Mattress with non-quilted panel |
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申请号 | EP07794490.8 | 申请日 | 2007-05-02 | 公开(公告)号 | EP2019610B1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2018-12-26 |
申请人 | Dreamwell, Ltd.; | 发明人 | GLADNEY, Richard, F.; WESTERMAN, Corey; | ||||
摘要 | Mattresses and improved fabric covers for providing mattresses that have smooth surfaces. Additionally, methods for manufacturing non-quilted mattress covers and for manufacturing mattresses employing non-quilted mattress covers. The systems and methods described herein include mattress panels that can be manufactured separate from the inner core construction, and laid over the inner core to be fastened in place as a sleeping surface for the mattress. Optionally, these mattress panels can include a layer of fire retardant material, that may be added as a layer of material or that may be incorporated into one or more of the layers, such as a filler layer, in the mattress panel. | ||||||
权利要求 | |||||||
说明书全文 | Mattress manufacture typically employs the covering of a resilient spring interior with a fabric cover that provides much of the comfort and the appearance of the mattress product. Such fabric covers are commonly made of quilted material formed by stitching patterns on multiple layered fabrics formed of a layer of backing material, one or more layers of thick filler material and an outer layer of facing material or ticking. The quilted fabric covers are most often formed on needle sewing machines that stitch the layers of material together with stitched patterns that contribute to the ornamental features of the mattress product. The layers of material become compressed along the lines of thread stitched into the layers. The contrast between the uncompressed layers of material and the indented stitch lines form an uneven surface on the mattress fabric cover. The quilting operation by the sewing machines also provides the functional joining of the material that forms the quilted mattress cover. Although the sewing machines are generally reliable, the needles of the sewing machines repeated travel through several layers of material to sew the layers together and may break with use. This may damage, not only the sewing machine, but also the materials being quilted together. Moreover, a sewing machine may malfunction while stitching in various ways, such as mechanically jamming due to fabric or thread accidentally catching a moving part. There is a need in the art for smooth mattress panels and mattress covers formed without being quilted. The present invention provides a mattress according to the characterising portion of claim 1, and a method of manufacturing a mattress panel according to the characterising portion of claim 10. The systems and methods described herein include improved mattresses and improved fabric covers for providing mattresses that have smooth surfaces. Additionally, the invention encompasses methods for manufacturing non-quilted mattress covers and for manufacturing mattresses employing non-quilted mattress covers. The systems and methods described herein include mattress panels that can be manufactured separate from the inner core construction, and laid over the inner core to be fastened in place as a sleeping surface for the mattress. Optionally, these mattress panels can include a layer of fire retardant material, that may be added as a layer of material or that may be incorporated into one or more of the layers, such as a filler layer, in the mattress panel. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and from the claims. Various illustrative systems, methods, devices, features and advantages of the invention are described below with reference to the appended drawings, which may not be drawn to scale and in which like parts are designated by like reference designations.
To provide an overall understanding of the invention, certain illustrative practices and embodiments will now be described, including a mattress having an improved fabric cover with an optional smooth sleeping surface, and methods for manufacturing non-quilted mattress covers and for manufacturing mattresses employing non-quilted mattress covers. Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals designate like elements throughout the several views, The filler layer 20 is the cushioning layer and is formed from foam, latex, visco elastic foam. The filler layer 20 may be from about 0.25 inches to about 5 inches in height, preferably from about 1 inch to about 4 inches. In one preferred embodiment, the filler layer may be a foam substantially 3 inches in height with an ILD of 12 and a density of 1.2. However, in other embodiments, the ILD may be different from this preferred embodiment and the density and ILD can vary according to the application. In certain embodiments the density can range from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and the ILD can vary from, for example, about 10 to about 40 ILD. Other values may also be used without departing from the scope of the invention. The filler layer 20 may have a substantially flat, smooth upper surface or may have a textured or patterned upper surface. According to the invention the center section of the filler layer has a uniform height and decrease at a uniform angle toward its edges. The filler layer 20 may have multiple zones, including a lumbar zone and a shoulder zone. For example, in one embodiment, the panel has a foam filler layer 20 that includes a layer of gel material that is formed within the foam layer and that extends from one side of the mattress to the other side, providing a zone of gel material at an area where the lumbar of a sleeping user would be positioned. The number of zones and the location of the zones may vary according to the application. A fire resistant layer 24 may be placed between the filler layer 20 and the fabric layer 10. In the depicted embodiment, the fire resistant layer 24 includes a barrier fabric 24 which can be incorporated in the panel structure between the fabric layer 10 and the filler layer 20, as shown. However, in the other embodiments, the fire resistant layer may be a sock-like enclosure that fits over and around the filler layer to protect all sides of the filler layer 20 from heat, fire and flame. Optionally, the fire barrier fabric 24 can also be attached to one of the layers, for example, the top layer 10, with an adhesive. The fire barrier fabric 24, when used as the backing material, can significantly reduce the fire hazard due to the material properties of the fire barrier fabric 24 that will hinder the propagation of a fire to the mattress body. For added fire protection, the fire barrier fabric 24 can also be placed directly under a border ticking. The exemplary mattress panel depicted in In one exemplary optional embodiment, the depicted fire resistant layer 24 is formed of KEVLARTM fibers and PET fibers that are formed into a layer of fabric. In one practice the layer of fabric is formed by blending and joining the fibers by use of an adhesive or binder. In other embodiments, the layer 24 may be a layer of fabric formed by a weave of KEVLAR™ and PET fibers. Still other techniques may be used to form the layer 24 and any suitable technique for forming the layer 24 may be employed. The layer 24 shown in The backing layer 30 may be formed from any desired sheet of material, such as natural fibers such as cotton or linen, aluminum, fiberglass, synthetic fibers or a mixture thereof. In one preferred embodiment, the backing layer 30 may be a non-woven polypropylene material weighing from about 0.3 to about 3.0 oz per square yard. Resistance to tearing and flexibility are primary concerns for the backing layer 30. In another preferred embodiment, the backing layer is formed from a fire-retardant material. Additional padding, insulating, water-resistant, or fire-resistant layers may be incorporated. The various layers may be may be laminated together, joined by adhesive or otherwise combined to form a single sheet of material. The size of the sheets formed may vary according to the application, but in certain embodiments, the sheets may be sized as is conventional for mattress manufacture, which typically is about 88 inches in width. It will be appreciated that The panel thus formed may be disposed over a mattress core or body and secured thereto. Multiple panels are applied to the mattress core, to cover the top surface, side surfaces and bottom. The mattress panels may be attached to the mattress core by hog-rings, adhesive, plastic rings, stitching and combinations thereof. Other systems for attaching the panels to the mattress may be employed without departing from the scope of this invention. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the manufacturing techniques described herein produce less waste and material take up than current manufacturing quilting methods. Further, quiltless manufacturing may produce consistent panel sizing and higher quality panels, may be more manufacturing friendly and may requires less capital investments to manufacture. In this alternative embodiment, a fire resistant layer may also be provided within the panel 60 by incorporating into one or more of the fabric layer, filler layer or backing layer, a fire resistant material, such as halogenated fire resistant fibers, or by forming one of these layers from a material that provides fire resistance or retards flames. Optionally, a separate fire resistant layer may be provided within the panel 60. A flange, as the terms is used in the mattress construction industry, is a strip of material, generally non-woven, about 4 to 6 inches wide that is sewed to the underside of a mattress panel. Upon assembly of a mattress, the flange on the mattress panel is clipped or otherwise attached to the sides of the spring or foam mattress core to hold the mattress panel in place relative to the mattress core. The top layer 62 is formed from five sections of fabric. The center section 62a is attached at a first edge to lip section 62b, a second edge to lip section 62c, a third edge to lip section 62d, and a fourth edge to lip section 62e. A side of each lip section is joined to the bordering side of another lip section, for example, a side of lip section 62b is joined to the bordering side of lip section 62c, to form top layer 62 with lip sections 62b, 62c, 62d, and 62e. In another embodiment, the top layer may be formed by cutting wedge shapes from each corner of a sheet of fabric and joining the bordering cut edges together. The lip sections 62b, 62c, 62d, and 62e angle downward from center section 62a toward the edges of the top layer 62. The lip sections 62b, 62c, 62d, and 62e may influence the expanded shape of the mattress panel 60. As described above with respect to The length of outer edges of sections 62b and 62d are substantially the same as are the length of outer edges of sections 62c and 62e. The widths of lip sections 62b, 62c, 62d, and 62e may have uniform widths or varying widths. For example, lip section 62b may have a width of about 2 inches, lip sections 62c and 62e may have width of about 4 inches and lip section 62d may have a width of about 5 inches. According to the present invention, the center section of the filler layer has a uniform height and decrease at an uniform angle toward its edges. In such embodiments, the top layer does not substantially restrain the filler layer from expanding. The edge 85 joins the top mattress panel to the right side mattress panel. The edge 86 joins the right side mattress panel to the bottom mattress panel. The edge 87 joins the bottom mattress panel to the left side mattress panel. Joining of the top panel to the side border panel or panels may be accomplished by use of a tape edge machine or other suitable system or method. The edge 88 joins the top mattress panel to the left side mattress panel. Front and back side panels are not shown. Edges 85, 86, 87, and 88 may be covered with a strip of fabric for aesthetic effect. Typically, the mattress 70 will have a single side border panel that is sized to wrap around the full periphery of the mattress 70. However, multiple side border panels may also be used. It will be understood that during manufacture of the mattress 70, the top panel and side border panel may be selected from a number available panels, thereby providing for the panels used to the changed easily during manufacture. Thus, panels with fire resistant layers may be substituted for panels without such layers, and panels with zoned support, or gel material, may also be readily used or replaced during assembly. Further, the mattress 70 may use a side panel constructed according to the systems and methods described herein, with a side bore panel constructed using conventional techniques. The mattress panels may be attached to the mattress core by hog-rings. Hog-ringing is a conventional means of attaching fabric or padding to an innerspring construction, although other mechanical or adhesive means may be used. It should also be understood that foam, plastic springs, or other resilient material, could also be used as a substitute for metal innerspring constructions. Therefore, it may be seen that a mattress panel is provided which provides a substantially smooth exposed surface. Moreover, the mattress panel may have a crowned effect and is understood to provide longer life and be more durable than traditional panels While this invention has been described in specific detail with reference to the disclosed embodiments, it will be understood that many variations and modifications may be effected within the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims. For example, the mattress may include a foam core, or a combination of foam and springs. The mattress may be one-sided or two-sided. |