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US 6,904,628 B2Granted
Convertible sofa-bed
AssigneeAmerican Leather
InventorsMarcus L. Murphy, Douglas Gasal, Robert B. Duncan, H. Robert Tiffany
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sofa-bed has: a frame with opposing arms; a seat; a subseat hinged to the seat; a connecting rod that pivotally interconnects the subseat and the backrest; pairs of center legs and end legs pivotally attached to, respectively, the subseat and seat; and mechanisms for folding and unfolding the center and end legs. The sofa-bed is movable between a folded position and an unfolded position. The mechanisms for the center legs and the end legs are configured to move the legs from a generally horizontal folded position between the seat and subseat when the sofa-bed is in the folded position to a generally upright position beneath, respectively, the subseat and seat when the bed is in the unfolded position.
Claims34
A sofa-bed, comprising:
- a frame with opposing arms;
- a backrest operatively connected with the frame such that the backrest can pivot and slide relative to the frame;
- a seat;
- a subseat hinged to the seat and pivotable relative thereto at a first pivot;
- a connecting member that pivotally interconnects the subseat and the backrest;
- pairs of center legs and end legs pivotally interconnected with, respectively, the subseat and seat;
- and
- a leg-folding mechanism pivotally interconnected with the center and end legs,
- wherein the frame, backrest, seat and subseat are configured such that the backrest, seat and subseat move between a folded position, in which the backrest is generally upright, the seat is generally horizontal, and the subseat is generally horizontal and positioned beneath the seat in a first inverted orientation, and an unfolded position, in which the backrest, subseat and seat are generally horizontal, and the subseat is positioned between the backrest and the seat in a second non-inverted orientation;
- wherein the leg-folding mechanism is configured to move the center and end legs from a generally horizontal folded position between the seat and subseat when the sofa-bed is in the folded position to a generally upright position beneath, respectively, the subseat and seat when the bed is in the unfolded position;
- wherein the leg-folding mechanism includes a center leg mechanism and an end leg mechanism;
- wherein the center leg is pivotally interconnected with the subseat at a second pivot, the second pivot being rearward of the first pivot when the sofa-bed is in the unfolded position;
- wherein the center leg mechanism includes a brace that is pivotally interconnected with the center leg and with the seat;
- and
- wherein the subseat and seat are interconnected via a hinge, and wherein the hinge includes a subseat plate fixed to the subseat, and wherein the center leg is pivotally interconnected to the subseat plate at the second pivot.
12 more elements
A sofa-bed, comprising:
- a frame with opposing arms;
- a backrest operatively connected with the frame such that the backrest can pivot and slide relative to the frame;
- a seat;
- a subseat hinged to the seat and pivotable relative thereto at a first pivot;
- a connecting member that pivotally interconnects the subseat and the backrest;
- pairs of center legs and end legs pivotally interconnected with, respectively, the subseat and seat;
- and
- a leg-folding mechanism pivotally interconnected with the center and end legs,
- wherein the frame, backrest, seat and subseat are configured such that the backrest, seat and subseat move between a folded position, in which the backrest is generally upright, the seat is generally horizontal, and the subseat is generally horizontal and positioned beneath the seat in a first inverted orientation, and an unfolded position, in which the backrest, subseat and seat are generally horizontal, and the subseat is positioned between the backrest and the seat in a second non-inverted orientation;
- and
- wherein the leg-folding mechanism is configured to move the center and end legs from a generally horizontal folded position between the seat and subseat when the sofa-bed is in the folded position to a generally upright position beneath, respectively, the subseat and seat when the bed is in the unfolded position.
8 more elements
A sofa-bed, comprising:
- a frame with opposing arms;
- a backrest operatively connected with the frame such that the backrest can pivot and slide relative to the frame;
- a seat;
- a subseat hinged to the seat and pivotable relative thereto at a first pivot;
- a connecting member that pivotally interconnects the subseat and the backrest;
- and
- a balance mechanism attached to at least one of the frame, backrest subseat and seat;
- wherein the frame, backrest, seat and subseat are configured to move between a folded position, in which the backrest is generally upright, the seat is generally horizontal, and the subseat is generally horizontal and positioned beneath the seat in a first inverted orientation, and an unfolded position, in which the backrest, subseat and seat are generally horizontal, and the subseat is positioned between the backrest and the seat in a second non-inverted orientation;
- and
- wherein the balance mechanism is configured such that the subseat and seat are biased toward the unfolded position as the sofa-bed approaches the folded position.
7 more elements
A sofa-bed, comprising:
- a frame with opposing arms;
- a backrest operatively connected with the frame such that the backrest can pivot and slide relative to the frame;
- a seat;
- a subseat hinged to the seat and pivotable relative thereto at a first pivot;
- a connecting member that pivotally interconnects the subseat and the backrest;
- and
- a balance mechanism attached to at least one of the frame, backrest subseat and seat;
- wherein the frame, backrest, seat and subseat are configured to move between a folded position, in which the backrest is generally upright, the seat is generally horizontal, and the subseat is generally horizontal and positioned beneath the seat in a first inverted orientation, and an unfolded position, in which the backrest, subseat and seat are generally horizontal, and the subseat is positioned between the backrest and the seat in a second non-inverted orientation;
- wherein the balance mechanism is configured such that the subseat and seat are biased toward the unfolded position as the sofa-bed approaches the folded position;
- wherein the balance mechanism is configured so that the sofa-bed is locked in the unfolded position;
- wherein the balance mechanism is attached to the arms and to the subseat;
- and;
- wherein the balance mechanism includes:
- a subseat bracket fixed to the subseat;
- a subseat mounting bracket fixed to the arm, the subseat bracket being pivotally interconnected to the subseat mounting bracket at a first pivot;
- a drawing link pivotally attached to the subseat bracket at a second pivot;
- a crank pivotally attached to the drawing link and to the subseat mounting bracket;
- a spring pivotally attached to the crank at a third pivot;
- and
- a spring mounting bracket fixed to the arm.
17 more elements
A sofa-bed, comprising:
- a frame with opposing arms, the frame further comprising a back panel fixed to and extending between the arms;
- a backrest operatively connected with the frame such that the backrest can pivot and slide relative to the frame;
- a seat;
- a subseat hinged to the seat and pivotable relative thereto at a first pivot;
- and
- a connecting member that pivotally interconnects the subseat and the backrest;
- wherein the frame, backrest, seat and subseat are configured to move between a folded position, in which the backrest is generally upright, the seat is generally horizontal, and the subseat is generally horizontal and positioned beneath the seat in a first inverted orientation, and an unfolded position, in which the backrest, subseat and seat are generally horizontal, and the subseat is positioned between the backrest and the seat in a second non-inverted orientation;
- and
- wherein an upper edge of the back panel is positioned upwardly of an uppermost portion of the arms.
6 more elements
A sofa-bed, comprising:
- a frame with opposing arms;
- a backrest operatively connected with the frame such that the backrest can pivot and slide relative to the frame, the backrest including a cushion that decreases in thickness from its forward end to its rearward end;
- a seat;
- a subseat hinged to the seat and pivotable relative thereto at a first pivot;
- and
- a connecting member that pivotally interconnects the subseat and the backrest;
- wherein the frame, backrest, seat and subseat are configured to move between a folded position, in which the backrest is generally upright, the seat is generally horizontal, and the subseat is generally horizontal and positioned beneath the seat in a first inverted orientation, and an unfolded position, in which the backrest, subseat and seat are generally horizontal, and the subseat is positioned between the backrest and the seat in a second non-inverted orientation;
- and
- wherein the frame includes a back panel with a recess, and wherein, in the folded position, the backrest fits within the recess.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.