Loft bed and loft bed system

Abstract

A loft bed readily configured into expanded assembled and collapsed disassembled positions to facilitate shipping, transport, and/or storage. The loft bed includes a mattress support having a plurality of separable supports for supporting a mattress, a frame including a plurality of multi-piece, bed support rails assemblable into a frame for supporting the mattress support, and a plurality of legs for supporting the mattress support above a floor or ground, each leg including separate upper and lower leg portions. The legs and the bed support rails are attachable to form an expanded assembled position capable of supporting a user and detachable to form a collapsed disassembled position for shipping, transporting, and/or storage.

1 . A loft bed having expanded assembled and collapsed disassembled positions, said loft bed comprising: 
 a mattress support that includes a plurality of separable supports for supporting a mattress;    a frame including a plurality of multi-piece bed support rails for supporting said mattress support; and    a plurality of legs for supporting said mattress support above a floor or ground, each leg including an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion, said upper leg portion being separable from said lower leg portion,    wherein said legs and said bed support rails are attachable to form an expanded assembled position capable of supporting a user and detachable to form a collapsed disassembled position for shipping, transporting, and/or storage.    
     
     
         2 . The bed according to  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of support members that connect between at least two of said plurality of legs, at least some of said support members being configured to form an integral ladder to provide access to said mattress support.  
     
     
         3 . The bed according to  claim 1  further comprising a detachable connection that extends between each upper leg portion and each lower leg portion.  
     
     
         4 . The bed according to  claim 3  wherein said detachable connection comprises a protrusion in each upper leg portion and a receptacle in each lower leg portion configured to receive said protrusion.  
     
     
         5 . The bed according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of legs comprise two at least partially hollow portions detachably connected together.  
     
     
         6 . The bed according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of legs comprise at least one of cold rolled steel, extruded aluminum, powder coated cold rolled steel, synthetic materials, and natural materials.  
     
     
         7 . The bed according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of leg covers attachable to said plurality of legs.  
     
     
         8 . The bed according to  claim 7 , further comprising a connector portion that snap fits each of said plurality of leg covers to one of said plurality of legs.  
     
     
         9 . The bed according to  claim 8  wherein said leg covers include spaces to route wires out of sight in an area between at least one of said leg covers and at least one of said plurality of legs.  
     
     
         10 . The bed according to  claim 1  wherein at least two of said plurality of bed support rails comprise first and second portions that are detachably connected by a separate connector member.  
     
     
         11 . The bed according to  claim 10  wherein said connector member is a bed support rail connector.  
     
     
         12 . The bed according to  claim 1  further comprising guard rails arranged substantially above said bed support rails to confine the space above said mattress support.  
     
     
         13 . The bed according to  claim 1  further comprising at least one horizontal work surface supported by said bed support rails.  
     
     
         14 . A portable bed system comprising the loft bed according to  claim 1  and at least one of a storage device and a transport device configured to hold said loft bed in its collapsed disassembled position.  
     
     
         15 . A disassembled loft bed comprising: 
 a mattress support that includes a plurality of supports for supporting a mattress;    a plurality of bed support rails configurable to form a frame for supporting the mattress support, at least one of said bed support rails including multiple pieces; and    a plurality of legs for supporting the mattress support above a floor or ground, each leg including an upper leg portion and a separate lower leg portion, said upper leg portion being connectable to said lower leg portion.    
     
     
         16 . The bed according to  claim 15 , further comprising a container holding said mattress support, said bed support rails, and said legs in a compact position for shipping, transport and/or storage.  
     
     
         17 . A method of assembling a loft bed, the method comprising steps of: 
 forming a frame by connecting a plurality of disassembled, multi-pieces together to form at least two bed support rails and connecting the bed support rails together;    connecting a plurality of upper leg portions and lower leg portions together to form a plurality of legs;    connecting the legs to the frame; and    combining a plurality of separable supports to form a mattress support for supporting a mattress on the frame.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  further comprising the step of connecting a plurality of support members between at least two of the plurality of legs, at least some of the support members being configured to form an integral ladder to provide access to the mattress support.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising the step of attaching a plurality of leg covers to the plurality of legs.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  further comprising the step of routing wires in an area between at least one of the leg covers and one of the plurality of legs.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17  further comprising the step of arranging guard rails substantially above the bed support rails.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising the step of attaching at least one horizontal work surface to the bed.