EP4098152A1 - Matelas de poche comportant un matériau en mousse intégré - Google Patents

Matelas de poche comportant un matériau en mousse intégré Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4098152A1
EP4098152A1 EP21176794.2A EP21176794A EP4098152A1 EP 4098152 A1 EP4098152 A1 EP 4098152A1 EP 21176794 A EP21176794 A EP 21176794A EP 4098152 A1 EP4098152 A1 EP 4098152A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
spring
springs
foam material
mattress
casing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP21176794.2A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP4098152C0 (fr
EP4098152B1 (fr
Inventor
Björn STERNVING
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Starsprings AB
Original Assignee
Starsprings AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to PL21176794.2T priority Critical patent/PL4098152T3/pl
Application filed by Starsprings AB filed Critical Starsprings AB
Priority to ES21176794T priority patent/ES2980764T3/es
Priority to EP21176794.2A priority patent/EP4098152B1/fr
Priority to PCT/EP2022/064049 priority patent/WO2022253638A1/fr
Priority to JP2023573632A priority patent/JP2024521206A/ja
Priority to AU2022286580A priority patent/AU2022286580A1/en
Priority to BR112023024803A priority patent/BR112023024803A2/pt
Priority to CA3220705A priority patent/CA3220705A1/fr
Priority to MX2023014272A priority patent/MX2023014272A/es
Publication of EP4098152A1 publication Critical patent/EP4098152A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP4098152C0 publication Critical patent/EP4098152C0/fr
Publication of EP4098152B1 publication Critical patent/EP4098152B1/fr
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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    • 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
    • A47C27/063—Spring inlays wrapped or otherwise protected
    • A47C27/064—Pocketed springs

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a spring mattress comprising springs enclosed in casings, a so-called pocket mattress, wherein casing materials at the ends have been connected together through the springs, thereby forming doughnut shaped enclosures/pockets.
  • the invention is also related to a method and device for producing such mattresses.
  • a common technique of making spring mattresses is the so-called pocket technique.
  • the springs are enclosed in pockets, i.e. they are individually enclosed by a casing material.
  • the springs will be relatively individually resilient so that they can flex individually without affecting the neighboring springs and, thus, the comfort to the user increases since the weight will be distributed more uniformly over the surface that receives the load.
  • a drawback of this type of mattress is, however, that it is difficult to provide thin mattresses. If the length of the springs is reduced without a corresponding reduction of the width, the spring will, especially when the length approaches the length of the diameter of the spring, have a tendency to turn in the casing, which dramatically deteriorates the comfort of the mattress.
  • the existing technique requires the use of a much larger number of springs. Consequently the manufacturing will be considerably more expensive and more complicated. Besides it is difficult to prevent such mattresses from also being stiffer since too thin spring wires cannot be used.
  • spring mattresses for many purposes where thinner mattresses are required, such as for overlay mattresses, seat cushions and the like.
  • spring mattresses have several properties making it desirable to use them also in these contexts, such as excellent comfort, individual flexibility, a long life and easy and inexpensive manufacture.
  • a spring mattress comprising a plurality of interconnected coil springs enclosed in casings, the springs having a first and a second end, wherein for at least one of the springs, casing portions arranged at the first and second ends comprise openings through the spring, and pieces of foam material arranged in said openings, so that a first portion of each piece of foam material extends towards the first end of the spring and a second portion of each piece of foam material extends towards the second end of the spring.
  • the casing portions arranged at the first and second ends of the spring may be separated and located at, or close to, the first and second ends of the spring.
  • the casing portions arranged at the first and second ends of the spring are connected to each other through the spring by a joint, and wherein the openings are arranged close together, in said joined casing portions.
  • This mattress is of the general type as disclosed in WO 2019/096793 by the same applicant, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and thus has essentially all advantages that are associated with this type of mattress, such as the possibility of making the mattress thin, the advantageous bias of the springs etc.
  • the inventive mattress also provides a number of additional advantages.
  • the foam material is arranged separated from the coil springs by the casing fabric.
  • the foam material provides an increased stability and resilience in the interior of the coil springs.
  • the foam material extending out from the ends of the coil springs forms an upper and/or lower surface of foam material, which provides a soft and comfortable upper and/or lower surface and layer of the mattress, thereby alleviating the need for additional padding layers and the like.
  • the present invention provides individual pocket spring units, each comprising a piece of foam material, arranged within the coil springs, and preferably dimensioned to extend out towards the ends of the coil springs.
  • each coil spring functions independently, resulting in a more comfortable bedding or seating product.
  • the individual resilience of the pockets is maintained, providing excellent comfort and pressure distribution.
  • there is no need for additional padding layers since a cushioning pad is already incorporated in each pocket unit, at least within the cavity formed by each coil spring, and preferably also extending out past the ends of the coil springs.
  • the fact that the coil spring and the piece of foam material in each pocket unit are separated from each other by the casing fabric ensures that the foam material will always remain in place.
  • the casing material of the pocket unit encasing the coil spring hinders the foam material of getting displaced during use. Consequently, the appearance and the comfort of the mattress will be maintained even during prolonged period of use.
  • the foam material may be porous and air permeable, thereby allowing aeration and ventilation through the mattress through the openings, despite the presence of foam material therein.
  • a significant volume of moisture leaves the body during sleep. Thanks to the improved aeration/ventilation, this moisture will be taken care of more efficiently, and without making the mattress damp. The moisture will more efficiently be removed from the user's body, and away from the mattress. Further, this improves the comfort and sleeping quality, and will enable a more stable sleeping temperature and humidity for the user. This will make temperature regulation for the user easier. Also, the reduction of damp and moisture in the mattress will counteract assembly and growth of dust mites, mold, bacteria etc, and will thereby maintain the mattress in a hygienic condition for a much longer time.
  • Additional second openings may also be provided, in locations between the springs. Such openings may e.g. be arranged in locations between four adjacent springs. Preferably, one such opening is provided in all, or essentially all, groups of four adjacent springs. Such additional second openings also improves the ventilation and aeration of the mattress.
  • the present invention is based on the realization that in this particular type of mattress, i.e. a pocket spring mattress in which the casing portions arranged at the ends of the spring has been joined to each other through the spring, and with an opening through the joint, arrangement of a piece of foam material is particularly easy and efficient, due to the opening providing access to the entire internal cavity of the pocket unit, and both ends, and also by providing mechanical fixation of the foam element.
  • the foam element may be kept in place solely by the mechanical fixation.
  • additional fixation may also be provided, such as by welding, adhesive, or the like.
  • each pocket i.e. the casing enclosing each spring
  • the foam material may be formed as an hourglass, having a central waist, and two expanding, mushroom shaped parts extending away from the waist in two opposite directions. Due to the elastic and flexible properties of the foam material, the two shapes, i.e. the toroid shape of the casing and the hourglass shape of the foam material will to a large extent be complementary to each other, so that the overall cross-sectional shape of the pocket unit will be in the form of a circle, or a rectangle with rounded corners, or a shape therebetween.
  • At least one of said first and second portions of the pieces of foam material preferably extends past the first and second end of the spring, respectively.
  • the foam material bulges out on each side of each spring.
  • a foam provides an outermost layer of the mattress.
  • the foam material extends out past the spring end on only one side. It is also feasible that the foam material does not extend out past any of the ends. In such embodiments, the foam material may be flush with the plane of the end convolution of the coil spring, or be situated below such a plane.
  • the protruding pieces of foam material may form a rounded, convex upper and/or lower surface.
  • the protruding pieces of foam may form a generally flat surface, thereby forming a generally flat and even mattress surface.
  • the protruding pieces of foam material may have a lowered central part, surrounded by a rim, thereby providing cup-shaped or concave upper and/or lower surfaces.
  • each piece of foam material may be compressed in the part arranged in the opening, thereby forming a waist in the piece of foam material at said opening, and wherein the first and second portions of the piece of foam material gradually expands into larger cross-sectional shapes in a direction away from the opening.
  • Part(s) of the foam material extending out past the first or second end of the spring may have cross-sectional dimensions which are equal to or greater than the diameter of the upper or lower end convolution of the spring through which it extends.
  • the extending foam material forms a relatively continuous layer above the springs.
  • the foam material can be made of various materials.
  • the foam is made of urethane, latex or a visco-elastic foam.
  • the pieces of foam material may be made of a homogeneous material, however, the pieces of foam material may also comprise a combination of different materials. Such different materials may e.g. be arranged in differents layers, e.g. forming a laminated structure. The layers are preferably arranged in planes parallell with the mattress plane, i.e. arranged above or below each other in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the springs.
  • the pieces of foam material may have a more costly material, such as latex or visco-elastic material, towards one or two sides, thereby arranged as a top and/or bottom layer, and a central layer of a less expensive material, such as polyurethane.
  • the top and/or bottom layers may have different properties than the central layer, such as being softer, denser, more visco-elastic, or the like.
  • the pieces of foam material may also comprise thin additional layers of materials not being foam materials, such as cloth, padding, a piece of fabric or the like.
  • Such additional thin layers may e.g. be arranged to provide a more durable upper and/or lower surface, a smoother upper and/or lower surface, a denser upper and/or lower surface, and the like.
  • Such additional thin layers may also be arranged between different layers of foam materials.
  • the pieces of foam material comprises at least two layers, and preferably at least three layers, and more preferably at least four layers, and most preferably at least five layers.
  • the pieces of foam material may have a relaxed shape of a cuboid or a cylinder.
  • the relaxed shape is the shape of the foam material when not constrained within the springs, i.e. an unbiased shape.
  • the pieces of foam material may have a relaxed shape with essentially uniform cross-sectional shape and dimensions, as seen perpendicularly to the length direction.
  • the foam material may have a relaxed shape forming a waist, and for example a shape generally corresponding to the shape assumed when placed in the spring units.
  • the foam material may be preformed, and compressed to be inserted into the spring units.
  • the foam material may be formed directly in the spring units, for example by being injected into the desired position in a liquid state.
  • connection of the casing portions is preferably given such a size and shape that the connection obtains sufficient strength and stability. Furthermore, the shape and size of the connection can be varied to give different degrees of bias of the springs. In this way, it is possible to easily vary the bias between different mattresses, and also between different springs in one and the same mattress. Preferably, the connection forms a symmetric joint area.
  • the opening is preferably within a perimeter of the joint between the casing portions.
  • the joint may e.g. be formed by welding, and may be formed by a continuous connection line, or by separated connection points or areas, e.g. arranged as a dashed or dotted line, or the like.
  • the opening may be substantially circular.
  • the openings may be in the form of a polygon, such as a rectangle, a square, a hexagon, or the like. Other shapes, such as an oval shape, are also feasible.
  • the opening has a symmetric shape, and most preferably the opening is substantially circular.
  • the joint is preferably formed by a surface joint, such as an adhesive, a weld or the like.
  • the surface joint is formed by welding.
  • the diameter of the openings is preferably much smaller than the diameter of the springs, i.e. the diameter of the largest turn of the springs.
  • the diameter of the openings may be about half the diameter of the largest turn of the corresponding strings.
  • the average diameter of the openings is within the range 30-70% of the average diameter of the springs, and preferably within the range 40-60%, and most preferably within the range 45-55%.
  • the casing portions may be connected by a continuous welding around the opening or a plurality of welding points distributed around the opening.
  • the casing portions may be connected by a plurality of welding points distributed around the opening.
  • the joint may comprise 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 welding points.
  • the casing portions may be connected by a continuous welding around the opening. By providing welding around the opening proper strength is maintained in the interconnection in spite of the opening.
  • the welding points may be symmetrically arranged around the opening to ensure sufficient strength in the interconnection.
  • the casings form a plurality of strings interconnected side by side, and preferably in parallel to each other, each string comprising a continuous casing material, said casings being defined by at least one longitudinal connecting line extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the string and a plurality of transverse connecting lines extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the string, and coil springs arranged in the casings and pockets of the string, wherein the connecting lines are preferably arranged at the side of the springs, and thus between neighboring springs.
  • the longitudinal connecting lines and the transverse connecting lines of the strings preferably extend substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the springs. Furthermore, the longitudinal connecting lines and the transverse connecting lines of the strings preferably extend in essentially the same plane, which plane preferably is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the springs.
  • the strings Connecting the strings to each other via the longitudinal connecting lines has been found very advantageous.
  • the longitudinal connecting lines which typically consist of welds, in many cases projecting from the string, an advantageous separation of the strings is automatically obtained.
  • the strings are in this way attached to each other only along a line, and preferably only at a number of points along this line. This has been found to give a very flexible mattress, where the springs are extremely movable in relation to their neighbors.
  • the casings are formed by an upper and a lower sheet of fabric, the sheets being connected to each other between the springs to form the pockets.
  • the casings may be formed by a relatively large upper sheet and a relatively large lower sheet, the sheets being connected together along longitudinal and lateral connections lines, e.g. forming a checkerboard pattern, thereby forming the individual pockets for the springs.
  • the pockets are integrated with each other be the same material not only in one direction, as in the above-discussed string embodiments, but in two directions, i.e. both in a length and width dimension.
  • connection lines may e.g. be provided in the form of connection lines, e.g. arranged as a first set of parallel lines running in a first direction, and a second set of parallel lines running in a second direction, the second direction e.g. being perpendicular to the first direction.
  • the connection lines may e.g. form a grid, enclosing the springs between them.
  • the connection lines may e.g. be arranged as circles, or polygons, encircling each spring.
  • the connection may be formed as point connections, or connections formed as an X, a circle or the like, arranged between the springs, and preferably in each group of four springs, i.e. in each "four-leaf clover" formed by the springs.
  • the casings may be made of a, preferably weldable, textile material.
  • connection of the casing portions at the ends of each spring is such that the springs are biased, and preferably biased so that the length of the spring in the biased state is less than 2/3 of the length of the same spring in a non-biased state, and most preferably less than 1/2, or wherein preferably the springs, through which the casing material portions arranged at the ends of the spring are moved towards each other, have a height which is less than the width of the springs, preferably less than 2/3 of the width, and most preferred is about 1/2 of the width or less.
  • an apparatus for manufacturing of a pocket spring mattress comprising:
  • the device for connecting casing portions through the spring may comprise an inserter and a counter acter arranged at a distance therefrom, the inserter and the counter acter being adapted to perform a relative displacement towards and away from each other to bring casing materials at the spring ends of a spring arranged there between towards each other through the spring, such that the spring becomes biased, and an interconnector for forming a joint connecting the thus brought-together casing materials from the two spring ends, and a punch for punching an opening in the interconnection between the casing materials from the two spring ends.
  • the inserter and counter acter may be arranged both to provide the connection, e.g. by welding, and to form the opening, e.g. by punching.
  • the device for inserting pieces of foam material may comprise a compressing arrangement, such as a funnel, for compressing a foam material to a size enabling insertion into the opening inside the springs.
  • foam may be formed directly in the desired position, e.g. by means of an injector providing the foam material in liquid form.
  • a method for manufacturing a spring mattress comprising a plurality of interconnected coil springs enclosed in casings, comprising the steps of enclosing the springs in a casing material, biasing at least one of the springs, and interconnecting the springs, the step of biasing the springs comprising the partial steps of moving casing portions arranged for the ends of the spring towards each other, through the spring and interconnecting them by means of a joint, forming an opening in the joint, through the spring, and arranging pieces of foam material in said openings, so that a first portion of each piece of foam material extends towards the first end of the spring and a second portion of each piece of foam material extends towards the second end of the spring.
  • the step of forming the opening in the joint may be performed prior to forming the joint, after formation of the joint, or simultaneously with the joint formation.
  • the forming of the opening may be made prior to forming the joint, the forming of the opening may be made prior to insertion of a spring into the casing/pocket, or alternatively after insertion of the spring.
  • a spring mattress according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a plurality of interconnected coil springs 1 enclosed in casings/pockets 2, as shown in Figs 1 and 2 .
  • the casing is suitably made of a, preferably weldable, textile material, but also other materials, such as different types of plastic materials, can be used. It is also possible to use non-weldable textile materials, such as cotton cloth.
  • the mattress comprises strings 3 of casing material 2, in which a plurality of pockets 4 are arranged.
  • the pockets are here defined by at least one longitudinal connecting line 5 extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the string and a plurality of transverse connecting lines 6 extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the string.
  • the strings comprise casing material of a folded piece of material, where the fold line extends in the longitudinal direction of the string.
  • the closing longitudinal connecting line 5 is arranged at the opposite side of the string. Transverse connecting lines then extend between the fold line and the longitudinal connecting line.
  • the springs are here oriented in the pockets so that the connecting lines are arranged at the side of the springs and, thus, between neighboring springs.
  • the casing material portions at the ends of the springs are thus essentially free of other connections.
  • the casing portions arranged at the ends of the springs are moved towards each other, through the spring, and connected to each other by connecting means 7, and preferably arranged to provide at least a certain degree of bias.
  • the casing portions are moved so far towards each other as to make contact with each other, but of course it is possible to interconnect them also otherwise, by wire, a long clamp or the like.
  • the connecting means 7 may comprise mechanical connecting element, such as a clamp, a rivet or the like, or a surface joint, such as an adhesive, a weld or the like.
  • Other fixing elements are, however, also conceivable.
  • the load on the fixing element is normally small since the fixing elements are only loaded when the mattress is unloaded, whereas there is no load at all when the mattress is loaded.
  • the joint is formed by one or several weld(s).
  • end portions comprise an opening 9 through the joint, and through the spring.
  • the opening 9 may preferably be substantially circular, but other shapes may also be used. Openings 9 though the length of the spring can help provide proper ventilation of the mattress. The openings are also used to stabilize and fixate the foam elements, as will be further discussed in the following.
  • the opening is here substantially circular, as seen in Fig. 4 , however other shapes of the opening can also be used.
  • the diameter of the opening may for instance be between 5 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 10 mm and 30 mm, more preferably between 15 mm and 25 mm.
  • the diameter of the opening is preferably much smaller than the diameter of the largest turn of the coil spring, and preferably also much smaller than the diameter of the smallest turn of the coil spring.
  • the end portions are here connected by welding points 10 distributed around the substantially circular opening 9, as seen in Fig. 4 .
  • welding points 10 distributed around the substantially circular opening 9, as seen in Fig. 4 .
  • any number of welding points such as three, six or eight, can be used.
  • a continuous weld around the opening can be used.
  • the end portions are preferably connected to each other by welding, in which case a weld surface is arranged to connect the end portions to each other.
  • the size and/or the location of the weld can advantageously be controllable and may be selected to give a desired height of the mattress and bias on the springs.
  • Coil springs of many sizes can be used in connection with the present invention, and basically any size of spring can be used. However, it is preferred to use springs with a diameter of 2-10 cm, and more preferably 3-7 cm, and most preferably 4-5 cm.
  • the springs preferably comprise at least three turns, preferably fewer than 10 turns. Moreover they are advantageously made of spiral wire with a thickness in the range 0.5-3.0 mm, preferably a wire thickness in the range 1.0-2.5 mm.
  • the springs are slightly spool-shaped, that is with smaller turns at the top and bottom.
  • the strings with springs are preferably arranged side by side and fixed to each other.
  • the rows are connected to each other by fixing points 8, which advantageously connect the longitudinal connecting line 5 of one string to the side of the neighboring string.
  • fixing points 8 which advantageously connect the longitudinal connecting line 5 of one string to the side of the neighboring string.
  • a smaller or greater number of fixing points than is shown is conceivable. It is also possible to arrange a longer fixing line instead of a plurality of shorter fixing points.
  • the connection of strings to each other can occur by welding or gluing.
  • the welding or gluing surface is distributed around the opening to provide good strength to the interconnection. This may for instance be achieved by point surfaces distributed symmetrically around the opening or by a continuous line surface around the opening.
  • this connection can, however, alternatively occur by means of clamps, by Velcro tape, or in some other-suitable manner.
  • the solution with strings of continuous casing material in which there are individual casings for the springs is merely one of many ways to carry out the invention.
  • the invention may for instance involve individual casings for the springs which are then attached to each other or a continuous sheet of casing material for the whole mattress comprising casings for the individual springs, or any other solution when it comes to the casing material.
  • the mattress according to the above-discussed embodiments can be manufactured by enclosing springs in pockets in strings of a casing material, the pockets being made of a continuous casing material with at least one longitudinal connecting line extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the string and a plurality of transverse connecting lines extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the string.
  • the method comprises the steps of moving casing portions arranged for the ends of the spring towards each other, connecting them to each other and punching or by any other means creating an opening through the casing portions at the ends of the spring.
  • the strings can be manufactured by the casing material being folded in two, and transverse welds being arranged to form open pockets. Subsequently compressed springs are inserted into the pockets, after which the pockets are sealed by a weld extending along the string. Moreover there is arranged, preferably without turning the springs, an additional weld through each spring for connecting the end portions to each other, an opening is punched through the casing portions at the ends, preferably in the middle of a number of welding points or a continuous weld, and a plurality of springs are joined side by side to form a mattress, the longitudinal welds being positioned between the strings.
  • the steps can be performed in different orders, and so that the connecting lines are arranged at the side of the springs and, thus, between neighboring springs.
  • the step of moving the end portions towards each other usually implies that bias occurs by connection by means of connecting elements in such a manner that the springs in the biased state have a smaller longitudinal extent than in the original, non-biased state.
  • bias can occur either directly after encapsulating the springs in the casing material, that is before they are assembled to form a mattress, or once the mattress is assembled.
  • bias occurs before the springs are enclosed in the pockets of strings, in which case it is possible to use a considerably smaller amount of casing material.
  • the amount of casing material can be made smaller the greater the bias and the thinner the mattress. In this manner, conveniently all springs in the mattress layer are biased.
  • the strings with springs are preferably interconnected side by side, as indicated in Fig. 2 for instance. As mentioned above, this can take place by arranging fixing points on the longitudinal connecting lines for fastening at the side of neighboring strings.
  • a device for carrying out the method above comprises means for enclosing coil springs in pockets of strings, the pockets being made of a continuous casing material with at least one longitudinal connecting line extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the string and a plurality of transverse connecting lines extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the string.
  • These means may comprise a device for folding casing material around a row of springs, and equipment for welding of connecting lines in the folded casing material, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 3 .
  • the welding equipment preferably comprises welding dies 11, 12 which are movable towards the casing material, and corresponding anvils 13, 14 on the opposite side.
  • Preferably separate pieces of welding equipment are arranged to generate the longitudinal connecting lines and the transverse connecting lines respectively.
  • the means for enclosing the coil springs is adapted to arrange the connecting lines at the side of the springs so that they are positioned between neighboring springs of the completed mattress.
  • the device comprises means for moving casing portions arranged for the ends of the spring towards each other and connecting them to each other and means for interconnecting strings side by side.
  • the means for moving casing portions arranged for the ends of the spring towards each other and connecting them to each other preferably comprises an inserter 15 and, arranged at a distance therefrom, a counter acter 16, such as an anvil.
  • a counter acter 16 such as an anvil.
  • springs are placed so that one end faces the inserter and the other the anvil.
  • the inserter is movable towards and away from the anvil to move casing material at one spring end through the spring towards the casing material on the other side.
  • the inserter 15 is preferably a welding die for generating a connecting weld.
  • other fixing means can be provided instead. It is also possible to use a movable anvil, in which case both sides of the spring are pressed towards each other, after which stitching, welding or similar connecting may occur.
  • the device also comprises means for punching holes in the casing portions at the ends of the springs.
  • the punch here comprises a punching piece 17 and an abutment or anvil 18, the punch 17 here being punched through the spring towards the abutment 18 and thereby punching out a substantially circular opening in the casing portions at the ends of the spring.
  • the openings can be created by for instance cutting.
  • the openings may be formed by a rotating cutting tool, such as a drill.
  • the casing may also be pre-holed to create the openings before the other steps.
  • the interconnection of the casing portions may also be created in the same step as the creation of the opening, for instance by creating welding points around the punching simultaneously as doing the punching, as seen in Fig. 5 .
  • a circular insertion means 15 is here attached to a circular counter acter 16 while a punch 17 travels through the tube shaped inserter and punches a hole in the casing portions through the spring.
  • the connecter here comprises four protrusions 19 in the profile of the part to be connected to the insertion means, the protrusions defining the welding points to be created between the casing portions.
  • a system according to the invention can advantageously comprise a plurality of parallel devices, such as two devices operating in parallel.
  • means are included for interconnecting the strings with springs preferably side by side, as indicated in Fig. 2 for instance. As mentioned above, this can take place by arranging fixing points on the longitudinal connecting lines for fastening to the side of neighboring strings.
  • the bias of the springs prefferably be performed so that the length of the springs in the biased state is less than 2/3 of the length of the same springs in the non-biased original state, and preferably less than 1/2. It is also preferred for the ratio between the length of the springs and the diameter thereof in the biased state to be less than 2, and preferably less than 1, and most preferred less than 1/2.
  • the longitudinal connection line of the strings may be arranged on top of the springs. However, preferably the longitudinal connection line is arranged along the sides of the springs instead of over the ends.
  • the smooth end portions are moved towards each other and attached by welding for instance. Therefore, very thin mattresses can be provided in this manner, in fact down to a thickness of one or a few centimeters. For example, a mattress with a thickness of 25 mm can be provided.
  • the invention might be well suited for seat cushions, overlay mattresses to be placed on top of other mattresses and similar applications where thin mattresses are required.
  • being able to make overlay or topper mattresses of pocket springs is very advantageous, not only because they can be made softer, thereby increasing the comfort, but also because springs are normally not fatigued over time, as is polyethylene or like materials.
  • Mattresses according to the invention can be made very light, soft and comfortable, and also, due to the bias, very rigid and hard, as desired. The opening through the spring also ensures good ventilation of the mattress, thus providing better drying, cooling and/or heating, less growth of bacteria and the like, and increased comfort.
  • the invention makes it possible to easily adjust the height of the spring elements by varying the position and size of the fixing means when connecting the end portions to each other. In this way it is also easy to provide different thicknesses of different portions of the mattress, or provide mattresses of different thicknesses, without having to make any changes in the manufacturing process in addition to this connection.
  • the manufacture will in this way be very flexible and controllable.
  • the above-discussed mattress is of the type comprising a plurality of interconnected coil springs enclosed in casings, the springs having a first and a second end, wherein for at least one of the springs, casing portions arranged at the first and second ends of the spring are connected to each other through the spring by a joint, and wherein said joined casing portions comprise openings through the spring.
  • pieces of foam material are arranged in the openings.
  • FIGs. 6a and 6b such an inserted piece of foam material 20 is illustrated, and also a process and device for insertion of the piece of foam.
  • the piece of foam material 20 extends towards the first end of the spring with a first part 20a, and towards the second end of the spring with a second part 20b.
  • the piece of foam material 20 is inserted through the opening 9 formed in the casing/pocket around the spring, forming a waist in the opening.
  • the piece of foam material is held mechanically in place, in a fixed position.
  • a strong mechanical connection is formed, and there is no need to connect the pieces of foam material directly to the coil springs.
  • the foam material is arranged separated from the coil springs by the casing fabric.
  • additional connection elements may optionally also be used, such as an adhesive, welding or the like. However, for most cases and applications, the mechanical connection is sufficient.
  • each pocket i.e. the casing enclosing each spring
  • the foam material may be formed as an hourglass, having a central waist, and two expanding, mushroom shaped parts extending away from the waist in two opposite directions. Due to the elastic and flexible properties of the foam material, the two shapes, i.e. the toroid shape of the casing and the hourglass shape of the foam material will to a large extent be complementary to each other, so that the overall cross-sectional shape of the pocket unit will be in the form of a circle, or a rectangle with rounded corners, or a shape therebetween.
  • At least one of said first and second portions 20a, 20b of the pieces of foam material preferably extends past the first and second end of the spring, respectively.
  • the first and second portions 20a, 20b both extend out past the first and second end of the spring.
  • a foam provides an outermost layer of the mattress on both sides.
  • the piece of foam material 20 may, when arranged in the spring, be provided with a generally circular waist, or any other shape corresponding to the shape of the opening. Towards both ends, the piece of foam material then expands from the wait towards the top and bottom.
  • the portions 20a, 20b protruding out from the spring may have generally rectangular cross-sections, such as square cross-sections. However, other shapes, such as a circular cross-sectional shape, are also feasible.
  • Part(s) of the foam material extending out past the first or second end of the spring may have cross-sectional dimensions which are equal to or greater than the diameter of the upper or lower end convolution of the spring through which it extends.
  • the extending foam material forms a relatively continuous layer above the springs.
  • the greatest cross-sectional dimensions of the part(s) of foam material extending out from the spring may be equal to or greater than the diameter of the largest turn of the spring.
  • the foam material will essentially cover the spring, when seen from a direction parallel to the axial direction of the spring.
  • the upper and lower surfaces formed by the portions 20a and 20b, respectively, may be slightly curved, bulging out in a convex shape, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 12a .
  • the upper and/or lower surface may have an inward indention, forming a concave or cup shape, as illustrated in Fig. 12b .
  • the upper and/or lower surface may also be generally flat, as illustrated in Fig. 12c .
  • the piece of foam material extends past the spring both in an upward or downward direction.
  • the piece of foam material only extends out from the spring in one direction.
  • a piece of foam material which extends generally to the plane formed by the upper and/or lower turn of the spring, so that the upper and/or lower surface of the piece of foam material is/are generally flush with the upper and/or lower side of the pocket unit.
  • a piece of foam material which extends generally to the plane formed by the upper and/or lower turn of the spring, so that the upper and/or lower surface of the piece of foam material is/are generally flush with the upper and/or lower side of the pocket unit.
  • the upper and lower surfaces of the piece of foam material, formed by the upper and lower portions 20a" and 20b" are generally cup shaped, and have rim portions extending somewhat beyond the upper and lower turn of the spring, respectively, and central parts which lie slightly below the upper and lower turn of the spring.
  • the piece of foam element does not extend to the upper and lower turn of the spring, and consequently terminates at positions fully within the spring.
  • Such embodiments may also be combined in various ways, such as having a piece of foam material that extends out through the spring on one side, and not on the other, having one side of the piece of foam being convex and one being concave, etc.
  • the foam material extends out past the spring end on only one side. It is also feasible that the foam material does not extend out past any of the ends.
  • the foam material may be flush with the plane of the end convolution of the coil spring, or be situated inside the spring, at a distance from such a plane.
  • the piece of foam material may be compressed in the part arranged in the opening, thereby forming a waist in the piece of foam material at said opening, and wherein the first and second portions of the piece of foam material gradually expands into larger cross-sectional shapes in a direction away from the opening.
  • the foam material may have a relaxed shape before being inserted into the spring, and then assume one of the above-discussed shapes when in place inside the spring, such as the hourglass shape forming a waist in the middle of the piece of foam material.
  • the relaxed shape is the shape of the foam material when not constrained within the springs, i.e. an unbiased shape.
  • the pieces of foam material may have a relaxed shape with essentially uniform cross-sectional shape and dimensions, as seen perpendicularly to the length direction.
  • the relaxed shape may e.g. be in the shape of a cuboid, such as a square cuboid or a right square prism, as in the illustrative example of Figs. 6a and 6b , and as also illustrated in Fig. 14a .
  • other relaxed shapes are also feasible, such as the shape of a cylinder, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 14b .
  • the cylinder has a circular cross-section.
  • other cross-sectional shapes are also feasible, such as oval, polygonal, etc.
  • the relaxed shape may have smaller cross-sectional dimensions at the central part, and larger cross-sectional dimensions at the upper and lower part, thereby forming a waist in the material, as shown e.g. in Fig. 14c .
  • the foam material may have a relaxed shape generally corresponding to the shape assumed when placed in the spring units.
  • the foam material can be made of various materials.
  • the foam is made of urethane, latex or a visco-elastic foam.
  • the mattress may be produced by first enclosing the springs in pockets, connecting the casing material at the ends together through the springs, and forming of openings in the connection area, as discussed above, e.g. in relation to Fig. 2 . Thereafter, pieces of foam material may be inserted into the spring units. For example, pieces of foam having a relaxed shape which is larger than a constrained shape assumed in the inserted position may be compressed for insertion. For example, the pieces of foam material may be pushed into an open-ended cone 21, such as a funnel, as in the illustrative example of Fig. 6a . However, other ways of compressing the pieces of foam material into a smaller dimension are also feasible, such as forming a temporary outer envelope layer around the foam material, which can be removed once the foam material has reached its intended position.
  • the piece of foam material is instead pulled through the opening inside the spring.
  • This may e.g. be made by a gripping tool 21', arranged to be inserted through the opening 9, and to grip the a piece of foam element 20 on the other side, and then retract the gripping tool 21', thereby pulling the piece of foam element into the inserted position.
  • the gripping tool 21' may e.g. be provided with pick-up claws or jaws at the end, comprising two or more arms/claws which may be separated apart before gripping, and which may be moved towards each other to grip the piece of foam material.
  • the gripping tool 21' may have only two arms/claws, thereby functioning as a tweezer.
  • the gripping tool 21' has at least 3 arms/claws, separated around the circumference, the gripping tool may also be used to compress the piece of foam material when it is gripped, thereby facilitating insertion through the opening 9.
  • the foam material may be formed directly in the spring units, for example by being injected into the desired position in a liquid state.
  • the casings form a plurality of strings interconnected side by side, and preferably in parallel to each other, each string comprising a continuous casing material.
  • the casings are defined by at least one longitudinal connecting line extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the string and a plurality of transverse connecting lines extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the string, and coil springs arranged in the casings and pockets of the string, wherein the connecting lines are preferably arranged at the side of the springs, and thus between neighboring springs.
  • the mattress may also be formed in other ways.
  • the casings are formed by an upper and a lower sheet of fabric, the sheets being connected to each other between the springs to form the pockets.
  • the casings may be formed by a relatively large upper sheet and a relatively large lower sheet, the sheets being connected together along longitudinal connection lines 6' and lateral connections lines 6, e.g. forming a checkerboard pattern, thereby forming the individual pockets for the springs.
  • the pockets are integrated with each other by the same material not only in one direction, as in the above-discussed string embodiments, but in two directions, i.e. both in a length and width dimension.
  • a connection 10 of the casing material arranged above and below the springs, through the springs, and forming of openings 9 therethrough, may here be accomplished in the same way as in the previously discussed embodiment, discussed with reference to Fig. 3 . Further, insertion of pieces of foam material through the strings and through the openings may be made in the same way as discussed above, e.g. discussed in relation to Fig. 6 .
  • connection of the sheets may e.g. be provided in the form of connection lines, e.g. arranged as a first set of parallel lines 6' running in a first direction, and a second set of parallel lines 6 running in a second direction, the second direction e.g. being perpendicular to the first direction.
  • connection lines may e.g. form a grid, enclosing the springs between them.
  • connection lines 6" may e.g. be arranged as circles, or polygons, encircling each spring, as illustrated in Fig. 9 .
  • connection 6"' may be formed as point connections, or connections formed as an X, a circle or the like, arranged between the springs, and preferably in each group of four springs, i.e. in each "four-leaf clover" formed by the springs, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 10 .
  • a connection 10 of the casing material arranged above and below the springs, through the springs, and forming of openings 9 therethrough may here be accomplished in the same way as in the previously discussed embodiment, discussed with reference to Fig. 3 . Further, insertion of pieces of foam material through the strings and through the openings may be made in the same way as discussed above, e.g. discussed in relation to Fig. 6 .
  • Fig. 11 a schematic illustration of the mattress in Fig. 8 and with inserted pieces of foam material 20 is provided.
  • the foam material is arranged to extend out from the springs, and to form overlying parts having a generally rectangular cross-section, such as also illustrated in Fig. 7 .
  • the foam material is here dimensioned so that the foam material will essentially cover the spring, when seen from a direction parallel to the axial direction of the spring, thereby forming a relatively uniform upper layer formed by the foam material.
  • additional second openings may also be provided at locations outside the springs.
  • additional second openings 9' are illustrated in Fig. 9 .
  • the additional second openings may e.g. be arranged at locations between four adjacent springs, and may, as in the illustrative example, be arranged in all such groups of four adjacent springs, i.e. in the center of each "four-leaf clover" formed by the springs.
  • the pieces of foam material may be made of a homogeneous material, however, the pieces of foam material may also comprise a combination of different materials. Such different materials may e.g. be arranged in differents layers, e.g. forming a laminated structure. The layers are preferably arranged in planes parallell with the mattress plane, i.e. arranged above or below each other in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the springs.
  • the piece of foam material comprises a central layer 202, which is arranged to be placed through the opening within the spring, a separate top layer 201 and a separate bottom layer 203.
  • the top and/or bottom layers may have different properties than the central layer, such as being softer, denser, more visco-elastic, or the like. It is e.g. possible to use a less costly material as the central layer 202, such as polyurethane, and to use somewhat more costly materials as the top layer 201 and/or the bottom layer 203, such as latex, a visco-elastic material or the like.
  • a separate layer 201 is only arranged on one side of the central layer 202'.
  • the separate layer 201 is arranged as a top layer, but it may also be arranged as a bottom layer.
  • the top layer 201 and the bottom layer 203 may be of the same material, and have essentially the same properties, thereby providing the same properties on both sides of the mattress.
  • the piece of foam material comprises two layers, whereas the embodiments of Figs. 15a and 15c comprise three layers. However, it is also feasible to use more than three layers, such as four or five layers, or even more.
  • the structure of the piece of foam material is essentially similar to the one of Fig. 15a .
  • a thin additional layer 204 is arranged on top of the top layer 201, and a thin additional layer 205 is arranged below the bottom layer 203.
  • the thin additional layer may e.g. also be of a foam material, but may also be other types of materials.
  • One or both of the additional layers 204 and 205 may e.g. comprise cloth, padding, a piece of fabric or the like.
  • the additional thin layers 204 and 205 may e.g. be arranged to provide a more durable upper and/or lower surface, a smoother upper and/or lower surface, a denser upper and/or lower surface, and the like.
  • Such a thin additional layer 204 may also be arranged only on one side of the piece of foam material, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 15e .
  • additional thin layers 204' and 205' may be used to provide a stronger connection between the different foam materials, to facilitate manufacturing, etc.
  • the pocket units are arranged so that casing portions arranged at the first and second ends of the spring are connected to each other through the spring by a joint, and wherein the openings are arranged close together, in said joined casing portions.
  • the pieces of foam material through openings arranged at the first and second ends of the pocket when these casing portions are kept separated, and not joined inside the spring.
  • Fig. 16 schematically illustrate such an embodiment.
  • the casing portions arranged at the first and second ends of the spring are separated and located at, or close to, the first and second ends of the spring.
  • the openings 9a, 9b formed in the casing portions are consequently separated from each other, essentially by a distance corresponding to the height of the spring.
  • the foam element 20 is arranged through both the first opening 9a and the second opening 9b, with a top portion 20a extending out from the first opening 9a, and a bottom portion 20b extending out from the second opening 9b.
  • the central portion, extending through the spring is here shown as a relatively thin section, having a cross-sectional dimension essentially corresponding to the size of the openings. However, the central portion much alternatively be much wider and thicker and extend out towards the sides of the spring. In such embodiments, the piece of foam material will form two waists, at the two openings, and with wider sections therebetween.

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  • Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
EP21176794.2A 2021-05-31 2021-05-31 Matelas de poche comportant un matériau en mousse intégré Active EP4098152B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (9)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES21176794T ES2980764T3 (es) 2021-05-31 2021-05-31 Colchón con tecnología pocket con material de espuma integrado
EP21176794.2A EP4098152B1 (fr) 2021-05-31 2021-05-31 Matelas de poche comportant un matériau en mousse intégré
PL21176794.2T PL4098152T3 (pl) 2021-05-31 2021-05-31 Materac kieszeniowy zawierający zintegrowany materiał piankowy
JP2023573632A JP2024521206A (ja) 2021-05-31 2022-05-24 一体型発泡材料を備えるポケットマットレス
AU2022286580A AU2022286580A1 (en) 2021-05-31 2022-05-24 Pocket mattress comprising integrated foam material
BR112023024803A BR112023024803A2 (pt) 2021-05-31 2022-05-24 Colchão ensacado compreendendo material de espuma integrado
PCT/EP2022/064049 WO2022253638A1 (fr) 2021-05-31 2022-05-24 Matelas à ressorts ensachés comprenant un matériau en mousse intégré
CA3220705A CA3220705A1 (fr) 2021-05-31 2022-05-24 Matelas a ressorts ensaches comprenant un materiau en mousse integre
MX2023014272A MX2023014272A (es) 2021-05-31 2022-05-24 Colchon de saco con material de espuma integrado.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21176794.2A EP4098152B1 (fr) 2021-05-31 2021-05-31 Matelas de poche comportant un matériau en mousse intégré

Publications (3)

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EP4098152A1 true EP4098152A1 (fr) 2022-12-07
EP4098152C0 EP4098152C0 (fr) 2024-03-27
EP4098152B1 EP4098152B1 (fr) 2024-03-27

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EP21176794.2A Active EP4098152B1 (fr) 2021-05-31 2021-05-31 Matelas de poche comportant un matériau en mousse intégré

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EP (1) EP4098152B1 (fr)
ES (1) ES2980764T3 (fr)
PL (1) PL4098152T3 (fr)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6591438B1 (en) 1999-03-25 2003-07-15 Stjernfjadrar Ab Retracted pocket spring mattress; method for manufacturing of a pocket spring mattress and device for pre-tensioning pocketed coil spings
US7748065B2 (en) 2004-04-26 2010-07-06 Stjernfjadrar Ab End separated pocketed mattress as well as method and device for manufacturing the same
KR101054454B1 (ko) * 2011-03-09 2011-08-04 (주)금성토탈퍼니처 매트리스용 이중 완충 코일
US8087114B2 (en) 2004-10-18 2012-01-03 Stjernfjädrar Ab Thin pocket mattress, and method and device for its manufacturing
US9936815B2 (en) 2014-05-30 2018-04-10 Sealy Technology, Llc Pocket coil spring assembly including flexible foam
US20190142179A1 (en) * 2017-11-15 2019-05-16 Starsprings Ab Pocket mattress comprising openings in the casing material
WO2019096793A1 (fr) 2017-11-15 2019-05-23 Starsprings Ab Matelas du type ensaché comprenant des ouvertures dans le matériau de boîtier

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6591438B1 (en) 1999-03-25 2003-07-15 Stjernfjadrar Ab Retracted pocket spring mattress; method for manufacturing of a pocket spring mattress and device for pre-tensioning pocketed coil spings
US7748065B2 (en) 2004-04-26 2010-07-06 Stjernfjadrar Ab End separated pocketed mattress as well as method and device for manufacturing the same
US8087114B2 (en) 2004-10-18 2012-01-03 Stjernfjädrar Ab Thin pocket mattress, and method and device for its manufacturing
KR101054454B1 (ko) * 2011-03-09 2011-08-04 (주)금성토탈퍼니처 매트리스용 이중 완충 코일
US9936815B2 (en) 2014-05-30 2018-04-10 Sealy Technology, Llc Pocket coil spring assembly including flexible foam
US20190142179A1 (en) * 2017-11-15 2019-05-16 Starsprings Ab Pocket mattress comprising openings in the casing material
WO2019096793A1 (fr) 2017-11-15 2019-05-23 Starsprings Ab Matelas du type ensaché comprenant des ouvertures dans le matériau de boîtier

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
PL4098152T3 (pl) 2024-08-05
EP4098152C0 (fr) 2024-03-27
EP4098152B1 (fr) 2024-03-27
ES2980764T3 (es) 2024-10-03

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