MATTRESS CONSTRUCTIONS WITH DENSIFLED FIBER COMPONENTS SEALY TECHNOLOGY, LLC

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 13/006,804, filed January 14, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure and related inventions is in the general field of mattresses and bedding systems, and more specifically to the internal construction and components of mattresses and bedding systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mattresses are conventionally constructed with an inner core, such as a wire form innerspring or a foam core, and additional components which fit with or around the core, such as extra internal layers, reinforced sides, and an upholstery layer which encapsulates the core and surrounding components. Foam components have long been used in the internal construction of mattresses as flexible support material, for example on the support surface of the innerspring. Semi-rigid open and closed cell foams of polyethylene, polyurethane or polystyrene have been used in combination with other components and load bearing structures such as wire form innersprings and framing to form flexible supports such as described for example in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,048,167; 5,469,590; 5,467,488; 5,537,699 and 5,787,532. In these disclosures, foam pieces are configured to surround or otherwise engage with spring elements of an innerspring, and rely on mechanical connection or engagement with the spring elements to keep the foam pieces in place. Foam pieces have also been adhesively bonded together and combined with innersprings. The types of foam used in these applications are typically open-cell polyurethane foams.

The drawbacks of using foam as flexible support material include the difficulties of shaping or molding foam, and the homogeneity of foam density which requires the use of different types of foam in different areas of the mattress. Foam is also a relatively high cost of component of mattress construction.

A method for forming an article from a plurality of fiber bundles is known in the art and is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 12/004,560 entitled "System and Method of Forming an Article and an Article Formed Thereby", winch is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.. The disclosure describes fibrous compositions which can be distributed in a fluid or air-blown form and directed through a hose and nozzle to a target area, and made to cure in a mold or form of desired fiber concentration. As described therein, a method of forming an article of a plurality of fiber bundles includes the steps of providing a supply of fiber bundles which include bonding fibers to an injector and sequentially injecting the fiber bundles from a fiber bundle feed assembly to a mold member, and then heating the fiber bundles within the mold member to facilitate adhesion of the bonding fibers to adjacent fibers to form the fiber bundle into an article in the form of the mold member. The article thus formed from the fiber bundle is then removed from the mold. The use of fiber bundles in cushions and other elastically deformable components is advantageous over using foam materials for some applications because it allows for non-uniformity throughout the article, is less labor-intensive, more economical, and more easily recycled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The use of densified fiber in mattress and bedding applications according to the present disclosure and related inventions provide fiber-containing structures which are formed to fit with a core such as an innerspring or foam core to form an internal mattress assembly. The mattress assemblies may additionally include an innerspring or core perimeter support also made of densified fiber which forms an exterior wall around the core. The perimeter support may have in one embodiment a generally rectangular cross-section, a top rail and a bottom rail and right and left side rails. The entire perimeter component structure may be made of densified fiber.

In another embodiment, a mattress innerspring assembly includes an innerspring having a plurality of springs connected together in an airay wherein the springs are arranged in rows and columns, each spring having a body with a first end and a second end, the body of each spring being generally cylindrical and having a longitudinal axis and an outer diameter, the springs being spaced apart in the rows and columns and connected together in a spaced apart arrangement with each spring being spaced from each adjacent spring of the array. The generally cylindrical body of one or more springs being substantially filled with densified fiber in the various configurations and arrangements as shown and described.

These and other aspects of the present disclosure and related inventions are further described herein with reference to the accompany drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a mattress innerspring with densified fiber perimeter support;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of FIG. 1, viewed in the direction of arrows 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an innerspring corner coil reinforcement member;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of FIG. 3, viewed in the direction of arrows 4-4;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of densified fiber filled innerspring coils;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a densified fiber filled innerspring coil;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of densified fiber filled innerspring coils with a densified fiber perimeter support;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the densified fiber filled innerspring coils with densified fiber perimeter support of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a mattress innerspring with zoned densified fiber filled innerspring coils.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views of a perimeter structure of an innerspring made with densified fiber, and

FIGS. 12 and 13 are plan views of a mattress innerspring with a perimeter structure made of densified fiber in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

The disclosure includes internal mattress components and structures which are formed by fibers which are amalgamated together and formed into a coherent shape or configuration, and which fit with one or more other components of a mattress, and are covered by the mattress upholstery. The term "densified fiber" as used herein generally refers to a plurality of individual polymer fibers which have been mechanically or thermally bonded to each other through the melting and re-solidification of bonding fibers. The fiber types may include one or more of the following in any combination: polyester, performance fibers, bonding fibers, feel fibers and recycled fibers. In a representative embodiment, each fiber has a predetermined length of approximately 5 mm to 100 mm, more preferably between 10 mm and 75 mm and most preferably between 40 mm and 60 mm. The fibers generally have arbitrary and generally non-uniform shapes. Densified fiber can be used in combination with mattress or bedding system in various ways including, but not limited to fiber encased innersprings, edge supports and base systems, which are described in detail herein. As described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0162603, fibers of different materials may be combined to create a specific fiber blend. This blend may be optimized for a particular component for a mattress, such as for example to be made relatively stiffer for parts of the mattress to be reinforced such as the edges or corners, or relatively softer for parts of the mattress to remain soft and flexible, such as in the primary support area. The fibers may vary in the composition of materials in the formulation, and fiber cross-section shape and size. Alternatively, the fibers may all be of a single fiber type, shape and size. The fibers are blended with a bonding fiber into what is referred to as a fiber tow. An injector assembly is operative to direct and place the fiber bundles in a particular location such as a mold member. Air or other fluid may also be added to the injector or directed at the injected fibers to keep the fibers against the mold and preclude the movement of fibers while additional fibers are injected. A mold member is configured to receive the fiber bundles from the injector. The mold will have the shape of the intended article, such as a cushion, and will have an internal cavity into which the fibers are injected. Once the fiber bundles have been injected into the mold, the mold member is heated, which facilitates the adhesion of fibers to integrate the fiber bundle into the desired article. Alternatively, hot air may be integrated into the injection system to bond the fibers together. After heating, the mold member is cooled and then the article may be removed from the mold.

Densified fiber may be used in combination with a mattress core to provide additional reinforcement, which can vary in density and firmness, in certain selected areas of the mattress assembly. A mattress core provides a distributed, generally homogenous reflexive support system to provide a flexible internal structure to the mattress. In the present invention, the mattress core may be, in one embodiment, an innerspring. The spring elements are arranged in rows and columns, each spring having a body with a first end and a second end, the body of each coil being generally cylindrical and having a longitudinal axis and an outer diameter, the springs being spaced apart in the rows and columns and connected together in a spaced apart arrangement with each spring being spaced from each other spring in the array. The coils may be connected or laced together using helical lacing wires which generally run transverse to a length of the innerspring. Alternatively, spring coils may be held in individual pockets which are sewn or bonded together. In an alternate embodiment, a foam support core can be used in place of an innerspring as the mattress core. A foam support core may consist of a single monolithic piece of foam or may contain multiple foam layers or different segments or zones of foam of differing hardness or density. The foam layers may be made of different types of foam having different densities or hardness, and different thickness dimensions.

A first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes using densificd fiber as an edge assembly 12 that provides additional support around the edge of a mattress. With respect to the perimeter of an innerspring assembly 100 of mattress systems, there are some general considerations of construction and manufacture. In the normal use of a mattress, the edges of the innerspring are subjected to greater compression forces than the interior of the innerspring, largely due to the common practice of sitting on the edge of the bed. The added stresses and strains on the edges of the mattress are evident in a general rounding of the mattress at the perimeter, creating a condition known as "roll-off. Densified fiber structures as disclosed herein can be used to increase rigidity around the perimeter areas of the mattress. A densified fiber edge support system can be, in one embodiment, in the form of a perimeter wall 12 having four side rails (shown in FIG. 1) and a square or rectangular cross-section (shown in FIG. 2) that surrounds an innerspring 100 and extends from a frame of the foundation to a border wire of the foundation. The densified fiber edge support system may be used in combination with a mattress innerspring or with a foam support core. The inner side of the densified fiber perimeter wall is in direct contact with the outer perimeter coils 14 of an innerspring 100 or with the outer perimeter of a foam support core layer or layers. Attachment mechanisms such as for example, hog rings, glue, fabric wrap or other mechanical mechanisms may be used to keep the perimeter side rails 12 attached to the springs 14 or to the foam support core and ensure that the perimeter side rails 12 stay in place and do not roll or separate from the springs 14 or foam core.

A compression profile of the edge support system made of densified fiber in combination with a mattress innerspring is as follows:

5 Upon removal of a load of approximately 225 lbs, the material should fully recover. Using the Cornell test, the densified fiber edge support should have less than 3/4-inches of deformation after 100,000 cycles on the edge of the bed. The length of the parallel and spaced apart planar side rails of the edge support system may vary depending on the size of the mattress system from approximately 55 inches to approximately 82 inches long. The [ 0 length of the parallel and spaced end rails of the edge support system may vary between approximately 33 and approximately 49 inches long. The width of the perimeter rails of the edge support system is approximately 2.69 inches and the height is approximately 6.25 inches.

The side rails 26 of the densified fiber perimeter edge support system may be

[ 5 substantially planar on all sides of each rail, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or alternatively may have a scalloped configuration 28 on portions of the inner surface of each rail, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The scalloped configuration 28 may be used in combination with a mattress innerspring 100 so that the scalloped edges 28 generally conform to the shape of the perimeter coils 14 of the innerspring 100. The planar portions 30 positioned between the

10 scalloped portions 28 provide increased support or stiffness to the mattress in those areas.

Alternatively, the entire inner surface of each side rail 26 may contain a scalloped configuration, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Here, the scalloped edges 28 conform to each of the perimeter coils 14 of the innerspring 100.

The mold used to create the perimeter edge support system may be a generally5 rectangular shaped mold having four planar, or scalloped side rails and an internal cavity.

Alternatively, the mold may take the shape of the individual side rails so that each side rail of the perimeter edge is a separate component. The fibers used may be, for example, a blend of polyester staple fiber and elastomeric bi-component binder fiber. The resulting densified fiber edge support system may have a density of between approximately 1.3 - 1.8 lbs/ft ³ ; tear0 strength of approximately 1042 N/m; and a tensile strength of 183 kpa.

The edge assembly, described above and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may additionally contain specially formed pieces such as an innerspring corner coil reinforcement member, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The corner coil reinforcement members 16 function as a structural reinforcement and support member at each of the four corners of the edge support structure.5 They are substantially cylindrical in shape, having a hollow central region 18 for receiving the corner coil 20 of the innerspring 100. The flexible body portion 16 extends between the upper and lower border wires and is held securely in this position by axial compression between the border wires, and by radial compression about the body of the comer coil 20, or in other words by frictipnal contact with the outer diameter of the helical turns of the coil. In a preferred embodiment, the flexible body portion 16 surrounds at least 80% of the comer coil 20 but any extend that would provide the desired support and sufficient frictional attachment about the external diameter of the coil could be used and is within the scope of the invention. The innerspring comer coil 20 reinforcement member is particularly advantageous by providing a substantially rigid comer structure about which padding and upholstery is secured.

A second embodiment of the present invention involves using densified fiber in combination with a mattress innerspring to provide additional support to one or more coils of the innerspring. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inner diameter of the coils or springs 24 of the mattress innerspring 100 is filled with densified fiber 22. Each and every coil or spring 24 of the mattress innerspring 100 may be filled with densified fiber 22 or select springs 24 located in a particular area of the innerspring may be filled to create specific zones. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the coils or springs located in the general area of the mattress that corresponds to where a users back would rest may be filled with densified fiber to provide additional firmness or support in that area or zone 25. Or the coils located on one side of the innerspring may be fiber-filled while coils located on the opposite side of the innerspring are not, creating two different sleep surfaces. Additionally, different coils may be filled with different blends of densified fibers. The different densified fiber blends may exhibit different cubic densities, enabling a lower or higher density fiber blend to be strategically placed in particular areas of the mattress innerspring. The densified fiber filled coils 23 may be used alone or in combination with the densified fiber edge support system as described above with respect to the first embodiment, and/or additional densified fiber components, such as a densified foam pad 27 as shown in FIG. 8.

A third embodiment of the present invention is a densified fiber core. A densified fiber core, used with a mattress innerspring, can be used separately or in combination with the densified fiber edge support system described above. The densified fiber core fills in the general space between a plurality of springs in the mattress innerspring, as shown for example in FIG. 9, which may or may not include the inner diameter of the springs, as discussed above with regard to the second embodiment and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The fibers used may be of a single type or may be of several different types. Specific zones may be set up in different regions of the mattress by filling certain areas with fibers of a particular formulation and/or density or only filling certain sections of the innerspring. The entire innerspring may be placed into a mold before the densified fiber is injected. The outside surface of the innerspring may contain adhesive to assist with adhesion of the fibers to the innerspring. Once the fibers have been injected into the mold, the entire mold is then heated and cooled before the densified fiber core innerspring is removed from the mold. The densified fiber core innerspring may be used alone, in combination with the densified fiber filled coils, as described above, with the densified fiber edge support system, also described above, or both the densified fiber filled coils and the densified fiber edge support system.

A base material layer may be used in combination with any of the embodiments described herein, in order to further secure the perimeter edge support system in place, provide coverage over the springs and to increase the profile height of the mattress. In a preferred embodiment the base layer is approximately one inch thick and is made of polyethylene foam with channels throughout. An additional material layer may be placed below the innerspring.

A densified fiber base or cover layer such as densified fiber pad 27 may be used in combination with any of the embodiments described above. The base or coyer layer may consist of a think sheet of densified fiber that fits above and/or below a mattress innerspring or fiber core to add additional support to the mattress assembly.

Tt will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Other features and aspects of this invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reading and comprehending this disclosure. Such features, aspects, and expected variations and modifications of the reported results and examples are clearly within the scope of the invention where the invention is limited solely by the scope of the following claims.