GB2498178A

GB2498178A - Lightweight corrugated bed base for a folding bed

Info

Publication number: GB2498178A
Application number: GB201122380A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Brian Adams; Clive Martin Gregory
Original assignee: ARAMACK WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS UK Ltd
Current assignee: ARAMACK WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS UK Ltd
Priority date: 2011-12-22
Filing date: 2011-12-22
Publication date: 2013-07-10
Also published as: GB201122380D0

Abstract

A bed base for a folding bed structure comprises a corrugated substantially laminar element 14 orientated with the corrugations extending along the length of the bed, and reinforced at least at one end thereof by a transverse reinforcement member 17 secured to the end of the said substantially laminar element 14. Transverse end panels 25 which may comprise a honeycomb core, can be secured to the transverse reinforcement members 17. The bed base provides a structure of light weight and high rigidity suitable for a folding bed structure [see Figs 1, 2 & 6] to maximise the number of beds which can be positioned in a room or a cabin. A folding bed structure comprising such a bed base may also be provided.

Description

Improvements in or relating to beds The present invention relates to a bed base, in particular for a bed which needs the base to be as light and sh'ong as possible. The bed base of the present invention finds particular utility in situations where optimal utilisation of space is important.

In order to make best use of restricted space in certain situations it is desirable for the number of beds to be maximised. This may be achieved by positioning the beds one above the other to form a so-called bunk" bed structure. Alternatively a bed may be hingedly mounted along one side or one end to al(ow it to be folded up against a wall when not in use. Such folding bed structures particularly benefit from being lightweight in order to minimise the forces required to move them between the deployed and the stowed positions.

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* *. S.* * 15 The present invention seeks therefore to provide a bed base structure of light weight and high rigidity, especially suitable for a folding bed structure, suitable for use in maximising the number of beds which can be positioned inc room or cabin to allow an increased occupancy rate. ** S * * S * S.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bed base for a folding bed structure comprising a corrugated substantially laminar element orientated with the corrugations extending along the length at the bed, and reinforced at at least one end thereof by a transverse reinforcement member secured to the end of the said substantially laminar element, It should be noted that cli positions and orientations mentioned within the present specification should be interpreted, unless explicitly mentioned otherwise, as being relative to the bed when in an open and substanally horizontal position of use.

The provision of a corrugated substantially Laminar element allows the bed base to be lighter than such previously known bed bases without compromising its stiffness, which is particularly useful for beds that need to be lifted or folded, such as in temporary berths.

rhe corrugated substantially laminar element must be made of material, or substantially comprise material, that can be corrugated and yet retain enough stiffness to function as a bed base, for example a metal such as aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

The bed base may further have longitudinally extending lateral reinforcement members along the long edges of the said corrugated laminar element.

The corrugated laminar element is preferably a monolithic element, and ideally extends over the entire area of the bed.

The corrugations of the corrugated iamirarelement may present a waveform with flat IS crests and may also present fiat troughs.

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It is desirable tar the reinforcement members to be made of material that is stiff. f or * .o * S S example a metal. It is particularly desirable for the material to be the same as the S 0 corrugated substantially laminar element.

The said transverse and lateral r&nlorcement members may have upstanding elements at or adjacent their ends. These upstanding elements may be integrally formed as part of the reinforcement member and thus may be of the same material as the respective reinforcement member. The reinforcement members are preferably made of material that is stiff, for example a metal. Adjacent upstanding elements of contiguous ends of the transverse and longitudinal reinforcement members may be joined to form a strong reinforcement at the corners of the bed base.

Each reinforcement member may be L-shape in section with one limb underlying the said corrugated laminar element. The underlying limb of the transverse reinforcement member may hove a corrugated waveform to fit with the corrugations of the laminar element.

One or more of the reinforcement members may be secured to the sold corrugated laminar element by welding. Such welding may be continuous or discontinuous along the length of the corrugated laminar element.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the lateral reinforcement members are integrally formed with the corrugated laminar element.

The bed base may also include at least one side and/or end panel. The side-panel may * * extend along the longer side of the bed base and the end panel may extend along *: 15 the shorfer side of the bed base. The side panels and/or end panels may be secured to the lateral and/cr transverse reinforcement members respectively. * . * ** * 4

The panels may be secured to the reinforcement member by fixing elements and/or by bonding materials such as adhesives, The possibility of securing the end panels and the side panels to the reinforcement members via a plurality of fixing members allows for the end and side panels to be relatively structurally weak, such as hollow or partly hallow structures which are therefore lighter, when compared with solid panels.

The side and/or end panels may have a honeycomb core enclosed between two layers. The honeycomb core may be made of aluminium foIJ and the said facing layers may be made at sheet aluminium. The side and/or end panels may be covered with respective decorative cladding layers of non-metallic material depending on the aesthetic and/or practical requirements of the bed base and the environment in which it is to be employed.

Its advantageous if the upstanding elements of the reinforcement members have a large surface area to enable secure connection to the side and end panels of the bed base across the entire surface area of the upstanding element, thus ensuring a high level of stiffness of the attachment.

The bed base of the present invention may include side panels which project below the general plane of the said corrugated laminar element to form supports by which the bed base can rest on an underlying support. Likewise, the end panels may project below the general plane of the corrugated laminar element by the same or a similar * distance as the side panels. This form of bed base may be used in a system in which * * * beds are stacked one above the other to increase the volume of the space between en... * C

the panels to accommodate bedding which can be prepared ready for use between C stacked beds. The bed base of the invention may be incorporated in a folding bed

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* structure in which it is hingedly mounted to a support structure and is turnable about its * CC * C A * hinged mounting between a deployed position and a storage position. C. C * C * C.

Another aspect of the preseni invention is a method ot providing sleeping accommodation by uflising bed bases according to the present invention or bed structures including said bases in environments where an alternate sleeping arrangement system is possible, such as in a workplace environment which requires or allows for shifts and where spoce is at a premium. Examples of such locations may be oil rigs, research centres in remote locations or boats.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabin equipped with a composite bed system incorporating a base according to the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates the bed system depicted in Figure with one at the beds partly folded into a wall of the cabin; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the part of the bed base shown in Figure 1 and enclosed within the circle A: Figure 4 is a perspective view of the underside of the part of the bed base shown in Figure 1 and enclosed within the circle A; Figure 5 is a partal perspective sectional view of the side panels of the bed base structure of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cabin equipped with bed bases formed as another embodiment of the present invenkion, being used in a typical environment where an * alternate sleeping arrangement system is possible and where space is at a premium. a * .

Ref erring now to the drawings, there is shown a bed structure comprising abed 11 superimposed over a bed 12 in a cabin such as may be found on an oil rig or a ship. * .

Figure 1 illustrates a cabin equipped with two beds 11 and 12 in a stacked * .. * . .

:.". configuration one above the other. The circle A illustrates the position of part of the a bed base which will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 3.

The beds 1), 12 are intended for alternative use which, as can be seen in Figure 2, is achieved by folding the upper bed 11 into a recess 13 in the side wall of the cabin to reveal the completed bed 12 beneath it.

Figure 3 illustrates the structure of the bed base which facilitates this hinged movement.

The bed base illustrated in Figure 3 comprises a substantially laminar element 14 having longitudinally extending corrugations with flat crests 5 and flat troughs 16. The corrugations follow a trapezoidal shaped waveform, The corrugations 16, 16 of the laminar element 14 extend along the length of the bed 11 as illustrated by the arrow B in Figure 3. Transverse reinforcement members 17 are located along, and abut, the end of the laminar element 14. Along the side of the laminar element 14 are located lateral reinforcement members 18 which, in this embodiment, are secured to the edges of the corrugated element 14 by welding.

As seen in Figure 4, which depicts the underside of the bed base illustrated in Figure 3, both the transverse reinforcement member 17 and elongate reinforcement member 18 ore generally L-shoped in section and have underlying, horizontal limbs, 19 and 20 respectively, on which the flat iroughs 16 of the laminar element 14 rest. Underlying limbs 19 and 20 are welded together in a square butt joint 21.

As can be seen in Figure 3, at each end of the transverse reinforcement member 17 * . and the longitudinal reinforcement member 18 are respective, generally, triangular, upstanding elements 22, 23 which are welded together along their contiguous edges to form a stiff reinforcement at the corner 24. **..* * * * *. * . .

The bed 11 further has end panel 25 and side panel 26, to which the transverse reinforcement member 17 and the longitudinal reinforcement member 18, including upstanding elements 22 and 23, are secured, for example, by pop rivets 27.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the thickness of the side panel 26 depicted in Figure 1 and Figure 3. The side panel comprises a honeycomb core made of aluminium foil 28, enclosed between two sheets of aluminium 29 and 30. which ore themselves clad in a layer of cladding 31 the colour and texture of which is chosen to match the colour and texture of the rest of the cabin as shown in Figure 1.

The lower edge of the end panel 25 of bed 11 is supported by an end panel 32 of bed 12. The lower edge of side panel 26 of bed Ills supported by a side panel 33 of bed 12.

Figure 6 is a further embodiment of the bed base according to the present invention.

The stacking configuration, as described above, has been adapted to fit within a bunk' bed system 40, thus increasing the number of beds from 2 to 3. In the same manner as in Figure 1, bed 4] can be used while the lower bed of bunk bed 42 is not in use and it can then folded into recess 43so as to allow the lower bed of the bunk bed 42 to be used.

The structure described hereinabove provides a very lightweight, rigid, stiff structure * which is hygienic and easy to clean.

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Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. A bed base for a folding bed structure comprising a corrugated substantiaUY laminar element orientated with the corrugations extending along the length of the bed, and reinforced at least at one end thereof by a transverse reinforcement member secured to the end of the said substantially laminar element.</claim-text> <claim-text>
2. A bed base as claimed in Claim) for a folding bed structure, in which there are provided longitudinally extending lateral reinforcement members along the long edges of the said corrugated laminar element.</claim-text> <claim-text>
3. A bed base as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2. in which the bottom of the bed base comprises a single monolithic corrugated laminar element.</claim-text> <claim-text>* * .** * * 15 *
4. A bed base as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, in which the corrugations of the corrugated laminar element present a waveform with flat crests. * *</claim-text> <claim-text>
5. A bed base as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, in which the said transverse * * reinforcement members have an upstanding element at or adjacent at least one end.</claim-text> <claim-text>
6. A bed base as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 5, in which the said lateral reinforcement members have an upstanding element cit or adjacent at Least one end.</claim-text> <claim-text>
7. A bed base as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6. in which the or each said upstanding element is integrally formed as part of the or the respective reinforcement member.</claim-text> <claim-text>
8. A bed base as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7, in which the or each said transverse reinforcement member, and the or each said lateral reinforcement member is L-shape in section with one limb underlying the said corrugated laminar element.</claim-text> <claim-text>
9. A bed base as claimed in any of preceding Claim, in which the or each reinforcement member is secured to the said corrugated laminar element by welding.</claim-text> <claim-text>
10. A bed base as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 8, in which at least the lateral reinforcement members are integrally formed with the said corrugated laminar element,
11. A bed base as claimed in any of preceding Claim, further including longitudinally extending side panels secured to respective said lateral reinforcement members.
12. A bed base as claimed in any of preceding Claim, further including transverse end * panels secured to respective said transverse reinforcement members. * 4 a*4a 444 * .
13. A bed base as doimed in Claim 11 or Claim 12, in which the sold side and/or end 4* a panels have a lightweight honeycomb core enclosed between o layers. * * * .4 * . S14. A bed base as ctaimed in Claim 13, in which the said honeycomb core is made of * " aluminium foil and the said facing layers are made of sheet aluminium.15. A bed base as claimed in Claim 14, in which the said facing layers are themselves clad with respective cladding layers of non-metallic material.16. A bed base as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 4. in which the said side panels project below the generol plane of the said corrugated laminar elements to farm supports by which the bed base can rest on any underlying support.17. A bed base as claimed in Claim 16, in which the end panels project below the general plane of the corrugated laminar element by the some distance as the side panels.18. A folding bed structure incorporating a bed bose as claimed in any preceding Claim, hingedly mounted to a support structure and turnoble about its hinged mounting between a deployed position and a stowed position.19. A folding bed struciure incorporating a bed base as claimed in Claim 18, in which on underlying bed forms the said support for the said bed base in the deployed positions thereof.20. A bed base substantially as hereinbetore described with reference to, and as shown * . in. the accompanying drawings. 4* * * * ** 21. A folding bed structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, * * and shown in, the accompanying drawings. * ** 1 * * ** *4 *22. A method of providing sleeping accommodation by utilising the bed bases according to any of Claims 1 Ic 20 or the folding bed structure of Claim 21 in environments where an alternate sleeping arrangement system is possible, such as in a workplace environment that requires or allows for shifts and where space is at a premium</claim-text>