Support frame for a bed and locking mechanism therefor

• US 7,669,256 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Harrow
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Harrow
• Inventors: Harrow, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Trettel; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/725,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 528/5, 528/6, 520/01, 520/1, 528/21, 520/2, 403/353
• US Class Current: 5/200.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/005 dismountable
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/021 Bedstead frames
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/124 foldable side to side only

Abstract

End portions of a pair of crossbar bed frame members are detachably connected by a locking mechanism including an arm attached by the pivot element to one frame member to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition. One frame member has a first projection and the pivot element includes a second projection. A pair of elongated slots in the frame members receive the projections when the frame members are longitudinally oriented and the end portions are overlapping. The end portions have openings therein that are aligned when the end portions overlap. The arm has a portion that is inserted in the aligned openings when in the locked condition and withdrawn from the aligned openings to allow the frame members to be disconnected and separated when in the unlocked condition.

Claims

1. A locking mechanism for locking together overlapping ends of bed frame members for a bed, comprising

a pair of slots in the frame members,

a first projection on one frame member,

an arm attached by a pivot element to one frame member to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, said pivot element including a second projection,

said slots and projections in predetermined positions so upon assembly of the frame members with said ends overlapping the projections are received in the slots,

where each slot of the pair of slots is in the same one frame member, and the first and second projections are each on the other frame member.

2. A locking mechanism for locking together overlapping ends of bed frame members for a bed, comprising

a pair of slots in the frame members,

a first projection on one frame member,

an arm attached by a pivot element to one frame member to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, said pivot element including a second projection, said slots and projections in predetermined positions so upon assembly of the frame members with said ends overlapping the projections are received in the slots,

said arm includes a finger element,

said first and second frame members each includes an opening, said openings being aligned upon locking together the frame members,

upon said arm being rotated in one direction said finger element being inserted into the aligned openings to lock the frame members together and upon said arm being rotated in the opposite direction said finger element being withdrawn from the aligned openings to allow the frame members to be disconnected,

where the frame members each have a substantially L-shaved configuration and each have an end portion including one of said openings, said frame members upon assembly being longitudinally oriented with the end portions overlapping to provide a substantially horizontal top section and a substantially vertical side section,

where the arm includes first and second planar arm elements substantially at a right angle to each other with the pivot element attaching the first planar arm element to said vertical side section so the arm is adapted to be rotated vertically upon assembly of the frame members to support the bed.

3. The locking mechanism of claim 2 where the finger element is at or near an end of the second planar arm element, and the second planar arm element is oriented substantially horizontally and abutting the top section when the frame members are locked together with the finger element inserted into the aligned openings.

4. A locking mechanism for a bed comprising

a pair of substantially L-shaped bed frame members for a bed,

said bed frame members each including an end portion with an opening therein, said openings being aligned when the frame members are longitudinally oriented and the end portions are overlapping to provide a substantially horizontal top section and a substantially vertical side section,

a first projection on one of the frame members,

a pivot element mounted on one of the frame members, said pivot element including a second projection,

a pair of elongated slots in the frame members, one slot receiving the first projection and the other slot receiving the second projection when the frame members are longitudinally oriented and the end portions are overlapping, and

an arm attached by the pivot element to said one frame member to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition,

said arm having a finger element that is inserted in the aligned openings when in the locked condition and withdrawn from the aligned openings to allow the frame members to be disconnected when in the unlocked condition,

where the arm includes first and second planar arm elements substantially at a right angle to each other with the pivot element attaching the first arm element to said vertical section so the arm is adapted to be rotated vertically upon assembly of the frame members to support the bed.

5. The locking mechanism of claim 4 where the finger element is at or near an end of the second arm element, and the second arm element is oriented substantially horizontally and abutting the top section when the frame members are locked together with the finger element inserted into the aligned openings.

6. The locking mechanism of claim 5 where, in a locked condition with the finger inserted in the aligned openings, the second arm element is positioned to be engaged by a bed placed on the bed frame to prevent vertical pivotal movement of the arm.

7. A support frame for a bed, including

a pair of side rails, each side rail having attached thereto a pair of crossbar frame members, each crossbar frame member having an inner end connected to the side rail to which it is attached and an outer end,

said crossbar frame members on each side rail being spaced apart and the outer ends of individual crossbar frame members of one side rail being aligned with the outer ends of the individual crossbar frame members of the other side rail,

said aligned outer ends overlapping and being detachably connected together by a locking mechanism comprising

a pair of slots in the frame members,

a first projection on one frame member, an arm attached by a pivot element to one frame member to rotate between a locked and unlocked condition, said pivot element including a second projection,

said slots and projections in predetermined positions so upon assembly of the frame members the projections are received in the slots,

said arm includes a finger element,

said frame members each includes an opening, said openings being aligned upon locking together the frame members,

upon said arm being rotated in one direction said finger element being inserted into the aligned openings to lock the frame members together and upon said arm being rotated in the opposite direction said finger element being withdrawn from the aligned openings to allow the frame members to be disconnected,

where the frame members each have a substantially L-shaped configuration, said frame members upon assembly being longitudinally oriented to provide a substantially horizontal top section and a substantially vertical side section, and the arm includes first and second planar arm elements substantially at a right angle to each other with the pivot element attaching the first arm element to said vertical side section so the arm is adapted to be rotated vertically upon assembly of the frame members to support the bed.

8. The support frame of claim 7 where

the finger element is planar and is at or near an end of the second arm element, and the second arm element is oriented substantially horizontally and abutting the top section when the frame members are locked together with the finger element inserted into the aligned openings, and

where, in a locked condition with the finger inserted in the aligned openings, the second arm element is positioned to be engaged by a bed placed on the bed frame to prevent vertical pivotal movement of the arm.

9. A support frame for a bed, including

a pair of side rails, each side rail having attached thereto a pair of substantially L-shaped crossbar frame members, each crossbar frame member having an inner end connected to the side rail to which it is attached and an outer end including an opening therein,

said crossbar frame members on each side rail being spaced apart and the outer ends of individual crossbar frame members of one side rail being aligned with the outer ends of the individual crossbar frame members of the other side rail,

each said outer end including an opening therein, said openings in each pair of frame members being in registration when said pair of frame members are longitudinally oriented and the outer ends are overlapping,

said aligned outer ends being detachably connected together by a locking mechanism comprising

a first projection on one of the frame members,

a pivot element mounted on one of the frame members, said pivot element including a second projection,

a pair of elongated slots in the frame members, one slot receiving the first projection and the other slot receiving the second projection when the frame members are longitudinally aligned and the end portions are overlapping,

said slots each comprising an enlarged open portion and a narrow open portion connected to the enlarged open portion,

the individual slots of said pair of slots positioned relative to each other so their respective narrow open portions point towards each other and are in substantial alignment with each other when the frame members are longitudinally oriented and their outer ends are overlapping, with said enlarged narrow open portions being spaced apart a predetermined distance,

said individual projections being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to said predetermined distance between said enlarged open portions, and

an arm attached by the pivot element to one of frame member to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition,

said arm having a finger element that is inserted in the openings in registration when in the locked condition and withdrawn from the openings to allow the frame members to be disconnected when in the unlocked condition.

10. A locking mechanism for locking together overlapping ends of bed frame members for a bed, comprising

a pair of slots in the frame members,

a first projection on one frame member,

an arm attached by a pivot element to one frame member to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, said pivot element including a second projection,

said slots with the projections received in the slots are in predetermined positions so that, upon assembly, said frame members are longitudinally oriented with ends thereof overlapping to provide a substantially horizontal top section and a substantially vertical side section, said ends each including an opening in a corresponding horizontal top section, said openings being aligned upon assembly of the frame members,

said arm including first and second planar arm elements substantially at a right angle to each other with the pivot element attaching the first planar arm element to the vertical side section of one frame member so the arm is adapted to be rotated vertically upon assembly of the frame members to support the bed, said second planar arm element terminating in a finger element,

upon said arm being rotated vertically in one direction said finger element being inserted into the aligned openings in the horizontal top sections to lock the frame members together and upon said arm being rotated vertically in the opposite direction said finger element being withdrawn from the aligned openings to allow the frame members to be disconnected,

in a locked condition with the finger element inserted in the aligned openings in the horizontal top section, the second planar arm element rests on an upper most horizontal top section and is positioned to be engaged by a bed placed on the bed frame to prevent vertical pivotal movement of the arm.

11. A support frame for a bed, including

a pair of crossbar frame members, each crossbar frame member having a top wall, a side wall, and an outer end including an opening in the top wall,

said crossbar frame members being aligned longitudinally with the outer ends overlapping and the openings in the pair of frame members in registration,

said aligned and overlapping outer ends being detachably connected together by a locking mechanism comprising

a first projection on a side wall of one of the crossbar frame members,

a pivot element mounted on a side wall of one of the frame members, said pivot element including a second projection,

a pair of slots in the crossbar frame members, one slot receiving the first projection and the other slot receiving the second projection when the frame members are longitudinally aligned and the ends are overlapping, and

an arm attached to a side wall of one of the crossbar frame member by the pivot element to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition,

said arm having a finger element that is inserted in the openings in registration in the top walls when in the locked condition and withdrawn from the openings to allow the frame members to be disconnected when in the unlocked condition.

12. A support frame for a bed, including

a pair of crossbar frame members, each crossbar frame member having a top wall, a side wall, and an outer end including an opening in the top wall,

said crossbar frame members being aligned longitudinally with the outer ends overlapping and the openings in the pair of crossbar frame members in registration,

said aligned and overlapping outer ends being detachably connected together by a locking mechanism comprising

a first projection on a side wall of one of the crossbar frame members,

a pivot element mounted on a side wall of one of the frame members, said pivot element including a second projection,

a pair of slots in the crossbar frame members, each slot being in a side wall and one slot receiving the first projection and the other slot receiving the second projection when the frame members are longitudinally aligned and the ends are overlapping, and

an arm attached by the pivot element to one frame member to rotate between a locked condition and an unlocked condition upon assembly of the crossbar frame members,

said slots and projections in predetermined positions so upon assembly of the crossbar frame members with said ends overlapping the projections are received in the slots.