GB2116836A

GB2116836A - Combined cot and bed

Info

Publication number: GB2116836A
Application number: GB08204453A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffrey Ian Corkill; Colin Douglas Smith
Original assignee: DORMAY INVESTMENTS Ltd
Current assignee: DORMAY INVESTMENTS Ltd
Priority date: 1982-02-16
Filing date: 1982-02-16
Publication date: 1983-10-05
Also published as: GB2116836B

Abstract

A child's cot is combined with a standard size single bed by having an area forming the cot and defined by a removable frame assembly comprising side rails and ends, the extra length required to form the single bed being obtained by a portion concertina-ed within the cot area (Fig. 2) or extending beyond it to form a support for other furniture (Fig. 1), such as a chest of drawers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cots This invention relates to cots for children.

Such articles have heretofore been designed and constructed as pieces of furniture having the single function of providing a place for a child to sleep. The present invention aims to increase the usefulness of such articles of furniture by constructing them so that they are suitable for further use after the child has grown beyond the need for a cot.

According to the invention a child's cot comprises a base having an extended or extendible end portion which, together with the cot base, will form a standard size single bed, the area of the cot being defined by a removable frame that can be fastened to the base and made up of end pieces and side rails.

In one form of the invention the cot base structure is of the size of a standard single bed and has cooperatively associated with it a cot rail and end assembly which extends over only part of the length of the structure, the assembly being removable to convert the structure into a full length bed. The mattress in this case may conveniently be divided into two parts corresponding to the size of the two parts of the bed, and if desired the space left at the end of the structure can be filled by a detachable furniture unit such as a chest of drawers and this may match the height of the rail and end assembly. The chest can be used to store articles needed for the care of the child, and later detached and used as a separate piece of furniture. The rail and end assembly may be made removable as a unit so that it can be used as a play pen.

In another form of the invention the cot comprises a base structure which is extendible lengthwise from cot size to a bed size and has associated with it a cot rail and end assembly which is removable to permit use of the structure as a standard single size bed. The base structure may conveniently be made as an open-topped box or tray into which another such box slides endwise, the two being joined by a tongue and groove joint. One of the boxes may have a false floor to support the mattress, the other mattress and a further corresponding removable section of floor being stored under the false floor. As before, the rail and end assembly can be detachable as a unit for use as a play pen.

Other features of the invention will appear from the following description of two forms of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cot with an extended base, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a cot which is extendible to form a bed.

Referring first to Fig. 1 a base portion 1 consists of a pedestal 2 containing two wide drawers 3 which may be used for storage of blankets and a shallow tray 4 with its open face upwards to accommodate a mattress 5.

The mattress 5 constitutes the cot mattress and is surmounted by a cot structure comprising rail sections 6 and end sections 7. This is fastened to the base portion 1 by thumb nuts 8 on studs which project from the base 1 and extend through slots in the end section 7. The mattress 5 either extends the full length of the tray 4, or, preferably, terminates at the end of the rail sections, in which case the end section 7 that is within the tray 4 extends down into it as a divider for this mattress and a smaller one which occupies the remainder of the tray 4. The rail sections 6, or one of them, may be arranged to slide downwards for ease of access, and this may be achieved by conventional means such as by the top of the section being supported by headed pins 9 movable up and down slots 10 in the end sections 7, the rail section being held in its normal position by a catch 11.After loosening the thumb nuts 8 the whole assembly of rail and end sections may be removed as a unit and used as a play pen.

The remainder of the tray 4 may be occupied by a further piece of furniture such as a chest of drawers 1 2 the height of which preferably matches that of the end section 7.

The chest 4 has a leaf 1 3 which is either arranged to slide sideways so as to lie over the adjacent part of the cot of is hinged at the side so as to fold over in the same way. In either case the leaf is supported by the tops of the rail sections 6 and forms a convenient surface for attending to the needs of the child.

When not needed as a cot, the chest 1 2 and the cot structure is removed to expose the whole of the mattress 5, or the remaining part of it, previously covered by the chest, and constitutes a standard size single bed. The chest may of course by used as a normal piece of furniture.

Suitable hook-plate connectors 1 4 may be provided on the end section 7 for attaching other apparatus such as a tray for powder, soap and so forth, and the chest 1 2 may be fastened to the other end section by similar means.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2 a base portion 21 comprising a pair of opentopped boxes 22 and 23 is provided with a head board 24 and a foot board 25. The box 22 slides within the box 23 and the two are joined by a tongue and groove joint. The box 22 has a false bottom (not shown) at a height to support the mattress 26 so that it is more or less flush with the upper edges of the box.

This leaves a space underneath in which the mattress 27 and a corresponding loose bottom section may be stored, when not in use.

However, the drawing shows both sections of mattress in use so as to constitute a standard size single bed, the loose bottom section be ing supported on the tongue in the box 23.

When the piece is required to be used as a cot, the mattress 27 and its supporting bottom section are removed and stored under the mattress 26,and the two box sections are then collapsed one into the other so the the foot board 25 and its end of the box 23 comes adjacent the end of the mattress 26. It will be seen that the headboard 24 and the footboard 25 each have a shaped top, and the cot rail and end assembly, which in this case is shown separated for ease of illustration, is provided with correspondingly shaped lower edges to its end sections 29 and 30. The end section 30 is arranged to drop over the end of the box 23 so that its lower edge mates with the top of the footboard 25. At the same time the end section 29 fits over and mates with the top of the headboard 24, a backing piece 31 being provided to ensure endwise location.

As in the structure of Fig. 1, the rail and end assembly may be removed as a whole for use as a play pen, and may be provided with one or more drop sides. When in position it is secured to the base by means of toggle clips 32.

Claims

1. A child's cot comprising a base having an extended or extendible end portion which, together with the cot base will form a standard size single bed, the area of the cot being defined by a removable frame assembly that can be fastened to the base and made up of end pieces and side rails.

2. A child's cot according to claim 1 wherein the cot base structure is of the size of a standard single bed and has cooperatively associated with it a frame assembly comprising cot rails and ends which extends over only part of the structure, the assembly being removable to convert the structure into a full length bed.

3. A child's cot accordng to claim 2 wherein the space left at the end of the structure is occupied by a storage furniture unit such as a chest of drawers.

4. A child's cot according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein a mattress is divided into two parts corresponding to the cot base and the extended or extendible end portion.

5. A child's cot according to claim 4 wherein the end panel of the frame assembly extends downward into a tray forming the cot base and constitutes a separation wall between the two parts of the mattress.

6. A child's cot according to claim 1 wherein the cot base structure is in the form of two open topped boxed, one nesting within the other.

7. A child's cot according to claim 6 wherein the boxes are relatively slidable by means of tongue and groove joints.

8. A child's cot according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein one of the boxes has a false bottom supporting a corresponding part of the mattress and forming below it a storage space for the other part of the mattress and for a loose bottom support board therefor.

9. A child's cot according to claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein one of the sliding sections is provided with a head board and the corresponding end of the cot base is arranged to fit over it.

1 0. A child's cot according to claim 9 wherein both head board and foot board are provided and shaped to cooperate with correspondingly shaped portions of the ends of the frame assembly.

11. A child's cot according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame assembly is removable as a whole for use as a play pen.

1 2. A child's cot substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 or with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.