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[0001] The present invention relates to bedding or seating products and more particularly to a bedding or seating product having a nestably stackable interior.
[0002] Traditional box springs have been made which comprise a generally rectangular wood base including a pair of end rails and a pair of side rails and a plurality of intermediate rails extending from one side rail to the other side rail. A plurality of spaced coil springs arranged in a matrix are supported by the end rails and intermediate rails of the box spring base. The lower end turns of each of the coil springs are stapled or otherwise secured to the wooden rails of the box spring base. At the other end of each of the coil springs the upper end turns of the coil springs are secured to a wire grid comprising a plurality of intersecting wires arranged in a crisscrossing pattern. A generally rectangular upper border wire extends around the periphery of the grid. The box spring frame or base, coil springs and upper grid are encased in an upholstered covering in order to complete the box spring. Such a box spring has uniform characteristics throughout due to the uniform nature of the spring matrix. Other types of bedding or seating products have been made in the same manner.
[0003] Bedding or seating products including box springs have also been made with modular springs or other configuration of springs different than conventional coil springs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,064 discloses a nestably stackable wire assembly supported by a box spring frame. A conventional wire grid forms a part of the nestably stackable wire assembly along with a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally extending generally corrugated support wires. The corrugated support wire have flattened peaks secured to the wire grid and flattened valleys secured to the base of the bedding foundation.
[0004] The nestably stackable wire assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,064 may be nestably stacked with numerous other such assemblies for transportation. After being transported to the bedding manufacturer's location the nestably stackable wire assemblies are each secured to a base, before being covered with padding and surrounded in an upholstered covering. By shipping the foundations in nestably stackable pieces, the spring manufacturer thereby avoids the need to compress and tie a plurality of assembled foundations for shipping. Although such a bedding foundation does save space during shipping, once assembled, such a foundation is relatively rigid and lacks resiliency desired in a bedding or seating foundation.
[0005] Another patent which discloses a nestably stackable wire assembly for use in a bedding foundation is applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,434. This patent discloses a bedding foundation having a nestably stackable wire assembly which contains a plurality of longitudinally extending support wires like those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,064. However, in this patent a plurality of springs are disposed between adjacent valleys of the generally corrugated support wires and secured thereto along with being secured to one of the slats of the base or frame. This bedding foundation, like the foundation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,064, is relatively rigid and lacks the desired resiliency many individuals prefer in a box spring product.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,471 discloses a bedding foundation having a plurality of modules made of molded composite materials supported by the inner frame members of the base of the foundation. A mattress support structure in the form of a grid is attached to the upper ends of each of the composite modules such that upon a downwardly deflected load, the individual composite modules compress, thereby giving the foundation some resiliency. Upon release of the force, the individual spring composite modules return to the uncompressed state. One disadvantage to such a compressible foundation is that the seasonal temperature fluctuations cause the plastic or composite material to react sporadically or irregularly, thereby unpredictably affecting the performance of the box spring or bedding foundation.
[0007] Therefore, it has been one objective of the present invention to provide a bedding or seating product having consistent performance regardless of the surrounding temperature.
[0008] It is further been an objective of the present invention to provide a bedding or seating foundation having a nestably stackable wire assembly which is secured to relatively inexpensive elements other than the base members to increase the resiliency of the foundation.
[0009] It has been another objective of the present invention to provide a bedding or seating product which may be transported in multiple parts, thereby reducing the amount of space necessary for shipment.
[0010] The invention of this application which accomplishes these objectives comprises a bedding or seating product having a base comprising a pair of end rails, a pair of side rails and a plurality of intermediate rails. The intermediate rails may extend parallel the side rails, parallel the end rails or both, depending upon the size of the product and the desired application. The rails of the base are preferably wooden, but may be made of other materials.
[0011] A plurality of generally arcuate, C-shaped sheet metal spring modules are secured to the rails of the base. These sheet metal spring modules are all configured identically and are all of approximately the same fixed height, which will be referred to as a first height for purposes of this application. However, the sheet metal spring modules may be slightly different from one another in accordance with the present invention.
[0012] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, these sheet metal spring modules are secured to the intermediate and end rails of the base, extend upwardly therefrom and are transversely spaced from one another. In this embodiment, the intermediate rails are transversely oriented, extending between and secured to the longitudinally extending side rails of the base. However, the intermediate rails may be oriented longitudinally, generally parallel the side rails of the base in accordance with the present invention.
[0013] A nestably stackable wire assembly is supported by the base via the metal spring modules. The nestably stackable wire assembly comprises a plurality of parallel support wires, spaced from one another, and a wire grid secured to the tops of the support wires. In one preferred embodiment, the support wires are longitudinally extending and transversely spaced from one another. However, the support wires of the nestably stackable wire assembly may be transversely oriented in accordance with the present invention.
[0014] Each of the support wires is generally corrugated along its length and has flattened peaks and flattened valleys intermediate of the flattened peaks. The flattened peaks are welded or otherwise secured to the wire grid which comprises a plurality of intersecting wires and a border wire extending around the periphery of the wire grid. Alternatively, a plastic grid or any other type of structure may be secured to the flattened peaks of the support wires. The ends of each support wire are secured to the border wire of the wire grid. If desired, the wire grid may not have a border wire, in which case the ends of the support wires would be secured to any members of the wire grid.
[0015] A layer of padding overlies the top of the nestably stackable wire assembly. An upholstered covering surrounds the padding, the base, the metal spring modules and the nestably stackable wire assembly, thereby encompassing the entire interior of the product.
[0016] Each of the metal spring modules has a generally planar middle portion which has holes therethrough which receive fasteners to secure the metal spring module to one of the rails of the base. Extending outwardly and upwardly from the middle portion of each metal spring module are a pair of curved outer portions, each terminating in an end portion having a receptacle therein. Each receptacle is sized and located to receive one of the flattened valleys of one of the support wires in a snap fit manner.
[0017] Due to the configuration of each of the metal spring modules, loads placed on the surface of the bedding foundation are at least partially absorbed by the give or resiliency of the metal spring modules. Thus, the bedding or seating product of the present invention has a degree of resiliency, a desired characteristic of such products. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following drawings.
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023] Referring to the drawings, and particularly to
[0024] A plurality of metal spring modules
[0025] The nestably stackable wire assembly
[0026] The wire grid
[0027] As part of the wire assembly
[0028]
[0029] Extending outwardly and upwardly from the middle portion
[0030] In order to reinforce the module, an inverted U-shaped rib
[0031] The spring module
[0032] The method by which the bedding or seating product
[0033] Because the wire assembly
[0034] At least one layer of padding
[0035] While we have described one preferred embodiment of the bedding or seating product of the present invention, persons skilled in the art will appreciate changes and modifications which may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention of this application. For example, the metal spring modules may assume configurations other than the one illustrated and described above. Therefore, we intend to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.