US20130133136A1

US20130133136A1 - Joint between bed frame and fabric member

Info

Publication number: US20130133136A1
Application number: US13/304,757
Authority: US
Inventors: Pao-Hsien Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-11-28
Filing date: 2011-11-28
Publication date: 2013-05-30

Abstract

A joint between a bed frame and a fabric member is revealed. The bed frame includes a plurality of vertical tubes each of which includes an assembly space with a narrow opening. A connection portion connects a plurality of positioning blocks to the fabric member and the positioning blocks are corresponding to the assembly space of each vertical tube. Thereby positioning blocks are mounted into the assembly space from one end of the vertical tube and the connection portion is extending outward through the narrow opening of the vertical tube. Each positioning block is unable to be released from the assembly space axially due to that the outside diameter of the positioning block is larger than the width of the narrow opening. Thus the fabric member and each vertical tube are connected firmly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a joint between a bed frame and a fabric member, especially to a joint between a bed frame and a fabric member in which the fabric member is assembled with and fixed around the bed frame quickly and easily so as to define a surrounding wall around the bed frame.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional bed includes a bed frame and a fabric member wrapped around the bed frame to form a surrounding wall. Generally, a joint between the bed frame and the fabric member is as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. A plurality of circular columns 11 is formed on a fabric member 1 by sewing. Then each upright tube 21 of a bed frame 2 is inserted into the circular column 11. However, the circular column 11 is formed on the fabric member 1 by sewing. Once there are some errors happened during the sewing and the inside diameter of the circular column 11 is not within a standard deviation, the upright tube 21 can't be mounted into the corresponding circular column 11. Thus the thread must be removed and the sewed again to form new circular column 11. The processing and manufacturing are inconvenient. This is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a bed frame for baby cribs revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,957 includes a plurality of upright tubes 3, a fabric member 4, and a plurality of positioning posts 5. Each of the upright tubes 3 includes a tube wall 31 defining a receiving hole 32 and a slit 33 which extends along the length of the tube wall 31 and which is in spatial communication with the receiving hole 32. The fabric member 4 is mounted on the bed frame structure so as to define a surrounding wall around the bed frame. The positioning posts 5 are mounted on the fabric member 4, and each of the positioning posts 5 is respectively mounted into the receiving holes 32 in the upright tubes 3. The fabric member 4 is clamped between each of the upright tubes 3 and a corresponding one of the positioning posts 5, and is extending outward through the slit 33.
The fabric member and the positioning posts mentioned above are respectively independent parts and they need to be fixed by each other properly so that the positioning posts can be mounted into the receiving holes of the upright tubes. The way that the positioning posts are fixed on the fabric member is by the circular column. Firstly the fabric member is sewed to form the circular column and then the positioning posts are inserted into the circular column. Refer to FIG. 1, the diameter of the circular column is similar to that of the positioning post and the connection therebetween should be a bit tight. The loose connection between the circular column and the positioning posts will have negative effect on the following connection between the positioning posts and the receiving holes of the upright tubes. That means the tolerance zone of the size of the circular column is quite narrow and this causes difficulties and inconvenience in manufacturing. Moreover, the complicated structure and components also increase the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the fabric member is passed through the slit, around the positioning post and then passed through the slit again. Such design may generate a clamping point inside the slit at the corner of the bed frame and hurt children inside the bed. This is harmful or dangerous to the children set in the bed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a joint between a bed frame and a fabric member, especially to a novel joint between a bed frame and a fabric member in which the fabric member is assembled with and fixed around the bed frame easily and quickly so as to enable convenient assembly, time-saving and labor-saving.
In order to achieve the above object, a joint between a bed frame and a fabric member according to the present invention includes a bed frame and a fabric member. The bed frame consists of a plurality of vertical tubes and each vertical tube defines an assembly space with a narrow opening. A connection portion connects a plurality of positioning blocks to the fabric member and the positioning blocks are corresponding to the assembly space of each vertical tube. Thereby the positioning blocks are mounted into the assembly space from one end of the vertical tube while the connection portion is extending outward through the narrow opening of the vertical tube. And each positioning block is unable to be released from the assembly space axially because that the outside diameter of the positioning block is larger than the width of the narrow opening. Thus the fabric member and each vertical tube are connected tightly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an explosive view of a prior art;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view of an assembled prior art;

FIG. 3 is an explosive view of a prior art revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,957;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of an assembled prior art revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,957;

FIG. 5 is a partial explosive view of an embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is another partial explosive view of an embodiment at different viewing angle according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing showing an assembled embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the embodiment in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, explosive views of a joint of a bed frame from different viewing angles are revealed.
The bed frame includes a plurality of vertical tubes 6 each of which includes an assembly space 61 at one side, an extending portion 62 arranged at one side of the assembly space 61 along an axis of the assembly space 61. Due to the disposition of the extending portion 62, the assembly space 61 has a narrow opening 63 beside the extending portion 62.
A fabric member 7 is disposed with a plurality of positioning blocks 71 corresponding to the assembly space 61 of each vertical tube 6. The maximum outside diameter of each positioning block 71 is larger than the width of the narrow opening 63 of the vertical tube 6. Each positioning block 71 is fixed on the fabric member 7 by a connection portion 72 connected to the fabric member 7. Each connection portion 72 is corresponding to one vertical tube 6. The thickness of the connection portion 72 is smaller than the width of the narrow opening 63 of the vertical tube 6.
Refer to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, while being assembled, the positioning blocks 71 of the fabric member 7 are mounted into the assembly space 61 from one end of the corresponding vertical tube 6. The connection portion 72 is extending outward through the narrow opening 63 of the vertical tube 6 because the thickness of the connection portion 72 is smaller than the width of the narrow opening 63 of the vertical tube 6 while each positioning blocks 71 are limited within the assembly space 61, unable to be released axially from the assembly space 61 due to that the maximum outside diameter of each positioning block 71 is larger than the width of the narrow opening 63 of the vertical tube 6. Thus the fabric member 7 and the vertical tube 6 are connected with each other firmly.
According to the above embodiment, it is learned that the present invention includes the narrow opening on the assembly space of the vertical tube, the positioning blocks whose outside diameter is larger than the width of the narrow opening and connected to the fabric member directly, and the connection portions whose thickness is smaller than the width of the narrow opening of the vertical tube. After the positioning blocks being mounted directly into the assembly space of the corresponding vertical tube, the connection portion is extending outward through the narrow opening of each vertical tube while each positioning block is limited within the assembly space. Thus the bed frame and the fabric member are connected tightly. Such design is not only convenient in manufacturing but also easy in assembling. Thus both time and labor are saved. Therefore the efficiency of assembly and production is improved.
Compared with the prior art revealed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,957, the present invention has following advantages:
1. One side of the connection portion is connected to the fabric member and the positioning blocks are connected to the other side of the connection portion. Then the positioning blocks are mounted into the vertical tube while the fabric member is not between the vertical tube and the positioning blocks. The connection portion is extending outward through the narrow opening of the vertical while the fabric member is not passed through the vertical tube. As to the fabric member of the US patent, it is clamped between each upright tube and a corresponding positioning post and is extending outward through the slit.
2. The fabric member of the present invention is not clamped between each vertical tube and corresponding positioning blocks. It is also not extending outward through the narrow opening of the vertical tube. In other words, the fabric member of the present invention is always located outside the vertical tube and only the connection portion is passed through the narrow opening. Thus a connection part between the fabric member and the connection portion is folded to form a bed corner. The connection portion inside the bed and within the narrow opening of the vertical tube is a key component for separation of the fabric member with the vertical tubes. On the other hand, the prior art of the US patent, the fabric member is passed through the slit, around the positioning post and then passed through the slit again. Such design may create a clamping point inside the slit at the corner of the bed frame and hurt children inside the bed. This is harmful or dangerous to children in the bed.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalent.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A joint between a bed frame and a fabric member comprising:

a plurality of vertical tubes that form the bed frame; each vertical tube defining an assembly space and having a narrow opening;

the fabric member having a plurality of connection portions whose thickness is smaller than width of the narrow opening and corresponding to the assembly space of the vertical tubes respectively; wherein one side of the connection portion is fixed with a plurality of positioning blocks whose outside diameter is larger than width of the narrow opening; the positioning blocks are mounted into the assembly space from one end of each vertical tube while the connection portion is extending outward through the narrow opening; each positioning block is unable to be released from the assembly space axially.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly space is defined on one side of the vertical tube and an extending portion is arranged at one side of the assembly space along an axis of the assembly space; the assembly space having a narrow opening due to disposition of the extending portion.