Patent Application
20230065954
Homemakers must regularly change the sheets and linens on the beds in their homes. This is a strenuous task that necessarily involves repetitive lifting of, and manipulating a heavy, bulky mattress during the bed making process. Many homemakers, both young and old, find that lifting a heavy mattress while also trying to tuck bed linens beneath the mattress is next to impossible unless they have help. Even with two persons working together, making a bed can be a strenuous task.
Likewise, housekeepers at hotels, motels and inns must routinely change the linens on many beds every day. The stress and strain associated with the repetitive lifting of heavy mattresses during the bed making process eventually takes a toll on the worker in the form of fatigue, back and shoulder injuries, work loss, and on commercial establishments in terms of worker's compensation insurance claims.
Various improvements have been attempted, but all involve some type of active mechanical or inflatable lifting apparatus which requires extra equipment or significant cost. For example, mechanical screw driven lifts within the box spring have been devised as well as numerous configurations of inflatable bladders. None have proven satisfactory in the mass market.
It would be advantageous if a component of the bedding system, or an addition to the bedding system, could be designed to provide some small measure of passive leverage for a small upward displacement of the mattress during the bed making process and thereby eliminate the need for homemakers and hotel or motel housekeepers to physically lift the entire mattress during the bed making process. Such a design would enable a single person to do the job by herself/himself and without the need for an assistant.
In a most basic description, the invention comprises a passive adjustable frame which acts as a “spacer” around the peripheral bottom edge of the mattress positioned between the bottom of the mattress and an underlying support, such as a box spring, slats, platform etc. In some embodiments, the spacer may be adjustable in length and width so as to have peripheral length and width dimensions that are roughly the same size as the mattress with which the frame is being used. In some embodiments, the spacer frame is not adjustable, rather it is fixed in length and width and offered in different sizes to fit different mattress sizes.
In some cases, the frame may be slightly smaller than the dimensions of the mattress but in any event should lie no more than about 4 inches inwardly from the peripheral edge.
In an exemplary embodiment, the mattress spacer comprises an adjustable frame having a first pair of diagonally opposed right angled corner members each having elongated arms with open ends, and a second pair of diagonally opposed right angled corner members each having elongated arms. The cross-sectional dimensions of the second pair of diagonally opposed right angle corner members are smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the first pair of diagonally opposed right angle corner members, such that the elongated arms of the second pair of diagonally opposed right angled corner members are slidably received in telescoping relation within the open ends of the elongated arms of the first pair of diagonally opposed right angled corner members. In this manner the frame may be adjustable in length and width to accommodate different size mattresses.
In the exemplary embodiment, each of the corner members has an inverted trough shape with an inner wall, an outer wall and a top wall wherein the inner wall is taller than the outer wall and the top wall is downwardly and outwardly angled. In other embodiments the members may have a bottom wall and a small gap at the top of the other vertical wall to allow the outwardly sloped wall of the smaller member to slide into the larger member.
As noted above, the purpose of the spacer frame is to passively provide some measure of lift or elevation to the periphery of the mattress thus leaving some space or an upwardly and inwardly angled “gap” around the peripheral edges where it is easier for the bed maker to slide their hands and the bed linens beneath the mattress edge without having to lift the mattress entirely.
As noted above, the spacer slightly elevates the peripheral edges of mattress relative to the underlying support. However, in use, the spacer is not necessarily noticed by anyone sleeping on top of the mattress. The person sleeping on the bedding generally sleeps in the middle portion of the mattress surface and would not notice the peripheral lift or “gap” so to speak.
In the various embodiments, the adjustable spacer frame is intended to be a standalone apparatus which is positioned between a conventional box spring or platform and the mattress which allows the invention to be used with all existing mattress and platform systems.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming particular embodiments of the present invention, various embodiments of the invention can be more readily understood and appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art from the following descriptions of various embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the device and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, in the present disclosure, like-numbered components of the embodiments generally have similar features, and thus within a particular embodiment each feature of each like-numbered component is not necessarily fully elaborated upon. Additionally, to the extent that linear or circular dimensions are used in the description of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods, such dimensions are not intended to limit the types of shapes that can be used in conjunction with such systems, devices, and methods. A person skilled in the art will recognize that an equivalent to such linear and circular dimensions can easily be determined for any geometric shape. Further, to the extent that directional terms like top, bottom, up, or down are used, they are not intended to limit the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein. A person skilled in the art will recognize that these terms are merely relative to the system and device being discussed and are not universal.
Generally, the present spacer is designed to provide some measure of leverage for manipulating the mattress during the bed making process and eliminates the need for homemakers and hotel or motel housekeepers to physically lift the mattress during the bed making process. The present design enables a single person to do the job by herself/himself and without the need for an assistant and greatly reduces fatigue and physical strain.
Referring to
In a most basic description, the invention comprises a passive adjustable frame which acts as a “spacer” around the peripheral bottom edge of the mattress 102 positioned between the bottom of the mattress 102 and an underlying support 104.
In some embodiments, the spacer frame 100 may be adjustable in length and width so as to have peripheral length and width dimensions that are roughly the same size as the mattress 102 with which the frame 100 is being used (See
In an exemplary embodiment as illustrated, the mattress spacer frame 100 comprises an adjustable telescoping frame having a first pair of diagonally opposed right angled corner members 110, 112 each having elongated arms 111, 113 with open ends, and a second pair of diagonally opposed right angled corner members 120, 122 each having elongated arms 121, 123.
Referring to
In some embodiments, one of the arms 111, 113, 121, 123 or a corner member, or opposed pairs of arms, may be longer than the others as needed to accommodate telescoping to the desired mattress sizes.
In the exemplary embodiment, each of the arms of the corner members 110, 112, 120, 122 has an inverted trough shape with an inner wall 130, an outer wall 132 and a top wall 134 wherein the inner wall 130 is taller than the outer wall 132 and the top wall 134 is downwardly and outwardly angled. Although the exact dimensions of the wall structures 130132, 134 are not critically important, the exemplary dimensions are roughly a 1 inch tall inner wall 130 with a 3/16 inch tall outer wall, and a 3 inch wide top wall.
In some embodiments, the bottom edges of the inner wall 130 and the outer wall 132 are angled inwardly toward each other (˜2.5 degrees). This arrangement allows the smaller arms 121, 123 of the second pair of corner members 120, 122 to slide longitudinally (telescope) within the larger arms 111, 113 of the first pair of corner member 110, 112 without creating a fully tubular structure.
In other embodiments, the outer wall may be eliminated so that the top wall 134 angles down directly to the support. 104.
In some embodiments, the top wall 134 may be convexly curved upward (˜5 degree radius) to further facilitate tucking of the bed linens into the gap 140 created by the angled top wall 134.
In some embodiments, the right-angle corner members 110, 112, 120, 122 may be rotatably hinged at the right angle corner so that the opposed arms may be folded inwardly relative to each other for shipping and storage. The hinge connections 150 may be made by a conventional plate hinge, or they may be rotatably connected by an interlocking pivot joint. In embodiments where a hinged corner member is utilized, such embodiments may also include a triangular corner brace 160 secured within the inside corner once the arms are deployed to their right angle, in use position (as illustrated). The braces may be secured by pins or other fasteners (not shown) which allow simple installation and/or removal. Alternatively, additional fasteners (not shown) may be installed on an outside corner for support and to maintain the corner in their deployed condition.
As noted above, the purpose of the adjustable frame 100 is to provide some measure of elevation to the peripheral edges of the mattress 102 while leaving some space or “gap” 140 around the peripheral edge where it is now easier for the bed maker to slide their hands and the bed linens beneath the mattress lower edge without having to lift the mattress.
In use, the frame 100 slightly elevates the periphery of the mattress 102 relative to the underlying support 104 but is not necessarily noticed by anyone sleeping on the bed. The person sleeping on the bed generally sleeps in the middle portion of the mattress surface and will not notice the elevated edges or the peripheral “gap” 140 so to speak.
In their various forms, the right-angle corner member could be molded or extruded from a suitable plastic material, although other materials may also be suitable in various circumstances.
Having thus described certain particular embodiments of the invention, it is understood that the invention that may be defined by any appended claims is not to be limited by particular details set forth in the above description, as many apparent variations thereof are contemplated. Rather, the invention is limited only be the appended claims, which include within their scope all equivalent devices or methods which operate according to the principles of the invention as described.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/360,015, filed Aug. 30, 2022, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63360015 | Aug 2021 | US |
