Bed frame and releasable coupling employed therein

Claim 2

A knockdown bed (10,10') comprising: opposed, longitudinally separated end boards (12, 14;12',14'), laterally opposed side boards (16,16'), a plurality of U-shaped channel members (18,18') of a length approximating the length of said end boards, each of said U-shaped channel members (18,18') mounting at respective ends of a detachable latch assembly (34,34'), receiver assemblies (36,36') fixedly mounted to at least the top of said side boards at longitudinally spaced positions and forming at least one upper row of said receiver assemblies, one of said channel members (18,18') being fixed along one side thereof to the respective facing sides of said bed end boards (12,14;12',14') at a vertical height corresponding to the position of the receiver assemblies on the side boards, said channel members (18,18') including means on each side thereof defining open slots (72) to each side thereof, thin rectangular panels (42,42') slidably inserted within facing slots (72) of adjacent channel members (18,18'), and said channel members (18,18') at their ends having said latch assemblies (34,34') detachably coupled to said receiver assemblies (36,36') respectively; whereby, said thin rectangular panels (42) and said channel members (18) form a planar box spring and mattress support across the top of the bed longitudinally from one end board (12) to the other (14) and laterally from one side board (16) to the other (16) and defining a relatively rigid bed frame.

Claim 3

The knockdown bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein said U-shaped channel members (18) connected to at least one row of receiver assemblies (36) comprise a bottom wall (66), a pair of laterally spaced side walls (68) extending perpendicular from the bottom wall (66), extensions of the channel member bottom wall forming a first flange (66a), a second flange (74) projecting laterally of each side wall (68) in line with said first flange (66a), parallel thereto and spaced therefrom to form said slots (72), said U-shaped channel members (18) being inverted so as to open downwardly whereby said channel member bottoms (66) are nearly flush with said panels (42).

Claim 4

The knockdown bed as claimed in claim 2, wherein said side boards (16) each comprise an open ladder frame of rectangular configuration including horizontal top (26) and bottom (24) board members joined together by longitudinally spaced vertical risers (32) forming rectangular openings (22) therein, said receiver assemblies (36) being fixedly mounted to the top (26)_and bottom (24) board members of said open ladder frame at longitudinally spaced positions corresponding to said risers (32) and facing upper and lower rows of oppositely facing receiver assemblies, and said U-shaped channel members (18) comprise an upper row of channel members (18) detachably coupled to said upper row of said receiver assemblies (36) fixedly mounted to the top board . members (26) and a lower row of channel members (18) detachably coupled to said lower row of receiver assemblies (36), said U-shaped channel members (18) coupled at their ends to receiver assemblies (36) of the bottom board members (24) of said open ladder frame side boards (16), opening upwardly, and said U-shaped channel member (18) coupled at their ends to the receiver assemblies (36) fixed to said top board members (26) opening downwardly, respective U-shaped channel members (18) of said top and bottom rows being vertically in line, and wherein each of said channel members (18) includes means defining corner slides (75) to each side thereof for contact with respective corner edges of rectangular drawers (20) inserted through the openings (22) of said ladder frame such that the corner edges of said drawers in engaging said slides (75) facilitate the opening and closing of said drawers.

Claim 5

The knockdown bed (10') as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a platform base assembly (132), said platform base assembly comprising longitudinally opposed end boards (134) and laterally opposed side boards (138), said end boards and said side boards being joined along respective ends to form a vertical, upwardly open rectangular base platform, means for mounting said bed side boards (16') respectively to said platform base assembly (132) to the outside of said platform base assembly side boards (138), and wherein said channel members (18') releasably coupled at their ends to respective bed side boards (16') at least partially function to maintain said platform base assembly end boards (134) and side boards (138) joined to each other along respective ends.

Claim 6

The knockdown bed as claimed in claim 4, wherein said platform base assembly boards (134) include rectangular notches (136) at respective ends thereof and within upper edges thereof, said rectangular base assembly (132) further comprises beams (144) of a length in excess of the length of the base assembly side boards (138), said beams (144) being mechanically fixed to respective base assembly side boards (138), extending parallel to and adjacent the upper edges of said base assembly side boards, and having end portions (144a) extending beyond the ends (138a) of said base assembly side board (138), said beams (144) being received within said rectangular notches (146) within the base assembly end boards (134), and wherein said channel members (18') extend across said beams (144) on the upper faces thereof and are detachably connected to the bed side boards (138) at said receiver assemblies (36').

Claim 7

The knockdown bed (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said receiver assemblies (36) comprises a U-shaped channel member guide (37) sized and configured to fit into the interior of the channel member (18) at its open end in surface contact therewith and being mounted to the interior face (24a) of the side board, a vertical catch plate (44) mounted to the interior of said U-shaped guide member and terminating at an upper end in a C-shaped hook portion (60) having an open side facing away from said channel member, and wherein each latch assembly comprises an inverted U-shaped saddle member (84) including a horizontal base (94), legs (92) depending from said saddle member base at opposite sides thereof, said legs including circular bosses (86) projecting laterally outwardly of said legs to opposite sides of said saddle member, holes (80) within said U-shaped channel members (18) to opposite sides thereof receiving said bosses (86) for pivot mounting of said saddle member (84) about the axis of the bosses, an integral finger (88) projecting inwardly from and generally at right angles to the base (94) of said saddle member, a U-shaped wire latch bar (110) pivotably mounted at its free ends to said saddle member base (94) and projecting outwardly therefrom, and being pivotable from a position in line with said base (94) to one generally at right angles thereto, parallel to said finger (88), and wherein said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) may be moved into engaging contact with said C-shaped hook portion (60) of said catch plate (44) and, by deflecting said finger (88) from a raised vertical position to a generally horizontal, in line position, the U-shaped wire latch bar (110) is pivoted overcenter, across the saddle member pivot axis (87) defined by the bosses (86), causing the end (18a) of the channel member to abut the side board (24), to capture said channel member guide (37) internally of said U-shaped channel member (18) to establish a rigid coupling via the overcenter action of said coupling latch bar (110) between the said channel member (18) at its end and the face (24a) on the bed side board (24).

Claim 8

The knockdown bed as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said channel member guides (37) comprises a horizontal base (47), a pair of vertical side walls (48) extending upwardly thereof, said side walls (48) including integral laterally projecting portions (54) at the base thereof, and wherein each of said channel member (18) comprises a metal extrusion including a horizontal base (66), a pair of laterally spaced vertical side walls (68), said side walls including laterally inward offset portions (70) remote from said base (66) and forming internal recesses (76) facing each other, said recesses (76) being sized to the projections (54) of said channel member guide (37) of said receiver assembly (36) to maximize the rigidity of the coupling when effected by said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) coupled at its center to said catch plate C-shaped hook portion (60).

Claim 9

An overcenter latch coupling for effecting a detachable coupling between a U-shaped channel member (18) at its end (18a) to an abutting end board (24) extending transversely across the end of said U-shaped channel member (18), said overcenter latch coupling comprising: a receiver assembly (36) for fixedly mounting to said board (24), an overcenter latch assembly (34) carried by said U-shaped channel member (18) at the end thereof, said receiver assembly (36) comprising a U-shaped channel member guide (37) sized and configured to fit into the interior of said U-shaped channel member (18) at its open end in surface contact therewith, a vertical catch plate (44) mounted to the interior of said U-shaped channel member guide (37) and terminating at an upper end in a C-shaped hook portion (60) facing away from the engageable channel member (18), each overcenter latch assembly (34) comprising an inverted U-shaped saddle member (84) including a horizontal base (94), legs (92) depending from said saddle member base (94) at opposite sides thereof, said legs (92) including circular bosses (86) projecting laterally outwardly of said legs (92) to opposite sides of said saddle member for mounting within said U-shaped channel member (18) to effect pivoting of said saddle member about the axis of said bosses (86). an integral finger (88) projecting upwardly from and generally at right angles to the base (94) of said saddle member, a U-shaped wire latch bar (110) pivotably mounted at its free ends to said saddle member base (94) and projecting outwardly therefrom, and being pivotable from a position in line with said base (94) to one generally at right angles thereto, parallel to said finger (88), and wherein said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) is of a length such that with said bosses (86) rotatably mounting said saddle member, said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) may be moved into engaging contact with said C-shaped hook portion (60) of said catch plate (44); whereby, deflecting of said finger (88) from a raised vertical position to a generally horizontal in line position, said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) is pivoted overcenter across said saddle member pivot axis (87) defined by said bosses (86), causing the end (18a) of said channel member (18) to abut the board (24) to capture said channel member guide (37) internally of said U-shaped channel member (18) and to thereby establish a rigid coupling via the overcenter action of said coupling latch bar (110) between said channel member at its end and the face (24a) of the board (24).

Claim 10

An overcenter latch coupling for effecting a detachable coupling between a U-shaped channel member (18) at its end (18a) to an abutting end board (24) extending transversely across the end of said U-shaped channel member (18), said overcenter latch coupling comprising: a receiver assembly (36) for fixedly mounting to said board (24), an overcenter latch assembly (34) carried by said U-shaped channel member (18) at the end thereof, said receiver assembly (36) comprising a U-shaped channel member guide (37) sized and configured to fit into the interior of said U-shaped channel member (18) at its open end in surface contact therewith, a vertical catch plate (44) mounted to the interior of said U-shaped channel member guide (37) and terminating at an upper end in a C-shaped hook portion (60) facing away from the engageable channel member (18), each overcenter latch assembly (34) comprising an inverted U-shaped saddle member (84) including a horizontal base (94), legs (92) depending from said saddle member base (94) at opposite sides thereof, said legs (92) including circular bosses (86) projecting laterally outwardly of said legs (92) to opposite sides of said saddle member for mounting within said U-shaped channel member (18) to effect pivoting of said saddle member about the axis of said bosses (86). an integral finger (88) projecting upwardly from and generally at right angles to the base (94) of said saddle member, a U-shaped wire latch bar (110) pivotably mounted at its free ends to said saddle member base (94) and projecting outwardly therefrom, and being pivotable from a position in line with said base (94) to one generally at right angles thereto, parallel to said finger (88), and wherein said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) is of a length such that with said bosses (86) rotatably mounting said saddle member, said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) may be moved into engaging contact with said C-shaped hook portion (60) of said catch plate (44); whereby, deflecting of said finger (88) from a raised vertical position to a generally horizontal in line position, said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) is pivoted overcenter across said saddle member pivot axis (87) defined by said bosses (86), causing the end (18a) of said channel member (18) to abut the board (24) to capture said channel member guide (37) internally of said U-shaped channel member (18) and to thereby establish a rigid coupling via the overcenter action of said coupling latch bar (110) between said channel member at its end and the face (24a) of the board (24).

Claim 11

The overcenter coupling as claimed in claim 8, wherein said channel member guide (37) comprises a horizontal base (47), a pair of vertical side walls (48) extending upwardly thereof, said side walls (48) including integral laterally projecting portions (54) at the base thereof, and wherein the channel member (18) pivotably supporting the latch saddle member (84) comprises a metal extrusion including a horizontal base (66), a pair of laterally spaced vertical side walls (68), said side walls (68) including laterally inward offset portions (70) remote from said base (66) and forming internal recesses (76) facing each other, said recesses (76) being sized to receive the projections (54) of the channel member guide (37) of the receiver assembly (36) to maximize the rigidity of the coupling when effected by said U-shaped wire latch bar (110) coupled at its center to said catch plate C-shaped hook portion (60).