Multi-coil springs and mattresses using multi-coil springs

Abstract

To provide a multiple coil spring capable of adjusting the characteristics of the coil spring with a simple structure while avoiding friction between inner and outer coils and abnormal noise in the multiple coils, and a mattress using the multiple coil spring. [Solution] A multiple coil spring consisting of an outer coil spring and an inner coil spring arranged inside the outer coil spring, which has a contact point where the inner diameter side of the outer coil spring and the outer diameter side of the inner coil spring contact at a point, and a fixing part that fixes the contact point.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-coil spring, and more particularly to a multi-coil spring constituted by an outer coil spring and an inner coil spring, and a mattress using said multi-coil spring. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, coil springs used in mattresses and the like have a single spring constant as a single item. In order to adjust the spring constant, some have double coils, one inside and one outside.

[0003] However, when using a double coil, the inner and outer coils rub against each other when expanding and contracting, which can cause abnormal noise and lower the quality. There are also some products that cover the inner and outer coils with cloth or other materials to avoid abnormal noise, but the structure is complicated and unsuitable for practical use. Therefore, there has been a demand for a multiple coil spring structure that has a simple structure while adjusting the characteristics of the coil springs and does not cause abnormal noise or other degradation in quality.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, a technical proposal has been made in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 56-123157 (Patent Document 1). That is, Patent Document 1 proposes a technical proposal in which a small-diameter coil spring is fitted inside a large-diameter coil spring wrapped in a non-woven cloth or the like. However, according to this technical proposal, it is necessary to individually wrap the coil springs in non-woven fabric or the like, which increases the labor required and complicates the structure, and does not solve the above problems.

[0005] The applicant therefore came up with the idea of ​​whether it might be possible to adjust the characteristics of the coil spring with a simple structure while avoiding the rubbing between the inner and outer coils in a double coil and the resulting abnormal noise. He focused on a method of fastening the inner and outer coils together and developed a multiple coil spring with multiple spring constants by bringing the outer coil spring and the inner coil spring into point contact and fastening the points of point contact to form a single coil spring. This led to the proposal of the "multiple coil spring and mattress using a multiple coil spring" according to the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 56-123157 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a multiple coil spring that has a simple structure and allows the characteristics of the coil spring to be adjusted while avoiding friction between the inner and outer coils and abnormal noise in the multiple coil, and a mattress using such a multiple coil spring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides A cylindrical shape with ring-shaped top and bottom surfaces. an outer coil spring and a coil spring disposed inside the outer coil spring in a different spiral direction from the outer coil spring; A cylindrical shape with ring-shaped top and bottom surfaces. The present invention provides a multiple coil spring comprising an outer coil spring and an inner coil spring, the multiple coil spring having abutment points where the inner diameter side of the outer coil spring and the outer diameter side of the inner coil spring abut at a point, and a fixing part for fixing the abutment points, the abutment points being present between one revolution of the spiral of either the outer coil spring or the inner coil spring.

[0009] Also, the present invention employs a means for making the spring constant of the inner coil spring different from the spring constant of the outer coil spring.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the fixing portion is fixed by any one of welding, resin dipping, and wrapping.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which all of the abutment points are fixed portions.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention employs a measure in which the inner coil spring and the outer coil spring have different lengths.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the ends of the inner coil spring protrude from both ends of the outer coil spring.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the inner coil spring and / or the outer coil spring are composed of a plurality of coil springs.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention provides a mattress using any of the above-mentioned multiple coil springs, which employs a means for changing the characteristics of the multiple coil springs depending on the position on the mattress. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the multiple coil spring of the present invention, by having a fixing portion that fixes the abutment point, it is possible to minimize the points where the inner and outer coil springs come into contact, thereby suppressing friction between the inner and outer coils and the associated generation of abnormal noise.

[0017] Furthermore, with the multiple coil spring of the present invention, since the spring constant of the inner coil spring is different from the spring constant of the outer coil spring, it is possible to create a coil spring with three types of spring constants: areas where only the inner coil spring acts, areas where only the outer coil spring acts, and areas where the coil springs on both sides act in a superimposed manner.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the multiple coil spring of the present invention, the fixing portion is fixed by any one of welding, resin dipping, and wrapping fixing, so that fixing can be achieved without using special construction methods, which contributes to simplifying the work.

[0019] Furthermore, with the multiple coil spring of the present invention, all of the contact points are fixed, so that the outer coil spring and the inner coil spring are integrated into one single coil spring to receive the load, thereby increasing the repulsive force against the load and preventing deformation of the coil spring.

[0020] Furthermore, with the multiple coil spring of the present invention, by forming the inner coil spring and the outer coil spring to have different lengths, it is possible to produce a coil spring that has at least two stages of repulsive force against a load applied from above.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the multiple coil spring of the present invention, by forming the inner coil spring and the outer coil spring each from a plurality of coil springs, it is possible to increase the number of contact points 4 without changing the height or diameter, and to increase the repulsive force of the coil spring itself.

[0022] Furthermore, in the multiple coil spring of the present invention, the ends of the inner coil spring protrude from both ends of the outer coil spring, so that a load from either side is first applied to the top surface of the protruding inner coil spring, and then to the multiple coil spring portion with the outer coil spring, allowing approximately the same load action to be exerted on both the front and back surfaces.

[0023] Furthermore, with a mattress using the multiple coil springs of the present invention, the characteristics of the multiple coil springs can be changed depending on the position on the mattress, making it possible to distribute the strain on the body when the user lies down to each part of the body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a multiple coil spring according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a multiple coil spring according to the present invention; [Diagram 3] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing another embodiment of a multiple coil spring according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing another embodiment of a multiple coil spring according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a mattress using multiple coil springs according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The most distinctive feature of the multiple coil spring according to the present invention is that the point contact locations between the outer coil spring and the inner coil spring are fixed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a multiple coil spring according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] It should be noted that the overall configuration and each part of the multiple coil spring shown below are not limited to the embodiments described below, but can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, i.e., within the scope of shapes, dimensions, structures, etc. that can achieve the same functional effects.

[0027] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a multiple coil spring according to the present invention, where (a) is an overall perspective view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a side view of an outer coil spring, and (d) is a side view of an inner coil spring. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a multiple coil spring according to the present invention, where (a) is a side view of the multiple coil spring in an unloaded state, and (b) is a side view of the multiple coil spring when a load is applied from above. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the multiple coil spring according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the multiple coil spring according to the present invention, where (a) is an overall perspective view, (b) is a perspective view of an outer coil spring, and (c) is a perspective view of an inner coil spring. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a mattress using a multiple coil spring according to the present invention, and more specifically, an explanatory diagram showing the spring constant (resilience) of the multiple coil spring used in the mattress. The multiple coil spring 1 according to the present invention is composed of an outer coil spring 2 and an inner coil spring 3.

[0028] The coil spring used in the present invention is a resilient member used in mattresses 6 and the like, and is disposed so as to exert an upward resilient force in response to a load applied mainly from above downward. The coil spring used in the present invention may be a cylindrical coil spring having a spiral shape, and may be made using a conventionally known technique. The material constituting the coil spring may be either a metal material such as hard steel wire or stainless steel, or a resin material such as plastic, and is determined according to the characteristics of the product in which the coil spring is used. In addition, both ends of the coil spring are formed into a ring shape so that both ends are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, or rings of the same diameter as the coil spring are fixed to both ends, in order to form the top and bottom surfaces of the coil spring. By using such a shape, the load applied from above can be received by the entire top surface of the ring, while the load can be evenly distributed from the entire bottom surface of the ring to the bottom structure or floor surface that comes into contact with the bottom surface of the ring, making it possible to prevent deformation or damage to the coil spring.

[0029] The outer coil spring 2 is constructed from the above-mentioned coil spring and is disposed on the outer diameter portion of the multi-coil spring 1 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the outer coil spring 2 is formed shorter than the inner coil spring 3, and exerts a repulsive force of the combined inner coil spring 3 and outer coil spring 2 while supporting a load from above with a wider diameter than that supported by the inner coil spring 3.

[0030] The inner coil spring 3 is formed of the above-mentioned coil spring, like the outer coil spring 2, and is arranged so that the outer surface of the inner coil spring 3 is in contact with the inner surface of the outer coil spring 2. By making the outer periphery of the inner coil springs 3 substantially the same as the inner periphery of the outer coil springs 2, it becomes possible to arrange the fixing parts evenly in the circumferential direction. 1(b), the inner coil spring 3 is arranged to spiral in the opposite direction to the outer coil spring 2, thereby providing an abutment point 4 where the inner diameter side of the outer coil spring 2 and the outer diameter side of the inner coil spring 3 abut at a point. The length of the inner coil spring 3 is longer than that of the outer coil spring 2.

[0031] When arranging the outer coil spring 2 and the inner coil spring 3, they are arranged with their spirals oriented in different directions, so that, as shown in Figure 1(a), the inner diameter side of the outer coil spring 2 and the outer diameter side of the inner coil spring 3 abut at multiple abutment points 4. By fixing the outer coil spring 2 and the inner coil spring 3 at these abutment points 4 to form fixed parts 5, a multiple coil spring 1 is formed in which the two coil springs are integrated. Furthermore, by fixing the contact point 4 as the fixed portion 5, it is possible to minimize the points where the inner and outer coil springs come into contact, thereby suppressing friction between the inner and outer coils and the associated generation of abnormal noise.

[0032] The fixing method at the fixing portion 5 may be, for example, welding using metal, bonding with an adhesive, dipping with resin (a processing method in which the member is immersed in liquid resin and then cooled to fix the member), melt joining in which heat is applied to plastic to soften and melt the member, or wrapping fixing in which tape is wrapped around the fixing portion, using methods using conventionally known techniques. In particular, by being fixed by welding, resin dipping, or winding, it is possible to fix without using special techniques, which contributes to simplifying the work. Also, when the coil spring expands or contracts, the crossing angle of the fixed part 5 does not change due to the fixation, which may cause a load, but the amount of expansion and contraction of the outer coil spring 2 used as the coil spring depends on the height and number of turns of the coil itself, but for example, even if the outer coil spring 2 has a diameter of 2 mm, a height of 50 mm, and a number of turns of 4, it is about 10 mm, and it is possible to expand and contract without putting a large load on the fixed part 5 even when the maximum load is applied. In addition, when using a resin material such as plastic as the material for the coil springs, rather than stacking the outer coil spring 2 and the inner coil spring 3, which are molded as separate bodies, and fixing the contact points by fusion joining or the like, it is also possible to employ a mode in which the coil springs are molded from the resin material and the contact points are molded in a fixed state at the same time.

[0033] The spring constant, which indicates the repulsive force of a coil spring, is determined by the constituent materials, diameter, length, and pitch, and is determined appropriately depending on the usage mode, installation location, concept of the product to be used, etc. By making the spring constant of the inner coil spring 3 different from that of the outer coil spring 2, it is possible to create a coil spring with at least three types of spring constants: areas where only the inner coil spring 3 acts, areas where only the outer coil spring 2 acts, and areas where both coil springs act in a superimposed manner. In particular, by making the spring constant of the inner coil spring 3 smaller than that of the outer coil spring 2, when a load is applied, a weak repulsive force is initially returned, but a strong repulsive force is returned when the load reaches the outer coil spring 2.

[0034] By fixing the abutment points 4 with the fixing parts 5, the outer coil springs 2 and the inner coil springs 3 are linked, and the spring constant below the uppermost fixing part 5 is a spring constant C obtained by adding the spring constant A of the outer coil springs 2 and the spring constant B of the inner coil springs 3. Incidentally, it is possible to employ either a mode in which all of the abutment points 4 are fixed, or a mode in which some of the abutment points 4 are selectively fixed, but by making all of the abutment points 4 into the fixing parts 5, the spring constant A of the outer coil springs 2 becomes approximately the same as the spring constant C. In addition, by making all of the contact points 4 into fixed parts 5 and increasing the spring constant of the outer coil spring 2, the outer coil spring 2 and the inner coil spring 3 are integrated together to support the load as a single coil spring, which increases the repulsive force against the load and also makes it possible to prevent deformation of the coil springs.

[0035] 1(a), such a multiple coil spring 1 is formed such that the inner coil spring 3 is longer than the outer coil spring 2, so that when a load is applied from above, the inner coil spring 3 first receives the load and returns a repulsive force. If the load subsequently exceeds the load that the inner coil spring 3 can withstand and reaches the top surface of the outer coil spring 2, the repulsive force of the outer coil spring 2 will be exerted in addition to the repulsive force of the inner coil spring 3.

[0036] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, a configuration in which the ends of the inner coil spring 3 protrude beyond both ends of the outer coil spring 2 may be considered. By adopting this configuration, the load from above is applied to the top surface of the inner coil spring 3A protruding upward from the outer coil spring 2, thereby exerting the effect of the multiple coil spring according to the present invention. And, if the lower end 3B of the inner coil spring 3 is made to face the top surface, the inner coil spring 3A protruding upward and the inner coil spring 3B protruding downward will naturally be interchanged.

[0037] When forming the inner coil spring 3 and the outer coil spring 2, it is also preferable to fix multiple coil springs to one ring and use them as one coil spring, as shown in Figure 4(a), that is, to construct the inner coil spring 3 and the outer coil spring 2 each from multiple coil springs. By forming the inner coil spring 3 and the outer coil spring 2 from a plurality of coil springs, it is possible to increase the number of contact points 4 without changing the height or diameter, and to increase the repulsive force of the coil springs themselves. For example, if two coil springs of the same diameter and shape are arranged facing each other (180°) as an outer coil spring 2 (Figure 4(b)) and an inner coil spring 3 (Figure 4(c)), the contact point 4 when the multiple coil spring 1 is formed will be increased, and the repulsive force will be at least twice as great as that of a multiple coil spring 1 consisting of a single inner and outer coil spring.

[0038] The operation and function of the multiple coil spring 1 constructed as above will be described with reference to Figs. 2(a) and 2(b). First, a load is applied from above to the tip of the inner coil spring 3, which is the tip portion of the multiple coil spring 1. The inner coil spring 3 returns a repulsive force against the load applied from the top surface of the inner coil spring 3 to the fixed portion 5a. In addition, as the inner coil spring 3 contracts toward the fixed portion 5a, the inner coil spring 3 and the outer coil spring 2 below the fixed portion 5a (inner coil spring 3 + outer coil spring 2) also contract downward as the inner coil spring 3 and the outer coil spring 2 become one unit (one coil spring). Furthermore, when a load exceeding the repulsive force exerted by the inner coil spring 3 is applied to the multiple coil spring 1, the load is simultaneously applied to the top surfaces of both the outer coil spring 2 and the inner coil spring 3. At this time, the multiple coil spring 1 simultaneously returns the repulsive force of the inner coil spring 3 + the repulsive force of the outer coil spring 2 to the load, and contracts downward overall. Due to this operation and action, the repulsive force against the load can be made multiple stages, and even when a large load is applied, the respective repulsive forces of the outer coil spring 2 and the inner coil spring 3 are exerted against the load, and the burden caused by the load is borne by the entire coil spring formed by integrating the outer coil spring 2 and the inner coil spring 3, thereby producing the excellent effect of exerting a large repulsive force against the applied load.

[0039] Next, the effect of using the multiple coil spring 1 as a component (internal resilience material) of the mattress 6 will be described. Typically, a single mattress contains around 400 to 650 coils, which are evenly spaced to provide a stable resilience. By using multiple coil springs 1 as the coils used in such a mattress 6, although the inner coil springs 3 exert a small repulsive force in response to a small load, when a large load is applied, the repulsive force of the entire multiple coil springs 1, i.e., the outer coil springs 2 and the inner coil springs 3, is exerted, thereby preventing the mattress from sinking significantly, which is an excellent effect. Furthermore, since the multiple coil springs 1 arranged in the mattress 6 each support a load independently, by changing the characteristics (spring constant) of the multiple coil springs 1 according to the position on the mattress 6, it is possible to reduce the burden (repulsion force) on parts of the body when the user of the mattress 6 lies down. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, by making the head, shoulders, and legs slightly less repulsive while changing the characteristics to make the lumbar region more repulsive, the user of the mattress 6 can naturally assume a posture in which the head, shoulders, and legs of the user sink in while not sinking in too much at the lumbar region, which encourages the user who sleeps on his / her back to maintain an ideal sleeping position.

[0040] One possible use of the mattress 6 is a product in which both the front and back sides can be used as the surface of the mattress 6. In such a case, as shown in Fig. 3, a coil spring is used in which the ends of the inner coil spring 3 protrude from both ends of the outer coil spring 2, and on either the front or back side, a load from above is applied to the top surface of the inner coil spring 3A protruding upward from the outer coil spring 2, thereby exerting the effect of the multiple coil spring 1 according to the present invention. Also, when the back side of the mattress 6 is turned to the front, the inner coil spring 3A protruding upward and the inner coil spring 3B protruding downward will naturally be interchanged.

[0041] Although the basic configuration and operation / function of the multiple coil spring 1 according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment or the configuration shown in the drawings. For example, it is possible to consider a configuration in which a separate coil spring is disposed outside the outer coil spring 2, thereby exerting at least three stages of repulsive force and dispersing the repulsive force and impact against the load.

[0042] As described above, the multiple coil spring 1 of the present invention has an outer coil spring 2 and an inner coil spring 3 fixed at fixing portion 5, thereby becoming a coil spring with multiple spring constants, and it is possible to adjust the characteristics of the coil spring while suppressing friction and abnormal noise caused by contact between the inner and outer coils. Even when such a multiple coil spring 1 is used in a mattress 6, the resilience does not sink too much under load, reducing the burden on the body of the user when lying down and helping to maintain a good sleeping position. [Industrial Applicability]

[0043] The present invention is a multiple coil spring having a multiple structure with coil springs arranged inside and outside, the spring constant of which can be adjusted by fixing the respective contact points, and since it is a coil spring with a simple structure that reduces abnormal noise without degrading quality, it can be used not only for mattresses, but also for the internal structure of chair seats and other shock absorbing members. Therefore, it is believed that the "multiple coil spring and mattress using the multiple coil spring" according to the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Multiple coil spring 2 outer coil springs 3 Inner coil spring 3A Inner coil spring (upper) 3B Inner coil spring (lower) 4 Contact point 5. Attachment 5a Attachment (top) 6 Mattress

Claims

1. A cylindrical outer coil spring having ring-shaped top and bottom surfaces, and a cylindrical inner coil spring arranged inside the outer coil spring with a different spiral direction from that of the outer coil spring, and having ring-shaped top and bottom surfaces, a contact point where the inner diameter side of the outer coil spring and the outer diameter side of the inner coil spring contact each other at a point; A fixing portion for fixing the contact, A multiple coil spring characterized in that an abutment point exists between one revolution of the spiral of either the outer coil spring or the inner coil spring.

2. 2. The multi-coil spring of claim 1, wherein the spring constant of the inner coil spring is different from the spring constant of the outer coil spring.

3. 2. The multiple coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion is fixed by any one of welding, resin dipping, and winding.

4. 2. The multiple coil spring according to claim 1, wherein all of said abutment points are fixed portions.

5. 2. The multi-coil spring of claim 1, wherein the inner coil spring and the outer coil spring have different lengths.

6. 6. The multi-coil spring of claim 5, wherein the ends of the inner coil spring protrude beyond both ends of the outer coil spring.

7. 2. The multi-coil spring according to claim 1, wherein the inner coil spring or / and the outer coil spring are comprised of a plurality of coil springs.

8. 7. A mattress using a multiple coil spring, comprising the multiple coil spring according to claim 1, and the characteristics of the multiple coil spring being changed depending on the position of the mattress.

Images