Embedded furniture

Abstract

A furniture and floor structure design allows a large piece flat furniture to be hidden in the floor. This design includes two interchangeable mechanisms, both achieving the same result, which is allowing the furniture to be risen out of the floor and collapsed into the floor. This design allows the room to have more space for placing items and helps extendable/foldable houses to have more furniture stored in a limited space. Examples of such furniture include a bed frame and a dinner table, but the two mechanisms can also be used on furniture other than these two examples. The mechanisms are interchangeable and neither of them are limited to a certain type of furniture. The first mechanism includes two sets of sliding blocks and several rotatable linkages while the second mechanism includes one set of sliding blocks and a pulley-belt system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for raising and lowering a furniture item comprising:
 first and second sliding plates, wherein:   each of the first and second movable members are disposed in a recess in a floor of a structure; and   each of the first and second movable members operable to slide outward and away from each other along a linear track within the recess to move the furniture item from a retracted state to a raised state.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a supporting member connected to each of the first and second sliding plates to evenly move the first and second movable plates toward and away from each other along the linear track. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rail disposed along the linear track. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rail engages with an underside of each of the first and second sliding plates to prevent upward movement of the first and second sliding plates. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising first and second legs pivotably attached, at a lower end thereof, to respective first and second sliding plates, wherein the first and second legs extend upward, above a plane of the floor in the raised state. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a furniture item top pivotably attached to an upper end of each of the first and second legs. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the furniture item top is a bed frame top or a tabletop. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the furniture item top is generally flush with the plane of the floor, with the first and second legs disposed under the furniture item top, when the system is in the retracted state. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sliding plates move uniformly and equally away or toward each other during movement between the retracted state and the raised state. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the supporting member includes first and second sliding guides movable along a guide track, the guide track having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the linear track, the first and second sliding guides attached to the first and second sliding plates. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 first and second linkages, each pivotably attached, at a first end thereof, to the first sliding guide, each of the first and second linkages further pivotably attached, at a second end thereof, to an upper inside edge of each of the first and second sliding plates; and   third and fourth linkages, each pivotably attached, at a first end thereof, to the second sliding guide, each of the third and fourth linkages further pivotably attached, at a second end thereof, to a lower inside edge of each of the first and second sliding plates.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the supporting member includes a belt spanning between pulleys at opposite ends of the linear track. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second sliding plates engages with the belt to guide movement thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the belt is disposed in a first and second channel formed in the underside of each of the first and second sliding plates, the first channel permitting the belt to freely move therethrough, and the second channel engaging with the belt so that movement of each of the first and second sliding plates moves the belt. 
     
     
         15 . A system for raising and lowering a furniture item comprising:
 first and second sliding plates;   first and second legs pivotably attached, at a lower end thereof, to respective first and second sliding plates, wherein the first and second legs extend upward, above a plane of a floor in a raised state;   first and second sliding guides movable along a guide track, the guide track having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the linear track, the first and second sliding guides attached to the first and second sliding plates; and   a furniture item top of the furniture item pivotably attached to an upper end of each of the first and second legs, wherein   each of the first and second movable members are disposed in a recess in the floor of a structure;   each of the first and second movable members operable to slide outward and away from each other along a linear track within the recess to move the furniture item from the retracted state to a raised state; and   the first and second sliding plates move uniformly and equally away or toward each other during movement between the retracted state and the raised state.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 first and second linkages, each pivotably attached, at a first end thereof, to the first sliding guide, each of the first and second linkages further pivotably attached, at a second end thereof, to an upper inside edge of each of the first and second sliding plates; and   third and fourth linkages, each pivotably attached, at a first end thereof, to the second sliding guide, each of the third and fourth linkages further pivotably attached, at a second end thereof, to a lower inside edge of each of the first and second sliding plates.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a rail disposed along the linear track, wherein the rail engages with an underside of each of the first and second sliding plates to prevent upward movement of the first and second sliding plates. 
     
     
         18 . A system for raising and lowering a furniture item comprising:
 first and second sliding plates, wherein each of the first and second movable members operable to slide outward and away from each other along a linear track within a recess in a floor of a structure to move the furniture item between a retracted state to a raised state;   first and second legs pivotably attached, at a lower end thereof, to respective first and second sliding plates, wherein the first and second legs extend upward, above a plane of the floor in the raised state;   a belt spanning between pulleys at opposite ends of the linear track, wherein each of the first and second sliding plates engages with the belt to guide movement thereof; and   a furniture item top of the furniture item pivotably attached to an upper end of each of the first and second legs, wherein   the first and second sliding plates move uniformly and equally away or toward each other during movement between the retracted state and the raised state.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the belt is disposed in a first and second channel formed in the underside of each of the first and second sliding plates, the first channel permitting the belt to freely move therethrough, and the second channel engaging with the belt so that movement of each of the first and second sliding plates moves the belt. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a rail disposed along the linear track, wherein the rail engages with an underside of each of the first and second sliding plates to prevent upward movement of the first and second sliding plates.