GB2035078A - Improvements in beds - Google Patents

Abstract

A construction of bed is disclosed comprising two frame sections (12, 14) hingedly attached together and moulded in one piece from plastics material. The sections have spring-supporting laths (18) and projections (22) for securing the bed-springs. Square-section projections (24) cooperate with correspondingly- shaped channel members to secure an upholstery fabric to the frame. A second construction involves assembling a bed framework from interlocking moulded plastics material component 52, 38 and supporting springs thereon followed by securing upholstery fabric as before. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in Beds This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of beds.

Divan beds normally consist of a wooden framework to which is attached a system of springs and the whole is covered with fabric. The fabric, and often the springs, are attached to the framework by means of staples. Making wooden frames and attaching upholstery fabric in this way is time-consuming and labour intensive.

The invention seeks to provide a way of making beds which is simpler and quicker than the conventional method and which can therefore enable a larger number of beds to be made by the same workforce in a given time.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making beds which comprises assembling a framework from interlocking moulded plastics material components, securing a spring system by means of moulded projections or recesses in the frame, covering with fabric, and securing the fabric to the frame.

However we have found that further savings in construction time can be made by omitting the step of assembling the frame-work from interlocking components, enabling beds to be made in a very much shorter time than conventional beds, using wooden frames and stapled springs and covers, and so very much more economically.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making beds and the like articles of furniture which comprises moulding a frame-work in one piece from plastics materials, securing a spring system by means of moulded projections or recesses in the frame, covering with fabric, and securing the fabric to the frame.

Ideally the fabric is secured at or near its edges by passing over a moulded projection or recess including a detent, in such a manner that it conforms to the contours of the projection or recess, and snapping a corresponding shaped resilient beading member into the recess or over the detent thus trapping the fabric.

The invention also provides a bed having around its lower periphery a projection or recess including a detent capable of receiving and locating a correspondingly shaped resilient beading member whereby to secure a piece of fabric there between.

The components of the bed are preferably moulded from a suitable plastics material.

Various plastics materials may be used but for the desired rigidity of construction it is preferred to use resins which set or cure to a rigid material. Especially suitable compounds are those commercially available as 'Sheet Moulding Compounds' (SMC) which are glass fibre reinforced, filled, polyester or urea/formaldehyde resin systems.

The moulded components are preferably shaped, e.g. with slots and corresponding projections, to interlock and hold together without further external fixing, but a small number of fixings such as bolts may be provided to secure the system in the interlocked form.

If the frames are to be moulded, they are moulded in one piece for a 'single' bed (i.e.

one of 2'6" or 3'0" width), but since 'double' beds (4'0", 4'6" or 5'0" width) are generally foldable to assist jn taking them into and out of buildings, the frames are preferably moulded in two pieces lockably hinged together.

The springs may be secured by inter-engaging with appropriate projections or recesses, as more fully described hereinafter.

The frame of the bed is moulded from a suitable plastics material which, for the desired regidity of construction of the frame, should set or cure to a rigid material, for example the sheet moulding compounds referred to above.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the frame of a divan bed constructed according to one aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view on line ll-ll in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a divan bed constructed according to another aspect of the invention; Figure 4 is a section on line A-A of Fig.

3; Figure 5 is a section through a lath (not to the same scale as Fig. 4); Figure 6 is a plan view of the lath of Fig. 5; and Figure 7 is a sectional view of a beading member.

Referriny to the drawings, a 5'0" 'double' divan bed is made of a frame 10 moulded under pressure in two pieces 12, 1 4 from SMC hingedly attached together at 1 6 in a releasably lockable manner. 'T'-section laths 18, integrally moulded in the frame sections 1 2 and 14, provide support for bed-springs in the form of an inter-locked spring system of generally rectangular configuration (not shown). A ledge 20 running round the inner face of the sidewalls of each frame section supports the edges of the spring system.

In order to locate and secure the springs, the laths 1 8 carry at appropriate locations pairs of projections 22. The lowest coils of a bed spring are in contact with one another; by separating the coils and manipulating the spring so that a projection 22 passes between the separated coils, first on one side and then the other, and releasing the separated coils to grip the projections 22, the springs can be firmly secured to the laths. Moulding of the frame can be accomplished more easily if a small space is left between the mould halves, resulting in a thin skin of cured material stretching between the laths 18 and the ledge 20. So that the springs may be fitted, half circular areas 23 around each projection 22 may be cut out of the skin after moulding; or the mould may be designed to leave such clear areas around the projections 22.

Once the spring system is secured in place, a layer of padding may be placed over it, and a length of upholstery fabric is arranged over the whole and tucked down under the side and end walls of the frame 10. The bottom of the side walls has a square section projection 24 over which the fabric is passed and secured in place by a resilient channel-section beading in the manner described more fully below.

The frame sections 12, 14 also have provision at 26 for castors or other form of support for the bed.

Beds, or like articles of furniture, made in this way may be assembled considerably quicker than conventional beds and, are no more costly in terms of materials. Thus the unit cost of bed assembly is reduced and greater output may be achieved with the same man-power.

Referring now to Figs 3 to 7, a divan bed is made up of side panels 50, 52 having locating slots 54 and lightening holes 56. The upper inside edges of the panels are formed with inwardly directed recesses or channels 58, and the lower edges are formed with square-section projections 60. Provision is made at 62 for a castor or other form of support member to be fitted. The side panels 50 and 52 are hinged to one another at 64 so that the bed, when constructed, can be folded in half if necessary.

The side panels 50, 52 are joined to end panels (not shown) by means of corner pieces similar in section to the side and end panels and having drilled flange members capable of accepting bolts passing through them into tapped holes 32 in the side panels and similar holes in the end panels. One or both of the end members may also have tapped holes capable of receiving bed-head securing bolts.

Moulded U-section laths 38 have stepped end portions 40, and fixing slots 42.

In making a divan bed using these components, two side panels 52 are bolted to two end panels using four corner pieces and eight bolts in the eight tapped holes 32. Before inserting the bolts six laths 38 are located between the side panels 52 so that the stepped ends 40 protrude through the horizontal portions of the locating slots 54. Pressing the laths down causes the slots 42 to locate and interlock with the slots 54. It will be appreciated that two rows of slots 54 are provided to accommodate different constructions of bed: in any one bed only one row will be used to locate the laths 38. The corner pieces can then be tightened down forming a rigid interlocked frame.

Next bed-springs are positioned on the laths.

These can be in the form of an interlocked spring system of generally rectangular configuration in which case the laths will be located in the upper row of slots 54 and the recesses 58 will receive the lower coils of the outer springs of the system thus retaining the system in place. If individual springs are used, a modified form of lath 38 is employed having tongues struck up from the lath top surface and extending generally parallel with the surface. The separation between the tongues and the general plane of the surface should somewhat less than the thickness of the bottom coil of the springs to be affixed. In this case, the bottom coil of each of the springs is pushed under a corresponding tongue on the laths 38 which will locate the springs in place.

Having located the bed-springs, a layer of padding may be placed over them, and a length of upholstery material is placed over the whole and tucked down under the side and end panels. The fabric adjacent its edges is passed over the square-section projections 60, and a corresponding square-section resilient beading member 44 is fitted over the projection 60, trapping the fabric there between and securing it in place. The free edges of the fabric may be trimmed if necessary. Inwardly projecting portions 46 of the member 44 located behind the upper shoulders 48 of the projection 60 which thereby form a detent of locking the beading 44 in place.

It will be appreciated that while a detent formed by the inter-engagement of the square-section projection shoulders 48 with the inwardly projecting portions 46 of the beading has been described, useful results could be obtained with a beading member lacking projecting portions 46 but being a tight interference fit on the projection 60 and this is included within the scope of the present invention.

Further, although the invention has been described with reference to the production of beds, it is not so-limited and encompasses the production of all types of articles such as domestic furniture, where a fabric cover must be attached to a rigid frame.

In one particular example, a bed was made according to the invention as described above with reference to the drawings, using components moulded from a commercially available sheet moulding component of the following composition: 20-25% Polyester resin (flame retardent) 25% Glass fibre (average fibre length 10-30 mm).

to 100% Filler (chalk, silica or china clay) plus small amount of pigments, catalysts, etc.

The cost of the components was approximately the same as the cost of the equivalent wooden frame members, but the bed took half the time to assemble than the wooden bed normally takes with the same manpower.

The bed when constructed was lighter in weight than the conventional bed and performed as well in use. An added advantage was that owing to the use of a flame retardent moulding compound, the bed was fire-resistant.

Claims (11)

1. A method of making beds and the like articles of furniture which comprises moulding a framework in one piece from plastics material, securing a spring system by means of moulded projections or recesses in the frame, covering with fabric and securing the fabric to the frame.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 for making large articles of furniture such as double beds in which the framework is moulded in two pieces lockable hinged together.

3. A method as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2 in which the framework comprises laths with moulded projections and the springs are secured to the latter by separating the lowest coils thereof, moving the spring so that the separated coils embrace a projection, and allowing the coils to grip the projection.

4. A method of making beds which comprises assembling a framework from interlocking moulded plastics material components, securing a spring system by means of moulded projections or recesses in the frame, covering with fabric and securing the fabric to the frame.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the framework is assembled from side panels having locating slots and moulded Usection laths having corresponding fixing slots which interlock with the locating slots in the side panels.

6. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the plastics material is a Sheet Moulding Compound comprising a glass fibre reinforced, filled, polyester or urea/formaldehyde resin system.

7. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which the fabric is secured at or near its edges by passing over a moulded projection or recess including a detent in such a manner that it conforms to the contours of the projection or recess and snapping a correspondingly shaped resilient beading member into the recess or over the projection as the case may be where it is retained by the detent thus trapping the fabric.

8. A bed having around its lower periphery a projection or recess including a detent capable of receiving and locating a correspondingly shaped resilient beading member whereby to secure a piece of fabric there between.

9. A bed as claimed in claim 8 having a projection including a detent capable of receiving and locating a resilient channel member.

10. A method of constructing a bed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A bed whenever made by a method as claimed in any claims 1 to 7 or 10.

1 2. A bed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.