Sofa bed and mechanism therefor

Claim 1

A convertible couch mechanism, the convertible couch mechanism having a first or base member adapted to be disposed upon a floor or like support means, the first or base member having a back end and a front end, a first leg member having a first or pivot end and a second or support end, the first end of the first leg member being pivotly affixed to the base member at a location adjacent the back end and remote from the front end, a second or sliding member, the second or sliding member having a back end and a front end, the back end of the sliding member being slidably supported by the first or base member, the second or front end of the sliding member being supported or supportable by a floor or like support means, a first sleeping surface support means having a back end and a front end, the back end of the first sleeping support surface being pivotally affixed to the second end of the first leg, a second sleeping support surface having a back end and a front end, the back end of the second sleeping support surface being pivotally affixed to the front end of the first sleeping support surface, a second leg means pivotally affixed to first and second sleeping support means at the front and back ends respectively, the second leg means permitting rotation of the first and second support means about their pivotal connection by a rotation of about 90° to permit the first and second sleeping support means to be disposed in a generally parallel face-to-face relationship or alternately in general coplanar relationship, a third sleeping support means having a back end and a front end, the front and back ends of the second and third sleeping support means being pivotally affixed to permit rotation of the second support means at least about 90° about the back end of the third support means to permit rotation of the second sleeping support from the plane of the third sleeping surface support to a plane 90° thereto, the axes of pivotal connection between the first and second sleeping support surfaces and second and third sleeping support surfaces being generally parallel, a third leg means having a first end and a second end, the second end being pivotally affixed to the back end of the third sleeping support means, the first end being pivotally affixed to the front end of the second or sliding member, a fourth leg means having a first end and a second end, the first end of the fourth leg means being pivotally attached to the front end of the second or sliding member and the second end of the fourth leg means being pivotally affixed to the third sleeping surface support means at a location generally between the front end and the back end of the third sleeping surface support means, the second or sliding member, the third sleeping surface support means, third and fourth legs forming generally a parallelogram, thereby providing a mechanism which, in a folded or closed position, discloses the first and second sleeping supports in a generally vertical face-to-face relationship adjacent the first end of the base member and in the open position discloses the first, second and third sleeping supports in a generally planar configuration spaced from the base member and the sliding member.