GB2154126A - Beds and other articles of furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

It is known to provide beds and other articles of furniture with drawers. The invention provides support means for such a drawer, to reduce strain on that part of the article carrying the drawer. The support means (1) comprises a bracket with a vertical mounting plate and wings which support a ground-engaging wheel (6). The mounting plate can be secured behind a skirt (15) constituted by a downward extension of a drawer front (14). When the drawer is opened the wheel (6) engages the ground and carries part of the weight of the drawer. The wheel (6) may be replaced by a slider. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFiCATION Beds and other articles of furniture This invention relates to beds and other articles of furniture. For convenience of description the term furniture unit will be used herein to denote an article which may constitute a complete bed or a divan base for a bed or which may constitute either some other complete article of furniture or the base of some other article of furniture.

The invention is particularly concerned with furniture units that incorporate drawers in which articles can be stored.

It is common practice to provide beds and divan bases with relatively capacious drawers in which such articles as spare bedclothes can be stored.

When relatively weighty articles are contained in such drawers it is sometimes difficult for the user to open and close the drawers. Moreover, the laden drawers can exert considerable strains on the remaining parts of the beds or divans, particularly when the drawers are in their open positions.

An object of the present invention is to provide means to enable the problems outlined above to be overcome or at least reduced.

From one aspect the present invention consists in a furniture unit incorporating a drawer which is provided at or near its front with support means which engages the ground, at least when the drawer is opened to more than a certain extent, and is such as to permit the ready opening and closing of the drawer, the arrangement being such that at least when the drawer is opened to more than said certain extent the weight of the drawer is carried partially by the support means and partially by a carrying portion of the furniture unit, relative to which the drawer is movable.

It is to be understood that the term ground is used herein in a general sense to denote a floor, carpet or other support which presents a substantially horizontal surface on which the furniture unit stands.

The furniture unit may incorporate one or more other drawers, that other drawer or each other drawer being provided with support means similar to that outlined in the last preceding paragraph.

The support means may comprise at least one ground-engaging element which rotates when the drawer is opened and closed. For example the element may comprise a wheel which is constrained to rotate about one horizontal axis or a ball which is not constrained in that manner. Alternatively or in addition the support means may comprise at least one ground-engaging element in the form of a slider which slides readily over the ground when the drawer is opened or closed.

The support means for the or each drawer preferably engages the ground not only when the drawer is open but also when the drawer is in its closed position.

The drawer or each drawer preferably has a base above the level of the ground and a skirt at the front which extends below the level of the base, the support means being mounted to the rear of the skirt. Preferably no part of the support means projects in front of the skirt. The skirt may constitute a lower portion of a drawer front which also extends above the level of the base. The support means is preferably secured to the skirt and is conveniently secured to the rear face of the skirt. For this purpose the support means may include a vertical plate which is secured against the rear face of the skirt and serves to carry one or more ground-engaging elements.

From a second aspect the present invention consists in support means of the kind outlined in the last preceding paragraph and comprising mounting means for attachment to an upright rear face of the skirt, and a rotary ground-engaging element supported beneath the mounting means so as in use to lie to the rear of the skirt.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa side view of support means embodying the second aspect of the present invention, Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the support means shown in Figure las viewed from the right of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic section through the foot end of a divan base constituting a furniture unit embodying the first aspect of the present invention and including support means of the kind shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The support means illustrated has the reference numeral 1 and comprises a bracket made from sheet metal and shaped to form mounting means comprising a vertical plate 2 provided with a pair of vertically spaced screw holes 3. The bracket also includes a pair of parallel, spaced wings 4 which are integrally connected to the side edges of the plate 2 and extend rearwards and downwards from the plate 2. Aligned holes formed near the lower ends of the wings 4 receive end portions of a spindle 5 carrying a wheel 6 which is freely rotatable on the spindle about a horizontal axis parallel to the plane containing the plate 2. It will be noted that the whole of the wheel is disposed to the rear of the plane containing the plate 2.

Two support means ofthe kind shown in Figures 1 and 2 are used to support a storage drawer 7 which forms part of a divan base. The divan base is of conventional construction and includes a box-like structure 8 with an upholstered pad 9 on the top. In use a mattress overlies the pad. The pad may incorporate springs if desired. At its foot end the structure 8 has a large rectangular opening 10 which extends into the interior of the structure and accommodates the drawer 7. The drawer is of generally conventional construction having side walls 12, a rear wall (not shown), a base 13 and an externally upholstered front 14. A lower portion of the drawer front 14 extends below the level of the base 13 and constitutes a skirt 15. The structure is supported on universal support means 16 but could equally well be supported on feet or sliders.The lower edges of the side walls 12 of the drawer rest on horizontally extending runners 17 which form part of the structure 8. In this way the drawer is supported from its sides. However, where the drawer is relatively wide and relatively deep, and when its contents are heavy, there might well, in the absence of the support means 1, be a tendency for the front portion of the drawer to tilt downwards when the drawer is pulled to a widely open position.

This would doubtless lead to undue wear on the runners 17 and the side walls 12 of the drawer and lead to their becoming damaged. Moreover it might be difficult to close the drawer again owing to the fact that the front part of the drawer would have to be lifted and pushed at the same time.

The present invention enables these problems to be overcome or at least reduced. To this end two support means leach of the kind shown in Figures 1 and 2, are secured to the rear of the skirt 15. The support means are spaced apart along the skirt 15, preferably being equidistant from the centre of the skirt. Each support means 1 is secured in place by screws (not shown) which pass through the screw holes 3 and enter the skirt from the rear. The arrangement is such onlythe wheel 6 and adjacent portions of the wings 4 extend below the bottom edge of the skirt 15. Furthermore, each of the support means 1 is disposed entirely to the rear of the skirt. The arrangement is also such that the wheel 6 of each support means touches the ground even when the drawer is in its closed position.If desired, however, the arrangement may be modified so that when the drawer is fully closed the wheel 6 of each support means is disposed slightly above the level of the ground, the wheel only coming into contact with the ground when the drawer has been opened to a certain extent. The wheels then remain in contact with the ground when the drawer is opened beyond that certain extent.

In an alternative arrangement (not illustrated) the horizontal runners 17 at the bottom of the structure 8 are replaced by horizontal runners which are disposed at a higher level and which project into complementary grooves in the outer faces of the side walls of the drawer. The tolerance between the runners and the grooves is such that some tilting movement of the drawer could occur when the drawer was pulled to a widely open position were it notforthe presence of the support means.

It will be appreciated that in each of the possible arrangements described above, whenever the support means engages the ground and is operative to assist in supporting the drawer, part of the weight of the drawer is carried by the support means and part of the weight of the drawer is carried by the structure 8, which thus constitutes a carrying portion of the furniture unit, relative to which the drawer is movable.

Atypical double divan base is 4ft. 6ins. wide (1.37m) and has a drawer some 4ft. (1.22m) in width.

The drawer may be 3ft. (0.91 m) in depth (that is in horizontal extent from front to back). Such a drawer may be provided with two support means spaced equally from each other and from the sides of the drawer. If desired a single, central support means could be used, but this would be less effective in controlling any tendency there might be for the drawer to top laterally. Alternatively there might be more than two support means, if desired.

It is to be understood that similar support means may also be used for supporting other drawers, such as drawers that may be provided in the sides of beds or divan bases or drawers in other types of furniture units.

Claims (11)

1. A furniture unit incorporating a drawer which is provided at or near its front with support means which engages the ground, at least when the drawer is opened to more than a certain extent, and is such as to permit the ready opening and closing of the drawer, the arrangement being such that at least when the drawer is opened to more than said certain extent the weight of the drawer is carried partially by the support means and partially by a carrying portion of the furniture unit, relative to which the drawer is movable.

2. Afurniture unit according to claim 1 which also incorporates one or more other drawers, that other drawer or each other drawer being provided with support means of the kind referred to in claim 1.

3. A furniture unit according to either of claims 1 and 2 in which the support means comprises at least one ground-engaging element which rotates when the drawer is opened and closed.

4. A furniture unit according to any one of the preceding claims in which the support means for the or each drawer engages the ground not only when the drawer is open but also when the drawer is in its closed position.

5. Afurniture unit according to any one of the preceding claims in which the drawer or each drawer has a base above the level of the ground and a skirt at the front which extends below the level of the base, the support means being mounted to the rear of the skirt.

6. Afurniture unit according to claim 5 in which said skirt constitutes a lower portion of a drawer front which also extends above the level of the base.

7. Afurniture unit according to either of claims 5 and 6 in which the support means is secured to said skirt.

8. A furniture unit according to claim 7 in which the support means includes a vertical plate which is secured against the rear face of the skirt and serves to carry one or more ground-engaging elements.

9. Afurniture unit according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. Support means in or for use in a furniture unit according to claim 8 and comprising mounting means for attachement to an upright rear face of the skirt, and a rotary ground-engaging element supported beneath the mounting means so as in use to lie to the rear of the skirt.

11. Support means according to claim 10 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.