Platform for adjustable height bed

1. A bed platform for supporting a mattress, comprising:

a first section and a second section connectable to form at least a portion of said platform; and

said platform including engageable parts on said first section and on said second section that are engageable in response to relative sliding movement between said first section and said second section when horizontal;

wherein said engageable parts are engageable in response to relative sliding movement of said first and second sections toward each other, and said engageable parts include first and second latching tongues on first and second side rails of said first section, and first and second latching portions on first and second side rails of said second section, each latching portion having a latching chamber for receiving a latching tongue and having a latch pin movable in the latching chamber;

each one of the latching tongues on the first section engaging in a respective latching chamber on the second section upon sliding movement of the first section into connection with the second section,

each one of the latch pins of the second section moving into engagement in a latch opening in the associated latching tongue of the first section, to block movement of the first section away from the second section.

2. A bed platform as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

each latch pin is supported on the latching portion for movement in first and second directions, each latch pin having an associated spring that biases the latch pin in the first direction, each latch pin having a camming surface;

each latching tongue engaging the camming surface on an associated latch pin upon movement of the latching tongues into the latching chambers;

upon further movement of the latching tongues into the latching chambers, each latch pin being cammed into retracting movement in the second direction against the bias of its associated spring; and

upon further movement of the latching tongues into the latching chambers, each latch pin moving in the first direction under the influence of its associated spring into the latch opening in the associated tongue, the engagement of the latch pins in the tongue openings locking the first and second sections together.

3. A bed platform as set forth in claim 2 wherein the latch pins are manually movable in the second direction out of the latch openings to release the latching tongues of the first section from the latching portions of the second section, thereby to enable sliding movement of the first and second sections away from each other.

4. A method of assembling a bed platform for supporting a mattress on a floor, the platform including a first section and a second section that are connectable with each other to form at least a portion of the platform, said method including the steps of:

placing the first section of the platform horizontal;

placing the second section of the platform horizontal and with an inner end portion of the second section adjacent to an inner end portion of the first section; and

moving the inner end portion of the first section and the inner end portion of the second section in a first direction into engagement with each other while they are horizontal;

the inner end portion of the first section having first and second side rails each with a first latching mechanism;

the inner end portion of the second section having first and second side rails each with a second latching mechanism including a latch pin movable in a direction transverse to the first direction;

each one of first latching mechanisms of the first platform section being engageable with a respective second latching mechanism of the second platform section upon relative sliding movement in the first direction between the first section and the second section,

each one of the latch pins of the second platform section moving transversely away from and then into engagement in a latch opening in an associated first latching mechanism, to block movement of the first section away from the second section.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the step of moving the inner end portion of the first section and the inner end portion of the second section in a first direction into engagement with each other while they are horizontal, comprises:

engaging each latch pin of a second latching mechanism with a tongue of a first latching mechanism, and

camming the latch pin transversely away from the tongue.

6. A bed platform for supporting a mattress, comprising:

a first platform section and a second platform section that are connectable by relative sliding movement in a first direction to form at least a portion of the platform:

the first platform section having first and second side rails, each having a first latching mechanism;

the second platform section having first and second side rails each having a second latching mechanism including a latch pin movable in a direction transverse to the first direction;

each one of first latching mechanisms of the first platform section being engageable with a respective second latching mechanism of the second platform section upon relative sliding movement in the first direction between the first section and the second section;

each one of the latch pins of the second platform section moving transversely away from and then into engagement in a latch opening in an associated first latching mechanism, to block movement of the first section away from the second section.