String of pocketed springs, suspension for bedding mattresses comprising a plurality of such strings and mattress comprising such a suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pocket spring suspensions for bedding mattresses offer only one type of comfort, typically firm, soft, or intermediate, failing to optimize the balance between sleeping firmness and comfort.
Innovation Solution
A string of helical springs housed in individual retaining pockets, with each pocket containing two spring parts connected in series by an intermediate part of smaller diameter, featuring specific length and pitch ratios, and including elastic recesses between connecting zones to enhance comfort and support balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single uniform spring design is used in pocket spring suspensions, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the mattress can only offer one type of comfort (firm, soft, or intermediate) without optimizing the balance between sleeping firmness and comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is divided into three distinct segments: a comfort portion with larger diameter coils for cushioning, a support portion with smaller diameter coils for firmness, and an intermediate portion transitioning between them. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function, providing both comfort and support simultaneously while maintaining a relatively simple overall spring structure that can be manufactured using standard processes
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the spring have different local properties: the comfort portion has larger coil diameter and greater pitch for softness, while the support portion has smaller coil diameter and smaller pitch for firmness. This local differentiation of properties within a single spring enables it to provide both comfort and support functions, resolving the contradiction between comfort variety and structural simplicity
2Ease of operation
If the comfort portion has large diameter coils for softness, then comfort is improved, but the spring may sag and produce noise under load
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is segmented into a comfort portion with large diameter coils for softness and a support portion with small diameter coils for stability. The intermediate portion with progressively smaller coils acts as a transition zone that prevents the comfort portion from sagging excessively or producing noise, while maintaining the comfortable feel at the top
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate portion serves as an intermediary element between the comfort portion and support portion. It gradually transitions the coil diameter from large to small, preventing abrupt changes that could cause sagging or noise, while maintaining both the comfort characteristics of the upper portion and the stability of the lower portion
3Force
If the support portion has small diameter coils for firmness, then sleeping firmness is improved, but the overall spring becomes too rigid and loses flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is segmented into a support portion with small diameter coils for firmness and a comfort portion with large diameter coils for flexibility. This segmentation allows the spring to provide both strong support force and adequate flexibility, as each segment contributes its specific mechanical properties to the overall spring behavior
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the spring have different local stiffness properties: the support portion has high local stiffness for firmness, while the comfort portion has low local stiffness for flexibility. The intermediate portion provides a gradual transition in stiffness, allowing the spring to exhibit both firm support and overall flexibility simultaneously
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates mainly to a string of helical springs (2) housed in individual pockets formed between two panels folded one above the other of a strip of flexible fabric and delimited by connection zones securing the two panels to each other and comprising transverse connection zones which extend parallel to the longitudinal axes of the helical springs (2) and a longitudinal connection zone opposite and substantially parallel to the longitudinal fold zone of the two panels, according to which each pocket contains a helical spring (2) comprising two spring parts, respectively comfort (12) and support (13) connected in series to each other by an intermediate part (14) which is eccentric, the ratio between the length of the support part (13) and the length of the comfort part (12) being between 1.5 and 2.5.