KR20120030303A - Foam springs and innerspring combinations for mattresses - Google Patents

Abstract

Dual spring support structures for mattresses or other reflective support structures employ foam springs in combination with inner springs or foam cores to provide multimodal and multi-structured support surfaces with multiple, invariant or identical spring coefficients and support properties. Foam springs have a geometric cross-sectional arrangement with mechanical spring properties that act in combination with the spring properties of the foam. In one embodiment foam springs are used around the wire foam inner spring or around the foam core. The foam spring may have a spring factor that is equal to, greater than or less than that of the inner spring or core. Foam springs of different arrangements and spring coefficients are used alone or in combination with different shaped cores to provide a spring or cushion structure.

Description

Foam spring and inner spring combination for mattress {FOAM SPRINGS AND INNERSPRING COMBINATIONS FOR MATTRESSES}

Related application

This application claims priority to US provisional patent application 61 / 022,041, filed January 18, 2008.

Field of invention

The present disclosure and related inventions relate to mattresses and more specifically to mattresses having multimodal and multistructured support surfaces having multiple, constant or identical spring coefficients and support properties.

Metal springs, foam layers, solid foam blocks, water, air and other structures have been used in the mattress construction. These materials can be used separately or in combination. Mattresses are constructed with varying degrees of firmness to provide supports of different degrees and shapes. The edge portion of the mattress, i.e. the horizontal support surface close to the vertical sidewall, is an important part of the structure to prevent the tendency to roll-off or taper down toward the edge and to resist seat pressure. . If built more than necessary, the transition between the edge of the mattress and the inner spring may be abrupt or uncomfortable. The mattress edges typically do not provide much support to the seater in this seated position. In addition, having a stronger and better supporting mattress in relation to the sleeping area extends the sleeping area so that consumers can sleep at or near the edge without inconvenient and uneven transition between the inner spring and the mattress edge.

The present disclosure provides mattresses with edges that provide a stronger and better supporting seat edge that creates an even transition and contributes to the overall comfort and support of the entire mattress.

Summary of the Invention

A foam spring and inner spring combination is disclosed that includes a foam spring component used in the edge region of a mattress proximate the edge or core of a mattress inner spring. One aspect of the present disclosure and related invention is a foam spring that acts as an internal component of the mattress as both a foam element and a support element. The foam spring includes one or more first segments extending in a first direction that are interconnected with one or more second segments extending in a second direction, and the foam springs include the interconnection of the first and second pieces and As a result of relative motion, it has both mechanical spring action and foam cushion support properties, and foam spring action results from the compressibility and elastic material properties of the foam from which the foam spring is made.

Another aspect of the present disclosure and related inventions is a combination of foam springs 10 of the described form and variations thereof, which are wires forming together inner springs such as, for example, used in mattresses and other resilient support structures. Extrusion foam spring structure having a wire or steel spring or coil, such as a form coil. As is known in the wire forming and mattress industry, a typical wire form inner spring consists of a number of individual wire form coils, such as spiral coils interconnected in a rectangular mattress or array to provide a reflective spring core to the mattress. . The padding and cover are secured over the inner spring to complete the mattress, defined by the ends of the coils of the inner spring where one or both major planes are used as the support or water surface.

A further aspect of the present disclosure and related invention is the combination of foam springs with inner springs, where one or more pieces of foam springs are close to or approximately close to the inner springs, such as wire-shaped inner springs with multiple springs or coils. Wherein the surface of the foam spring is adjacent to the support surface or horizontal plane of the inner spring and compressible with respect to the inner spring, wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is similar to or the same as the spring coefficient of the inner spring, or intentionally internal It is made different from the spring coefficient of the spring.

Another aspect of the present disclosure and related inventions includes a mattress having an internal spring and a multimodal and multi-structured support surface having a multi-, invariant, or the same spring coefficient and support properties as the surrounding foam structure acting alone and in combination. do.

These and other aspects of the disclosure and related inventions are further disclosed herein and claimed as claims in connection with the accompanying drawings of specific, preferred and alternative embodiments of various inventive concepts.

Description of Drawings

1 is a representative embodiment of a foam spring;

2 is a representative view of a foam spring located approximately around the inner spring as a combined inner component of a mattress or other inner spring system or core;

3 is a representative view of a foam spring located approximately at the periphery of a queen size inner spring as a combined internal component of a mattress or other inner spring system or core;

4 is a representative view of a foam spring positioned adjacent to a coil of a type that may be used in an inner spring or other inner spring system or core;

5 is a representative view of the inner mitered corner with angle facing and inner relief cross section;

6 is a representative view of a lock key secured against the inner wall of the foam spring and located between the coils of the inner spring; And

7 is a representation of a lock key.

Detailed description of the preferred and alternative embodiments

The present disclosure and related inventions are combined with foam structures or configurations having a spring arrangement referred to herein as "foam springs" and wire-shaped springs for use in inner spring systems for mattresses, seats, furniture or other reflective support structures. It relates to a foam spring. When used as the inner spring of the mattress, the foam spring and the wire shaped inner spring have a combined mechanical spring action and foam spring action. The foam spring is preferably used in combination with the inner spring, wherein one or more foam springs are located in proximity to or about the periphery of the inner spring, whereby the surface of the foam spring is connected to the support surface or horizontal surface of the inner spring. Adjacent and compressible with respect to the inner spring, wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is made similar or identical to the spring coefficient of the inner spring or intentionally made different from the spring coefficient of the inner spring.

1 shows a representative embodiment of a particular embodiment of foam spring 10 of the present disclosure consisting of foam spring components 1 and 2, respectively, and substantially the same. Each foam spring component 1, 2 generally proceeds in a first direction and is interconnected first fragments 121, 122, 123, and first that can be oriented in a vertical or horizontal or other manner when installed for use. It may proceed in a second direction, generally perpendicular to the first direction of the fragments 121, 122, 123 and be oriented in a vertical or horizontal or other way when installed for use. For further description, foam spring components 1, 2 and combinations thereof are described in relation to the vertical orientation, where axis A is oriented vertically, wherein fragment 221 of foam spring 1 or 2 serves as the substrate or base of the foam spring. When foam spring components 1, 2 are symmetrically combined as shown in FIG. 1, fragment 221 of foam spring component 1 or 2 forms the generally horizontal outer surface or top surface of foam spring 10. Foam spring 10 has an axial length that extends between spatially partitioned and parallel planes, the first and second generally horizontal planes defined by the outer surface of the fragment 221. However, it is understood that foam spring 10 may be located in a different orientation with axis A in an orientation that is not horizontal or vertical. Foam spring components 1 and 2 may be secured by adhesive or welding, such as by thermal bonding, ie melting or bonding of the facing surface of fragment 224. Although combined foam spring components 1 and 2 are shown, foam spring 10 of the present invention may comprise a single foam spring component having a plurality of first fragments and a plurality of interconnected second fragments.

Fragments 221, 222, which can be deformed and / or folded under the load typically applied to fragment 221, for example, by means of beam flexure or sag centered at approximately axis A; As with 223, and 224, fragments 221, 222, and 223 move and distribute the rods for fragments 121, 122, 123 resulting in the compression of foam spring 10 along axis A as a result of the compressibility of the foam material. The inlets 301, 302, 303 in the central region of the foam spring components 1, 2 enable the compression of the curvature of the fragments 221, 222, 223 and the overall structure of the foam spring 10 according to the compression of the fragments 121, 122, 123. Inlets 301, 302, and 303 are representative in form and number, and alternatively in order to achieve different robustness, compressibility and spring action and reaction (recoil or reduced pressure) of components 1, 2, alternatively different crossings of components 1, 2 Can be arranged in a profile. In order to further enhance the compression and spring action of components 1 and 2, grooves 12, 14 may be formed in the side walls of fragments 121, 122, 123 and offset relative to inlets 301, 302, 303. . The foam spring 10 thus has the structure and arrangement of the spring, which acts as a spring separately or in addition to the material properties of the foam produced therefrom, ie the compressibility, elasticity, memory, strength and porous structure of the foam.

The foams made from components 1, 2 are preferably polyurethane foams or any other suitable form of foams or foamable materials, which use dies having a cross-sectional design in the cross section described, or an arrangement thereof. By extrusion, casting, engraving, forming or otherwise. Extruded foam structures of this type can be formed using the outer skin and a plurality of adjacent blebs or alveoli within the outer skin providing the foam structure / component intrinsic compressibility and decompression and providing in the original form defined by the outer skin. . The outer skin is formed as a result of the extrusion process wherein the described cross sectional arrangement of foam spring 10 is defined by the extrusion die. The outer skin limits the deformation of the spring to some extent and acts as a shape definition and container structure with a memory that restores the spring to its original undeformed form. As mentioned, other factors that determine the strength or compressibility of foam spring 10 include the cross-sectional thickness of the fragments described, the number and size of the openings in the cross section, the number, orientation and intersection of the fragments, i.e. the layout of the cross-sectional design. And the number of foam spring components to be combined, such as, for example, a symmetric combination of components 1 and 2 as shown in FIG. 1, and the form of the material from which foam spring 10 is to be made, the thickness of the outer skin, and the porous structure of the foam.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the foam spring 10, which is not shown but is shown to intersect the columns and columns of coil C, is located approximately in the periphery of the inner spring I and the total area of the additional rows and columns of coil C. Can be filled. As shown, the foam spring can be positioned end to end, or spatially partitioned about the periphery of the inner spring, so arranged and combined with the inner spring I, such as a mattress or other inner spring system or a combined inner component of the core. There can be multiple pieces of 10. Although described in connection with a mattress such as for sleep, the combined internal components of foam spring 10, such as foam or foam and spring combination, and inner spring I or any other type of core, may be combined with a seat, such as foam core FC, as shown and It can be used on any support surface, such as furniture. Other examples of mattresses or padding cores that can be used in combination with foam spring 10 (eg in place of wire-shaped inner springs) are different forms of solid foam cores, latex foams, memory foams and foam materials of polyurethane foams. Foam cores made from a combination of layers, inserts or portions. Foam spring 10 is used in combination with the foam core instead of the wire shaped inner spring, which constitutes an alternative embodiment of the dual spring support structure as disclosed and claimed.

With the coil oriented at the axial end as shown, the axis A of the foam spring 10 is for the entire periphery of the inner spring, or alternatively along the side of one or more inner springs, as shown in FIG. 4, for example Align with the coil axis CA of the inner spring along each transverse side. As shown in FIG. 4, the linear or height dimension of the foam spring 10 is measured from the coil end to the coil end as measured, for example, from the outer edge of the fragment 221 of component 1 or the outer edge of the fragment 221 of component 2. As is approximately equal to the common height of coil C of the inner spring. Thus, the surface of the fragment 221 is substantially aligned and flows out with the support surface formed by the end of the coil of the inner spring, ie with the support surface of the inner spring, so that the foam spring 10 supports the combined foam spring and the inner spring. Substantially contribute to the surface area. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the surface area of the foam spring 10 is combined with the support surface of the inner spring I to define the support surface or area of the entire mattress. Advantageously, foam spring 10 substantially adds to the total support area of the mattress and reduces the number of each spring or coil required in the inner spring I or otherwise reduces the required size of the mattress core.

With further reference to FIG. 4, the axis (coil axis CA) of the coil C and the foam spring 10 (A) are generally oriented vertically and parallel, and the height or linearity of the coil C is approximately equal to the foam spring 10, so that the coil Or a double spring structure in which the spring coefficient of the coils C is either different, similar or identical to the foam spring 10. More particularly, each coil C of the inner spring, as measured at the second generally planar outer surface of the fragment 221 of the foam component 2 from the first generally planar outer surface of the fragment 221 of the foam spring component 1 Has an axis approximately the same height as the axis length of the foam spring 10. In one embodiment of the present disclosure and the invention, the spring coefficient of the coil C or the spring coefficient of the inner spring I is substantially the same as the spring coefficient of the foam spring 10. In another embodiment, the spring coefficient of coil C or the spring coefficient of inner spring I is greater than foam spring 10. And in another embodiment, the spring coefficient of the coil C, in particular of the coils located around it, or of the inner spring I is smaller than the foam spring 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, the foam spring 10 additionally comprises an inner miter corner 11 having an angled facing cross section 111, 112 and an interior relief cross section 113, and thus by fragments 121, 122, 123. The defined outer wall constantly runs around corner 11 without a complete cross section through the complete traverse of the foam spring 10. This provides a smooth and continuous outer wall to the foam spring 10 which is advantageous for padding and covering. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lock key 20 can be secured against the inner wall of the foam spring 10 in the insert between the peripheral coils C of the inner spring I to mechanically connect the foam spring 10 to the inner spring. Lock key 20 may be composed of a solid foam having a tapered end that fits the rotational form of coil C as shown. As shown in FIG. 6, coil C is optional and may not be present when the core of the mattress is completely made of foam, the foam form mentioned or a combination thereof. The lock key 20 can optionally be used to interconnect the foam spring 10 with the foam core. Alternatively, adhesive may be used to ensure that foam spring 10 is secured relative to the peripheral edge of the foam core. The lock key 20 can be made with the same or different spring coefficient or density as the foam spring 10.

The above embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. These descriptions and embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. The present embodiments are selected and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and thus those skilled in the art will best understand the present invention in its various embodiments and various modifications as contemplated as being suitable for a particular use. Make it available. The invention is intended to be defined by the following claims.

Claims (19)

Foam springs comprising two or more each and substantially the same foam spring component in symmetrical combination, wherein each spring component comprises:
Two first fragments spatially partitioned and generally parallel and vertically oriented;
Three or more second fragments, wherein each three or more second fragments extend between two first fragments and are generally parallel, generally horizontally oriented, and generally perpendicular to the first fragment;
A spatially partitioned second fragment defining one or more inlets in each of the two foam spring components;
One or more grooves formed in the outer sidewalls of each of the two first pieces, wherein each groove runs along the length of the foam spring component and offsets against the inlet of the foam spring component. 2. The foam spring of claim 1 wherein the foam spring component is made from an extruded polyurethane alveolar foam. The foam spring of claim 1 wherein each of said first fragments is generally in a vertical orientation and said second fragments are generally in a horizontal orientation. 10. The foam spring of claim 1 wherein the foam spring further comprises an inner miter corner having two angle facing cross sections and one inner relief cross section. As a dual spring support structure comprising:
An inner spring having a plurality of respective wire shaped coils interconnected in a rectangular mattress;
A foam spring comprising two or more symmetrically combined each and substantially the same foam spring components, wherein each foam spring component comprises:
Two or more interconnected first fragments running in a first direction;
At least three interconnected second segments running in a second direction and generally perpendicular to the first direction of the first fragment;
One or more inlets in the central region of the foam spring component;
At least one groove formed in the sidewalls of the at least two interconnected first segments running in a first direction and offset relative to one or more inlets at the central station of the foam spring component,
One or more pieces of the foam spring are located proximate or about the inner spring;
The surface of the foam spring is adjacent to the support surface or the horizontal surface of the inner spring and is compressible into the inner spring;
Wherein the height of the foam spring is approximately equal to the height of the plurality of wire-shaped coils. 6. The inner spring of claim 5 wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is approximately equal to the spring coefficient of the plurality of wire form coils. 6. The inner spring of claim 5 wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is greater than the spring coefficient of the plurality of wire form coils. 6. The inner spring of claim 5 wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is less than the spring coefficient of the plurality of wire form coils. 6. The inner spring of claim 5 wherein the lock key is secured against an inner wall of the foam spring in the insert between the plurality of wire-shaped coils. 6. The inner spring of claim 5 wherein the foam spring component is made of polyurethane foam. 6. The inner spring of claim 5 wherein the foam spring further comprises an inner miter corner having two angle facing cross sections and one inner relief cross section. As a mattress comprising:
Inner springs including:
A plurality of respective wire form coils interconnected in a rectangular mattress;
Foam springs comprising:
Two or more symmetrically combined, respectively, and substantially identical foam spring components, each foam spring component comprising:
Two or more interconnected first fragments running in a first direction;
At least three interconnected second segments running in a second direction and generally perpendicular to the first direction of the first fragment;
One or more inlets in the central region of the foam spring component;
At least one groove formed in the sidewalls of the at least two interconnected first segments running in a first direction and offset relative to one or more inlets in the central region of the foam spring component,
padding; And covers,
One or more pieces of the foam spring are located in proximity to or about the periphery of the inner spring;
The surface of the foam spring is adjacent to the support surface or the horizontal surface of the inner spring and is compressible into the inner spring;
Wherein the height of the foam spring is approximately equal to the height of the plurality of wire form coils. 13. The mattress according to claim 12, wherein the foam spring component is made of polyurethane foam. 13. The mattress of claim 12, wherein the foam spring component further comprises an inner miter corner having two angle facing cross sections and one inner relief cross section. 13. The mattress of claim 12 wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is approximately equal to the spring coefficient of the plurality of wire form coils. 13. The mattress of claim 12, wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is greater than the spring coefficient of the plurality of wire form coils. 13. The mattress of claim 12 wherein the spring coefficient of the foam spring is less than the spring coefficient of the plurality of wire form coils. 13. The mattress of claim 12, wherein the lock key is secured against an inner wall of the foam spring in the insert between the plurality of wire-shaped coils. Dual spring support structure comprising:
A cross section having at least two parallel and spatially partitioned first fragments, and at least two parallel and spatially partitioned second fragments extending between the first fragments, and at least two inlets located between the first and second fragments A general extending foam spring having an arrangement, wherein one of the first fragments has a first generally planar outer surface, and the other of the first fragments is spatially partitioned from and is connected to the first generally planar outer surface Having a second generally planar outer surface in parallel, the foam spring is compressible between the first and second generally planar outer surfaces, and the foam spring is second at the first generally planar outer surface Having an axial length extending to a generally planar outer surface of
Foam springs located proximate to the periphery of the inner spring with a plurality of wire coils arranged axially, wherein each coil has a first end and a second end, the first end of each coil of the inner spring being a foam And generally coplanar with the first generally planar outer surface of the spring, and the second end of each coil is generally coplanar with the second generally planar outer surface of the foam spring).

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