Patent Application
20210078792
The disclosure relates to a mattress shipping unit comprising a mattress and a shipping bag.
With the increasing implementation of mail-order business, more and more goods are ordered on the Internet and shipped to the customer. It is also possible to order mattresses on the Internet, which are then shipped to the customer via delivery services.
To keep the volume of the shipment as low as possible, mattress shipping units are known which include a cover into which a mattress is enclosed in a compressed shipping condition. Typically, a tear-resistant film is used as the cover to be able to apply the forces which are necessary to keep the mattress in its compressed shipping condition.
However, such films no longer meet the environmental and health standards expected by the consumer.
Thus, there is the need to provide a mattress shipping unit which is more environmentally friendly and does not cause any effects which are harmful to health.
The object is achieved by a mattress shipping unit comprising a mattress and a shipping bag, wherein the mattress is in a compressed shipping condition and is completely accommodated in the shipping bag. The shipping bag has a cover which is predominantly made of an air-permeable material.
Due to the predominant air-permeability of the material of the shipping bag, it is ensured that volatile compounds, in particular volatile organic compounds which escape from the mattress during shipping, are released to the environment and do not collect within the shipping bag. Therefore, there is in particular always an exchange of air between the mattress and the environment of the shipping bag.
When opening the shipping unit, only extremely low contaminations by volatile compounds, in particular volatile organic compounds are thus produced, as could occur, for example, when using covers made of a film.
Furthermore, the cover made of an air-permeable material is more environmentally friendly than a cover made of a film.
In contrast to individual air holes, the air-permeable cover simultaneously ensures a reliable protection against dirt or damages to the mattress.
For example, the shipping bag, in particular the cover is completely closed, with the exception of an opening for inserting the mattress.
The opening may be provided at the end opposite the bottom.
The shipping bag may be cylindrical, in particular circular-cylindrical.
Preferably, the mattress is rolled up and/or folded in the compressed shipping condition to effectively reduce the volume of the mattress.
For example, the compressed shipping condition distinguishes itself by a reduction of the volume of the mattress by at least 20% of its uncompressed volume.
The mattress is in particular a European mattress, i.e. for example not a Japanese futon.
For example, the shipping bag is configured such that it can be used only once for the shipping of the mattress, in particular by a predetermined breaking point in the shipping bag. It is thus only provided for a single use for shipping the mattress.
The shipping bag is in particular configured so small that the mattress cannot be returned into the shipping condition by the customer.
To further improve the removal of volatile compounds into the environment, the cover may be entirely made of the air-permeable material.
In one variant embodiment, the air-permeable material is a textile, in particular a textile which is not woven, as a result of which a flexible shipping bag which can be stored easily is provided. For example, the textile which is not woven is a nonwoven fabric.
In one embodiment, the air-permeable material is polypropylene, as a result of which the shipping bag can be manufactured in a cost-effective manner.
To provide a stable and simple shipping bag, the cover may comprise a bottom and at least one peripheral wall. The bottom may be manufactured at least partially, in particular entirely of the air-permeable material. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one peripheral wall may be manufactured at least partially, in particular entirely of the air-permeable material.
The peripheral wall extends in particular entirely around the periphery of the shipping bag or forms the periphery of the shipping bag.
In one configuration of the disclosure, the shipping bag has a closure, in particular a drawstring by means of which the opening of the shipping bag for inserting the mattress may be closed. It is thus possible to avoid as soiling and damage to the mattress during shipping.
For a particularly effective shipping, in particular by regular shipping service providers, the shipping bag may have a diameter of less than or equal to 50 cm, in particular less than or equal to 40 cm, and/or have a length of less than 150 cm, in particular less than or equal to 135 cm.
In one embodiment of the disclosure, the gauge or thickness of the cover is selected such that the cover keeps the mattress in the compressed shipping condition, as a result of which additional stabilizing elements such as tensioning straps may be dispensed with.
For example, the thickness of the cover is at least 70 g/m2, in particular 75 g/m2.
For example, in its compressed shipping condition, the mattress generates a previously known expansion force, and the shipping bag, in particular the cover, is configured so as to exert a counterforce in the opposite direction to the expansion force. It is thus ensured that the shipping bag is not damaged by the mattress.
In one variant embodiment, the cover may have a predetermined breaking point, in particular a predetermined breaking line, in particular wherein the predetermined breaking point extends in the axial direction along the cover. The predetermined breaking point makes it easier to remove the mattress from the shipping bag.
Further features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the description below and from the attached drawings to which reference is made and in which:
In the context of the present disclosure, enumerations of several components with “and/or”, for example “a, b and/or c” are to be interpreted as a disclosure of any combination of the components, i.e. “a and/or b and/or c”.
The mattress 12 and the shipping bag 14 are illustrated on different scales to show details of the shipping bag 14. In reality, the shipping bag 14 is significantly smaller than the mattress 12.
In the example embodiment shown, the mattress 12 has a length LM of 200 cm and a width BM of 90 cm.
The mattress 12 is made of a compressible cellular material.
However, it is also conceivable to use other materials for manufacturing the mattress 12.
The mattress 12 is in particular a European mattress, i.e. a mattress of the European or western type and for example not a Japanese futon.
In the example embodiment shown, the shipping bag 14 is cylindrical, here circular cylindrical, and has a cover 16.
The cover 16 has a bottom 18 which in the present case is circular, and a peripheral wall 20 extending from the bottom 18.
In the example embodiment shown, the cover 16 and thus the bottom 18 and the peripheral wall 20 are completely made of an air-permeable material 21.
It is of course also conceivable that only parts of the cover 16, i.e. only parts of the bottom 18 and/or parts of the peripheral wall 20 are made of the air-permeable material 21. However, in an overall consideration, the cover 16 is predominantly made of the air-permeable material 21.
The air-permeable material 21 is a textile which is not woven, for example a nonwoven fabric.
Polypropylene is for example used as the air-permeable material 21.
The peripheral wall 20, in particular the entire cover 16 has a thickness of 75 g/m2.
In the example embodiment shown, the bottom 18 and thus the shipping bag 14 has a diameter of less than or equal to 50 cm, in particular less than or equal to 40 cm. In the example embodiment shown, the diameter DS is 40 cm.
The peripheral wall 20 extends from the bottom 18. The peripheral wall 20 is fastened, for example sewn to the bottom 18. The seam can extend over the entire periphery of the bottom 18 or cover only parts thereof.
The peripheral wall 20 extends along the entire periphery of the bottom 18 and thus also over the entire periphery of the shipping bag, or forms the periphery of the shipping bag 14.
In the unfolded condition, the peripheral wall 20 and thus the shipping bag 14 has a length LS of less than 150 cm, in particular less than or equal to 135 cm.
In the example embodiment shown, the peripheral wall 20 and thus the shipping bag 14 has a length LS of 135 cm.
It is however also conceivable, that the length LS of the shipping bag 14 is at most 50%, in particular at most 25% larger than the width BM of the mattress 12.
No further bottom is provided at the end of the peripheral wall 20 facing away from the bottom 18, rather, the shipping bag 14 has an opening 22 there.
The opening 22 is used for inserting and/or removing the mattress 12 from the shipping bag 14.
A closure for closing the opening 22 may be provided on the peripheral wall 20 in the area of the opening 22.
In the example embodiment shown, it is a drawstring 26 which runs in a hem 28 of the peripheral wall 20.
In the example embodiment shown, the cover 16, here the peripheral wall 20 has a predetermined breaking point 30.
In the example embodiment shown, the predetermined breaking point 30 extends from the opening 22 towards the bottom 18 as a predetermined breaking line.
For example, the predetermined breaking point 30 is a section of the cover 16 having a thinner thickness, or a cut in the cover 16 which is closed by a tear seam.
The mattress 12 is in a compressed shipping condition in which the mattress 12 has a fraction of its volume. For example, in the compressed shipping condition, the mattress 12 has only at most 80% of its uncompressed volume, i.e. the volume in the uncompressed condition. In the compressed shipping condition, the volume of the mattress 12 may thus be reduced by at least 20% of its uncompressed volume.
In the compressed shipping condition, the mattress 12 is rolled up and/or folded.
In the example embodiment shown, the mattress 12 is merely rolled up. Larger mattresses, however, are folded once or several times before rolling.
It is however also conceivable that the mattress is only folded.
The compressed mattress 12, i.e. the mattress 12 in the compressed shipping condition, is completely received in the shipping bag 14.
The diameter DK of the mattress 12 in the compressed shipping condition is less than or equal to the diameter DS of the shipping bag 14.
In the example embodiment shown, the length LK of the mattress 12 corresponds to the width BM of the uncompressed mattress, i.e. here 90 cm.
In the compressed shipping condition, i.e. also within the shipping bag 14, the mattress 12 generates an expansion force FE radially to the outside.
This expansion force is previously known, as it depends on the degree of the compression of the mattress 12.
The cover 16, in particular the peripheral wall 20 exerts a counterforce FG in the opposite direction to the expansion force FE, which keeps the mattress 12 in its compressed shipping condition.
The thickness or gauge of the cover 16 is selected appropriately so that the cover 16, in particular the peripheral wall 20 can apply the counterforce FG. The thickness or gauge of the cover 16, in particular from the peripheral wall 20 of course depends on the material properties of the air-permeable material 21.
The shipping bag 14 is closed by the closure 24, i.e. here the drawstring 26 to avoid damages or a soiling of the mattress 12.
The mattress 12 is thus accommodated in the shipping bag 14 in a safe manner and with a small volume for shipping. At the same time, the air permeability of the shipping bag 14 always permits an exchange of air between the mattress 12 and the environment of the shipping bag 14, so that volatile organic compounds present in the mattress 12 as a result of the manufacture are released to the environment already during shipping, as a result of which the exposure to such volatile organic compounds during unpacking is very low.
In addition, a shipping bag 14 made of an air-permeable material 21 is more environmentally friendly than a film.
To remove the mattress 12 from the shipping bag 14, the shipping bag 14 can simply be opened using the predetermined breaking point 30. Although the shipping bag 14 is thus destroyed, an end customer cannot independently return the mattress 12 into its compressed shipping condition, so that the shipping bag 14 cannot be reused by the customer anyway.
Though only a circular-cylindrical shipping bag 14 was described as an example embodiment, other geometries of the shipping bag 14 with a corresponding compression of the mattress 12 are of course also conceivable. For example, a cuboid shipping bag 14 can accommodate a mattress 12, which is only folded in the compressed shipping condition.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2019 125 036.6 | Sep 2019 | DE | national |
