US3475769A

US3475769A - Dormitory furniture ensemble

Info

Publication number: US3475769A
Application number: US621242A
Authority: US
Inventors: George S Fasanella
Original assignee: Englander Co Inc
Current assignee: Englander Co Inc
Priority date: 1967-03-07
Filing date: 1967-03-07
Publication date: 1969-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-04

Description

Nov. 4, 1969 G. s. FASANELLA DOHMITORY FURNITURE ENSEMBLE Filed March -'7. 1967 1969 G. s. FASANELLA DORMITORY FURNITURE ENSEMBLE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed March '7. 1967 Nov. 4, 1969 G. s. FASANELLA DORMITORY FURNITURE ENSEMBLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March '7, 1967 I Q7 .QQ Q

Q Jfiue Q 620/ e Li ia 'arzelh/ Nov. 4, 1969 G. S. FASANELLA DORMITORY FURNITURE ENSEMBLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 7, 1967 7 z z/erz?' A v Gear e LfiZmrzeZh, @aZ T/ZW, wzaama'w United States Patent US. Cl. -2 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined bed, bench, closet and dresser wherein the bed and bench are both concealed within a base compartment from which they may be selectively withdrawn for their functional use.

The greatly increasing student enrollment at most colleges and universities has required the erection of additional dormitory facilities. These dormitory facilities must make efiicient use of all the available space to provide the requisite student housing. In previous dormitory constructions, the individual living and study area provided for each student included space for a bed, closet, desk, dresser and an occasional chair or bench. The floor area required for these furnishings dictates, to a considerable extent, the size of the room for each student. Of course, the number of students which can be housed in a given dormitory structure is a direct function of the size of the room required for each student.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide compact student furnishings to reduce the living space' required by each student. These previous efforts have resulted, for the most part, in the provision of convertible beds which are used during the day as couches. The use of convertible beds has increased the number of students which can be comfortably housed in a given dormitory structure. However, the space required for each students convertible bed, closet and dresser is relatively large.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a highly compact furniture ensemble which combines the functions of a bed, bench, closet and dresser.

Another object of this invention is to provide a durable and compact furniture ensemble which is also appealing to the aesthetic senses of a viewer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a furniture ensemble which combines the functions of a bed, bench, closet and dresser which can be constructed with a minimum of effort and tools.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a furniture ensemble forming a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the furniture ensemble of FIG. 1, illustrating the ensemble with doors for a closet section of the ensemble open to reveal the structure of the closet section, and with a drawer or carriage in a base section of the ensemble pulled out to form a bench;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the furniture ensemble of FIG. 1, illustrating the ensemble with a collapsible bed structure projecting outwardly from the drawer in the base section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1, illustrating the relationship of the collapsible bed structure and drawer to the base section of the furniture ensemble when the bed is in a storage position within the base section;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken 3,475,769 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3, illustrating the construction of a guide and support track assembly for the drawer;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the positioning of the drawer and collapsible bed structure relative to the base section of the furniture ensemble when the bed is in a normal or operational position illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating a linkage assembly for attaching a bolster cushion to the drawer;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 4, illustrating the relationship of a latch assembly to the drawer and base section when the drawer is positioned in the base section as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating a frame structure for supporting panels to form the furniture ensemble of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view partially illustrating the assembly of the furniture ensemble; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the construction of sliding doors for the closet section of the furniture ensemble of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, a furniture ensemble or assembly 20 forming a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The furniture ensemble 20 includes a closet or upper storage section 22 for holding wearing apparel or other articles, and a base or lower storage section 24 into which a relatively large drawer or carriage 26 is slidably received. The closet section 22 includes a pair of sliding doors 28' and 30 which have been moved into alignment with each other in FIG. 2 to reveal the interior structure of the closet section 22. As is seen in FIG. 2, the interior of the closet section 22 is partitioned into a first or left-hand compartment or receptacle 32 in which clothes can be hung in a well-known manner from a horizontally extending support shaft or clothes bar 34. A second or righthand compartment or receptacle 36 is positioned adjacent to te receptacle 32, and includes a plurality of shelves 38 and drawers or receptacles 40 for holding miscellaneous items of Wearing apparel. Access to the closet section 22 of the furniture ensemble 20 is facilitated by a recess or cutout 42 in the lower front portion of the drawer 26. The recess o-r cutout 42 is adapted to receive the feet of a person who is opening the sliding

doors

28 and 30 and removing objects from the interior of the closet section 22 (see FIG. 1 also).

The drawer 26 is shown in FIG. 2 in a position extending transversely outwardly from the base section 24 to provide a support structure for a bench or seat 46 which is formed by a back or bolster cushion 48 and a base or seat cushion 50. The bench 46 is positioned immediately in front of the base section 24 and extends longitudinally across the base section. The bolster 48 is positioned a short distance in front of the closet section 22 to provide access to the lowermost drawers 40, even though the bolster 48 extends above an upper surface of the base section 24. While the upwardly extending bolster 48 does, to a limited extent, reduce the access to the drawers 40, the relatively large upwardly extending transverse width of the bolster is required to provide a comfortable support for the back of a person sitting on the bench 46.

The furniture ensemble 20 is shown in FIG. 3 in a third position with the base cushion 50 removed and a collapsible or folding bed structure 58 extending outwardly from the drawer 26. The collapsible or folding bed structure 58 includes an articlulated frame assembly 60 which is supported by a plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending legs 62 which engage a floor or other support surface. A mattress 64 is positioned on the frame 60 to provide comfortable support for a person lying on the folding bed 58. It should be noted that the bolster 48 is retained in the same position shown in FIG. 2 to provide a head section for the bed.

The bed 58, bolster 48 and base section 50 are shown in FIG. 4 in a storage position which corresponds to FIG. 1. The drawer 26 is enclosed Within the base section 24 so that a front panel 70 of the drawer forms an outer surface of the generally rectangular base section 24. In the storage position, the bed structure 58 is collapsed, in a well-known manner, with a lower or inner surface 72 of the cushion 50 against a bottom or base surface 74 of the bed structure 58. The bolster 48 is pivoted downwardly into a storage position with a support or back engaging surface 76 in planar abutting engagement with an outer or seat engaging support surface 78 of the base cushion 50. When so positioned, the bed 58, base cushion 50 and bolster 48 form a compact structure or assembly which is readily enclosed in the base section 24 and supported by the drawer 26.

The drawer 26 is supported in the base section 24 by a pair of guide rail assemblies 80 (see FIG. taken in conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 8). The guide rail assemblies 80 are mounted intermediate opposite end panels or

walls

82 and 84 of the base section 24 and

side walls

86 and 88 of the drawer 26. As will be explained in greater detail subsequently, the guide rail assemblies 80 function to both support the drawer 26 and to guide the movement of the drawer from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4 to the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4. The drawer 26 is also supported by a caster assembly 90 (see FIG. 4) which includes a wheel 92 which is positioned in rolling engagement with a support surface 94. The wheel 92 engages a rail 98 when the drawer is in the closed position of FIG. 4. The rail 98 acts as a stop member to limit rearward motion of the drawer 26 relative to the base section 24.

An articulated sliding door assembly 100 is movably mounted on the base section 24 to conceal the bolster cushion 48 and bas cushion 50 from view when they are stored in the base section. The door assembly 100 includes a first or closure panel 104 which is connected by hinges 106 to a second or guide panel 108. The guide panel 108 is slidably mounted on a pair of tracks or channels 110 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 4) which are connected to the

opposite end panels

82 and 84 of the base section. The channels 110 act as guide and support track assemblies upon which the

panels

104 and 108 slide from a closed position shown in FIG. 4 to an open position shown in FIG. 6. The door assembly 100 is moved fiom the closed position to the open position by grasping a handle 114 on the panel 104 and pivoting the panel about the hinges 106. Contemporaneously therewith, a rearward force is exerted on the handle 114 to slide the

door panels

104 and 108 rearwardly on the channels 110 to the open position shown in FIG. 6. When the door assembly 100 is moved to the open position, the drawer 26 can be moved outwardly relative to the base section from the closed or storage position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4 to an open or operational position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 4, taken in connection with FIG. 2, when the drawer 26 is moved from the storage position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4 to the open position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4, the bolster 48 can be pivoted upwardly, as shown in FIG. 2, to form a back support for the bench 46. This pivoting movement of the bolster 48 is controlled by a pair of linkage assemblies 115 which are mounted adjacent opposite ends of the bolster 48 and connected to the

sidewalls

86 and 88 of the drawer 26. One of the linkage assemblies 115 is shown in perspective in FIG. 7 and includes a pair of

connector links

116 and 118 which securely connect the bolster 48 to the sidewalls of the drawer 26. The

links

116 and 118 4 are both pivotally connected at one end to the sidewalls of the drawer 26 and at the other end to the bolster 48. This pivotal connection between the links, the bolster and the drawer, enables the bolster to be pivoted from the storage position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, to the open position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4.

Once the bolster 48 has been moved to the open position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4, the linkage assembly holds the bolster in an upwardly extending position relative to the drawer 26 so that it does not slip when an individual is sitting down on the bench 46 or rising from the bench. In the open position, the bolster 48 is held by the linkage assembly 115 with the support surface 76 positioned for engagement with the back of a person sitting on the bench 46. The base cushion 50 is positioned in abutting engagement with the lower edge of the bolster cushion 48 (as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4) to provide a support for the buttocks of a person seated on the bench 46. The cushion 50 is supported in this position by the bottom or base surface 74 of the collapsed bed 58 which is located immediately beneath the cushion.

The drawer 26 is locked in the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4 by a latch assembly 124 which is best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8. The latch assembly 124 prevents the drawer 26 from moving rearwardly into the base structure 24 when a person sits on or rises from the 'bench 46. The latch assembly 124, as seen in FIG. 6, includes a latch bar or lever 126 which is pivotally connected to a frame or support member 128 of the drawer 26 by a generally U-shaped link 130. The generally U- shaped link 130 extends longitudinally across the rear of the drawer 26, and is connected to the frame member 128 'by a pair of brackets 134, as shown in FIG. 8. A second latch bar or lever 136 is connected to the link 130 on the opposite side of the drawer 26 and is substantially identical in construction and function to the latch bar 126. The latch bars 126 and 136 are limited in their movement relative to the drawer 26 by a pair of

brackets

138 and 140 which are mounted on

opposite side walls

86 and 88 of the drawer 26. The bracket 140 is substantially identical in shape to the bracket 138 which is perhaps most clearly seen in FIG. 6. The bracket 138 projects outwardly to form a guide channel in which the latch lever 126 is freely moved upwardly from the released or unlatched position shown in FIG. 4 to the latched or retaining position shown in FIG. 6 when the drawer is open.

Opening the drawer causes the latch lever 126 to engage a cam surface 142 on a latch lug 144 mounted on the sidewall 82. Sliding engagement between the cam surface 142 and the latch lever 126 forces the lever 126 upwardly from the position shown in FIG. 4 toward the position shown in FIG. 6 as the drawer 26 is pulled forwardly out of the base section 24. The forward movement of the drawer continues until the latch lug 144 engages a latch recess 146 which is formed in the latch lever 126. When the latch lug 144 engages the latch recess 146, a rearmost stop surface 148 of the recess 146 engages the cam surface 142 of the latch lug 144 to halt the movement of the drawer 26. A forward surface 150 of the recess 146 is positioned to engage a forward surface 152 of the latch lug 144 to prevent the drawer 26 from being moved rearwardly from the open position of FIG. 6 to the storage position, shown in FIG. 4 in solid lines, until the latch assembly 124 is released. The latch assembly 124 is released by manually lifting an outer end portion or release handle 156 of the latch lever 126 to pivot the latch lever upwardly and thereby disengage the recess 146 from the latch lug 144. As is seen in FIG. 8, a latch lug 160 is mounted on the sidewall 88 and is associated with the latch lever 136. The latch lug 160 and latch lever 136 cooperate in much the same manner as do the latch lug 144 and the latch lever 126. The latch lever 136 is released by moving an outer end portion or release handle 162 to pivot the latch lever 136 out of engagement with the lug 160.

The two

latch levers

126 and 136 are interconnected by the link 130. Therefore, when either one of the latch levers 126 or 136 is pivoted to a released position, the opposite latch lever is also pivoted to a released position so that the drawer 26 can be moved rearwardly into the base section 24 from the open position shown in FIG. 6. This feature enables the latch assembly to be released or disengaged from either side of the furniture ensemble 20. It should be noted that the latch levers 126 and 136 project outwardly from the base section 24 when the drawer 26 is open so that the

release sections

156 and 162 of the latch levers are readily accessible. However, when the drawer 26 is in the storage position, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, the latch levers 126 and 136 are positioned within the base section 24 where they are concealed and do not catch on the clothing of a person passing by the furniture ensemble 20.

The construction of the guide rail assembly 80 for the right-hand side of the ensemble is seen in FIG. 5. The guide rail assembly 80 includes a first rail 170 which is fixedly mounted on the end panel 82 of the base section 24. A second rail or track 172 is fixedly mounted on the sidewall 86 of the drawer 26. The two rails 170 and 172 are interconnected by a carriage assembly 174. The carriage assembly 174 includes a central frame member or cage 176 upon which a plurality of ball bearing elements 178 are mounted. The bearing elements 17 8 are positioned in rolling engagement with arcuate inner suri faces of the rails 170 and 172 to interconnect the two rails and support a rear end portion of the drawer 26 while guiding the outward movement of the drawer as it is moved from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 6. The construction of guide rail assemblies, similar to the assembly 80, is well known to those skilled in the art, and need not be described in greater detail at this time.

The construction of the ensemble 20 is illustrated in FIGS. 9, l and 11. Referring to FIG. 9, the base section 24 is advantageously fabricated from a rectangular metal framework or assembly 190 which provides a rigid support structure for the furniture ensemble 20. The framework 190 includes a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel, rectangular end frames 192 and 194 which are formed by rigidly interconnected channels having a generally I-shaped cross section. The I-channels are positioned with a hook section 196 of the channels turned inwardly toward ech other to form a generally U-shaped frame which encloses an outer end portion or area 198 of

end panels

82 and 84. The

panels

82 and 84 are forced into the

rectangular frames

192 and 194 in abutting engagement with the hook sections of the I-channels to form opposite end walls of the base section 24. The I- channels protect the outer ends 198 of the

panels

82 and 84, and prevent the panels from being damaged by severe usage.

The end frames 192 and 194 are interconnected by longitudinally extending

rails

200, 204, 206 and the rail 98 to define a rigid rectangular box frame into which the drawer 26 slides. The drawer 26 includes a pair of spaced apart parallel side rails 210 and 212 which are interconnected by the end rail 128. The

sidewalls

86 and 88 are mounted on the side rails 210 and 212 and are interconnected by the front panel 70 (see FIG. 3) to form a generally U-shaped drawer or carriage.

As is perhaps best seen in FIGS. 6 and 10, a panel 218 is mounted on the base frame with a forward end of the panel enclosed by the J-shaped rail 200. A frame 220 for the closet section 22 is connected to the panel 218. The inner or rear edge of the panel 218 rests on a flange 224 which extends from a flanged-U or hat-shaped channel or rail 226 of the frame 220. The hat-shaped channel 226, as is best seen in FIG. 9, extends for the entire longitudinal length of the frame assembly 190. The hat-shaped channel 226 is mounted in abutting engagement with upwardly extending shank portions of the J-shaped channels forming the

frames

192 and 194. The frame 220 includes a pair of upwardly extending J-shaped rails or

channels

228 and 230 having

ends

232 and 234 which abut the

frameworks

192 and 194 and are connected to the hat-shaped channel 226 to support the channel 226 in the position shown in FIG. 4. The rearmost edge of the panel 218 is attached to the hat-shaped channel 226 by suitable connection means, such as the screws 240 of FIG. 11. A panel 242 is connected to an opposite flange 244 of the hat-shaped channel 226 to form a floor for the closet section 22.

Referring to FIG. 11, a pair of guide angles 250 and 252 are mounted on an upper surface or bite section 254 of the hat-shaped channel 226. The two guide angles 250 and 252 are positioned in mating engagement with

slots

256 and 258 which are formed in lower ends of the

doors

28 and 30. The

doors

28 and 30 are connected at their upper ends to a pair of

hanger assemblies

260 and 262 which include

wheels

264 and 266 supported on a pair of spaced apart

parallel tracks

268 and 270. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the

hanger assemblies

260 and 262 support the doors for transverse sliding movement relative to the base section 24 of the furniture ensemble 20. The movement of the doors relative to each other and the base section is guided by the angles 250 and 252 which engage the

slots

256 and 258 in the lower end portion of the

doors

28 and 30.

For purposes of affording a more complete understanding of the invention, it is advantageous now to provide a functional description of the mode in which the component parts cooperate. The furniture ensemble 20 includes a closet section 22 and a base section 24. It is contemplated that the closet section 22 will be shipped disassembled or knocked down to a dormitory or other location where the furniture ensemble 20 is to be used and assembled at the location. The assembly of the fur niture ensemble 20 is facilitated by the utilization of a basic frame structure 190 into which

panels

82 and 84 will be inserted to form the sides of the base section 24. A forward upper panel 218 (see FIG. 10) will then be positioned in engagement with a forward channel 200 of the base section 24 as shown in FIG. 4. The closet frame 220 and hat-shaped channel 226 are then attached to the base section 24 by rocking the frame in a clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 10 to the position shown in FIG. 9 to position a forward flange 224 of the hat-shaped channel 226 beneath the panel 218 as shown in FIG. 11. The next stop in the construction of the furniture ensemble 20 involves the attaching of the floor panel 242 to the rear flange 244 of the hat-shaped channel 218. The construction of the furniture ensemble 20 is then completed by securing other panels to the closet frame 220 and hanging the

doors

28 and 30 as shown in FIG. 11.

The drawer 26, with the bed assembly 58 therein, can then be positioned within the base section 28, as shown in FIG. 4 to form a compact furniture ensemble. When it is desired to position the drawer 26 to form a bench adjacent to the front portion of the closet 22, as shown in FIG. 2, the articulated door assembly will be moved to the open position shown in FIG. 6, and the drawer 26 will be pulled out of the base section 24 to the open position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5. The bolster 48 will then be pivoted upwardly to the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5 to form a back section for the bench 46. The base cushion 50 will be located in juxtaposition with the upper surface 74 of the collapsed bed 58 to form a support for the buttocks of a person seated on the bench 46. The bench 46 is locked in the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5 by means of a latch assembly 124 to prevent the drawer from moving relative to the base section when a person is seated on the bench 46.

The collapsed bed 58 can be readily extended to the position shown in FIG. 3 by merely removing the cushion 50 and grasping a forward end of the frame 60 of the bed and lifting the bed upwardly and outwardly to unfold the articulated frame 60 of the collapsed bed. As the frame 60 is unfolded or extended, the bed will assume the position shown in FIG. 3. As previously indicated, folding or collapsing bed structures, similar to the bed structure 58, are well known to those skilled in the art and the method of operating them need not be described in greater detail at this time.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, to retract the bed into the drawer 26 it is merely necessary to reverse the steps for extending the bed. Thus, the forward end portion of the bed will be folded over and the bed 58 will be pushed inwardly and downwardly to move the bed into the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5. After the base cushion 50 has been positioned on the bed 58, the bolster 48 will be pivoted downwardly toward the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 5. The drawer 26 will then be pushed inwardly, and the articulated door assembly 100 will be pulled outwardly and downwardly to complete the storage of the bed 58.

In view of the foregoing remarks, it will be apparent that the furniture ensemble 20 combines the functions of a closet by the provision of the section 22, a dresser by the provision of the drawers 40 and shelves 38, a bench by the provision of a drawer 26 containing a bolster 48 and base cushion 50 which can be pulled out to the position shown in FIG. 2, and a bed by the provision of the collapsible bed structure 58 which is stored in the drawer 26 when it is not being used. The assembly of the furniture ensemble 20 is facilitated by the utilization of a frame structure having J-shaped channels which receive panels to form the sides of the base section 24 and closet section 22. The assembly of the furniture ensemble 20 is further facilitated by the use of a hat-shaped channel 226 which serves to interconnect the closet section 22 and base section 24, and to provide a guide for the sliding

doors

28 and 30.

What is claimed is:

1. A furniture ensemble comprising: a base section providing a compartment beneath the storage section with an access opening; an upstanding storage section connected to said base section for holding articles of wearing apparel; a drawer connected to said base section and containing an articulated bed structure and a seat assembly both concealed within the compartment when the drawer is in a first position, said drawer being movable from said first position to a second position extending outwardly from said base section, and a panel assembly movably mounted on said base section, said panel assembly being movable from an outer position obscuring a portion of said compartment when said drawer is in said first position to an inner position within said compartment in which said portion of said drawer is exposed, said articulated bed structure being movable from a storage position Within said drawer to an operational position extending out of said drawer when said drawer is in the second position.

2. A furniture ensemble as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said base section is formed of a rigid metal frame assembly on which a plurality of panels are mounted, said frame assembly including a plurality of channel members which enclose at least a portion of an outer edge area of said panel to mount said panel on said frame assembly.

3. A furniture assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein: said frame assembly includes a stop member and said drawer is supported by roller means for movement from said first portion to said second position, said roller means being in abutting engagement with said stop member when said drawer is in said first position.

4. An assembly comprising: a base means; a closet structure mounted on and extending upwardly from said base means; a carriage assembly connected to said base means and movable from a first position within said base means to a second position extending outwardly from said base means; a bolster cushion means mounted on said carriage assembly, said bolster cushion means being movable from a storage position within said carriage as sembly to a support position extending upwardly from said carriage assembly when said carriage assembly is in said second position; a collapsible bed assembly connected to said carriage assembly, said collapsible bed assembly being movable from a collapsed storage position within said carriage assembly to an extended position projecting outwardly from said carriage assembly when said carriage assembly is in said second position; and a base cushion means, said base cushion means being movable from a storage position within said carriage assembly to a normal position supported by said collapsible bed assembly in engagement with a lower section of said bolster cushion means to form a seat assembly when said carriage assembly is in said second position, said bed assembly is in said collapsed storage position, and said bolster cushion means is in said normal position.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 further including: a panel assembly movably mounted on said base means, said panel assembly including a panel member pivotally connected to a guide member, said panel member being movable from a first upright position concealing an upper portion of said carriage assembly when said carriage assembly is in the first position to a substantially horizontal storage position above said carriage assembly to enable said carriage assembly to be moved from the first position to the second position.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 further including: latch means for locking said carriage assembly in said second position, said latch means including first and second latch release levers mounted on opposite sides of said carriage assembly to enable said latch means to be readily released from either side of said carriage assembly, said latch release levers being enclosed by said base means when said carriage assembly is in said first position and said latch release lever is projecting outwardly of said base means when said carriage asesembly is in said second position to facilitate actuation of said latch release levers when said carriage assembly is in said second position.

7. A furniture ensemble comprising: a base section; an upstanding storage section connected to said base section for holding articles of wearing apparel, said storage section includes a plurality of receptacles mounted for sliding movement in a first direction and a plurality of doors mounted for sliding movement in a second direction to conceal said receptacles; and a .drawer connected to said base section and containing an articulated bed structure, said drawer being movable from a first position within said base section to a second position extending outwardly from said base section, said articulated bed structure being movable from a storage position within said drawer to an operational position extending out of said drawer when said drawer is in the second position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,431 1/1942 Houston et al. 312333 2,720,659 10/1955 Brown 5-2 3,316,563 5/1967 Vogel 59 CASMIR A. NU-NBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5-7