Bed Bracket Field of the Invention

This invention relates to bed brackets for mounting headboards to bed bases or bed frames.

Background of the Invention

Bed brackets are used to attach and support components of a bed together such as a bed frame/base and a headboard. There exist bed brackets that are suitable for bedding arrangements which include a bed frame having legs and a headboard attached to the frame with the bed bracket providing an attachment between the headboard and the bed frame. Many beds now simply include a bed base including castors which forms part of the mattress and the headboard is attached by way of a bed bracket to the bed base. Alternatively, some beds include a bed base which forms part of the mattress with the headboard including legs. Again, the headboard is attached to the bed base by way of a bed bracket. The above discussion of background art is included to explain the context of the invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge at the priority date of any of the claims of this specification.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention aims to provide a new bed bracket. According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a bed bracket for attaching a headboard to a bed base or frame, the bracket including: a first elongate member for attachment to a bed base or frame; and a second elongate member for attachment to a headboard; wherein the first and second members extend transversely to one another; wherein the first member includes a mounting plate that defines a plurality of elongate apertures through which locking means attach the first member to the bed

base or frame, the apertures extending transversely to the long direction of the first member; wherein the second member includes a mounting plate that defines a plurality of elongate apertures through which locking means attach the second member to the headboard, the apertures including a plurality of transverse apertures extending transverse to the long direction of the second member, and at least one longitudinal aperture extending in the long direction of the second member, the longitudinal aperture lying along an edge of the mounting plate; and wherein the arrangement of the bracket apertures enables the bracket to be used with a variety of headboards and bed bases or frames, with the locking means in use being positioned along the bracket apertures so as to align with effective anchoring points on the bed base or frame and on the headboard for a number of bed base or frame and headboard combinations.

The present invention may provide a "universal" type bed bracket that may be used with a variety of headboards and bed bases. Its shape and aperture configuration allows it to be used with headboards and bed base combinations found in a number of different countries, including Australia, Europe and the United States. It may be used in systems where headboards have bolt holes that are either pre-defined or need to be drilled out, and it allows the bed bracket to attach over a number of different anchoring point configurations that may exist.

Preferably, the first and second members are of right angular cross-section, each having a flange extending transversely of their respective mounting plate. This may provide strength and also may provide a guide for mounting the bracket along the edges of a bed base or headboard. Preferably, the mounting plate of the second member extends above and below the mounting plate of the first member, with at least one transverse aperture of the second member being provided below the mounting plate of the first member.

Preferably, the second mounting plate includes a pair of longitudinal apertures extending one above the other in the longitudinal direction so as to provide extra versatility.

For a standard bed base, the mounting plate of the second member lies in a plane transverse to the long direction of the mounting plate of the first member. For a trundle bed, the mounting plate of the second member extends in its width direction

along a long edge of the mounting plate of the first member so that the faces of the mounting plates are at right angles to one another.

Preferably, the apertures in the mounting plate of the first member are configured to receive a castor as the locking means, whilst the locking means for the second member preferably include a captive locking nut and bolt, with one or more captive locking nuts releasably mounted in the apertures of the second member.

Preferably, the first and second members include screw holes therein for additional fastening of the members to the bed frame or base via screws provided through the holes. The bed bracket may be formed by welding the first and second members together. Alternatively, the bed bracket may be moulded as a unitary element. The bed bracket may be formed from steel, plastics, aluminium, or titanium.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bed bracket according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a bed bracket according to a first embodiment of the invention including locking means;

Figure 3 shows a side view of a bed bracket according to a first embodiment of the invention applied to a bed base and headboard; Figure 4 shows a side view of a bed bracket according to a first embodiment of the invention applied to a bed frame and headboard.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a bed bracket according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention Throughout the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, like referenced elements in the Figures refer to like elements in the description. The detailed description will describe one left bracket, however it will be appreciated that in

- A - use, two brackets will be used: a left bracket and a right bracket, the right and left brackets being mirror images of each other.

Figure 1 shows a bed bracket 10, which includes a first member 10a having a mounting plate 12 and a second member 10b having a mounting plate 14. The first member 10a includes a first flange 16 along one side and a plurality of first and second headboard apertures 20, 22. The first headboard apertures 20 are located transverse with respect to the long direction of the mounting plate 12. The first headboard apertures 20 are shorter in length than the second headboard apertures 22. The second headboard apertures 22 are longitudinal with respect to the long direction of the ^' first mounting plate 12. It will be appreciated that the first flange 16 on a right handed bracket would be on the opposite side to that shown in Figure 1 and the apertures 20 and 22 would be in a mirror-image configuration to the configuration shown in Figure 1. The second member 10b includes a second flange 18 aiong one side of the mounting plate 14 and a plurality of apertures 24 which are located transverse with respect to the long direction of the second member 10b. Again, it will be appreciated that the second flange 18 on a right handed bracket would be on the opposite side to that shown in Figure 1 in a mirror-image configuration. First and second members 10a, 10b further include screw holes 38 for screws [not shown] which may also help to maintain the bed bracket in place during and after installation. The screw holes 38 on the second flange 18 also provide an alternative anchoring point, should the screw holes 38 on the second mounting plate 14 be unsuitable anchoring points. First and second members 10a, 10b are welded together at lugs 26 located on second mounting plate 14 and at the intersection 27 of the first and second flanges 16, 18. Alternatively, the bed bracket 10 may be formed as a one-piece design by die casting. The bed bracket 10 is preferably made from plastic or steel but may also be made from lightweight but strong materials such as aluminium or titanium.

The first headboard apertures 20, second headboard apertures 22 and apertures 24 receive locking means. The locking means can be positioned in any of the aforementioned apertures to secure and provide adaptability of the bracket to a variety of bedding systems such as trundle beds, electric adjustable beds and beds commonly used in New Zealand, the United States and the like. Preferably, the locking means for the mounting plate 12 includes a securing bolt [not shown] which is used in combination with one or more captive/caged nuts 28 as shown in Figure 2. Advantageously, the captive/caged nuts are secured in any one of the aforementioned apertures as required

and can slide along the length of the aperture. The captive/caged nuts 28 can also be removed and placed in a different aperture as required by compression of the ends of the captive/caged nut which disengages the ends of the captive/caged nut from the sides of the apertures and allows the captive/caged nut to be relocated. The captive/caged nuts 28 are threaded to receive a complementarily threaded bolt which extends in use through the headboard. The second mounting plate 14 may be secured to a bed base or frame through a castor mounted through the apertures 24.

The operation of the bracket will now be described with reference to the left hand bed bracket 10 as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. It will be appreciated that a corresponding right hand bracket is applied to a bedding system in the same way. In operation, the bed bracket 10 is applied to a bed 40 to secure a headboard 44 to a bed base 42 via the bed bracket 10. The inner face 34 of the second mounting plate 14 and the inner face 36 of the second flange 18 are brought into contact with a corner of the bed base 42 so that the mounting plate 14 and flange 18 both rest flush against the faces forming the horizontal side edge of the bottom corner of the bed base 42. In turn, the inner face 30 of the first mounting plate 12 and the inner face 32 of the first flange 16 are brought into contact with the faces forming the vertical end edge of the bottom corner of the bed base 42.

The bed bracket 10 may be held in place during installation by one or more screws [not shown] which are installed into screw holes 38 on the second mounting plate 14, second flange 18 and into the horizontal face 45 of the bed base 42.

A castor [not shown] may be attached to horizontal face 45 of the bed base 42 by securing it through the apertures 24 which at the same time secures the second mounting plate 14 to the bed base. The apertures 24 are arranged so that a number of different types of bed bases (in which the positioning of the castor is different) can be used. Preferably, both the castor [not shown] and the screws [not shown] in screw holes 38 act to secure the first member 10a of the bed bracket 10 to the bed base 42. It will be appreciated that a bed leg [not shown] may be attached to horizontal face 45 of the bed base 42 in the same way. Once the second mounting plate 14 is secured in place, the headboard 44 is then placed against the outer face [not shown] of the first mounting plate 12. Depending on the type of headboard to be fitted to the bed bracket 10, the headboard 44 may already include holes through which securing bolts [not shown] can pass or alternatively holes may need to be drilled for this purpose.

In the case of headboards with predrilled holes (such as in the United States) the captive/caged nuts 28 located in one or more of the first and second headboard apertures 20, 22 can be aligned with the holes in the headboard 44 and secured to the first mounting plate 12 by inserting one or more securing bolts [not shown] through the predrilled holes in the headboard- 44 and into the captive/caged nuts 28 such that the headboard 44 is secured to the first mounting plate 12 of the bed bracket 10. Advantageously, this allows for a wide variety of headboards with predrilled holes to be fitted to the bed bracket 10. Further, the second headboard apertures 22 allow for the height of the headboard 44 to be adjusted also. In the case of headboards without predrilled holes, the captive/caged nuts 28 located in one or more of the first and second headboard apertures 20, 22 can be arranged into a suitable position and then holes drilled into the headboard 44. One or more securing bolts [not shown] are then inserted through the drilled holes in the headboard 44 and into the captive/caged nuts 28 such that the headboard 44 is secured to the first mounting plate 12 of the bed bracket 10. Advantageously, this allows for a wide variety of headboards to be fitted to the bed bracket 10. Further, the second headboard apertures 22 allow for the height of the headboard 44 to be adjusted also.

In order to assist drilling of suitable holes in the headboard 44, locating pins [not shown] are inserted into the captive/caged nuts 28 located in the first headboard apertures 20 and stand proud of the captive/caged nuts 28 such that when a headboard 44 (without predrilled holes) is brought into contact with the first mounting plate 12 and the captive/caged nuts 28, the locating pins make an impression in the headboard to reliably indicate the position of holes through which the securing bolts should be passed so that they engage the captive/caged nuts 28 and secure the headboard to the first mounting plate 12.

Figure 4 illustrates a bed bracket 10 applied to a bed 50 to secure a headboard 44 to a bed frame 52. The bed bracket 10 is applied and secured to the bed frame 52 in the same manner as described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Again, the first and second headboard apertures allows for a wide variety of headboards to be fitted to the bed bracket 10. Further, the second headboard apertures 22 allow for the height of the headboard 44 to be adjusted also.

Preferable sizes of the apertures have been found to be: 49mm by 12.5mm for first headboard apertures 20, 76mm by 12.5mm for second headboard apertures 22 and 76mm by 12.5mm for apertures 24.

Figure 5 illustrates a bed bracket 50 suitable for a trundle bed to secure a headboard to a trundle bed frame [not shown]. The bed bracket 50 includes a first member 50a with a first mounting plate 52 and a second member 50b with a second mounting plate 56. The first mounting plate 52 includes a first flange 54 along one side and a plurality of first and second headboard apertures 60, 62. The first headboard apertures 60 are located transverse with respect to the long direction of the first mounting plate 52. The first headboard apertures 60 are shorter in length than the second headboard aperture 62. The second headboard aperture 62 extends longitudinally with respect to the first mounting plate 52. The second mounting plate 56 includes a second flange 58 along one side and a plurality of apertures 64 which are located transverse with respect to the long direction of the second mounting plate 56. It will be appreciated that a right handed bracket would have a mirror-image configuration to that shown in Figure 5. First and second members 50a, 50b further include screw holes 38 for screws [not shown] which maintain the bed bracket in place during and after installation. The screw holes 38 on the flange 58 also provide an alternative anchoring point, should the screw holes 38 on the second mounting plate 56 be unsuitable anchoring points. First and second members 50a, 50b are welded together at lugs 26 located on second mounting plate 56 and at the intersection 57 of the first mounting plate 52 and the second flange 58. A main difference between this embodiment and that of Figure 2, is that the headboard mounting plate 56 is oriented at right angles to the headboard mounting plate 12 of Figure 2, due to the construction of the trundle bed base.

The bed bracket 50 is applied and secured to the trundle bed [not shown] in the same manner as described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Preferable sizes of the apertures have been found to be: 49mm by 12.5mm for first headboard apertures 60, 1 18.5mm by 12.5mm for the second headboard aperture 62 and 76mm by 12.5mm for apertures 64. It will be appreciated that the distances between apertures may also be varied as appropriate to suit particular types of bedding systems. It will be appreciated that various alterations and/or additions in the particular construction and arrangement of parts previously described may be made without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.