Frame Structure, Stool, and Bed

This application claims priority to Chinese patent application number 202410393078.8, filed on Apr. 2, 2024. Chinese patent application number 202410393078.8 is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to furniture and in particular to a frame structure of the furniture.

Nowadays, most bedroom frame beds available in the market are connected by bolts and are accompanied by a large number of bolt and nut parts upon purchase. With the increasing popularity of online shopping, many people prefer to buy beds online and install them at home by themselves. However, the large number of parts can make installation cumbersome, and screwing bolts into wooden beds can pose risks of damaging the wooden structure due to screws becoming tilted while tightening. Moreover, ordinary screws and nuts require full tightening and have a long rotation stroke that takes significant time during the disassembly and assembly processes. For the convenience of transportation, manufacturers assemble board parts by splicing narrow boards, which makes using bolts and nuts for installation labor-intensive. When bolt holes are not reserved on the bed board, it also takes a lot of time to determine the position of each bolt. To ensure that customers have sufficient parts, manufacturers often provide extra screws and nuts and provide installation tools. However, after the installation is complete, these installation tools and excess spare parts become a waste of resources.

Furthermore, different furniture pieces require unique frame structure parts making them difficult or impossible to reuse for other furniture pieces.

The technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a frame structure that can be flexibly combined for use as different furniture pieces.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides the following.

A frame structure comprises a first outer frame, a second outer frame opposite to the first outer frame, at least two lateral rods disposed between the first outer frame and the second outer frame, and a lateral rod clamping member. A plurality of connecting members are respectively separably connected to the first outer frame and the at least two lateral rods, two adjacent lateral rods of the at least two lateral rods, and the at least two lateral rods and the second outer frame. The first outer frame and the second outer frame each comprise an inner tube, an outer tube movably connected to the inner tube along a length direction of the first outer frame or the second outer frame, and an adjustment member for adjusting a relative position of the inner tube and the outer tube. Each of the at least two lateral rods comprises an inner rod and an outer rod movably connected to the inner rod along a length direction of the at least two lateral rods, and the lateral rod clamping member enables part or all of the at least two lateral rods to be connected together.

In a preferred embodiment, the inner tube comprises a plurality of connection holes at intervals along the length direction of the first outer frame, and the adjustment member is disposed on the outer tube to be connected to different ones of the plurality of connection holes, so as to adjust an extension length of the inner tube relative to the outer tube.

In a preferred embodiment, the lateral rod clamping member comprises at least two position-limiting blocks, and each of the at least two position-limiting blocks is disposed between adjacent lateral rods of the at least two lateral rods. Adjacent position-limiting blocks of the at least two position-limiting blocks define one or more first slots for receiving one or more of the at least two lateral rods.

In a preferred embodiment, two sides of two outermost position-limiting blocks of the at least two position-limiting blocks facing away from each other comprise two buckling walls extending downward along a height direction. Outsides of the two buckling walls are disposed with two blocking plates, and two second slots for receiving two of the at least two lateral rods are defined between the two buckling walls and the two blocking plates.

In a preferred embodiment, a length of the two buckling walls extending downward along the height direction is greater than a length of the two blocking plates.

In a preferred embodiment, distal ends of the two buckling walls in the height direction extends in a horizontal direction to define a positioning surface configured to be matched with a bottom of the at least two lateral rods to inhibit upward movement of the lateral rod clamping member along the height direction.

In a preferred embodiment, a first side of the first outer frame, a second side of the second outer frame facing the first side, and two sides of each of the at least two lateral rods along a thickness direction of each of the at least two lateral rods comprise a plurality of connecting fitting members that cooperate with the plurality of connecting members.

In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of connecting fitting members are protrusions protruding outward along a thickness direction of the first outer frame, the second outer frame, or the at least two lateral rods. Two sides of each of the protrusions in a width direction of the protrusions comprise a guiding rail extending along a height direction.

In a preferred embodiment, two ends of each of the protrusions in the height direction respectively comprise an inlet and an outlet in communication with the guiding rail.

In a preferred embodiment, the inlet is an inclined opening to increase an area of the inlet.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of connecting members comprises one or more ribs slidably matched with on the guiding rail. A distal end of the one or more ribs along the height direction comprises a guiding inclined surface configured to be matched with the inclined opening in a guiding manner, and a distal end of the guiding inclined surface is connected to the one or more ribs through a positioning surface.

In a preferred embodiment, two opposite ends of the inner rod and the outer rod and two opposite ends of the inner tube and the outer tube are each disposed with a supporting leg.

The present disclosure provides a stool comprising the frame structure.

The present disclosure provides a bed comprising the frame structure.

Compared with the existing techniques, the technical solution has the following advantages.

The present disclosure provides the frame structure, the outer frames and the at least two lateral rods can be easily assembled together by the plurality of connecting members. By increasing or decreasing a number of the at least two lateral rods and extending or shortening a length of the outer frames and the at least two lateral rods, different furniture frames with unique dimensions can be obtained. The present disclosure allows for a creation of different furniture frames using the same frame components.

The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a portion of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the terms “height”, “upper end”, “top/bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation shown in the drawings. The positional relationship is only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referenced device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed, and be operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the positional relationship should not be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure.

Referring to, this embodiment provides a single bed (i.e., twin bed), and the single bed comprises an expandable frame structure. The expandable frame structure specifically comprises a first outer frame, a second outer frameopposite to the first outer frame, and seven lateral rodsdisposed between the first outer frameand the second outer frame.

A plurality of connecting membersare respectively separably connected to the first outer frameand a first lateral rodof the seven lateral rods, two adjacent lateral rodsof the seven lateral rods, and a second lateral rodof the seven lateral rodsand the second outer frame(e.g., the first lateral rodand the second lateral rodscan be a same lateral rod). In this way, a width of the single bed can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a number of the lateral rodsof the seven lateral rodsto meet the needs of different placing positions of the single bed.

In order to connect the first outer frameand the first lateral rod, the two adjacent lateral rods, and the second lateral rodand the second outer framethrough the plurality of connecting members, a first side of the first outer frame, a second side of the second outer framefacing the first side, and two sides of each of the seven lateral rodsalong a thickness direction of each of the seven lateral rodscomprise a plurality of connecting fitting members that cooperate with the plurality of connecting members(e.g., the first side of the first outer frame, the second side of the second outer framefacing the first side, and the two sides of each of the seven lateral rodseach comprise one or more connecting fitting members).

The plurality of connecting fitting members are protrusionsprotruding outward along a thickness direction of the first outer frame, the second outer frame, or the seven lateral rods. Taking one or more protrusionsof the protrusionson each of the seven lateral rodsas an example (i.e., the first outer frameand the second outer framehave a same structure), two sides of the one or more protrusionsin a width direction of the one or more protrusionscomprise a guiding railextending along a height direction, and two ends of the one or more protrusionsin the height direction respectively comprise an inletand an outletin communication with the guiding railto facilitate a corresponding one of the plurality of connecting membersto enter or leave the guiding rail.

Moreover, in order to facilitate the corresponding one of the plurality of connecting membersentering the inlet, the inletis an inclined opening to increase an area of the inlet. In this way, users can easily place the corresponding one of the plurality of connecting membersin the guiding railwithout completely aligning the guiding railwith the corresponding one of the plurality of connecting members.

Further, each of the plurality of connecting memberscomprises one or more ribsslidably matched with the guiding rail(e.g., each of the plurality of connecting memberscomprises two sets of the one or more ribsto cooperate with two adjacent connecting fitting members of the plurality of connecting fitting members, or the one or more ribscooperate with two adjacent connecting fitting members of the plurality of connecting fitting members). A distal end of the one or more ribsalong the height direction comprises a guiding inclined surfaceconfigured to be matched with the inclined opening in a guiding manner. A distal end of the guiding inclined surfaceis connected to the one or more ribsthrough a first positioning surface. When the one or more ribsare inserted into the guiding rail, an area of an insertion end (i.e., of the one or more ribs) is reduced through the guiding inclined surface, and an area of the inletis increased through the inclined opening, thereby enabling the one or more ribsto be very easily inserted into the inlet. When the one or more ribspass through the outlet, the first positioning surfacecan be matched with an outer wall of the outletto enable the one or more ribsto be inhibited from moving against an insertion direction of the one or more ribs.

Moreover, in addition to a width size of the single bed being adjustable, a length size of the single bed also needs to be adjusted. Therefore, the first outer frameand the second outer frameeach comprise an inner tube, an outer tubemovably connected to the inner tubealong a length direction of the first outer frameor the second outer frame, and an adjustment memberfor adjusting a relative position of the inner tubeand the outer tube. Taking the inner tube, the outer tube, the adjustment memberof the first outer frameas an example, the inner tubeand the outer tubecan be fixedly connected at different relative positions through the adjustment member, thereby changing an overall length of the first outer frameand the second outer frame.

In this embodiment, the inner tubecomprises a plurality of connection holesat intervals along the length direction of the first outer frame, and the adjustment memberis disposed on the outer tubeto be connected to different connection holesof the plurality of connection holes, so as to adjust an extension length of the inner tuberelative to the outer tube. In this embodiment, the plurality of connection holesare threaded holes, and the adjustment memberis a positioning knob. A threaded section of the adjustment memberextends into and is connected to one of the threaded holes, and a remaining part of the adjustment memberis exposed on a surface of the outer tubeas an operating part for the users to operate. The users can disengage the positioning knob from a current connection holeof the plurality of connection holesby rotating the operating part, thereby releasing a locked state of the inner tubeand the outer tube. The users can pull the inner tubeoutward or push the inner tubeinward as needed, align another connection holeof the plurality of connection holesof the inner tubewith the positioning knob, and then the positioning knob is rotated in an opposite direction again, so that the positioning knob can enter the connection hole, thereby locking the inner tubeand the outer tubetogether again.

After a length of the first outer frameand the second outer frameis changed, a length of an inner frame (i.e., the seven lateral rods) needs to be changed. Therefore, each of the seven lateral rodscomprises an inner rodand an outer rodmovably connected to the inner rodalong the length direction. Different from the first outer frameand the second outer frame, a number of the seven lateral rodsis relatively large, so it would be troublesome if each of the seven lateral rodsis disposed with a same adjustment memberas the first outer frameand the second outer framefor length adjustment.

In this embodiment, since a final product of the expandable frame structure is the single bed, two opposite ends of the inner rodand the outer rodand two opposite ends of the inner tubeand the outer tubeare each disposed with a supporting leg. These supporting legscan reliably and stably support the expandable frame structure, a mattress placed on the expandable frame structure, and the users.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the length adjustment is performed through a lateral rod clamping member, which is used to connect some of the seven lateral rodsbetween the first outer frameand the second outer frametogether. Since the seven lateral rodshave been connected together through the plurality of connecting members, as long as some of the seven lateral rodsare fixedly connected together through the lateral rod clamping member, all of the seven lateral rodscan be kept at a same length. This avoids the trouble of individually adjusting each of the seven lateral rods.

In this embodiment, the lateral rod clamping memberis connected to four lateral rodsof the seven lateral rods. Therefore, the lateral rod clamping membercomprises three position-limiting blocks, and each of the three position-limiting blocksis disposed between adjacent lateral rodsof the four lateral rodsof the seven lateral rods. Adjacent position-limiting blocksof the three position-limiting blocksdefine two first slotsfor receiving two of the four lateral rodsof the seven lateral rods.

In order to enable another two of the four lateral rodsof the seven lateral rodsto be connected by the lateral rod clamping member, two sides of the three position-limiting blocksfacing away from each other comprise two buckling wallsextending downward along the height direction, and outsides of the two buckling wallsare disposed with two blocking plates. Two second slotsfor receiving another two of the four lateral rodsof the seven lateral rodsare defined between the two buckling wallsand the two blocking plates. Through the two second slots, another two of the four lateral rodsof the seven lateral rodscan be connected, thereby enabling the four lateral rodsof the seven lateral rodsto be connected together.

In this embodiment, a length of the two buckling wallsextending downward along the height direction is greater than a length of the two blocking plates. Distal ends of the two buckling wallsin the height direction extend in a horizontal direction to define a second positioning surfaceconfigured to be matched with a bottom of the four lateral rodsto inhibit upward movement of the lateral rod clamping memberalong the height direction. In this way, when the lateral rod clamping memberis installed, a top of the lateral rod clamping memberis matched with a top of the four lateral rodsto inhibit downward movement of the lateral rod clamping memberalong the height direction, and the second positioning surfaceis matched with a bottom of the four lateral rodsto inhibit upward movement of the lateral rod clamping memberalong the height direction.

Referring to, a piece of furniture defined by the expandable frame structure in this embodiment is a short stool. Specifically, the inner tubeand the inner rodare respectively retracted into the outer tubeand the outer rod. The short stool can be defined by the first outer frameand the second outer framedisposed opposite to each other and four lateral rodsdisposed between the first outer frameand the second outer frame. Since there are exactly four lateral rodsin this embodiment, all of the four lateral rods can be connected together by the lateral rod clamping member.

Referring to, the difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 2 is that the short stool is changed into a long stool, and it is only necessary to extend the inner tubeand the inner rodrespectively from the outer tubeand the outer rodto a desired length.

Referring to, the difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that Embodiment 1 provides the single bed, while this embodiment provides thirteen lateral rodsto obtain a double bed (e.g., a full, queen, etc. bed).

Referring to, the difference between this Embodiment and Embodiment 4 is that in Embodiment 5, by shortening a length of some of the thirteen lateral rodsand the second outer frame, a parent-child bed is obtained, in which a length of a first area is relatively long, suitable for adults, and a second area is relatively short, suitable for children. In addition, a setting position of the lateral rod clamping memberin this embodiment is relatively special, and parts of the thirteen lateral rodsin the two areas are connected together, such as two lateral rodsof the thirteen lateral rodsin the second area and two lateral rodsof the thirteen lateral rodsin the first area. In this way, it can be ensured that the thirteen lateral rodsin the two areas are stably connected together.

The aforementioned embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the disclosure is not limited thereto. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover any modifications and variations of the presently presented embodiments provided they are made without departing from the appended claims and the specification of the present disclosure.