Snap on protective members for bed frames

Abstract

A protective member, preferably an extruded plastic is used to enclose, at least partially, a component of a bed frame so as to provide protection against inadvertent injury to a user striking the otherwise sharp edges of the component. The components are normally a side rail and a center rail and the protective member is snapped fitted to that component by the presence of curved lips that at least partially encircle the external edges of the component. There are also ribs formed in the protective member and which position the protective member a predetermined distance away from the particular component. In the case of the center rail, the protective member is spaced away from the upper surface of the center rail so as to compensate for the lower position of that surface with respect to the head and foot cross members so that a box spring resting upon the side rails and the center rail is supported evenly and does not bow at its center due to a spatial difference between the center rail and the cross members.

1 . A snap on protective member adapted to be affixed to a bed frame component having exterior edges, said snap on member comprising an elongated member having outside edges, each of said outside edges having a lip adapted to fit around an exterior edge of the bed frame component, and a projection formed in said elongated member adjacent to said lip to sandwich the exterior edges of said bed frame component between said lip and said projection to hold said elongate member to said bed frame component.  
     
     
         2 . A snap on protective member as defined in  claim 1  wherein said lip is a curved lip.  
     
     
         3 . A snap on protective member as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elongated member includes a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from the elongated member to locate an external surface of the elongated member at a predetermined distance away from said component.  
     
     
         4 . A snap on protective member as defined in  claim 3  wherein said plurality of ribs are adapted to contact said bed frame component to position an external surface a predetermined distance away from said component.  
     
     
         5 . A snap on protective member as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elongated member is generally L-shaped in cross section so as to be affixed to a side rail of a bed frame.  
     
     
         6 . A snap on protective member as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elongated member is a generally I-shape in cross section so as to be affixed to a planar upper surface of a center rail of a bed frame.  
     
     
         7 . A snap on protective member as defined in  claim 6  wherein the generally I-shaped cross section is slightly curved.  
     
     
         8 . A snap on protective member as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elongated member is an extruded polyethylene.  
     
     
         9 . A bed frame assembly comprising side rails, cross members interconnecting said side rails, and a center rail affixed to said cross members and oriented generally parallel to said side rails, an elongated snap on member affixed at least substantially along the length of at least one of said side rails or said center rail, said elongated member having opposite edges, each of said opposite edges having a curved lip adapted to fit over an outside edge of the bed frame component, and a projection formed in said elongated member adjacent to said curved lip to sandwich said outside edges of said bed frame component between said curved lip and said at least one projection to hold said elongate member to said bed frame component.  
     
     
         10 . A bed frame assembly as defined in  claim 9  wherein said elongated member includes at least one of rib extending from a surface of the elongated member so as to hold the elongated member at a predetermined distance away from said component.  
     
     
         11 . A bed frame assembly as defined in  claim 10  wherein said at least one rib comprises a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from said surface adapted to contact the bed frame component.  
     
     
         12 . A bed frame assembly as defined in  claim 10  wherein said cross members have an upper surface, and wherein said at least one rib is of predetermined dimensions to form an upper surface of said elongated member substantially even with the upper surface of said cross members.  
     
     
         13 . A bed frame assembly as defined in  claim 12  wherein said at least one rib comprises a plurality of ribs that extend downwardly from said elongated member so as to contact said bed frame component.  
     
     
         14 . A bed frame assembly as defined in  claim 12  wherein said elongated member has a slightly curved I-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         15 . A method of protecting a bed frame component having exterior edges, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an elongated member having outside edges formed as curved lips and having at least one projection,    snap fitting the elongated member onto the bed frame component by forcing the curved lips to at least partially surround the exterior edges of the bed frame component to sandwich the exterior edges of the bed frame component between the curved lips and the at least one projection.    
     
     
         16 . A method as defined in  claim 15  wherein said step of providing an elongated member comprises providing an extruded plastic elongated member.  
     
     
         17 . A method as defined in  claim 16  wherein said step of providing an elongated member comprises providing a member having a generally L-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         18 . A method as defined in  claim 16  wherein said step of providing an elongated member comprises providing a member having a slightly curved I-shaped cross section.