Convertible crib bed

Abstract

A crib, which is convertible into a toddler bed and a standard bed, has four panels forming an enclosure around a mattress. The toddler bed is formed by removing a section of one of the panels such that the mattress is accessible along one side of the toddler bed. The standard bed is formed by reconfiguring two of the panels forming the enclosure around the crib mattress into two side rails. The side rails are then installed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other between the two other panels. The two other panels may form a headboard and a footboard for the standard bed.

1 . An article of convertible furniture, comprising:
 a first panel and a second panel, said first panel and said second panel each configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration;   wherein the first panel and the second panel form at least part of an enclosure of an infant's crib while each is in the first configuration; and   wherein the first panel and the second panel each form a side rail of a standard bed while each is in the second configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of slats, said slats extending between, and abutting against, the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         3 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 1 , wherein the first panel and the second panel each comprises a pair of semi-panels. 
     
     
         4 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 3 , wherein each of the pairs of semi-panels is joined in a first orientation in the first configuration and is joined in a second orientation in the second configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 4 , further comprising at least one coupler for coupling each of the pairs of semi-panels together in the first orientation and the second orientation. 
     
     
         6 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second panels comprises a first rail, a second rail, and a plurality of slats extending between the first and second rails. 
     
     
         7 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 1 , further comprising a third panel and a fourth panel, said third panel and said fourth panel forming at least part of the enclosure of the infant's crib in combination with the first panel and the second panel. 
     
     
         8 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 7 , wherein said third panel and fourth panel are further operable to form a headboard and a footboard, respectively, of the standard bed. 
     
     
         9 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 8 , wherein said first panel and said second panel extend between said third panel and said fourth panel while forming at least part of the enclosure of the crib and while forming the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         10 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 7 , wherein said first panel in the first configuration, said second panel in the first configuration, and said third panel are operable to form a partial enclosure of a toddler's bed. 
     
     
         11 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 3 , wherein each semi-panel comprises a side member, wherein said side member is vertically oriented when forming part of the infant's crib. 
     
     
         12 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 11 , wherein said side member is horizontally oriented when forming part of one of the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         13 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 1 , wherein said infant's crib comprises a first mattress and said standard bed comprises a second mattress, wherein said first mattress and said second mattress have different dimensions. 
     
     
         14 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 13 , wherein said standard bed further comprises a box spring. 
     
     
         15 . An article of convertible furniture, comprising:
 a first panel and a second panel, said first panel and said second panel each having a pair of semi-panels configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration;   wherein each of the pairs of semi-panels is convertible from the first configuration to the second orientation by rotating each of its semi-panels by approximately ninety-degrees;   wherein the first panel and the second panel form at least part of an enclosure of an infant's crib while each is in the first configuration; and   wherein the first panel and the second panel each form a side rail of a standard bed while each is in the second configuration.   
     
     
         16 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of slats, said slats extending between, and abutting against, the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         17 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 15 , wherein each of said first and second panels comprises a first rail, a second rail, and a plurality of slats extending between the first and second rails. 
     
     
         18 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 15 , further comprising a third panel and a fourth panel, said third panel and said fourth panel forming at least part of the enclosure of the infant's crib in combination with the first panel and the second panel. 
     
     
         19 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 18 , wherein said third panel and fourth panel are further operable to form a headboard and a footboard, respectively, of the standard bed. 
     
     
         20 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 18 , wherein said first panel and said second panel extend between said third panel and said fourth panel while forming at least part of the enclosure of the crib and while forming the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         21 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 15 , further comprising a third panel, wherein said first panel in the first configuration, said second panel in the first configuration, and said third panel are operable to form a partial enclosure of a toddler's bed. 
     
     
         22 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 15 , wherein each semi-panel comprises a side member, wherein said side member is vertically oriented when forming part of the infant's crib. 
     
     
         23 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 22 , wherein said side member is horizontally oriented when forming part of one of the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         24 . An article of convertible furniture, comprising:
 a plurality of panels defining an enclosure around a mattress of an infant's crib;   wherein said plurality of panels are reconfigurable to thereby form a standard bed; and   wherein said standard bed comprises a storage location for said mattress of the infant's crib.   
     
     
         25 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 24 , further comprising a frame for supporting the mattress of the infant's crib. 
     
     
         26 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of slats for forming a support for a mattress of the standard bed, wherein said frame is suspended from said slats to thereby form said storage location. 
     
     
         27 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 24 , wherein said storage location is disposed beneath a box spring of said standard bed. 
     
     
         28 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 24 , wherein said plurality of panels are reconfigurable to thereby form a toddler's bed. 
     
     
         29 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 24 , wherein a pair of the plurality of panels are reconfigurable to form a pair of side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         30 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 24 , wherein one of the plurality of panels forms a headboard of the standard bed. 
     
     
         31 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 24 , wherein one of the plurality of panels forms a footboard of the standard bed. 
     
     
         32 . An article of convertible furniture, comprising:
 a first panel and a second panel, said first panel and said second panel each configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration; and   a third panel and a fourth panel;   wherein the first panel and the second panel, while each is in the first configuration, may form an enclosure of an infant's crib in conjunction with the third panel and the fourth panel; and   wherein the first panel and the second panel each may form a side rail of a standard bed while each is in the second configuration, said side rails abutting against, and extending between, said third panel and said fourth panel.   
     
     
         33 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 32 , further comprising a plurality of slats, said slats extending between, and abutting against, the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         34 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 32 , wherein the first panel and the second panel each comprises a pair of semi-panels. 
     
     
         35 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 34 , wherein each of the pairs of semi-panels is joined in a first orientation in the first configuration and is joined in a second orientation in the second configuration. 
     
     
         36 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 35 , further comprising at least one coupler for coupling each of the pairs of semi-panels together in the first orientation and the second orientation. 
     
     
         37 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 32 , wherein each of said first and second panels comprises a first rail, a second rail, and a plurality of slats extending between the first and second rails. 
     
     
         38 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 32 , wherein said third panel and fourth panel are operable to form a headboard and a footboard, respectively, of the standard bed. 
     
     
         39 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 32 , wherein said first panel and said second panel abut against, and extend between, said third panel and said fourth panel while forming the enclosure of the crib. 
     
     
         40 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 32 , wherein said first panel in the first configuration, said second panel in the first configuration, and said third panel are operable to form a toddler's bed. 
     
     
         41 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 34 , wherein each semi-panel comprises a side member, wherein said side member is vertically oriented when forming part of the infant's crib. 
     
     
         42 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 41 , wherein said side member is horizontally oriented when forming part of one of the side rails of the standard bed. 
     
     
         43 . A method of converting a crib into a standard bed, said crib having an enclosure formed from a plurality of panels, said method comprising:
 disassembling the enclosure of the crib into its constituent panels;   reconfiguring two of the panels that formed part of the enclosure of the crib into a pair of side rails for the standard bed; and   installing the side rails between the two remaining panels that formed part of the enclosure of the crib in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of installing slats between said side rails. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising the step of suspending a frame for a mattress from said slats to thereby form a storage location for the mattress. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the step of reconfiguring two of the panels that formed part of the enclosure of the crib into side rails comprises the step disassembling each of the two panels into semi-panels. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising the step of rotating the semi-panels by approximately ninety-degrees and rejoining the semi-panels back together. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising the step of rejoining the semi-panels using at least one coupler. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of installing a box spring and mattress onto the standard bed. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of installing the side rails using threaded fasteners. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of providing a headboard for the standard bed from one of the panels. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of providing a footboard for the standard bed from one of the panels. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein each of the side rails comprises a plurality of slats extending between two rails. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the rails extend from a side member in a substantially parallel relationship to each other. 
     
     
         55 . An article of convertible furniture, comprising:
 a first panel and a second panel;   the first panel and the second panel each comprising a pair of semi-panels;   each of the semi-panels comprising a first rail and a second rail extending in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship from a side member;   a plurality of slats extending between the first rail and the second rail of each of the semi-panels;   the first rails of each pair of semi-panels joinable together using a coupler;   the second rails of each pair of semi-panels joinable together using a coupler;   the side members of each pair of semi-panels joinable together end-to-end using a pair of couplers;   a third panel having a solid center flanked on either side by a side member;   a fourth panel having a pair of rails extending between a pair of side members in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship;   a plurality of slats extending in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship between the pair of rails of the fourth panel;   said pair of rails and slats being removably secured to said pair of side members of the fourth panel;   wherein said first, second, third and fourth panels may be joined together to form an enclosure of an infant's crib;   wherein each of said first and second panels may be reconfigured to form a side rail for a standard bed, said side rails extending in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship between said third and fourth panels; and   wherein said first, second and third panels may be joined together to form a toddler bed.   
     
     
         56 . The article of convertible furniture of  claim 10 , wherein said toddler's bed comprises a storage location for at least a portion of said fourth panel.