IP Library Granted Patent US 11,116,321
Granted Patent B2
US 11,116,321 · App. 15/789,626 · Granted Sep 14, 2021

Sofa bed

Inventors: Robert Ritter (Clear Lake, IA); Robin Adams (Forest City, IA)
Assignee: Winnebago Industries, Inc.
A47C17/213A47C17/165A47C17/2076
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,116,321
App. No.
15/789,626
Granted
Sep 14, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sofa bed is configured to be switched between a sofa configuration and a bed configuration. The sofa bed includes a base frame, a middle frame rotatably coupled to the base frame, a seat-and-foot frame rotatably coupled to the middle frame, a back-and-head frame rotatably coupled to the base frame, and a spring coupled between at least two of the base frame, the middle frame, the seat-and-back frame, and the back-and-head frame.

Claims (25)

1. A sofa bed configured to be switched between a sofa configuration and a bed configuration, the sofa bed comprising:

a base frame;

a middle frame coupled to the base frame and configured to be rotated between a first position in the sofa configuration and a second position in the bed configuration, wherein the middle frame is configured to rotate substantially 180 degrees between the first position and the second position;

a seat-and-foot frame rotatably coupled to the middle frame;

a back-and-head frame rotatably coupled to the base frame; and

a gas compression spring coupled between the middle frame and the base frame and configured to urge the middle frame to switch from the sofa configuration to the bed configuration and also from the bed configuration to the sofa configuration.

2. The sofa bed of claim 1 , wherein the gas compression spring is configured to be in a most compressed state in both the sofa configuration and the bed configuration.

3. The sofa bed of claim 1 , wherein the gas compression spring is arranged to become less compressed when the middle frame is between the sofa configuration and the bed configuration as the middle frame rotates from the sofa configuration and also from the bed configuration.

4. The sofa bed of claim 1 , wherein the back-and-head frame is rotatable between an upright position in the sofa configuration and a down position in the bed configuration.

5. The sofa bed of claim 4 , wherein the back-and-head frame is configured to rotate greater than 90 degrees between the upright position and the down position.

6. The sofa bed of claim 1 , wherein the middle frame, the seat-and-foot frame, and the back-and-head frame are substantially parallel to each other in the bed configuration, and wherein the back-and-head frame is not parallel to the middle frame in the sofa configuration.

7. The sofa bed of claim 1 , wherein the seat-and-foot frame is coupled to a deployable section support member.

8. The sofa bed of claim 7 , wherein the deployable section support member is rotatably coupled to the seat-and-foot frame.

9. A sofa bed configured to be switched between a sofa configuration and a bed configuration, the sofa bed comprising:

a base frame;

a middle frame rotatably coupled to the base frame;

a seat-and-foot frame rotatably coupled to the middle frame;

a back-and-head frame rotatably coupled to the base frame; and

a spring connected at one end to the base frame and connected at the other end to the middle frame and arranged to be compressed in both the sofa configuration and the bed configuration, wherein the spring is arranged to initially become less compressed and then more compressed when the middle frame is between the sofa configuration and the bed configuration as the middle frame rotates from the sofa configuration and from the bed configuration.

10. The sofa bed of claim 9 , wherein the spring is a gas compression spring.

11. The sofa bed of claim 9 , wherein the middle frame is at a first position in the sofa configuration and a second position in the bed configuration, wherein the middle frame is configured to rotate substantially 180 degrees between the first position and the second position.

12. The sofa bed of claim 11 , wherein the middle frame and the seat-and-foot frame are substantially parallel to each other in both the sofa configuration and the bed configuration.

13. The sofa bed of claim 12 , further comprising:

a first cushion coupled to the middle frame, a second cushion coupled to the seat-and-foot frame, and a third cushion coupled to the back-and-head frame.

14. The sofa bed of claim 13 , wherein in the bed configuration, the first cushion, the second cushion, and the third cushion form a level sleeping surface.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2020
From: WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 053146/0258 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 053149/0821 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2018
From: WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 046941/0993 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2018
From: WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 046942/0001 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62415764 · Nov 1, 2016
Related Publication 20180116410A1 · May 3, 2018