Patent Application
20090202827
The invention relates generally to the textile and furniture industry, specifically, fiber beds and feather beds and filling for the same.
Mattress padding, such as fiber beds and feather beds, generally comprises a soft, pliable, fabric casing that is filled with a soft material and is designed to be placed over a mattress to provide additional padding and/or support. One of the original implementation of mattress padding is known as a mattress pad. A mattress pad is composed of quilted and filled batting-type material that is fitted on top of a mattress in the same manner as a fitted sheet. The mattress pad provides additional cushion to the mattress and may also provide protection from damage to the mattress. It recent years, it has become common for a mattress pad to be integrated into the mattress. Such mattresses are known as the pillow top mattress.
Mattress pads filled with down and feathers have become very popular. These mattress pads are commonly called feather beds. A feather bed sits on top of the mattress and is designed to provide additional cushion to the bed. The feather bed can also provide lightweight warmth, additional body support and relieve pressure points for a more restful sleep. The feather bed can be a natural insulator by maintaining a person's body heat and wicking away moisture. Feather beds are typically baffled to prevent the feathers or down from clumping into one particular spot. Baffling is sewn in cloth walls that create quilted-type squares to hold a set amount of feathers and down. The amount of baffling varies, but typically higher quality feather beds include more baffling.
The drawback to feather beds is the inability to vary the density of the feather bed and retain resiliency of the bed. Feather beds are generally provided to the end user in only one density. The user does not have the option of selecting a desired density. This is problematic because people sleep in different ways and thus require different density feather beds in order to be comfortable. People who sleep on their stomach require the softest feather beds while people who sleep on their back require the firmest feather beds. The amount of padding needed for maximum comfort is dependent upon the part and amount of the person's body that is in contact with the mattress. Additionally, because feather beds utilize feathers and down, they do not retain their resiliency. The feathers and down tend to become compressed after use and require a user to shake them out to fluff them up. Even with fluffing, the feathers tend to remain compressed after several uses.
Also known are fiber beds. Fiber beds are similar to feather beds; however they are filled with fibers, not down or feathers. Fiber beds are preferred by users who may be allergic to feathers or down. Fiber beds are typically filled with synthetic fibers, such as puffball polyester fiberfill, also known simply as puffballs or polyester fiberfill. The puffballs are puff-blown polyester fiberfill that are resilient, fluffable and shapeable. Puffball polyester fiberfill is ideal for use in fiber beds because it retains its softness and fluffiness and recreates the loft and support of down.
Polyester fiberfill is used as filling or insulating material for pillows, cushions, bedding materials, such as mattress pads, quilts, comforters, duvets, and in apparel, such as coats, parkas, and boots.
One draw back to using only puffball polyester fiberfill is the inability to vary the density of the fiber bed. Fiber beds are generally provided to the end user in only one given density. A customer does not have the option of selecting a desired density. This is problematic because people sleep in different ways and thus require different density fiber beds in order to be comfortable. Persons who sleep on their stomach require the softest beds while people who sleep on their back require the firmest beds. The amount of padding needed for maximum comfort is dependent upon the part and amount of the person's body that is in contact with the mattress.
In addition to the drawback of the inability to vary the density of a fiber bed, fiber beds also have issues retaining resiliency. Additionally, fiber beds made of polyester puff ball or fiberfill do not retain their resiliency. The polyester puffball or fiberfill tends to become compressed after use and requires a user to fluff the fiber bed. Even with fluffing, the polyester puffball or fiberfill tends to remain compressed after several uses.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,818,599 and 4,794,038 describe polyester fiberfill. One patent describes a blend of polyester fiberfill and a binder of hydrophilic poly(alkylene oxide) to increase properties of the fiberfill such as durability, softness, good bonding, reduced flammability and improved moisture transport. The other patent describes a polyester fiberfill having a spiral crimp that is randomly arranged and entangled in the form of fiberballs with binder fibers, so as to be air transportable on account of the low cohesion between the balls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,971 describes pillows and other filled articles filled with biocomponent polyester fibers that have a spiral crimp. The spiral crimp is caused by a difference in a chain branched content on the polyester polymers of the components. The biocomponent polyester fibers may be used as a filling in combination with fiberballs, where the biocomponent polyester fiberfill fibers of helical configuration are randomly entangled into such fiberballs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,286 describes a cushioning device and method of producing the cushioning device. The cushioning device may be a pillow which includes an upper pocket with a cavity for receiving filler material such as down, fiberfill, or fiberballs and second cavity for receiving additional filler material such as a foam core. The foam core is a visco-elastic or polyurethane foam.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,555 describes a dual-filled adjustable postural health pillow. The pillow consists of a three dimensionally rectangular outer casing which holds at least two discretely, proportionately filled casings/chambers. The bottom casing is filled with grain hulls to elevate the head and support the neck. The top casing is filled with a compressible material such as wool or down to provide cushion. An aperature in the grain-filled casing allows a user to adjust the volume of fill for customization.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,636 describes a cushion construction. A resilient, flexible foam material such as polyurethane foam or latex foam rubber with a convoluted front and rear surface is wrapped with a batt or web of soft resilient non-woven fibrous material.
None of the devices or fibers mentioned above describe a fiber bed that is composed of resilient filler that retains the desired softness and fullness and the ability to return to its normal thickness. Likewise, none of the devices mentioned above describe a feather bed that is composed of resilient filler that retains the desired softness and fullness and the ability to return to its normal thickness.
None of the known prior art methods solve the problem of providing a feather or fiber bed filler blend that is resilient and which retains its original fluffiness even after extended periods of compression. None of the prior art solves the problem of providing a feather or fiber bed filler material that allows for a variety of densities of fiber beds or feather beds. The invention uses improved filler blends to solve this problem.
The current invention satisfies the above needs by providing a filler material for a fiber bed and feather bed that allows for a variety of density fiber beds and feather beds to be created. As used herein, the terms fiberfill blend, fiberfill, blend and filler are used to generally define the content of the filling of a fiber bed or feather bed or filling for any item that is to be cushioned. The invention provides a fiber bed filled with an improved fiberfill blend, said fiberfill blend comprising by weight, (a) from about 50 to about 70% eviscerated latex, and (b) from about 30 to about 50% polyester fiberfill. The invention also provides for a feather bed filled with an improved feather and latex blend, said blend comprising, by weight, (a) from about 40 to about 60% feathers and down, and (b) from about 40 to about 60% eviscerated latex.
The current invention also provides an improved fiberfill blend comprising, by weight, (a) from about 50 to about 70% eviscerated latex, and (b) from about 30 to about 50% polyester fiberfill. The fiberfill blend is preferably 60% eviscerated latex and 40% polyester fiberfill. The present invention also provides an improved feather blend comprising, by weight, (a) from about 40 to about 60% feathers and down, and (b) from about 40 to about 60% eviscerated latex. The feather blend is preferably 50% feathers and down and 50% eviscerated latex.
The fiberfill blend and feather blend of the invention provide a filler blend that is resilient and which retains its original fluffiness in a fiber bed or feather bed even after extended periods of compression. The feather blend and fiberfill blend of the invention allows for a variety of densities of fiber beds or feather beds.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention may be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of the embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fiber beds 4, 5, 6 and 7 make up a series of fiber beds available in a variety of densities. This provides a user with a customizable fiber bed. The width of the gusset 1 and the content of the filler 2 provide for a resilient fiber bed 4, 5, 6 and 7. The improved filler 2 contains eviscerated or chopped latex, which allows the fiber bed 4, 5, 6, and 7 to remain at its original thickness or fullness use after use. The use of latex in the filler 2 also provides the user with consistent softness or firmness over time. Typical fiber beds would flatten out after use, even with a gusset 1 or sidewall. The filler 2, which includes eviscerated latex, in combination with the gusset 1 prevent the fiber bed 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the invention from being permanently compressed. The fiber beds 4, 5, 6, and 7 would include an outer cover 3 which would hold the filler 2 in place. The outer cover 3 can be a plain cotton twill, plain cotton weave, or it could be any fabric and optionally include a decorative design. The filler 2 is blown into the cover 3 to create the fiber beds 4, 5, 6 and 7.
In one embodiment of the invention, the filler 2 is a blend of puffball polyester fiberfill and eviscerated latex blended at a ratio of about 60% latex and about 40% puffball polyester fiberfill. The latex is preferably an organic latex that has been eviscerated to particles approximately several millimeters in circumference to an inch in circumference. The size of the particles may be varied and can be larger or smaller depending upon the particular use and desired effect.
Organic latex is processed without the use of petro chemicals. The filler 2 blend of the invention can be used as filling or insulating material for pillows, cushions, bedding materials, such as mattress pads, quilts, comforters, duvets, and in apparel, such as coats, parkas, and boots. The filler 2 blend of the invention can also be used for padding in protective gear, such as helmets, knee padding, arm pads, or leg pads. The filler 2 blend could also be used to create padding in the bottom of shoes. Essentially, the filler 2 blend of the invention can be used in a number of goods that require padding or insulation.
As shown in
In another embodiment, the eviscerated latex can be combined with feathers to create filler for a feather bed. The preferred ratio is 50% feathers to 50% latex foam. Similar to the fiber bed, the feather bed is baffled in construction to prevent the filler from clumping. The cover for the feather bed is a plain weave cover that prevents the quills and feathers from poking through the cover. The use of latex in combination with the feathers provides a feather bed that is more resilient and retains its fluffiness use after use. As with the fiber bed, the feather bed would be available in a variety of categories, such as extra soft, soft, firm and extra firm. The feather bed would be appear identical to the fiber bed shown in
In another embodiment, a feather bed or fiber bed of the invention can be created by combining two different halves of varying densities to form one feather bed or fiber bed for two users that share a bed. In such a scenario, each user would select the appropriate density for their sleeping pattern and the two halves of the feather bed or fiber bed would be joined to form one fiber bed or feather bed. The halves could be joined by an internal zipper, buttons, hooks or any known method of joining two halves of a fiber or feather bed. Additional material may be added to one of the halves without modifying the density should there be a noticeable difference in the height of the two halves.
Accordingly, it will be understood that the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed by way of example and that other modifications and alterations may occur to those skilled in the art.
