Foldable bed

Abstract

A foldable bed includes an upstanding cabinet; a bed frame assembly; and a pair of shifting mechanisms for pivotally supporting the bed frame assembly to the cabinet so the bed frame assembly can be shifted between a raised, closed position and a lowered, open position. Each of the shifting mechanisms includes a hinge plate pivotally connected to the cabinet and integrally formed with a portion of the bed frame assembly and a piston coupled between the hinge plate and the cabinet for assisting with shifting of the bed frame assembly between the raised and lowered positions. The bed frame assembly broadly comprises a tray; a metal frame positioned on top of and attached to the tray; and a plurality of metal legs positioned below and attached to the tray and the metal frame.

1 . A foldable bed comprising:
 an upstanding cabinet;   a bed frame assembly; and   a pair of shifting mechanisms for pivotally supporting the bed frame assembly to the cabinet so the bed frame assembly can be shifted between a raised, closed position and a lowered, open position; each of the shifting mechanisms comprising—
 a hinge plate pivotally connected to the cabinet and integrally formed with a portion of the bed frame assembly; and 
 a piston coupled between the hinge plate and the cabinet for assisting with shifting of the bed frame assembly between the raised and lowered positions. 
   
     
     
         2 . The foldable bed of  claim 1 , the cabinet comprising:
 a metal frame; and   a plurality of panels that attach to and partially cover the metal frame.   
     
     
         3 . The foldable bed of  claim 2 , the cabinet metal frame comprising:
 a pair of spaced-apart vertically-extending side rails, the lower ends of which form two rear legs;   a horizontally-extending top rail connected between the side rails;   a horizontally-extending bottom rail spaced from and connected to the side rails by a pair of short side rails; and   a pair of front legs extending from the bottom rail.   
     
     
         4 . The foldable bed of  claim 3 , wherein the hinge plate has a pivot point above and between the rear legs and the front legs of the cabinet. 
     
     
         5 . The foldable bed of  claim 3 , wherein the pistons are positioned above and between the rear and front legs of the cabinet and remain generally vertically-disposed over the entire path of travel of the bed frame assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The foldable bed of  claim 1 , the bed frame assembly comprising:
 a tray formed of synthetic resin material;   a metal frame positioned on top of and attached to the tray;   a plurality of metal legs positioned below and attached to the tray and the metal frame.   
     
     
         7 . The foldable bed of  claim 6 , the tray comprising:
 a plurality of spaced-apart, mattress-engaging raised cushions for supporting a mattress on the bed frame;   a plurality of raised, elongated ridges positioned between the cushions for coupling with the metal frame of the bed frame assembly,   a raised outer edge for securing the mattress within the tray.   
     
     
         8 . The foldable bed of  claim 7 , the metal frame of the bed frame assembly comprising:
 a pair of rear corner plates,   a pair of front corner plates,   a left side rail connected between one of the rear corner plates and one of the front corner plates,   a right side rail connected between the other of the rear corner plates and the other of the front corner plates,   a rear rail connected between the two rear corner plates,   a front rail connected between the two front corner plates,   a plurality of spaced-apart inner rails positioned between the left side rail and the right side rail and connected between the front rail and the rear rail, and   a central rail positioned between the front rail and the rear rail and connected between the left side rail and the right side rail.   
     
     
         9 . The foldable bed of  claim 8 , wherein the left side rail, right side rail, rear rail, front rail, inner rails, and central rail are positioned over and attached to the elongated ridges in the tray. 
     
     
         10 . A foldable bed comprising:
 an upstanding cabinet;   a bed frame assembly; and   a pair of shifting mechanisms for pivotally supporting the bed frame assembly to the cabinet so the bed frame assembly can be shifted between a raised, closed position and a lowered, use position;   the bed frame assembly comprising—
 a tray formed of synthetic resin material; 
 a metal frame positioned on top of and attached to the tray; 
 a plurality of metal legs positioned below and attached to the tray and the metal frame. 
   
     
     
         11 . The foldable bed of  claim 10 , each of the shifting mechanisms comprising:
 a hinge plate pivotally connected to the cabinet; and   a piston coupled between the hinge plate and the cabinet for assisting with shifting of the bed frame assembly between the raised and lowered positions.   
     
     
         12 . The foldable bed of  claim 11 , the cabinet comprising:
 a metal frame;   a plurality of plastic panels that attach to and partially cover the metal frame.   
     
     
         13 . The foldable bed of  claim 12 , the cabinet metal frame comprising:
 a pair of spaced-apart vertically-extending side rails, the lower ends of which form two rear legs for the cabinet;   a horizontally-extending top rail connected between the side rails;   a horizontally-extending bottom rail spaced from and connected to the side rails by a pair of braces; and   a pair of front legs extending from the bottom rail.   
     
     
         14 . The foldable bed of  claim 10 , the tray comprising:
 a plurality of spaced-apart, raised, mattress-engaging cushions for supporting a mattress on the bed frame;   a plurality of raised, elongated ridges positioned between the cushions for coupling with the metal frame of the bed frame assembly,   a raised outer edge for securing the mattress within the tray.   
     
     
         15 . The foldable bed of  claim 10 , the metal frame of the bed frame assembly comprising;
 a pair of rear corner plates,   a pair of front corner plates,   a left side rail connected between one of the rear corner plates and one of the front corner plates,   a right side rail connected between the other of the rear corner plates and the other of the front corner plates,   a rear rail connected between the two rear corner plates,   a front rail connected between the two front corner plates,   a plurality of spaced-apart inner rails positioned between the left side rail and the right side rail and connected between the front rail and the rear rail, and   a central rail positioned between the front rail and the rear rail and connected between the left side rail and the right side rail.   
     
     
         16 . The foldable bed of  claim 13 , wherein the hinge plate has a pivot point above and between the rear legs and the front legs of the cabinet. 
     
     
         17 . The foldable bed of  claim 16 , wherein the pistons are positioned above and between the rear and front legs of the cabinet and remain generally vertically-disposed over the entire path of travel of the bed frame assembly. 
     
     
         18 . A foldable bed comprising:
 an upstanding cabinet the cabinet comprising:   a metal frame; and   a plurality of plastic panels that attach to and partially cover the metal frame;   a bed frame assembly comprising:
 a tray formed of synthetic resin material; 
 a metal frame positioned on top of and attached to the tray; 
 a plurality of metal legs positioned below and attached to the tray and the metal frame; and 
   a pair of shifting mechanisms for pivotally supporting the bed frame assembly to the cabinet so the bed frame assembly can be shifted between a raised, closed position and a lowered, use position; each of the shifting mechanisms comprising:
 a hinge plate pivotally connected to the cabinet; and 
 a piston coupled between the hinge plate and the cabinet for assisting with shifting of the bed frame assembly between the raised and lowered positions. 
   
     
     
         19 . The foldable bed of  claim 18 , the cabinet metal frame comprising:
 a pair of spaced-apart vertically-extending side rails, the lower ends of which form two rear legs for the cabinet;   a horizontally-extending top rail connected between the side rails;   a horizontally-extending bottom rail spaced from and connected to the side rails by a pair of braces; and   a pair of front legs extending from the bottom rail.   
     
     
         20 . The foldable bed of  claim 18 , the tray comprising:
 a plurality of spaced-apart, raised, mattress-engaging cushions for supporting a mattress on the bed frame;   a plurality of raised, elongated ridges positioned between the cushions for coupling with the metal frame of the bed frame assembly,   a raised outer edge for securing the mattress within the tray.