Adaptable Modular Mattress System Background of the Invention: The sleeping system industry has been concerned for many years with the problem of creating a mattress that is comfortable and healthy and that may be customized for the individual user. Various patents have described mattresses with different degrees of firmness to support different body portions. Thus AU 9710138 describes a mattress that is constructed with an array of resilient springs including rows of cylindrical foam pads of differing resistance ; AU 9473006 teaches a mattress with a surface layer that is divided in several zones, some being pressure relief zones and others- support zones and DD 254521 proposes a mattress with zones of different spring strengths created by changing the waist diameter of individual springs. A foam support layer resting on inflatable longitudinal tubes is described in EP 0161 392 and load transmitting elements, some having a larger contact area than others with the mattress are taught by DE 2621803.

Prior art mattresses all have the drawback of not being thoroughly suited to conform with the requirements and characteristic body structure of the individual user. The prior art further has the drawback of not being adaptable to changes in the body characteristics or in the preferences of the user caused by mere aging over the years or due to temporary changes such as pregnancy, illness, changes in body weight, etc..

It is therefore desirable to provide a mattress system that can be customized for the individual user according to personal preferences, body structure and size or according to any orthopedic or medical instructions.

It is further desirable to provide a mattress system that can be restructured in accordance with any alterations in the user's body characteristics, whether caused by ageing, illness, pregnancy, weight fluctuations or any other transitional or permanent changes.

It is desirable to provide a mattress system that is adaptable while also fulfilling the aesthetic requirements that make it appealing to the customer.

It is desirable to provide a mattress system that enables adaptation to user preferences as well as adaptation to subsequent changes in such preferences by distributing and rearranging the original distribution of elements of differing resilience without the need to use complicated mechanical equipment, whereby the performance of such adaptation in the user's home is facilitated.

Summary of the Invention The present invention proposes a modular mattress system having at least one layer that comprises a plurality of elements of varying resilience such that the mattress system may be individually adapted for the user by distributing the said elements of varying resilience over the area of the said layer according to the specific requirements of the user's body structure or the user's personal preferences. The preferred embodiment includes a spring layer with a protective cover sheet, at least one support layer above the said protective cover sheet and a top decorative cover. The spring layer or the support layer or both comprise a large number of separate elements of differing resilience and the inventive mattress system is achieved by these elements of differing resilience being distributed through the area of each of the layers in accordance with the requirements of the individual user.

The elements of the spring layer are inserted between the springs or inside the spring coil, whereas the elements of the support layer are held together by a frame means or threading means or they may be interconnected like pieces in a puzzle.

The protective cover sheet and the said top decorative cover are arranged such that easy access to the said elements is enabled at any time whereby the said elements may be rearranged and the distribution of more and less resilient areas in the mattress may be altered without the need to use complicated mechanical equipment so as to accommodate any changes in the user's body structure, health, preferences and temporary physical or physiological changes such as pregnancy.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a blow up drawing of the inventive mattress system Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the inventive mattress system Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the inventive mattress system Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention concerns a mattress system that responds to a long felt need for a mattress that is individually adapted and customized for the user by creating a distribution of higher resistance areas and more resilient areas that is specifically suited to accommodate the individual user's body. The distribution of the said of higher resistance and the said more resilient areas within the inventive mattress system, having been initially adapted to the user's characteristic demands, can subsequently be rearranged and altered by simple means and on location so as to accommodate newly arising requirements due to passage of time, changes in preferences, illness, temporary changes such as pregnancy, weight fluctuations etc. The mattress system may be separately and individually adapted and readapted for each of a pair of persons using a double mattress.

The inventive system has at least one layer that comprises a large number of separate elements of different resilience that may be distributed within the said layer so as to accommodate any characteristics of the user's body structure, or the user's preferences or doctor's instructions.

The said elements are easily accessible for exchange or redistribution according to subsequent changes in the above requirements.

In the preferred embodiment a spring layer and a support layer are provided, at least one of them comprising separate elements of varied resilience.

In the spring layer such elements may be inserted inside the spring coils or placed interstitially between the coils and the spring layer may be made according to any of the techniques, methods and designs known in the art.

In the support layer the elements may be shaped like puzzle pieces having a desired thickness such that by assembling these elements a continuous layer is achieved that is disposed on top of the spring layer or the said support layer may be disposed below the spring layer. It will be understood that the distribution of the different elements in each of the layers defines areas of increased firmness and areas with various degrees of resilience. In accordance with one advantage of the invention, the number of variations that may be achieved by using a large number of elements of varying resilience in one or more layers is nearly infinite.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the said elements may be made in different colours or with colour intensity varying from light to dark such that the differences of resistance or resilience may be distinguished by applying a colour code whereby the arrangement and subsequent rearrangement of the elements is facilitated.

It is further envisaged in the framework of the present invention that elements with various kinds of physiological effects such as warming elements, elements with a magnetic field etc. may be provided within the said layers of the mattress system of the invention such that those elements may be added, replaced, exchanged or redistributed on location and without the need to use complicated mechanical equipment.

According to the preferred embodiment, the mattress system of the invention further comprises a protective cover sheet for the spring layer. The protective cover sheet is provided with means for opening a window in the cover sheet such as a zip, scotch strip, nits or any other means as known. By opening the window, the spring layer may be accessed for replacing or rearranging the elements that were originally inserted in it, without the need for complicated mechanical means that necessitate transportation of the mattress system to a workshop. Preferably the said window opening is disposed on the top of the spring layer. It will be understood however that an opening may be made on either side of the said spring layer so long as it enables opening the protective cover sheet without the need to use any complicated mechanical equipment.

It will be understood that the protective cover sheet may be made of textile, metal sheet, wood, plastic, sponge, rubber, acrylic, cotton material and any other suitable material. It will be further understood that the protective cover sheet may be disposed on top of the spring layer without any attachment means or the mattress system may be made without a protective cover sheet such that the said elements may be accessed without the need to open or remove the said protective cover sheet.

The elements used for selectively defining the resilience of various areas of the spring layer may be of many kinds. Thus for example cylindrical elements of sponge material or any other elastic material may be inserted in the spring coils, the said cylindrical elements differing in their resilience or resistance to body pressure. It will be understood that the insertion of such cylindrical elements in the spring coils results in reduced reaction of the springs to body pressure, the said reduction in the reaction of the said spring coils increasing with increased resistance to pressure of the cylindrical elements used for this purpose. Instead of cylindrical elements other elements having a prismatic structure may be used, or the elements may have any other shape in accordance with any aesthetic, medical, orthopedic or engineering requirements.

Elements of different heights may also be used to vary the resilience of the springs, a longer element reducing resilience further than the reduction caused by a shorter element of the same resilience.

It ill be understood that elements of other material may also be used in accordance with the invention, such as inserts made of wood, metal, sponge of various density, combinations of wood, metal and sponge, air bags, water bags, rubber, plastic or wooden elements, mechanical devices or combinations of any of the above.

The elements used may also be inserted interstitially between the springs. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the support layer is disposed on top of the spring layer.

The elements of varying resilience comprised in the support layer may be made of many different materials such as sponge of varying density, air bags, water bags, rubber, plastic or wooden elements, mechanical devices or combinations of any of the above and they may be similar to the elements comprised in the spring layer where such layer is included in the mattress system or they may be different from the said elements.

A combined element in accordance with the invention may be made for example of a hard base layer and a soft top layer superimposed on the said hard base layer for enhanced comfort, flexibility and ventilation.

The spring layer or the support layer or both may be surrounded by an outer protective wall that may be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal, sponge, rubber, plastic, acrylic or textile.

The structure of the support layer may be fortified by stringing the modular elements on a wire or any thread of suitable material.

It will be understood that the inventive mattress system may be further covered by one or more protective layers or one or more decorative layers made of any textile material, acrylic fiber material, sponge material such as latex, or isolating materials as known in the art.

The number of spring layers or the number of support layers may be more than one.

The above described construction of the inventive mattress system enables further adaptation of the zones of different resilience in the course of use to any alterations in the user's body characteristics, user's comfort preferences or any medical instructions and it further enables reparation of the mattress system to compemsate for wear.

The inventive mattress system thus enables considerable savings in costs by eliminating the need to purchase a new mattress in the event of changes in the parameters that served as a basis for the design of the original system.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the inventive mattress system enables a faster and more accurate service of catering for the customer's needs by making alterations in the mattress system available at any time and eliminating the need to use complicated mechanical equipment or transport the mattress system to a workshop for that purpose.

The invention will be described hereinbelow in respect of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the drawings.

While the invention is described herein in respect of a particular embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of this invention.

The mattress system of the preferred embodiment may best be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a blow up drawing that shows three layers generally designated A, B and C, comprised in the preferred embodiment of the inventive mattress system. As seen in Fig. 1 one layer is a spring layer A that comprises an array of springs 1 disposed on a base (the said base not shown I Fig. 1), the said springs having vertically directed coils and being interconnected as known. Around the spring array 1 a frame 2 having a height h is provided that may be made of any suitable material such as sponge, rubber, wood, metal, textile, and other materials as known and it may be upholstered in a decorative material according to any design requirements or client preferences.

As seen best in Fig. 2, the frame 2 accommodates all of the layers A, B and C. The frame 2 thus integrates, protects and supports the mattress system. It will be understood however that the frame 2 may be have a height less than h such that it will only accommodate the layers A and B or it may have height that will only accommodate the said layer A.

On top of the spring layer 1 a protective cover sheet B is disposed wherein an opening means 3 is provided in the said protective cover sheet B such that the spring layer 1 is accessible through the said protective cover sheet B. The opening means 3 may be a zip, scotch strip, a series of nits or any other means suitable for the purpose of enabling the opening and closing of the protective cover sheet B as necessary.

The protective cover sheet B may be made of any material such as textile, wood, metal sheet, plastic, sponge, rubber, acrylic, cotton or any combination of the said materials.

Referring again to Fig. 1, on top of the protective cover sheet B a support layer C is disposed having a thickness h1. In the preferred embodiment of Fig. 1 the support layer C is constructed of a multiplicity of elements of sponge material or any other suitable material such as rubber, textile, wood, metal acrylic or any combination of the above, the said elements cut in the shape of puzzle pieces, each of the said elements having a thickness h, and the said elements assembled such that adjacent elements are interconnected by fitting horizontal protrusions of one element into horizontal recesses of a complementary shape in adjacent elements whereby an even layer with a thickness h is created. It will be understood that due to the above described puzzle structure of the support layer C a stable structure is achieved that is not subjected to dispersion of the elements in the course of use. In accordance with the invention, elements of varying resilience may be used for constructing the support layer C and the said elements may be distributed within the said support layer C so as to create areas with differing resilience or support according to any individual user requirements dictated by personal taste, body structure, doctor's instructions etc. It is a main advantage of the above described method of constructing the support layer C that it can be carried out on site without using any complicated mechanical equipment. In accordance with another advantage of the inventive structure of the support layer C, the said support layer C may be dismantled at any time in the home of the user and the said elements may be rearranged such that the areas of increased flexibility or resistance are redistributed in accordance with any changes in the user's specifications.

It will be understood that while in the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the support layer C is made of separate puzzle elements such as cl and c2 all over its area, other modes of making the said support layer C may be applied. Thus for example the said separate puzzle elements may occupy only the central area of the said support layer C and the said central area may be surrounded by a continuous peripheral section made of the same material as the said puzzle elements or the said continuous peripheral section may be made of a different material. Any suitable material may be used for the said continuous peripheral section such as sponge, rubber, wood, metal or a combination of any of those. In accordance with yet another embodiment, the main area of the said support layer C may be made of a continuous section and a plurality of the said puzzle elements may be distributed within the said continuous section according to any design requirements.

The puzzle elements within the support layer C may be attached by means of string or wire means or they may be held together by the outer support of the frame 2 or by any other means.

The elements may be coloured according to a colour code wherein elements of different resilience are made in different colours. Thus for example a darker tone of the same colour may be used to signify increased resistance of an element or different colours may be used to differentiate between various degrees of resistance of different elements.

In the preferred embodiment the mattress system is fortified, decorated and protected by protective and decorative means.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mattress system of the invention in which identical elements are designated by the same numerals as in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 the wall 2 and the support layer C have been cut open at a corner of the said mattress system to show a base 4 that is provided at the bottom of the mattress system, for supporting and protecting the said mattress system. It will be understood that the base 4 cannot be seen in the drawing of Fig. 1. The said base 4 may be made of a variety of materials such as textile, wood, metal sheet, plastic, sponge, rubber, acrylic, cotton or any combination of those. Above the base 4 the said spring array 1 is shown through the said cut in the said mattress system, comprising a multiplicity of spring means such as spring means 5 that will be described in detail hereinbelow. As seen in Fig. 2, the said spring 5 comprises a vertically directed coil 6. A cylindrical element 7 is inserted in the said coil 6 of the said spring means 5 along the longitudinal axis of the said coil 6. Similarly, other cylindrical elements are inserted in each of the remaining spring means of the spring array 1. A further cylindrical element 7.1 is shown in Fig. 2 in a position that is outside the said spring array 1. It will be understood that the said cylindrical element 7.1 may be selected according to the required degree of resilience to be inserted in a spring of the spring array 1 or it may be used to replace another cylindrical element that was taken out of the spring array 1. It will be further understood that while in the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 2 a cylindrical element is introduced in each of the coils, other variations may be made in which the cylindrical elements are distributed in a part of the said coils, according to any preferences. The said cylindrical elements may be made of different materials such as wood, metal, sponge of various density, combinations of wood, metal and sponge, air bags, water bags, rubber, plastic or wooden elements. While in the preferred embodiment cylindrical elements are used, it will be understood that other elements may be used such as prisms or elements with other geometrical shapes.

Referring again to Fig. 2, the spring layer 1 is covered by a protective sheet that is not shown in this drawing. Above the said protective sheet a support layer C is provided made of separate elements of varying resilience cut in the shape of puzzle pieces and assembled like a puzzle. A pair of these elements, cl and c2 are shown in Fig. 2 in a position that is free from the said support layer C while an element c3 is shown partly embedded in the said support layer C. The said elements may have various degrees of resilience whereby support areas of increased resistance and relax areas of lower resistance may be introduced within the area of the support layer C according to specific user requirements as detailed above.

As shown further in Fig. 2, the mattress assembly of the preferred embodiment is surrounded by a protective frame 2 that may be made of sponge material or rubber or metal or wood or any other suitable material. The protective frame 2 may be covered with a decorative material 8 as known that may be fortified by stitching according to various patterns as known in the art. In Fig. 2 a checkered pattern is shown by way of example.

As seen in Fig. 2, the mattress system of the preferred embodiment is covered by a top cover 9 that may be decorated and fortified by a series of seams 10 as known in the art.

As shown in Fig. 2 at 11, the top cover 10 is made of several layers that may be layers of latex, sponge, plastics or various other materials as known in the art.

In the preferred embodiment the top cover 10 is attached to the protective frame 2 along the top perimeter 12 of the said protective frame 2 and it is reversibly detachable from the said protective frame 2 at least along a part of the said top perimeter 12 of the said protective frame 2 whereby the said flexible layer C is revealed and the said puzzle elements of the said flexible layer C may be rearranged or exchanged by new puzzle elements such that the distribution of the said zones of varied resilience within the area of the said flexible layer C may be altered to adapt to changing needs of the specific user.

It will be understood that other designs may be made in accordance with the invention in which the said top cover may be attached in a different manner or it may be opened in a different manner according with any practical or esthetic preferences The arrangement of the various structures comprising the mattress system of the preferred embodiment is further demonstrated in Fig. 3 that is a vertical cross section of the mattress system of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows the said base 4, on top of which is disposed the said spring layer A that comprises the said spring array 1 of which four spring elements 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 are shown in vertical cross section.

In each of the said spring elements 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 a vertical coil is shown, the said vertical coils respectively designated 1. 1. 1, 1.2. 2., 1.3. 3 and 1.4. 4. Inside each of the said vertical coils a cylindrical rod of sponge material or other suitable material is shown, respectively designated 1.1. 1a, 1.2. 2a, 1.3. 3a and 1.4. 4a. The said protective frame is shown at 2 and it is covered by a material 8. Above the spring layer A the protective cover sheet B is disposed and above the said protective cover sheet B the flexible layer C is shown. On top of the flexible layer C the top cover 5 is seen, with a top layer of material 5.1. As detailed above in respect of Fig. 2, the top cover 5 may be made of several layers of different materials as known in the art.

The invention has a wide application in the field of the mattress industry due to its providing a time and cost saving solution for the problem of manufacturing, repairing and adapting to changing individual needs mattress systems of different types without the need for complicated mechanical equipment and without the need to transport the mattress system to a workshop.