Bed with improved bottom.

The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a bed with improved bottom. The reference field is the production of beds with a storage space.

Beds are known on the market, which comprise a frame with:

- a headboard intended to be faced towards a head of the user,

- a footboard in parallel position to the headboard, and

- two parallel sides perpendicular to the headboard and the footboard.

Moreover, the bed comprises a bottom fixed to the sides, to the footboard and to the headboard. The bottom is disposed onto a floor.

Furthermore, the frame comprises a space that is perimetrally defined by the headboard, the two sides and the footboard, the bottom in lower position and the bed base in upper position.

The bed can also comprise actuation means fixed to the frame in order to move the bed base in order to raise or lower it with respect to the frame.

When the bed base is raised, the user can access the space, which acts as storage. When the bed base is lowered, said bed base closes the space on top.

The bed comprises feet to support the frame on the floor. Given the fact that the bed base must be disposed at a fixed height of 40-45 cm from the floor, in order to maximize the volume of the storage space, the feet must be as short as possible. Generally, this type of beds has feet of 10-15 cm. However, such a reduced height of the feet does not permit to access the floor under the bottom easily, for example for cleaning operations.

Given the fact that it is fixed to the frame, the bottom cannot be moved for cleaning. CN202043912 discloses a bed comprising a bearing structure intended to support a bed base and comprising a frame that defines a space intended to be closed on top by the bed base. The frame supports a bottom intended to be disposed under the bed base and comprising rigidly-connected plates.

EP2497392 discloses a bed comprising a bed base composed of mobile slats. Such a bed does not comprise any bottom disposed under the bed base.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by disclosing a bed with improved bottom that provides easy access to the floor under the bottom.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a bed with improved bottom that is easy to use, mount and maintain.

The bed of the invention comprises a bearing structure intended to support a bed base. The bearing structure comprises a frame that defines a space intended to be closed on top by the bed base.

The frame supports a bottom intended to be disposed under the bed base and on a floor.

The peculiarity of the bed according to the present invention is that the bottom of the frame comprises a plurality of slats with a longitudinal axis. The slats are mutually connected with connection means, in such manner that each slat can move with respect to the adjacent slat, so that the bottom can be:

- in an extended position, wherein the slats are disposed in such manner to close the space on the bottom preventing the floor from being accessed from the space, and

- in a contracted position, wherein the slats are disposed in such manner to form a lower opening of the space to provide access to the floor from the space.

The opening is disposed in such a way to provide access to the floor through the space. Because of the provision of a bottom of the frame provided with mobile slats, the floor under the bed can be accessed from the space, in such manner to make floor cleaning easier.

For the sake of clarity, the description of the bed with improved bottom continues with reference to the attached drawings, which have a merely illustrative, not limiting value, wherein:

Figs. 1 to 4 are an axonometric view of a bed with improved bottom according to the present invention in different positions;

Figs. 5 to 8 are an axonometric view of a second embodiment of a bed with improved bottom according to the present invention in different positions.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, a bed with improved bottom according to the present invention is disclosed, which is generally indicated with reference numeral (1 ).

The bed (1 ) comprises a bearing structure (2) that is intended to support a bed base (5). The bearing structure comprises a frame (3). The frame (3) comprises:

- two longitudinal frame members (31 , 32) in parallel position, each of them with a longitudinal axis (Z);

- a headboard (33) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal frame members (31 , 32) and is intended to be faced towards a head of a user;

- a footboard (34) parallel to the headboard (33) and intended to be faced towards the feet of the user.

The frame supports a bottom (6) intended to be disposed under the bed base (5) and onto a floor.

The frame (3) defines a space (30) that is perimetrally closed by the longitudinal frame members (31 , 32), the headboard (33), the footboard (34) and the bottom (6) in lower position. Moreover, the space (30) is intended to be closed on top by the bed base (5).

The bottom (6) of the frame comprises a plurality of slats (61 ), each of them having a longitudinal axis (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Z) of the longitudinal frame members. Advantageously, the slats are made of plastics.

The frame (3) comprises two "C"-shaped support bars (38). The support bars (38) are longitudinally fixed to the longitudinal frame members (31 , 32) of the frame and partially to the headboard (33) and to the footboard (34) in such a way to protrude towards the interior of the bed. The support bars (38) act as support for the bottom (6). In fact, each slat (61 ) of the bottom has two opposite ends (63) that are slidingly supported by the bars (38).

Optionally, the frame (3) comprises a central longitudinal frame member (37) that is fixed to the frame (3) and supports the bottom. In particular, the central longitudinal frame member (37) is fixed to the headboard (33) and to the footboard (34) and is parallel to the support bars (38). The central longitudinal frame member (37) is disposed in central position with respect to the support bars (38) and is intended to support the bottom (6) of the frame so that the slats do not bend because of heavy objects disposed in the space. Said bar (37) is normally provided in double beds, whereas it is normally not provided in single beds.

The slats (61 ) are mutually connected with connection means (62), in such manner that each slat can move with respect to the adjacent slat. In view of the above, the bottom (6) can be in two positions:

- in an extended position, wherein the slats (61 ) are disposed in such manner to close the space (30) on the bottom and prevent the floor from being accessed from the space (30), and

- in a contracted position, wherein the slats (61 ) are disposed in such manner to form a lower opening of the space (30) to provide access to the floor from the space (30).

In the contracted position, the opening is disposed in such a way to provide access to the floor through the space (30).

In the extended position the slats (61 ) are coplanar. The connection means (62) of the slats (61 ) are hinges that allow for the mutual movement of the slats just like a bellows. The slats are moved in a moving direction (W) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the slats (61 ). In particular, when passing from the extended position to the contracted position, the slats (61 ) are moved along the moving direction (W) towards the headboard (33); whereas when passing from the contracted position to the extended position, the slats (61 ) are moved along the moving direction (W) towards the footboard (34).

Similarly, the slats (61 ) can move towards the headboard (33) when passing from the contracted position to the extended position and towards the footboard (34) when passing from the extended position to the contracted position.

Alternatively, the longitudinal axis (Y) of the slats can be parallel to the longitudinal axis (Z) of the longitudinal frame members (31 , 32). In such a case, the ends of the slats are slidingly supported on guide rails fixed to the headboard and the footboard.

Optionally, the bottom (6) can be connected to the frame (3) along an axis (X) parallel to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the slats (61 ). In particular, the slats (61 ) can comprise an end slat (61 a) permanently fixed to the headboard (33) of the frame in such manner to make the movement of the slats (61 ) easier.

To access the floor under the bed (1 ) from the space (30), the slats (61 ) can be manually moved from the extended position to the contracted position and moved again successively from the contracted position to the extended position.

The provision of the bottom (6) of the frame provided with mobile slats (61 ) allows accessing the floor under the bed from the space (30) in order to make floor cleaning operations easier.

Optionally, the bearing structure (2) comprises a linear actuator (not shown in the figures) fixed to the frame (3) and connected to the bottom (6) to let the slats (61 ) slide on the rails (38) in such manner that the bottom (6) can go from the contracted position to the extended position and vice versa.

The bearing structure (2) comprises actuation means (4) laterally connected to the frame (3) and to the bed base (5) on top to support and move said bed base (5).

In particular, the actuation means (4) are fixed to both longitudinal frame members (31 , 32). The actuation means (4) comprise a support

(42) intended to support the bed base and a lever mechanism (L) connected to the longitudinal frame member and to the support.

The lever mechanism (L) can have the shape of an articulated parallelogram. For instance, the lever mechanism (L) comprises three levers (40, 41 , 43):

- a first lever (40) is fixed to the longitudinal frame member,

- a second lever (41 ) is hinged to the first lever and to the support, - a third lever (43) is hinged to the first lever and slidingly mounted in the support (42).

The bed base (5) rests on the support (42) that can go from a lowered condition, wherein the support is horizontal and is disposed inside the space (30) and the bed base (5) is horizontal and closes the space (30), to a raised condition, wherein the support is oblique and comes out partially from the space (30) and the bed base (5) is tilted and provides access to the space (30) of the frame.

Optionally, the actuation means (4) comprise a shock absorber

(44) disposed between the first lever (40) and the support (42) in order to raise and lower the bed base (5) easier.

The space (30) is intended to be closed on top with the bed base

(5), when the bed base (5) is lowered. By pushing the bed base (5) upwards in correspondence of the footboard (34), the bed base is tilted upwards from the side of the footboard (34). In this way, the space (30) can be accessed and the slats (61 ) of the bottom can be moved in order to access the floor under the bed (1 ) from the space (30). As shown in Fig. 2, the bearing structure (2) also comprises corner pieces (7) made of iron or other resistant material, which are disposed on the corners of the headboards to support the bed base (5) when said bed base closes the space (30) on top.

As shown in Fig. 4, the bed (1 ) comprises two stops (8) provided with an overturned-"!-!" shape. Each stop (8) comprises two ends intended to be fixed to the bed base (5) in correspondence of the headboard (33) of the frame, in such manner to prevent a mattress disposed onto the bed base (5) from sliding towards the headboard (33) of the frame when the bed base (5) is raised.

Moreover, the bearing structure (2) comprises feet (9) intended to raise the frame (3) from the ground. The feet (9) are disposed at the corners of the frame (3) and have a height of approximately 10-15 cm. Optionally, as shown in Fig. 1 , the bearing structure can comprise an additional foot (9a) fixed to the bar (37) in order to support the bar (37).

Figs 5 to 8 show a second embodiment of the bed (101 ) according to the present invention, wherein the connection means (162) of the slats (61 ) comprise flexible straps that connect the slats (61 ) mutually in such manner that the slats (61 ) can be rolled up to allow for closing and opening the bottom (106) like a roll.

As shown in Figs. 5 to 8, in order to access the floor under the bed (101 ) from the space (30), the slats (61 ) can be manually rolled from the extended position to the contracted position and successively unrolled manually from the contracted position to the extended position.

Optionally, the bearing structure (2) comprises:

- a shaft that is connected to the longitudinal frame members (31 , 32) in proximal position to the headboard (33) (or the footboard (34)) of the frame and is revolvingly mounted around an axis (Χ') disposed in parallel position to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the slats (61 ), and

- an (optional) electric motor fixed to the frame (3) and intended to drive said shaft into rotation. The end slat (61 a) is fixed to the shaft in correspondence of the headboard (33) of the frame in such manner that the slats (61 ) of the bottom can be rolled around the shaft that is used to fix the bottom (6) and defines the rolling direction of the bottom (6).

Optionally, the bearing structure (2) can comprise an elastic return means connected to the bottom (106) and to the footboard (34) of the frame (3), in such manner that said elastic return means is loaded when the bottom (106) is in contracted position and forces the bottom (106) from the contracted position to the extended position.

Although it is not shown in the figures, the frame may have a non- quadrangular shape. For example, the frame may have a disc-like shape. In such a case, it will be possible to move the slats towards the center in order to access the floor under the bed from the space.