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[0001] This invention relates to mattresses, and more particularly, to mattresses for use interchangeably with adjustable or non-adjustable foundations.
[0002] The ability to move a bed from a horizontal sleeping position to an upright sitting position makes adjustable beds a practical necessity a hospital environment. Though not rising to the level of necessity, the same adjustable features make the same beds attractive to the home consumer, permitting homeowners to position their beds for other activities such as reading, watching television, or dining.
[0003] The typical adjustable bed is comprised of an adjustable frame and a mattress specially designed for adjustable use. Standard flat mattresses perform poorly in adjustable applications due to rigid internal structures. Steel border wires, common to traditional mattress constructions, provide a framework for the mattress upholstery and add stiffness to the inner spring assembly. However, when used with an adjustable frame, the border wires prevent traditional mattresses from naturally conforming to the adjusted frame. Conformity between the mattress and frame may be forced, but at the risk of causing permanent deformation the border wires, leaving the consumer with a mattress that may never fully return to the horizontal sleeping position.
[0004] To deal with the inflexibility of traditional flat mattresses and the demand of adjustable bedding products, bedding manufacturers have generated numerous specialty mattress designs for use with adjustable frames. These specialty designs range from segmented mattresses, which use sections of traditional mattress constructions connected by foam or cloth joints, to foam mattresses, abandoning traditional designs altogether. Unfortunately, with deviations from traditional mattress designs come undesirable characteristics in the final product, such as reduced comfort and durability for the bedding product. The foam joints in the segmented mattress design, for example, typically have a shorter useable lives and are noticeably less comfortable in the horizontal sleeping position than their traditional counterparts.
[0005] Consumer concerns aside, a single mattress construction useable with both adjustable or non-adjustable foundations generates significant efficiency savings for a manufacturer of mattresses. Multiple mattress designs translates into multiplied costs in the form of tooling, employees, workspace, and storage, not to mention added marketing requirements. A mattress that can be used with either adjustable or non-adjustable foundations would merge two currently distinct consumer groups for the mattress manufacturer, reducing operating costs or even opening up new markets formerly inaccessible due to cost concerns.
[0006] Thus, there is a need in the art for a one-design mattress that may be used with an adjustable or non-adjustable foundation without compromising the comfort or structural integrity of a standard steel border rod mattress assembly.
[0007] The invention includes mattress having a border rod assembly and at least one central spring core. The border rod assembly, comprising border rods and corner pieces with at least one border rod being a resilient polymer material, forms a contiguous border around and attached to the central spring core. Border rod assemblies serve a dual purpose in mattress construction, acting both as a rigid frame to which fabrics and foams may be secured, and as a stiffening structure surrounding the central spring core preventing unsightly sagging and bowing of the mattress edge.
[0008] However, the benefits of border rod rigidity are accompanied by several drawbacks. For instance, one common malady of returned mattresses is permanent deformation to border rods due to folding of the mattress during delivery into space-restricted locations. Similarly, border rod rigidity prevents traditional mattresses from being used with adjustable bed foundations.
[0009] Using resilient polymers for border rods permits the mattress to be used interchangeably with adjustable and non-adjustable applications, while retaining the rigidity and other desirable structural characteristics that accompany traditional steel border rod constructions.
[0010] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be appreciated more fully from the following description thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;
[0011]
[0012]
[0013]
[0014]
[0015]
[0016]
[0017] Moving to the next drawing,
[0018] The border rods
[0019] The border rods
[0020]
[0021] As would be apparent to one of skill in the art, some applications may require flexibility only in certain areas of the border rods
[0022] The flexibility profile of the mattress
[0023] The section depicted in blowup
[0024] The corner pieces
[0025]
[0026]