A MATTRESS IN POLYURETHANE MATERIAL PROVIDED WITH SLOTS TO FAVOUR THE FOLDING THEREOF WHEN PLACED ON AN ELECTRIC BED

SPRING

Technical field

The present invention concerns the technical field relative to mattresses for rest.

In particular, the invention refers to an innovative layer suitable for forming a mattress, in a material such as polyurethane, polyurethane foams, latex and the like, and provided with particular slots that favor, in addition to the aeration, the flexibility thereof and therefore its capacity to fold to follow the profile of an electric bed spring.

Background art

Electric bed springs have long been known. A schematization of an electric bed spring is shown in figure 1.

In fact, it can foresee two or more parts (for example in the figure three parts 2, 3 and 4 are highlighted) , hinged among them.

Each part is therefore an independent box, hinged to the adjacent one, and generally provided with wooden slats arranged transversally to support the mattress. In this way, a rigid support is created.

An electric engine is connected to the parts that are hinged among them through actuators. In this way, the various parts, as indicated by the direction of the double arrows of figure 1, can rotate among them, creating different inclinations that allow the bed spring to assume different forms.

A specific remote control allows the user to operate each part according to the desired inclination.

For example, from the perfectly horizontal position the user can switch to the position with the back lifted, or with the legs lifted or both positions contextually, finding intermediate positions.

In this way, the user can find, according.. to the needs, the most idoneous and comfortable position for him, for instance is he wants to read a book before falling asleep or if for health reasons he has the need to have the legs lifted or the back lifted.

The mattresses that are destined to this type of electric bed spring must inevitably have an optimal flexibility in order to be able to fold easily and follow the profile of the electric bed spring without creating bucklings.

To that aim, the classical spring mattresses are not used but rather mattresses are used that are formed by one or more overlapped layers of a material of foamy nature, such as for example polyurethane, latex and the like.

Figure 2 schematizes a thus-made mattress of the known art.

The mattress can be realized in a single layer or, as shown in figure 2, in more layers, preferably three layers overlapped one to the other and glued.

In particular, the mattress 10 of figure 2 is formed by three layers and of which two external layers 11 and 12 and one intermediate layer 13.

The external layers, as shown in the figure, can be provided with passing slots for the aeration and such slots are kept in an open configuration thanks to the glued intermediate layer and that generates a traction ( T ) in the direction orthogonal to that of development of the slot.

In this way, the slots are kept in an open position and favor the aeration of the mattress.

Independently from the fact that the mattress can be provided with such slots of aeration or not, the technical problem concerns the fact that, when applied on the bed spring, the mattress hardly tends to follow the profile of this during its movement.

When the bed spring is moved in the various inclined positions, for example lifted backrest and/or lifted legs, the mattress is not able to follow this profile and often it is subject to a buckling, assuming positions that result to be uncomfortable or even not healthy for the user. Such wrong postures, in the long run, can cause painful articular problems.

Such deformations increase when the number of holes foreseen for the aeration increases.

Disclosure of invention

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a mattress, and relative method, that solves said technical inconveniences.

In particular, it is the aim of the present invention to provide a mattress that is capable of following exactly the profile of an electric bed spring, in all its positions and inclinations and that at the same time confers a good air circulation.

These and other aims are therefore reached with the present mattress, and relative method, in accordance with the attached claims .

In a possible configuration of the invention, such mattress (100), in foamy material for an articled support bed spring (1) of the electric type comprises at least one layer (110, 120, 130) in foamy material provided with a plurality of slots.

In accordance with the invention, said slots develop in a direction that goes from a side of the mattress towards the opposite side in a manner that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the articled support bed spring where, in use, the mattress is destined to be applied.

In a possible variant of the invention, such mattress (200), always in foamy material for an articled support bed spring (1) of the electric type, comprises at least one layer (210, 220) in foamy material.

In that case, however, the slots in the layer can be substituted by open holes (71), said open holes developing in length according to a direction that goes from a side of the mattress towards the opposite side in a manner that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the articled support bed spring where, in use, the mattress is destined to be applied.

Such two solutions solve equally the technical problems set.

Both solutions, through such arrangement of the slots or of the open holes orthogonally to the place of rotation, favor their opening and closure in an accordionlike manner, conferring a greater flexibility of the mattress itself that can thus follow much better the profile of the bed spring.

In addition, the configuration with the open holes makes that the opening and closure motion of the same is reduced with respect to the case with slots (being already in the form of open holes) and this lengthens the life of the mattress, avoiding tears along the vertexes of the holes themselves.

Further, in the case of the solution with realization of open holes and with mattresses having two external layers holed and glued to one or more intermediate layers lacking slots, the mattress does not incur deformations due to a permanent stress state, as it happens instead in the solution with slots that are kept open precisely through the gluing with the intermediate layer.

Advantageously, the conformation of the open hole is substantially rhomboidal or oval.

Advantageously, the mattress can be realized in polyurethane material or latex.

Advantageously, at least three overlapped layers (110, 120, 130; 210, 220) can be foreseen.

Advantageously, at least one intermediate layer (130; 220), uncut, and two external layers (110, 120; 210), cur or presenting open holes, according to the case, can be foreseen.

Advantageously, the slots or the open holes are passing through the entire thickness of the layer where obtained .

It is also described here the combination of a mattress (100) in foamy material and of an articled support bed spring (1) of the electric type on which the mattress is placed, the mattress comprising at least one layer (110, 120, 130) in foamy material provided with a plurality of slots and characterized in that said slots develop in a direction that goes from a side of the mattress towards the opposite side in a manner that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the articled support bed spring where, in use, it is destined to be applied.

Alternatively, it is also described here the combination of a mattress (200) in foamy material and of an articled support bed spring (1) of the electric type on which the mattress is placed, the mattress comprising at least one layer (210, 220) in foamy material and wherein said slots are substituted by open holes (71), said open holes developing in length according to a direction that goes from a side of the mattress towards the opposite side in a manner that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the articled support bed spring where, in use, the mattress is destined to be applied.

Advantageously, the conformation of the open hole is substantially rhomboidal or oval.

Advantageously, the mattress . is realized in polyurethane material or latex.

Advantageously, at least three overlapped layers (110, 120, 130; 210, 220) can be foreseen.

Advantageously, at least one intermediate layer (130; 220), uncut, and two external layers (110, 120; 210), cur or presenting open holes, according to the case, can be foreseen.

Advantageously, the slots or the open holes are passing through the entire thickness of the layer where obtained .

It is also described here a method to favor the inflexion of a mattress (100) in foamy material when it is placed on an articled support bed spring (1) of the electric type, the mattress comprising at least one layer (210, 220) in foamy material and said method foreseeing the operation of realization of a plurality of slots in said layer and whose direction of development moves from a side of the mattress towards the opposite side in a manner that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the articled support bed spring on which the mattress is applied.

Alternatively, it is also described here a method to favor the . inflexion of a mattress (100) in foamy material when it is placed on an articled support bed spring (1) of the electric type, the mattress comprising at least one layer in foamy material and said method foreseeing the operation of realization of a plurality of openings in the form of open holes (71), said open holes developing in length according to a direction that moves from a side of the mattress towards the opposite side in a manner that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the articled support bed spring on which the mattress is applied .

Advantageously, the conformation of the open hole is substantially rhomboidal or oval.

Advantageously, the mattress can be realized in polyurethane material or latex.

Advantageously, at least three overlapped layers (110, 120, 130; 210, 220) can be foreseen.

Advantageously, at least one intermediate layer (130; 220), uncut or not presenting open holes, and two external layers (110, 120; 210), cut or presenting open holes, can be foreseen.

Advantageously, the slots or the open holes are passing through the entire thickness of the layer where obtained . Brief description of drawings

Further features and advantages of the present invention will result to be clearer with the description that follows of some embodiments, made to illustrate but not to limit, with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows an electric bed spring in accordance with the known art;

Figure 2 shows a mattress in accordance with the known art and provided with aeration holes;

Figure 3 shows a mattress provided with slots in accordance with the invention and that favor the flexibility of the mattress.

Figure 4 shows a schematization in an axonometric view of such mattress in accordance with the invention;

- Figure 5 and figure 6 show a schematization of the mattress applied on the bed spring;

Figures from 7 to 11 show a variant of the invention in which the blade used creates a proper open hole of a pre-determined geometry.

Description of some preferred embodiments

In accordance with the invention, figure 3 shows a mattress in accordance with the invention.

The mattress can, for example, be realized in a single layer or, as shown in the axonometric view of figure 4, can be realized in more layers, for example three layers.

The preferred configuration of the invention is, in fact, described in figure 4 with a mattress 100 realized in three layers, that is two external layers (110, 120) and one (or eventually more) intermediate layer/layers 130. The materials that can be used are preferably foamy materials glueable in a mold, such as polyurethane or latex. The layers can be all of the same material or of different materials.

Like in the case of the known art, the three layers are glued one to the other and the external layers foresee passing slots. The external layer 110 and the external layer 120 are therefore glued to the intermediate layer 130 (lacking slots) in such a way that the holes can be subject to a traction ( Tx ) that keeps them. open.

The production phase foresees the passage of the layer 110 and 120 singularly under a machine with blades that incise during its passage.

Once cut, one of the two layers is stressed, positioning it in a specific machine that draws it, widening the holes, and in this configuration the intermediate layer 130 lacking slots is glued. In this way, the slots tend to keep open since the stress of the intermediate layer is opposed to their closure. The same stress is made subsequently on the other cut layer to then glue it always to the intermediate layer 130. previously glued to the layer 110 and obviously on the opposite side. In this way, the product of figure 4 is obtained in which the closed slots of figure 3 conform in holes that are substantially open, at least in part, thanks to the traction Tx (see figure 4) .

Unlike the known art, what changes in a substantial way is the direction of development of the slots.

In this case, as shown in figure 5 (figure 5 shows for simplicity purposes a single layer) , the slot develops in a direction (V) that is that orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the bed spring on which the mattress is destined to be applied.

In particular, figure 5 shows in a simplified way the mattress with the slots and the underlying bed spring to which it is destined. The underlying bed spring is provided with pivots 11 and 12 and in this way the part 2 and the part 4 are rotatable with respect to the central part 3.

The figure shows around the zips the double direction of rotation and the vector (V) is highlighted that represents a vector orthogonal to the plane of rotation and parallel to the direction of the zips.

The direction of development of the slots coincides precisely with such vector (V) .

Basically, the slots must be such that, in use, when the mattress is positioned on the bed spring, the slots move from a side to the other of the bed spring along the direction of the zips of rotation.

In this way, the natural direction of rotation of the bed spring is easily followed by the mattress itself since the slots arranged in this way open and close in a natural way, favoring a greater flexibility thereof thanks to the rotation itself of the bed spring. Such slots are in fact subject to a traction Tx , orthogonal to their direction of development and due, precisely, to the flexional motion of the bed spring.

The result, as shown in figure 6, is that the mattress follows basically in a substantially faithful way the profile that the bed spring assumes every time.

To that aim, figure 6 shows a mattress made of three layers and arranged on an electric bed spring that has been brought to a flexed position so as to create a sort of seat.

As it can be seen very well in figure 6, the slots develops in a direction that goes from a side to the opposite side of the bed spring and therefore in the direction of said vector (V) (direction of the axis of the zips of the bed spring) . In this way, any inflexion of the bed spring is much better followed by the mattress in which such slots widen and narrow in an accordion-like manner .

In particular, always with reference to figure 6, in the central area, which forms a sort of dip 500, a situation is created by which the slots of the superior layer compress, closing themselves, and those of the inferior layer widen. The whole, therefore, favors inevitably the flexibility of the mattress.

The opposite situation exists in the inflexed area 510 of support of the feet and legs, that is slots of the superior layer widened and those of the inferior layer generally more compressed.

In the part relative to the back, that is the one that forms a sort of backrest, the conformation is such that the slots are similarly open both in the superior layer and in the underlying one.

It is evident that the development of the slots in accordance with the known art as per figure 1, and therefore such that they go along a direction parallel to the sides of the bed spring, do not have the same beneficial effect that favors the flexibility of the mattress itself, as described.

It being understood what has been described so far on the invention, and therefore on the fact that such slots develop along a direction more or less orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the support bed spring on which the mattress is made to rest, a further variant of the invention is shown with reference to figures from 7 to 11.

It has been noted that in the production process of such first configuration of mattress described it happens that, with time, the mattress tends to deform. This happens in the mattress realized in three or more layers, with the intermediate layer lacking slots and the external layers cut and glued to it.

In the production process, as explained and as represented also in figure 5, the various cut layers that will make the mattress are passed under a machine provided with blades that penetrate in the mattress, realizing the passing cut. The blade is of a thin thickness (of the order of some millimeters) and therefore the cut is a net cut that removes very few material (generally there is no removal of material but a substantial separation of two edges that remain adjacent between them in contact) . In order to have an opening it is necessary to stress the layer in such a way that the stress applied moves apart between them the edges of the slot, opening it as a consequence and thus creating an open hole. In the production process, as said, a first layer thus cut is glued to an intermediate layer lacking slots and the coupling takes place with the cut layer that is ironed in the direction of opening of the slots, and therefore stressed and with the holes that thus result to be open. Once glued to the underlying layer in such stressing condition, it is impeded to go back to the rest configuration thanks to the action of the underlying layer to which it is glued and, for that reason, the holes tend to keep open. The operation is then completed by gluing in the same way and with the same modality the other layer cut on the opposite side of the uncut layer.

It has emerged that with the . passing of time (for example after some months) the mattress thus realized initiates to deform, sometimes also in an unacceptable way, since in fact the entire "mattress" assembly is subject to a continuous stress that sees the two external layers that try to go back to their rest configuration and with the intermediate layer that impedes such return. In time the system tends to find conditions of static equilibrium that, however, cause deformations, bucklings, overall variations of dimensions and even disjunctions of some parts.

The whole is obviously unacceptable from the qualitative point of view of the product and such deformations reflect negatively on the quality of the product itself, compromising also the functionality thereof .

In order to solve such technical problem, it being understood what has been described so far, the applicant has found a variant of solution that foresees a realization of holes not through a slot with thin blade but through a proper removal of an area 70 of material that configures the hole already in. open modality, without the need to stress it.

Such aspect is therefore shown with reference to figure 7 in which a non-limiting example of such blade is shown .

A punching is now made, with a blade of appropriate form that removes an area of material .

The area is in this non limiting example of the rhomboidal type and foresees four walls 61, each one forming a cutting blade, which are connected between them according to a certain angle, in such a way as to delimit a closed area 60 of cut with form in rhomboidal plane. The internal area 60 delimited by such blades 61 is obviously empty to allow the passage of the equivalent removed material (removed material 70 shown in figure 9) .

Figure 8 schematizes, in a portion of layer, the passing holes 71 that are obtained and that, unlike, the configuration with a flat blade, are now holes that are in fact open according to the geometry of the cutting blade (in this particular case of rhomboidal form) .

For more clarity, figure 9 shows material removed by a so-made blade.

Naturally, the perimetric conformation of such blade can be any, for example ovoid, round, rhomboidal, rectangular with a much greater length with respect to the width, etc. The preferred conformations are anyway similar to the slot of the first configuration, precisely to favor the folding of the mattress. Such open holes have a development in length (the direction orthogonal to the plane of rotation) that must preferably be have prevalent dimensions with respect to the width of the same. For this reason, rhomboidal, oval, or other forms are preferred, while a circular form, even if realizable, does not allow to facilitate the inflexion of the mattress on the bed spring in an optimal way.

Circular holes, for example, could be realized, using a punch of a pre-determined diameter, but this solution, even if functional, is not optimal since the circular hole cannot develop prevalently in the direction orthogonal to the axis of folding of the mattress and therefore does not have the same beneficial effect of the invention in favoring the folding of the mattress. In all cases, independent blades can eventually be used that penetrate in succession or contextually, delimiting anyway a closed area of removal of material.

Figure 10 and figure 11 show the application of a layer thus cut on an underlying integral layer.

The connection, as for the preceding case, can be made, for example, through gluing.

Being the overlying layer already provided with "open" holes, thanks to the geometry. of the blade that in fact removes a certain closed area of material, it is no more necessary to stress the cut layer to open the holes and then glue it in such pre-stressing condition with the non pre-stressed underlying layer. The two layers can connect between them without any pre-stressing and this will avoid, even if the system continues to have aeration holes, deformations of the mattress and dimensional variations .

Therefore, also in this case, the preferred configuration of the invention foresees, as for the preceding case, a mattress formed by one or more uncut intermediate layers and by two external layers that instead present the holes as described.

Nevertheless, nothing would impede, also in this case, to realize a mattress in a single cut layer as described. In that case, the advantage of such solution is that the holes are already open and therefore the further opening/closure of such holes following the inflexions of the mattress, when placed on the bed spring, are very reduced and this avoids fatigue phenomena that may cause tears from the vertex of the slot itself.