Assemblable Mattress Support Whose Side Panels, Headboard and Footboard Fit Inside A Single Packing Box

Abstract

An assemblable mattress support can be shipped with all of its components compactly packed into the headboard. The mattress support includes a foldable longitudinal bar, a lateral bar, side panels, wooden slats, block legs and a footboard, all of which fit inside a compartment in the headboard. In an assembled state of the mattress support, a first connector at one end of the longitudinal bar attaches to a third connector on the outside of the headboard. A second connector at the other end of the longitudinal bar attaches to a fourth connector on the footboard. The middle of the lateral bar connects to the middle of the longitudinal bar. The block legs are attached to the bottom sides of the headboard and footboard. The slats are attached to one another by fabric ribbons and are placed in parallel over the longitudinal bar and support ledges on the side panels.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A boxed mattress support comprising: a mattress support adapted to support a mattress, wherein the mattress has a width, wherein the mattress is a mattress taken from the group consisting of: a Queen size mattress, a Full size mattress, a California King size mattress, and an Eastern King size mattress, wherein the mattress support comprises: a headboard that has a front side and a back side, wherein the front side is covered with a covering material, wherein the covering material is taken from the group consisting of: a leather, an artificial leather, and a fabric; a footboard, wherein the footboard has a side that is covered with the covering material; a first side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the first side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a second side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the second side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a third side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the third side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a fourth side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the fourth side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a first pair of bolts; a second pair of bolts; a third pair of bolts; a fourth pair of bolts; a first support leg that in an assembled state of the mattress support is joined by the first pair of bolts to the first side panel portion and that is joined by the second pair of bolts to the second side panel portion so that the first and second side panel portions together form a first side panel of the mattress support; a second support leg that in the assembled state of the mattress support is joined by the third pair of bolts to the third side panel portion and that is joined by the fourth pair of bolts to the fourth side panel portion so that the third and fourth side panel portions together form a second side panel of the mattress support; a plurality of slats, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support each of the slats extends laterally across the mattress support from one of the slat support ledges of first side panel to one of the slat support ledges of the second side panel; written assembly instructions describing how to assemble the mattress support into the assembled state; and a single packing box, wherein in a compact state of the mattress support the written assembly instructions, the headboard, the footboard, the first side panel portion, the second side panel portion, the third side panel portion, the fourth side panel portion, the first pair of bolts, the second pair of bolts, the third pair of bolts, the fourth pair of bolts, the first support leg, the second support leg, and the plurality of slats are disposed in the single packing box, wherein none of the first, second, third, and fourth side panel portions is attached to any other of the first, second, third, and fourth side panel portions when the mattress support is disposed in the single packing box in the compact state, and wherein the single packing box has a length that is only about six inches longer than the width of the mattress.

22. The boxed mattress support of claim 21, wherein the first support leg comprises a vertical leg portion and horizontal angled bracket portion, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the angled bracket portion of the first support leg supports a bottom side of the first side panel and also supports a bottom side of the second side panel; and wherein the second support leg comprises a vertical leg portion and horizontal angled bracket portion, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the angled bracket portion of the second support leg supports a bottom side of the third side panel and also supports a bottom side of the fourth side panel.

23. The boxed mattress support of claim 21, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the first side panel is attached to the headboard, and wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the second side panel is attached to the headboard.

24. The boxed mattress support of claim 21, wherein the headboard has a compartment that extends into the back side of the headboard, wherein in the compact state of the mattress support the footboard, the first side panel portion, the second side panel portion, the third side panel portion, the fourth side panel portion, the first support leg, the second support leg, and the plurality of slats are disposed in the compartment.

25. The boxed mattress support of claim 21, wherein the mattress support further comprises a longitudinal bar.

26. The boxed mattress support of claim 21, wherein the mattress support further comprises a first longitudinal bar portion, a second longitudinal bar portion, and a support leg portion, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the support leg portion of the longitudinal bar connects to the first longitudinal bar portion and also connects to the second longitudinal bar portion, and wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support a first end of the longitudinal bar connects to the headboard and a second end of the longitudinal bar connects to the footboard.

27. The boxed mattress support of claim 26, wherein the mattress support further comprises a lateral bar, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the lateral bar attaches to the longitudinal bar and extends perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal bar.

28. The boxed mattress support of claim 21, wherein the mattress is a Queen size mattress that has a width of sixty inches, and wherein the length of the packing box is only about sixty-six inches in length.

29. A boxed mattress support comprising: a mattress support adapted to support a mattress, wherein the mattress has a width, wherein the mattress is a mattress taken from the group consisting of: a Queen size mattress, a Full size mattress, a California King size mattress, and an Eastern King size mattress, wherein the mattress support comprises: a headboard that has a front side and a back side, wherein the front side is covered with a covering material, wherein the covering material is taken from the group consisting of: a leather, an artificial leather, and a fabric; a footboard, wherein the footboard has a side that is covered with the covering material; a first side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the first side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a second side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the second side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a third side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the third side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a fourth side panel portion having a slat support ledge, wherein the fourth side panel portion has a side that is covered with the covering material; a first leg support means for: 1) in an assembled state of the mattress support, joining the first side panel portion to the second side panel portion so that the first and second side panel portions together form a first side panel of the mattress support, and 2) in the assembled state of the mattress support, supporting the first side panel with respect to a surface upon which the mattress support rests; a second leg support means for: 1) in the assembled state of the mattress support, joining the third side panel portion to the fourth side panel portion so that the third and fourth side panel portions together form a second side panel of the mattress support, and 2) in the assembled state of the mattress support, supporting the second side panel with respect to the surface upon which the mattress support rests; a plurality of slats, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support each of the slats extends laterally across the mattress support from one of the slat support ledges of first side panel to one of the slat support ledges of the second side panel; written assembly instructions describing how to assemble the mattress support into the assembled state; and a single packing box, wherein in a compact state of the mattress support the written assembly instructions, the headboard, the footboard, the first side panel portion, the second side panel portion, the third side panel portion, the fourth side panel portion, the first support leg means, the second support leg means, and the plurality of slats are disposed in the single packing box, wherein none of the first, second, third, and fourth side panel portions is attached to any other of the first, second, third, and fourth side panel portions when the mattress support is disposed in the single packing box in the compact state, wherein the single packing box has a length that is only about six inches longer than the width of the mattress.

30. The boxed mattress support of claim 29, wherein the first leg support means is also for: 3) supporting the first side panel portion and the second side panel portion from the bottom, and wherein the second leg support means is also for: 3) supporting the third side panel portion and the fourth side panel portion from the bottom.

31. A boxed mattress support comprising: a mattress support adapted to support a mattress that has a width, wherein the mattress support comprises: a headboard that has a front side and a back side, wherein the front side is covered with a covering material; a footboard, wherein the footboard has a side that is covered with the covering material; a first side panel portion that has a side covered with the covering material; a second side panel portion that has a side covered with the covering material; a third side panel portion that has a side covered with the covering material; a fourth side panel portion that has a side covered with the covering material; a first support leg that in an assembled state of the mattress support is joined to the first side panel portion and to the second side panel portion so that the first and second side panel portions together form a first side panel of the mattress support; a second support leg that in the assembled state of the mattress support is joined to the third side panel portion and to the fourth side panel portion so that the third and fourth side panel portions together form a second side panel of the mattress support; a plurality of slats, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support each of the slats is oriented laterally in the mattress support and contacts at least one of the first side panel or the second side panel; written assembly instructions describing how to assemble the mattress support into the assembled state; and a single packing box, wherein in a compact state of the mattress support the written assembly instructions, the headboard, the footboard, the first side panel portion, the second side panel portion, the third side panel portion, the fourth side panel portion, the first support leg, the second support leg, and the plurality of slats are disposed in the single packing box, wherein none of the first, second, third, and fourth side panel portions is attached to any other of the first, second, third, and fourth side panel portions when the mattress support is disposed in the single packing box in the compact state, and wherein the single packing box has a length that is only about six inches longer than the width of the mattress.

32. The boxed mattress support of claim 31, wherein the mattress support further comprises a lateral bar, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the lateral bar extends laterally from the first side panel to the second side panel.

33. The boxed mattress support of claim 31, wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the first side panel portion is attached to the headboard, and wherein in the assembled state of the mattress support the second side panel portion is attached to the footboard.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings, where like numerals indicate like components, illustrate embodiments of the invention.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled state of a mattress support whose components fit inside the headboard.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mattress support of FIG. 1 viewed from the back side of the headboard.

[0012] FIG. 3 shows the headboard of FIG. 1 lying flat with a flap on its back side opened.

[0013] FIG. 4 shows the slats, longitudinal bar and lateral bar of the mattress support of FIG. 1 in more detail.

[0014] FIG. 5 shows the longitudinal bar removed from the compartment and attached to the front side of the headboard.

[0015] FIG. 6 shows the lateral bar attached to the longitudinal bar of FIG. 5.

[0016] FIG. 7 shows a second connector on the longitudinal bar of FIG. 5 being attached to the footboard.

[0017] FIG. 8 shows how a side panel is attached to the footboard.

[0018] FIG. 9 shows how a side panel is attached to the headboard.

[0019] FIG. 10 shows a side panel being attached to an angled bracket and a connector on a support leg of the lateral bar.

[0020] FIG. 11 is a perspective view from the front the assembled mattress support before the slats have been laid across the support ledges.

[0021] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of steps for compactly packing the mattress support of FIG. 1 for shipping.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to some embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a compact assemblable mattress support 10 in an assembled state. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, mattress support 10 supports a Queen size mattress. Other embodiments support full, Eastern King and California King size mattresses. No box spring is required when using mattress support 10 because the mattress can rest directly on slats 11 of the mattress support. Mattress support 10 includes a headboard 12, a footboard 13, side panels 14-17, block legs 18-21, slats 11, a longitudinal bar 22 and a lateral bar 23.

[0024] All of the remaining components of mattress support 10 can be packed inside headboard 12 in a compact state of the mattress support that is suitable both for shipping from the manufacturer to wholesalers and retailers and for transporting from the place of purchase to the location where the customer will assemble his bed. Each side of mattress support 10 is divided into two side panels 14-15 and 16-17 because the full length of the mattress support (also the length of an associated mattress) would not fit inside headboard 12. All of the components, including the block legs 18-19 that attach to the bottom side of headboard 12 fit compactly inside a compartment that opens from the back side of the headboard. Thus, the packed headboard 12 fits efficiently into a rectangular shipping box.

[0025] By enabling the user to assemble the components of mattress support 10 after the packing box has been transported to the location where the bed will be assembled, damage to stair wells, elevators and doorways can be avoided. The long and heavy side rails of a conventional metal bed frame, and even the packing box containing the rails, are difficult to maneuver without damaging stair wells, elevators and doorways. Bedroom furniture, such as a platform bed, is also difficult to move. The packing box containing the components of mattress support 10 can be more easily maneuvered up stairs, into apartment elevators and around corners. In addition, the packing box containing the components of mattress support 10 is light and compact enough to fit in a typical sports utility vehicle and, therefore, can be sold in mass-market, general merchandise retail stores (discount department stores) that do not provide furniture delivery. Thus, mattress support 10 can be sold in discount department stores without customer assistance, whereas conventional metal bed frames and bedroom furniture can be sold only at specialty stores that offer assistance (personnel or special carts) for transporting the metal frames and platform beds to the check-out counter and to the customer's vehicle. Mattress support 10 can also be sold online and delivered by a standard shipper.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows mattress support 10 viewed from the back side 22 of headboard 12. Headboard 12 is covered by leather, artificial leather or fabric. A flap 23 in back side 22 is closed by a zipper 24. In one embodiment, the front side of headboard 12 is made of leather, and back side 22 is made of fabric. A compartment inside headboard 12 is accessible by folding back flap 23 in back side 22. the opening for the compartment is usually not visible because the back side of the headboard 12 is typically placed against a wall.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows headboard 12 lying on the floor with flap 23 opened. A compartment 25 in headboard 12 accommodates the remaining components of mattress support 10. For example, a customer who is assembling mattress support 10 in a bedroom would find the components of the mattress support packed as illustrated in compartment 25 after opening flap 23. In FIG. 3, block legs 18-19 have already been removed from compartment 25 and have been screwed into the bottom side of headboard 12. The other two block legs 20-21 are still in compartment 25. FIG. 3 shows how footboard 13, side panels 14-17, block legs 18-21, slats 11, longitudinal bar 22 and lateral bar 23 fit into compartment 25. Note that the length of each side panel 14-17 is more than half of the length of compartment 25. Thus, a single piece side panel of mattress support 10 would not fit inside compartment 25. Longitudinal bar 22 must be folded in order to fit into compartment 25. Lateral bar 23 and slats 11 have approximately the same length, which corresponds to the width of the mattress that mattress support 10 is designed to support. The inner length of compartment 25 is at least as long as the length of slats 11 and lateral bar 23. Footboard 13 is even longer than slats 11 and lateral bar 23 and also fits inside compartment 25.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows slats 11, longitudinal bar 22 and lateral bar 23 in more detail. Slats 11 are wooden planks about sixty inches long and three inches wide. The fifteen wooden slats 11 are attached to each other near their ends by ribbons 26 made of strong synthetic fabric. The ribbons 26 are attached to the bottom side of each slat 11, for example by staples, so that the slats can be stacked flat against each other in compartment 25 as shown in FIG. 3 or expanded out in parallel across longitudinal bar 22 as shown in FIG. 1. The ends of wooden slats 11 rest on support ledges 27 that are attached to the insides of side panels 14-17. Wooden slats 11 are shown in FIG. 4 as flat boards. In another embodiment, however, wooden slats 11 are bowed such that they rest on support ledges 27 but bow above longitudinal bar 22. The bowed slats can be stacked all in the same bowed orientation in compartment 25. In yet another embodiment, there are two sets of fifteen bowed slats whose lengths are half of the slat length shown in FIG. 1. One side of both sets of slats rests on longitudinal bar 22, and the other side of both sets of slats rests on support ledges 27 of side panels 14-17. The slats are distributed out in parallel over longitudinal bar 22 and support ledges 27 such that each slat bows upwards at its middle.

[0029] Longitudinal bar 22 is shown in FIG. 4 in a folded configuration as bar 22 would be packed in compartment 25. Longitudinal bar 22 includes a first connector 28, a second connector 29 and support legs 30-32. Support leg 30 is pivotally attached to an upper portion 33, and support leg 31 is pivotally attached to a lower portion 34 of longitudinal bar 22. A slot 35 is formed in longitudinal bar 22 between upper portion 33 and lower portion 34 when the portions are unfolded and extended parallel to one another. Lateral bar 23 also has support legs. Support legs 36-37 are pivotally attached at the ends of lateral bar 23. Each support leg 36-37 has an angled bracket 38-39 and a connector 40-41. Lateral bar 23 has a bracket 42 at its center that is adapted to fit over slot 35 in longitudinal bar 22. Thus, lateral bar 23 is adapted to attach to longitudinal bar 22 at the middle of lateral bar 23 when mattress support 10 is in its assembled state.

[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates an assembly step of mattress support 10 after the components have been removed from compartment 25, flap 23 has been zipped closed, block legs 18-19 have been attached to the bottom side of headboard 12, and headboard 12 has been stood up on legs 18-19. Longitudinal bar 22 is unfolded, and pivotally attached support legs 30-31 are extended. First connector 28 on longitudinal bar 22 is attached to a third connector 43 on the front side of headboard 12. Third connector 43 is formed by two bolts with large flat heads. Alternatively, regular bolts with washers can be used to form third connector 43. First connector 28 has two slots that slide down over the bolts of third connector 43. Thus, the two bolts are spaced apart by the same distance as are the two slots. The bolts are then tightened, for example, using an Allen wrench.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a next assembly step in which lateral bar 23 is attached to longitudinal bar 22. Pivotally attached support legs 36-37 are first extended before lateral bar 23 is placed over longitudinal bar 22. Lateral bar 23 attaches to longitudinal bar 22 when bracket 42 at the middle of lateral bar 23 slips down over slot 35 at the middle of longitudinal bar 22. Next, block legs 20-21 are screwed into the bottom side of footboard 13, and second connector 29 on longitudinal bar 22 is attached to a fourth connector 44 on footboard 13.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows second connector 29 on longitudinal bar 22 being attached to fourth connector 44 on footboard 13. Fourth connector 44 is formed by two bolts with washers over which slots in connector 29 slide. A slot in connector 29 has not yet slid down over bolt 44 in FIG. 7. Next, side panel 17 attaches to the bolts and washers shown to the left on footboard 13 in FIG. 7.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows how side panel 17 is attached to footboard 13. A connector 45 on side panel 17 has slots that slide down over Allen bolts that protrude from the inside of footboard 13. Washers separate the bolt heads from connector 45. Connector 45 is an angled piece of metal that is permanently screwed to the inside of side panel 17. The other end of side panel 17 opposite connector 45 attaches to angled bracket 39 and connector 41 on lateral bar 23. FIG. 8 also shows a support ledge 27 on the inside of side panel 17. Support ledge 27 is a piece of wood screwed to the inside of side panel 17 and on which the wooden slats 11 rest.

[0034] FIG. 9 shows that side panel 16 attaches to headboard 12 in a similar manner to how side panel 17 attached to footboard 13. Slots in a connector 46 slide down over bolts on the inside of headboard 12.

[0035] FIG. 10 shows side panel 17 being attached to angled bracket 39 and connector 41 on support leg 37 of lateral bar 23. A bolt on the inside of side panel 17 slides down into a slot in connector 41. Another bolt passes through a hole in angled bracket 39 and screws into the bottom side of side panel 17. Optionally, two bolts can attach side panel 17 to angled bracket 39. FIG. 10 also shows two holes 47 in angled bracket 39 and an upwardly opening slot 48 in connector 41 that will be used to attach side panel 16 to support leg 37 of lateral bar 23.

[0036] FIG. 11 shows mattress support 10 after it has been assembled but before the wooden slats 11 have been laid across the support ledges 27 and longitudinal bar 22. Although the mattress support 10 has inner dimensions that accommodate a Queen size mattress (6080 inches), the longitudinal and lateral bars of other embodiments of mattress support are 74 and 54 inches, respectively, to accommodate a Full size mattress, 84 and 72 inches to accommodate a California King size mattress, and 80 and 76 inches to accommodate an Eastern King size mattress.

[0037] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of steps 50-56 for packaging assemblable mattress support 10 to be shipped from the manufacturer to a warehouse of an online retailer or of a mass-market retail store. The components of mattress support 10 fit into a packing box that is more compact than a packing box that contains a conventional metal bed frame. Each side rail of a conventional metal bed frame is a single piece of angle iron. Thus, the packing box for a conventional metal bed frame is typically more than seventy-five inches long. In contrast, the packing box containing mattress support 10 has a length that is only about six inches longer than the width of the mattress that mattress support 10 is to accommodate.

[0038] In a step 50, support legs 30-31 are folded in, and longitudinal bar 22 is folded together as shown in FIG. 4. In step 51, longitudinal bar 22 is placed inside compartment 25 in headboard 12. Longitudinal bar 22 has first connector 28 that is adapted to attach to third connector 43 on the outside of headboard 12.

[0039] In step 52, footboard 13 is placed inside compartment 25. Longitudinal bar 22 has second connector 29 that is adapted to attach to fourth connector 44 on footboard 13. In step 53, wooden slats 11 are placed in compartment 25. Wooden slats are attached to one another by fabric ribbons 26.

[0040] In step 54, lateral bar 23 is placed in compartment 25. Lateral bar 23 has bracket 42 that is adapted to fit into socket 35 such that lateral bar 23 attaches at its middle to longitudinal bar 22. Lateral bar 23 is approximately as long as are wooden slats 11. The side panels 14-17 and block legs 18-21 are also placed in compartment 25. Flap 23 is then zipped closed.

[0041] In step 55, packed headboard 12 is placed in a packing box whose length is about six inches longer than the width of the mattress that is to be supported.

[0042] In step 56, instructions are placed in the packing box that instruct a purchaser of assemblable mattress support 10 on how to assemble the mattress support and to place a mattress on top of the assembled mattress support.

[0043] Although certain specific exemplary embodiments are described above in order to illustrate the invention, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.