Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C27/00—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas
  • A47C27/04—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas with spring inlays
  • A47C27/045—Attachment of spring inlays to coverings; Use of stiffening sheets, lattices or grids in, on, or under spring inlays
  • A47C27/0456—Use of stiffening sheets, lattices or grids in, on, or under, spring inlays
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C27/00—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas
  • A47C27/04—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas with spring inlays
  • A47C27/06—Spring inlays
  • A47C27/065—Spring inlays of special shape

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the general field of bedding. It relates in particular to the field of spring type carcasses for mattresses.
• Carcasses of this kind conventionally comprise a plurality of metal springs configured in a spiral, which are strongly coupled to one another to impart good cohesion and good solidity to the structure.
• the springs in question are in some cases assembled by multiple metal links; in other cases, they are individually bagged in textile pockets, secured to each other for example by gluing or sewing.
• these metal connections of the springs, or their placing in a pocket complicate the mechanization of the carcass assembly operations, and also the disassembly operations for recycling the materials.
• the carcasses obtained are not well suited to be integrated into mattresses intended to equip articulated bed bases, because they are too rigid.
• the present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a spring carcass of simplified original structure, the assembly and disassembly of which are carried out very easily, without requiring complex and expensive mechanical means.
• This carcass is also very easily totally recyclable, and some of its particular achievements are well suited to be integrated into the mattresses fitted to articulated bed bases.
• a carcass comprising a support sheet, made of flexible or semi-rigid material, on at least one of the faces of which are fixed a plurality of spring members; these spring members each comprise a base, disposed at a receiving orifice arranged in the support sheet, and cooperating, by means of appropriate fixing means, with a holding element attached to the other face of said support sheet .
• the spring members and the holding elements (which may also be spring members) are mutually maintained and are carried by the support sheet.
• the means for fixing the spring members and associated holding elements are removable, in particular to facilitate the dismantling of the structure; these fixing means can be of the snap-on or other type.
• the spring members and the associated holding elements comprise removable fixing means consisting of a post, provided with protruding locking lugs at its free end, arranged on one of the elements (spring member or retaining element), cooperating with a mortise orifice, arranged on the other element (as the case may be a spring member or a holding element).
• the base of the spring members and the associated holding means each comprise a flat surface which extends opposite one of the faces of the support sheet, at the periphery of the 'receiving port.
• the carcass comprises first spring members arranged on one of the faces of the support sheet, and second spring members arranged on the other face of said support sheet, opposite said first spring members; each of the first spring members is secured to one of the second spring members, at a receiving orifice arranged in the support sheet, thus forming pairs of spring members arranged on either side of said support sheet, the base of one of the spring members of said couple constituting the holding element of the other member springs from this couple.
• the first and second spring members are of identical or similar general shape.
• the pairs of springs comprise a conduit or channel passing through the orifice for receiving the support sheet, with a view to ensuring ventilation of the mattress.
• the carcass according to the invention comprises a support sheet arranged in its median or substantially median plane.
• the spring members each comprise - a base capable of cooperating with a retaining element attached to the other face of the support sheet, by means of removable fixing means, and - a plate intended to form a contact surface with one of the layers of padding material of the mattress; this base and this plate are connected by suspension means, advantageously consisting of at least one deformable blade.
• the spring members are made of thermoplastic material.
• the invention also relates to a spring member made of thermoplastic material for a mattress carcass as defined above, comprising a base able to cooperate with a holding element, by means of removable fixing means, and a plate intended to form a contact surface with one of the layers of padding material of the mattress, which base and which plate are connected by suspension means consisting of at least one deformable blade.
• the invention also relates to the mattress consisting of a spring carcass as described above, associated with padding and upholstery materials.
• the invention will be further illustrated, without in any way being limited, by the following description of various particular embodiments, given solely by way of examples, and represented in the appended drawings in which:
• - Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mattress, schematically showing a first embodiment of a spring carcass according to the invention
• - Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mattress, schematically showing the structure of a second embodiment of a carcass according to the invention
• FIG. 3 is still a longitudinal sectional view of the mattress shown in Figure 2, illustrating its articulation capabilities;
• - Figure 4 is a general perspective view of a couple of particular spring members, capable of fitting to the carcass of Figures 2 and 3;
• FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view along 5-5 of the pair of spring members of Figure 4.
• Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a mattress 1 equipped with a carcass 2 according to the invention, which carcass is conventionally interposed between two layers of padding material 3 coated with a lining thickness 4.
• the corresponding carcass 2 here comprises a support sheet 5 on one of the faces of which are arranged a plurality of spring members 6. These spring members 6 are each fixed on the sheet 5 in a removable manner by means of a holding element 7 which is attached to the other face of said support sheet 5.
• the support sheet 5 constitutes a simple connection and holding means and effective, of all of the spring members 6 of the carcass.
• This support sheet 5 has a surface which corresponds practically to the total surface of the mattress; she is made of a flexible or semi-rigid material, for example of the plastic sheet kind.
• This support sheet 5 comprises a plurality of orifices 5 'through which the spring members 6 are able to cooperate each with a holding element 7, as described in more detail below.
• the support sheet 5 can be in the form of a solid sheet in which are arranged a plurality of orifices 5 'regularly distributed; it can also be in the general form of a grid or a trellis, the size of the openings of which is adapted to the cooperation between the spring members 6 and the associated holding elements 7.
• the corresponding spring members 6 can be produced monoblocks or be made up of several parts assembled together; they are advantageously made of a thermoplastic material, for example of the elastomer type.
• These spring members 6 here each consist of - a base 8, capable of resting against one of the faces of the support sheet 5 and capable of cooperating with the associated holding element 7, - of a plate 9 ensuring the contact against the padding layer 3 disposed opposite, and, between said base 8 and said plate 9 - suspension means 10, determining the firmness or the hardness of the mattress.
• these suspension means 10 can consist of deformable blades; but we can also consider any other form or structure.
• the holding elements 7 of the spring members 6, arranged on the other side of the sheet 5, have the smallest possible thickness. They are also preferably made of a thermoplastic material.
• These holding elements 7 comprise structural means (not detailed) capable of cooperating in a removable manner, or in other words removable, through a receiving orifice 5 ′ arranged in the support sheet 5, with complementary structural means arranged at the level of the base 8 of the associated spring member 6.
• these removable fixing means consist of a latching system of the tenon (s) / mortise (s) type, an example of structure of which will be described in more detail below, in relation to FIG. again, in this FIG. 1, that the fixing of the spring members 6 is obtained by sandwiching, or by pinching, the periphery of the reception orifice 5 ′ between the base 8 of the spring member 6 and the associated holding element 7.
• the base 8 of the spring member 6 and the associated holding element 7 then have suitable planar surfaces.
• FIG. 2 and 3 show a mattress 1 whose carcass 2 constitutes a variant of that described above in relation to Figure 1.
• a carcass 2 comprising a support sheet 5 of material flexible or semi-rigid, on one of the faces of which the spring members 6 are arranged, hereinafter called "first spring members”.
• first spring members 6 consist, as described above in relation to FIG. 1, of a base 8 connected to a plate 9 by suspension means 10.
• Second spring members 6 ' are here reported on the other face of the support sheet 5, each facing one of the first spring members 6.
• These second spring members 6 ' have a structure identical or similar to that of the first spring members 6 described above; thus, they also each consist of a base 8 ', a plate 9' and suspension means 10 'extending between said base and said plate.
• the first spring members 6 are distributed on one of the faces of the support sheet 5, each at a receiving orifice 5 ', and they are detachably held by the 'holding element formed here by the base 8' of a second spring member 6 'disposed opposite, on the other face of the support sheet 5.
• the corresponding holding means are preferably latching means, ensuring a removable fixing.
• the support sheet 5 here extends in the middle of the carcass 2 and in the middle of the fitted mattress, interposed between the pairs of first and second spring members 6 and 6 '.
• the mattress 1 provided with such a carcass 2 is then particularly suitable for equipping articulated bed bases, because of its flexibility and its significant deformation capacities, as shown by way of illustration in FIG. 3.
• the structure of the spring members 6, 6 'arranged on either side of the support sheet 5 can be different to provide two types of hardness. On each face, it is also possible to envisage using different spring members, in certain zones, so as to adapt the flexibility as a function of the zone of the body supported.
• a couple of spring members capable of being attached to a support sheet, for the production of a carcass according to the invention, is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. In these figures, there is a first spring member 6 and a second spring member 6 ', both of generally frustoconical shape, joined coaxially to each other on an axis marked 11.
• These two spring members 6 and 6 ' each made in one piece by molding of thermoplastic material, each comprise respectively - a base 8 and 8', corresponding to the small base of the spring member, - a plate 9 and 9 'corresponding to the large base, and - suspension means 10 and 10 'extending between said base and said plate.
• the plates 9 and 9 'of the two spring members 6 and 6' are of generally annular shape; in alternative embodiments they may have a square or rectangular shape.
• the upper face of these two plates 9 and 9 ' is intended to come into contact with one of the cushioning layers of the mattress.
• the suspension means 10 and 10 ′ consist of a plurality of blades or arms, here eight in number, which each extend between the base 8 or 8 ′ and the corresponding plate 9 or 9 ′.
• blades 10 and 10 ' are uniformly distributed around the perimeter between the base 8, 8' and the plate 9, 9 ', so as to obtain optimal suspension characteristics of the spring 6, 6'.
• these blades 10, 10 ' can be connected by one-piece elastic connections 12, aimed at improving the suspension characteristics spring organs.
• These connecting structures 12 have for example a general form of omega.
• the structure of the blades 10, 10 ′ is adapted according to the flexibility sought. Near the plates 9, 9 ', they may have a relatively pronounced curvature defining pivot lines 13 facilitating and optimizing the crushing of the spring members.
• the bases 8 and 8 'juxtaposed of the pairs of spring members 6 and 6' are themselves able to cooperate by means of complementary structural means, of the tenon / mortise type, so as to obtain a removable fixing of said spring members 6 and 6 'on the support sheet 5, as shown in detail in FIG. 5.
• the base 8 of the first spring 6 has here a generally annular shape, delimited mainly by an external face 15, an internal face 16 and a circular central orifice 17 forming mortise.
• the internal face 16 of this base 8 is provided with an annular projection 18 within which an annular shoulder 19 is arranged. This shoulder 19 extends concentrically with the axis 11.
• the external face 15 of the base 8 is flat, provided only with a small annular rib 20, concentric with the axis 11, arranged at a distance from the orifice
• the base 8 'of the second spring 6' is also of generally annular shape, delimited by an internal face 21, an external face 22, and a cylindrical central orifice
• the external face 22 of this base 8 ′ is provided with a one-piece tubular extension 24, forming a tenon, extending the cylindrical central orifice 23. It will be noted that this tubular extension 24 has an external diameter corresponding, apart from play, to that of the internal diameter of the orifice 17 of the base 8 of the first spring 6. This tenon 24 also has, at the external face of its free end edge, one-piece projecting tongues or lugs 25 (here three in number ) uniformly distributed around its periphery.
• the external face 22 of the base 8 'further includes a small annular rib 26, arranged concentrically with the axis 11, near the orifice 17.
• This annular rib 26 has a diameter slightly smaller than that of the rib 20 of the base 8.
• the second spring 6 ' is arranged so that the cylindrical pin 24 of its base 8' passes through the receiving orifice 5 'arranged in the support sheet 5.
• the external diameter of the tubular post 24 is less than that of the receiving orifice 5 ', in particular to avoid the presence of tension on the support sheet.
• the external face 22 of the base 8 ′ of this second spring member 6 ′ then presses against the periphery of the reception orifice 5 ′.
• the first spring member 6 is then attached to the second spring member 6 'suitably positioned, so that the tubular pin 24 of the latter comes to be force-fitted through the orifice 17 of the base 8 of the first spring member 6, forming a mortise.
• the base 8 'of the second spring member 6' constitutes a retaining element of the first spring member 6, and conversely that the base 8 of the first spring member 6 constitutes the retaining element of the second spring member 6 '.
• FIG. 5 it can also be seen that the periphery of the receiving orifice 5 ′ of the support sheet 5 is interposed between the external face 15 of the base 8 and the external face 22 of the base 8 ".
• the sheet 5 is advantageously pinched between the pairs of spring members 6, 6 ′, the abovementioned annular ribs 20 and 26 optimizing the retention
• the two spring members 6, 6 ′ are detachably assembled while preserving a certain clearance between the external faces of their respective bases 8, 8 ′, slightly greater than the thickness of the support sheet 5.
• the assembly of the pairs of spring members 6, 6 ′ between them and with the support sheet 5 can be produced manually, but preferably suitable mechanized means will be used, it will also be noted that the orifice 23 of the lug 24 of the second spring member 6 ′ constitutes a conduit or channel ensuring communication between the spaces s located from on either side of the support sheet 5.
• the various conduits 23 thus provide effective ventilation of the internal volume of the mattress.
• the spring members 6 and 6 'illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 are made in one piece, each from a different mold to constitute the complementary latching means described above.
• each spring member 6, 6 ′ can also be produced by assembling several parts produced independently of each other.
• the means for fixing the spring members to one another, or with suitable holding elements may be provided that are not removable; in this case, they will advantageously be easily degradable in order to facilitate their dismantling for recycling.
• the corresponding fixing can be carried out by gluing; it is also possible to envisage a joining by means of lugs, snap-fastening members or the like, capable of perforating and passing through the flexible support sheet, the perforation in question forming the holding orifice mentioned above.
• the spring type carcasses in accordance with the invention are particularly advantageous because their different constituent elements (spring members 6 and 6 ′, support sheet 5, holding elements 7) can entirely be produced on a particular site. , then be transported dissociated to the final assembly site of the mattress. This feature is possible due to the simplified structure of the carcass and its ease of assembly.
• the volume occupied by the dismantled carcasses can be relatively small, in particular compared to the volume occupied by the pre-assembled mattress carcasses, known to date, supplied to the mattress manufacturers.
• the volume occupied by a pre-assembled carcass, in accordance with the invention is still limited, in particular because of its deformation capacity at the support sheet.
• This carcass structure also makes it possible to facilitate the dismantling operations, with a view to their recycling, in particular during the use of removable fixing means for securing the spring members with the support sheet.
• the recycling operations in question are further optimized by the fact that the various components of the carcasses are made of thermoplastic material.
• the corresponding thermoplastic materials guarantee optimal hygiene for the user due to their inertia to humidity and confinement, which is not the case with mattresses using metal springs. Due to its structure and the materials used, the spring carcass according to the invention is relatively light and has a limited cost price.

Landscapes

• Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
• Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)
• Table Equipment (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)
• Springs (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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ID=34855050

Family Applications (1)

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Citations (2)

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• 2004
  • 2004-03-04 FR FR0402262A patent/FR2867044B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-03-04 AT AT05739646T patent/ATE491373T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-03-04 EP EP05739646A patent/EP1722659B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2005-03-04 DE DE602005025315T patent/DE602005025315D1/de active Active
  • 2005-03-04 WO PCT/FR2005/050146 patent/WO2005084495A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (2)

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