Modular walls incorporating recessed, extendable furniture

• US 9,084,489 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dirtt Environmental Solutions
• Original Assignee: Dirtt Environmental Solutions
• Inventors: Gosling, Geoff, Smed, Mogens F., Blehm, Colin V., Olsen, Gregory Gordon Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, BRITTANY M
• Application Number:
  US13/582,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20140310873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 5/21, 513/3, 513/6, 515/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/00 Folding or stowable tables folded and suspended or hinged, or wall tables A47B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 5/00 Suspended or hinged panels forming a table; Wall tables bed tables A47B23/00; adapted for use in vehicles A47B31/06; in combination with other furniture A47B83/00; arm-rest tables for chairs A47C
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 5/04 foldable
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 5/06 with legs for supporting the table on the floor tables combined with cabinets A47B83/045
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/38 Wall beds
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/40 having balancing members, e.g. weights, springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 19/20 Multi-stage bedsteads; e.g. bunk bedsmultiple-wall beds A47C17/50; suspended beds A47C17/84; Bedsteads stackable to multi-stage bedsteads
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 9/06 Wall stools ; Stools hingedly mounted against the wall
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7407 assembled using frames with infill panels or coverings only; made-up of panels and a support structure incorporating posts E04B2/78 and E04B2/80 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions

Abstract

A modular wall includes a plurality of inter-connectable and interchangeable wall modules. At least one of the wall modules includes a recessed, extendable piece of furniture, such as a bed, desk, table, work surface or chair. When in a closed configuration, the furniture folds into or otherwise resides within a recessed pocket in the modular wall. When in the closed configuration, the outer surface of the furniture forms an exterior surface of the wall module; thereby, concealing the furniture seamlessly into the modular wall. The exterior surface can comprise one or more exterior interchangeable tiles.

Claims

1. A wall module including one or more pieces of recessed, extendable furniture, comprising:

a pair of vertical frame brackets configured to removably couple the wall module to one or more additional wall modules to form a reconfigurable modular wall;

an interior wall connecting the pair vertical frame brackets together, the interior wall defining a pocket recessed behind the at least two vertical frame brackets;

a recessed, extendable piece of furniture configured to be contained within the pocket when in a recessed position and to be extended from the pocket to a generally horizontal position when in an extended position; and

one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture to form an exterior surface of the wall module when the piece of furniture is in the recessed position;

wherein, when in the closed position, the one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture are flush with exterior tiles of the one or more additional wall modules.

2. The wall module as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more pivot connections pivotally securing the recessed, extendable piece of furniture directly to the pair of vertical frame brackets.

3. The wall module as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the recessed, extendable piece of furniture comprises a frame; and

the one or more pivot connections comprising;

a pivot hub extending into the frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture and into a vertical frame bracket of the pair of vertical frame brackets; and

a pivot pin extending through the pivot hub.

4. The wall module as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more lifting and lowering mechanisms configured to limit how quickly the recessed, extendable furniture is lowered and aid in raising the recessed, extendable furniture from the extended position to the recessed position.

5. The wall module as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the one or more lifting and lowering mechanisms comprise a piston;

the piston is pivotally coupled at one end to a vertical frame bracket of the pair of vertical frame brackets; and

the piston is pivotally coupled a second, opposing end to a frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture.

6. The wall module as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more supports configured to support the recessed, extendable piece of furniture when in the extended position.

7. The wall module as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more supports comprise a pivoting leg configured to pivot between a storage position and a deployed position.

8. The wall module as recited in claim 7, further comprising a locking mechanism for securing the pivoting leg in the deployed position;

wherein the locking mechanism comprises;

a locking bracket having a tapered leading end and a locking hole; and

a locking pin moveably positioned in a frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture;

wherein as the pivoting leg rotates toward the deployed position, the tapered end push the locking pin outward until the locking hole aligns with the locking pin and the locking pin automatically enters into the locking hole, thereby locking the pivoting leg in the deployed position.

9. The wall module as recited in claim 1, wherein the recessed, extendable piece of furniture comprises a bed.

10. The wall module as recited in claim 1, wherein the recessed, extendable piece of furniture comprises a shelf, a desk, a chair, or a table.

11. A wall module including one or more recessed, extendable beds, the wall module comprising:

an interior frame comprising a pair of vertical frame brackets and one or more horizontal frame brackets, the interior frame configured to removably couple the wall module to one or more additional wall modules to form a reconfigurable modular wall; and

a recessed, extendable bed pivotally coupled directly to the interior frame, the recessed, extendable bed being configured to move between a recessed position within the wall module and an extended position in which the recessed, extendable bed extends generally horizontally from the wall module; and

one or more supports configured to support the recessed, extendable bed when in the extended position;

wherein the one or more supports comprise a shelf, the shelf having size and configuration so that when the recessed, extendable bunk bed is in the extended position, the shelf extends vertically to support the recessed, extendable bed, and when the recessed, extendable bunk bed is in the recessed position, the shelf extends horizontally from the modular wall.

12. The wall module as recited in claim 11, wherein the wall module includes a set of recessed, extendable bunk beds.

13. The wall module as recited in claim 11, further comprising a retaining mechanism to hold the recessed, extendable bed in the recessed position.

14. A modular wall comprising:

a plurality of wall modules, each of the wall modules including an interior frame and one or more exterior tiles removably coupled to the interior frame;

a recessed, extendable piece of furniture positioned in at least one wall module of the plurality of wall modules, the recessed, extendable piece of furniture being configured to move between a recessed position within the at least one wall module and an extended position in which the recessed, extendable piece of furniture extends generally horizontally from the at least one wall module; and

one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture to form an exterior surface of the corresponding at least one wall module when the piece of furniture is in the recessed position;

wherein;

the interior frames of each of the wall modules allow the wall modules to be selectively connected to an interior frame of another wall module to form the modular wall;

the interior frames of each of the wall modules allow the wall modules to be selectively repositioned or rearranged relative to each other; and

when in the closed position, the one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture are flush with the one or more exterior tiles removably coupled to the interior frame.

15. The modular wall as recited in claim 14, wherein the recessed, extendable piece of furniture comprises a bed pivotally attached to the interior frame of the at least one wall module.

16. A wall module including one or more pieces of recessed, extendable furniture, comprising:

a pair of vertical frame brackets configured to removably couple the wall module to one or more additional wall modules to form a reconfigurable modular wall;

an interior wall connecting the pair vertical frame brackets together, the interior wall defining a pocket recessed behind the at least two vertical frame brackets;

a recessed, extendable piece of furniture configured to be contained within the pocket when in a recessed position and to be extended from the pocket to a generally horizontal position when in an extended position; and

one or more pivot connections pivotally securing the recessed, extendable piece of furniture directly to the pair of vertical frame brackets;

wherein;

the recessed, extendable piece of furniture comprises a frame; and

the one or more pivot connections comprise;

a pivot hub extending into the frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture and into a vertical frame bracket of the pair of vertical frame brackets; and

a pivot pin extending through the pivot hub.

17. The wall module as recited in claim 16, further comprising one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture to form an exterior surface of the wall module when the piece of furniture is in the recessed position.

18. The wall module as recited in claim 17, wherein when in the closed position the one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture are flush with exterior tiles of the one or more additional wall modules.

19. The wall module as recited in claim 16, further comprising one or more lifting and lowering mechanisms configured to limit how quickly the recessed, extendable furniture is lowered and aid in raising the recessed, extendable furniture from the extended position to the recessed position.

20. The wall module as recited in claim 19, wherein:

the one or more lifting and lowering mechanisms comprise a piston;

the piston is pivotally coupled at one end to a vertical frame bracket of the pair of vertical frame brackets; and

the piston is pivotally coupled a second, opposing end to a frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture.

21. The wall module as recited in claim 16, further comprising one or more supports configured to support the recessed, extendable piece of furniture when in the extended position.

22. The wall module as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more supports comprise a pivoting leg configured to pivot between a storage position and a deployed position.

23. A wall module including one or more pieces of recessed, extendable furniture, comprising:

a pair of vertical frame brackets configured to removably couple the wall module to one or more additional wall modules to form a reconfigurable modular wall;

an interior wall connecting the pair vertical frame brackets together, the interior wall defining a pocket recessed behind the at least two vertical frame brackets;

a recessed, extendable piece of furniture configured to be contained within the pocket when in a recessed position and to be extended from the pocket to a generally horizontal position when in an extended position;

one or more supports configured to support the recessed, extendable piece of furniture when in the extended position, wherein the one or more supports comprise a pivoting leg configured to pivot between a storage position and a deployed position; and

a locking mechanism for securing the pivoting leg in the deployed position;

wherein the locking mechanism comprises;

a locking bracket having a tapered leading end and a locking hole; and

a locking pin moveably positioned in a frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture;

wherein as the pivoting leg rotates toward the deployed position, the tapered end pushes the locking pin outward until the locking hole aligns with the locking pin and the locking pin automatically enters into the locking hole, thereby locking the pivoting leg in the deployed position.

24. The wall module as recited in claim 23, further comprising one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture to form an exterior surface of the wall module when the piece of furniture is in the recessed position.

25. The wall module as recited in claim 24, wherein when in the closed position the one or more exterior tiles connected to the underside of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture are flush with exterior tiles of the one or more additional wall modules.

26. The wall module as recited in claim 23, further comprising one or more pivot connections pivotally securing the recessed, extendable piece of furniture directly to the pair of vertical frame brackets.

27. The wall module as recited in claim 26, wherein:

the recessed, extendable piece of furniture comprises a frame; and

the one or more pivot connections comprising;

a pivot hub extending into the frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture and into a vertical frame bracket of the pair of vertical frame brackets; and

a pivot pin extending through the pivot hub.

28. The wall module as recited in claim 23, further comprising one or more lifting and lowering mechanisms configured to limit how quickly the recessed, extendable furniture is lowered and aid in raising the recessed, extendable furniture from the extended position to the recessed position.

29. The wall module as recited in claim 28, wherein:

the one or more lifting and lowering mechanisms comprise a piston;

the piston is pivotally coupled at one end to a vertical frame bracket of the pair of vertical frame brackets; and

the piston is pivotally coupled a second, opposing end to a frame of the recessed, extendable piece of furniture.