Rapidly deployable housing units and compact folding furniture therefor

Abstract

A folding furniture assembly can be provided that includes a foldable frame and any combination of an upper bunk, a lower bunk, a stowable chair, and a stowable table. The foldable frame is coupled to a support and includes a front leg configured to brace the foldable frame away from the support when unfolded. The upper bunk is configured to support a sleeper and is pivotably coupled with the front leg and the support. The lower bunk can support a sleeper below the upper bunk and is pivotably coupled with the support and the front leg. The stowable chair and/or the stowable table is/are stowably supported by the assembly, e.g., by the lower bunk. The stowable chair and/or the stowable table has/have a stowed configuration when the foldable frame is in unfolded and can have a deployed configuration when the foldable frame is folded.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A folding furniture assembly, comprising:
 a wall support configured to be anchored to or disposed adjacent to an interior wall of a housing unit;   a foldable frame coupled to the wall support, the foldable frame comprising a front leg configured to brace the foldable frame away from the wall support in an unfolded configuration;   an upper bunk comprising an upper bunk support and an upper bunk top configured to support a sleeper, the upper bunk support being coupled with the front leg and forming a part of the foldable frame, the upper bunk support being pivotably coupled with the wall support;   a lower bunk comprising a lower bunk support and a lower bunk top configured to support a sleeper below the upper bunk, the lower bunk support being coupled with the front leg and forming a part of the foldable frame, the lower bunk support being pivotably coupled with the wall support;   a stowable chair comprising a chair frame and a chair top stowably supported by a track coupled with the lower bunk support, the chair frame comprising a slide configured to move along the track between a stowed position of the stowable chair and a deployed position of the stowable chair; and   a stowable table comprising a table frame and a tabletop, the table frame coupled to the lower bunk support by a hinge connection, the stowable table having stowed configuration when the foldable frame is in the unfolded configuration and a deployed configuration where the table frame and the tabletop are positioned in a horizontal position.   
     
     
         2 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall support comprises a first U-shaped member having a plurality of contact points on a head end of the folding furniture assembly and a second U-shaped member having a plurality of contact points on a foot end of the folding furniture assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall support further comprises an upper cross-brace and a lower cross-brace, the upper bunk support being coupled to the upper cross-brace by a hinge connection, the lower bunk support coupled to the lower cross-brace by a hinge connection. 
     
     
         4 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the front leg is pivotably coupled with the upper bunk opposite the hinge connection between the upper bunk and the wall support and the lower bunk opposite the hinge connection between the lower bunk and the wall support. 
     
     
         5 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall support, the front leg, the upper bunk support, and the lower bunk support comprises a four-bar linkage. 
     
     
         6 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the stowable chair comprises a first stowable chair and further comprising a second stowable chair, the stowable table disposed between the first stowable chair and the second stowable chair. 
     
     
         7 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the stowable chair includes a stowable leg configured to fold against a bottom surface of the chair top. 
     
     
         8 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the stowable table includes a stowable leg configured to fold against a bottom surface of the tabletop. 
     
     
         9 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the stowable leg comprises an upper portion and a lower portion slideably extendable from the upper portion to provide a compact folded configuration and an elongated deployed configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking device coupled with the foldable frame, the locking device having an engaged position inserted into an aperture in the wall support and a disengaged position retracted form the aperture, the disengaged position allowing deployment of the foldable frame. 
     
     
         11 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a gas spring having a first end coupled with the wall support and a second end coupled with the foldable frame, the gas spring applying a load to assist moving the foldable frame to a folded configuration. 
     
     
         12 . A folding furniture assembly, comprising:
 a foldable frame configured to be coupled to a wall or a wall support, the foldable frame comprising a four-bar linkage comprising a front leg, an upper bunk support configured to support a sleeper, the upper bunk support pivotably coupled with the front leg and configured to be pivotably coupled with the wall or the wall support, and a lower bunk support configured to support a sleeper below the upper bunk support, the lower bunk support being pivotably coupled with the front leg and configured to be pivotably coupled with the wall or the wall support; and   a gas spring having a first end configured to be coupled to a wall or a wall support and a second end coupled with the foldable frame, the gas spring applying a load to assist moving the four-bar linkage from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a stowable chair supported by the lower bunk support in a stowed configuration and in a deployed position. 
     
     
         14 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the stowable chair comprises a chair frame stowably supported by a track coupled with the lower bunk support, the chair frame comprising a slide configured to move along the track between a stowed position of the stowable chair and the deployed position of the stowable chair. 
     
     
         15 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a stowable table supported by the lower bunk support, the stowable table having a stowed configuration when the foldable frame is in an unfolded configuration and a deployed configuration where a tabletop of the stowable table is positioned in a horizontal position. 
     
     
         16 . The folding furniture assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising a hinge connection and a lock, the hinge connection disposed between a table frame of the stowable table and a frame member of the lower bunk support, the lock configured to retain the stowable table in the stowed configuration when the foldable frame is in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         17 . A rapid deploy housing unit, comprising:
 an enclosure having a housing exterior and a housing interior, the housing interior enclosing a space for sheltering one or more occupants; and   a folding furniture assembly disposed in the rapid deploy housing unit, the folding furniture assembly comprising:
 a bunk support having a first edge pivotably coupled to a wall support or directly to the housing interior; 
 a front leg pivotably coupled to a second edge of the bunk support, the front leg configured to brace the bunk support when the folding furniture assembly is unfolded; and 
 a stowable table comprising a table frame coupled to the bunk support and having a stowed configuration when the bunk support is in an unfolded configuration and a deployed configuration when the bunk support is in a folded configuration and the stowable table is positioned in a horizontal position. 
   
     
     
         18 . The rapid deploy housing unit of  claim 17 , wherein the folding furniture assembly further comprises a gas spring having a first end coupled with the wall support or to the housing interior and a second end coupled with the bunk support, the gas spring applying a load to assist moving the folding furniture assembly to a folded configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The rapid deploy housing unit of  claim 18 , wherein the bunk support is a lower bunk support and further comprising an upper bunk support to support a sleeper above the lower bunk support. 
     
     
         20 . The rapid deploy housing unit of  claim 19 , wherein the second end of the gas spring is coupled with the upper bunk support to assist moving the upper bunk support and the lower bunk support to the folding furniture assembly.