WO1987003183A1

WO1987003183A1 - Bed frame for a water bed

Info

Publication number: WO1987003183A1
Application number: PCT/DK1986/000129
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henrik BRUNSO^/
Original assignee: Akvaleje Vandsenge Aps
Priority date: 1985-11-21
Filing date: 1986-11-21
Publication date: 1987-06-04
Also published as: EP0245398A1; AU6629986A; DK539685D0; DK539685A

Abstract

In order to produce a simple and strong water bed with no need for moving parts or other complex construction units, the bed frame according to the invention consists of a plate (1) forming the bottom of the bed to which is glued a support section (2, 3) surrounded by a cover (5) which is partly glued (6) to the bed bottom (1) beyond the support section (2, 3) and partly to the underside of the support section (2) and in such a manner that a gap or slit (9) extending around the bed is formed between the parts. The cover (5) will in this manner function as a strap for the mattress (7) keeping this from being pressed outwards towards the support section (2, 3). In the gap or slit (9) the bed linen can be pressed in and held there releasably even if the upper parts of the mattress move. Moreover, the upper edge area of the support section (3) is softer corresponding to the mattress (7).

Description

BED FRAME FOR A WATER BED

The invention relates to a bed frame for enclosing a water mattress and comprising a support section of wedge-shaped cross section made of an elastic mate- rial and extending around the outer edge of the matt¬ ress in order to provide support for the sides there¬ of.

Hitherto known frame constructions of this sort are both complex and hence expensive as well as difficult to adapt to the required size.

Bed frames are known which are constructed like a sleigh with high side walls and which will resist the pressure from the sides of the water mattress. Such side walls must of course have sufficient strenght to resist the pressure and must therefore be provided with strong corner fittings and be attached to the bottom in such a manner that the sides will not yield. This construction is therefore difficult to adapt to different bed sizes just as bed linen, such as a mattress topper or a sheet will not fit properly on the mattress. This is because the outer edge of the linen is to be squeezed down between the mattress and the frame, where it will be moved when a person gets into or out of the bed. The movements of the mattress in the edge area will also produce a move¬ ment of the linen, which consequently loses its grip and creases or even slips out. In order to avoid these drawbacks it is known to di¬ vide into two a wedge-shaped side support extending along the periphery of the mattress and to hinge the upper part at the tip to the bed bottom. This means that the upper part can be swung up, and the bed li¬ nen can be fitted under this part. When it is then swung down the bed linen will be squeezed in place between the parts. This method of attachment is, how¬ ever, not efficient since the quality of the fixture is only poor because hinged parts do not produce any greater force than that produced by the weight. More¬ over, this construction is complex, and the manu¬ facturing as well as the materials are expensive. Fi¬ nally, it is difficult to mount these parts, and it requires very careful work to make the corners look nice in order that the upper edge may extend evenly all the way round.

It is the object of the invention to overcome these drawbacks by the known constructions, and this is ac¬ hieved by a bed frame, where the support section at the bottom is attached to a plate forming the bottom of the bed in an area extending from the inner edge of the support section and. a distance outwards lea- ving a gap extending around the bed between the sup¬ port section and the bed bottom.

Hereby is achieved in an exceedingly simple manner a bed frame which is partly cheap to produce and partly easy to assemble and adapt to the size of the mat¬ tress in an easy manner. Moreover, it becomes pos¬ sible to fix bed linen, such as a mattress topper and a sheet releasably in the gap between the support and the bed frame where there will be a constant and strong fixing capacity which will not be influenced by the upper movements of the mattress and which will therefore provide a perfectly even bed.

By, as referred to in claim 2, fitting a cover over the support section and stick the cover to the under¬ side of the support section and to the bed bottom, the pressure exerted from the sides of the mattress may be absorbed in a very safe and reliable manner by the support section, and that with no need at all for further support thereof. Hereby is obtained a consi¬ derable simplification of the whole construction of the bed frame which makes it cheaper and increases its use as an assembly unit since the actual assemb- ling may be carried out with minimum work per¬ formance.

If, as referred to in claim 3, the joint is a glue joint, cheap materials such as chip board may be used for the bed bottom when screw joints and the like can be avoided. To this should be added that glue assemb¬ ling is very labour saving.

Finally it is expedient, as referred to in claim 4, to make the support section softer at the top, be¬ cause it provides increased comfort when its elasti¬ city corresponds to that of the mattress.

In the following the invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawing showing a sectional view through a water bed.

As will appear from the drawing showing a preferred embodiment of a water bed, this consists of a water mattress 7 and a surrounding bed frame.

The bed frame is built on a bed bottom 1 which may be chip board or a similarly strong and cheap furniture 5 plate. Since no attachment is to be made in the pla¬ te, this need not be able to hold nails which makes it possible to use a cheap plate.

The bed will normally be rectangular, but the con- 10 struction of the frame makes it possible to use any required shape, because the bed bottom 1 and the fra¬ me can be adjusted to any shape and size.

In order to protect the side edge of the bed bottom 15 and at the same time make the bed more decorative, an edge cover 10 may be applied at the exterior of the edge of the plate 1, which cover 10 in a generally known manner can be stuck or glued onto the plate 1.

20 The bed bottom 1 can be placed on a base (not shown) or on another type of underframe, where special con¬ ditions call for this.

The support section comprises a core 2 being wedge- 25 shaped in its cross section and being made from an elastic material such as polyurethane foam with a specific weight of about 80 kg/m³. The shape of the core 2 is seen from the drawing, and it is seen that the outer and lower side edge form a right angle to 30. each other, while the side surface facing the water mattress 7 is inclined towards the upper surface for¬ ming an angle of about 60° to the horizontal.

At the upper surface is mounted an edge section 3 ma- de from a lighter and more yielding foam plastic with a specific weight of about 25 kg/m³. This softer upper part 3 has the shape shown in the drawing, whe¬ reby the side surfaces of the core 2, 3 are levelled against the mattress 7 as well as against the outside of the support. The edge section 3 is attached to the underlying part 2 by means of a glue joint 4.

Around the core 2, 3 is drawn a piece of thick fabric 5, such as felt or like furniture fabric, which cover

5 is attached to the bed bottom 1 by means of glue 6.

As will appear from the drawing, the glue joint is of such a size and strength that it can resist the for- ces from the side exerted on the support by the water mattress 7. The cover 5 is thus drawn around the core 2, 3 and glued to the outer part of the lower surface of the support 2.

The actual support 2 is moreover glued onto the bed bottom 1 over the remaining part of the underside in order that the cover 5 and the support section 2, 3 are firmly attached to the bottom 1 and leave a gap or slit 9 along the exterior of the frame between the bed bottom 1 and the support.

By this construction is obtained a support which with surprisingly simple means can be made into a strong and safe bed frame for a water mattress. Thus, no further means of fixture will be required to ensure the position of the mattress 7 just as the corners are easily built by a generally known bevelling of the core 2, 3 and adjustment of the cover 5 in order that it will serve partly as a strap for the support and partly as cover therefor.

The above mentioned gap or slit 9 facilitates a hi¬ therto unknown good releasable grip for the bed linen to be applied when making the bed, whether this is a mattress topper or a sheet 8 which is pushed in under the support and is firmly held here. The power with which it is held will be just right for the bed linen 8 not to lose its grip when the surface of the mat- tress moves, and it becomes easy and simple to make the bed.

The bed frame is in its design and construction so technically simple and moreover so easy to clean and maintain that it is superior to all known construc¬ tions. There are no moving parts or other parts that need special maintaining or treatment in order to function. To this should be added that the co¬ nstruction allows a choice of fabric 5, 10 and size and shape, so that the construction is suitable for use in any type and size of water bed.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1. Bed frame for containing a water mattress and comprising a support section of wedge-shaped cross section made of an elastic material and extending a- round the outer edge of the mattress in order to pro¬ vide support for the sides thereof, characterized in that the support section (2, 3) at the bottom is at¬ tached (6) to a plate (1) forming the bottom of the Q bed in an area extending from the inner edge of the support section (2, 3) and a distance outwards lea¬ ving a gap (9) extending around the bed between the support section (2, 3) and the bed bottom (1) .

5 2. Bed frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the support section (2, 3) is surrounded by a cover (5) being attached partly to the underside of the support section (2, 3) in the area of the gap (9) and partly to the bed bottom (1) in the area of the 0 inner edge of the support section (2, 3).

3. Bed frame according to claims 1 and 2, characte¬ rized in that the joint is a glue joint (6).

5 4. Bed frame according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the support section consists of an upper (3) and a lower part (2), where the upper part (3) is softer than the lower part (2).