Zoned Polyester Mattress Pad for Region-Specific Body Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polyester-filled mattress pads with flat quilted surfaces lack adequate support for various body regions, leading to discomfort and pain due to uneven pressure distribution, and alternative body contour mattress pads made of memory foam or latex are bulky, difficult to handle, and prone to overheating and odor issues.
Innovation Solution
A mattress pad with multiple comfort zones along its length, defined by varying wadding and quilting patterns, including quilted and non-quilted regions for specific body parts, such as the head, neck, upper body, lumbar, lower back, and legs, to provide tailored support and reduce pressure points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a flat quilted surface is used in conventional mattress pads, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but support for various body regions is insufficient leading to discomfort and pain
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress pad divides its surface into multiple zones with different quilting patterns and filling densities. High-density quilted zones provide support for pressure-bearing areas like shoulders and hips, while low-density or non-quilted zones allow contouring for areas like the neck and lumbar region. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing region-specific support without requiring complete structural complexity throughout the entire mattress.
Solution Approach 2:
The mattress pad is segmented into distinct functional zones along its length, each with tailored quilting patterns and filling characteristics. This segmentation allows different portions of the mattress to serve different purposes - some areas provide firm support while others provide contouring comfort - thereby achieving reliable body support without uniformly complex manufacturing throughout.
2Reliability
If body contour mattress pads made of memory foam or latex are used, then support for major body areas is improved, but the pads become bulky, difficult to handle, and prone to overheating and odor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from memory foam or latex to polyester fill, fundamentally altering the physical characteristics. Polyester fill provides adequate support while being lighter, more breathable, and easier to handle than foam alternatives. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining support functionality while eliminating the bulk and handling difficulties associated with foam materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The mattress pad uses a composite construction combining polyester fill with fabric layers and selective quilting patterns. This composite approach achieves body contouring and support functionality without relying on dense foam materials, thereby improving ease of handling while maintaining reliability of support.
3Reliability
If body contour mattress pads made of memory foam or latex are used, then support for major body areas is improved, but overheating and odor issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
Polyester fill is inherently more porous and breathable than memory foam or latex. The loose fiber structure allows air circulation throughout the mattress pad, preventing heat buildup and reducing the likelihood of odor development. This material selection resolves the contradiction by providing support functionality while eliminating thermal and olfactory harmful factors.
Data Source
AI summary
A mattress pad for supporting a human body includes an upper layer, a lower layer, and a wadding layer therebetween. The wadding layer includes three distinct zones arranged along the length of the pad for varying support of the human body. The first zone is configured to support a head portion and a neck portion; the second zone is configured to support an upper body portion and a lumbar portion; and the third zone is configured to support a lower back portion and leg portion. Thickness and length in these zones varies for providing the varying support.