A mattress support (10) consisting of longitudinal beams (11a, 11b) extending at a distance from each other, transverse beams (12a, 12b) rigidly connected at or near the ends of the longitudinal beams, a flexible support material (14) stretched between the longitudinal beams that is situated at a distance above the underside of the longitudinal beams, and at least one rotatable bracing element (13a, 13b) under the flexible support material surface that is loaded under pressure by the flexible support material surface. The rotatable bracing element can be rotated between an unfolded operational position in which the rotatable bracing element extends downwards at right angles to the flexible support material surface to allow for elastic deformation of the flexible support material surface, and a folded rest position. The rotatable bracing element (13a, 13b) including the rotation means (15a, 15b) can be at least partially enclosed within the space defined between the underside of the flexible support material, the underside of the longitudinal beams and the inner surfaces of the longitudinal beams facing each other.

A bed frame assembly has diagonal struts that lock leg supports into place using novel locking mechanisms. A leg support is pivotally attached to the bedboard frame, and a slotted bracket is welded to a cross bar of the frame. One end of a diagonal strut is pivotally attached to the leg support, and a bolt with a conical washer and a wing nut is attached to the other end. The strut is attached to the slotted bracket by inserting the bolt into a curved slot in the bracket. The bracket also includes a stopper brace that extends perpendicular to the body of the bracket. A side of the end of the strut pushes against the stopper brace when the conical washer is pressed into the end of the curved slot and the wing nut is tightened. The stopper brace prevents the bolt from sliding out of the curved slot.

A bed frame assembly has diagonal struts that lock leg supports into place using novel locking mechanisms. A leg support is pivotally attached to a cross bar, and a slotted bracket is attached to another cross bar. A bolt with a conical washer is attached to a first end of a diagonal strut, and the second end is pivotally attached to the leg support. The diagonal strut is attached to the slotted bracket by inserting the bolt into a rounded slot and by pressing the conical washer down into a round opening of the rounded slot using a wing nut. The round opening is disposed at the end of a channel whose width is slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt. The diameter of the round opening is larger than the width of the channel and smaller than the largest diameter of a coned portion of the conical washer.

An apparatus includes a fixed plate 902 mounted in a bed cabinet 108 and a rotating plate 904, mounted to a bed frame 106, coupled to the fixed plate 902 at a pivot point 906. A first end of a first lever arm 918 is coupled to the fixed plate 902. A first end of a second lever arm 920 is coupled to the first lever arm at a point between the first end and the second end of the first lever arm 918. The second end of the second lever arm 920 is coupled to the rotating plate 904 at a position that is offset a horizontal distance from the pivot point 906. A first end of a gas spring 908 is coupled to the fixed plate 902 and the second end of the gas spring 908 is coupled to the second end of the first lever arm 918.