1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an an apparatus for opening and closing a folding bed of an overlapping type.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been two types of conventional folding beds. An overlapping folding bed type in which a front panel attached to a bed body is superposed on a cabinet at the time of foldably containing the bed body therein, and the other being a recessed type of a folding bed in which a front panel is foldably contained inside a cabinet. In both types, it is preferable to have one front panel since a simple external appearance is obtained when the bed body is foldably contained i the cabinet.
In order to use one front panel in the folding bed of an overlapping type, there is known a means for separately providing the rotational shafts of a bed body and a front panel, means for providing the rotational shaft of a bed body at the lower portion of a front panel outside a cabinet, etc.
However, according to the former means, since the rotational shafts of the bed body and the front panel are different, the bed body and the front panel are deviated at a difference between the axes of both the rotational shafts.
On the other hand, according to the latter means, since the rotational shaft of the bed body is projected forward of the cabinet, there arises a problem that the bed body and a front panel rotating force energizing mechanism cannot be arranged with springs, etc., around the shaft.
There is know to eliminate the problems described above by a means for dividing a front panel into upper and lower panels, and utilizing the upper panel as a side panel at the time of using the bed body as a bed.
However, since both the upper and lower panels are coupled to the bed body via a link in this means, it is always cooperated with upon opening or closing of the bed body. Therefore, it cannot be used as a maintenance panel which can be freely opened or closed.
In order to eliminate the above problem, the following folding bed is already known.
In this folding bed, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a front panel is divided into an upper panel a and a lower panel b, the upper panel is fixed to a bed body d rotatably openably supported by a cabinet c, the lower panel b is clamped at the cabinet c with wooden screws, etc., (not shown), and the lower panel b can be removed for maintenance.
However, in the conventional folding bed as described above, since the lower panel b is always fixed to the cabinet c, a relief g for the lower panel b must be cut out at the frame e of the bed body d and the base of a mattress f as shown in FIG. 8. Further, when the bed body d is used as a bed, the upper surface of the mattress f becomes higher, and the bed body d is arranged at a place considerably spaced from a floor surface. As a result, folding legs h must be provided underneath the bed body d. Accordingly, when the bed body d is drawn out from the cabinet c or contained in the cabinet c, the legs h must be extended or retracted, or must be disposed in a containing state or state of use by means of rotation. Thus, the operation is not only complicated, but its aesthetic appearance is lessened.
In FIG. 9, a rotating force energizing mechanism i for the bed body d and the upper panel a is provided.