges of the slats who come in direct contact with the human body, as FIG. 2 illustrates FR-A-2287194. In addition, the resistance to the vertical force of such supports is reduced, so that a break in the main lever by excessive deflection of the lever arm can not be excluded. Finally, the design of small pivoting levers does not allow a referral of an effort of the same intensity in the same opposite axis due to the decomposition of forces linked to a non-perpendicular lath support surface to the effort to which it is subjected. All these disadvantages have hindered, so far, the development of such slatted supports.

The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a device for fastening slats to a bed base whose design allows maintenance of a contact surface plane slats with the human body while allowing these slats to rise or to sink to fit the morphology of the human body.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a device for fastening slats to a bed base whose design allows to offer resistance to the effort significant vertical similar to that obtained for the traditional slat supports without levers.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a device for fastening slats to a bed base whose design allows a return of effort in the same axis opposite and of the same intensity so as to guarantee the comfort of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a device for fastening slats to a bed base whose design prevents saturation from the first stresses to vertical forces, so as to to obtain a reactivity of the device authorizing movement amplitudes adapted to body morphology human.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a device for fastening slats to a bed base, of the type comprising a body having a fastening section to an element longitudinal section of a box spring frame and two sections of bearing for receiving slat ends extending transversely above the bed frame level, characterized in that the securing section is constituted at least two two-arm levers arranged one above each other and respectively pivoted around a pivot axis transverse to said bed frame, said levers and their pivot axes being aligned in a vertical plane at the fixed state of the device, the levers are interconnected, in the vicinity of their ends facing, by amounts of the same length articulated to said levers so as to form a deformable parallelogram, said amounts being positioned substantially in line with each section of bearing and respectively forming an element of a structure supporting a bearing section so as to ensure on at least part of the stroke of the pivoting levers when moving from an unloaded position to a position in charge of the device, a maintenance of each section of landing in a plane substantially parallel to its plane out charge generally corresponding to a horizontal plane.

Thanks to the design of the device described above, the contact surfaces of the slats with the human body remain substantially flat, including in inclined levers, so that the support obtained is a support in accordance with that obtained with slat supports traditional free of levers except that this support also concerns the hollow parts of the body human.

The subject of the invention is also a bed base of the type slats, characterized in that it comprises at least one lath fixing device of the aforementioned type.

la figure 1 représente une vue schématique latérale d'un dispositif pour la fixation de lattes conforme à l'invention en position hors charge du dispositif ;

la figure 2 représente une vue schématique latérale du dispositif de la figure 1 en position en charge du dispositif ;

les figures 3 et 4 représentent des vues en perspective de dispositifs de fixation conformes à l'invention et

la figure 5 représente une vue schématique d'une succession de dispositifs de fixation à l'état monté sur un cadre de sommier en position allongée d'un utilisateur.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a device for fixing slats according to the invention in the load position of the device;

FIG. 2 represents a schematic side view of the device of FIG. 1 in position in charge of the device;

Figures 3 and 4 show perspective views of fasteners according to the invention and

Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a succession of fixing devices in the state mounted on a bed frame in the extended position of a user.

The device, object of the invention, is more particularly intended for fastening laths to 2 longitudinal elements of a slat frame as shown in Figure 5. The box spring frame will only be not described in more detail below because it is well known to those versed in this art.

The device is constituted in a manner known per se from a body having a securing section 1 to element 2 longitudinal section of the bed frame and two sections 3 of bearing for receiving slat ends extending transversely above the level of the box spring frame.

The fixing section 1 consists of at least two levers 4, 5 with two arms arranged one above the other and mounted respectively to pivot about an axis of pivoting 7, 8 transverse to said bed frame. These pivot axes 7, 8 are generally tenoned in the longitudinal element 2 of the bed frame. The levers 4, 5 and their pivot axes 7, 8 are thus aligned in a vertical plane in the fixed state of the device. The levers 4, 5 are interconnected in the vicinity of their opposite ends, by amounts 9 of the same length articulated to the levers 4, 5 so as to form a deformable parallelogram. As the figures illustrate, these pivot axes 7, 8 of the levers 4, 5 are located in a median plane of the parallelogram. Amounts 9 are as for them positioned substantially in line with each section 3 of tier and form respectively an element of a support structure 10 of a bearing section 3 of in order to ensure, on at least part of the race of levers 4, 5 pivoting, when moving from a position out load (Figure 1) at a load position (Figure 2) of the device, a maintenance of each bearing section 3 in a plan substantially parallel to its off-load plan generally corresponding to a horizontal plane. From this makes, at any time, the surface of the bearing section 3 intended to receive the mattress is maintained in a plane substantially horizontal.

The support structures 10 of the bearing sections 3, arranged on the outside of the parallelogram, on the on the other hand, amounts 9 are respectively of a receiving surface 11 of the bearing section 3 arranged in the extension of the upper lever 4 and preferably connected in an articulated manner to the latter. This cantilevered receiving surface 11 is supported at its free end by a bracing element 12 connecting it to the end of the upright 9 hinged to the lever 5 lower to form a triangular structure substantially indeformable. It is to highlight that the articulation 13, when it exists, between the surface 11 of landing section 3 and lever 4 superior is constituted by a thinning of matter. It is the same for the connection of the support structure 10 to the lower lever 5. This articulation 13 allows the surface 11 of the support structure 10 to stay in a substantially horizontal plane when passing a position off load at a position in charge of the device because its connection with the upper lever 4. However, a support structure 10 completely independent of the levers and contiguous only to the amounts 9 could also have been be considered without departing from the scope of the invention.

Each section 3 of tier is constituted of minus one, preferably two, end (s) 14 inside of which is housed each time a batten. These tips 14 are connected by a suspension structure to the support structure. The basis of structure 15 of suspension comprises a notch 16 delimiting two blades susceptible to elastic deformation from the position from no load to the position in load of the device, a free pivoting of the lever 4 superior to the part of structure 15 of suspension of the bearing section 3 extending between said amounts 9 of the parallelogram.

The suspension structure of this bearing section 3 can affect a lot of forms. In the examples shown, this suspension structure is a hollow structure made of elastic rings deformable on crushing, said rings being positioned side by side and / or superimposed.

The articulations 6 of the uprights 9 to the levers 4, 5 are constituted by thinning, such as a narrowing of the cross section, to allow in each of these joints deformations by compound bending.

In the examples shown, the bearing section 3, the fixing section 1 and the support structure 10 of the section 3 of bearing constitute a monolithic whole. This set is preferably made for synthesis. Orifices are provided in the body of this together to lighten the weight of this set. This together is thus fixed by the pivot axes 7, 8 of the levers 4, 5 forming a tenon to the longitudinal elements 2 of the sommier frame. This results in an easy device to ascend.

Generally, a sommier frame will be equipped with several devices of this type, as shown in Figure 5. From such devices may be associated with devices fixing slats in which the section is fixed and the bearing section works essentially to compression.

Of course, the number of slats maintained in each section 3 of bearing can be any. In the examples represented, this number is equal to two.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for securing slats to a bed base, of the type comprising a body having a securing section (1) for securement to a longitudinal element (2) of a bed-base frame and two bearing sections (3) for accommodating ends of slats which extend transversely above the level of the bed-base frame, characterised in that the securing section (1) comprises at least two two-armed levers (4, 5) disposed one above the other and mounted respectively so as to pivot about a pivotal axle (7, 8), which extends transversely relative to said bed-base frame, said levers (4, 5) and their pivotal axles (7, 8) being aligned in a vertical plane when the apparatus is in its secured state, the levers (4, 5) being interconnected, in the vicinity of their opposite ends, by uprights (9) which are of the same length and are articulated on said levers (4, 5) so as to form a deformable parallelogram, said uprights (9) being positioned substantially perpendicular to each bearing section (3) and respectively forming one element of a support structure (10) for a bearing section (3) so as to ensure, over at least a portion of the travel path of the levers (4, 5) which pivot during the passage from a non-loaded position of the apparatus into a loaded position of the apparatus, that each bearing section (3) is kept in a plane substantially parallel to its non-loaded plane, which corresponds generally to a horizontal plane.
2. Apparatus for securing slats according to claim 1, characterised in that the pivotal axles (7, 8) of the levers (4, 5) are situated in a median plane of the parallelogram.
3. Apparatus for securing slats according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the support structures (10) for the bearing sections (3), disposed outside the parallelogram, on both sides of said uprights (9), comprise respectively a receiving surface (11) for accommodating the bearing section (3) disposed in the extension of the upper lever (4) and connected to said lever, preferably in an articulated manner, this overhanging receiving surface (11) being supported at its free end by a reinforcing element (12), which connects it to the end of the upright (9) articulated on the lower lever (5) in order to form a substantially non-deformable triangular structure.
4. Apparatus for securing slats according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that each bearing section (3) comprises at least one tip (14), preferably two tips, in the interior of which is accommodated one slat at a time, these tips (14) being connected to the support structure (10) by a suspension structure (15), the base of the suspension structure (15) including a notch (16), which defines two strips capable of resilient deformation, in order to permit, during the travel from the non-loaded position of the apparatus into the loaded position of the apparatus, a free pivotal movement of the upper lever (4) relative to the portion of the suspension structure (15) of the bearing section (3) which extends between said uprights (9) of the parallelogram.
5. Apparatus for securing slats according to claim 4, characterised in that the suspension structure (15) is a hollow structure comprising rings which are resiliently deformable when compressed.
6. Apparatus for securing slats according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the articulations (6) between the uprights (9) and the levers (4, 5) are composed of reduced portions, such as a narrowing of the cross-section, in order to allow, in each of these articulations, for deformations by compound bending.
7. Apparatus for securing slats according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the bearing section (3), the securing section (1) and the support structure (10) for the bearing section (3) constitute a monolithic assembly, preferably formed from synthetic material.
8. Bed base of the slat type, characterised in that it comprises at least one apparatus for securing slats according to one of claims 1 to 7.

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