Any ideas on how to add lifting assistance (gas struts) to this project?

[Flight815]

Hello! Below is an 80" x 28" x 8" memory foam mattress inside of a wood frame with wheels at the bottom and the top. The total weight, without a person on it, will be around 100 pounds. Let's call this thing a pod.
I'm trying to find a good solution to add assistance in moving the entire pod as seen throughout the 3 positions.

Not pictured, there will be two heavy-duty hooks at the top of the back of the wood frame, able to latch onto brackets secured into 2x4s and plywood bolted into the studs behind the wall. The pod can roll up and down as pictured and then be locked into place.

I looked at the idea of adding 2 gas struts by attaching the bottom end of the struts to the yellow wood on the wall and then having the top of the struts attached to the upper back of the pod. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a gas strut that can extend to 70" to make the pod able to come down as far as seen in the bottom position. Could there be a way to attach gas struts to metal rods attached to the pod?

I've also looked at some linear actuators. I found some that can extend to 65" but as slow as they are, it seems like I would be happier with gas struts and just manually pulling the pod up and down in a lot less time.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. There is more to the final product than pictured and this is something I'm desperately trying to complete soon.

 

[martygturner]

Mount the mattress on the inside then flip down the bed

eg https://www.wallbedking.com/en/

 

[StephenStephen]

How about a rope, pulley, and counterweight on the wall above?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Gas struts, will not work with your current design method, if however you changed the design, so that the pod used a fixed hinge point at the base of the wall, then struts could be used to help hinge it up.

As designed - the only way to make that work, is with a pulley, and a counterweight. The counterweight could run inside a section of soil pipe.

 

[Flight815]

Mount the mattress on the inside then flip down the bed

eg https://www.wallbedking.com/en/

Thanks for the suggestion. I've looked at the Murphy bed design but I haven't been able to figure out how it could work for me. This is the full design.

 

[Flight815]

How about a rope, pulley, and counterweight on the wall above?

I keep hearing counterweights being suggested. I am going to have to look into this as I have no idea what that looks like.

 

[Flight815]

Gas struts, will not work with your current design method, if however you changed the design, so that the pod used a fixed hinge point at the base of the wall, then struts could be used to help hinge it up.

As designed - the only way to make that work, is with a pulley, and a counterweight. The counterweight could run inside a section of soil pipe.

Would you happen to have any pics that show something similar to what you're describing? Here is the full design I am working on.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Would you happen to have any pics that show something similar to what you're describing? Here is the full design I am working on.

No, but simple enough......

Your four wheels, as in your original design, add a rope attached to the right hand end of the bed (as in your diagram), the rope passes over a simple pulley high on the wall, then to a second pulley, again high on the wall. but located where some heavy counterweights can be hung. The weights can be located inside a length of round soil pipe.

 

[StephenStephen]

Sash windows traditionally use counterweights...

 

[Tigercubrider]

What exactly are you trying to do?
It looks like a Murphy Bed, which would normally be hinged at the bottom and the under bed become the face that someone in the room sees.

You could look at linear actuators? These are like motorised gas struts that get longer/ shorter and push/pull.

 

[StephenStephen]

I've had a closer look at the design...
It raised a couple of questions...

Is the blue 32" monitor an alien mind control device?

What stops the bedding and mattress falling out when it's vertical?

Are you wanting the bed to raise and lower with a person in it?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Is the blue thing an alien mind control device?

I thought it was a shower head.

 

[foxhole]

Would need incredibly heavy weight for that design .

 

[robinbanks]

Garage door spring (the rotating ones that balance sectional doors)?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Garage door spring (the rotating ones that balance sectional doors)?

Tubular motor, as used for powered roller garage door, but with a pulley mounted on the end shaft, then a steel wire rope attached to the end of the bed.