ATTENTION: Important Information Regarding Gas Lift Beds
“As part of our dediation to on-going product safety, quality and usability, we have upgraded the user instructions that ship with our gas lift models.
The two main points we garnered from listening to end-user feedback were that we must remind people to NEVER operate a gas lift bed without a mattress on top and to NEVER attempt to close the gas-lift panel by pressing down on only one corner or edge.
Here, we would like to present the updated documentation and expand on each point in more detail.”
“As part of our dediation to on-going product safety, quality and usability, we have upgraded the user instructions that ship with Peter M. Brobyn
Director – APAC
Asia Furniture International Ltd.
t/a Atlas Furniture Asia
This information applies to all types of gas lift storage, regardless of the base top: boarded base (1) or wooden slats (2)
and regardless of opening configuration: end opening (1) / side opening (2)
Why Must I Put A Mattress On a Gas-Lift Bed Before Attempting to Close it?
The pistons that are built into the ‘lift’ mechanism are high-powered components, designed to lift the weight of the top of the bed, as well as a fully dressed mattress.
The reason for this is that – under normal operation – your bed will be fully assembled and dressed, with the mattress on top. You don’t want to remove the mattress every time you want to access the under-bed storage, so we guaged the power-rating of the piston (PSi) to be able to make lifting the top of the bed AND the mattress a light and pleasant experience.
The downside to this is that when the mattress is NOT on the bed, the pistons are essentially too-high-powered versus the amount of weight on top.
What this means is that if you try to open the gas lift without the heavy mattress on top, you may risk the bed top springing up and causing you personal bodily harm (trust me, you do NOT want a gas lift smashing you in the face!), or damaging the bed, by, say, putting excessive force on the screws and bolts, or by tearing or twisting the wood.
Why Can I Not Close the Gas Lift Bed By Pressing on One Side, or on an Edge?
In order to keep the product as light as possible without compromising strength (which also maximises the usable space in the storage under the bed), the gas lift storage bed is designed to have equal pressure applied to BOTH left and right pistons at the same time.
Think of it like the engine of a car only sending power to the left-hand-side wheel. You’ll be spinning around in circles!
The science of torque and twisting dictates that if you only push down on one edge or one corner of the frame, you will distribute too much weight to an opposite corner, resulting in damage to the frame, to the surrounding objects or even yourself.
So What is the Correct Way to Operate the Gas Lift Bed?
To Open the Gas Lift Storage
To open the gas lift bed, use the safety strap(s) to start the upward motion. You will find that the pistons will then do most of the heavy lifting for you and the mattress will glide up to reveal the storage space underneath.
Some models have 2 straps (at a third and two thirds the way along the frame), some models have one strap in the centre of the frame.
To Close the Gas Lift Storage
NORMAL OPERATION
To close, push down firmly on the frame and / or matress, keeping a balanced weight on both sides.
Whilst the stronger amongst us may be able to close the gas lift with only one hand, we suggest always using two hands to ensure an even load.
FIRST-TIME ONLY
At this stage, we would also like to add a point about the gas lift pistons and how to close the storage bed for the first time (ONLY).
The pistons ship from our factory with a seal on them, to ensure that they are brand new for the customer and there is no leaking of piston fluid during transit.
Therefore, the very first time (and ONLY the first time) you close the bed, you are also breaking these seals to engage the pistons properly. This will feel like a big push, but if you are balanced, firm and give is a good push, you will be triumphant!
Upgraded Documentation
Click the image here for a full-size version of the file.
If you are a supplier to Atlas and require a print-ready PDF copy of the file,
please email our Accounts Managers who will arrange a copy for you.
