Spring Assembly Wire Enclosure Using Non-Woven Fabric Sleeves

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing spring assemblies for bed mattresses suffer from exposure wire parts protruding vertically, leading to damage from padding, reduced resilient force due to lateral loads, and frictional noise, with existing solutions failing to adequately enclose these parts and provide dual cushioning.

Innovation Solution

An automated apparatus using a combination of a reel unit, traction unit, elevator unit, front insertion unit, side insertion unit, adhesive unit, feeder unit, cutter unit, and support unit to enclose exposure wire parts with non-woven fabric, ensuring efficient and productive enclosure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If exposure wire parts protrude vertically from edge members to provide dual cushion force, then cushioning performance is improved, but the wire parts become vulnerable to damage from padding contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecushion forceVSAvoidwire part durability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A protective sleeve made of flexible foam material is introduced as an intermediary between the exposure wire parts and the external environment. The sleeve envelops the wire parts, providing mechanical protection against damage from padding contact while allowing the wire parts to maintain their vertical protrusion for dual cushioning function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective sleeve is constructed from flexible foam material that can deform and conform to the shape of the wire parts. This flexible shell structure provides protection while accommodating the vertical protrusion and movement of the wire parts during mattress compression and expansion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Ease of manufacture

If exposure wire parts are left uncovered to maintain structural simplicity, then manufacturing ease is improved, but frictional noise occurs when wire parts contact edge members or other springs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidfrictional noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective sleeve acts as a mediator between the wire parts and surrounding components (edge members, adjacent springs). This intermediate layer eliminates direct contact between wire parts and potential contact surfaces, thereby preventing frictional noise generation while maintaining the overall structural simplicity of the mattress construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If exposure wire parts are sealed using mold foam or non-woven fabric as in prior art, then wire part protection is improved, but the enclosing process requires manual operation reducing productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire part protectionVSAvoidenclosure process efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible foam material is designed to be self-forming around the wire parts. When the foam is applied, it automatically conforms to and envelops the vertical protrusions of the wire parts without requiring manual shaping or adjustment, enabling automated application processes and eliminating the need for manual enclosing operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical state or form of the foam material to enable automated application. By using flexible foam that can be applied in a semi-rigid or expandable state and then conforms to the wire parts, the process transitions from manual shaping to automated application, significantly improving productivity while maintaining protection quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP1739054B1Apparatus for enclosing exposure wire parts of spring assembly for bed mattress
Publication Date: 2008.03.19 ACE BED CO LTD
  • EP1739054B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1739054B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1739054B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for enclosing the exposure wire parts (115a) of a spring assembly (100) for a bed mattress which can automate the work process according to the enclosure of the exposure wire parts of a spring assembly, thereby maximizing convenience of the enclosing process and work productivity. According to the inventive apparatus for enclosing exposure wire parts (115a) of coil springs (115) in a spring assembly (100) for a bed mattress, the enclosing work of the exposure wire parts protrudingly formed in the spring assembly is performed automatically so that various work loads and the number of work processes according to the enclosing work can be minimized to thereby maximize the work productivity as well as the relevant cost according to the enclosing work is reduced, thereby saving the production cost of the mattress and improving the product competitiveness of the mattress.