Futon frame and support system

Abstract

A futon support comprises a frame member defining an outer boundary of a region and a bar positioned to lie in the region and including first and second ends coupled to the frame member and spaced apart longitudinally from one another. The bar further comprises first and second flat sections configured to contact a futon to support the futon in a selected position and a bight coupled to the first and second flat sections to reinforce the first and second flat sections when a load is applied to the futon.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A futon support comprising 
 a frame including a first frame member defining an outer boundary of a first region and a second frame member defining an outer boundary of a second region,    a connector coupled to the first frame member and the second frame member so that the first frame member is movable relative to the second frame member,    a first set of bars positioned to lie in the first region, and    a second set of bars positioned to lie in the second region, each of the bars of the first set of bars and the second set of bars including a first end and a second end spaced apart longitudinally from the first end, the first end and the second end of each of the bars of the first set of bars being coupled to the first frame member, the first end and the second end of each of the bars of the second set of bars being coupled to the second frame member, each of the bars of the first set of bars and the second set of bars including a first flat section configured to contact a futon to support the futon in a selected position, a second flat section configured to contact the futon to support the futon in the selected position in cooperation with the first flat section and positioned to lie in transversely spaced-apart, co-planar relation to the first flat section, and a bight that is serpentine-shaped and coupled to the first flat section and the second flat section to reinforce the first flat section and the second flat section so that the first flat section and the second flat section can support the futon when a user of the futon applies a load to the futon.    
     
     
         2 . The futon support of    claim 1   , wherein the first flat section of each bar includes a first outer edge and a first inner portion that is positioned to lie transversely inwardly of the first outer edge, the second flat section of each bar includes a second outer edge and a second inner portion that is positioned to lie transversely inwardly of the second outer edge, and the bight of each bar extends from the respective first inner portion to the respective second inner portion.  
     
     
         3 . The futon support of    claim 1   , wherein the bight of each bar includes a positively sloping first quarter round section coupled to the respective first flat section and having a first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         4 . The futon support of    claim 3   , wherein the bight of each bar further includes an inverted half round middle section having a second radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         5 . The futon support of    claim 4   , wherein the bight of each bar further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the respective second flat section and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         6 . The futon support of    claim 5   , wherein the bight of each bar further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the respective second flat section and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         7 . The futon support of    claim 1   , wherein the first flat section, the second flat section, and the bight of each bar cooperate to define a width of the respective bar, and adjacent bars of one of the first set of bars and the second set of bars are spaced apart about four times the width from one another.  
     
     
         8 . A futon support comprising 
 a frame member defining an outer boundary of a region, and    a bar positioned to lie in the region and including a first end coupled to the frame member, a second end coupled to the frame member and spaced apart longitudinally from the first end, a flat zone configured to contact the futon and including a first outer edge and a second outer edge spaced apart transversely from the first outer edge, and a serpentine zone coupled to the flat zone at a location spaced apart from the first outer edge and the second outer edge to reinforce the flat zone so that the flat zone can support the futon when a user of the futon applies a load to the futon.    
     
     
         9 . The futon support of    claim 8   , wherein the flat zone includes a first flat section and a second flat section positioned to lie in spaced-apart, co-planar relation to one another to define a common plane.  
     
     
         10 . The futon support of    claim 9   , wherein the first flat section includes the first outer edge and a first inner portion positioned to lie transversely inwardly of the first outer edge, the second flat section includes the second outer edge and a second inner portion positioned to lie transversely inwardly of the second outer edge, and the serpentine zone extends from the first inner portion to the second inner portion.  
     
     
         11 . The futon support of    claim 10   , wherein the serpentine zone includes a bight that includes a positively sloping first quarter round section coupled to the first inner portion and having a first radius of curvature, an inverted half round middle section having a second radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature, and a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the second inner portion and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         12 . The futon support of    claim 9   , wherein the serpentine zone includes a bight that extends from the first flat section to the second flat section and outwardly from the common plane to support the first flat section and the second flat section.  
     
     
         13 . The futon support of    claim 8   , wherein the serpentine zone includes a bight that includes a positively sloping first quarter round section coupled to the flat zone and having a first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         14 . The futon support of    claim 13   , wherein the bight further includes an inverted half round middle section having a second radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         15 . The futon support of    claim 14   , wherein the bight further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the flat zone and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         16 . The futon support of    claim 13   , wherein the bight further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the flat zone and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         17 . A futon support comprising 
 a frame, and    a bar including a first end coupled to the frame, a second end coupled to the frame and spaced apart longitudinally from the first end, a first flat section configured to contact a futon to support the futon in a selected position, a second flat section configured to contact the futon to support the futon in the selected position in cooperation with the first flat section and positioned to lie in transversely spaced-apart, co-planar relation to the first flat section, and a bight coupled to the first flat section and the second flat section to reinforce the first flat section and the second flat section so that the first flat section and the second flat section can support the futon when a user of the futon applies a load to the futon.    
     
     
         18 . The futon support of    claim 17   , wherein the bight is serpentine-shaped.  
     
     
         19 . The futon support of    claim 18   , wherein the bight defines two points of inflection.  
     
     
         20 . The futon support of    claim 17   , wherein the bight includes a positively sloping first quarter round section coupled to the first flat section and having a first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         21 . The futon support of    claim 20   , wherein the bight further includes an inverted half round middle section having a second radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         22 . The futon support of    claim 21   , wherein the bight further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the second flat section and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         23 . The futon support of    claim 20   , wherein the bight further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the second flat section and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         24 . The futon support of    claim 17   , wherein the first flat section and the second flat section cooperate to define a common plane, the frame includes a tubular member that includes a diameter, and the bight extends from the first flat section and the second flat section away from the common plane a distance that is about one-third of the diameter of the tubular member.  
     
     
         25 . The futon support of    claim 17   , wherein the bight extends longitudinally from the first end to the second end.  
     
     
         26 . The futon support of    claim 17   , wherein the first flat section and the second flat section extend longitudinally from the first end to the second end.  
     
     
         27 . A futon support comprising 
 a frame member defining an outer boundary of a region, and    a bar positioned to lie in the region and coupled to the frame member, the bar including first means for contacting a futon to support the futon in a selected position, second means for contacting the futon to support the futon in the selected position in cooperation with the first means, and means for reinforcing the first means and the second means so that the first means and the second means can support the futon in the selected position when a user of the futon applies a load to the futon, the first means and the second means being spaced apart transversely from one another, the reinforcing means being coupled to the first means and the second means.    
     
     
         28 . The futon support of    claim 27   , wherein the reinforcing means is serpentine-shaped and extends from the first means to the second means.  
     
     
         29 . The futon support of    claim 27   , wherein the reinforcing means includes a bight that includes a positively sloping first quarter round section coupled to the first means and having a first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         30 . The futon support of    claim 29   , wherein the bight further includes an inverted half round middle section having a second radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         31 . The futon support of    claim 30   , wherein the bight further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the second means and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         32 . The futon support of    claim 29   , wherein the bight further includes a negatively sloping second quarter round section coupled to the second means and having a third radius of curvature that is equivalent to the first radius of curvature.  
     
     
         33 . The futon support of    claim 27   , wherein the first means includes a first outer edge and a first inner portion positioned to lie transversely inwardly of the first outer edge and the reinforcing means is coupled to the first inner portion.  
     
     
         34 . The futon support of    claim 33   , wherein the second means includes a second outer edge and a second inner portion positioned to lie transversely inwardly of the second outer edge and the reinforcing means is coupled to the second inner portion.  
     
     
         35 . The futon support of    claim 27   , wherein the reinforcing means includes a bight coupled to the first means and the second means.  
     
     
         36 . The futon support of    claim 35   , wherein the bar includes a first end and a second end spaced apart longitudinally from the first end and the bight, the first means, and the second means extend from the first end to the second end.  
     
     
         37 . The futon support of    claim 27   , wherein the first means includes a first flat section and the second means includes a second flat section positioned to lie in co-planar relation to the first flat section.