Upholstered furniture core and upholstered furniture

Abstract

The present invention discloses a core for upholstered furniture. The core comprises an elastic substrate on which a plurality of elastic grid units are formed, each surrounded by an elastic wall, with any two adjacent elastic grid units arranged symmetrically, and the elastic walls surrounding the two adjacent elastic grid units connected to each other along an axis of symmetry. The present invention also provides upholstered furniture. The invention employs specially designed elastic grid units surrounded by elastic walls and a specially designed connection method for the elastic grid units, allowing the elastic substrate to have a certain degree of flexibility and provide good support, achieving a balance between comfort, support, and structural strength. When a specific area sags significantly due to external force, the adjacent elastic grid units can provide sufficient support while maintaining a nearly independent support form.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of upholstered furniture, and more particularly to an upholstered furniture core and an upholstered furniture using the upholstered furniture core. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditional upholstered furniture refers to furniture whose main body is mainly made of sponge and fabric. It is mainly divided into bed type and sofa type. The most common products in the bed type are mattresses and pillows, while the most common products in the sofa type are seat cushions, lumbar cushions, and armrests.

[0003] Traditional upholstered furniture typically uses soft cushioning, sponge, or natural coconut fiber as the main material, glued together with adhesives or shaped by other methods. As people's comfort requirements continue to improve, sponge, natural coconut fiber, and latex are the most commonly used core materials for upholstered furniture. Cores made from these materials have very low open porosity and can be considered solid cores. Solid cores have the following drawbacks: First, when used, the area where the solid core adheres to the human body surface is very large. Because sponge, natural coconut fiber, and latex materials have excellent absorbency and heat retention, the air temperature and humidity in the area between the human body surface and the solid core can be high, preventing smooth air circulation and creating discomfort for the human body. Secondly, because the curvature of the human body curve is complex and varies greatly from person to person, the external force acting on the surface of the solid core body in the area of ​​protruding arc is greater than the external force acting on the surface of the solid core body in other areas, and the unbalanced force bearing causes obvious depressions to appear in the corresponding areas on the surface of the lid core body. Because the solid core body is a continuous and flat whole, this causes non-pressure depressions in the surrounding areas, making the surrounding areas unable to provide support.

[0004] The above information disclosed in the background art is only used to enhance understanding of the background art of the present invention, and therefore may include prior art that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention addresses the problem that the solid core used in conventional upholstered furniture has a large area that contacts the surface of the human body, making it less comfortable for the human body and prone to depression, especially non-pressure type depression in the surrounding area, resulting in a lack of support in the surrounding area. The present invention designs and provides a core for upholstered furniture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention is realized by the following technical solutions: One aspect of the present invention provides a core for upholstered furniture, the core for upholstered furniture comprising an elastic substrate on which a plurality of elastic grid units are formed, wherein each of the elastic grid units is surrounded by an elastic wall, and any two adjacent elastic grid units are arranged symmetrically, and the elastic walls surrounding two adjacent elastic grid units are connected to each other on an axis of symmetry.

[0007] Furthermore, each of the elastic grid units has a first end surface and a second end surface formed on both ends of the elastic wall, and the first end surfaces of the elastic grid units together form the force-receiving surface of the core body of the elastic substrate, and the second end surfaces of the elastic grid units are on the same plane and together form the connecting surface of the core body of the elastic substrate.

[0008] To achieve a balance between structural strength, flexibility, and plasticity, the core of the upholstered furniture further comprises a sub-substrate connected to the connecting surface of the core of the elastic substrate, wherein the elastic wall is made of a thermoplastic elastomer material and the sub-substrate is made of knitted fiber, woven fiber, or nonwoven fabric, and the elastic substrate and the sub-substrate are connected by hot blanching or integral injection molding.

[0009] To meet different strength requirements, the device further comprises at least one supporting substrate connected to the auxiliary substrate, the supporting substrate being made of sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose or spring.

[0010] Furthermore, a plurality of the supporting bases are provided, the plurality of supporting bases being stacked, and the supporting base positioned in the uppermost layer being connected to the auxiliary base.

[0011] A supporting substrate may be connected to the connecting surface of the core of the elastic substrate, and the supporting substrate may be made of sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose or spring.

[0012] The core of an upholstered piece of furniture may include multiple uniformly distributed elastic substrates to meet different size requirements, and may further include a first support substrate arranged around the elastic substrate, the surface of which is flush with the core connection surface, and at least one second support substrate connected to the core connection surface of the elastic substrate and the first support surface, respectively, where the first support substrate is made of sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose, or spring, and the second support substrate is made of sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose, or spring.

[0013] Preferably, the elastic grid unit further comprises hollow areas formed inside the elastic walls, and the area of ​​each hollow area is 1 cm 2 ~16cm 2the total area of ​​the plurality of hollow regions is 70% to 90% of the area of ​​the elastic base, the thickness of the elastic wall is 1 mm to 10 mm, the height of the elastic wall is 1 cm to 15 cm, and the cross section of the elastic grid unit is a polygon such as a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, or a square.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides upholstered furniture employing an upholstered furniture core, the upholstered furniture core comprising an elastic substrate, and a plurality of elastic grid units formed within the elastic substrate, wherein each elastic grid unit is surrounded by an elastic wall, any two adjacent elastic grid units are symmetrically disposed, and the elastic walls surrounding the two adjacent elastic grid units are connected to each other on an axis of symmetry.

[0015] Preferably, the upholstered furniture is a mattress. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: the upholstered furniture core provided by the present invention and upholstered furniture using the upholstered furniture core employ specially designed elastic grid units surrounded by elastic walls and a specially designed arrangement and connection method for the elastic grid units, which allows the elastic base to have a certain degree of flexibility and provide good support, achieving a balance between comfort, support, and structural strength. When a specific area sags significantly due to the action of external force, the adjacent elastic grid units can provide sufficient support while maintaining a nearly independent support form.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] In order to more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an elastic substrate in one specific embodiment of the core of upholstered furniture provided by the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged schematic view of A in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the elastic grid unit when a force is applied to the force receiving surface of the core body of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the elastic grid unit at another viewing angle when a force is applied to the force receiving surface of the core body of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a comparison diagram of the depression curves under force of the core body of upholstered furniture provided by the prior art and the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of an alternative structure of the elastic grid unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6 showing the arrangement of the elastic grid units. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of another alternative structure of the elastic grid unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of FIG. 8 showing the arrangement of the elastic grid units. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of another alternative structure of the elastic grid unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view of FIG. 10 showing the arrangement of the elastic grid units. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of another alternative structure of the elastic grid unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of another alternative structure of the elastic grid unit. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the arrangement relationship of the elastic grid units shown in FIGS. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic structural diagram of a specific embodiment of the core of an upholstered piece of furniture. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a side view of a specific embodiment of an upholstered furniture core. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a side view of another exemplary embodiment of an upholstered furniture core. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments.

[0021] In describing the present invention, terms such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "vertical," "sideways," "inside," and "outside" indicating directions or positional relationships are used for convenience of description only and do not imply that a device or element has a particular orientation or is configured and operated in a particular orientation, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not meant to indicate relative importance.

[0022] The solid core used in conventional upholstered furniture has a large contact area with the human body, which is uncomfortable for the human body and prone to collapse, especially in the peripheral areas, resulting in non-pressure collapse and a lack of support. To address this issue, a particularly novel upholstered furniture core 1 was designed. This upholstered furniture core 1 can be used in bedding as a mattress or a portion of a mattress, or as a pillow or a portion of a pillow. It can also be used in sofas or seating products as a cushion or a portion of a cushion, a back pad or a portion of a back pad, or an armrest or a portion of an armrest. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this upholstered furniture core 1 includes an elastic substrate 10 on which multiple elastic grid units 11 are formed. Each elastic grid unit 11 is surrounded by an elastic wall 12. Two adjacent elastic grid units 11 share a common edge, forming a line connection, or a common side wall, forming a plane connection. Specifically, any two adjacent elastic grid units 11 are arranged symmetrically, and the elastic walls 12 surrounding the two adjacent elastic grid units 11 are connected to each other on an axis of symmetry, i.e., a common edge or a common side wall is located on the axis of symmetry. As shown in the examples of Figures 2 and 3, adjacent elastic grid units 11-1 and 11-2 share a common side wall, which is located on the axis of symmetry 15-1, forming a surface connection between the two elastic grid units 11. Adjacent elastic grid units 11-1 and 11-2 share a common edge, which is located on the axis of symmetry 15-2. This type of connection arrangement of elastic grid units 11 ensures that the elastic substrate 10 has a certain degree of flexibility and good support, making it comfortable to use.

[0023] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , each elastic grid unit 11 has a first end surface 13 and a second end surface 24 formed at both ends of the elastic wall 12. The first end surfaces 13 of the multiple elastic grid units 11 collectively form the core body's force-receiving surface P1, and the multiple elastic grid units 11's second end surfaces 24 are coplanar and collectively form the core body's connecting surface P2. The core body's force-receiving surface P1 may be coplanar or may be designed to have an ergonomic curve. For example, if the core body is used as a back pad, it may be designed to protrude into the corresponding waist area. Because the elastic grid units 11 have a hollow structure and are surrounded by the elastic wall 12, each elastic grid unit 11 has relatively good tensile strength, and its limit elongation distance can reach more than seven times its original length. Two adjacent elastic grid units 11 form a line or surface connection only along the symmetry axis, allowing the entire elastic substrate 10 to tolerate greater deformation under external forces and reducing irreversible deformation. Furthermore, under the action of non-uniform external force, the interaction force between two adjacent elastic grid units 11 is low, allowing them to maintain a nearly independent support form. Each elastic grid unit 11 can function as an independent support unit. Therefore, when a certain region is significantly collapsed due to the action of external force, the adjacent elastic grid units 11 do not collapse significantly, and the adjacent region still provides sufficient support. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between pressure and core height change, where Y1 represents a conventional solid core and Y2 represents the core provided by this embodiment. The vertical axis represents pressure and the horizontal axis represents core height change. In the conventional solid core, the increase in pressure increases the change in core height, and the relationship between the two approaches a linear relationship. In the core provided by this embodiment, as pressure increases, the core height gradually changes into the platform section. In this platform section, the core body continues to collapse, but the depth of collapse does not change abruptly. Therefore, sufficient support is maintained without generating excessive reaction force, and the external force can be evenly distributed by the multiple elastic grid units 11.For example, the buttocks curve of the human body is convex, and when the height change of the core body enters the platform section, the core body that comes into contact with the buttocks can collapse with a small amplitude to fit the curve of the human body, and at the same time does not generate excessive reaction force and does not cause discomfort to the body.

[0024] The core connection surface P2, which is the second end surface of the plurality of coplanar elastic grid units 11, is mainly used for connecting with other auxiliary materials, and may be connected by adhesive, adhesive layer, or other materials, or may be connected by physical connection such as stitching, rivets, or other materials.

[0025] It is preferable that an auxiliary substrate 21 is further formed to increase the structural strength of the elastic substrate, particularly the elastic grid unit 11. The auxiliary substrate 21 is flush with the core body connection surface P2 and has a complete surface.

[0026] In this embodiment, the elastic wall 12 is preferably made of a thermoplastic elastomer material, which balances flexibility, pliability, and support properties to make the core more comfortable. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the elastic wall 12 may also be made of other polymeric materials with a certain degree of elasticity. Multiple elastomer units can be integrally molded using a thermoplastic process or by 3D printing. Because direct bonding between thermoplastic elastomer materials and partially molten or water-soluble adhesives is not possible, the auxiliary substrate 21 compatible with the thermoplastic elastomer material is preferably made from knitted fibers, woven fibers, or nonwoven fabrics. During processing, the elastic substrate made of a thermoplastic elastomer material and the compatible auxiliary substrate 21 can be connected by hot stamping or an integral injection molding process.

[0027] The elastic substrate with the auxiliary substrate 21 manufactured by the hot stamping or integral injection molding process can be divided into a plurality of unit modules of standard dimensions, and the unit modules of standard dimensions can be manufactured by the hot stamping or integral injection molding process, and the required size can be achieved by the joining method, where the length and width dimensions of the elastic substrate are not further limited.

[0028] Further taking the example of the core being applied to a mattress product, when applied to a mattress product, it is preferable that the force-receiving surface of the elastic core and the connecting surface P2 of the core are both designed to be in the same plane. Alternative structures of the optional elastic grid unit 11 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 14. The elastic grid unit 11 includes hollow areas 14, which are formed inside the elastic wall 12. The area of ​​each hollow area 14 is 1 cm 2 ~16cm 2 If the area of ​​the hollow regions 14 is too large, it is likely to lack load-bearing capacity, and if the area of ​​the hollow regions 14 is too small, the elastic walls 12 will not have enough space to bend, and when subjected to external force, stacking may occur, causing a loss of elastic support. Overall, the total area of ​​the multiple hollow regions 14 is 70% to 90% of the area of ​​the elastic substrate, achieving a high level of open area ratio and providing excellent breathability throughout the entire core.

[0029] The wall thickness of the elastic wall 12 is between 1 mm and 10 mm. If the wall thickness is too small, the elastic wall 12 will have insufficient support, while if the wall thickness is too large, the elasticity of the elastic wall 12 will be reduced. At the same time, if the wall thickness of the elastic wall 12 is within this range, the processing requirements can be met. The height of the elastic wall 12 is between 1 cm and 15 cm. If the height is too low, it will not provide sufficient sinking depth. Especially when applied to mattresses, the height of the elastic wall 12 within this range can adequately distribute the gravity of the human body. From a weight perspective, the weight of the entire mattress can be controlled to a lower level.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cross section of the elastic grid unit 11 may be designed as a regular hexagon (as shown in FIG. 16), with the entire structure being distributed in a crystalline pattern. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cross section of the elastic grid unit 11 may be designed as a triangle (as shown in FIG. 17). It is particularly noteworthy that, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the triangular-shaped elastic grid units 11 may be arranged in rows (as shown in FIG. 18), allowing multiple rows of elastic grid units 11 to be assembled, thereby achieving better strength along the longitudinal direction and meeting the specific needs of different mattress products. As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the cross section of the elastic grid unit 11 may be designed as a circle (as shown in FIG. 19), with the edges of the elastic substrate having protective walls as shown in FIG. 13, or without protective walls on the sides of the elastic substrate as shown in FIG. 12. Furthermore, the cross section of the elastic grid unit 11 may be designed as an ellipse or other regular polygonal shape.

[0031] In many applications, the elastic substrate needs to further improve its support strength. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, a support substrate 30 is further attached to the core. The support substrate 30 is supported by sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose, or spring. The support substrate 30 may be attached singly or connected to the core-body connecting surface P2. The connection between the support substrate and the core-body connecting surface P2 may be physically connected by gluing, sewing, or rivets. The support substrate may be connected to an auxiliary substrate 21, as shown in FIG. 16. Depending on the strength requirements of the product, multiple support substrates (shown as 30-1 and 30-2 in FIG. 17) may be designed, where multiple support substrates are stacked, with the topmost support substrate 30-1 connected to the auxiliary substrate 21. The connection between the support substrate 30-1 and the auxiliary substrate 21 may be physically connected by gluing, sewing, or rivets.

[0032] Furthermore, multiple elastic substrates may be installed on one core, and the multiple elastic substrates may be uniformly distributed. The multiple elastic substrates are connected by a first support substrate, which is installed around the elastic substrate. The surface of the first support substrate is flush with the core connection surface P2. In the connected state, the first support substrate and the elastic substrate may be connected to the auxiliary substrate 21 or to the second support substrate. The connection can also be made using a physical connection method such as adhesive, stitching, or rivets. The first support substrate and the second support substrate may both be made of sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose, or spring.

[0033] Another aspect of the present invention provides an upholstered piece of furniture, which is provided with an upholstered furniture core. The specific structure of the upholstered furniture core is described in the above examples and the detailed description of the drawings, and is not repeated here. The upholstered piece of furniture provided with the upholstered furniture core can achieve the same technical effects. The upholstered piece of furniture is preferably a mattress.

[0034] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the solutions described in the above embodiments or replace some features thereof with equivalents. These modifications or replacements will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions sought to be protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A core of upholstered furniture, comprising: a plurality of elastic substrates on which a plurality of elastic grid units are formed, the plurality of elastic substrates being uniformly distributed; wherein each elastic grid unit is surrounded by an elastic wall, any two adjacent elastic grid units are arranged symmetrically, and the elastic walls surrounding the two adjacent elastic grid units are connected to each other on a symmetry axis; each elastic grid unit has a first end surface and a second end surface formed at both ends of the elastic wall, the first end surfaces of a plurality of elastic grid units together form a force-receiving surface of a core body of the elastic substrate, the second end surfaces of a plurality of elastic grid units are on the same plane and together form a connecting surface of the core body of the elastic substrate, and the elastic grid units have a limit elongation distance that allows them to reach seven times or more their original length; The core of the upholstered furniture further comprises an auxiliary base connected to the connecting surface of the core of the elastic base; wherein the elastic wall is made of a thermoplastic elastomer material, and the auxiliary substrate is made of knitted fibers, woven fibers, or nonwoven fabric; The core of the upholstered furniture further comprises at least one support substrate connected to the connecting surface of the core of the elastic substrate, the support substrate being made of sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose or spring; The elastic grid unit further includes a hollow region formed inside the elastic wall, the area of ​​each hollow region is 1 cm 2 to 16 cm 2 , and the total area of ​​the plurality of hollow regions is 70% to 90% of the area of ​​the elastic substrate; The thickness of the elastic wall is 1 mm to 10 mm, the height of the elastic wall is 1 cm to 15 cm, and the cross section of the elastic grid unit is a polygon such as a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, or a square; 10. An upholstered furniture core, wherein as pressure on said upholstered furniture core increases, said upholstered furniture core changes height into a platform section.

3. A core body for upholstered furniture, comprising: a plurality of elastic substrates on which a plurality of elastic grid units are formed, the plurality of elastic substrates being uniformly distributed; wherein each elastic grid unit is surrounded by an elastic wall, any two adjacent elastic grid units are arranged symmetrically, and the elastic walls surrounding the two adjacent elastic grid units are connected to each other on a symmetry axis; each elastic grid unit has a first end surface and a second end surface formed at both ends of the elastic wall, the first end surfaces of a plurality of elastic grid units together form a force-receiving surface of a core body of the elastic substrate, the second end surfaces of a plurality of elastic grid units are on the same plane and together form a connecting surface of the core body of the elastic substrate, and the elastic grid units have a limit elongation distance that allows them to reach seven times or more their original length; The core of the upholstered furniture further comprises an auxiliary base connected to the connecting surface of the core of the elastic base; wherein the elastic wall is made of a thermoplastic elastomer material, the auxiliary substrate is made of knitted fibers, woven fibers, or nonwoven fabric, and the elastic substrate and the auxiliary substrate are connected by hot blanking or integral injection molding; The core of the upholstered furniture further comprises at least one support substrate connected to the connecting surface of the core of the elastic substrate, the support substrate being made of sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose or spring; The elastic grid unit further includes a hollow region formed inside the elastic wall, the area of ​​each hollow region is 1 cm 2 to 16 cm 2 , and the total area of ​​the plurality of hollow regions is 70% to 90% of the area of ​​the elastic substrate; The thickness of the elastic wall is 1 mm to 10 mm, the height of the elastic wall is 1 cm to 15 cm, and the cross section of the elastic grid unit is a polygon such as a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, or a square; 10. An upholstered furniture core, wherein as pressure on said upholstered furniture core increases, said upholstered furniture core changes height into a platform section.

4. 4. The upholstered furniture core of claim 3, further comprising at least one support substrate connected to said auxiliary substrate, said support substrate being comprised of a sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose or spring.

5. The core of upholstered furniture as described in claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of said support bases, the plurality of said support bases being stacked and the support base located in the uppermost layer being connected to the auxiliary base.

7. the upholstered furniture core comprises a plurality of the elastic substrates uniformly distributed therein; a first support base disposed around the elastic base and having a surface flush with the core body connecting surface of the elastic base; and at least one second support substrate, each connected to the core body connection surface of the elastic substrate and the first support substrate surface, 2. The core of claim 1, wherein the first support substrate is comprised of a sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose, or spring, and the second support substrate is comprised of a sponge, latex, spun fiber, hose, or spring.

9. 8. Upholstered furniture comprising an upholstered furniture core according to any one of claims 1, 3, 4, 5 or 7.

10. 10. The upholstered furniture of claim 9, wherein the upholstered furniture is a mattress.

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