EP2929813B1

EP2929813B1 - A matress of polyurethane material provided with aeration incisions

Info

Publication number: EP2929813B1
Application number: EP15153096.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Caso
Original assignee: Materassificio Montalese SpA
Current assignee: Materassificio Montalese SpA
Priority date: 2014-04-07
Filing date: 2015-01-29
Publication date: 2016-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 2035-01-29
Also published as: ITFI20140016U1; ES2603784T3; EP2929813A1

Description

Technical field

The present invention refers to the technical field relative to mattresses for rest, as well as cushions, seats and the like.
In particular, the invention refers to an innovative layer 1 suitable for forming a mattress, or a cushion or a seat in general, of a pouring material such as polyurethane, polyurethane foams, latex and the like and provided with particular aeration incisions.

Background art

Mattresses realized of pourable materials in moulds, such as polyurethane or latex, have long been. One example is known from DE202006011190U .
In general, the productive process foresees the pouring in a mould of a pre-determined quantity of fluid, for example of the polyurethane type, which, following the reaction, expands in the mould, filling its volume and thus forming the body of the mattress itself.
The particularity of such materials is that they adapt perfectly well to the physiognomy of the body following the contour thereof when the body rests on them and then, at the end of the use, they return to their original shape. They have, therefore, a high adaptability to the contours of shapes and are useful to keep correct postures, for example in case of painful pathologies such as cervical problems.
Such types of material, above all, render the productive process much simpler with respect to the classic spring mattress since the pouring of such a fluid in the mould is enough, rather than the assembly of a plurality of springs inside a filling layer made of wool and other materials.
In a case, therefore, a complex production line is necessary, while in the case of polyurethanes a simple forming mould is enough.
Materials such as polyurethane and latex present, however, the technical inconvenience of not allowing a perfect perspiration, therefore they accumulate heat and result to be particularly suffocating, not being able to dispose of said heat.
To that aim, solutions have been thought that foresee a manufacture of holes of the mattress, realizing passing openings, for example through a machinery made of a plurality of punches or blades.
The punches penetrate in the mattress, realising an asportation of material and therefore creating a plurality of circular aeration holes.
In order to save material in the realization of holes, and to have also more functional aeration holes, another known technique foresees the realization of incisions through knives that penetrate in the mattress.
The incisions are distributed in such a way as to form lines on the surface of the mattress, parallel between them and each line foresees a plurality of incisions spaced one from the other of a pre-determined quantity. There exists also a distance of pitch between a line and the subsequent one placed in parallel and with the lines staggered between them in an alternate manner.
Once the incisions have been realized, the mattress is generally tensed with a traction (T) that is directed in an orthogonal manner to the line of development of the incisions in such a way that the incisions open in correspondence of a linear expansion of the mattress in the direction of such a traction (T). At this point the mattress is blocked in the embodiment of traction through the application of a superior layer that is glued to the mattress, binding it to keep such a tensed position with the incisions open.
In general, however, it has been found that non-idoneous incisions, that is those positioned inappropriately or of wrong sizes, can cause various problems, among which the lacking aeration or the tear of the mattress when tensed.
In particular, incisions of very small size do not allow to hold a big volume of air down, therefore reducing significantly the aeration effect, while very long incisions and/or incisions that are wrongly arranged with respect to the others can increase the volume of air kept but risk to weaken excessively the mattress, causing possible tears thereof when tensed.

Disclosure of invention

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a new type of layer of a material such as polyurethane, latex or the like, suitable for the formation of a mattress and that solves said technical inconveniences.
In particular, it is the aim of the present invention to provide an innovative type of layer 1 which is provided with incisions arranged in correct positions and of such sizes as to optimize the aeration effect without incurring risks of tear of the mattress itself.
These and other aims are reached with the present layer l as per claim 1.
The layer 1 comprises a plurality of incisions (10) passing through its entire thickness and arranged in succession one after the other along the direction of development of the incision. They are placed at intervals between them of a distance (dx) and form at least a line (20, 30) of incisions, preferably two or more lines of incisions parallel between them and spaced one from the other of a pitch (dy).
In such a manner, in correspondence of the application of a traction (T) to the layer (1) substantially orthogonal to said line (20, 30) of incisions, the incisions open to form, each one, a passing opening, each incision having a pre-determined length (L).
It has been surprisingly found that the geometries of the incisions indicated below, and the distribution thereof, optimize the aeration and durability effects of the layer.
In particular, the length (L) of each incision can be comprised within a range between 8 cm and 20 cm, preferably between 10 cm and 20 cm and better still between 15 cm and 20 cm, for example 18 cm.
The distance (dx) between an incision and the subsequent one, in the line, can instead be comprised within a range between 4 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 5 cm and 8 cm, for example 6 cm.
Such sizes allow to obtain an optimal compromise between the aeration effect of the layer and the durability in time of the layer itself.
Further advantages can be deduced from the dependent claims.

Brief description of drawings

Further features and advantages of the present invention will result clearer with the description that follows of some embodiments, made to illustrate but not to limit, with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows in an axonometric view a layer 1, suitable, for example, to form a mattress or a sitting of a seat, a cushion, a back and the like, provided with a plurality of incisions;
Figure 2 shows in a top view the same figure 1 and highlights the offsetting (Dx) between a line and the subsequent line of incisions;
Figure 3 shows a portion of layer 1 on which a traction T is applied in an orthogonal direction to that of development of the incisions in such a way that the incisions open;
Figure 4 shows some geometrical features of the incisions obtained, made to optimize the durability and the aeration of the layer 1;
Figure 5 shows a realization of a mattress in accordance with the invention,
Figure 6 shows in an axonometric view the solution of the mattress of figure 5 in which a tear on the layer 6 is realized to highlight the underlying open incisions and obtained in the intermediate layer 1.

Description of some preferred embodiments

In accordance with the invention, figure 1 shows a layer 1 of a pouring material in mould, such as polyurethane, polyurethane foams, latex and the like.
The polyurethane material can be of any type, for example "memory form" or anyway any other type of viscoelastic polyurethane of different densities and lifts.
The polyurethane material is, per sé, well known in the state of the art and is not the object of the present application, therefore it will not be further described in detail here.
The layer 1 can geometrically be of any shape and size, comprised the thickness, the length and the width.
The layer 1 forms a superior surface 2 and an inferior surface 3 spaced one from the other through the thickness of the layer itself.
Always as shown in figure 1, the layer 1, of a predetermined length and width, foresees a plurality of incisions distributed on its surface and passing through its entire thickness.
As described in the state of the art, such incisions, when realized, are made with a sort of thin blade so that the incision in fact remains closed on itself. The incisions are capable of opening as soon as a traction is applied in an orthogonal or substantially orthogonal direction to the direction of formation of the incision itself since the two edge get far one from the other.
To that aim, figure 2 shows, precisely, in a top view, such a layer of material which is provided with said plurality of incisions 10. The same solution of figure 2 shows a traction T applied to the two opposite sides of the layer in an orthogonal direction to that of development of the incision. As a consequence, the layer 1 extends and the size of its sides 4 increases through an opening of the incisions that thus form passing passages for the air through the entire thickness of the layer itself.
Going further into the detail of the invention, figure 2 shows the incisions that are arranged according to rows parallel between them.
For clarity purposes, figure 2 shows two rows 20 and 30 of incisions parallel between them and taken as a reference.
Generally, as shown in figure 2, the lines of incisions are offset between them of a pre-determined quantity (Dx).
In particular, as shown in figure 2, the line 20 is offset with respect to the line 30 so that an incision of the line 20 is not found exactly overlapped to the incision of the line 30 but they result between them only partially overlapped or not overlapped (according to the sizes of incisions and distances between an incision and the subsequent one).
This type of offsetting is generally, but not necessarily, kept constant between a line and the other one in an alternate manner.
In such a manner, an offsetting is sought to be obtained so that a line, for example line 30, is made of incisions entirely contained within the surface 2 in such a way as to leave a margin of full material between the two incisions that are nearer to the sides 4 of the surface. The overlying line and the underlying one are instead offset of such a quantity Dx in such a way that the last incisions intercept the sides 4 (or at least that an incision intercept a side 4) .
In such a manner, the combined effect of favouring the opening of the incisions, and therefore the extension of the layer 1 in the direction of traction is obtained, without risking an excessive weakening of the layer 1 itself.
If, in fact, all the incisions were distributed in such a way that neither of them intercepted an edge 4 of the layer 1, the effect of expansion of the layer 1 in the direction of traction T, following the application of such a traction T, would be minimal with a consequent lacking opening of the incisions.
If, instead, all the lines were such so that the two extreme incisions fell on the edge, then there would be a risk of excessive expansion of the layer 1 with the risk of tear thereof.
A solution as that described represents an optimal compromise.
Having said that, it has been surprisingly found that the further following geometries, described below, have a significant advantage in optimising the aeration without causing an excessive weakening of the layer itself.
With particular reference to figure 4, in order to obtain said technical effects, the length (L) of the slot can be comprised within a range between 8 cm and 20 cm, preferably between 10 cm and 20 cm and better still between 15 cm and 20 cm.
In particular, the incision comprised within said range between 10 cm and 20 cm, in particular that comprised between 15 cm and 20 cm, allows to optimize the volume of air trapped in the slots, following traction, without creating an excessive weakening. Moreover, following the alternate offsetting Dx in the direction of the lines (20, 30), there is at least a slot of end that falls on the side 4 and that is alternated with a slot that does not fall on the side 4. In this way, an optimization on the expansion of the layer 1 is obtained, without risking tears and with an optimized aeration effect.
For said reasons, a particularly optimal value foresees an exact length (L) of 18 cm using, preferably, but not necessarily, a blade of a thickness of about 8 mm.
The offsetting distance Dx of the lines is generally fixed as half of the length L of incision selected.
The distance (dx) in a line of incisions, between an incision and the subsequent one, can be comprised within a range between 4 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 5 cm and 8 cm.
A particularly optimal measure for the present aims is for example of 6 cm.
In particular, the optimal distance (dx) of 6 cm, with incisions of a length of about is cm and an offsetting Dx equal to the half of the length L (therefore 9 cm) allows to optimize the results.
Distances (dx) inferior to the 4 cm would weaken too much the layer 1 since they would result in too many incisions and too near one from the other, above all if combined with slots of a length of about 18 cm.
The distance (dy) between a line of incisions and the subsequent one (that is the pitch) can be variable. In general, the pitch can be selected on the basis of the material used and of the extension that wants to be obtained, always up to the limit in which the product is not weakened,
A pitch (dry) that can be used as a good compromise is comprised within a range between 3 cm and 5 cm, preferably from 4 cm to 5 cm and better still of 4 cm or 4,5 cm.
Going on with the structural description of the invention, the layer of figure 1 can be assembled in different ways in order to form a mattress or a cushion or anyway a surface on which to extend the body or parts of the body.
In a first solution, the layer 1 is interposed between a superior layer 60 and an inferior layer 60 whose aim is that of keeping in position of traction, with the incisions open, the intermediate layer 1.
In particular, once the mattress is tensed in such a way as to keep the slots open, the layer 60 (for example by glueing) is fixed, for example, to the surface 2. The layer 60 has to be a surface that corresponds to that of the layer 1 tensed and such a rigidness as to impede the layer 1 to have an elastic return to the rest position. In this manner, the conformation with the incisions expanded is kept.
The material of the layer 60 can be the same polyurethane. By modifying the thicknesses and sizes of the layer 60 it can be obtained that it obliges to a permanent tension state, with the slots open, the layer 1 when glued on it.
The layer 60 itself can, in turn, be provided with a plurality of holes for the aeration.
Subsequently, in the same manner, the same layer 60 is applied, also to the opposite face 3.
In this manner, as per the cutaway of figure 6, a mattress that is perfectly perspiring is obtained, since the "core" 1 is provided with such open incisions.
In the same manner, a variant of the invention that is particularly important can foresee the application of the layer 1 directly on a traditional spring mattress.
In this way, an extremely advantageous solution is obtained that combines the features of a traditional spring mattress with a foamy material mattress. In particular, the durability of a spring mattress combined with the comfort effect of a foamy material mattress is obtained. Exactly as for the case described above, the layer 1 is extended and fixed on the underlying spring mattress in such a way that the incisions open according to the direction of traction.
The same can be said for other products such as cushions and seats in general.

Claims

A layer (1) of a pouring material in mould, such as polyurethane, polyurethane foams, latex and the like, for the formation of a mattress, said layer comprising a plurality of incisions (10) passing through its entire thickness and arranged in succession one after the other along the direction of development of the incision and at intervals between them of a distance (dx) in such a way as to form at least a line (20, 30) of incisions, preferably two or more lines of incisions parallel between them and spaced between them of a pitch (dy) , in such a way that, in correspondence of the application of a traction (T) to the layer (1) substantially orthogonal to said line (20, 30) of incisions, the incisions open to form, each one, a passing opening, each incision having a pre-determined length (L), characterised in that the length (L) of each incision is comprised within a range between 8 cm and 20 cm, preferably between 10 cm and 20 cm and better still between 15 cm and 20 cm, for example 18 cm, said intervals distance (dx) between the incisions (10) being comprised within a range between 4 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 5 cm and 8 cm, for example 6 cm.
A layer (1), as per claim 1, wherein in the case of two or more lines of incisions, the pitch (dy) is comprised within a range between 3 cm and 5 cm, preferably 4 cm,
A layer (1), as per claim 2, wherein the offsetting (Dx) between the lines (10, 20) is equal to half of the length (L) of the slots.
A layer (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said layer (1) is of a polyurethane, material.
A mattress or a cushion comprising a layer (1) as per one or more of the preceding claims from 1 to 4.
A mattress or a cushion, as per claim 5, wherein at least a layer (60) is foreseen, fixed to the layer (1) in such a way as to oblige the layer (1) to keep itself in an embodiment in which the slots are open.
A mattress or a cushion, as per claim 6, wherein a further layer (60) is foreseen fixed to the opposite face of the layer (1) in such a way that the layer (1) results comprised between the two layers (60).
A mattress or a cushion, as per claims 6 or 7, wherein the layer (60) is of a polyurethane material.
A mattress or a cushion, as per one or more of the preceding claims from 6 to 8, wherein the layer (60) is provided with a plurality of holes for the aeration.
A mattress or a cushion, as per one or more of the preceding claims from 5 to 9, wherein the layer (1) is fixed to a surface of a spring mattress, preferably the surface on which the user lies, in an embodiment in which the slots result to be open.