Slide lock for center beam of a bed frame

• US 7,644,456 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Finger Lakes Intellectual Property LLC
• Original Assignee: Finger Lakes Intellectual Property LLC
• Inventors: Carlson, Paul Eric, Polevoy, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CONLEY, FREDRICK C
• Application Number:
  US11/352,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20060191071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 520/3, 520/1, 520/7, 523/8, 530/5, 528/6
• US Class Current: 5/201
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/005 dismountable
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/021 Bedstead frames

Abstract

A bed frame or other structural construction having a locking mechanism to allow two structural members to be affixed and locked together. A first structural member sits atop of the second structural member and has a pair of posts that interfit into a pair of holes formed in the second structural member. The locking mechanism is located at an end of the first structural member and includes a slide that is movable along the longitudinal axis of the first structural member to slide between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position where the slide contacts the lower surface of the second structural member to sandwich the second structural member between the first structural member and the slide to block the structural members from moving with respect to each to withdraw the posts from the holes, thereby locking the first and second structural members together.

Claims

1. A bed frame assembly comprising:

a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart, side rails having horizontal surfaces for supporting a box spring and a mattress, cross bars interconnecting and spanning between said side rails to form a bed frame, said cross bars having lower surfaces, and a center beam having opposed ends positioned atop of said cross rails generally intermediate and parallel to said side rails, the center beam having an upper surface and a lower surface and having a locking mechanism at each of the opposed ends thereof to attach the opposed ends of the center beam to said cross bars, said locking mechanism comprising a slide slidably attached to the end of the center beam, said slide having an upper surface and a lower surface overlying the upper surface of the center beam and slidingly secured thereto by inwardly directed tabs that extend underneath the lower surface of the center beam such that the upper and lower surfaces of the slide move along a horizontal plane that is parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the center beam, said slide having a forward extension, said slide being movable with respect to said cross bars between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position where the forward extension of the slide moves into engagement with the lower surface of the cross bar to sandwich the cross bar between said center beam and said slide.

2. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the forward extension is bifurcated into a pair of ends that engage the lower surface of the cross bar.

3. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the center beam is a T-shaped cross section having a horizontal flange and a vertical flange and the slide is slidably affixed to the horizontal flange of the T-shaped center beam.

4. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the center beam is a T-shaped cross section having a horizontal flange and the forward extension bifurcated into a pair of ends that contact the lower surface of the cross bar outboard of the horizontal flange.

5. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the slide is general S-shaped having an edge formed therein that contacts the lower surface of the cross bar.

6. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the slide has at least one nipple extending therefrom that contacts the lower surface of the cross bar.

7. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the cross bars have at least one hole formed therein and the ends of the center beam have at least one post extending downwardly therefrom that interfits into the at least one hole formed in the cross bars.

8. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the cross bars have a pair of spaced apart holes formed therein and the ends of the center beam have a pair of posts extending downwardly therefrom that interfit into the pair of holes formed in the cross bars.

9. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the slide has a forward edge having at least one indentation that interfits with the at least one post to provide a visual indication that the slide is in its extended, locked position.

10. The bed frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the slide has at least one downwardly extending member accessible to a user to manually move the slide between the retracted and extended positions.

11. A structural assembly comprising:

a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart, first structural members having upper surfaces and lower surfaces, a second structural member having ends interconnecting and spanning between said pair of first structural members, the second structural member having upper and lower surfaces, each of the ends of said second structural member resting atop of the upper surfaces of the first structural members and having a locking mechanism, said locking mechanism having a slide that is affixed to the second structural member, said slide having an upper surface and a lower surface overlying the upper surface of the second structural member and having inwardly directed tabs that extend underneath the lower surface of the second structural member to slidingly secure the slide to the second structural members such that the upper and lower surfaces of the slide move along a horizontal plane that is parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the second structural member, the slide being movable with respect to said first structural members between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position wherein the slide moves into contact with the lower surface of the first structural member to sandwich the first structural member between the second structural member and the slide to attach the ends of the second structural members to said pair of first structural members.

12. The structural assembly of claim 11 wherein the structural assembly is a bed frame assembly.

13. The structural assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein said pair of first structural members comprises side rails of the bed frame assembly.

14. The structural assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein said pair of first structural members comprises cross members of the bed frame assembly.

15. The structural assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein each first structural member has at least one hole in the upper surface, and each end of a second structural member has at least one post depending downwardly therefrom adapted to interfit into the at least one hole of the first structural member when the one end of the second structural member is positioned atop of the upper surface of the first structural member, said locking mechanism comprising a slide slidably affixed to the second structural member and movable along the longitudinal axis of the second structural member between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position where the slide contacts the lower surface of the first structural member to prevent the second structural member from moving upwardly to withdraw the at least one post from the at least one hole in the first structural member.

16. The structural metal frame assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein the at least one post comprises a pair of spaced apart posts and the at least one hole in the first structural member comprises a pair of holes.

17. The structural metal frame assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein the slide has a forward edge having at least one indentation that interfits with the at least one post to provide a visual indication that the slide is in its extended, locked position.

18. A first structural member adapted to be affixed to a second structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface and at least one hole therethrough, said first structural member having at least one post extending downwardly therefrom and adapted to enter said at least one hole in said second structural member when said first structural member is resting atop of the upper surface of the second structural member, said first structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface and having a locking mechanism at an end thereof, said locking mechanism comprising a slide having an upper surface and a lower surface overlying the upper surface of the first structural member and having inwardly directed tabs that extend underneath the lower surface of the first structural member to slidingly secure the slide to the first structural member, the slide being slidably movable along the longitudinal axis of the first structural member with respect to said second structural member and having a forward extension, said slide being movable between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locking position wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the slide move in a plane that is parallel to the plane of the upper and lower surfaces of the first structural member and said forward extension moves into contact with the lower surface of the second structural member to prevent withdrawal of the at least one post from the at least one hole of the second structural member.

19. The first structural member as defined in claim 18 wherein the first structural member is a center beam of a bed frame and said second structural member is a cross bar of a bed frame.

20. The first structural member as defined in claim 19 wherein the center beam has a predetermined width and the slide is dimensioned to contact the lower surface of the cross bar at opposite locations outboard of the width of the center beam.

21. The first structural member as defined in claim 18 wherein the forward extension is general S-shaped having an upward edge formed therein that contacts the lower surface of the second structural member.

22. The first structural member as defined in claim 18 wherein the forward extension has at least one nipple extending upwardly thereof to contact the lower surface of the second structural member.

23. The first structural member as defined in claim 22 wherein said first structural member has a T-shaped cross section with a horizontal flange and said at least one nipple comprises two nipples both located outboard of the horizontal flange of the first structural member.

24. A structural metal frame assembly comprising:

a first structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface and at least one hole therethrough, a second structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface and having a locking mechanism located at least one end thereof for affixing the end of the second structural member to the first structural member, said second structural member having at least one post depending downwardly therefrom adapted to interfit into the at least one hole of the first structural member when the one end of the second structural member is positioned atop of the upper surface of the first structural member, said locking mechanism comprising a slide having an upper surface and a lower surface overlying the upper surface of the second structural member and having inwardly directed tabs that extend underneath the lower surface of the second structural member such that the upper and lower surfaces of the slide mover along a horizontal plane that is parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the second structural member to slidingly secure the slide to the second structural member, the slide being slidably affixed to the second structural member and movable along the longitudinal axis of the second structural member with respect to said first structural member between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position where the slide moves into contact with the lower surface of the first structural member to prevent the second structural member from moving upwardly to withdraw the at least one post from the at least one hole in the first structural member.

25. The structural metal frame assembly as defined in claim 24 wherein the at least one post comprises a pair of posts and the at least one hole in the first structural member comprises a pair of holes.

26. A bed frame assembly comprising:

a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart, side rails having horizontal surfaces for supporting a box spring and a mattress, cross bars interconnecting and spanning between said side rails to form a bed frame, said cross bars having lower surfaces, and a center beam having opposed ends and having an upper surface and a lower surface positioned atop of said cross bars generally intermediate and parallel to said side rails, the center beam having a locking mechanism at each of the opposed ends thereof to attach the opposed ends of the center beam to said cross bars, said locking mechanism comprising a slide slidably attached to the end of the center beam, said slide having a forward extension, said slide being movable with respect to said cross bars along a plane that is parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the center beam between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locked position where the forward extension of the slide moves into engagement with the lower surface of the cross bar to sandwich the cross bar between said center beam and said slide, wherein the slide is general S-shaped having an edge formed therein that contacts the lower surface of the cross bar.

27. A first structural member adapted to be affixed to a second structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface and at least one hole therethrough, said first structural member having at least one post extending downwardly therefrom and adapted to enter said at least one hole in said second structural member when said first structural member is resting atop of the upper surface of the second structural member, said first structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface and a locking mechanism at an end thereof, said locking mechanism comprising a slide slidably movable along the longitudinal axis of the first structural member with respect to said second structural member and having a forward extension, said slide being movable along a plane that is parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the first structural member between a retracted, unlocked position and an extended, locking position wherein the forward extension moves into contact with the lower surface of the second structural member to prevent withdrawal of the at least one post from the at least one hole of the second structural member, wherein the forward extension is generally S-shaped having an upward edge formed therein that contacts the lower surface of the second structural member.