Resilient Under-Mattress Slat Support for Sagging Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mattress supports either fail to adequately address sagging or soft areas in mattresses, leading to discomfort and reduced support, or they introduce an overly rigid feel that is uncomfortable for sleeping, and existing solutions are either ineffective or cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A portable under-mattress support system featuring spaced-apart resilient slats encased in pliable fabric covers, allowing for lateral compression and easy rolling, which can be positioned between the box spring and mattress to restore sagging areas without making the mattress feel stiffer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid sheets or panels (plywood, hard plastic, fiberglass, metal, wood) are inserted between the box spring and mattress, then support strength is improved, but mattress comfort deteriorates due to overly rigid feel
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple individual resilient slats instead of using a single rigid panel. Each slat can independently deflect and conform to body contours, providing support while maintaining comfort. The slats are spaced apart to allow localized deflection without transmitting rigid forces across the entire surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The material properties are changed from rigid (plywood, metal, fiberglass) to resilient (flexible foam, rubber, or spring-based materials). This parameter change allows the support structure to maintain strength while introducing compliance and comfort through controlled elasticity and energy absorption.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid slats with ribs are used to prevent mattress bending, then structural stability is improved, but mattress flexibility deteriorates making it uncomfortable
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous rigid structure is segmented into discrete slats with gaps between them. This segmentation allows the mattress to flex and conform to body shapes in the gaps while the slats provide localized support, achieving both stability and flexibility simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a static rigid configuration to a dynamic resilient one where each slat can independently deflect, rebound, and adapt to changing loads. This dynamic behavior allows the mattress to maintain flexibility and comfort while preserving structural integrity through the resilient properties of individual slats.
3Manufacturing precision
If a unitary contiguous panel is used to provide firm support, then support uniformity is improved, but ability to resolve sagging areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The unitary panel is divided into multiple independent slats that can move relative to each other. This segmentation enables each slat to independently respond to and restore localized sagging areas while maintaining uniform support across the entire mattress surface through the collective action of all slats.
Solution Approach 2:
The static uniform panel is replaced with a dynamic array of resilient slats that can independently deflect and rebound. This allows the support structure to adapt to and restore various sagging patterns while maintaining overall support uniformity through the distributed resilient elements.
4Strength
If multiple air chambers are used to lift sagging mattress, then localized support is improved, but system complexity and maintenance requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The complex multi-chamber air system is replaced with simple, inexpensive resilient slats made from durable foam, rubber, or spring materials. These slats require no maintenance, have no moving parts to fail, and provide comparable localized support through their inherent elastic properties, eliminating the complexity and maintenance burden of air chambers.
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
The solution effectively extends the life of a mattress by restoring its original shape and comfort, providing adequate support without the discomfort of rigidity, and allows for easy storage and packaging.
Implementation Method 1
a series of parallel spaced-apart laterally extending elongated resilient unitary slats
Implementation Method 2
a top pliable fabric cover disposed above the slats... a bottom pliable fabric cover disposed beneath the slats
Data Source
AI summary
An under mattress support extends the longevity of an existing mattress that may include concave areas resulting in sagging or soft areas, including a plurality of parallel oriented spaced-apart resilient elongated slat members interconnected by pliable strips to form a parallel slat array. The pliable strip spacing of the parallel resilient slats allows for lateral compression to enhance support. In use, the under mattress support is interposed between a mattress and underlying box spring such that the elongated slats extend along their longitudinal direction from a portion of one side of the mattress to the opposite side of the mattress where the concave portion of a sagging or soft mattress appears during the normal course of use.