Synthetic or natural fiber mattress with enhanced compression resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing resilient structures like mattress cores made from synthetic fibers face issues with compression resistance, comfort, and durability due to the inherent plastic memory of fibers, leading to unevenness and premature deterioration.
Innovation Solution
A structured fiber product is created with fibers oriented primarily in a vertical direction, using a combination of recycled fibers and binder fibers with a lower transition temperature, formed into a three-dimensional web, heated, and cooled to fix the orientation, allowing for varying densities and integration with coil springs for enhanced compression resistance and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If synthetic fibers are used to construct mattress cores, then cost is reduced, but compression resistance and durability deteriorate due to plastic memory causing unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional horizontal fiber arrangement into a vertically oriented three-dimensional structure. Fibers are arranged perpendicular to the mattress surface, creating a columnar architecture that resists compression forces more effectively while maintaining cost-effectiveness using synthetic fibers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines synthetic fibers with natural fibers in a blended composition. This composite approach leverages the cost advantages of synthetic fibers while incorporating the superior compression resistance and lack of plastic memory inherent in natural fibers, achieving both economic and performance goals.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fibers are restrained in a container to maintain shape, then shape stability is improved, but unevenness and deterioration occur due to plastic memory
Solution Approach 1:
By orienting fibers vertically in the third dimension rather than restraining them horizontally in two dimensions, the patent allows the fiber structure to maintain shape stability without the detrimental effects of plastic memory. The vertical orientation enables fibers to bear compression loads along their length without lateral buckling or uneven deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates localized density variations within the fiber batt by controlling fiber distribution and bonding patterns. Different regions can have different densities to optimize both shape stability and comfort characteristics, preventing uniform deterioration while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Reliability
If coil springs are imbedded in fiber batt to increase resiliency, then compression resistance is improved in spring locations, but differences in compressibility cause springs to become unlinked and structure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the structural parameter from discrete spring elements to a continuous vertical fiber architecture. This parameter change eliminates the compressibility mismatch between springs and fibers, as the vertically oriented fiber columns provide uniform compression resistance throughout the mattress core, preventing spring unlinking and structural deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of coil springs and fiber batt into a unified vertical fiber structure. Rather than combining disparate elements with different mechanical properties, the patent creates an integrated system where the fiber orientation itself provides the resiliency and compression resistance traditionally achieved through spring mechanisms, ensuring long-term durability.
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 structured fiber product achieves higher compression resistance and durability, allowing for customizable comfort profiles and reduced flexing, improving the overall performance of mattress cores compared to previous fiber-based solutions.
Implementation Method 1
heated to bind the fibers and cooled to fix the web in a predetermined thickness
Implementation Method 2
heated to bind the fibers and cooled to fix the web in a predetermined thickness
Data Source
AI summary
A structured fiber product is constructed with fibers oriented primarily in a vertical direction. Fibers made from recycled materials are combined with binder fibers which have a lower transition temperature than the recycled fibers. A three dimensional web is formed from the fibers oriented in a horizontal direction. The web is heated to bind the fibers and cooled to fix the web in a predetermined thickness. Sections of the web are stacked while maintaining substantially parallel orientation of the fibers in the horizontal direction, heated to bind the fibers and cooled to fix a predetermined thickness of the structured fiber product. The structured fiber product is rotated so that the fibers are oriented in the vertical direction. One or more slabs of the structured fiber product with vertically oriented fibers may be configured to form a resilient structure such as a mattress core.