FIELD OF DISCLOSURE
The technology of the disclosure relates generally to mattress cushions, assemblies, mattresses, and related methods for providing support.
BACKGROUND
Innerspring assemblies are a type of mattress core utilized for mattresses or seating structures and may be composed of spring coils attached together in a matrix or array. An example of such an innerspring assembly (“innerspring”) is illustrated by an innerspring 12 depicted in FIG. 1 and provided as part of a mattress 10. The innerspring 12 is comprised of conventional coils 14 arranged in an interconnected matrix to form a flexible core and support surfaces of the mattress 10. Adjacent coils 14 are secured to one another by lower interconnection helical wires 16 and upper interconnection helical wires 18. At a perimeter 20 of the innerspring 12, innerspring coils 14 are also connected to one another by upper and lower border wires 22, 24. Upper and lower border wires 22, 24 are attached to upper and lower end turns of the coils 14 to create a frame 26 for the innerspring 12. The upper and lower border wires 22, 24 may provide firmness for edge support on the perimeter 20 of the innerspring 12 where an individual user may disproportionally place weight on the innerspring 12, such as during mounting onto and dismounting from the mattress 10. The mattress 10 may be disposed on top of a base 28 to provide base support.
With reference to the mattress 10 in FIG. 1, with regard to an edge 30 of the innerspring 12, general considerations exist regarding construction and manufacture. In normal use, the edge 30 is subjected to greater weight in the form of compression forces than an interior 32 of the innerspring 12 due to the common practice of sitting on the edge 30 of the mattress 10. The coils 14 located proximate to the edge 30 of the innerspring 12 are subjected to concentrated weight (loads) as opposed to coils 14 located in the interior 32. To provide further perimeter structure and edge-support for the innerspring 12, an edge-support member 34 may be disposed around the coils 14 proximate to the edge 30 of the innerspring 12 between the base 28 and the upper and the lower border wires 22, 24. The edge-support member 34 may be extruded from polymer foam, for example. One or more padding material layer 36 may be disposed on top of the innerspring 12, and then upholstery 38 (“ticking”) is placed around the padding material layer(s) 36, innerspring 12, the edge-support member 34, and base 28 to form the mattress 10 in its fully assembled state. This mattress structure in FIG. 1 may also be provided for other types of innersprings, including pocketed coils.
Mattresses, such as the mattress 10 in FIG. 1, are typically designed to be supported on box springs in a bedding frame to provide a complete bed. In this regard, FIG. 2 illustrates an example of box springs 40 that can be used to support a mattress, including the mattress 10 in FIG. 1. The box springs 40 illustrated in FIG. 2 is shown without an outer frame or upholstery so that the internal components of the box springs 40 can be seen. As shown therein, the box springs 40 is comprised of a wood base 42. The wood base 42 is comprised of an outer frame 44 having elongated end support members 46A, 46B that span from a first side 48A to a second side 48B of the wood base 42. Intermediate elongated support members 50 are provided that also span from the first side 48A to the second side 48B of the frame 44. The elongated end support members 46A, 46B and intermediate elongated support members 50 provide a platform to support a wire support structure 52 comprised of wire springs 54 interconnected by a plurality of wire members 56 to form a wire grid 58 providing a planar-shaped support surface to support a mattress.
SUMMARY OF THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments disclosed herein include box spring assemblies employing foam cushioning grids, and related components, mattress assemblies, and methods. Foam cushioning grids are comprised of a plurality of foam grid members that are interconnected to form the foam cushioning grid. By interconnecting the foam grid members, a plurality of voids may be disposed between the interconnecting foam grid members as part of the foam cushioning grid. In this manner, as a non-limiting example, the foam cushioning grid can be disposed on a wire grid, such as in a box springs, to provide cushioning support for the wire grid, as one non-limiting example. A load placed on the wire grid will be cushioned by the foam cushioning grid disposed therebetween. Further, as a non-limiting example, voids in the foam cushioning grid allow air to easily flow between the interconnected foam grid members between the box springs and a mattress disposed on the box springs. This is opposed to a solid sheet of foam that does not contain voids in this example. Further, the foam grid members may be tenably formed from closed cell foam, because the voids allow air flow without requiring air to flow through the foam grid members themselves. Closed cell foam cushioning members, such as those comprised of Polyethylene closed foam material, will not absorb moisture or odor, and will not contribute to mold and/or mildew growth.
In this regard, in one embodiment, a box spring assembly for supporting a mattress is provided. The box spring assembly comprises a frame having a first elongated end and a second elongated end opposite the first elongated end. The box spring assembly also comprises a plurality of elongated support members extending from the first elongated end of the frame to the second elongated end of the frame. The box spring assembly also comprises a wire support structure. The wire support structure comprises a plurality of wire springs each having a first end supported by the plurality of elongated support members. The plurality of wire springs is configured to support a mattress. The wire support structure also comprises a planar-shaped wire grid interconnecting the plurality of wire springs on a second end of the plurality of wire springs opposite the first end of the plurality of wire springs. A foam cushioning grid is disposed on the planar-shaped wire grid to provide cushioning between the planar-shaped wire grid and a mattress disposed on top of the planar-shaped wire grid.
In another embodiment, a method of assembling a box spring assembly for supporting a mattress is provided. The method comprises providing a frame having a first elongated end and a second elongated end opposite the first elongated end. The method also comprises providing a plurality of elongated support members extending from the first end of the frame to the second end of the frame. The method also comprises providing a wire support structure on the frame, which comprises providing a plurality of wire springs each having a first end supported by the plurality of elongated support members. The plurality of wire springs is configured to support a mattress, and interconnects the plurality of wire springs on a second end of the plurality of wire springs opposite the first end of the plurality of wire springs to provide a planar-shaped wire grid. The method also comprises disposing a foam cushioning grid on the planar-shaped wire grid to provide cushioning between the planar-shaped wire grid and a mattress disposed on top of the planar-shaped wire grid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a perspective partial cutaway view of a mattress including a foam side support member;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary box springs without surrounding upholstery that is configured to support a mattress;
FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of a box springs having an exemplary foam cushioning grid disposed on top of the wire grid of the box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the exemplary foam cushioning grid in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a close-up perspective view of the box springs in FIG. 3 without the foam cushioning grid;
FIG. 6 is a close-up view of the box springs in FIG. 5 with the foam cushioning grid disposed on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 7 is a top view of an alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 8 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 9 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 10 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 11 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 12 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 13 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 14 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs;
FIG. 15 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs; and
FIG. 16 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid configured to be disposed on a box springs to provide cushioning support on the wire grid of the box springs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference now to the drawing figures, several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
Embodiments disclosed herein include box spring assemblies employing foam cushioning grids, and related components, mattress assemblies, and methods. Foam cushioning grids are comprised of a plurality of foam grid members that are interconnected to form the foam cushioning grid. By interconnecting the foam grid members, a plurality of voids may be disposed between the interconnecting foam grid members as part of the foam cushioning grid. In this manner, as a non-limiting example, the foam cushioning grid can be disposed on a wire grid, such as in a box springs, to provide cushioning support for the wire grid, as one non-limiting example. A load placed on the wire grid will be cushioned by the foam cushioning grid disposed therebetween. Further, as a non-limiting example, voids in the foam cushioning grid allow air to easily flow between the interconnected foam grid members between the box springs and a mattress disposed on the box springs. This is opposed to a solid sheet of foam that does not contain voids in this example. Further, the foam grid members may be formed from closed cell foam as one example, because the voids allow air flow without requiring air to flow through the foam grid members themselves. Closed cell foam cushioning members, such as those comprised of Polyethylene closed foam material, will not absorb moisture or odor, and will not contribute to mold and/or mildew growth.
In this regard, FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the box springs assembly 60 for supporting a mattress that includes an exemplary foam cushioning grid 62. The foam cushioning grid 62 provides cushioning support for a wire grid of a box springs. In this example, the box springs assembly 60 includes the box springs 40 in FIG. 2. The foam cushioning grid 62 is disposed on or overlays the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 to provide cushioning support for the wire grid 58. For example, the foam cushioning grid 62 may provide cushioning support for a mattress, such as mattress 10 in FIG. 1 for example, disposed on the box springs assembly 60. Otherwise, the mattress would be disposed directly on the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58. A load placed on the wire grid 58 and wire springs 54 will be cushioned by the foam cushioning grid 62 disposed therebetween. The foam cushioning grid 62 may also protect a mattress disposed on the box springs 40 from being damaged by direct disposition on the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58. Some box springs 40 provide a thin layer of material over the wire grid 58. The wire members 56 of the wire grid 58 may be exposed from this thin layer of material over time or repeated loading and unloading of the box springs 40.
A top view of foam cushioning grid 62 apart from the box springs 40 is shown in FIG. 4. The foam cushioning grid 62 is formed from a foam material to provide a cushioning structure for the box springs 40. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the foam cushioning grid 62 is formed from a plurality of interconnected foam grid members 64. The interconnected foam grid members 64 are interconnected in parallel axes and orthogonal axes to the longitudinal axes A1, A2 of the elongated end support members 46A, 46B of the box springs 40 in this example, to be disposed over portions of the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58 also disposed in the parallel and orthogonal to the elongated end support members 46A, 46B. The interconnected foam grid members 64 are not angled (i.e., not parallel or orthogonal) to the longitudinal axes A1, A2 of the elongated end support members 46A, 46B of the box springs 40 in this embodiment. A plurality of voids 66 are disposed between the interconnected foam grid members 64 in the foam cushioning grid 62. The voids 66 may be provided in the foam cushioning grid 62 to align with voids between the wire members 56 in the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40. In this manner, as a non-limiting example, the voids 66 in the foam cushioning grid 62 allow air to easily flow or ventilate between the interconnected foam grid members 64 between the box springs 40 and a mattress disposed on the box springs 40. This is opposed to a solid foam piece that completely overlays the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40, where the voids between the wire members 56 in the wire grid 58 are all covered by solid foam piece. The interconnected foam grid members 64 in this example are not comprised of separate foam grid members, but rather are formed from a plurality of voids 66 that were disposed in a solid foam sheet of material to form the foam cushioning grid 62. However, the foam grid members 64 could be comprised of separate members that are attached or connected together (e.g., cohesively or adhesively).
Further, as a non-limiting example with continuing reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, with the voids 66 provided to facilitate air flow, the foam cushioning grid 62 may be more tenably be formed from closed cell foam, because the voids 66 allow air flow without requiring air to flow through the foam grid members 64. Closed cell foam cushioning members, such as those comprised of Polyethylene closed foam material as a non-limiting example, may not absorb moisture or odor, and will not contribute to mold and/or mildew growth.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a portion of the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 and the foam cushioning grid 62 being disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 in more detail. FIG. 5 is a close-up perspective view of the box springs 40 in FIG. 3 without the foam cushioning grid 62 being disposed on the wire grid 58. FIG. 6 is a close-up view of the box springs 40 in FIG. 3 with the foam cushioning grid 62 disposed on a portion of wire members of the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 to provide cushioning of the wire grid 58. As shown in FIG. 6, foam grid members 64 of the foam cushioning grid 62 are disposed over portions of the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58. In this example, foam grid members 64 are each disposed on at least a portion of a wire member 56 in the wire grid 58. The foam grid members 64 of the foam cushioning grid 62 could be disposed completely cover each of the plurality of wire members 56 of the wire grid 58. Alternatively, one or more of the foam grid members 64 of the foam cushioning grid 62 could be disposed on the wire grid 58 such that the foam grid members 64 do not completely overlay each of the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58.
The interconnected foam grid members 64 may be of any thickness desired. The thickness of the foam grid members 64 as well as the type of foamed material of the foam grid member 64 will determine the foam cushioning grids' 62 cushioning characteristics. The cushioning characteristics will determine the internal load deflection (ILD) of the foam cushioning grid 62. For example, the foam grid members 64 may be between 0.1 and 0.5 inches thick, as a non-limiting example. The foam grid members 64 may also be of any width desired (e.g, up to six (6) inches in width). The width of the foam grid members 64 may be designed to provide the desired coverage or overlay area of the foam grid members 64 on the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40. For example, the foam grid members 64 in the foam cushioning grid 62 in FIGS. 3 and 4 are of width W1 for the foam grid members 64 disposed in a parallel axis to the longitudinal axes A1, A2 of the elongated end support members 46A, 46B. As another example, the foam grid members 64 in the foam cushioning grid 62 in FIGS. 3 and 4 are of width W2 for the foam grid members 64 disposed in orthogonal axes to the longitudinal axes A1, A2 of the elongated end support members 46A, 46B. The interconnected plurality of foam grid members 64 can be wider than a width of any portion of the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58 to cushion the wire members 56 of the wire grid 58.
The foam cushioning grid 62 may be formed from any foamed material desired. These material examples include, but are not limited to, a polymer, a polymer foam, latex, viscoelastic, polystyrene, polyolefin, polyethylene, polybutane, polybutylene, polyurethane, polyester, ethylene acrylic copolymer, ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-butyl-acrylate copolymer, ionomer, polypropylene, copolymer of polypropylene, latex rubber, thermoset material, and the like, as non-limiting examples. Further, the foam cushioning grid 62 may be formed from a combination of thermoset and thermoplastic foamed material(s), to provide composite cushioning characteristics. For example, the foam cushioning grid 62 may be comprised of a composite foamed material as provided in U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,373, entitled “Unitary Composite/Hybrid Cushioning Structure(s) and Profile(s) Comprised of a Thermoplastic Foam(s) and a Thermoset Material(s),” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/026,979, entitled “Composite Cushioning Structure(s) With Spatially Variable Cushioning Properties and Related Materials, Cushioning Assemblies, and Methods for Producing Same,” both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Further, the foam cushioning grid 62 may include filler, including but not limited to, a ground foam reclaim material, a nano clay, a carbon nano tube, calcium carbonate, flyash, and corc dust, as examples.
Other foam cushioning grids having different sizes of foam grid members are also possible. In this regard, FIGS. 7-16 described below illustrate other alternative, non-limiting, foam cushioning grids 62(1)-62(10) that may be provide in a box springs assembly, including the box springs assembly 60 described above.
FIG. 7 is a top view of an alternative foam cushioning grid 62(1) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. In the foam cushioning grid 62(1) in FIG. 7, the width of the foam grid members 64(1) are wider than the foam grid members 64 in the box springs assembly 60 in FIGS. 3 and 4. It may be more desirable to provide wider foam grid members 64(1) to overlay a greater portion of a foam grid of box springs to provide additional cushioning. The width of the foam grid members 64(1) may also be sized to control the sizing of the voids 66(1) disposed in the foam cushioning grid 62(1). The sizing of the voids 66(1) may be designed to provide the desired air flow ventilation through the foam cushioning grid 62(1).
FIG. 8 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(2) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. In the foam cushioning grid 62(2) in FIG. 8, the width of certain foam grid members 64(2) may be wider than the foam grid members 64 in the box springs assembly 60 in FIGS. 3 and 4. Some of the foam grid members 64(2)′, 64(2)″ may be angled along angled axes A3, A4, A5 (i.e., non-parallel and non-orthogonal) to the longitudinal axes A1, A2 to provide additional cushioning support. The design of the foam grid members 64(2) may also be provide to control the sizing and location of the voids 66(2) disposed in the foam cushioning grid 62(2). The sizing and location of the voids 66(2) may be designed to provide the desired air flow ventilation through the foam cushioning grid 62(2).
FIG. 9 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(3) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. In the foam cushioning grid 62(3) in FIG. 9, the width of certain foam grid members 64(3)′ may be wider than the foam grid members 64(1) in the foam cushioning grid 62(1) in FIG. 7. The width of the foam grid members 64(3), 64(3)′ may also be sized to control the sizing of the voids 66(3) disposed in the foam cushioning grid 62(3). The sizing of the voids 66(3) may be designed to provide the desired air flow ventilation through the foam cushioning grid 62(3).
FIG. 10 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(4) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. The foam cushioning grid 62(4) in FIG. 10 is similar to the design of the foam cushioning grid 62(3) in FIG. 9, except that certain foam grid members 64(4)″ are included in the foam cushioning grid 62(4) that are angled in addition to the foam grid members 64(4), 64(4)′.
FIG. 11 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(5) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. The foam cushioning grid 62(5) includes foam grid members 64(5) that form voids 66(5) and other certain foam grid members 64(5)′ that form non-rectangular-shaped voids 66(5)′ included in the foam cushioning grid 62(5).
FIG. 12 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(6) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. The foam cushioning grid 62(6) includes foam grid members 64(4) that form voids 66(6) and that are all non-rectangular-shaped.
FIG. 13 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(7) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. The foam cushioning grid 62(7) in FIG. 13 is similar to the design of the foam cushioning grid 62(3) in FIG. 9, except that certain foam grid members 64(7)′ are included in the foam cushioning grid 62(7) that are angled in addition to the foam grid members 64(7) to form alternative pattern of voids 66(7) in the foam cushioning grid 62(7).
FIG. 14 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(8) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. The foam cushioning grid 62(8) in FIG. 14 is similar to the design of the foam cushioning grid 62(3) in FIG. 9, except that certain foam grid members 64(8)' are included in the foam cushioning grid 62(8) that are angled in addition to the foam grid members 64(8) to form non-rectangular, polygonal-shaped voids 66(8)′ and rectangular-shaped voids 66(8), respectively, in the foam cushioning grid 62(8). Other foam grid members 64(8)″ are arc-shaped to form arc-shaped voids 66(8)″ in the foam cushioning grid 62(8).
FIG. 15 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(9) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. The foam cushioning grid 62(9) in FIG. 15 is similar to the design of the foam cushioning grid 62(3) in FIG. 9, except that certain foam grid members 64(9)′ are included in the foam cushioning grid 62(9) that are angled in addition to the foam grid members 64(9) to form non-rectangular, polygonal-shaped voids 66(9)′ and rectangular-shaped voids 66(9), respectively, in the foam cushioning grid 62(9).
FIG. 16 is a top view of another alternative foam cushioning grid 62(10) configured to be disposed on the wire grid 58 of the box springs 40 described above to form a box springs assembly. The foam cushioning grid 62(10) in FIG. 16 is similar to the design of the foam cushioning grid 62(3) in FIG. 9, except that certain foam grid members 64(10)′ are included in the foam cushioning grid 62(10) that are angled in addition to the foam grid members 64(10) to form non-rectangular, polygonal-shaped voids 66(10)′ and rectangular-shaped voids 66(10), respectively, in the foam cushioning grid 62(9).
The foam cushioning grid can be provided of any size or shape for different sizes of box springs (e.g., king, queen, full, twin, single, etc.). The aforementioned foam cushioning grid can be compatible with and provide cushioning to other structures other than box springs, including various mattress cores including, but not limited to, innersprings, including coil and pocketed-coil innersprings, and other partial or all foam mattress cores.
Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments disclosed herein. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains having benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.
Attachment members can be provided in the elastic foam edge-support band, but are optional and not required. If included, the number of attachment members can be varied as desired. The materials or compositions of the aforementioned components can be varied as well, including but not limited to whether exclusively thermoset or thermoplastic materials, or a composite of both. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.
Patent Application
20130232689
