GB2372695A

GB2372695A - Convertible furniture assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2372695A
Application number: GB0105216A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joan Madeline Devlin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-02
Filing date: 2001-03-02
Publication date: 2002-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2021-03-02
Also published as: US20040187206A1; GB0105216D0; GB2372695B

Abstract

A piece of furniture, convertible between a settee (fig 1), a double bed (fig 2) and primarily a bunk-bed, comprises a first platform 10 attached at its corners to hollow base legs 11 and a second platform 16 similarly attached to arms 12, telescopically attached to legs 11 to allow variations in platform height. The extended positioning of all arms provides a bunk-bed assembly whilst the collapsed arrangement achieves assembly use as either a settee (with inverted members 13A, 13B forming arm rests, fig 1) or as a double bed (whereby platforms 10 and 16 are connected and the hollow underside of platform 16 comprises a pair of hinged trestle legs 17A, 17B, fig 2 to provide additional support).

Description

"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE" This invention relates to improvements in furniture, and more specifically to the provision of a versatile piece of furniture designed for space saving.

Bunk beds in which one mattress is supported above another save space but are unsightly and the lower mattress cannot conveniently be used as a seat during the day because of limited headroom.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide such a bunk bed in which the upper mattress and its base can be removed to provide a single bed or settee, or even a double bed, without leaving end members serving as arm rests, or as head and foot boards, of an ungainly height. Another object is to provide such an arrangement in which the upper mattress and its base can be stored without occupying space additional to that occupied by the lower mattress or seat.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a piece of furniture comprising a first elongated component adapted for sitting and lying, upright end members adapted to support opposite ends of said first component so that the latter is above the ground in a horizontal attitude and a second elongated component similar to the first component and having generally the same dimensions as the first component, each said end member being adjustable in height and being equipped with means to support the second component above and generally parallel with the first component when in a raised position.

Each said end member may comprise spaced-apart legs adapted to stand upright on the ground and an element generally of inverted U-shape the free ends of the arms of which are respectively telescopically received by or which respectively telescopically receive the legs.

The first component may comprise an upholstered seat or mattress and the second component may comprise a mattress on a base.

Means may be provided alternatively to support the second component alongside and generally in the same plane as the first component so as to serve as a double bed. The underside of the base of the second component may be hollow and said support means may comprise trestle legs hinged to the second component which can be folded to lie within the second component when not in use.

The longer sides of the second component are preferably provided with detachable guard rails which are fitted when the second component is serving as an upper bunk to prevent the occupant falling from it.

Detachable head and/or foot boards may be provided to be mounted on the end members at opposite ends of the first component when the end members are elevated to positions in which there would otherwise be no head and/or foot board for the first component when serving as a lower bunk.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piece of furniture in accordance with the invention when serving as a settee; Figure 2 illustrates the piece of furniture of Figure 1 when serving as a double bed, and Figure 3 illustrates the piece of furniture of Figures 1 and 2 when serving as a double bunk bed.

The piece of furniture illustrated has a first elongated component 10 which may be an upholstered seat for a settee but in the example shown is a single bed mattress on a base. The four corners of this first component 10 are secured to and held above the ground by four upright legs 11. Each leg 11 is hollow and telescopically receives the free end of a respective arm 12 of a member 13A or 13B of inverted U-shape. Thus each member 13A or 13B can be raised from the lowered position in which it is shown in Figure 1 to the raised position in which it is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Each arm 12 has perforations along its length a selected one of which can be aligned with a hole in the associated leg 11 and then a pin inserted through the aligned holes to maintain the member 13A or 13B at a chosen height.

When fully lowered the members 13A and 13B may serve as arm rests at opposite ends of a settee, and if desired a bolster cushion 14 may be provided to give the settee a back rest, the bolster 14 being prevented from being pushed off the component 10 by a wall against which the piece of furniture is placed.

Alternatively, with the bolster 14 removed the piece of furniture as shown in Figure 1 can serve as a single bed, the members 13A and 13B serving as head-and foot-boards. For this purpose each preferably has some form of infilling as suggested at 15.

A second elongated component 16 similar to the component 10 and of similar dimensions is shown in Figure 1 lying loosely on top of and supported by the first component. The second component 16 also comprises a single bed mattress on a base. The underside of the second component 16 is hollow and folded into it, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, are a pair of trestle legs 17A, 17B which can be hinged out to support the second component 16 at the same height as the first component. When placed alongside the first component this arrangement provides a double bed as shown in Figure 2. If desired releasable fastening means (not shown) may be provided to prevent the components 10 and 16 separating when in this position.

So that the piece of furniture can provide a double bunk bed as shown in Figure 3 the members 13A and 13B are locked at suitably extended positions out of the legs 11 and then the second base/mattress component 16 is held at its four comers to the arms 12 at a suitable elevation above the first base/mattress component 10. Numerous adjustable shelf-support systems are known which will be suitable for maintaining the second component 16 in the position of Figure 3. For example a latch such as shown at 18 in Figure 3 may be pivotable on the base of the component it into and out of a suitably positioned aperture in each of the arms 12, all of course at the same height.

Preferably at least one safety rail 19 is provided which will slot into openings in the base of the component 16 and in one of the arms 12 to prevent the occupant of the upper bunk rolling out and falling during the night.

The infilling 15 of the members 13A and 13B cannot conveniently continue below the legs 11 when the members 13A and 13B are in the lowered positions of Figure 1. Consequently when they are raised to the position of Figure 3 they will serve as head-and foot-boards only for the upper bunk. To remedy this optionally detachable head-and foot-board pieces such as shown at 20 in Figure 3 may be provided, these having lugs 21 which hook into suitable openings in lower parts of the arms 12 to provide the lower bunk 10 with a head-and foot-board.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A piece of furniture comprising a first elongated component adapted for sitting and lying, upright end members adapted to support opposite ends of said first component so that the latter is above the ground in a horizontal attitude and a second elongated component similar to the first component and having generally the same dimensions as the first component, each said end member being adjustable in height and being equipped with means to support the second component above and generally parallel with the first component when in a raised position.
2. A piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said end member comprises spaced-apart legs adapted to stand upright on the ground and an element generally of inverted U-shape the free ends of the arms of which are respectively telescopically received by or which respectively telescopically receive the legs.
3. A piece of furniture as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein the first component comprises an upholstered seat or mattress and the second component comprises a mattress on a base.
4. A piece of furniture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein means is provided alternatively to support the second component alongside and generally in the same plane as the first component.
5. A piece of furniture as claimed in claim 4, wherein the underside of the base of the second component is hollow and said support means comprises trestle legs hinged to the second component which can be folded to lie within the second component when not in use.
6. A piece of furniture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the longer sides of the second component are provided with detachable guard rails.
7. A piece of furniture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein detachable head and/or foot boards are provided which may be mounted on the end members at opposite ends of the first component when the end members are elevated.
8. A piece of furniture substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.