GB2403900A

GB2403900A - Pocket spring units with open ends

Info

Publication number: GB2403900A
Application number: GB0414644A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Paul Spinks
Original assignee: A Harrison
Current assignee: A Harrison
Priority date: 2003-07-02
Filing date: 2004-06-30
Publication date: 2005-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 2024-06-30
Also published as: GB0315402D0; GB0414644D0; GB2403900B

Abstract

A pocketted spring unit comprising a sleeve of fabric or other suitable material and a spring located in said sleeve, at least one end of said sleeve being folded over and secured in position to embrace and enclose the end coil of said spring at said one end of said sleeve such that the pocketed spring is open at one end. The fabric or other suitable material may be secured in position by one or more clips, by welding, by adhesion, by sewing, or by any other suitable means.

Description

SPRING UNITS

This invention relates to spring units and more particularly to pocketed spring units for use in beds, divan beds, mattresses and other upholstered units.

Normally, conventional pocketted spring units consist of a spring and a fabric or other material pocket which totally encloses the spring such that the spring is wholly contained within said pocket. In such a pocketted spring, the endmost coils of the spring can have a tendency to break through the fabric or other material at the ends of the pocketed spring unit, and in addition much fabric or other material is used to close the ends of the pocket in which the spring is located.

The present invention therefore seeks to obviate the disadvantages of conventional pocketed springs by providing an improved form of pocketed spring unit.

According to the present invention there is provided a pocketed spring 2- unit comprising a sleeve of fabric or other material and a spring located in said sleeve, at least one end of said sleeve being folded over OS and secured in position to embrace and enclose the end coil of said spring at said one end of said sleeve such that the pocketed spring is open at said one end.

The said one end of said sleeve may be secured in position by means of one or more clips, by welding, by adhesion, by sewing, or by any other

suitable means.

The opposite end of the sleeve may be closed conventionally, i.e. the fabric or other suitable material will totally close off said opposite end, or alternatively it may mirror the said one end such that both ends of the pocketed spring are open.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an elevation on a pocketed spring in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the upper end of the spring unit of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an elevation similar to Figure 1 but showing a modification to the pocketed spring unit; Figure 4 shows a plurality ofthe spring units of Figure 2 secured together for incorporation into a bed, divan bed, mattress or other upholstered unit; Figure 5 is a plan view on Figure 4; and Figures 6 and 7 are respectively top and side views of apparatus for forming the pocketed springs in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a coil spring 2 located within a pocket 4 of fabric or other suitable material, the pocket 4 being open at its upper end 4A - in the drawing and closed at its lower end 4B - in the drawing. The closure ofthe lower end 4B is achieved by having the fabric or other suitable material ofthe pocket extend right across the pocket, this being done by any well-known and conventional means.

The upper end 4A of the pocket 4 is formed by having the fabric or other suitable material of the pocket embracing and enclosing the upper coil 2A (in the drawing) of the coil spring 2, the embracing and enclosing portion of the pocket 4 being indicated by reference numerals 6. This is perhaps best seen in Figure 2.

The joint of the fabric or other suitable material so as to form the pocket IS around the coil spring 2 is indicated at 8, and it will be seen from Figure 2 that the end of the upper coil 2A lies below the periphery of the pocket 4.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but in Figure 3 both ends of the 5 pocket are open and formed in the same manner as\described above. In Figure 3, the lower embracing and enclosing portions ofthe pocket 4 are indicated by reference numerals 10. Thus in Figure 3 the 'pocket' is an open-ended sleeve.

A plurality of integrally formed pocketed spring units in accordance with Figure 3 is shown in Figures 4 and 5, it being understood that a plurality of pocketted springs in accordance with Figure 1 could be similarly formed.

The portions 6 and 10 of the pocket 4 are formed by the use of clips, by welding, by adhesion, by sewing, or by any other suitable means, so as secure the portions 6 and 10 to the main body of the pocket 4.

Apparatus for forming pocketed springs in accordance with the invention is shown in Figures 6 and 7, the operation of which will be selfexplanatory. - 6

Finally, in addition to welding or otherwise securing the material to the spring, two adjacent rows of pocketed springs may be simultaneouslyjoined together, thus reducing the overall time and cost of producing the spring units.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A pocketted spring unit comprising a sleeve of fabric or other

suitable material and a spring located in said sleeve, at least one end of said sleeve being folded over and secured in position to embrace and enclose the end coil of said spring at said one end of said sleeve such that the pocketted spring is open at said one end.
2. A pocketted spring according to Claim 1, wherein said one end of said sleeve is secured in position by means of one or more clips, by welding, by adhesion, by sewing, or by any other suitable means.
3. A pocketted spring according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the opposite end of the sleeve is closed conventionally such that the fabric or other suitable material totally closes off said opposite end.
4. A pocketted spring according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the - 8 opposite end of said sleeve is formed in the same manner as the said at least one end of the sleeve such that both ends of the pocketted spring are open.
5. A pocketted spring according to any of the preceding Claims when formed on apparatus as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
6. A spring unit including a plurality of pocketted springs according to any of Claims 1 to 4 and as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
7. A bed, divan bed, mattress, or other upholstered unit incorporating a plurality of pocketted springs according to any of Claims 1 to 4.
8. A bed, divan bed, mattress or other upholstered unit incorporating a plurality of spring units according to Claim 6.