Mattress Supporting System with Hinged Brackets for Headboard Support

Abstract

A bed frame assembly has hinged brackets that can be used to attach a headboard to a bed frame. Each hinged bracket has two metal plates that each have metal tongues that are rolled into curved sections. A hinge is formed by sliding a pin through staggered curved sections on opposite metal plates. The metal plates pivotally rotate about the axis of the hinge such that the hinged bracket consumed less volume in a packing box when folded flat. Screws are inserted through slots in each metal plate to secure the hinged bracket to the bed frame. Tongues on a headboard are slid into slots in the metal plates of the hinged brackets in order to attach the headboard to the bed frame.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first planar metal plate portion that has a first slot and a first portion of a hinge;   a second planar metal plate portion having a second portion of the hinge, wherein the first portion of the hinge adjoins the second portion of the hinge at a hinged edge, and wherein the first planar metal portion is pivotally attached to the second planar metal portion at the hinged edge;   a first lip that meets the first planar metal plate portion at an upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion, wherein the upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion is perpendicular to the first portion of the hinge, and wherein a bottom half of the first planar metal plate portion is opposite the upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion; and   a second lip that meets the second planar metal plate portion at an upper edge of the second planar metal plate portion, wherein the upper edge of the second planar metal plate portion is perpendicular to the second portion of the hinge, wherein the first planar metal plate portion has a first descending edge that is opposite the first portion of the hinge but that is not parallel to the first portion of the hinge, wherein the second planar metal plate portion has a second descending edge that is opposite the second portion of the hinge but is not parallel to the second portion of the hinge, wherein the first slot is disposed in the bottom half of the first planar metal plate portion and is oriented parallel to the upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion, and wherein the apparatus is adapted to be supported by a bed frame assembly such that no part of the bed frame assembly contacts the bottom half of the first planar metal plate portion.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first portion of the hinge includes a first curved section and a third curved section, wherein the second portion of the hinge includes a second curved section and a fourth curved section, and wherein the second curved section is disposed between the first curved section and the third curved section. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein a pin passes through the first, second, third and fourth curved sections. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the bed frame assembly includes an upper side edge bar and an outer side edge bar, wherein the first lip rests on the upper side edge bar, wherein the second lip rests on the outer side edge bar, and wherein the first planar metal plate portion hangs down from the upper side edge bar. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the bed frame assembly includes an upper side edge bar and an outer side edge bar, wherein the first planar metal plate portion is screwed into and hangs down from the upper side edge bar, and wherein the second planar metal plate portion is screwed into and hangs down from the outer side edge bar. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a headboard of a bed, wherein the headboard is attached to the first planar metal plate portion.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the headboard includes a tongue that slips into the first slot of the first planar metal plate portion. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first planar metal plate portion includes a second slot, and wherein the second slot is oriented parallel to the first slot. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first descending edge is straight and descends diagonally down from the upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first planar metal plate portion has a length along the hinged edge of less than fourteen inches. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first lip is a means for hanging the apparatus from a side edge bar of a folding bed frame. 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first planar metal plate portion that has a slot, a first rolled tongue and a second rolled tongue;   a second planar metal plate portion that has a third rolled tongue and a fourth rolled tongue;   a pin that passes through the first, second, third and fourth rolled tongues at a hinge axis, wherein the first planar metal plate portion is pivotally attached to the second planar metal plate portion at the hinge axis;   a first lip that meets the first planar metal plate portion at an upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion, wherein the upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion is perpendicular to the first portion of the hinge, and wherein a bottom half of the first planar metal plate portion is opposite the upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion; and   a second lip that meets the second planar metal plate portion at an upper edge of the second planar metal plate portion, wherein the upper edge of the second planar metal plate portion is perpendicular to the second portion of the hinge, wherein the first planar metal plate portion has a first descending edge that is opposite the first portion of the hinge but that is not parallel to the first portion of the hinge, wherein the second planar metal plate portion has a second descending edge that is opposite the second portion of the hinge but is not parallel to the second portion of the hinge, wherein the slot is disposed in the bottom half of the first planar metal plate portion and is oriented parallel to the upper edge of the first planar metal plate portion, and wherein the apparatus is adapted to be supported by a bed frame assembly such that no part of the bed frame assembly contacts the bottom half of the first planar metal plate portion.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the first planar metal plate portion is oriented perpendicular to the second planar metal plate portion when the apparatus is supported by the bed frame assembly. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 a cardboard packing box, wherein the first planar metal plate portion is folded over the second planar metal plate portion in the cardboard packing box such that the first planar metal plate portion and the second planar metal plate portion are oriented parallel to each other.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 a nut, wherein the pin is threaded, and wherein the nut is screwed onto the pin.   
     
     
         36 . An apparatus comprising:
 a bed frame assembly with a first hinge at its middle axis at which the bed frame assembly folds, wherein the bed frame assembly has an upper side edge bar and an outer side edge bar; and   an edge attachment that attaches both to the upper side edge bar and to the outer side edge bar, wherein the edge attachment hangs down from the upper side edge bar and from the outer side edge bar, wherein a first planar portion of the edge attachment is pivotally attached to a second planar portion of the edge attachment at a second hinge, and wherein the edge attachment is adapted to hold a headboard.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the first planar portion is oriented perpendicular to the second planar portion when the edge attachment is attached to both the upper side edge bar and to the outer side edge bar. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the edge attachment has a slot, and wherein a tongue on the headboard fits into the slot in the edge attachment. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 the headboard, wherein the headboard is attached to the edge attachment at a location below the upper side edge bar.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 the headboard, wherein the headboard has a tongue that slips into a slot in the first planar portion.