Mattress assembly

Abstract

To provide a pocket coil spring assembly including a constant amount of flexible foam.SOLUTION: Provided is a pocket coil spring assembly (10) that includes a coil spring (20) having an upper portion (22) and a lower portion (24) collectively defining an interior cavity of the coil spring. The pocket coil spring assembly further includes a fabric pocket (30) encasing the coil spring with a top area (32) covering the upper portion of the coil spring and a bottom area (34) covering the lower portion of the coil spring. A discrete amount of flexible foam (40) is poured on the top of the fabric pocket such that a top surface (42) of the flexible foam extends above the coil spring. Further provided is a mattress assembly (200) that includes the flexible foam dispensed in continuous or discrete amounts between rows of pocket coil springs.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Claim of Priority

[0001] This PCT patent application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 579,209, filed on October 31, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

[0002] This specific example relates to a pocket coil spring assembly. In particular, this specific example relates to a pocket coil spring assembly that includes a certain amount of flexible form disposed either on the coil spring or in the region between columns of coil springs.

Background Art

[0003] A spring assembly using pocket coils, also known as wrapped coils, encased coils, or Marshall coils, is generally recognized as giving a mattress a unique feel when used as part of a spring assembly. This is because each individual coil can move independently and support the body of a user lying on the mattress, or a part of it. In particular, in a pocket coil spring assembly, each coil is wrapped in a fabric pocket and moves substantially independently of other coils in the pocket coil spring assembly, thereby giving individual comfort and appearance to the user's body. Further, as a result of moving substantially independently of each other, pocket coils also do not transmit movement directly from one coil to another, and the movement of one user resting on a mattress assembly using pocket coils will not disturb other users resting on the mattress assembly. In this regard, a mattress assembly made using pocket coil springs is generally recognized as giving a soft and luxurious feel and is more desirable than traditional spring - filled mattresses. Thus, a pocket coil spring assembly that improves the unique feel and support provided by traditional pocket coil springs is highly desirable and beneficial. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This specific example includes a pocket coil spring assembly. In particular, this specific example includes a pocket coil spring assembly that includes a predetermined amount of flexible foam disposed on top of the coil springs or between columns of coil springs.

[0005] In one exemplary embodiment, a pocket coil spring assembly is provided that includes a coil spring having an upper portion and a lower portion that define the height of the coil spring. A fabric pocket encloses the coil spring and includes an upper region that covers the upper portion of the coil spring and a bottom region that covers the lower portion of the coil spring. A hemispherical quantity of flexible foam is disposed over the upper portion of the fabric pocket.

[0006] In another embodiment, a mattress assembly is provided that includes a spring core having a first support surface and a second support surface that faces the first support surface. The spring core is disposed in a matrix and includes a plurality of coil springs that extend from a first end of the mattress assembly to a second end of the mattress assembly. Each coil spring included in the mattress assembly has an upper portion and a lower portion that define the height of each coil spring. A fabric pocket encloses each respective coil spring, and each fabric pocket includes an upper region that covers the upper portion of each respective coil spring and a bottom region that covers the lower portion of each respective coil spring. A plurality of quantities of flexible foam, each having an upper surface, are disposed between the rows of coil springs. In some embodiments, the quantity of flexible foam is small and is a separate piece of flexible foam, while in other embodiments, the flexible foam is a continuous piece of flexible foam that extends along the entire length of the row.

[0007] Further features and advantages of this embodiment will become apparent to those skilled in the art by studying the descriptions, figures, and non-limiting examples in this document.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Specific examples of the present invention include a pocket coil spring assembly. In particular, the present invention includes a pocket coil spring assembly having a predetermined amount of flexible foam disposed as one or more separate amounts on or between the rows of coil springs in the assembly and extending from one end of the mattress to the other end.

[0010] Referring initially to FIG. 1, in one exemplary embodiment, a pocket coil spring assembly 10 is provided to include a coil spring 20 having an upper portion 22 and a lower portion 24 that define the height of the coil spring 20. The pocket coil spring assembly 10 further includes a fabric pocket 30 that surrounds the coil spring 20. In particular, the fabric pocket 30 includes an upper region 32 that covers the upper portion 22 of the coil spring 20 and a bottom region 34 that covers the lower portion 24 of the coil spring 20. Further, a predetermined amount of flexible foam is included within the pocket coil spring assembly 10 that is disposed on top of the upper region 32 of the coil spring 20 and has an upper surface 42 that extends over the coil spring 20.

[0011] With respect to the coil spring 20, in the exemplary pocket coil spring assembly 10 shown in FIG. 1, it is formed from a continuous wire that extends from the upper end coil 23 of the upper portion 22 of the coil spring 20 to the lower end coil 25 that opposes the upper end coil 23 at the lower portion 24 of the coil spring 20. In the coil spring 20, there are seven intermediate coils that are helical between the upper end coil 23 and the lower end coil 25, and the coil spring 20 consists of a total of nine coils or turns. Of course, various other coils, such as a coil spring 20 having a different number of coils, may also be used in the exemplary pocket coil spring assembly without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

[0012] With respect to the fabric pocket 30, in the exemplary pocket coil spring assembly 10 shown in FIG. 1, the upper region 32 and the bottom region 34 of the fabric pocket 30 extend along the outside of the coil spring 20 and form a generally cylindrical (or tubular) side surface 36 of the fabric pocket 30. In this case, the fabric pocket 30 is formed of inelastic fabric joined or welded together by heat or pressure (e.g., using ultrasonic welding or similar thermal welding techniques), and preferably forms such a cylindrical structure. For example, fabrics suitable for use in the fabric pocket 30 include one of various thermoplastic fibers known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, non-woven polymeric fabrics, non-woven polypropylene materials, or non-woven polyester materials.

[0013] Referring further to FIG. 1, the flexible foam 40 included in the pocket coil spring assembly 10 generally includes a type of foam having a density suitable for supporting and distributing pressure from the user's body or a part thereof and for resting on the pocket coil spring assembly 10. Such flexible foams include, but are not limited to, latex foams, reticulated or non-reticulated viscoelastic foams (also referred to as memory foams or low resilience foams), reticulated or non-reticulated non-viscoelastic foams, high resilience polyurethane foams, foamed polymer foams (e.g., foamed ethylene vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene or polyethylene), and the like. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the flexible foam 40 includes a two-part polyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam is dispensed as a liquid directly onto the upper region 32 of the fabric pocket 30 and reacts with the fabric pocket 30 itself to form small hemispheres (i.e., halves of a sphere) that adhere, and includes an upper surface 42 having a convex shape and a flat bottom surface (not shown). Of course, by varying the composition of the liquid, a flexible foam 40 of a different shape can be obtained. The amount of liquid dispensed, and thus the resulting amount of foam, may be varied.

[0014] With respect to hardness, the flexible foam 40 included in the pocket coil spring assembly 10 has a hardness of at least about 10 N to about 80 N in some embodiments. The measurement is made at approximately room temperature (e.g., 21°C to 23°C) by applying pressure from a plate towards the sample material until at least 40% of the original thickness of the material is compressed, and holding the 40% compression for a predetermined period as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 2439 hardness measurement standard. In some embodiments, the flexible foam 40 included in the pocket coil spring assembly 10 has a hardness of about 10 N, about 20 N, about 30 N, about 40 N, about 50 N, about 60 N, about 70 N, about 80 N, about 90 N, about 100 N, about 110 N, about 120 N, about 130 N, about 140 N, about 150 N, about 160 N, about 170 N, about 180 N, about 190 N, about 200 N, providing a desired level of comfort and conformity or support qualities to the body.

[0015] With respect to density, the flexible foam 40 included in the pocket coil spring assembly 10 also has a density in some embodiments that aids in providing a desired level of comfort, conformity to the body, and high material durability. In some embodiments, the flexible foam 40 included in the pocket coil spring assembly 10 has a density of at least about 30 kg / m 3 to about 150 kg / m 3 . In some embodiments, the density of the flexible foam 40 included in the pocket coil spring assembly 10 is about 10 kg / m 3 , about 15 kg / m 3 , about 20 kg / m 3 , about 25 kg / m 3 , about 30 kg / m 3 , about 40 kg / m 3 , about 50 kg / m 3 , about 60 kg / m 3 , about 70 kg / m 3 , about 80 kg / m 3 , about 90 kg / m 3 , about 100 kg / m 3 , about 110 kg / m 3 , about 120 kg / m 3 , about 130 kg / m3 , approximately 140 kg / m 3 , approximately 150 kg / m 3 . Of course, the selection of a flexible foam having a particular density affects the characteristics of the foam, including its hardness, the way the foam responds to pressure, and the overall feel of the foam, but it should be appreciated that flexible foams having the desired density and hardness can be readily selected for a particular pocket coil spring assembly or desired application. With respect to the special nature of the flexible foam 40, the body or part thereof of a user resting on the pocket coil spring assembly 10 is supported by both the flexible foam 40 and the coil springs 20, but since the upper surface 42 of the flexible foam 40 is located above the coil springs 20, the body or part thereof of a user resting on the pocket coil spring assembly 10 contacts only the flexible foam 40 and not the coil springs 20. Thus, the exemplary pocket coil spring assembly 10 can advantageously combine the feel of the foam with the durability and support of the springs.

[0016] As described above, the flexible form 40 in the illustrative example shown in FIG. 1 is formed from two parts of polyurethane foam, but other materials such as gel or fiber filling materials can be used in addition to or instead of the foam. For example, in some examples, the flexible form can include or be replaced by vinyl - based or silicon - based gels, or other similar materials. In other examples, in some embodiments, the flexible form can include a gelatinous material of elastomer that can provide a cooling effect by acting as a heat dump or heat sink where heat from the user's body or a part thereof located on the flexible form 40 dissipates into it. More specifically, in those embodiments, the flexible form includes a polyurethane - based gel made by combining Hyperlast® LU1046 Polyol, Hyperlast® LP5613 isocyanate, and a thermoplastic polyurethane film, each manufactured and sold by Dow Chemical Company Corp (Midland, MI). These are combined to produce a gel having a thermal conductivity of 0.1776 W / m * K, a thermal diffusivity of 0.1184 mm 2 / s, and a volumetric specific heat of 1.503 MJ( / m 3 K) as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22007 - 2 volumetric ratio measurement standard. The varying "zones" or regions formed by the plurality of spring coils and the foam should also be evaluated. For example, the density of the flexible form varies in different "zones" or regions of the mattress assembly.

[0017] Furthermore, the spring coil wire gauge, spring constant, pre - load, and overall shape used in a particular pocket coil spring assembly should be evaluated for their ease of variation and use to add a particular feel or characteristic in the exemplary pocket coil spring assembly without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, in another embodiment of the present specific example, the exemplary mattress assembly 200 is provided to include a plurality of pocket coil spring assemblies 10 described above with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the pocket coil spring assemblies 10 are arranged in a matrix and collectively form a spring core 202 having a first support surface 204 (or sleeping surface) and a second support surface 206 facing the first support surface 204. In the spring core 202 shown in FIG. 2, the longitudinal axes of the respective pocket coil spring assemblies 10 are arranged to be parallel to each other, and the upper surface 42 of the flexible foam 40 of the pocket coil spring assembly 10 at least partially forms the first support surface 204 of the spring core 202. Together with the lower portion 24 of the coil spring 20 of each pocket coil spring assembly 10, the bottom region 34 of the fabric pocket 30 forms the second support surface 206 of the spring core 202.

[0019] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the exemplary mattress assembly 200 further includes an upper body support layer 260 disposed adjacent to the first support surface of the spring core 202 and a lower base layer 270 disposed adjacent to the second support surface 206 of the spring core 202. The side panel 280 may extend between the upper body support layer and the lower base layer around the entire perimeter of the spring core 202 to enclose the plurality of pocket coil spring assemblies 10.

[0020] The upper body support layer 260 is formed from a viscoelastic foam, but it is contemplated that the upper body support layer may be formed from some combination of foam, upholstery material, and / or other well-known soft and flexible materials. Further, the upper body support layer may be formed from a multi-layer material formed to improve the comfort and support of the upper body support layer. In contrast to the upper body support layer, the lower base layer generally consists of wood chips or other similar rigid members and is formed to support the plurality of pocket coil spring assemblies 10.

[0021] Next, referring to FIG. 3, as another specific example, the exemplary mattress assembly 300 is formed to have a plurality of pocket coil spring assemblies 310 that are lower in height than the coil springs described above with reference to FIGS. 1-2. The exemplary mattress assembly 300 shown in FIG. 3 further includes an upper continuous sheet 350 and a lower continuous sheet 352. This will be described later.

[0022] Each of the pocket coil spring assemblies 310 shown in FIG. 3 includes a coil spring 320 having an upper portion 322 and a lower portion 324 that define the height of the coil spring 320. Each of the coil springs 310 in FIG. 3 is formed from a helical wire that extends from the upper end helix of the upper portion 322 of the coil spring 320 to the lower end helix of the lower portion 324 of the coil spring 320 that is opposite the upper end helix.

[0023] As described, the exemplary mattress assembly 300 shown in FIG. 3 further includes an upper Continuous sheet 350 that extends across the upper portion 322 of each of the plurality of coil springs 320 and a lower Continuous sheet 352 that extends across the lower portion 324 of each of the plurality of coil springs 320. The upper continuous sheet 350 is connected to the lower continuous sheet 352 around and between each of the plurality of coil springs 320, and the upper continuous sheet 350 and the lower continuous sheet 352 together form a fabric pocket that encloses each of the coil springs 320. In particular, a portion of the upper continuous sheet 350 forms an upper region 332 of the fabric pocket that covers the upper portion 322 of the coil spring 320 of each of the plurality of pocket coil spring assemblies 310, at least in part. Similarly, a portion of the lower continuous sheet 352 forms a bottom region 334 of the fabric pocket that covers the lower portion 324 of the coil spring 320 of each of the plurality of pocket coil spring assemblies 310, at least in part.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 3, the flexible foam 340 is disposed in the region between the pocket coil spring assemblies 310 instead of on top of the pocket coil spring assemblies as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In particular, the coil spring assemblies 310 are arranged as a matrix extending from the lower base 360 of the mattress assembly 300 to the body support layer 370 of the mattress assembly. The flexible foam 340 of the mattress assembly 300 is disposed in the region between the coil spring assemblies 310, and the upper surface 342 of each flexible foam 340 is substantially at the same height as the respective upper portion 322 of the coil spring assembly 310. For example, in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 3, the upper surface of each flexible foam 340 is at the same height as the respective upper end convolution of the coil spring 320, and the first support surface of the mattress assembly 300 is formed from both the upper surface 342 of the flexible foam 340 and the first convolution of the upper portion 322 of the coil spring 320.

[0025] Next, referring to FIG. 4, as another example, the illustrative mattress assembly 400 is formed to be substantially similar to the mattress assembly 300 described above with reference to FIG. 3, except that the continuous amount is disposed in the region between the pocket coil spring assemblies 410 instead of on top of the pocket coil spring assemblies 410. In particular, the flexible foam 340 shown in FIG. 3 is an individual amount disposed between the rows of coil springs 310, whereas the flexible foam 440 shown in FIG. 4 extends as a continuous amount along the rows of coil springs 410. Similar to the mattress assembly 300 of FIG. 3, each flexible foam 440 is disposed between the coil spring assemblies 410, and the upper surface 442 of each flexible foam 440 is at the same height as the respective upper portion 422 of the coil spring assembly 410. Thus, the upper support surface of the mattress assembly 400 is formed from both the upper surface 442 of the flexible foam 440 and the first convolution of the upper portion 422 of the coil spring 420.

[0026] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional specific examples are also possible without departing from the teachings of the present invention or the scope of the following claims. This detailed description, and in particular the specific details of the exemplary examples described herein, are provided primarily for clarity of understanding and should not be construed as an undue limitation therefrom, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

**Claim 1** A plurality of coil springs (310, 410) arranged in a matrix and extending in a row from a first end of the mattress assembly to a second end of the mattress assembly, each coil spring having an upper portion (322) and a lower portion (324), the upper portion and the lower portion together defining the height of the coil spring, and a plurality of coil springs (310, 410); An upper continuous sheet extending across the upper portion of each of the plurality of coil springs; A lower continuous sheet extending across the lower portion of each of the plurality of coil springs; Comprising; The lower continuous sheet and the upper continuous sheet are connected around and between each of the plurality of coil springs (320, 420) to collectively form a cloth pocket that encloses each of the plurality of coil springs (320, 420). Each cloth pocket includes an upper region (332) that covers the upper portion of each coil spring and a bottom region (334) that covers the lower portion of each coil spring. The upper portion of the cloth pocket is formed from a part of the upper continuous sheet, and the lower portion of the cloth pocket is formed from a part of the lower continuous sheet. Furthermore, a plurality of flexible foams (340, 440), each of the plurality of flexible foams (340, 440) having an upper surface (342, 442), and the upper surfaces (342, 442) of each of the plurality of flexible foams (340, 440) are arranged between the rows of coil springs on the upper continuous sheet so as to be disposed at substantially the same height as the height of the coil springs. A plurality of flexible foams (340, 440) are included. A mattress assembly (300, 400). **Claim 2** The first support surface of the mattress assembly (300, 400) is the upper surface of the flexible foam and the upper continuous sheet that covers the upper surface of each coil spring. The mattress assembly according to claim 1. **Claim 3** The mattress assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of flexible foams (440) is a continuous flexible foam extending between the rows of coil springs. **Claim 4** The mattress assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexible foams (340) are a plurality of individual flexible foams arranged between the rows of coil springs. **Claim 5** The mattress assembly of claim 4, wherein a plurality of individual flexible forms (340) have an upper surface (342) in the shape of a convex portion. **Claim 6** An upper body support layer (370) disposed further on a plurality of coil springs (310); and A lower base layer (360) disposed under a plurality of coil springs (310), the mattress assembly of claim 1.

Images