Bed foundation

Abstract

A bed foundation includes a plurality of bed-boards, a plurality of braces configured to couple to bottom of the bed-boards to provide elevation and vertical support to the bed-boards, and a plurality of buckling devices configured to couple the plurality of bed-boards horizontally together. In one aspect of the invention, the top of the bed-boards is a flat plane and bottom of the bed-boards includes crisscross reinforcing sinews. In another aspect of the invention, the bed foundation also includes holes that penetrate from top to bottom of the bed-boards into notches formed at crossing of reinforcing sinews. In another aspect of the invention, the bed foundation also includes small holes in peripheral sides of the bed-boards, wherein the buckling devices mate with the small holes to couple the bed-boards horizontally together. Advantages of the invention include the ability to disassemble the bed foundation for storage and transport.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application Number 200320106726.0 filed Oct. 30, 2003.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to beds and more particularly to bed foundations.

BACKGROUND

A conventional bed includes a mattress and a one-piece bed-board that serves to provide structural support to the mattress. A bed-board for a conventional bed is typically constructed from a single piece of material. However, a one-piece bed-board can be difficult to transport and store due to its large, awkward size.

What is needed is an improved bed foundation.

SUMMARY

The invention overcomes the identified limitations and provides a composite bed foundation. The bed foundation may be disassembled into smaller elements.

An exemplary embodiment of a bed foundation includes a plurality of bed-boards, a plurality of braces configured to couple to bottom of the bed-boards to provide elevation and vertical support to the bed-boards, and a plurality of buckling devices configured to couple the plurality of bed-boards horizontally together. In one aspect of the invention, the top of the bed-boards is a flat plane and bottom of the bed-boards includes crisscross reinforcing sinews. In another aspect of the invention, the bed foundation also includes holes that penetrate from top to bottom of the bed-boards into notches formed at crossing of reinforcing sinews. In another aspect of the invention, the braces are conical bodies that decrease in diameter from bottom to top. In another aspect of the invention, the bed foundation also includes small holes in peripheral sides of the bed-boards, wherein the buckling devices mate with the small holes to couple the bed-boards horizontally together. In another aspect of the invention, the bed-boards, the braces, and the buckling devices may be disassembled from each other.

In another aspect of the invention, the bed foundation also includes a plurality of casing holes in the bottom of the bed-boards to mate with the braces. In another aspect of the invention, each brace includes a columnar casing head at top of the brace, and a step adjoining the columnar casing head, wherein the columnar casing head is configured to insert into a casing hole and the rim of the casing hole is supported by the step.

In another aspect of the invention, the bed foundation also includes surrounding sides configured to couple to peripheral sides of the bed-boards to surround the outside of the bed-boards. In another aspect of the invention, the surrounding sides have protruding parts on top to mate with small holes in the peripheral sides of the bed-boards. In another aspect of the invention, the surrounding sides are attached to each other by the buckling devices, the buckling devices mating with small holes in the surrounding sides. In another aspect of the invention, the small holes in the peripheral sides of the bed-boards are the same size and shape as the small holes in the surrounding sides.

Advantages of the invention include the ability to disassemble the bed foundation for storage and transport.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a bed foundation, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of the bed foundation depicted in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of a bed foundation, according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the bed foundation depicted in FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a bed brace, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of a buckling device, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a bed foundation with surrounding sides, according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a surrounding side for use in connection with a bed foundation, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments are described herein to provide a detailed description of the invention. Variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art. For example, the invention is described with reference to a bed foundation, but the invention may also apply to foundations for other types of furniture.

FIGS. 1-6 depict one embodiment of a bed foundation including four bed-boards 1. In one aspect, the bed-boards 1 are constructed of plastic. FIG. 1 shows the top of the bed-boards 1, which lie in a flat plane. FIG. 2 shows the bottom of the bed-boards 1, which have many crisscross reinforcing sinews 11, 12. Holes 13 penetrate from top to bottom of the bed-boards 1 and lie in the notches made by the crossing of the vertical 11 and horizontal 12 sinews. Although the holes 13 are depicted as being round, they may also be other shapes such as an ellipse, a square, a triangle, a polygon, or any other shape. Carrying holes 131 penetrate from top to bottom of the bed-boards 1 to provide places to hold the bed-boards 1 when carrying. Several holes 121 penetrate the horizontal sinews. In the peripheral sides of the bed-boards 1 are one or more rows of small holes 14, the sizes of which match the ends of buckling devices 3 (see FIG. 6). In one aspect, the buckling devices 3 are “n” buckling devices 3. Both ends 31, 32 of the buckling devices 3 are inserted into the holes 14 of the two neighboring bed-boards 1, forming the two neighboring bed-boards 1 in to one larger composite bed-board. Four or more casing holes 15 are integrally shaped and symmetrically designed into the bottom of each bed-board 1. Brace 2 (see FIG. 5) includes a conical body that decreases in diameter from bottom to top. At the upper part of the brace 2 is a columnar casing head 21 and a step 22. The columnar casing heads 21 mate with the casing holes 15 at the bottom of the bed-board 1. The step 22 of the brace 2 braces the rims of the casing holes 15. In one aspect, the brace 2 is hollow and the shape of its cavity is conical.

When the bed foundation is in operation, the linking places between the bed-boards 1 are fixed with the buckling devices 3. To be fixed, the linking places of two adjoining bed-boards 1 are buckled with two buckling devices 3. To buckle, one end 31 of the buckling device 3 is inserted into a small matching hole 14 on the peripheral side of one bed-board 1, while the other end 32 of the buckling device 3 is inserted into a small matching hole 14 of the other bed-board 1. This joins the two bed-boards 1 together. In other words, two bed-boards 1 are joined at their edges by two buckling devices 3. In this way of joining, two sets of front and rear bed-boards 1 are joined and then the two sets of bed-boards 1 are joined together to form one large composite bed-board composed of four bed-boards 1. The appropriate number of the braces 2 is inserted into the casing holes 15 at the bottom of the bed-boards 1 for elevation and vertical support. For the entire four-part composite bed-board, sixteen of the braces 2 may be used. When the braces 2 are inserted, the columnar casing heads 21 on the upper parts of the braces 2 are inserted into the casing holes 15. Once the braces 2 are fixed in the bed-boards 1, the bed foundation is formed.

FIGS. 7-8 depict another embodiment of a bed foundation. Surrounding sides 16 are fixed to the peripheral sides of the bed-board 1 by protruding parts 161. The sizes and shapes of the protruding parts 161 may be the same as those of the ends 31 and 32 of the buckling devices 3 so as to match the peripheral sides of bed-board 1 with the buckling devices 3. The small holes 14 match and mate with the protruding parts 161 of the surrounding sides 16 to provide for easy of construction and assembly. Each surrounding side 16 may consist of many, such as eight, parts. The surrounding sides 16 surrounds and join to the outside of the respective bed-board 1. The surrounding side 16 is fixed to the bed-board 1 by insertion of the protruding parts 161 of the surrounding side 16 into the small holes 14 on the peripheral sides of bed-board 1. The surrounding sides 16 are fixed to each other using the buckling devices 3. To be fixed, one end 31 of the buckling device 3 is inserted into the small hole 14 in one side of a surrounding side 16 while the other end 32 of the buckling device is inserted into the small hole 14 in one side of another surrounding side 16 to make the two surrounding sides 16 join together. The two surrounding sides 16 are fixed together once the two buckling devices 3 are inserted into the proper holes.

Having disclosed exemplary embodiments and the best mode, modifications and variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the subject and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A bed foundation, comprising:

a plurality of bed-boards;

a plurality of braces configured to couple to bottom of the bed-boards to provide elevation and vertical support to the bed-boards; and

a plurality of buckling devices configured to couple the plurality of bed-boards horizontally together.

2. The bed foundation of claim 1, wherein:

top of the bed-boards is a flat plane and bottom of the bed-boards includes crisscross reinforcing sinews.

3. The bed foundation of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the group consisting of:

the bed-boards;

the braces; and

the buckling devices;

is constructed of plastic.

4. The bed foundation of claim 2, further comprising:

holes that penetrate from top to bottom of the bed-boards into notches formed at crossing of reinforcing sinews.

5. The bed foundation of claim 1, wherein:

the braces are conical bodies that decrease in diameter from bottom to top.

6. The bed foundation of claim 5, wherein:

the braces are hollow and shape of their cavities is conical.

7. The bed foundation of claim 1, wherein:

number of the bed-boards is selected from the group consisting of:

two;

four;

six; and

eight.

8. The bed foundation of claim 1, further comprising:

small holes in peripheral sides of the bed-boards; wherein:

the buckling devices mate with the small holes to couple the bed-boards horizontally together.

9. The bed foundation of claim 7, further comprising:

small holes in peripheral sides of the bed-boards; wherein:

the buckling devices mate with the small holes to couple the bed-boards horizontally together.

10. The bed foundation of claim 4, wherein:

shape of the holes is selected from the group consisting of:

square;

ellipse;

circle;

triangle; and

polygon.

11. The bed foundation of claim 1, wherein:

the bed-boards, the braces, and the buckling devices may be disassembled from each other.

12. The bed foundation of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of casing holes in bottom of the bed-boards to mate with the braces.

13. The bed foundation of claim 12, wherein each brace comprises:

a columnar casing head at top of the brace; and

a step adjoining the columnar casing head;

wherein, the columnar casing head is configured to insert into a casing hole and rim of the casing hole is supported by the step.

14. The bed foundation of claim 1, further comprising:

surrounding sides configured to couple to peripheral sides of the bed-boards to surround outside of the bed-boards.

15. The bed foundation of claim 14, wherein:

the surrounding sides have protruding parts on top to mate with small holes in the peripheral sides of the bed-boards.

16. The bed foundation of claim 15, wherein:

the surrounding sides are attached to each other by the buckling devices, the buckling devices mating with small holes in the surrounding sides.

17. The bed foundation of claim 16, wherein:

the small holes in the peripheral sides of the bed-boards are the same size and shape as the small holes in the surrounding sides.