Modular Polyhedral Mattress Structure for Tunable Comfort

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mattresses lack flexibility and cost-effectiveness while providing high lying comfort, and existing designs do not allow for efficient production and individual specification of properties.

Innovation Solution

A modular mattress design featuring polyhedron-shaped insert elements with constant cross-sectional area side faces and inclined surfaces, allowing for flexible arrangement and connection via contact surfaces or coupling elements, enabling efficient production and individual specification of properties such as firmness and ventilation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a modular design with polyhedron-shaped insert elements is used, then flexibility and ease of manufacture are improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for multiple insert elements and their arrangement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress is divided into multiple polyhedron-shaped insert elements that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. Each insert element is a discrete component with standardized geometry (flat top, flat underside, four side surfaces, and inclined surfaces), allowing for efficient production through repetition and assembly rather than manufacturing the entire mattress as a single complex piece.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If insert elements are arranged with side surfaces adjoining one another, then mechanical properties and ventilation can be uniformly distributed, but manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing precisionVSAvoidreliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The polyhedron-shaped insert elements incorporate asymmetric features, specifically the inclined surfaces that connect the side surfaces to the top and bottom faces. This asymmetric geometry creates inherent mechanical interlocking and contact pressure distribution that ensures reliable side-to-side contact between adjacent elements without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances on all surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Adaptability or versatility

If the mattress is designed as a complete unit, then structural integrity is maintained, but adaptability to different user needs decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress is segmented into multiple replaceable insert elements rather than being a monolithic structure. This allows users to swap out individual elements or groups of elements to adjust firmness, support characteristics, or ventilation properties according to their specific needs, while the overall mattress structure remains intact through the framework and cover.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mattress design incorporates dynamic adaptability through the ability to reconfigure the insert elements. Users can dynamically adjust the mattress properties by replacing elements with different characteristics (e.g., different densities, firmness levels, or ventilation properties), transforming the mattress from a static structure to an adaptable system that responds to changing user requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2979586B1Mattress
Publication Date: 2018.05.02 MAIERS BETTWARENFAB
  • EP2979586B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2979586B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2979586B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a mattress (1) with a delimiting element delimiting an accommodation space. The mattress has polyhedron-shaped insert elements (5) which are arranged in the accommodation space with side faces (8) adjoining one another.