Mattress Compression System with Air-Impervious Bag Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for packaging multiple mattresses for transportation fail to maintain compression due to sealing issues, leading to decompression during shipment and storage, and are not suitable for mass merchant size shipments.

Innovation Solution

A method involving individual compression of mattresses, placement on supports, further compression between supports, and coupling with restraints to prevent expansion, along with sealing in air-impervious bags to maintain compression and secure the mattresses for efficient transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If mattresses are individually compressed and sealed in air-impervious bags, then ease of transport is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to sealing failures causing decompression during shipment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of transportVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the mattresses into individual compressed units, each sealed in its own air-impervious bag. This segmentation allows each mattress to be independently compressed and sealed, improving ease of transport while isolating potential sealing failures to individual units rather than affecting the entire shipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by using air-impervious bags that are substantially evacuated of air before sealing. This pre-evacuation creates a protective environment that maintains compression and prevents reexpansion even if sealing issues occur later during shipment, thereby compensating for potential reliability problems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Productivity

If multiple mattresses are bulk packaged together, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates because air leaks at sealed ends cause decompression of the entire batch

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveproductivityVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Each mattress is individually sealed in its own air-impervious bag before bulk packaging. This segmentation ensures that a sealing failure in one bag does not compromise the compression integrity of other mattresses in the bulk shipment, maintaining reliability while enabling high-volume productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses flexible air-impervious bags (thin films) to enclose each mattress. These flexible containers maintain compression through their evacuated state while allowing the mattresses to be bulk packaged together, resolving the contradiction between bulk packaging productivity and reliability against air leaks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Volume of moving object

If mattresses are compressed to reduce storage space, then volume is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of facilities to recompress mattresses after decompression during transport

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage spaceVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The air-impervious bags are substantially evacuated of air before sealing, creating a pre-compressed state that maintains volume reduction throughout transport. This beforehand preparation ensures mattresses remain compressed without requiring recompression facilities during or after shipment, addressing the reliability issue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The evacuated air-impervious bags create an inert environment (vacuum or near-vacuum state) that maintains mattress compression. This inert atmosphere prevents air from entering to cause reexpansion, thereby maintaining reduced storage volume and eliminating the need for recompression facilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method ensures mattresses remain compressed during transport, reduces storage space, and minimizes reexpansion due to sealing failures, making it cost-effective for bulk shipments.

Implementation Method 1

compressing individually a plurality of mattresses, placing the plurality of compressed mattresses on a first support, placing a second support on top of the plurality of compressed mattresses, compressing further the plurality of compressed mattresses between the first support and the second support

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

Prior to sealing the air-impervious bag, the air-impervious bag may be substantially evacuated

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Implementation Method 3

An open end of the air-impervious bag may be sealed with a heated element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentUS7458193B2Method and system for preparing mattresses for shipment

Publication Date: 2008.12.02 PRIMO INT

AI summary

A method and system for packaging multiple bedding products. The method includes compressing a stack of individual compressed and sealed mattresses between an upper shipping support and a lower shipping support and restraining subsequent expansion of the individual compressed and sealed mattresses with bands enclosing the upper and lower shipping supports and the stack of compressed and sealed mattresses.