US3653081A

US3653081A - Mattress corner construction

Info

Publication number: US3653081A
Application number: US41208A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilton J Davis
Original assignee: Sealy Inc
Current assignee: Ohio Mattress Company Licensing and Components Group
Priority date: 1970-05-28
Filing date: 1970-05-28
Publication date: 1972-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-04
Also published as: CA938740A; ZA71255B; AU2457571A

Abstract

An improved corner construction for a mattress inner spring unit wherein the corner construction comprises a pair of adjacent spring corner supporting wires that initially lie on the top face of the inner spring unit in a non-supporting position to permit the inner spring unit to be compressed to facilitate shipment. The corner support wires can be rotated to a vertical supporting position at each corner of the inner spring unit so that the corners of the inner spring unit are reinforced and stiffened. In the supporting position one of the corner support wires of the pair is aligned substantially parallel to one side of the inner spring unit and the other corner support wire of the pair is aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of the inner spring unit.

Description

0 United States Patent mi 3,6530@ Davis i451 Apr. 4l, i972 [54] MATTRESS CORNER CONSTRUCTICN 3,093,840 6/1963 Manin ..5/351 [72] Inventor: Wilton J. Davis Rensselaer Ind- 2,2l 1,925 8/l940 Gleason ..5/260 [73] Assignee: Sealy, Inc., Chicago, Ill. Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg [22] Filed: May 28, 1970 Attorney-Hume, Clement, Hume & Lee

[2l] Appl. No.: 41,208 [57] ABSTRACT An improved corner construction for a mattress inner spring [52] U.S- Cl S/262, 5/256, 5/260, unit wherein the comer construction comprises a pair of ad- 5/35l jacent spring corner supporting wires that initially lie on the [5 l] Int. Cl. A476 23/04, A476 25/00 [Op face 0f the inner Spring unit inra n0n5upp0rting position [58] Field of Search ..5/250-264, 351; to permit the inner spring unit i0 be compressed to facilitate 267/91# 92' 95 shipment. The corner support wires can be rotated to a vertical supporting position at each corner of the inner spring unit [56] References cned so that the corners of the inner spring unit are reinforced and UNITED STATES PATENTS stiffened. In the supporting position one of the corner support wires of the pair is aligned substantially parallel to one side of 3,426,371 2/1969 RObllSOIl the inner spring unit and the other Corner Support wire 0f the 3,391,412 7/1968 Bl'OnSlen, Jfet alw- -5/260 pair is aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of the 3,287,744 ll/l966 Drews .5/260 inner spring unit. 3,206,759 9/1965 Kline ..5/351 3,200,417 8/1965 Costello ..5/351 18 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures MATTRESS CORNER CGNSTRUCTION This invention relates to improvements in mattresses and, more particularly, to the comer construction for mattress inner spring units.

For the most part, the mattress inner spring units are formed of a plurality of interconnected coil springs arranged in side by side relation in crosswise and length wise rows between upper and lower border wires which are connected to the outermost coil springs in each of the rows, usually by means of the helical wires, to provide the coil springs assembly. It has been the practice to reinforce and stiffen the edges and comers of mattress inner spring units with inserts in the form of spring members positioned along the edges and at the comers of the spring assembly between the upper and lower border wires, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,287,749 and 3,391,412. Such edge and comer reinforcement members have found widespread use in the bedding eld for adding strength and support to the edges and the corners of the mattress, but make it impossible to compress or bale the inner spring unit while such members are a part of the inner spring unit. (Bailing, as commonly used in the bedding field, is the process of cornpressing the inner spring unit as far as possible and securing or tying the unit in this compressed state so that, among other things, shipment may be accomplished in an easier fashion.) Thus, it has been the practice of mattress manufactures to add the edge and comer supports to the inner spring unit after receiving the same from the inner spring manufacturer, which requires another operation and further expense.

Briefly, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit comprising a pair of adjacent resilient corner support wires that are initially positioned so as to lie on the top face of the inner spring unit to be compressed or baled so that shipment may be accomplished with the comer support wires included in the unit. The corner support wires can be rotated to a vertical supporting position at each comer of the inner spring unit so that the corners of the inner spring unit are reinforced and stiffened. In their supporting position, one of the comer support wires of the pair is aligned substantially parallel to one side of the inner spring unit and the other corner support wire of the pair is aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of the inner spring unit. In this position, the comer support wires increase the load carrying ability of the corner portion of the inner spring unit.

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevational view of a comer portion of an inner spring unit embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the inner spring unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the inner spring unit of FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective elevational view of the comer portion of the inner spring unit of FIG. 1 showing the comer supporting portions in the non-supporting position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective elevational view of the corner portion of the inner spring unit of FIG. 1 with the comer supporting portions partially rotated to the supporting position;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a fragmentary portion of an inner spring unit embodying a modification of the present invention;

F IG. 7 is a perspective elevational view of a corner portion of an inner spring unit embodying a further modification of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a mattress inner spring unit embodying the features ofthe present invention and indicated generally by reference numeral 10. The inner spring unit 10 includes comer supporting portions indicated generally by reference numeral 12. Initially, the corner supporting portions 12 lie on top face of inner spring unit 10 so that the unit 10 may be baled", but they may be rotated to the supporting position wherein they reinforce and stiten the comers of the inner spring unit 10.

Considering now the mattress inner spring unit 10 in more detail, and referring to FIGS. Il and 2, the inner spring unit 10 includes a continuous border wire 16 encompassing the lower face of the inner spring unit 10 and four upper border members 13, each comprising a border wire portion 14 and the comer supporting portion 12, encompassing the upper face of the inner spring unit 10. A plurality of coil springs 18 are arranged in the area encompassed by the border wire portions 14 and the border wire 16 can be in the form of hourglass springs or straight coil springs arranged in various patterns in the area therebetween. The coil springs 18 are connected one to another by cross helical wires 20 which are wound about adjacent coil springs. The assembly of interconnected coil springs 18 are joined to the border wire portions 14 and the border wire 16 by border helical wires 2l and 22 respectively.

In general the comer supporting portion l2 of the border member 13 comprises a generally flat U-shaped spring section adapted to be attached to the lower border wire 16. More specifically, the comer supporting portion 12 includes a length of spring wire formed with the pair of vertically spaced

parallel arm portions

24 and 26 with an integral portion 28 interconnecting the end of one arm portion with the end of the other arm portion whereby the

arm portions

24 and 26 are resiliently retained in their vertically spaced parallel relationship. Additional integral portions 30 and 32

interconnect arm portions

24 and 26, with the border wire portion 14 and a border arm portion 34 adapted to be attached to the lower border wire 16, respectively. Thus, each border member 13 comprises a border wire portion 14 and two comer supporting portions 12 capable of being attached to the lower border wire 16.

The four upper border members 14 are positioned in the inner spring unit 10 so that comer supporting portions 12 are positioned vertically in pairs at each corner with one of the comer supporting portions 12 of the pair aligned substantially parallel to one side of the inner spring unit 10 and the other comer supporting portion 12 of the pair aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of the inner spring unit 10. The border arm portion 34 of each corner supporting portion 12 is secured to the lower border wire 16 by insertion of the border arm portion 34 between the lower border wire 16 and the border helical wire 22. This is accomplished by pulling the upper border member 13 in a direction parallel to the side of the inner spring unit 10 with which it is aligned until the end of the border arm portion 34 may be slipped into the helical wire 22 at the comer of the lower border wire 16. The upper border member 13 is then slowly released while the end of the border arm portion 34 is directed between the border helical wire 22 and the lower border wire 16. If desired, additional security can be obtained by fastening together each pair of adjacent comer supporting portions 12 with generally U-shaped clips 36, as, for example, the integral portions 30 and 32, as illustrated in FIGS. l, 2 and 3, are clipped together. The generally U-shaped removable clips 36 are placed in a fastening position by snapping them over integral portions 30 and 32 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Unfastening of the removable clips 36 is accomplished by slightly pressing together the integral portions 30 of the comer supporting portions 12 and pulling the clip away. The U-shaped removable clip 36 is removed from the integral portions 32 in exactly the same manner.

The inner spring unit 10 has been described with respect to FIGS. 1-3 with the corner supporting portions 12 in their supporting position. However, the comer supporting portions 12 are rotated to their supporting position from the top face of the inner spring unit which is their non-supporting position. Such rotation is accomplished by rotating the comer supporting portions 12 about the border wire portion 14. After rotation, the border arm portion 34 of each corner supporting portion 12 is secured to the lower border wire 16 by insertion of the border arm portion 34 between the lower border wire 16 and the border helical wire 22. This is attained by pulling the upper border member 13 in a direction parallel to the side of the inner spring unit 10 with which it is aligned until the end of the border ann portion 34 may be slipped into the helical wire 22 at the comer of the lower border wire 16. The upper border member 13 is then slowly released while the end of the border arm portion 34 is directed between the border helical wire 22 and the lower border wire 16. FIG. 4 illustrates the corner supporting portions 12 lying on top of the inner spring unit 10, this being the non-supporting position from which they are rotated, as illustrated in FIG. 5, to the supporting position. When all corner supporting portions 12 have been rotated to the supporting position, the border arm portions 34 are secured to the lower border wire 16 as described above. Thus, each border member 13 comprises a border wire portion 14 and two corner supporting portions l2 capable of being secured to the lower border wire 16.

ln the second embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 6, the only modification is in the corner supporting portion 40 of the upper border members. ln this modification the comer supporting portion 40, rather than having a generally U-shaped spring, has a sinuous-shaped spring attached to an arm portion 42 adapted to be attached to the lower border wire 16. The securing and unsecuring of the arm portion 42 is accomplished in the same manner as the border arm portion 34 discussed herein above with respect to the preferred embodiment. The comer supporting portions 40 may therefore be rotated to a supporting position in the same manner as the comer supporting portions 12.

FIG. 7 discloses a third embodiment of an inner spring unit wherein the continuous border wire 16 and a continuous upper border wire 46 have a plurality of coil springs 18 arranged in the area which they encompass. The coil springs 18 are connected one to another by helical wires 20. As similarly disclosed in the FIG. 1 embodiment of the invention, the ou termost coil spring 18 are joined to the border wire 46 and 16 by border helical wires 21 and 22 wound. A corner supporting member 20 is a generally flat, W-shaped, spring wire member having a pair of vertically spaced, resiliently retained

parallel arm portions

52 and 54 interconnected by an integral portion 56. Additional integral portions 58 and 60 connected

border wire arms

62 and 64 to arm

portions

52 and 54, respectively.

The corner supporting members 50 are arranged in pairs at each comer of the inner spring unit 10 and are positioned vertically in pairs at a corner of the unit with one comer supporting member S aligned substantially parallel to one side of the inner spring unit and the other comer supporting member 50 aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of the inner spring unit 10. Securing the corner supporting member S0 in the supporting position is accomplished by insertion of the border wire arm 62 between the upper border wire 46 and the border helical wire 21 and by insertion of the border wire arm 64 between the lower border wire 16 and the border helical wire 22. After securing the comer supporting member 50 to the inner spring unit 10, exercising an optional feature makes the comer supporting member 50 non-removable from the upper border wire 46. Such optional feature is accomplished by bending the end of the arm portion 62 over to form an eye 66. The eye 66 encloses a portion of the border helical wire 21 making it impossible to remove the border wire arm 62 from the upper border wire 46 and consequently impossible to remove the corner supporting member 50 from the inner spring unit 10. If desired, additional security can be obtained through U-shaped clips 36 fastening each pair of comer supporting members 50 together in the same manner described herein before with respect to the corner supporting portions 12 ofFIG. 1

As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the corner supporting members 50 are initially in the non-supporting position on the top face of the inner spring unit and can be rotated about the upper border wire 46 to a supporting position. The corner supporting member 50 is secured in the supporting position by insetting the border wire arm 64 between the lower border wire 16 and the border helical wire 22.

The corner supporting members 50 may, if desired, have a sinuous-shaped spring section, such as illustrated in the FIG. 6

embodiment, rather than the generally W-shaped spring section illustrated in FIG. 7.

Although it is not preferred, only one comer support wire may be used at each comer of the inner spring unit 10. Such a modication could be incorporated into all embodiments of the proposed invention described herein.

lt will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

l. ln a generally rectangular inner spring unit, an improved comer construction comprising a pair of adjacent supporting means at a comer of said inner spring unit and means for rotatably mounting each of said comer supporting means in said inner spring unit, each of said comer supporting means having a non-supporting position wherein said comer supporting means do not interfere with the compression of said corner and each of said corner of said comer supporting means having a supporting position wherein said comer of said inner spring unit is supported by said comer supporting means and each of said comer supporting means being rotatable to said supporting position.

2. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim l wherein said comer supporting means are vertically positioned with one of said corner supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to one side of said inner spring unit and the other comer supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to an adjacent side of said inner spring unit when in said supporting position.

3. ln a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit, including a continuous border wire encompassing a first face of said inner spring unit, an improved corner construction comprising:

a. separate border members attached to said inner spring unit, each of said border members comprising a border wire portion and one corner supporting means;

b. said border wire portions bordering a second face of said inner spring unit; and

c. said comer supporting means being rotatable about said border wire portion to a supporting position.

4, ln a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 3 wherein each of said border members comprises a border wire portion and two comer supporting means.

5. In a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit, including a continuous border wire encompassing a first face of said inner spring unit, an improved corner construction comprising:

a. four border members attached to said inner spring unit, each of said border members comprising a border wire portion and two comer supporting means; said border wire portions bordering a second face of said inner spring unit;

c. said corner supporting means being arranged in vertically positioned pairs with one of said corner supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to one side of said inner spring unit and the other comer supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of said inner spring unit, and said corner supporting means being rotatable about said border wire portion to a supporting position; and

means for attaching each of said corner supporting means to said border wire in said supporting position.

6. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 5 wherein each of said corner supporting means includes a generally flat spring section.

7. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 6 wherein said spring section is sinuous-shaped.

8. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 6 wherein said spring section is U-shaped.

9. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 5 wherein said corner supporting means are attached together when in said supporting position.

10. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 5 wherein said comer supporting means includes a border arm portion, said border arm portion being secured to said border wire while said comer support means is in said supporting position and released while said comer means is in said non-supporting position.

l1. ln the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit, including rst and second border wires encompassing rst and second faces, respectively, of said inner spring unit, an improved comer construction comprising a corner supporting member, said comer supporting member attached to and rotatable about said rst border wire to a'supporting position, and means for attaching said comer supporting member to said second border wire when said supporting member is in said supporting position.

12. ln a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit including rst and second border wires encompassing first and second faces, respectively, of said inner spring unit, an improved comer construction comprising:

a. a pair of comer supporting members, each of said comer supporting members attached to and rotatable about said rst border wire to a supporting position;

b. said comer supporting members being arranged in vertically positioned pairs with one of said comer supporting members being aligned substantially parallel to one side of inner spring unit and the other corner supporting member being aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of said inner spring unit; and

c. means for attaching said comer supporting members to said second border wire when said supporting members are in said supporting position.

13. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 12 wherein each of said comer supporting members is a generally flat spring member.

14. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 12 wherein each of said comer supporting members tnclude rst and second border wire arms attached to said first and second border wires, respectively, said rst border wire arm being attached to said rst border wire by eye" means, said second border wire arm being secured to said second continuous border wire while said corner supporting member is in said supporting position and released while said corner supporting member is in said non-supporting position.

15. ln the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 12 wherein said comer supporting means are arranged in four vertically positioned pairs.

16. ln the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 13 wherein said spring member is sinuous-shaped 17. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 13 wherein said spring member is Y-shaped.

18. ln the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 17 wherein said corner supporting members are attached together when in said supporting position.

Claims

1. In a generally rectangular inner spring unit, an improved corner construction comprising a pair of adjacent supporting means at a corner of said inner spring unit and means for rotatably mounting each of said corner supporting means in said inner spring unit, each of said corner supporting means having a non-supporting position wherein said corner supporting means do not interfere with the compression of said corner and each of said corner of said corner supporting means having a supporting position wherein said corner of said inner spring unit is supported by said corner supporting means and each of said corner supporting means being rotatable to said supporting position.

2. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 1 wherein said corner supporting means are vertically positioned with one of said corner supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to one side of said inner spring unit and the other corner supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to an adjacent side of said inner spring unit when in said supporting position.

3. In a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit, including a continuouS border wire encompassing a first face of said inner spring unit, an improved corner construction comprising: a. separate border members attached to said inner spring unit, each of said border members comprising a border wire portion and one corner supporting means; b. said border wire portions bordering a second face of said inner spring unit; and c. said corner supporting means being rotatable about said border wire portion to a supporting position.

4. In a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 3 wherein each of said border members comprises a border wire portion and two corner supporting means.

5. In a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit, including a continuous border wire encompassing a first face of said inner spring unit, an improved corner construction comprising: a. four border members attached to said inner spring unit, each of said border members comprising a border wire portion and two corner supporting means; b. said border wire portions bordering a second face of said inner spring unit; c. said corner supporting means being arranged in vertically positioned pairs with one of said corner supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to one side of said inner spring unit and the other corner supporting means being aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of said inner spring unit, and said corner supporting means being rotatable about said border wire portion to a supporting position; and d. means for attaching each of said corner supporting means to said border wire in said supporting position.

10. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 5 wherein said corner supporting means includes a border arm portion, said border arm portion being secured to said border wire while said corner support means is in said supporting position and released while said corner means is in said non-supporting position.

11. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit, including first and second border wires encompassing first and second faces, respectively, of said inner spring unit, an improved corner construction comprising a corner supporting member, said corner supporting member attached to and rotatable about said first border wire to a supporting position, and means for attaching said corner supporting member to said second border wire when said supporting member is in said supporting position.

12. In a generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit including first and second border wires encompassing first and second faces, respectively, of said inner spring unit, an improved corner construction comprising: a. a pair of corner supporting members, each of said corner supporting members attached to and rotatable about said first border wire to a supporting position; b. said corner supporting members being arranged in vertically positioned pairs with one of said corner supporting members being aligned substantially parallel to one side of inner spring unit and the other corner supporting member being aligned substantially parallel to the adjacent side of said inner spring unit; and c. means for attaching said corner supporting members to said second border wire when said supporting members are in said supporting position.

13. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 12 wherein each of said corner supporting members is a generally flat spring meMber.

14. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 12 wherein each of said corner supporting members include first and second border wire arms attached to said first and second border wires, respectively, said first border wire arm being attached to said first border wire by ''''eye'''' means, said second border wire arm being secured to said second continuous border wire while said corner supporting member is in said supporting position and released while said corner supporting member is in said non-supporting position.

15. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 12 wherein said corner supporting means are arranged in four vertically positioned pairs.

16. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 13 wherein said spring member is sinuous-shaped

17. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 13 wherein said spring member is Y-shaped.

18. In the generally rectangular mattress inner spring unit of claim 17 wherein said corner supporting members are attached together when in said supporting position.