EP3248511B1

EP3248511B1 - Improved mattress core and mattress having said core

Info

Publication number: EP3248511B1
Application number: EP17382292.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alfonso Solans Solans
Original assignee: Pikolin SA
Current assignee: Pikolin SA
Priority date: 2016-05-23
Filing date: 2017-05-22
Publication date: 2018-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 2037-05-22
Also published as: ES2714212T3; EP3248511A1

Description

The present invention relates to a novel technology applied to the core of a mattress and to mattresses comprising said core.
The term mattress core means the inner part of the mattress, which acts as a support giving the mattress as a whole its characteristic firmness. One or more layers are added on top of the core, providing different levels of comfort. The core is therefore the main component of the mattress. Five types of mattress are currently known, based on the different types of core: sprung mattresses, foam mattresses, latex mattresses, air mattresses and water mattresses. In the case of sprung mattresses, the core consists of a series of helical springs joined together. In the case of foam and latex mattresses, the core consists of a piece of the aforementioned material, whilst in the case of air and water mattresses the core is a pocket containing the fluid in question (air or water). US3618144 A describes a mattress core from the prior art. However, despite these being the technologies that have dominated the sector for years as components forming the core of the mattresses, the reality is that they lack some characteristics that would be highly valued within the sector.
One of these would be the recyclability of the mattress core. Nowadays, only sprung cores are recyclable, which constitutes a problem when it comes to ending the life cycle of the product and complying with increasingly strict environmental standards, which are expected to be stricter in future.
An object of the present invention is therefore to disclose a novel technology for mattress cores, offering the possibility of recyclability once their life cycle is ended, as well as zoning and adjustment of comfort.
Furthermore, the present invention allows a mattress to be designed having customisable firmness according to the needs and wishes of the end user.
The present invention is defined in claim 1 and comprises a mattress core that, in a novel manner, comprises a plurality of profiles of constant cross-section, made of resilient materials. Preferably, the profiles are hollow and define a chamber for air and/or another gas. More preferably, the profiles are joined together.
The present invention distinguishes itself from the structures traditionally used as a base for constructing the mattress support. Consequently, the present invention proposes the use of materials having resilient properties, preferably plastics, in the form of parts, in particular profiles, that can be produced by an extrusion process. An additionally innovative concept of the present invention lies in the use of hollow pieces of a flexible plastics material for producing a mattress core.
The present invention is based on the use of profiles of constant cross-section that have a resilient element allowing the distance between the bases to be changed. The variation in distance between bases makes it possible to take advantage of the inflow and outflow of air from a chamber, to regulate the response of the mattress.
In an especially advantageous manner, the profiles comprise a lower base and an upper base. The upper base receives the weight of the user, and the lower one acts as a support, with at least one wall joining them. Preferably, said wall has a resilient element of variable length, such that the variation in the length of the resilient element changes the distance between the aforementioned upper and lower bases. The resilient element can, for example, be a curved wall, or an accordion-shaped wall.
According to one aspect, the present invention which is defined in claim 1, discloses the production by profile extrusion of a profile such that hollow channels are defined, housing within them a gas, advantageously air. The main core of the mattress can be formed by a predetermined number of extruded profiles (varying in number depending on the size of the mattress) joined together by clipping or other fixing. The present invention also provides for the profiles to be produced concurrently in the same extrusion process.
More particularly, the present invention also discloses a mattress core comprising a plurality of profiles having a constant cross-section, in which mattress core the profiles are made from a resilient material, each profile comprising a lower base and an upper base and at least one wall joining said bases and defining a chamber filled with air or another gas and which mattress core comprises a resilient element of variable length, such that the variation in the length of the resilient element changes the distance between the aforementioned upper and lower bases.
Preferably, the aforementioned resilient element comprises at least one wall connecting the aforementioned upper and lower bases and the extension of which wall between the two bases has a component that is not perpendicular to the bases.
More preferably, said wall comprises a cylindrical wall, said cylindrical wall defining the aforementioned chamber.
In a particular embodiment, each profile can also comprise sections of wall in addition to the cylindrical wall and joining the aforementioned upper and lower bases. The aforementioned sections of wall can be sections that directly join the two upper and lower bases, or sections that join the cylindrical wall to the aforementioned upper and lower bases.
The profiles can be joined together, or separate, or grouped in blocks.
Advantageously, the profiles can be joined together by means of the aforementioned additional walls, the upper and/or lower bases not being joined between profiles.
In one embodiment, at least one of the profiles is open to the outside via its ends, such that air can pass freely inside it and through its ends.
The present invention also allows at least one of the profiles to have caps at its ends.
The core according to the present invention can have a portion made exclusively from the aforementioned profiles.
In accordance with the present invention, the aforementioned profiles are extruded profiles. This facilitates manufacture, resulting in resilient profiles of constant cross-section, sealed at their sides and open at their ends. Because of their structure, profiles of this type provide a hitherto unknown comfort response.
The profiles of the core according to the present invention can be arranged longitudinally or transversely relative to the main or greatest length of the mattress. In the longitudinal arrangement, each profile is arranged along the aforementioned main length. The transverse arrangement is perpendicular to this.
By using a longitudinal configuration of profiles, a uniform distribution of pressure can be achieved, which is close to the ideal case of isobaric lines when the sleeper is still. The block according to the present invention can be divided into completely isolated chambers, the longitudinal dimension of which is much greater than the transverse cross-section.
The present invention also has the advantage that the profiles joined together exert little influence on the perpendicular movement of the profiles. This has the consequence that each profile performs its function with little effect on the adjacent profiles. This makes it possible, especially in this configuration, to isolate the support of each of two sleepers lying on the same mattress, achieving what is known in the sector as bed independence.
The material forming the profiles, and also their geometry, has a major influence on the behaviour of the whole. Consequently, advantage can be taken of this property to implement zones of differing rigidity depending on the material and design of the profile. A transverse configuration of profiles is useful for achieving greater adaptability to the outline of the sleeper's body, creating different zones.
With regard to the ends of the profiles, the present invention provides two main aspects: a first one, in which the profiles are open at their ends. In this case, the comfort of the core is achieved by the resilient properties of the material from which the profile has been extruded. A second aspect, in which the ends of the profile have flow control means that are sealed so that the air is also used for providing comfort, since they form an airtight chamber.
In this latter possibility, the profiles can be connected together, in addition to sealing, by means of a valve system (including a pump) such that the air pressure is equalled out at all points and, where necessary, can even be controlled, achieving a core with configurable comfort. By controlling the air pressure within the profile, the firmness thereof is controlled, resulting in configurable comfort.
The air flow control means can comprise valves providing different degrees of resistance to the passage of the fluid entering and leaving the profile. Optionally, at least one of the ends can be connected to a pump in order to vary the pressure of a fluid in the gaseous state inside the profiles.
Alternatively, the profile can be sealed at its ends, preventing air from entering or leaving through the aforementioned ends, such that an airtight hollow chamber is defined within the profile and extends along the whole length thereof between ends.
In a preferred embodiment, the profiles are made of different materials having different resilient properties, such that they have different levels of firmness from each other.
In another preferred embodiment, the profiles have different thicknesses and/or geometry, such that they have different levels of firmness from each other.
Once the different profiles of resilient material covering the whole surface of the mattress and forming the core have been configured, the remaining components that form the parts of a mattress (padded caps, sides, bottoms etc.) can be added to this core. Nevertheless, given the technological novelty of the present invention, the mattress core constructed in this way can have a totally different appearance from that which already exists in the market.
A core formed by extruded profiles made of resilient thermoplastic material (PVC, TPE, SBS etc.) is a fully recyclable core, since said materials can be reused afterwards.
In a preferred embodiment, the core comprises a first zone having the aforementioned profiles and a second zone having helical springs or foam or latex or an air or water mattress.
More preferably, the first zone and the second zone are configured as two superimposed layers.
The present invention also comprises mattresses having the core according to the present invention.
To aid understanding, explanatory yet non-limiting drawings are included of an embodiment of the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of a portion of mattress core made from resilient thermoplastic material that can be used according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the exemplary embodiment from Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation view of the example.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second example of an extrusion profile made from resilient thermoplastic material that can be used according to the present invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of an example of a mattress core formed by profiles joined by being clipped together, in a transverse arrangement.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an example of a core in which some of the profiles are sealed at their ends, creating airtight chambers.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of an example of a mattress core formed by transverse profiles clipped together and in which two blocks are connected together, such that pressure is equalled out in the profiles.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of an example of a mattress core formed by transverse profiles clipped together and connected by means of a valve, such that the air can be controlled such that it enters the profile freely but is only able to leave above a given pressure.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of an example of a mattress core formed by transverse profiles clipped together and connected by means of a pump, such that the pressure within the profiles can be controlled.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of an example of a traditional mattress core (foam, in the example) including zones formed by transverse profiles extruded from resilient material.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of an example of a traditional mattress core (foam, in the example) to which is added an extra comfort layer formed by transverse profiles extruded from resilient material.

Figure 1 to 3 show an example of a portion of mattress core composed of a plurality of profiles -1- that can be used in the present invention. The profile in the example can be produced by extruding a resilient plastics material, preferably thermoplastic material. The profile -1- is a hollow profile having a substantially constant cross-section. The profile -1- has two bases -11-, -12-, which can be referred to as the upper base -11- and the lower base -12-. The bases are connected together by a tubular wall -501-, made of resilient material. The tubular wall extends between bases, with one component being perpendicular to the bases and another, parallel component, which increases the elastic response. Furthermore, the tubular wall defines an inner space for air or gas.
In particular, the profiles -1- of the core sector shown comprise an upper base -11- and a lower base -12-. Both the upper base -11- and the lower base -12- are horizontal, the upper base -11- being the one that receives the load to be supported, the lower base -12- supporting the core. The bases -11-, -12- of each profile -1- are not joined directly to the bases of the adjacent profiles, such that each upper base -11- can move vertically without affecting the adjacent base. The bases -11-, -12- of each profile in the example are joined together by means of two side walls -13- and -14- and by means of a tubular wall -501- located between the two side walls -13-, -14-. The side walls -13-, -14- are optional and can have variations in their design. The side walls -13-, -14- are slightly bent so as to favour resilient behaviour, i.e., allow variation of the distance between the upper base -11- and the lower base -12-. This is due to there being sections of wall that are not strictly perpendicular to the bases, but oblique thereto. Similarly, the cylindrical wall is continuous and provides a resilient function and creates a chamber -502- intended to contain air or another gas. Given that it is the walls joining the bases that provide the elastic response, the variation in volume produced by moving the bases closer together or further apart can be used to regulate the firmness of the elastic response or to provide a cushioning component to the elastic response. If the air chamber (defined in this case by the tubular wall -501-) is left open at its ends, behaviour that is yielding and with hardly any cushioning is achieved. If its ends are capped, for example by caps -2-, a firm behaviour is obtained. If obstacles to the entry/exit of air are placed (for example by providing the cap -2- with a hole) (not shown in the figures), a cushioning behaviour is produced; by combining elements such as valves, it is possible to produce different compression and decompression behaviours (emptying/filling the chamber with air). The pressure of the chambers can also be regulated by means of a pump. In these cases, the behaviour of the profile is, to a certain extent, similar to that of an air mattress, with the exception of having an additional resilient behaviour because the force exerted by the core is not exclusively a function of the pressure of the fluid. However, when the ends of the profile are open, there is only resilient behaviour, as is the case with sprung mattresses.
Finally, the side walls -13-, -14- of adjacent profiles are joined together by means of horizontal bridges -503-.
As has been indicated, the side walls -13-, -14- can have different designs. It is also possible to ensure that the tubular wall -501- is not joined directly to the bases -11-, -12-, but by means of sections of wall connecting to the upper base -11- and sections of wall connecting to the lower base. In this case, the chamber can be defined exclusively by the tubular wall -501-, or by the sections of cylindrical wall and the aforementioned connecting walls as a whole.
The combination of different profiles allows a core having zoned firmness to be obtained. Thus, for example, there can be alternation between groups of profiles made from plastics having a different modulus of elasticity or having different side wall thicknesses.
Figure 4 shows an example of a profile -1- that can be used in the present invention. The profile in the example can be produced by extruding a resilient thermoplastic material. The profile -1- is a hollow profile having a substantially constant cross-section. The profile -1- has two bases -11-, -12-, which can be referred to as the upper base -11- and the lower base -12-. The bases are connected by two parallel walls -13-, -14-, made of resilient material. In order to regulate the spring-type elastic response of the profile, the parallel walls -13-, -14- are accordion-shaped. For connection between projections, each base -11-, -12- has projections -112-, -122- and recesses -111-, -121- that fit together, located on opposite sides. When recesses and projections are fitted together, it is possible to join matching profiles together by clipping. It is generally also possible to join profiles together by means of elements located on the side wall, for example.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of an example of a mattress core formed by transverse profiles -1- clipped together. The combination of different profiles allows a core having zoned firmness to be obtained. Thus, for example, there can be alternation between groups of profiles made from plastics having a different modulus of elasticity or having different side wall thicknesses.
Figure 6 shows another example of blocks similar to that in the previous figure, in which two groups of profiles have been sealed at both ends using caps -2-. The caps have a central hole -21- that can be closed, so that the air is sealed in and cannot pass via the ends of the profiles, or they can serve as a means for controlling the outflow that occurs when the user lies on the mattress and the elastic response of the profiles brings the bases of the profile closer together, reducing the hollow volume of the aforementioned profile.
Figure 7 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a mattress core formed by transverse profiles clipped together and similar to that of Figure 3, in which the blocks sealed at one of their ends with caps -2- have been connected together by means of a connection -22- that connects the central holes -21-. In this way, the pressure is equalled out in all the connected profiles.
Figure 8 shows a further, additional example of a mattress core formed by transverse profiles -1- clipped together and similar to that of Figure 4. In this example, elements that are the same as or equivalent to those in the previous examples have been identified using the same numerals and will therefore not be described in detail. The example in Figure 5 differs from the example in Figure 4 in that the blocks sealed with caps -2- are connected at one of their ends by means of a valve, so that the air pressure inside the extruded profiles can be controlled. In particular, the connection -22- between blocks is connected to the outside by means of a valve -23- and a non-return device -24-. The non-return device illustrated allows the gas (usually air) to leave when the user is lying on the mattress, but prevents air from leaving beyond a certain pressure.
Figure 9 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a mattress core formed by transverse profiles -1-clipped together and similar to that of Figure 5, in which the same or similar elements have been identified using identical numerals and will therefore not be described in depth. In the example in Figure 6, the sealed and connected blocks are connected to a pump assembly -27-.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment, in which the core has several alternating zones, with zones -9- made of a traditional material (e.g. foam) alternating with zones formed by transverse profiles -1- made from resilient material.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a core according to the present invention that comprises a first layer -8- formed by a traditional mattress core (foam, in the example) to which an extra comfort layer is added, formed by transverse profiles -1- extruded from resilient material. The profiles can be like any of the examples shown in the previous figures.
Based on the core shown in the example, it is possible to produce mattresses by covering the core with various comfort layers, which can be of a known type, or any other.
The profiles according to the present invention can create a core having multiple chambers. In turn, the profiles can be single-chamber (a single space for gas/air) or multi-chamber (several spaces).
Although the invention has been set out and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it should be understood that these do not limit the invention, and that it is possible to alter many structural or other details that may prove obvious to persons skilled in the art after interpreting the subject matter disclosed in the present description, claims and drawings. Therefore, the scope of the present invention includes any variant or equivalent that could be considered covered by the broadest scope of the following claims.

Claims

Mattress core comprising a plurality of profiles having a constant cross-section, wherein the profiles are made from a resilient material, each profile comprising a lower base and an upper base and at least one wall joining said bases and defining a chamber filled with air or another gas, and in that said mattress core comprises a resilient element of variable length, such that the variation in the length of the resilient element changes the distance between the aforementioned upper and lower bases, the aforementioned resilient element comprising at least one wall connecting the aforementioned upper and lower bases and the extension of which wall between the two bases has a component that is not perpendicular to the bases, characterised in that each profile is a extruded profile and is arranged longitudinally or transversely relative to a main length of the mattress core, each profile being continuous throughout the entire main length or width of said mattress core.
Core according to claim 1, characterised in that said wall comprises a cylindrical wall, said cylindrical wall defining the aforementioned chamber.
Core according to claim 2, characterised in that the cylindrical wall is joined directly to the aforementioned upper and lower bases.
Core according to either claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that each profile also comprises sections of wall in addition to the cylindrical wall and joining the aforementioned upper and lower bases.
Core according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the profiles are joined together.
Core according to claims 4 and 5, characterised in that the profiles are joined together by means of the aforementioned additional walls, the upper and/or lower bases not being joined between profiles.
Core according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that at least one of the profiles is open to the outside via its ends, such that air can pass freely inside it and through its ends.
Core according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that at least one of the profiles has caps at its ends.
Core according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it has a portion produced exclusively on the basis of the aforementioned profiles.
Core according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it comprises a first zone having the aforementioned profiles and a second zone having helical springs or foam or latex or an air or water mattress.
Core according to claim 10, characterised in that the first zone and the second zone are configured as two superimposed layers.
Core according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the profiles have means for controlling the flow of a fluid in a gaseous state through its ends.
Mattress comprising a core according to any one of the previous claims.