US 5,233,707 AGranted

Stackable bunk beds forming a modular furniture assembly

AssigneeLADD Furniture, Inc.

InventorLandon E. Perkins

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Abstract

A modular furniture assembly including and a lower bed that are selectively positionable between a stacked position and an unstacked position. The upper and lower beds include a series of supports that form mating pairs to support the beds in the stacked position. Each bed support of the upper bed include a bottom end with a bore extending therethrough. A pin is retainably mounted within each bore and is slidable between an extended position and a retracted position. Supports of the bottom bed each have a connector bore that extends through a top end of each of the bed supports. Split sleeves are fixably attachable within the bores of the supports for the upper and lower beds to form a stop that retains the pins in the bores. When placed in a stacked position, the pins extend into the bores of the supports for the lower beds to link the mating support pairs together. The pins fully retract into the bores of the bed supports when the beds are positioned in the unstacked position.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A modular furniture assembly including an upper module and a lower module that are selectively positionable between a stacked position and an unstacked position, the furniture assembly comprising:

a) a first furniture support having a bottom end and connected to the upper module, the first furniture support having a bore extending through the bottom end;
b) a pin retainably mounted in the bore of the first support and movable between extended and retracted positions;
and
c) a second support having an end and connected to the lower module, the second support having a bore extending through the end of the second furniture support;
wherein when the furniture assembly is positioned in the stacked position the first and second furniture supports mate such that the pin extends from the first support and into the bore of the second furniture support, and wherein when the furniture assembly is positioned in the unstacked position the bottom end o the first support rests on a floor surface to support the upper module and the pin is positioned in the retracted position, wherein the pin includes a lower section with a bottom end and an upper section, wherein the lower section of the pin extends from the bottom end of the first support and the upper section of the pin is positioned in the bore when the pin is in the extended position and when the pin is positioned in the retracted position both the upper section and lower section of the pin are positioned in the bore of the first support such that the bottom end of the pin is retracted within the first support and further including a flange in the bore of the first support, the pin further including a pin head, and wherein the flange and pin head are sized to abut as the pin moves from the retracted position to the extended position so as to retain the pin within the bore of the first support.

2 more elements

A modular furniture assembly comprising:

a) a first furniture module having an upwardly facing engagement surface formed thereon;
b) a second furniture module having a downwardly facing engagement surface formed thereon, said second furniture module being stackable upon the first furniture module such that the downwardly facing engagement surface on the second module engages the upwardly facing engagement surface on the first module;
c) a first axial bore formed in the upwardly facing engagement surface of the first module;
d) a second axial bore formed in the downwardly facing surface of the second module which is in axial alignment with the first axial bore when the second module is supported on the first module;
and
e) a pin retainably mounted in the second axial bore so as to be movable between an extended position and a retracted position, said pin normally assuming an extended position when the second furniture module is supported by the first furniture module such that the pin extends into the axial bore of the first module, and wherein the pin is moved to a retracted position when the second support surface is supported on a surface,
wherein the pin includes a lower section with a bottom end and an upper section, wherein the lower section of the pin extends from the bottom end of the second module and the upper section of the pin is positioned in the bore when the pin is in the extended position and when the pin is positioned in the retracted position both the upper section and lower section of the pin are positioned in the bore of the second module such that the bottom end of the pin is retracted within the second module and further including a flange in the bore of the second module, the pin further including a pin head, and wherein the flange and pin head are sized to abut as the pin moves from the retracted position to the extended position so as to retain the pin within the bore of the second module.

4 more elements

A modular furniture assembly comprising:

a) a first furniture module having an upwardly facing engagement surface formed thereon;
b) a second furniture module having a downwardly facing engagement surface formed thereon, said second furniture module being stackable upon the first furniture module such that the downwardly facing engagement surface on the second module engages the upwardly facing engagement surface on the first module;
c) a first axial bore formed in the upwardly facing engagement surface of the first module;
d) a second axial bore formed in the downwardly facing surface of the second module which is in axial alignment with the first axial bore when the second module is supported on the first module;
and
e) a pin retainably mounted in the second axial bore so as to be movable between an extended position and a retracted position, said pin normally assuming an extended position when the second furniture module is supported by the first furniture module such that the pin extends into the axial bore of the first module, and wherein the pin is moved to a retracted position when the second support surface is supported on a surface and further including a first elongated sleeve disposed in the bore of the second module, the sleeve sized such that the pin slides within the sleeve as the pin moves between the extended and retracted positions.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.