Mattress Compression and Deconstruction Using High-Pressure Water Jets

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing recycling technologies are not suited for processing used mattresses due to their voluminous nature, leading to inefficiencies in transportation and deconstruction, and pose challenges with water content and contaminants, resulting in mattresses often being left in landfills rather than being recycled or resold.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for compressing used mattresses by up to 10-fold, using mechanical actuators and airtight seals to facilitate efficient transportation and deconstruction, while also removing water and handling contaminants, including integrity testing and chemical infusion for reuse or deconstruction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If mattresses are processed in their original voluminous state, then deconstruction can be performed on the complete structure, but transportation efficiency is poor and processing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransportation efficiencyVSAvoidmattress volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress is compressed into a compact state before transportation and deconstruction processes. This preliminary compression reduces the volume by up to 10 times, making subsequent handling, transportation, and processing significantly more efficient while maintaining the ability to deconstruct the mattress into its constituent materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If mattresses are compressed to reduce volume, then transportation and handling efficiency improve, but the deconstruction process becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling efficiencyVSAvoiddeconstruction difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress is compressed into a compact state before transportation and deconstruction processes. This preliminary compression reduces the volume by up to 10 times, making subsequent handling, transportation, and processing significantly more efficient while maintaining the ability to deconstruct the mattress into its constituent materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If mattresses are left uncompressed, then they retain their structural integrity, but they occupy excessive space and increase transportation costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidstorage volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress is compressed into a compact state before transportation and deconstruction processes. This preliminary compression reduces the volume by up to 10 times, making subsequent handling, transportation, and processing significantly more efficient while maintaining the ability to deconstruct the mattress into its constituent materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If mattresses are deconstructed without prior compression, then the full structure can be analyzed, but water content and contaminants pose handling hazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontaminant detectionVSAvoidwater and contaminant hazards

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress is compressed into a compact state before transportation and deconstruction processes. This preliminary compression reduces the volume by up to 10 times, making subsequent handling, transportation, and processing significantly more efficient while maintaining the ability to deconstruct the mattress into its constituent materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

The method enables cost-effective and efficient processing of used mattresses by reducing volume, controlling deconstruction, and ensuring safety, allowing for recycling and resale of materials, thereby reducing landfill waste and improving handling and processing efficiencies.

Implementation Method 1

a compression stage comprising compressing the mattress into a compressed state

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

maintaining the compressed state of the mattress using an airtight seal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Implementation Method 3

a deconstruction stage where the mattress is deconstructed using high-pressure water jets

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHigh-pressure fluid impact: Jet Erosion

Data Source

PatentUS10258994B2Method and apparatus for processing a used mattress

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 MATTREC INT LTD

AI summary

Method and apparatus for deconstructing, cutting, shredding or disintegrating a mattress, sofa, car seat or similar items with steel or metal sub frames by the use of high pressure water jets whereby the mattress, sofa, car seat or the like is compressed and then deconstructed while compressed by the use of high pressure water jets.