GB2246066A - A nestable unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A nestable unit, for nesting with another substantially identical unit, comprising a planar polygonal frame (1) having a plurality of legs (20, 21). Each leg (20, 21) is adjacent a corner and offset from that corner in the same direction around the perimeter of the frame (1). such that, on inversion of the unit, a second substantially identical unit can be nested in the first unit. The unit may be a rectangular bed, table or scaffold tower. A pair of the units (1, 1') can be either stacked or nested as required. <IMAGE>

Description

A NESTABLE UNIT The present invention relates to a nestable unit, which is suitable for nesting with another substantially identical unit.

Many units are known which are capable of being stacked, including tables, beds, etc. Units are also known which are capable of being nested, such as a nest of tables. However, the units are often different from one another, are not very efficient in terms of their ability to save space because of their construction and, in particular, the relative configuration of the legs of the unit, and are not capable of additionally being stacked.

According to the present invention, a nestable unit, for nesting with another substantially identical unit, comprises a planar polygonal frame having a plurality of legs, each leg being adjacent a corner and offset from that corner in the same direction around the perimeter of the frame, such that, on inversion of the unit, a second substantially identical unit can be nested in the first unit.

The unit of the present invention is capable of being nested with a second substantially identical unit by turning the first unit "upside-down" and placing the second unit over the first unit, the positions of the legs of each unit allowing the two units to be stacked closely to one another. The second unit may also be stacked on top of the first unit.

Preferably, each leg depends from its side either outside or inside the frame. By this means, greater spacesaving is achieved when the two units are nested since the units are fully interengageable.

The invention has particular application to household furniture, especially beds, tables, etc., but it is also applicable to other structures such as scaffold towers, for example.

Examples of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a first example of a bed incorporating the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side of. the bed of Figure 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view from another side corresponding to Figure 2; Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view corresponding to Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of two nested beds as a second example of the invention Fig. 7 is an exploded view corresponding to Figure 6; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a third example of the invention; and, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of two nested units of the third example.

In Figures 1 to 5, there is shown a bed as a first example of a stackable unit of the invention, the bed having a frame 1 and four legs 2. The frame 1 is rectangular, having two long sides 10 and two short sides 11. Attached to each long side 10 adjacent each corner is a leg 20 and attached to each short side 11 is a leg 21.

The legs 20,21 are offset from their respective corners in the same circumferential direction.

The frame 1 has a plurality of slats 3 passing from one long side 10 to the other for providing support for a mattress (not shown) as conventional. Alternatively, rubber webs or the like may be used in place of the slats 3, or the space between the sides 10,11 may be filled with a board.

The sides 10, 11 of the frame may be fixed in any conventional manner such as gluing and/or screwing and the ends of the sides 10,11 may be abutted into recesses 22 provided in the legs 20, 21 as shown. In the example, the legs 20, 21 are generally rectangular, apart from the recesses 22.

In Figure 5, a schematic view of the frame 1 is shown without the slats or abutments for clarity. As can most clearly be seen from Figure 5, each leg 20, 21.depends from its respective side 10, 11, being fixed to its respective side 10, 11 in a corresponding position, which, in the specific example shown, is adjacent the very end of the side to which the leg is attached, and offset from the corner of the frame 1. That is, for example, a leg 20 does not project beyond the outer surface of the side 11 adjacent the side 10 and nearest to the legs 20. By this means, two identical beds 1,1' can be nested by turning a first bed 1 upside down, so that its legs project vertically upwards, and placing the second bed 1' over the first bed 1 so that the legs 20', 21' of the second bed 1' lie outside the sides 10, 11 of the first bed 1 and themselves touch the ground.The legs 20', 21' of the second bed 1' are shown in phantom in Figure 5.

By configuring the legs according to the present invention, the units can be nested very efficiently and therefore stored with little space wasted. The space within the nested beds can be used as storage space for mattresses, pillows, etc. The manufacture of beds according to the present invention is simple and relative cheap, due to the fact that identical beds can be made, and the advantages to the user are clear in that, if two beds are purchased, and only one is required, the second bed can be stored in a nested position with the first bed without wasting space. The two beds are very quickly and easily separated as required.

Whilst the legs 20, 21 have been shown as substantially adjacent the end of their respective sides 10, 11 it is to be understood that positions further along the sides 10, 11 remote from their ends are suitable, although the corresponding nature of the position of the legs should be retained. In addition, placing the legs 20, 21 at the end of their respective sides 10, 11 leads to the greatest stability of the structure.

Whilst the legs in the specific example have been shown as being outside the rectangular frame 1, the advantages of the present invention are also achieved if the legs 2 are provided inside the frame 1.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, a second example of the invention is shown, again in the form of a bed. In this example, which has an in-fill board 23, the legs 20,21 extend above as well as below the plane of the frame 1.

This means that a second bed can be stacked on top of the first bed, the bottom of the legs 20',21' of the second bed sitting directly on the tops of corresponding legs 20,21 of the first bed, allowing the two beds to be used as bunk beds. As shown, the beds may be nested as before.

In Figures 8 and 9 are shown two scaffold towers 30,30'. Each tower 30 has a square frame 31 with a leg 32 positioned adjacent each corner 33. Each leg 32 is offset from its respective corner 33 by an extension 34 of the sides of the frame 31. The legs of the frame 31 and the legs 32 may be made of tubular steel or the like as conventional.

As shown in Figure 8, two substantially identical towers 30,30' can be stacked as described above, with the legs 32' of the second tower 30' sitting on top of the legs 32 of the first tower 30. As shown in Figure 9, the two towers 30,30' can be nested by inverting the tower 30' and placing it within the tower 30.

As can be seen, the frame 31 is fixed to the legs 32 away from their midpoints. This means that a variety of working heights can be achieved by a platform or the like disposed on the square frame 31. For example, the stacked towers of Figure 8 provide two working heights and, by inverting the whole stack, two different working heights can easily be achieved.

In comparison with some prior art tables, for example, in which to achieve nesting an end of one table must be adjacent a specific end of the second table, none of the examples described above is "end-specific", that is, rotation of the unit in the plane of the frame merely to bring together specified ends is obviated. This clearly facilitates nesting, especially when the unit is large.

Claims (7)

1. A nestable unit, for nesting with another substantially identical unit, comprising a planar polygonal frame having a plurality of legs, each leg being adjacent a corner and offset from that corner in the same direction around the perimeter of the frame, such that, own inversion of the unit, a second substantially identical unit can be nested in the first unit.

2. A unit according to claim 1, wherein each leg depends from its side either outside or inside the frame.

3. A unit according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the unit is a bed.

4. A unit according to claim 3, wherein the unit has a rectangular frame with a support member within the frame.

5. A unit according to claim 4, wherein the support member comprises a plurality of slats provided between two opposed sides of the frame.

6. A unit according to claim 1 or claini 2, wherein the unit is a scaffold tower.

7. A nestable unit, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, or 6 and 7, or 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.