Pocket-Coil Mattress Construction for Ease of Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pocket-spring mattresses are difficult to package and transport due to the risk of spring damage during compression and folding, which affects their performance when unpacked.
Innovation Solution
A pocket-spring mattress design featuring two sections connected by a compressible open-cell foam strip allows for easy folding and rolling, with vacuum compression and packaging to maintain the mattress in a compact cylindrical form, preventing spring deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a pocket-spring mattress is compressed and folded for transport, then the mattress can be packaged in a compact form, but the springs may be damaged or deformed affecting performance
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress is divided into two separate pocket-coil sections (head and foot portions) that are connected by a compressible strip. This segmentation allows each section to be folded independently over the hinge location, reducing stress on individual springs and enabling compact packaging while maintaining spring integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A compressible strip of material acts as an intermediary hinge element connecting the two pocket-coil sections. This intermediary component is specifically designed to be compressible and flexible, allowing the mattress to fold and roll into compact forms without transmitting damaging forces to the spring units, thus protecting spring performance during transport.
2Ease of operation
If a pocket-spring mattress is made with interconnected springs to form a complete mattress, then the mattress provides full support, but it becomes difficult to transport and store
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress structure is segmented into two separate pocket-coil sections connected by a compressible strip hinge. This segmentation transforms a rigid, monolithic mattress into a flexible, foldable structure that can be easily transported and stored while maintaining the interconnected spring support function when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressible strip hinge introduces dynamic flexibility to the mattress structure, allowing it to transition between a flat deployed state (providing full support) and a folded/rolled compact state (enabling easy transport). This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between structural integrity for support and flexibility for transportability.
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
Enables safe and efficient transportation and storage of pocket-spring mattresses by minimizing damage to the springs during packaging, allowing for easy deployment and return to original form upon unpacking.
Implementation Method 1
the first and second pocket coil sections and the strip of material are compressed and the first and second pocket coil sections are folded one onto the other
Implementation Method 2
coupling the first and second sections together by way of a compressible material strip forming a mattress comprising the coupled first and second mattress core sections
Implementation Method 3
The operation of packing the mattress includes vacuum compression of the mattress prior to the folding operation
Data Source
AI summary
A mattress as disclosed herein comprises first and second pocket coil sections forming the head and foot portions of the mattress, wherein the first and second pocket coil sections are connected to one another by a compressible strip of material extending across the mattress, providing a hinge location for packing the mattress for transportation, in use. This structure allows the mattress to be compressed flat such as by vacuum compression and then folded at the hinge location. The folded compressed mattress can then be rolled up transverse to the folded hinge into a substantially cylindrical shape and boxed for transport. The compressible strip of material, which may be a durable open-cell foam material, allows the mattress to be folded and rolled into a compact form for transport without causing unrecoverable deformation of the mattress springs.