GB2366200A

GB2366200A - A headboard for a bed

Info

Publication number: GB2366200A
Application number: GB0130025A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael David Collins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-31
Filing date: 2001-12-17
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Also published as: GB2395428B; GB0406954D0; GB0121068D0; WO2003020080A1; GB0130025D0; GB2395428A

Abstract

A headboard for a bed is provided with foot means which fit between the bed at its head end and a mattress, thereby holding the headboard in place. The foot means may be continuous or comprise separate feet and can be detachable. The headboard can be made and sold in a flat condition or can be made in a material which can be rolled up. The headboard may be given any desired finish.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> Headboard This invention relates to headboards for beds.

Beds usually have headboards. Some, however - divans - do not, while many have headboards which are featureless and uninteresting, such, for example as bunk beds, or which do not readily accommodate a change of decor.

The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive way of providing for a more interesting or appropriate headboard on an existing bed, or, indeed, for a headboard on a bed which does not already have one..

The invention comprises a headboard for a bed which is provided with foot means which fit between the bed at its head end and a mattress, thereby holding the headboard in place The foot means may comprise feet, one at each side, which rest, in use, on the hard edges of the bed, rather than the softer middle portion. The feet may project substantially at right angles from the main part of the headboard, and may project some 10 - 15 cm therefrom. They may be some 5 - 15 cm in width. The actual dimensions are immaterial so long as they hold the headboard in place to an adequate extent. The feet may project from depending legs at each side of the headboard of about mattress depth.

The foot means may, however, be detachable.

The headboard may be fashioned in any suitable material, and may, for example, be made of cardboard, plastics material, metal or wood.

The headboard may be given any desired finish. A popular application might be to deck out the headboard in the colours of a football team. Bedding and other soft furnishings so embellished are fashionable among fans, particularly younger ones. Another application might be to cover or otherwise decorate the headboard in a colour or design that coordinates with a suite of bedding. The headboard may have a relief or a bas-relief design and/or may have a printed design, or a printed sheet adhered to it.

A plastics material headboard may be moulded in polystyrene foam, for example, with rigidly projecting feet, or made of cardboard, for instance, with deployable feet stayed in projecting position by e.g. box making techniques. A headboard may be made in a rollable but stiff sheet material, such as a polyethylene or polyester material, with a stiffening arrangement such as a fold which resists unrolling.

Embodiments of headboards according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment, arranged in a bed; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a third, rollable embodiment; and Figure 4 is a view of the embodiment of Figure 3, rolled up.

The drawings illustrate headboards I I for beds 12 which are provided with foot means 13 which fit between the beds 12 - broken line - at their head ends 12a and the mattress 14 - also broken line, Figure I - thereby holding the headboard in place.

The foot means 13 comprise feet 13a, 13b, one at each side, which rest, in use, on the hard edges of the bed 12, rather than the softer middle portion. The feet 13a, 13b project

substantially at right angles from the main part of the headboard 11, and project some 10 - 15 cm therefrom - distance d, Figure 1.

The headboard 11 illustrated in Figure 1 is moulded from rigid plastics material, such as polyethylene or polystyrene foam material. Decoration may be applied in any convenient way. The moulding may be in relief, and colour inserts may be incorporated in the moulding process, as by rotational moulding.

The headboard illustrated in Figure 2 is in cardboard, packed and sold in flat condition. The foot 13a is shown in its 'as sold' condition, namely flat, while the foot 13b is shown deployed. A brace portion 15 comprises a triangular panel 15a hinged at 15b to the headboard's main portion and has a hinged flap 15c. The foot 13a is hinged at 13c to the headboard 11 and is separated from the flap 15c by a cut 13d. In the deployed condition, illustrated with respect to foot 13b, the foot 13 is bent at right angles to the headboard 11, and the brace portion 15 hinged towards the foot 13b, the flap 13c being placed beneath the foot 13b. If desired, the deployed condition can be secured with adhesive tape. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a rollable embodiment that can be sold as shown in Figure 4 in rolled-up condition. When unrolled, as seen in Figure 3, the headboard I I has two folds 11 a that run vertically and stiffen the headboard against rolling back up again. The folds I I a mean that the edge portions 11 b outside the folds are facing slightly inwards of the bed, and the hinged feet 13a, l3b will fit between the bed and the mattress pointing slightly in toward the middle of the bed.

All the headboards illustrated can be used on divans as well as on beds which already have headboards, and can be decorated as by painting, relief or bas-relief, as by embossing, covering, appliqu6 or otherwise as desired. Kits may be supplied with the headboards for colouring or covering to own designs.

Instead of the feet being integral with the headboard, they may be attached, as by bolts or adhesive, or simply slotted in or on to tongues of the headboard.

For double or larger beds, three or more feet may be provided.

While the invention has been described particular in terms of a "feature" headboard, there is no reason why the headboard should not replace conventional headboards which are often attached to the bed base by bolts or slotted legs, which frequently fracture if made for example in wood with inappropriate grain.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A headboard for a bed which is provided with foot means which fit between the bed at its head end and a mattress, thereby holding the headboard in place.
2. A headboard according to claim 1, in which the foot means comprise feet, one at each side, which may rest, in use, on the hard edges of the bed, rather than the softer, middle portion.
3. A headboard according to claim I or claim 2, in which the feet project substantially at right angles from the main part of the headboard.
4. A headboard according to claim 3, in which the feet project between 10cm and 15 cm.
5. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 4, in which the feet means are integral with the headboard.
6. A headboard according to claim 5, in which the foot means comprise rigidly projecting feet.
7. A headboard according to claim 5, in which the foot means comprise deployable feet that deploy from a folded position flat with the headboard for packing to a projecting position for use.
8. A headboard according to claim 7, in which the deployable feet are stayed in projecting position as by boxmaking techniques.

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9. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 8, made of stiff but rollable material with a stiffening arrangement.
10. A headboard according to claim 9, in which the stiffening arrangement comprises a fold which resists rolling up when unrolled.
11. A headboard according to claim 1, in which the foot means comprise a lower projecting margin of the headboard so as to extend the full width of the bed when deployed.
12. A headboard according to claim I in which the foot means are detachable.
13. A headboard according to any one of claims 1 to 12, made of cardboard.
14. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 12, made of metal.
15. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 12, made of plastics material.
16. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 12, made of wood.
17. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 12, having a relief or bas- relief design.
18. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 17, having a printed design.
19. A headboard according to any one of claims I to 19, having a printed sheet adhered to it.