EP3037019B1 - Spring element - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a spring element, in particular for use in a spring mattress or in a lower mattress, with a base, a cover plate and a arranged between the base and top plate spring body, wherein the cover plate comprises at least two parts, which during compression of the spring element transversely to the spring direction remove each other.

Such spring elements are used in particular for lower mattresses instead of slats or in conjunction with slats. In addition to the punctiform resolution achieved thereby, the stability of the spring elements is particularly important.

WO 99/03379 A2 discloses a spring element having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The invention has for its object to improve the aforementioned spring element.

This object is achieved in that the cover plate parts are each provided with a coupling element, and that is provided with the coupling element coupled or couplable connecting element which connects at least two cover plate parts together and the way the cover plate parts relative to each other either more or less limited and / or the movement optionally opposes a more or less large opposing force. The Cover plate can thereby releasably or firmly, for example in one piece, be connected to the spring body.

By selectively adjustable coupling of the cover plate parts an advantageous hardness setting for the spring element is realized. When the cover plate parts are less limited in their relative movement, that is, if they have a large mobility opposite each other, or if the movement is opposed by a less large opposing force, the spring element relative to a load acting on the spring element, relatively resilient. In contrast, the spring element is relatively stiff with respect to a load when the cover plate parts are more limited in their relative movement, ie when they have a small mobility opposite each other, or when the movement is opposed by a greater opposing force. As a result, the stiffness of a single spring element can be adapted to the individual needs of a user of a mattress, for example, reversibly and by the user. A mattress or spring mattress with a spring element according to the invention can thus be flexibly adjusted in their punctual hardness, which increases the sleeping comfort and the burden on the body of a sleeper can be reduced.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the subclaims and will become apparent from the following description.

In one embodiment, the connecting elements are rigid. This can safely limit the path of the cover plate parts. Alternatively, the connecting elements can be made elastic, whereby a counter to the movement of opposing force can be applied as a resilient restoring force in a structurally simple manner. In addition, a noise can be avoided by an elastic connecting element, which due to a stop of the coupling elements against their Wegbegrenzung in the connecting element, e.g. in the form of a "clack", can occur.

In a further embodiment, the coupling elements each comprise a nose, which optionally engage in one of at least two grooves of the associated connecting element, wherein the length of the grooves in the relative direction of movement the cover plate parts are different from each other. The cover plate parts are guided with their nose securely in the grooves of the connecting element, so that a defined mobility of the cover plate parts is ensured relative to each other. Due to the different length of the grooves, which limit the movement of the cover plate parts on the noses, the cover plate parts are optionally different degrees of movement, depending on which of the different lengths of grooves the lugs are engaged. The grooves are designed in particular as elongated holes, which can be easily introduced into the connecting element. The grooves extend in particular transversely or radially to the central axis of the spring element. The lugs can also be provided on the connecting elements and optionally engage in one of at least two grooves on the cover plate parts.

In a preferred embodiment, the grooves are arranged next to one another around a central axis of the spring element viewed, in particular immediately adjacent to each other. The connecting elements are rotatable about this axis relative to the cover plate parts. By twisting the connecting elements can thus be a respective nose in a simple manner out of engagement with a groove and into engagement with another, adjacent groove, so that a different mobility of the plate members and thus a different stiffness of the spring element is achieved.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, three or more cover plate parts are arranged around a central axis of the spring element and a common connecting element is provided for all cover plate parts. The construction can be carried out easily and inexpensively.

In a further embodiment, the common connecting element comprises a disc or a ring which is connected to the cover plate so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the spring element. Such Disc or such a ring can be well for a rotary motion and requires only a small height. Thus, a substantially flat surface of the spring element can be achieved, which ensures, for example, a good sleeping comfort.

The disk or ring preferably consists of two parts or comprises two parts, which are arranged above and below central portions of the cover plate parts and preferably detachably connected to one another. The two parts, in particular an upper part and a lower part, so can cover the cover plate parts in sections. As a result, the cover plate becomes stiffer relative to a Relativschiebung the cover plate parts against each other with respect to a plane perpendicular to the extension plane of the cover plate axis. This, in turn, causes a tilting of the cover plate is difficult and the spring element springs mainly in its desired, in particular in the vertical direction.

The two parts of the disc or ring are in particular clipped together, whereby the two parts can be joined easily and securely. A solubility of the parts of the disc or the ring leads to an extended adjustment of the hardness or the stiffness of the spring element. In this case, a relatively low rigidity is achieved by loosening the parts, ie by disassembly of the connecting element, which can be regarded as a separate, particularly soft setting the hardness setting. In addition, the adjustability of the hardness can be canceled by loosening the parts. The hardness adjustability is therefore optional in this case.

In a further embodiment, means are provided by which the disc against rotation from a selected rotational position can be secured out. Thus, a selected hardness setting for the spring element can be securely maintained. Preferably, these means are designed as locking elements, which in particular interact with the lugs of the cover plate parts to secure the rotational position.

In yet another embodiment, the coupling elements are provided in mutually facing edge portions of the cover plate parts. In other words, the coupling elements can be arranged in a central portion of the cover plate. As a result, the connecting elements can be made relatively small.

In another embodiment, connecting parts are present between adjacent cover plate parts. As a result, a disintegration of the cover plate in the absence of the connecting element, so e.g. during assembly, be prevented. In addition, the stiffness of the cover plate relative to a relative displacement of the cover plate parts relative to one another in the vertical direction can be increased. The connecting parts are preferably elastic, in particular elastic in a direction transverse to the central axis, executed in order to ensure a certain mobility of the cover plate parts relative to each other.

In another embodiment, the coupling elements are provided on the connecting parts, whereby a greater mobility of the coupling element and the cover plate parts and thus a lower hardness of the spring element is achieved because a coupling element can cover a greater distance.

In one embodiment, the connecting parts between the cover plate parts are formed as a particular arcuate struts, which is particularly advantageous effect on the elastic restoring force of elastic connecting parts.

The cover plate can be designed as a separate sub-element of the spring element. As a result, different materials for spring body and cover plate can be used. Thus, good suspension properties of the spring element, e.g. despite a stiff or hard cover plate reach. Furthermore, it is possible for the cover plate parts to be fixedly connected to the spring body, in particular in one piece. Thereby, a rotation of the cover plate can be avoided relative to the spring body.

Fig. 1

ein Federelement in einer Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 2

die Deckplatte und ein Verbindungselement des Federelements der Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Deckplatte und eines Verbindungselements, und

Fig. 4

noch eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Deckplatte und eines Verbindungselements.

Further embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described below. They show, in schematic view in each case,

Fig. 1

a spring element in an exploded view,

Fig. 2

the cover plate and a connecting element of the spring element of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

a further embodiment of a cover plate and a connecting element, and

Fig. 4

Yet another embodiment of a cover plate and a connecting element.

In Fig. 1 a spring element 10 with a base 12, a spring body 16, a cover plate 14 of four cover plate parts 18 and a common connecting element 22 is shown. The base 12 connects the spring arms 17 of the spring body 16 with each other. The spring arms 17 of the spring body 16 each have support elements 38 on their side facing the cover plate 14, on which respective cover plate parts 18 rest and are supported. The cover plate parts 18 are each with two other cover plate parts 18 as arcuate Stay connected 24 executed connecting parts, so that the cover plate parts 18 together form the cover plate 14. The arcuate struts 24 are each partially enclosed by a connecting element 22 in the assembled state of the spring element, which is designed in the form of a two-part disc with an upper part 28 and a lower part 30.

The cover plate parts 18 are arranged distributed uniformly around a central axis I of the spring element 10 around. The central axis I extends perpendicular to the plane of extension of the cover plate 14 and in the image vertically and extends through the center of gravity of the cover plate. The central axis I defines a preferred loading direction of the spring element, namely vertically from top to bottom and in the center of the spring body 16.

On the struts 24 are designed as lugs 20 executed coupling elements. Tabs 20 extend upwardly and downwardly to cooperate at the top with grooves 26 of the top 28 of the disc and below with grooves 26 of the bottom 30 of the disc to limit the travel of the top plate members 18. In this case, a respective nose 20 engage in one of three adjacently arranged grooves 26 of different lengths.

The three adjacent grooves 26 together form a slotted guide for a respective lug 20. The grooves 26 extend radially to the central axis I of the spring element 10 and thus allow mobility of the engaging lug 20 relative to the connecting element 22 also in the radial direction. The three grooves 26 of a respective slotted guide connect directly to each other and are not separated by a wall or the like. The link guide associated with the nose 20 can thus be selectively moved between the grooves 26 relative to the connecting element 22 to allow the nose 20 different range of motion. The shortest of the grooves 26 of the respective slotted guide describes in its form only a circle and allows no or only a minimal movement of the nose 20 relative to the connecting element 22 when the nose 20 is in engagement with the smallest groove 26. The grooves 26 are sorted in length and arranged in a stepped manner from the longest groove 26 toward the shortest groove 26 of a respective slotted guide.

A relative to the central axis I radial movement of a nose 20 in one of the grooves 26 is transmitted via the struts 24, which are designed to be flexible, in a direction perpendicular to the central axis I but transverse to the direction of movement of the nose 20 extending movement of the cover plate parts 18. Conversely, an outwardly directed lateral force which acts on one or more cover plate parts forces the nose 20 outwardly beyond the struts 24. However, this movement of the nose 20 outwards is limited by the slotted guide of the connecting element 22. In other words, the cover plate parts 18 virtually float on the support elements 38, but are limited in their movements transversely to the central axis I by the lugs 12 which are guided in the grooves 26, via the elastic struts 24. Depending on how much freedom of movement the respective lugs 20 have in one of the grooves 26, the cover plate parts 18 are thus granted a different mobility. With little mobility of the cover plate parts 18 relative to one another, the spring element 10 is comparatively stiff with respect to a load. In contrast, the spring element 10 is relatively yielding with high mobility of the cover plate parts 18th

In order to adjust the range of motion of a respective lug 20 comfortably, the connecting element 22 relative to the cover plate 14 is rotatably mounted about the central axis I. The rigidity of the spring element 10 can thus be adjusted simply by turning the connecting element 22 in three stages 26 assigned to different lengths. The struts 24 are each reduced in height in a section facing the central axis I. This reduction in height forms a circular recess in the cover plate 14, whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the upper part 28.

Thereby, the connecting element 22 is rotatably mounted between the shoulders, so the edges of the circular recess. In addition, the depth of the circular recess corresponds to the height of the upper part, so that the upper part 28 is flush with the surface of the cover plate parts 18. The cover plate 14 thus forms a substantially flat surface without elevations, e.g. could affect the sleeping comfort or the introduction of the spring force from above.

The upper part 28 and the lower part 30 have a plurality of clip elements 34 and / or a plurality of clip receptacles 36 in order to be fixed via a clip connection relative to each other in all directions. In order to achieve a rotation of the connecting element 22, therefore, a torque needs to be applied to the central axis I only on one of the connecting disk parts 28, 30. The clip elements 34 are designed as snap hooks and the clip receptacles 36 are designed as snap hook receptacles.

In Fig. 2 are the cover plate 14 and the lower part 30 of the connecting element 22 of the Fig. 1 shown enlarged and assembled. For better clarity, the curved strut 24 shown on the left is shown cut out in the region of the connecting element 22. The downwardly directed lugs 20 of the struts 24 are in the in Fig. 2 shown position of the connecting element 22 relative to the cover plate 14 in engagement with the shortest of the grooves 26. They thus have a minimum or small mobility and the spring element 10 is relatively stiff in this position.

In Fig. 3 an alternative embodiment of a cover plate 14 with a connecting element 22 is shown. The cover plate parts 18 are not here as in Fig. 1 and 2 integrally connected. Instead, the cover plate parts 18 constitute separate elements of the cover plate 14, which are held opposite each other only by the connecting element 22 and the spring body. A respective cover plate part 18 has an upward and a downward Nose 20, which are arranged on an arcuate and reduced in height arm 19 of the cover plate member 18 and engage in grooves 26 of the connecting element 22. The reductions in the height of the individual arms 19 together form a circular recess, which is adapted to the disc shape of the upper part 28 of the connecting element and rotatably supports this relative to the cover plate 14.

Between each adjacent grooves 26 of a respective slotted guide of the connecting element 22 narrow elongated elevations are provided which form latching elements 32. The locking elements 32 are elastically overcome by the corresponding nose 20 during the proper rotation of the connecting element 22, and then secure the nose 20 in the now achieved groove 26th

The disc-shaped connecting element 22 comprises an upper part 28 and a lower part 30, which can be firmly clipped together by means of clip elements 34 and clip receivers 36 and thereby enclose the arms 19 of the cover plate parts 18 from above and below.

Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of a cover plate 14, in which four cover plate parts 18 are arranged around a central axis I around. A respective cover plate part 18 has on its side facing the central axis I a tongue 21 on which an upwardly directed nose 20 and a downwardly directed nose 20 respectively for engagement with a groove 26 of an upper part 28 and a lower part 30 of a connecting element 22 are arranged. The respective tongues 21 are reduced in height, whereby the tongues 21 together have a circular recess, which forms a rotary guide for the disk-shaped connecting element 22. In a respective lug 20, two arcuate struts 24 are integrally formed on the tongue 21, which elastically connect the cover plate part 18 with two adjacent cover plate parts 18.

A respective slotted guide of the connecting element 22 has in this embodiment, four grooves 26 which extend radially with respect to the central axis I and are arranged immediately adjacent. In this case, the grooves 26 touch only in a radially inner, ie the central axis I facing area. A arranged in the slotted guide nose 20 can thus be moved only between the grooves 26 when the nose 20 is located in this inner region of the slotted guide. A rotation of the connecting element 22 relative to the cover plate 14 is therefore only possible if the spring element 10 is unloaded. As a result, the connecting element 22 is secured against undesired twisting during use. All the grooves 26 of a respective connecting disk part 28, 30 start in this radially inner region and at an inner edge thereof. The inner edge forms the circumference of a central recess of the upper part 28. In the unloaded state of the spring element 10 can thus be selected between all four grooves 26 of a respective slotted guide and thus between four stages of the stiffness of the spring element 10.

The upper part 28 has four clip elements 34 and four clip receptacles 36. In contrast, the lower part 30 also has four clip elements 34 and four clip receptacles 36 in a complementary manner. The upper part 28 and the lower part 30 can thus via a double clip connection in comparison to the embodiments of Fig. 1 to 3 get connected. In this case, the clip elements 34 of the upper part 28 engage in the clip receptacles 36 of the lower part 30 a locking and the clip elements 34 of the lower part 30 engage in the clip holders 36 of the upper part 28 a locking.

LIST OF REFERENCES

10

spring element

12

Base

14

cover plate

16

spring body

18

Covering sheet member

19

poor

20

nose

21

tongue

22

connecting member

24

strut

26

groove

28

top

30

lower part

32

locking element

34

clip element

36

clips recording

38

support element

I

central axis

Claims (12)

1. A spring element (10), in particular for use in an innerspring mattress or in an undermattress, comprising a base (12), a cover plate (14) and a spring body (16) arranged between the base (12) and the cover plate (14), wherein the cover plate (14) comprises at least two parts (18) which move away from one another transversely to the spring direction on the deflection of the spring element (10),
   characterized in that
   the cover plate parts (18) are each provided with a coupling element (20); and in that a connection element (22) is provided which is coupled to or couplable to the coupling element (20), which connects at least two cover plate parts (18) to one another and which selectively more or less bounds the path of the cover plate parts (18) relative to one another and/or selectively opposes the movement with a more or less large counter-force.
2. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the connection elements (22) are formed as rigid or elastic.
3. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2,
   characterized in that
   the coupling elements (20) each comprise a nose, which noses selectively engage into one of at least two grooves (26), in particular elongate holes, of the associated connection element (22); or in that the coupling elements each comprise at least two grooves, in particular elongate holes, into which a nose provided at the associated connection element selectively engages, with the lengths of the grooves (26) differing in size in the relative direction of movement of the cover plate parts (18) with respect to one another.
4. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 3,
   characterized in that
   the grooves (26) are arranged next to one another, in particular directly adjoining one another, viewed about a central axis (I) of the spring element (10); and in that the connection elements (22) are rotatable about this axis (I) relative to the cover plate parts (18).
5. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 3 or claim 4,
   characterized in that
   three or more cover plate parts (18) are arranged about a central axis (I) of the spring element (10); and in that a common connection element (22) is provided for all of the cover plate parts (18).
6. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 5,
   characterized in that
   the common connection element (22) comprises a disk or a ring which is connected to the cover plate (18) and which is rotatably supported about the central axis (I) of the spring element (10).
7. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 6,
   characterized in that
   the disk or the ring comprises two parts (28, 30) which are arranged above and below central sections of the cover plate parts (18) and which are preferably releasably connected to one another, in particular clipped together.
8. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 6 or claim 7,
   characterized in that
   means by which the disk can be secured against a rotation from a selected rotational position, in particular latch elements (32), are provided.
9. A spring element (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   coupling elements (20) are provided in mutually facing marginal sections of the cover plate parts (18).
10. A spring element (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    connection parts (24), in particular elastic connection parts (24), are present between adjacent cover plate parts (18).
11. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 10,
    characterized in that
    coupling elements (20) are provided at the connection parts (24).
12. A spring element (10) in accordance with claim 10 or claim 11,
    characterized in that
    the connection parts (24) between the cover plate parts (18) are configured as slats which are in particular arcuate slats, stiff slats or elastic slats.

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