Technical field

This invention relates to a liftable bed.

The need is currently increasingly felt of being able to furnish small spaces or to optimise as much as possible the spaces available indoors, for example, in one's home. Critical situations are represented by studio apartments or rented rooms, the standard dimensions of which usually do not allow sufficient space to be available, only for example to allow children to play.

Background art

For this reason, items of furniture are known, such as foldable beds or sofa beds, which are able to reduce their dimensions in such a way as to allow optimisation of the available space, even if only partially, since the bed, or the sofa, still occupies the room.

There are also prior art liftable beds, that is to say, such that they can be stored high up or on the ceiling, in such a way as to completely free the room from the overall dimensions of the bed.

Even though in this way the problem of overall dimensions is resolved, it is, however, necessary to also guarantee the safety of individuals.

In effect, when the bed is positioned high up, the supporting elements, such as, for example, the legs of the bed, since they protrude, may cause a source of danger, representing, for example, gripping or lever elements, that is to say, such as to represent possible sources of danger. Moreover, even in terms of appearance, the fact of having supporting elements protruding from the base structure makes the bed more visible, even when it is positioned on the ceiling, making the adopted solution not very attractive .

Moreover, the fact of having the supporting elements projecting when the bed is positioned on the ceiling creates a larger size, obscuring the visibility of the room .

Aim of the invention

The aim of the invention is therefore to provide a liftable bed which is able to overcome the above- mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a liftable bed which is at the same time practical to use and simple and inexpensive to make.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a liftable bed which is safe to use and which does not have protruding elements when placed in a non-operating position (raised).

According to the invention, these aims and others are achieved by a liftable bed comprising the technical features described in the accompanying claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The technical features of the invention, with reference to the above-mentioned aims, are clearly described in the appended claims and its advantages are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a purely non-limiting example embodiment of the invention, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic axonometric view of an embodiment of the liftable bed according to the invention in a first configuration of use;

- Figure 2 is a schematic axonometric view of the liftable bed of Figure 1, in a second configuration of use;

- Figure 3 is a schematic axonometric view of a detail of Figures 1 and 2;

- Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a detail of Figure 3;

- Figures 5, 6 and 7 are schematic axonometric views of certain details of the liftable bed according to the invention in different configurations of use;

- Figures 8 and 9 are schematic side elevation views of details of the liftable bed according to the invention in different configurations of use.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a liftable bed made in accordance with the invention, hereinafter also referred to simply as the bed 1.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the bed 1 comprises a base 2, two uprights 3, movement means 4 and actuator means 5.

More specifically, the base 2, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, allows a padded element to be housed on it, such as a mattress M.

The base 2 comprises two elements 21 for resting on the floor P.

The supporting element 21 is pivoted to the base 2, so that it can rotate relative to the base 2. In that way, the supporting element 21 can adopt at least two different positions, corresponding to the maximum excursion of the supporting element 21, called the first open operating supporting position 1E, and a second closed rest position 2E.

The first open operating supporting position 1E is, for example, illustrated in Figures 1, 5 and 8.

The second closed rest position 2E is, for example, illustrated in Figures 2, 6 and 9.

Advantageously, the rotation of the supporting element 21 is between 0 sexagesimal degrees, corresponding to the second closed rest position 2E, and approximately 90 sexagesimal degrees, corresponding to the first open operating supporting position 1E.

The bed 1 also comprises a block 6 of the supporting element 21, as illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9.

The block 6 stops the supporting element 21 in the closed rest position 2E.

The base 2 also comprises a coupling plate 22, to be constrained to the uprights 3.

The two uprights 3 are fixed relative to the floor P.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the two uprights 3 are configured to be stably connected to a wall PP substantially at a right angle to the floor P. Each of the two uprights 3 comprises a first track 31 and a second track 32.

The first track 31 is configured for translating the base 2.

The second track 32 is configured for moving the supporting element 21. The mobile base 2 is then slidably engaged with the uprights 3.

The coupling plate 22 is designed to engage with the first track 31 and to translate in the first track 31.

The movement means 4 comprise a rotary shaft 41 positioned transversally to the two uprights 3.

The movement means 4 also comprise a motor, not illustrated, for moving the shaft 41.

The movement means 4 also comprise two belts 42, each of which connected with one end 42' to the rotating shaft 41 and with the other end 42" to the coupling plate 22 of the base 2.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the base 2 comprises one or more transversal bars 23 for stiffening the base 2 and the bed 1.

Again with reference to the accompanying drawings, the two belts 42 are connected with the end 42'' to the coupling plate 22 by means of a transversal bar 23.

In Figure 3, the connection between the transversal bar 23 and the belts 42 is partly removed, for clarity.

The actuator means 5 comprise a sliding element 51 for engaging with the second track 32.

The sliding element 51 translates inside the second track 32.

The actuator means 5 comprise a cable 52 for transferring the translational movement of the sliding element 51 to the supporting element 21 in the form of rotation.

Advantageously, the cable 52 is constrained at one end to the sliding element 51 and at the other end to the supporting element 21. With reference to the accompanying drawings, the cable 52 is also connected to one end of the supporting element 21.

In that way, the lever effect can be used, that is to say, the reduced forces that act on the end of the supporting element 21 will be sufficient to actuate its movement, that is to say, its rotation.

The actuator means 5 comprise a plurality of tensioning devices 53 connected to the base 2.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the bed 1 comprises two actuator means 5 each designed to actuate a corresponding supporting element 21, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

In use, the bed 1, starting from a lowered configuration, illustrated in Figures 1, 5 and 8, moves to a raised configuration, shown in Figures 2, 6 and 9.

More specifically, the base 2 is movable between a first, lowered position 1B close to a floor P and at least one second position 2B raised relative to the floor P.

The movement means 4 translate the base 2 along the uprights 3 according to an axis A substantially at a right angle to the floor P between the first position 1B and at least a second position 2B.

The shaft 41 is, in effect, configured to wind the two belts 42 in such a way as to determine the translation of the base 2 in the first track 31.

The actuator means 5 of the supporting element 21 move the supporting element 21 between the first, open, operating position 1E in which it rests on the floor P and the second, closed, rest position 2E. The movement means 4 and the actuator means 5 are operatively connected to move in a synchronous fashion and are configured so that the supporting element 21 reaches its first open operating position 1E when the movable base 2 reaches its first lowered position 1B, and such that the supporting element 21 reaches its second closed rest position 2E when the movable base 2 reaches its second raised position 2B.

In effect, whilst the base 2 translates upwards, the sliding element 51 translates in the second track 32, determining, thanks to the cable 52, the rotation of the supporting element 21.

More specifically, the actuator means 5 are configured to rotate the supporting element 21 through an angle equal to the angle subtended by a circular arc whose length is equal to the translation of the sliding element 51 along one of the two uprights 3.

The tensioning elements 53 keep the cable 52 tensioned during the translation of the base 2 and the rotation of the supporting element 21.

Advantageously, the actuator means 5 are configured to act synchronously with the movement means 4 when the base 2 has performed a predetermined translation on the two uprights 3.

According to embodiments not illustrated, the base 2 comprises a single supporting element 21.

These solutions are advantageous, for example, when the bed has small dimensions and weights.

According to embodiments not illustrated, the movement means 4 comprise a damping system to slow down the translation of the base 2 in the first track 31. According to embodiments not illustrated, the actuator means 5 comprise a damping system to slow down the translation of the sliding element 51 in the second track 32.

According to embodiments not illustrated, the two uprights 3 are telescopic and configured for being stably connected to the floor P and to a ceiling.

According to embodiments not illustrated, the transversal bars 23 are not present.

According to other embodiments not illustrated, covering panels are advantageously provided which connect the two uprights 3 to stiffen the bed 1.

According to embodiments not illustrated, the bed 1 comprises a block of at least one supporting element 21 for stopping one or more supporting elements 21 in the first open operating supporting position 1E.

According to embodiments not illustrated, the rotation of the supporting element 21 is between 0 sexagesimal degrees, corresponding to the second closed rest position 2E, and an angle of between approximately 10 sexagesimal degrees and approximately 160 sexagesimal degrees, corresponding to the first open operating supporting position 1E.

The liftable bed achieves the preset aims and brings important advantages.

A first advantage of the liftable bed according to the invention is the possibility of being able to hide from view the supporting elements when the bed is in the raised position, making the bed safer and even more elegant. A further advantage is the possibility of making the lifting/lowering movement of the base 2 and the closing/opening movement of the supporting elements dependent on each other, thus simplifying and lightening the entire structure of the bed.