Pocketed spring assembly including cushion pads

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pocketed spring mattresses suffer from an undesirable bridging effect due to foam or cushioning layers, which compromise the independence of coil springs and affect the feel and motion transfer, leading to potential damage to cushioning pads and compromised performance.

Innovation Solution

A pocketed spring assembly design where each string of springs is encapsulated in outer pockets with individually pocketed cushion pads, eliminating the need for additional cushioning layers and preventing coil springs from pressing against pads, thus preserving their integrity and enhancing user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a sheet of foam or cushioning layer is attached to the upper surface of the pocketed spring assembly, then cushioning comfort is improved, but the independence of coil springs is compromised and bridging effect occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecushioning comfortVSAvoidindependence of coil springs

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cushioning function is segmented from the spring support function by placing individual cushion pads within each fabric pocket, rather than using a continuous foam layer. This segmentation allows each spring-cushion pair to operate independently, eliminating the bridging effect while maintaining cushioning comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cushion pad is nested inside the fabric pocket that already contains the coil spring. This nested structure integrates both the support function (spring) and cushioning function (pad) within a single encapsulated unit, preventing the spring from directly contacting and damaging the cushioning material while eliminating the need for separate foam layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of manufacture

If un-pocketed coil springs are used with cushioning pads, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the coil springs may damage the cushioning pads and affect the feel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoiddamage to cushioning pads

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The fabric pocket acts as an intermediary barrier between the coil spring and the cushioning pad. This fabric enclosure prevents direct contact between the metal spring and the cushioning material, eliminating the harmful mechanical interaction while maintaining the structural integrity of both components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If individually pocketed springs are used, then motion transfer between sleeping partners is reduced, but the complexity of construction increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotion transfer reductionVSAvoidconstruction complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The individual spring pockets and cushion pads are merged into a single continuous fabric piece through thermal or ultrasonic welding, creating interconnected strings of pocketed spring-cushion units. This merging approach maintains the independence of each unit for motion isolation while simplifying construction by eliminating the need for separate pocket fabrication and assembly steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Traditional mechanical stitching is replaced with thermal or ultrasonic welding to join the fabric plies and form the pockets. This substitution eliminates the need for complex stitching patterns and assembly operations, reducing construction complexity while maintaining the integrity of the individual spring-cushion pockets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10842289B2Pocketed spring assembly including cushion pads

Publication Date: 2020.11.24 L & P PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO

AI summary

A pocketed spring assembly comprises a plurality of parallel strings of springs, each string joined to at least one adjacent string, each string comprising one piece of fabric folded into first and second opposed plies of fabric. Outer pockets are formed along each string by transverse seams joining the first and second plies. One pocketed spring and at least cushion pad is positioned in each outer pocket. The cushion pad may be individually pocketed. An upper end of each transverse seam may be below an upper surface of the string to partially separate adjacent outer pockets within a string.