阅读说明：本技术 可转换成床的座位单元 (Seat unit convertible into a bed ) 是由 M.L.墨菲 于 2015-08-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种可折叠的沙发床,包括：具有内腔和后部件的底座；可折叠的床,其包括单独且不同的头部区段、中间区段和座位区段,各自具有相应的垫层,其中在折叠位置,中间区段和座位区段大体上水平地设置且以竖直层叠关系定位,其中中间垫层和座位垫层大体上面向上,且头部区段大体上竖直地设置且定位在底座的后壁附近,且在展开位置,头部区段、中间区段和座位区段大体上以串联排列水平地设置；以及附接到底座和头部区段、中间区段和座位区段上的床折叠机构,其控制床在折叠位置与展开位置之间的移动。在从折叠位置到展开位置的移动中,中间区段大体上保持相同的定向。(A foldable sofa sleeper, comprising: a base having an interior cavity and a rear member; a collapsible bed comprising separate and distinct head, middle and seat sections, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the middle and seat cushions are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head, middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally in a series arrangement; and a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and head sections, the middle section, and the seat section that controls movement of the bed between a folded position and an unfolded position. The intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position.)

1. A foldable sofa sleeper, comprising:

a base having an interior cavity and a rear member, the base configured to abut an underlying surface;

a collapsible bed comprising separate and distinct head, middle and seat sections, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the seat section is above the middle section, and wherein middle and seat cushions are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head, middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with each other; and

a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and the head section, the middle section, and the seat section comprising a series of pivotally interconnected links that control movement of the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position;

wherein the intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position;

wherein the bed folding mechanism further comprises a linear power actuator to move the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position.

2. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 1, wherein the cushion of the head section generally faces forward in the folded position.

3. The foldable sofa sleeper of claim 1, wherein the seating section is supported by at least one wheel rolling on the underlying surface.

4. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 3, wherein the bed folding mechanism includes legs mounted to the seat section and to the wheels.

5. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 4, further comprising a front panel mounted to the leg, the front panel positioned below the front of the seat section.

6. The foldable sofa sleeper of claim 1, wherein the intermediate section is supported by at least one wheel rolling on the underlying surface.

7. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 1, wherein the bed folding mechanism further includes a central leg mounted to the middle section and to the wheels, the central leg being folded under the middle section in the folded position.

8. The foldable sofa sleeper of claim 1, further comprising a back cushion assembly attached to the base that moves the back cushion between a lowered position and a raised position.

9. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 1, wherein the head section, the middle section, and the seat section are sized to form a king size bed.

10. A foldable sofa sleeper, comprising:

a base having an interior cavity and a rear wall, the base configured to rest on an underlying surface;

a collapsible bed comprising separate and distinct head, middle and seat sections, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the seat section is above the middle section, and wherein middle and seat cushions are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent the rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head, middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with each other; and

a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and the head section, the middle section, and the seat section comprising a series of pivotally interconnected links that control movement of the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position;

wherein the intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position;

wherein the seat section is supported by at least one wheel that rolls on the underlying surface; and

wherein the intermediate section is supported by at least one wheel that rolls on the underlying surface;

wherein the bed folding mechanism further comprises a linear power actuator to move the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position.

11. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 10, wherein the bed folding mechanism includes legs mounted to the seat section and to the wheels.

12. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 11, further comprising a front panel mounted to the legs, the front panel positioned below the front of the seat section.

13. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 10, wherein the bed folding mechanism further includes a center leg mounted to the middle section and to the wheels, the center leg folded under the middle section in the folded position.

14. The foldable sofa sleeper of claim 13, further comprising a back cushion assembly attached to the base that moves the back cushion between a lowered position and a raised position.

15. The foldable sofa bed according to claim 10, wherein the head section, the middle section, and the seat section are sized to form a king size bed.

16. A foldable sofa sleeper, comprising:

a base having an interior cavity and a rear member, the base configured to rest on an underlying surface;

a collapsible bed comprising separate and distinct head, middle and seat sections, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the seat section is above the middle section, and wherein middle and seat cushions are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head, middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with each other;

a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and the head section, the middle section, and the seat section comprising a series of pivotally interconnected links that control movement of the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position; and a linear power actuator to move the bed between the folded and unfolded positions;

wherein in the deployed position the seat cushion, the middle cushion and the head cushion form a queen-size bed.

17. The foldable sofa sleeper of claim 16, further comprising a back cushion assembly attached to the base that moves the back cushion between a lowered position and a raised position.

18. The foldable sofa sleeper of claim 16, wherein the seating section is supported by at least one wheel rolling on the underlying surface; and wherein the intermediate section is supported by at least one wheel that rolls on the underlying surface.

19. A foldable sofa sleeper, comprising:

a base having an interior cavity and a rear member, the base configured to rest on an underlying surface;

a collapsible bed comprising a head section, a middle section and a seat section, the middle section and the seat section being separate and distinct, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle section and the seat section are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the seat section is above the middle section, and wherein the middle cushion and seat cushion are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head section, middle section and seat section are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with each other; and

a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and the head section, the middle section, and the seat section comprising a series of pivotally interconnected links that control movement of the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position;

wherein the intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position;

wherein the bed folding mechanism further comprises a linear power actuator to move the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position.

20. A foldable sofa sleeper, comprising:

a base having an interior cavity and a rear member, the base configured to abut an underlying surface;

a collapsible bed comprising a head section, a middle section and a seat section, the middle section and the seat section being separate and distinct, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle section and the seat section are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the seat section is above the middle section, and wherein the middle cushion and seat cushion are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head section, middle section and seat section are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with each other; and

a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and the head section, the middle section, and the seat section comprising a series of pivotally interconnected links that control movement of the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position;

the bed folding mechanism further comprises a central leg mounted to the middle section, the central leg folded under the middle section in the folded position;

wherein the intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position;

wherein the bed folding mechanism further comprises a linear power actuator to move the bed between the folded position and the unfolded position, the linear power actuator attached to the head section and to the central leg.

21. The foldable sofa sleeper of claim 20, wherein the linear power actuator moves away from the rear member of the base when the bed moves from the folded position to the unfolded position.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to furniture, and more particularly to a furniture unit convertible to a bed.

Background

Furniture units convertible to beds are popular among consumers due to their versatility. Many consumers find it very convenient to have a sofa or chair that can provide a bed to guests, as this unit can eliminate the need for an additional, separate bed. One popular sofa bed design includes its own full mattress that folds within the sofa's cavity during periods of non-use. One such example is shown in U.S. patent No. 4,200,941 to Gill et al. Such sofa beds can be quite heavy and typically require not only a separate mattress, but also a relatively complex mechanism to control the deployment and folding of the mattress.

Other furniture units lack a complete mattress, but instead are constructed of separate sections that serve as the support surface for the sofa, and are unfolded to form a flat mattress-like lying surface. Various examples of this basic concept are shown in U.S. patent No. 2,740,131 to Vogel et al, U.S. patent No. 5,195,194 to Bradley, U.S. patent No. 7,547,182 to Murphy, U.S. patent No. 8,438,676 to Murphy, and international patent application serial No. PCT/US2014/038908, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. The bed shown in U.S. patent No. 8,438,676 to Murphy includes three separate sections that serve as mattresses for the bed: a seating area; a middle section; and a head section. The folding mechanism controls movement of the head, middle and seat sections between a folded position, in which the head, middle and seat sections are positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, with the head section below the middle section and the seat section above the middle section, and wherein the head and middle sections are positioned in a cavity of the housing and the seat section serves as a "seat" for the sofa, and an unfolded position, in which the head, middle and seat sections are disposed horizontally and arranged in series to form a lying surface.

Despite the existence of these various foldable beds, it is desirable to provide additional furniture units that can house the foldable beds.

Disclosure of Invention

As a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a foldable sofa bed, comprising: a base having an interior cavity and a rear member, the base configured to rest on an underlying surface; a collapsible bed comprising separate and distinct head, middle and seat sections, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the middle and seat cushions are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head, middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with one another; and a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and head sections, the middle section, and the seat section that controls movement of the bed between a folded position and an unfolded position. The intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a foldable sofa bed, comprising: a base having an interior cavity and a rear wall, the base configured to rest on an underlying surface; a collapsible bed comprising separate and distinct head, middle and seat sections, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the middle and seat cushions are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head, middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with one another; and a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and head sections, the middle section, and the seat section that controls movement of the bed between a folded position and an unfolded position. The intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position. The seat section is supported by at least one wheel that rolls on the underlying surface; and the intermediate section is supported by at least one wheel that rolls on the underlying surface.

As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a foldable sofa bed, comprising: a base having an interior cavity and a rear member, the base configured to abut an underlying surface; a collapsible bed comprising separate and distinct head, middle and seat sections, each having a respective cushion, wherein in a collapsed position the middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the middle and seat cushions are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in an expanded position the head, middle and seat sections are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with one another; a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and head section, the middle section, and the seat section that controls movement of the bed between a folded position and an unfolded position; and a linear power actuator to move the bed between the folded and unfolded positions. In the deployed position, the seat cushion, the middle cushion, and the head cushion form a king size bed.

As a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a foldable sofa bed, comprising: a base having an interior cavity and a rear member, the base configured to abut an underlying surface; a collapsible bed comprising a head section, a middle section and a seat section, the middle section and the seat section being separate and distinct, each having a respective cushion, wherein in the collapsed position the middle section and the seat section are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship, wherein the middle cushion and the seat cushion are substantially upwardly facing, and the head section is disposed substantially vertically and positioned adjacent a rear wall of the base, and in the expanded position the head section, the middle section and the seat section are disposed substantially horizontally and arranged in series with each other; and a bed folding mechanism attached to the base and head sections, the middle section, and the seat section that controls movement of the bed between a folded position and an unfolded position. The intermediate section substantially maintains the same orientation in moving from the folded position to the unfolded position.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a side view of a foldable sofa sleeper according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the bed in the folded position and the backrest in the lowered position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the sofa sleeper of fig. 1 with the bed in the folded position and the backrest in the raised position.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the sofa sleeper of fig. 1 with the bed in the deployed position.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the sofa sleeper of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described more specifically below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown; rather, these embodiments are intended to fully and completely disclose the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements throughout. The thickness and size of some of the components may be exaggerated for clarity. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the expression "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Furthermore, spatially relative terms such as "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1-4 a collapsible sofa sleeper, indicated generally at 10. The sofa sleeper 10 includes a frame 13 having a rear rail 13 spanning an arm 14, wherein the rail 13 and the arm 14 form a storage cavity 17. The collapsible bed 15 includes a seat section 16 having an underlying seat frame 18, a middle section 20 having an underlying middle panel 22, and a head section 24 having an underlying head panel 26. Each of the separate and distinct seat 16, intermediate 20 and head 24 sections includes a respective cushion 19,21,25 (although in some embodiments the head and seat sections may share a common cushion). The middle panel 22 and the head panel 26 are planar panels, typically formed of wood, which underlie most or all of the cushions 21,25 that provide a comfortable surface for sleeping. The seat frame 18 includes three open square subframes, the lower cushion layer 19 of which is described in more detail in commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application No. 13/900,311, filed on 2013, 5, month 22, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.

The bed 15 is movable (controlled by a folding mechanism 30, see below) between a deployed position in which the seat section 16, the intermediate section 20 and the head section 24 are disposed horizontally and in series to form a lying surface with cushions 19,21,25 (see fig. 3 and 4), and a folded position in which the seat section 16 and the intermediate section 20 are disposed substantially horizontally and positioned in a vertically stacked relationship in the cavity 17 of the frame 11 with the seat section 16 above the intermediate section 20, the cushions 19,21 facing upwardly, and the head section 24 in a substantially upright position adjacent the rear wall 13 with the cushion 25 facing generally forwardly (see fig. 1 and 2).

Movement of the cushions 16,20,24 of the bed 15 is controlled by the pair of folding mechanisms 30 described above, which will be described in more detail below. The folding mechanisms 30 are mirror images of each other about a vertical plane P (fig. 4) that bisects the seating unit 10 orthogonally to the rear rail 13; thus, only one bed folding mechanism 30 will be described herein with the understanding that the description applies to the other mechanisms as well.

For clarity, the bed 15 will initially be described in the deployed position of fig. 3 and 4; and will then follow the movement to the folded position of figures 1 and 2. As used herein to describe the relative positions of the components, the terms "lateral," "outward," and derivatives thereof refer to a direction defined by a vector that begins at a vertical plane P that is orthogonal to the rear rail 13 that bisects the seating unit 10 and extends toward either of the side walls 14. Conversely, the terms "inwardly," "inboard," and derivatives thereof refer to a direction opposite to the "outward" direction. The "inward" and "outward" directions together comprise the "transverse" axis of the seating unit 10. The "rear" of the deployed bed 15 is located at the end of the bed 15 closest to the rear rail 13 (i.e., toward the head section 24), while the "front" of the bed 15 is located at the end closest to the deployed seat section 16. The "front" and "rear" directions include the "longitudinal" axis of the bed 15.

Further, some of the components of the folding mechanism 30 are shown herein as a series of pivotally interconnected links. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the pivot between the links or other members may take on a variety of configurations, such as pivot pins, rivets, bolt and nut combinations, and the like, any of which may be adapted for use in connection with the present invention. In addition, the shape and configuration of the links themselves may vary, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Further, some links may be omitted entirely in some embodiments, and additional links may be included in some embodiments.

Turning now to fig. 3, a mounting bracket 32 is mounted to the inner surface of the arm 14 and extends generally longitudinally. The mounting bracket 32 has an arc-shaped notch 32 a. A rear swing link 34 is attached to the rear end of the mounting bracket 32 at pivot 33 and extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom. The front swing link 36 is mounted to the mounting bracket 32 forward of the pivot 33 at pivot 35. The pin 36a on the front swing link 36 is received in the slot 32 a. The rear swing link 34 and the front swing link 36 are mounted to the bracket 27 at respective pivots 37,38, the bracket 27 being secured to the side edges of the head panel 26. The swing links 34,36 control movement of the head section 24 as it moves between the folded and unfolded positions.

Still referring to fig. 3, the folding mechanism 30 includes an actuator mounting bracket 40 that is mounted to the bracket 27 and is suspended from the bracket 27. The cross member 42 spans the mounting bracket 40 on the opposite side of the bed 15. An actuator mounting flange 44 extends forwardly from the cross member 42. A linear actuator 46, including a motor 47, a sleeve 48 and a rod 49, is mounted to the actuator mounting flange 44 at pivot 45. The actuator 46 may have any configuration suitable for inducing linear motion and need not be described in detail herein. Typically, the actuator 46 is operated via a button, toggle switch, or the like located remotely from the actuator motor 47; in one embodiment, the switch is located below the back plane 213 (see below) to prevent the bed 15 from unfolding until the back assembly 200 has moved the back cushion 214 away.

The brackets 23 are mounted to the side edges of the intermediate panel 22 and underlie the side edges of the intermediate panel 22. The extension 50 is fixed to the bracket 23. At its rear end, the extension 50 is hinged to the bracket 27 at a pivot 52. At its opposite end, extension 50 is attached at pivot 54 to the upper end of center leg 56. A wheel 58 is attached at the lower end of the central leg 56. The cross member 60 spans the center leg 56 on either side of the bed 50. Flanges 62 are secured to cross member 60. The forward end of the rod 49 of the actuator 46 is attached to the flange 62 at pivot 64. A drive link 66 is attached near the front end of the bracket 27 at pivot 68. A drive link 66 is also attached near the upper end of the center leg 56 at a pivot 70.

Still referring to fig. 3, the bracket 9 underlies the seat section 16. The transition link 72 is attached at its forward end to the bracket 9 at pivot 74. The transition link 72 is also attached to a generally central portion of the bracket 23 at pivot 76. The extension of the transition link 72 extends downward from the pivot 76. The connecting link 78 extends from a pivot 80 having an extension of the transition link 72 and a pivot 82 having the center leg 56. The transition link 72 also rests on a pin 27a on the bracket 27 near its forward end to help maintain the relationship of the seat section 16 and the intermediate section 20. The front leg portion 84 is fixed to the front end of the bracket 9. A wheel 86 is mounted to the lower end of the front leg 84. The front panel 88 spans the front legs 84 on either side of the bed 15.

The seating unit 10 also includes a back cushion assembly 200, which can be seen in its lowered position in fig. 1 and 3. The back cushion assembly 200 includes a mounting bracket 202 secured to the side panel of the arm 14. The upper swing link 204 and the lower swing link 208 are attached to the mounting bracket 202 at pivots 206,210, respectively. The mounting bracket 212 is attached to the upper swing link 204 and the lower swing link 208 at pivots 216, 218. A back deck 213, on which one or more bracket cushions 214 are mounted, is secured to the mounting bracket 212. Air cylinder 220 is attached to upper swing link 204 at pivot 222 and to mounting bracket 202 at pivot 224.

To move the cot 15 from the unfolded position of fig. 3 and 4 to the folded position of fig. 1 and 2, the linear actuator 46 is typically actuated via a power switch (e.g., a toggle switch, etc.) connected to the motor 47. In the deployed position, the rod 49 is retracted into the sleeve 48; thus, when the cot 15 is in the deployed position, actuation begins to extend the rod 49 from the sleeve 48. As the rod 49 extends, it pushes the flange 44, cross member 42 and actuator mounting bracket 40 rearwardly. This action pushes the head section 24 rearwardly and causes it to rotate about the pivot 52 (clockwise from the vantage point of fig. 1-3); the rotation is controlled by the rear swing link 34 and the front swing link 36 as they pivot in a counter clockwise direction about the pivots 33, 35. In addition, rotation of the head section 24 and rearward movement of the actuator mounting bracket 40 (and in turn the actuator 46) causes the center leg 56 to pivot counterclockwise about the pivot 54, which pulls the drive link 66 forward with respect to the intermediate section 20, further facilitating rotation of the head section 24 about the pivot 52. The rearward and pivotal movement of the head section 24 pulls the intermediate section 20 rearward and pulls the rear end of the intermediate section 20 downward. As the middle section 20 is lowered, the center leg 56 continues to pivot counterclockwise about the pivot 54 to fold under the middle section 20. The wheels 58 remain on the underlying surface and facilitate rearward movement of the intermediate section 20. Rotation of the head section 24 stops when the pin 36a reaches the rear end of the slot 32 a. The intermediate section 20 generally maintains the same orientation in the folded and unfolded positions.

It should be noted that in the illustrated embodiment, the front of the head section shim 25 and the rear edge of the intermediate section shim 21 are compressed and/or pressed into each other in the folded position. In some embodiments, this compression may be avoided.

As the center leg 56 rotates about the bracket 23, the connecting link 78 pushes the lower end of the transition link 72 upward and forward, thereby rotating the transition link 72 in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 76. Rotation of the transition link 72 pulls the seat section 16 rearward; first, the rear end of the seat section 16 is raised, but finally the rear end of the seat section 16 is lowered so that it is lower than the front end of the seat section 16. During its rearward travel, the seat section 16 is supported by wheels 86, the wheels 86 rolling on the underlying surface. Rotation of transition link 72 stops when transition link 72 contacts pin 23b located near the center of bracket 23.

In the illustrated embodiment, the front panel 88 is generally upright in the folded position and serves as the front panel of the sofa sleeper 10. The seat section 16 is generally inclined upwardly from rear to front (typically at an angle of inclination of between about 0 and 6 degrees) to provide a comfortable seating surface.

It should also be noted that in fig. 1-3, which illustrate the folding and unfolding of the bed 15, the back cushion assembly 200 is in a lowered position in fig. 1 and 3 and in a raised position in fig. 2. In the lowered position, the air cylinder 220 is in a retracted position and biases the upper swing link 204 upward. Thus, it maintains an "over-center" condition between pivots 206,222 and 224, which holds back cushion assembly 200 in the lowered position. The assembly 200 is normally held in this position for most of the time that the seating unit 10 is in use, only being raised when the bed 15 is deployed.

As seen in fig. 1 and 3, the back cushion 214 may be raised by applying an upward force to the back cushion 214 and/or the back plate 213, which causes the upper and lower swing links 204,208 to rotate counterclockwise about the pivots 206, 210. Once the upper swing link 204 and lower swing link 208 have rotated through the "over center" condition described above (shortly after the links 204,208 begin to rotate), the air cylinder 220 biases the back cushion assembly 200 toward the raised position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The assembly 200 stops moving when the pin 208a on the lower swing link 208 contacts the lower edge of the upper swing link 204.

It should also be understood that in some embodiments, the back cushion assembly 200 may be omitted and replaced with a loose cushion or the like.

The cot 15 may be moved from the collapsed position of fig. 1 and 2 to the expanded position of fig. 3 by reversing the direction of the motor 47 of the actuator 46 such that the rod 49 extends from the sleeve 48. This contraction pulls the center leg 56 clockwise about the pivot 54, which raises the middle section 20 and forces it forward. The remaining links reverse the direction of travel they are following during folding to move the bed 15 to the deployed position of fig. 3. The movement stops when the pin 36 on the front swing link 34 reaches the front end of the slot 32 a.

The illustrated embodiment is sized for use with and is adapted for use with "king" sofa beds (i.e., beds having a width in the lateral direction of between about 74 and 80 inches (typically 76 inches)). However, in other embodiments, the mechanisms shown and described herein may be used in conjunction with large, standard, and double bed size sofa beds.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.