Futon frame with load bearing detent apparatus
A futon frame features the use of a cam and journal system to move and to secure the back and the seat of the futon in a desired position. The cam and journal system provide the means to move the futon from a seat position to a bed position, and also provide the support mechanism to maintain the seat and back platforms in either position without the aid of any other locking mechanism or support arms. The cam and journal system consists of strategically placed cam and journals. The seat and back move in the cams by means of journals in predefined paths.
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This invention relates generally to folding furniture. More specifically, this invention relates to futons that may be selectively positioned to function as a couch and a bed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONRecently, the demand for foldable futons has increased due to the flexibility of use in that these futons may function as either a sofa or a bed. The dual functionality of the foldable futons makes them both cost effective and space saving. Foldable futons abrogate the need to have a separate seat and bed.
Currently, foldable futon frames are available in a variety of designs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,432 to Fitts discloses a convertible futon frame that includes opposed end frames interconnected by front and back rails to define a rigid rectangular frame. Seat and back members are movably connected to the rectangular frame and to each other so that an individual can convert the frame between sitting and sleeping positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,268 to Stoler et al. discloses a convertible futon frame which acts as both couch and bed, that includes two pad support members attached in a pivotal and displaceable fashion wherein the members allow for temporary locking and unlocking of the two pad support members to enable one of the pad support members to be temporarily used as a lever arm to move the other pad support member from a bed position to a back rest position.
Convertible frames of the prior art often suffered from slipping of the seat with respect to the back during conversion of the futon from the bed position to the sitting position. This would then result in the need to exert the extra pushing force on the seat to firmly put the seat into a final seating place when the futon is placed in the sitting position.
What is needed, therefore, is a convertible futon that requires less physical effort to convert between sitting and bed positions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA futon frame features the use of a detent that allows the seat and back platform to be rotated from the bed position to the sitting position at a predetermined angle without the need to exert an extra pushing force on the seat to firmly put the seat into a final seating place. The detent is mounted onto a force spreading mortise plate to make the conversion of the frame from the bed position to the sitting position much less physically demanding than in the comparable convertible frames of the prior art.
The futon frame also employs the use of a cam and journal system to guide the movement of the seat and the back platforms when converting between sitting and bed positions and to secure the back and the seat platforms in a desired position. The cam and journal system provide the support mechanism to maintain the seat and back platforms in either position without the aid of any other locking mechanism or support arms.
In a further embodiment, the cam and journal system may include low friction surfaces that reduces the physical effort required to move between the bed and sitting positions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
Futon frame 10 comprises four sides, shown as side 10a, side 10b, side 10c, and side 10d. Side 10a is disposed opposite to side 10c and side 10b is disposed opposite to side 10d. Side 10a and side 10c are disposed transversely to side 10b and side 10d.
Leg 16a extends from an arm-rest 18, terminating in a foot member 20, and positioned proximate to side 10c. Leg 16b extends from an arm-rest 18, terminating in a foot member 20, and positioned proximate to side 10a. The legs 16a and 16b of end frame 12 are spaced apart along a depth-wise direction, D, with the depth-wise direction, D, extending transverse to the width-wise direction, W. A support beam 22 is associated with end frame 12 and extends between the legs 16a and 16b, parallel to the depth-wise direction, D.
Referring to
Leg 16a comprises a recess disposed on side 17a defining a cam 220. Cam 220 is arcuate in shape and concave with respect to leg 16b. Support beam 22 comprises a recess disposed on side 22a defining a cam 222. Cam 222 has a linear slope and extends obliquely with respect to the horizontal axis h. Cam 222 extends from a region on side 22a proximate to side 22c away from leg 16a and terminates proximate to side 22b. Boundary 30, shown in
Referring to
Cam 220 is lined with a low friction surface to facilitate movement of journal 200. Cam 222 is lined with a low friction surface to facilitate movement of journal 202. Cam 224 is lined with a low friction surface to facilitate movement of journal 204.
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The back platform 26 includes a plurality of planks, which are attached together in a fashion similar to the billets, 36a-36d of the seat platform 24, discussed above. Specifically, the ends of the planks are coupled together, forming a perimeter 44 enclosing an area 46, and a plurality of panel-boards 48. Although the area 46 may be of any shape desired, it is preferred that area 46 have a rectangular shape. To that end, the seat platform 24 includes four planks 50a, 50b, 50c and 50d, each of which includes opposed tip portions 52a, 52b, 52c and 52d, respectively. Planks 50a and 50c are spaced-apart and extend parallel to each other, with planks 50b and 50d extending transverse thereto. Planks 50b and 50d are spaced-apart and extend parallel to each other, with the panel-boards 48 extending therebetween. In this fashion, one of the opposed tip portions 52a of plank 50a is attached, using fasteners 45, to a tip portion 52b of plank 50b, defining a junction 54a. The remaining tip portion 52a of plank 50a is attached, using fasteners 45, to a tip portion 52d of plank 50d, defining a junction 54d. The tip portion 52b, disposed opposite to plank 50a, is attached, using fasteners 45, to one of the opposed tip portions 52c of plank 50c, defining a junction 54b. The remaining tip portion 52c of plank 50c is attached, using fasteners 45, to one of the opposed tip portions 52d, disposed opposite to plank 50a, of plank 50d, defining a junction 54c.
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If conversion of the futon frame 10 from the sitting position to the bed position is desired, a lifting force must be applied to seat platform 24 to cause rotation of seat platform in conjunction with back platform 26, until back platform 26 is in the horizontal position. A pulling force must be applied to seat platform 24 to cause disengagement of seat platform 24 from back platform 26. Seat platform 24 then can be rotated downward until seat platform 24 is in the horizontal position. A pushing force must then be applied to seat platform 24 to cause seat platform 24 to be placed horizontally next to back platform 26 for optimum comfort.
To summarize, when futon frame 10 is positioned in the bed position, journal 200 is positioned at the bottom of cam 220, journal 202 is positioned at the front of cam 222 and journal 204 is positioned at the front of cam 224. When futon frame 10 is positioned in the seating position, journal 200 is positioned at the top of cam 220, journal 202 is positioned at the back of cam 222 and journal 204 is positioned at the front of cam 224.
While this invention has been described with references to various illustrative embodiments, the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments.
Claims
1. A futon having a back platform coupled to a seat platform, said back platform and said seat platform having a spatial relationship defined therebetween and moving between a seating position and a bed position, said futon comprising:
- a futon frame having a first end frame and a second end frame;
- a first and a second leg disposed on said first and said second end frame; and
- a force spreading mortise plate disposed between said back platform and said seat platform, said force spreading plate having a detent disposed thereon to enable said spatial relationship during engagement of said seat platform and said back platform to be substantially the same as said spatial relationship after movement of said seat platform and said back platform when said futon is moved between said bed position and said seating position.
2. The futon as recited in claim 1 wherein said futon further includes a pair of spaced-apart and parallel cross-members, having opposed terminations, extending between said first and said second end frame, with said back platform and said seat platform lying in a common plane in said bed position so that said back platform lies against one of said pair of cross-members and said first platform lies against the remaining cross-member.
3. The futon as recited in claim 1 wherein said futon further includes a plurality of spaced-apart and parallel cross-members extending between said first and said second leg.
4. The futon as recited in claim 1 further including a cam and journal system comprising a plurality of cams and journals disposed within said futon to provide a means of interchanging of said futon between said seating position and said bed position and locking said seat platform and said back platform in a desired position.
5. The futon as recited in claim 1 further including a cam and journal system, with said cam journal system comprising a first journal used in conjunction with a first cam, a second journal used in conjunction with a second cam, and a third journal used in conjunction with a third cam.
6. The futon as recited in claim 1 further including a rear cross-member and a front cross-member, having opposed terminations, extending between said first and said second end frame, and with said force spreading mortise plate being disposed on said rear cross-member.
7. The futon as recited in claim 1 wherein said detent comprises a resiliently biased spring.
8. The futon as recited in claim 1 wherein said detent enables the spatial relation between said seat platform and said back platform to be variable.
9. The futon as recited in claim 1 wherein said seat platform and said back platform move in an arcuate manner with respect to each other.
10. The futon as recited in claim 1 wherein said futon further includes a plurality of detents.
11. The futon as recited in claim 1 further including a cam and journal system comprising a plurality of cams and journals disposed within said futon to provide a means of interchanging of said futon between said seating position and said bed position and locking said seat platform and said back platform in a desired position, with said cam and journal system being lined with a low friction surface.
12. The futon as recited in claim 1 further including a cam and journal system comprising a plurality of cams and journals disposed within said futon to provide a means of interchanging of said futon between said seating position and said bed position and locking said seat platform and said back platform in a desired position, with a cam of said plurality of cams being arcuate in shape.
13. The futon as recited in claim 1 further including a cam and journal system comprising a plurality of cams and journals disposed within said futon to provide a means of interchanging of said futon between said seating position and said bed position and locking said seat platform and said back platform in a desired position, with a cam of said plurality of cams comprising a throughway for ingression and egression of a journal of said plurality of journals.
14. The futon as recited in claim 1 further including a rear cross-member and a front cross-member, having opposed terminations, extending between said first and said second end frame, with said force spreading mortise plate being disposed at opposite ends of said rear cross-member.
15. A futon having a back platform coupled to a seat platform, said back platform and said seat platform having a spatial relationship defined therebetween and moving between a seating position and a bed position, said futon comprising:
- a futon frame having a first and a second end frame;
- a first and a second disposed on said first and said second end frame;
- a cam and journal system comprising a plurality of cams journals disposed within said futon to provide a means of interchanging of said futon between said seating position and said bed position and also locking said seat platform and said back platform in a desired position; and
- a force spreading mortise plate disposed between said back platform and said seat platform, said force spreading plate having a detent disposed thereon to enable said spatial relationship during engagement of said seat platform and said back platform to be substantially the same as said spatial relationship after movement of said seat platform and said back platform when said futon moved between said bed position and said seating position.
16. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said futon further includes a pair of spaced-apart and parallel cross-members, having opposed terminations, extending between said first and said second end frame, with said back platform and said seat platform lying in a common plane in said bed position so that said back platform lies against one of said pair of cross-members and said first platform lies against the remaining cross-member.
17. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said futon further includes a plurality of spaced-apart and parallel cross-members extending between said first and said second leg.
18. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said cam and journal system comprises a first journal used in conjunction with a first cam, a second journal used in conjunction with a second cam, and a third journal used in conjunction with a third cam.
19. The futon as recited in claim 15 further including a rear cross-member and a front cross-member, having opposed terminations, extending between said first and said second end frame, with said force spreading mortise plate being disposed on said rear cross-member.
20. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said detent comprises a resiliently biased spring.
21. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said detent enables the spatial relation between said seat platform and said back platform to be variable.
22. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said seat platform and said back platform move in an arcuate manner with respect to each other.
23. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said futon further includes a plurality of detents.
24. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein said cam and journal system is lined with a low friction surface.
25. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein a cam of said plurality of cams is arcuate in shape.
26. The futon as recited in claim 15 wherein a cam of said plurality of cams comprises a throughway for ingression and egression of a journal of said plurality of journals.
27. The futon as recited in claim 15 further including a rear cross-member and a front cross-member, having opposed terminations, extending between said first and said second end frame, with said force spreading mortise plate being disposed at opposite ends of said rear cross-member.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 8, 2003
Publication Date: Feb 10, 2005
Applicant: LIFESTYLE SOLUTIONS, INC. (San Jose, CA)
Inventor: Abedan Kanthasamy (North York)
Application Number: 10/637,131