Bed, in particular a stackable bed

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing stackable berths used in crèches and nurseries often face issues with maintaining optimal fabric tension, which can compromise safety and ease of assembly.

Innovation Solution

The berth design incorporates corner elements with through-holes and studs that interlock to form a fabric retaining member, along with overlapping lips to enhance tension without risking finger pinching, ensuring the fabric is securely held without complicating the assembly process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the fabric is held by friction or edge-to-edge positioning, then the assembly is simple, but the fabric tension is not optimal and may loosen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefabric tension maintenanceVSAvoidcorner element structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The corner element is divided into two separate parts: an upper part and a lower part. This segmentation allows each part to have specific functions - the lower part provides the foot and initial fabric engagement, while the upper part provides the recess and final securing. This division enables reliable fabric tension maintenance without requiring a single complex corner element structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The fabric retaining mechanism uses a nested structure where the stud passes through the fabric and is received by the recess in the upper part, which is itself part of the assembled corner element. The fabric is retained within the nested arrangement of the two corner element parts, allowing secure tensioning through a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the upper and lower lips are positioned edge-to-edge, then the structure is simple, but fingers may be pinched during assembly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinger pinching hazardVSAvoidassembly process
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The design preliminarily prevents the harmful effect of finger pinching by positioning the upper and lower lips to overlap rather than meet edge-to-edge. This overlapping configuration eliminates the pinching hazard before assembly occurs, while the lips are still in their natural assembled position, requiring no additional safety actions during assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Reliability

If through holes are added to the fabric for stud insertion, then fabric tensioning is effective, but the fabric structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefabric tensioningVSAvoidfabric structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric is prepared in advance with through holes at the corners before assembly. This preliminary action enables the studs to pass through and engage with the corner element parts, achieving effective fabric tensioning. The holes are positioned and sized specifically to work with the stud dimensions, creating a reliable tensioning mechanism without requiring complex fabric structures or additional components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3908159B1Bed, in particular a stackable bed
Publication Date: 2022.11.23 WESCO SA
  • EP3908159B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3908159B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3908159B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a bed (1) comprising longitudinal members (2), transverse members (3), corner elements (4) and a fabric, each corner element forming, when assembled with the longitudinal members (2) and the transverse members (3), a frame for receiving the fabric, each corner element (4) comprising a leg (8) and a recess (10) aligned over the leg (8), a lower portion (11) provided with a lower lip (12) and an upper portion (13) provided with an upper lip (14), the upper (13) and lower (11) portions being capable of being assembled with each other with the upper (14) and lower (12) lips arranged to either side of the fabric when the portions (11, 13) are in the assembled state. The fabric requires a through-hole (16) at each corner (19), one of the upper (13) and lower (11) portions of each corner element (4) comprises a stud passing through the through-hole (16) in the fabric when the fabric is inserted between the upper (13) and lower (11) portions, and the other comprises a shape complementary to the stud interlocking with the stud, and the upper (14) and lower (12) lips overlap at least partially when the upper (13) and lower (11) portions are assembled with each other.