US2995762A

US2995762A - Appointments for beds

Info

Publication number: US2995762A
Application number: US2977A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albinson Don
Original assignee: Herman Miller Inc
Current assignee: MillerKnoll Inc
Priority date: 1960-01-18
Filing date: 1960-01-18
Publication date: 1961-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1978-08-15

Description

1961 D. ALBINSON 2,995,762

APPOINTMENTS FOR BEDS Filed Jan. 18, 1960 INVENTOR DON ALB/NSON QM M VM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,995,762 APPONTS FOR BEDS Don Albinson, Culver City, Calif., assignor to Herman Miller, Inc., a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 2,977 6 Claims. (Cl. -322) This invention relates to mattresses and more particuarly to preventing a mattress from folding or collapsing ike an accordion when the mattress is raised to a steeply nclined angle about one of its ends. It also provides means for securing the mattress to a supporting member 0 the mattress will be firmly held in position on the member when it is shifted from a horizontal to a vertical )OSllllOll as in folding beds.

Folding beds of the type in which the mattress and its .upporting means, such as a spring or platform, are hifted to a vertical position for storage have been known or many years. When the bed is so manipulated the mattress, being of non-rigid construction, will fold and lide to the lower end of the erected bed, unless restrained. farious means have been devised to prevent this but they lave not been entirely satisfactory. The best of these levices have been based on the clamping principle by vhich the end of the mattress which is elevated for stortge is tightly clamped. These clamps, unless carefully naintained, tend to mark the bedding and create deep mpressions and wrinkles in the bed. Unless they are losed with substantial force they do not hold the matress. Further they are, at best, unsightly. They must e manipulated to open and close the bed and to permit t to be made-up.

This invention provides a means which both locks he mattress to its support and stitfens it against folding oward one end. The means of this invention is entirely :oncealed and requires no manipulation either to raise LHd lower the bed or to make it up. It leaves all edges )f the mattress free so that the bedding can be properly tnd securely tucked into place. It does not adversely tfi'ect the comfort of the mattress nor interfere with its )rirnary use. The invention is equally adapted to in- :orporation in new mattresses as it is to inexpensive modiication of existing mattresses.

These and other advantages of this invention will be mmediately understood by those acquainted with the lesign and manufacture of folding beds upon reading the Following specification and drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an oblique, exploded view of a mattress and upporting board therefor incpororating this invention:

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane II I of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of one or" the anchor alates used in this invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a bed and mattress itilizing this invention with the bed illustrated in solid ines in elevated or storage position and in broken lines 11 lowered or open position.

In executing the objects and purposes of this invention t rigid member such as a board is secured to the ticking )r jacket of the mattress. Means are provided for deachably securing the board to the mattress support. The ward is designed to be spaced from all margins ofthe nattress and is of a suflicient length to prevent the matress sliding or folding toward the lower end of the Jed.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 refers to 1 mattress which may be of any desired internal con- ;truction such as foam or inner spring (FIG. 2). Since he internal construction of the mattress is conventional 1nd has no affect upon this invention it is not illustrated. [he mattress is enclosed in a ticking or jacket 2 which may "ice conventionally be made removable by providing an opening at one end closed by a slide-type, separable fastener 3.

A flap 4 is secured to the bottom face of the jacket. This flap is suitably secured to the jacket as by stitching. .It is illustrated as attached to the exterior surface of the jacket but may as well be attached to the jackets inner surface. The flap is elongated and extends lengthwise of the mattress at least a major portion of the mattress length. Its length and width are such as to space its edges a substantial distance from all edge margins of the mattress. This assures adequate room for the tucking in of bedding without restriction by the flap. It also will be seen that this leaves the edges of the mattress sufficiently flexible to facilitate tucking in of the bedding even though the pocket formed by the flap is occupied by a rigid member.

The flap 4, in cooperation with the jacket 2., forms a pocket 5 open at one end. The open end of the pocket 5 is closed by the cover member 6. The latter may be secured in closed position by suitable means such as the snap fastener 7.

A rigid member such as the stiffener board 8 is received in the pocket 5. The board may be of any suitable material such as plywood and of a thickness such that it will not bend or crush under the weight of the mattress when the bed is in vertical or storage position. The board 8 has a pair of elongated key slots 9 preferably aligned with each other lengthwise of the board. The greater dimension of the key slots 9 also extends lengthwise of the board. These key slots 9 each have a central enlarged portion 10. This enlarged portion may, if desired, be located at the ends of the key slots adjacent the lower end of the bed when the latter is elevated into storage position.

The flap 4 is provided with a pair of access holes 11, one aligned with each of the key slots and preferably somewhat larger than the key slots. It will be recognized that in a construction in which the flap 4 is secured to the inner face of the jacket 2 the access holes 11 will be in the jacket rather than the flap.

It is important that the board 8 be designed to occupy the pocket 5 so that it will be firmly held to the jacket and not permitted to slide either lengthwise or laterally with respect to the mattress. This is necessary for firm, stable support of the mattress.

The mattress is supported by a bed frame 20, here illustrated as a platform. The anchor plates 21 each have a base 22 and an upstanding, headed stud 23. The heads 24 of these studs are preferably of a substantial diameter such as one to two inches, relatively thin and having smoothly rounded top surfaces and edges. The former prevents them from causing detectable hard spots in the mattress and the latter eliminates danger of injury to the mattress or jacket.

The anchor plates 21 are located on the bed frame 20 so that the studs will align with the key slots 9 when the mattress is centered on the bed frame. Preferably the bases 22 of the anchor plates are recessed into the bed frame and retain the smoothness of the bed frame surface as much as possible. They may be secured to the bed frame 20* by any suitable means such as screws.

The mattress, with the board 8 securely seated in the pocket 5, is placed on the bed frame 20. The enlarged portions 10 of the key slots 9 are aligned with the studs 23. The board 8 then seats down over the studs with the studs passing through the key slots. The mattress is then shifted lengthwise toward the end of the bed which will be at the bottom when the bed is elevated into storage position. This causes the narrow portions of the key slots to seat about the studs locking the heads of the studs firmly behind or against the inner face of the board 8. At this point the mattress cannot be lifted from the bed. However, the simple maneuver of moving the mattress lengthwise to once again align the studs with the enlarged portions of the slots frees the mattress for removal.

The provision of the slots 9 with a central, enlarged opening for the studs 23, if the board 8 is centered on the mattress, permits the mattress to be turned end for end on the bed frame 20. This is a practice recommended by bedding manufacturers.

The operation of this invention will beunderstood from FIG. 4 in which the bed frame 20 is illustrated as pivoted at one end about the hinge 30. The interlock between the headed studs 23 and the board 8 firmly holds the mattress 1 to the bed frame, preventing it from folding away from the bed frame when the latter is in erect position.

At the same time, the presence of the board 8 firmly secured to the jacket prevents the mattress from folding or slumping. Even though the board 8 terminates short of both ends of the mattress, its presence prevents the middle of the mattress from distorting. This prevents slumping. The ends and sides of the mattress, which are not directly supported, extend an insuificient distance from the margins of the board 8 to permit the mattress to flex significantly under the mattress own weight. Thus the mattress is held straight and firmly to the bed frame and the bedding will not be released. A bed so equipped may be made-up, pivoted into vertical storage and lowered for use without disturbing the bedding.

The board 8 is relatively thin by comparison with that of the mattress. Therefore, it does not distort the mattress and cause any undesirable feel. At the same time it is completely concealed and does not impair or interfere with the appearance of the bed structure or the bedding itself.

A preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described. It will be recognized that modifications thereof may be made. Such of these modifications as incorporate the principles of this invention are to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims, unless these claims, by their language, expressly state otherwise.

I claim:

1. A mattress and means adapting it to be secured to a supporting surface, said means comprising: a jacket encasing said mattress, apocket in one face of said casing, said pocket being substantially spaced from all edges of said mattress; a rigid member received within said pocket; anchor engaging means on said member adapted to engage a cooperating element on a mattress supporting element; said pocket having access openings aligned with said anchor engaging means.

2. In means for supporting a mattress against folding when inclined at a steep angle toward one end, a jacket adapted to encase a mattress; a flap secured to one face of said jacket and in cooperation with said jacket forming an elongated pocket extending a major portion of the length of said face and spaced from all margins thereof; a rigid member received within said pocket and means for holding said member against displacement from said pocket.

3. In means for securing a mattress to a supporting surface and restraining said mattress against folding when inclined at a steep angle toward one end, a jacket adapted to encase a mattress; a flap secured to one face of said jacket and in cooperation with said jacket forming an elongated pocket extending a major portion of the length of said face and spaced from all margins thereof; a rigid member received within said pocket and means for holding said member against displacement from said pocket; said flap having an access opening therethrough and anchor means on said rigid member aligned with said access opening whereby said rigid member may be attached tc the supporting surface.

4. In combination, a support and a mattress, said mattress having a jacket; a flap secured to one face of said jacket and in cooperation with said jacket forming at elongated pocket extending a major portion of the lengtl: of said face and spaced from all margins thereof; a rigid member received within said pocket and means for holding said member against displacement from said pocket.

5 In combination, a support and a mattress, said mattress having a jacket; a flap secured to one face of said jacket and in cooperation with said jacket forming an elongated pocket extending a major portion of the length of said face and spaced from all margins thereof; a rigid member received Within said pocket and means for holding said member against displacement from said pocket; said flap having an access opening therethrough; said rigid member having one portion of a separable two portion fastener thereon; an access opening through one'oi said jacket and said flap and communicating with said pocket; said access opening being aligned with said one portion of said fastener; the other portion of said fastener being mounted on said support, said portions .of said fastener when joined holding said mattress to said support.

6. In means for supporting a mattress against folding when inclined at a steep angle toward one end, said mattress having a jacket; an elongated rigid member adjacent one face of said mattress; said rigid member having a length at least equal to a major portion of the length of said mattress and spaced from all edges thereof; means securing said member to said jacket and including restraining elements at each end of said member for preventing movement relative to said member of said mattress lengthwise of said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,027 Nash Jan. 25, 1942 2,588,854 Lang Mar. 11, 1952 2,634,426 Anderson Apr. 14, 1953