Adjustable mattress using inserted wands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mattresses, whether spring-based, foam, or air-filled, face manufacturing challenges, durability issues, and user-adjustability limitations, with air-type mattresses being difficult and expensive to manufacture and maintain due to complex parts and the need for pumps.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable foam mattress with user-accessible openings for removable inserts, allowing for customizable support without pumps or complex parts, featuring multiple layers with varying mechanical characteristics and low-friction surfaces for easy insert placement and removal, and an optional fire-retardant cover for safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If air-filled chambers with pumps are used to provide adjustable support, then the mattress becomes adjustable in firmness, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex pump and air chamber systems from the mattress, extracting only the essential function of adjustability. Instead, it uses simple removable inserts made of foam or gel that can be easily added or removed from pockets in the mattress, providing firmness adjustment without mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive, replaceable foam or gel inserts that can be easily discarded and replaced if needed. These simple inserts cost far less than pump systems and can be manufactured at low cost, providing an economical solution for adjustable support.
2Adaptability or versatility
If air-filled chambers with pumps are used to provide adjustable support, then the mattress becomes adjustable in firmness, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive, replaceable foam or gel inserts that can be easily discarded and replaced if needed. These simple inserts cost far less than pump systems and can be manufactured at low cost, providing an economical solution for adjustable support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the complex pump and air chamber systems from the mattress, extracting only the essential function of adjustability. Instead, it uses simple removable inserts made of foam or gel that can be easily added or removed from pockets in the mattress, providing firmness adjustment without mechanical complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional foam mattress without removable inserts is used, then the mattress is durable and easy to manufacture, but the support cannot be adjusted by the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mattress into modular components: a durable foam base layer and separate removable inserts. This segmentation allows the base mattress to remain simple and easy to manufacture, while the removable inserts provide the desired adjustability functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustability to an otherwise static foam mattress by allowing users to add or remove inserts as needed. This enables the mattress to adapt its support characteristics over time based on user preferences or changing needs, while the base structure remains simple and durable.
4Ease of operation
If openings extend through the top or bottom of the mattress body, then user-accessible openings are provided for inserts, but user error and damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places openings only in specific locations on the sides or ends of the mattress, not through the top or bottom where users directly rest. This localized positioning provides sufficient user access for inserting and removing supports while avoiding areas where user error could cause damage to the mattress structure or user comfort zones.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a mattress and methods of manufacturing the same, wherein the mattress includes a body having one or more openings for removable inserts that a user can position within the openings to adjust the mechanical characteristics of the mattress, including the amount and location of support provided by the mattress to the user. Some embodiments of the mattress include one or more covers, such as a fire-retardant cover, that can encompass the mattress body while still allowing a user to access the openings of mattress body.