[0001] This invention refers to improvements in multi-purpose pieces of furniture particularly
to pieces of furniture featuring simultaneously a set of shelves and other furniture
elements for instance bed elements.
[0002] Hitherto, some pieces of furniture have already been known comprising a shelving
structure and a bed element arranged at an straight angle, allowing its adaptation
respectively to a wall and to the floor of a room, which also form an straight angle.
This arrangement is usual in order to have a multi-purpose utilization of the furniture
element permiting to obtain better advantage of the space available in the room.
[0003] It is an objective of this invention to provide a multi-purpose piece of furniture
which not only permits the multiple character provided by the shelves and one bed
element, but permitting as well, from one side, the arrangement of multiple furniture
elements like a second bed element and a table all of them capable to slide along
the shelf elements, and on the other side, to obtain the capability of arranging all
of the furniture elements forming a block or single module, permiting in this way
an efficient utilization of the volume occupied by a bed element, permiting at the
same time multi-purpose capacity by the arrangement of two bed elements to be located
in variable positions along the space occupated in the room, and having at he same
time a table element capable to slide along the shelving structure as desired without
problems for the location of the bed elements.
[0004] Further, the improvements of this invention provide that the uppermost bed element
has a vertical side wall comprising two parallel and vertical panels or boards, connected
by multiple regularly spaced cross beams, forming a structure which may be used as
ladder for the access to the upper bed element.
[0005] According to these improvements both the upper bed element as well as the lower bed
element and the table element, are constituted by right angle structures having a
vertical side wall with wheels incorporated in the lower border of the wall, to permit
the displacement of the furniture elements which have as well horizontal wings bearing
by its ends by means of wheels, on straight guides incorporated on the shelf elements.
In this way the shelving structure has the double role to receive the usual objects
to be supported by the shelves like books, decorative elements, etc. as well as the
role of supporting and guiding the bed elements and the table elements which are capable
to slide along the entirety of the shelves. This arrangement permits that the bed
elements or the table element may be arranged in any location as desired along the
shelves. Particularly, it will permit an arrangement in which both bed elements may
be located at one end of the furniture while the table may be arranged in an intermediate
location as desired by the user. In an alternative arrangement the bed elements may
be located with a certain spacing to each other and the table element may be arranged
as desired, eventually at an end of the furniture, thus constituting an structure
permiting the use of both bed elements separately to each other.
[0006] The wheels supported on the floor will be assembled, according to these improvements,
partially incorporated in cavities of the furniture elements, this reducing the space
necessary for the wheels, allowing a better aesthetical appearance and preventing
the interference of the wheels with other furniture elements situated at the same
level on the floor. At the same time it will reduce the collection of loose fibers,
lints, etc. by the wheels. Basically, these improvements provide a U form supporting
part receiving the shaft of a wheel between the lower portions of its arms, said supporting
part being incorporated in the lower border of each vertical wall of the bed elements
and table element, each of the arms of the U being adapted to one of the side surfaces
of the vertical wall of the bed element or table element of the multi-purpose piece
of furniture.
[0007] At the same time, these improvements extend to the guiding means for the wheels of
the mobile furniture elements, comprising guides made out of moulded straight elements
to receive the wheels incorporated on the lower borders of the furniture elements
like bed elements or table elements. The wheels are combined with braking devices
comprising a rocking arm associated to the shaft of a wheel, to block the furniture
element in the desired location, thus improving the operative capability of the piece
of furniture.
[0008] In the following, a preferred embodiment of a multi-purpose piece of furniture incorporating
the improvements according to the invention will be explained.
[0009] The drawings are illustrative but they are not to be taken as limiting the scope
of the invention.
[0010] Figure 1 shows a top view of a multi-purpose piece of furniture comprising two bed
elements and one table element, according to the invention.
[0011] Figure 2 shows a front view of the multi-purpose piece of furniture of figure 1.
[0012] Figure 3 shows a side view of the multi-purpose piece of furniture of figure 1.
[0013] Figure 4 is similar to figure 3 showing a different arrangement of the bed elements
and the table element.
[0014] Figure 5 shows a cross section of the multi-purpose piece of furniture.
[0015] Figura 6 shows a cross section of the guiding means for one of the sliding furniture
elements on a shelf.
[0016] Figures 7 and 8 show a wheel incorporated to the lower border of a furniture element.
[0017] Figure 9 shows a detail of one of the wheels sliding on a shelf.
[0018] Figures 10 and 11 are views of the wheels sliding on the shelves, showing a braking
mechanism.
[0019] The multi-purpose piece of furniture according to these improvements comprises a
shelving structure -1- of generally elongated paralelepipedic form, preferably aimed
to adapt to a wall of a room and having preferably two respectively upper and lower
bed elements -2- and -3- with capacity to slide along the shelving structure -1- by
means of guides incorporated on the same. The piece of furniture has a table element
-4- which has also capacity to slide along the shelving structure -1-.
[0020] The bed elements -2- and -3- have vertical walls respectively -5- and -6- which have
in their lower edges corresponding wheel arrangements -7- and -8-. Similarly, the
table element -4- has a vertical wall -9- equipped with a wheel in its lower edge.
The upper bed element has its vertical side wall -5- made out by two vertical rectangular
boards parallel to each other -10- and -11-, figure 4, connected by multiple crossbeams
-12-, -13- and -14- regularly spaced to each other, which may be used as a ladder
for having access to said upper bed element which has, as shown in figure 2, longitudinal
bars -15- close to its upper borders.
[0021] The lower bed element -3- has also bars -16- parallel to the borders of its lengthwise
beams, close to the same in a part of its length.
[0022] The shelving structure -1- has longitudinal shelves such as -17-, -18- and -19- and
multiple open departments -20-, -21- and -22-. The shelves -17-,-18- and -19- have
additionally the role of supporting the ends of the bed elements and the table element,
having guides on which said furniture element are capable of sliding.
[0023] Figure 6 shows an example of the arrangement of the guides for the table element
and the bed elements which slide along said guides by means of small wheels such as
-23- and -23'-. Figure 6 shows in detail one of said wheels -24- sliding on the guide-25-
arranged on the shelf -19-, all of it having only the character of an example. The
guide -25- may be constituted in multiple forms, for instance: by means of successive
protruding lugs rounded in their upper ends, a bar like slider with rounded upper
border, a U cross section slider or any other suitable guiding element. Alternatively,
said guide could be instead of a protuding guide a recessed guide incorporated on
the shelf -19-. In all cases it is essential that the wheels -24- have a profile matching
with the profile of the guides -25-.
[0024] In the embodiment as shown in figure 6 the wheels-24- which form part of the assembly
-23, figure 5, are incorporated into cavities -29- of the table element or bed element
while the wheels -30 of the assembly -23'- are arranged on a supporting part which
has to side plates -26- and -27-, the wheel being located inside of the cavity or
recess -28- of the lower part of the vertical wall of the furniture -1- the plates
-26- and -27- being adapted to the external surfaces of said vertical wall and carrying
at the same time the shaft for the rotation of the wheel -24-. By this arrangement,
the wheels are better protected, being less prone to collecting dirtiness, fibers,
lints, etc. and at the same time the assembly of the wheels to the moving furniture
elements is substantially reinforced.
[0025] An assembly of wheels -23- for the guiding and sliding along the shelving structure
has been shown in figure 9 in which a wheel -24- is to be observed which slides on
the guide -25- and being located inside a cavity or recess -29- of the bed element
or similar furniture element. The guide -25- will be constituted preferably by means
of a moulded synthetic element having protrutions in its lower surface for its incorporation
in recesses of the shelving structure as shown in figure 9. In this way the bed element
or table element are capable of sliding along the horizontal wall -31- of the shelving
structure with the lower border -32- of the moving furniture elements at a certain
high in respect to said horizontal wall. The wheel -24- is well protected inside the
cavity of the moving furniture element. These improvements extend as well, see figures
10 and 11, to the arrangement of a braking mechanism for the wheels, adopting the
form of a rocking arm -33- which is capable to rotate on the shaft of the wheel -24-.
Said rocking arm is connected by means of the link -34- to the bar -35- activating
the braking action. The arrangement is shown in figure 11 in which it is to be observed
that upon pulling the bar -35- the arm -33- will swivel on its center line, engaging
the lower furniture surface -32-, this action producing a braking effect.
[0026] Accordingly these improvements will permit the manufacture of a simple and efficient
multi-purpose piece of furniture, permitting to reunite the constituting furniture
elements, for instance two bed elements and one table element, in only one block or
module, as partially shown in figure 4, that is, all furniture elements may be engaged
one inside the other after sliding along the guides occupying a external volume determined
by the upper bed element-2- with its two vertical side wall elements -10- and -11-,
leaving the rest of the space free. One of the conditions to be met is that the widths
of the various furniture elements be conveniently matched in order to permit its engagement
forming a single module. In the embodiment shown, the greatest width corresponds to
the upper bed element -2- and the shortest width corresponds to the lowermost bed
element -3-, while the table element -4- has an intermediate width with the capacity
of being introduced between both bed elements when inter-engaged. The same condition
is to be met by the heights of the various furniture elements.
1. Improvements in multi-purpose pieces of furniture of the type which comprise a shelving
structure and a bed element or other furniture elements incorporated to the shelving
structure, forming an straight angle, characterized in that the shelving structure
has lengthwise shelves with guides to receive the horizontal members of the bed elements
and one table element, each constituted by two members arranged at an straight angle,
one on which members constitutes the horizontal bed element or table element supported
and guided on the shelves by means of wheels, bearing the other, vertically arranged
member against the floor also by means of wheels.
2. Improvements in multi-purpose pieces of furniture, according to claim 1, characterized
in that the vertical member of the upper bed element, bearing against the floor, is
made out of two boards parallel to each other and connected with multiple crossbeams
at regular spacings forming an access ladder.
3. Improvements in multi-purpose pieces of furniture, according to claim 1, characterized
in that the width of the table has an intermediate value between the widths of the
uppermost bed element which is the longest and the width of the lowermost bed element,
which is the shortest, permiting the introduction within each other of the bed elements
and the table element constituting a single module.
4. Improvements in multi-purpose pieces of furniture, according to claim 1, characterized
in that the wheels which bear on the floor and on the shelves are located in cavities
of the moving furniture elements for its protection and to permite the arrangement
of a braking mechanism for the wheels sliding along the shelves, constituted by a
swiveling arm rotating on the shaft of one of the wheels and a lengthwise driving
bar connected to said swiveling block by means of a link.
5. Improvements in multi-purpose pieces of furniture, according to claims 1 and 4, characterized
in that the wheels which bear on the floor are assembled on supporting U form parts
which arms are adapted to the side external faces of the vertical wall of each of
the sliding furniture elements, carriying in this lower part a shaft for the rotation
of the wheel, which is partially nidden inside a cavity of the vertical wall element.