Convertible Sofa Frame Design for Segment-Free Bed Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sleeper sofas require segment inversion and have a bed length that is triple the seat depth, making them difficult to convert in limited spaces like recreational vehicles or airplanes, and they lack a foldable back for improved shipping and movement.
Innovation Solution
A convertible sofa design with a frame that transitions between sitting and sleeping positions without segment inversion, featuring a floatable rear section and foldable back support, allowing for a compact sitting surface and extended sleeping surface, along with a notch for lower profile mounting on a platform for easier transport and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the sofa uses a traditional segmented frame that folds up, then it can convert to a bed position, but the segments must be inverted and seat cushions removed, making conversion difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by keeping segments upright rather than inverting them. The frame segments remain in their original orientation during conversion, eliminating the need to remove seat cushions and making the conversion process simpler and more intuitive.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic movement of frame segments through hinges and sliding mechanisms, allowing smooth transition between sitting and sleeping configurations. The segments move dynamically while maintaining their upright orientation, enabling easy conversion without manual intervention to remove cushions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the bed length is triple the seat depth, then it provides sufficient sleeping surface, but it becomes difficult to use in spaces with limited length
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the sleeping surface by utilizing vertical space through adjustable backrest positions. By allowing the backrest to extend upward and forward, the sleeping area is created in a different spatial dimension, providing adequate bed length without requiring triple the seat depth in horizontal space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dynamic adjustment of backrest segments to create variable sleeping surfaces. The backrest can be positioned at different angles and extensions, allowing the sleeping area to adapt to available space while maintaining comfort, thus providing sufficient sleeping surface in compact configurations.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the sofa has a fixed backrest, then it provides stable support, but it increases vertical height making shipping and movement in confined spaces difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic backrest system with multiple segments connected by hinges, allowing the backrest to be adjusted between upright and folded positions. This enables the sofa to maintain stable support when needed while reducing vertical height for shipping and movement in confined spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The backrest is divided into multiple segments that can be independently adjusted or folded. This segmentation allows the backrest to maintain structural stability during use while being collapsible to reduce overall vertical height when the sofa needs to be transported or stored in confined areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A sofa that transitions between a sitting position and a sleeping position. The sofa includes a frame with a bracket and multiple arms and support bases that allow the frame to move from the sitting position and the sleeping position, and the reverse, by allowing the multiple arms to rotate and support bases to rotate about the bracket at attachment points where the bracket and arms are connected by fasteners. In some embodiments, a back support portion of the sofa is hingedly moveable into first and second positions to optionally reduce the vertical height of the back support to allow easier transport (i.e., in boxes and shipping containers) and movement (i.e., through small doorways and spaces) of the sofa, as described herein. In some embodiments the sofa has a space or notch underneath that is configured to be fastened or otherwise affixed to a platform, such as a bump out in a recreational vehicle, wherein the notch is configured to provide the sofa with a lower profile.