Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application

Serial No. US62/124,888 filed January 6, 2015 by present inventor.

Background-Prior Art

US314032(A) -1885-03-17 Laskey

US892348(A) -1908-06-30 Baigne

US 1400534(A) -1921-12-20 Ernest

US2257625(A) -1941-09-30 Thomas

US2671230(A) -1954-03-09 Potter

US4070715(A) -1978-01-31 Reppas

US5033134(A) -1991-07-23 Burchett

US7140052(B2) -2006-11-28 Monestier

CN203088189(A) -2013-07-31 Huanguang

CN203137689(A) -2013-08-21 Xingbiao

CN203646799(U) -2014-06-18 Darong

CN203914149(A) -2014-11-05 Zihao

CN203987048(A) -2014-12-10 Fuxiao In these days of overpopulated cities and increasingly smaller living spaces, the movement toward multipurpose furniture and spacial economy has become more and more prevalent. My invention applies the knowledge of well over a century of wall bed creators that have preceded me and extrapolates this new mechanical device!

The 19th and 20th centuries saw some mechanical improvements in hidden beds. Many were fixed pivot before J. H. Laskey's 1885 Mantel Bed (US314032). In 1908, Ovila Baigne used a fixed pivot and a torsion spring to help overcome his cabinet bed's load (US892348). Albert Ernest (US1400534) and Fred Potter (US2671230) gained their mechanical advantage with the use of springs, cables and pulleys. The piston, as Dale Burchett touted in 1991 (US5033134), seems to be the current choice among hidden bed creators. I could see the use of all these forms of mechanical advantage in my invention, as long as they can be used safely. I might also incorporate a pair of gears in conjunction with a torsion spring or motor.

Recent years have also seen the advantages of making the wall bed multifunctional. In

1941, E. . Thomas (US2257625) designed some self-leveling components, but it was really just wasted space. Desks and shelves have proven to be fairly common extras., most of which are self- leveling. George Reppas in 1978 (US4070715), Juan and Alejandro Monestier in 2005

(US7140052), Gao Huangang (CN203088189) and Luo Xingbiao (CN203137689) in 2013, and Wang Darong (CN203646799), Chen Zihao (CN203914149) and Wei Fuxiao (CN203987048) in 2014 all had different ways of achieving these objectives. Of these, and all of the cited prior art, I would say Xingbiao's design is the best and most modern. It has no storage though! None of them do. So what's on the desktop either stays there or one needs another cabinet.

Space is at a premium throughout much of the world.

Drawings-Figures

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of bed transitioning between horizontal and vertical.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of bed in its horizontal position.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of bed in its vertical position with desktop.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of bed in its vertical position without desktop.

Fig. 5 shows a profile view of bed transitioning between horizontal and vertical.

Fig. 6 shows a profile view of bed in its horizontal position. 75

Drawings-Reference Numerals

80 2 floor cabinet 4 bedstead

6 left swingarm 8 right swingarm

10 inside left leg 12 inside right leg

14 left bed support 16 right bed support

18 hinges 20 webbing

85 22 pivot 24 electrical outlets

26 wiring races 28 electric cord

30 cable 32 turnbuckle

34 pulley 36 desktop anchor pin

38 cabinet wall anchor pin 40 desktop

90 42 interior frame board 44 exterior frame board

46 backer panel 48 swingarm gear

50 torsion gear 52 torsion spring or motor

Detailed Description

95 Figures 1 , 2 and 3 show the essence of my first embodiment. This embodiment consists of a length of floor cabinets 2 with pivots 22 affixed to each end. The bedstead 4 has a left swingarm 6 and a right swingarm 8 that extend over to the cabinet's corresponding sides. The inside left leg 10 and inside right leg 12 attach perpendicularly to the swingarms on the underside of bedstead. The bedstead is further comprised of an interior frame board 42 and an exterior frame board 4400 which create a bed frame when attached to the swingarms. The wiring races 26 not only provide room for the electrical wires and outlets 24, but also structural support and a mounting location for hinges 18 and other hardware. A backer panel 46 provides a rigid substrate for the mattress. Webbing 20 can be attached to the bedstead frame to strap down the bedding when not in use.

The floor cabinet and the bedstead are the two most necessary components. A desktop 40 is05 added by first attaching it to the underside of bed with the hinges 18. After a small amount of trial and error, I found that a cable 30 could be attached to a desktop anchor pin 36 at each end of the desktop, through a pulley 34, and back to a cabinet wall anchor pin 38, could carry the desktop, and everything on it, from the ground to cabinet top and back while retaining a level surface. The addition of a turnbuckle 32 near the cables end by the desktop anchor pin allows for some minor10 adjustments. Operation

The bedstead is at rest in its upright, vertical position. It is when one lowers the bed that the device needs to gain a mechanical advantage. The prior art introduced several solutions to overcome the counterbalance issue, and a form of any of these, or a combination, could be used on this device. When the bedstead is lowered, a swingarm gear 48, rotates on the pivot point with the swingarm. The swingarm gear meshes with a torsion gear 50 and winds a torsion spring 52. The torsion gear and torsion spring is to be located at the bottom rear of the cabinet. A motor could also be used in place of the torsion spring. This arrangement will slowly lower the weight of the bedstead structure and gravity will keep it horizontal. With the assistance of the tension stored in the torsion spring, the bedstead should not take a great deal of urging back to its upright position. As stated previously in the Detailed Description section, the desktop will simultaneously lower itself and its content, mamtaining a level surface, to the ground and back up again.

Alternative Embodiments

I have already mentioned some alternatives, and here are some others. Figure 3 shows a depiction of the desk configuration. In this configuration, a gap is included for the users knees. Figure 4 depicts the device without the desktop and additional cabinets have been added. Either way allows for a blank slate on the underside of the bed. This visage could be fairly easy to decorate with artwork, monitors, chalkboards, whiteboards, corkboards and mirrors. A huge TV could also be mounted there.

The possibilities increase greatly when the swingarms are widened. When a wider swingarm is used it allows for self-leveling boxes to be installed on swivels in this span, the device becomes more modular. These new boxes could be used as bookshelves, or doored cabinets that house whatever the user would like to store. This same swiveling box idea could be used as a direct replacement for the desktop.

The bedstead could further disappear from view by installing it inside another framework that is mounted to the wall. This space might be left as an open cavity in a wall that is made up of shelving and cabinets.

This device could be portable with the addition of wheels.

Springs and pistons could be utilized to ease the weight to the ground or back to vertical.

As a cabinetmaker, I built my prototype out of wood.. though aluminum, iron, plastic or other suitable rigid products could be used. Advantages

My wall bed design has several advantages over the previously created designs.

The first thing that I find beneficial is the undisturbed storage in the base cabinets. Whether the user needs drawer space, plain shelving or just to box in old radiators or other eyesores or obstructions, this design makes a lot of sense.

Not only does it come with storage space, it also conserves space by taking up a small footprint. Its efficient use of floor space could be very useful in dormitories and professor's offices; military posts and prisons; factories, manufacturing and technology centers; children's rooms and anywhere that people have to live and work in small spaces.

The versatility of its modular design and self-leveling components are also great assets. I can visualize these devices surrounding an entire room. An entertainment center here and a bookcase there; a desk or two; a display cabinet; a wardrobe; a pantry; and a guncase come to mind.

Conclusion, Ramifications and Scope

All of the wall bed designers that I have listed previously, as well as myself, had basically the same objectives..to build a bed that was hidden when not in use, and that wasn't a pain to stow away. It was the end of 2012 when I first conceptualized this apparatus. I needed an office/nap space., but I only had an 8' square room to put it in. With this in mind, I designed a length of cabinetry that I could use as desk/work space. I then designed a bedstead in which the right and left sides extended back over to the cabinet walls. In essence, the bed was now a lever and the box cabinetry was the fulcrum. The storage space that the floor cabinetry represents was never imposed upon. Self-leveling upper shelving, bookcases and countertops would add to its versatility. This increased functionality and efficient use of floor space are some key elements that make my design exclusive.

When I started building the prototype, it soon became evident that the working dimensions could easily change based on what was most important. A low cabinet might be desired for a child's desk or another reason. Ideally I found that a fairly standard 28" cabinet height worked fine. The addition of a top made the desktop about right. This put the mattress at a similar height. The actual numbers I used are included in my provisional patent application of 1 year ago, though many variations will work. I truly believe that this device has so many possibilities, that I 'm going to send this off having forgotten much of what I wanted to include. The scope is endless.