GB2572486A

GB2572486A - Improvements to a mattress

Info

Publication number: GB2572486A
Application number: GB1903568.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Durrans Stephen; Durrans Roger
Original assignee: STEVRO Ltd
Current assignee: STEVRO Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-16
Filing date: 2019-03-15
Publication date: 2019-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-15
Also published as: GB2572486B; GB201804207D0; GB201903568D0

Abstract

A mattress which comprises a body enclosed within an outer shell 18. The outer shell is provided with at least one portion 28, optionally located on a sidewall, which allows the passage of air in and out of the mattress. The mattress can be moved from an in use position to a transport or storage position of a smaller size. The storage position can be achieved by applying a force and expelling air from the body through the air permeable portion. The mattress can optionally be retained in the storage position by retention means until it is required for use, when the retention means are removed air is able to pass naturally through the plurality of portions and hence the mattress returns to the in use position. In an embodiment the outer cover is made from a waterproof and/or air-tight material and the body from a foam material. A method for moving the mattress between the in use and transport position is also disclosed.

Description

Improvements to a mattress

The invention to which this application relates is to improvements to a mattress and, in particular, improvements which allow the mattress to have the required features during use of the same whilst, at the same time, allowing the packaging and transport of the mattress to be improved.

In whichever format the mattress is provided, the same is typically manufactured at a particular location and then either delivered to a retail outlet from which the mattress is subsequently purchased and then transported from the retail outlet to the location of use or, alternatively, the mattress can be purchased directly and delivered directly from the manufacturing location or wholesale location to the location of use. In whichever form, as the mattresses are relatively bulky items the transport space which is taken up by the same is significant. This is particularly problematic if mattresses are required to be transported over large distances and in which case the cost of the transport of the same can be a significant element of the overall cost of the mattress.

It is known to attempt to reduce the volume of the mattress by rolling the same up and/or to attempt to remove air from the same and thereby allow the size of the mattress to be reduced for transport purposes. The mattress can then be reformed at the location of use by air flowing back into the mattress. A problem is found that, in practice, the process can only be undertaken in relation to mattresses of a certain type and thereby the advantages which can be obtained, are only currently possible with a relatively small proportion of those mattresses which are manufactured. The reasons for the inability for the removal of air can be any, or any combination, of, for example, the particular structure of the interior of the mattress, if for example, the same incorporates a plurality of springs, and/or may be due to the particular material used to fill the mattress interior and/or may be due to particular features or characteristics which the mattress is required to include. For example, certain mattresses, such as those used for children’s beds, and which may be foam filled, are required to have a waterproof and airtight outer shell so as to avoid the seepage of bodily fluids and the like into the foam material, which therefore means that air cannot escape from the same and hence the mattress resists any attempts to reduce the size of the mattress for transport purposes. As a result, mattresses of this type have to be transported at their full, in-use, size which increases the cost of the same.

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a mattress of a form which allows the same to be reduced in size for transport by removing air from the interior of the same so as to allow the mattress to be of a reduced size for transport and then reformed for use by passing air into the interior of the mattress whilst allowing required features of the mattress, such as for the same to have a substantially airtight and waterproof outer shell, to be achieved.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a mattress, said mattress having an outer shell which forms the external faces of the mattress, and a body which is located within the shell, said mattress capable of being moved between an in use position of a first size and a transport and/or storage position of a second size which is less than the first size and wherein the shell includes a portion which allows the transfer of air therethrough so as to allow the said body to be moved between in use and transport and/or storage conditions.

In one embodiment the movement from the in-use position to the transport or storage position is achieved by applying a vacuum to the mattress with air exiting from the body through the said at least one portion in the outer shell. In one embodiment the mattress is then retained in the transport or storage position by providing retention means such as an outer wrapping.

Typically, with the exception of the said at least one portion, the remainder of the outer shell is formed so as to be waterproof and/or airtight and the said portion is formed to be of a size in comparison to the remainder of the outer shell such that the outer shell is still substantially airtight and waterproof when the mattress is in normal use for a person sleeping thereon when in the in-use position.

Typically, the said portion is provided on a sidewall of the outer shell of the mattress such that the surface of the shell selected to be the top surface on which a person will lie when the mattress is in the use position and the opposing bottom surface of the shell have the required waterproof and airtight features across the same.

In one embodiment, there are provided a plurality of said portions in the sidewalls of the mattress which allow the passage of air between.

In one embodiment, the said portion is formed of a relatively air permeable fabric which is attached to the material forming the remainder of the outer shell of the mattress so that a substantially continuous sidewall is provided. Typically, the said portion allows the passage of air in both directions i.e. with air being removed from the mattress body to form the transport or storage condition with the mattress of a reduced size, and air being introduced through the portion into the body once the vacuum is removed to return the body to the in-use condition and the mattress to the in use condition.

Typically, the mattress is retained in the transport or storage position from the location of manufacture until the outer packaging is opened at the location of use at which point the mattress, if it has been rolled, can be unrolled and the air naturally returns through the said portion into the interior and body of the mattress to allow the same to increase in volume and thereby move to the in use condition.

In one embodiment the body of the mattress is at least partially formed by a foam material.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, the ability for the mattress to be moved to a reduced volume transport or storage position is now possible whilst allowing the waterproof and airtight features which are required on the upper and lower surfaces of the mattress to be retained as required.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of adapting a mattress between a storage and/or transport position and an in use position, said method comprising the steps of; forming a body of the said mattress, enclosing the body in an outer shell, providing at least one portion in the outer shell which is relatively air permeable compared to the remainder of the shell to allow the passage of air through the same and hence between the body of the mattress and the external environment, applying a force to the said mattress to cause air to be removed from the mattress body to the external environment through said portion and hence move the mattress to a transport and/or storage condition, applying a retention means to retain the mattress in the storage and/or transport position and, when the mattress is required to be moved to an in use position, removing the outer wrapper and thereby allowing the passage of air through the said portion into the body of the mattress to move the mattress to the in use condition

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein

Figure 1 illustrates a mattress in accordance with one embodiment of the invention

Figures 2a and b illustrate a mattress in accordance with one embodiment of the invention in first and second conditions respectively; and

Figures 3 illustrates schematically, the use of a portion of the mattress in accordance with the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 there is illustrated a mattress 2 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The mattress includes first and second opposing surfaces 4, 6, which form the main surfaces of the mattress inasmuch that the surface 4 is laid upon by a person or persons when in use and the surface 6 contacts with the bed frame 8. Of course the use of these surfaces can be reversed over time. The said surfaces 4, 6, are separated by sidewalls 10, 12, 14, 16 and the sidewalls and main surfaces 4,6 of the mattress, are formed of an outer shell of sheet material which, typically is substantially air and water proof with the exception of at least one relatively air permeable portion 28 in the sidewall. The outer shell 18 encloses a body 19 within the same and which, in this embodiment, is formed as shown in Figure 3, by a base layer 20, springs 22, protective layer 24 and foam material layer 26.

Also provided in accordance with the invention, on at least one of the sidewalls of the mattress, is the portion 28 which is formed of a sheet material which allows the movement of air therethrough as indicated by arrow 30, more readily than the sheet material which is used to form the remainder of the shell.

When the mattress is to be moved from the in use position to a transport and/or storage position a force is applied to the mattress, such as a vacuum, the air passes in the direction 32 from the body 19 to the exterior of the mattress through the portion 28.

The ability for air to move through this portion 28 allows the size of the mattress body to be moved into a reduced size transport storage and/or transport condition and in turn the mattress can then be rolled into the storage or transport position as shown in Figure 2a and then is retained in that condition by the provision of a retention means such as an outer wrapping material 34. The mattress can then be retained in that position by the retention means until the same is delivered to the location of use. At the location of use, the wrapping material 34 can be removed and the mattress is then moved to an in use position as air passes through the portion 28 as indicated by 36 to return into the body 19 of the mattress 2 and hence move the mattress to the fuller in-use condition and hence provide the comfort of the increased thickness of the mattress as required.

The portion 28 of the outer shell allows the passage of air therethrough but the remainder of the sheet material which is used to form the outer shell has waterproof and/or airtight characteristics and thereby allows the other required characteristics of the mattress when in the in-use condition to still be achieved.

Thus, the provision of at least one portion 28 which allows the passage of air through the same, significantly improves transport and storage options and, as a result, reduces the overall cost of the mattress whilst still achieving the required performance characteristics.

Claims

1. A mattress, said mattress having an outer shell which forms the external faces of the mattress, and a body which is located within the shell, said mattress capable of being moved between an in use position of a first size and a transport and/or storage position of a second size which is less than the first size and wherein the shell includes a portion which allows the transfer of air therethrough so as to allow the said body to be moved between in use and transport and/or storage conditions.

2. A mattress according to claim 1 wherein the movement from the in use position to the transport or storage position is achieved by applying a force to expel air from the body through the said at least one portion in the outer shell.

3. A mattress according to claim 1 wherein the mattress is retained in the transport or storage position by retention means.

4. A mattress according to claim 1 wherein the remainder of the outer shell is formed of a waterproof and/or air tight material and the said portion is formed of a relatively air permeable material and of a size in comparison to the remainder of the outer shell such that the outer shell, as a whole, is substantially airtight and waterproof when the mattress is in use.

5. A mattress according to claim 4 wherein the said portion is provided on the sidewall of the outer shell of the mattress such that the surface of the mattress selected to be the top surface on which a person will lie when the mattress is in the in use condition and the opposing bottom surface have waterproof and airtight surfaces.

6. A mattress according to any of the preceding claims wherein a plurality of said portions are provided in the sidewalls of the mattress shell.

7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the said portion allows the passage of air in both directions to allow air to be removed from the body when the force is applied to form the body into the transport or storage condition and to be introduced through the portion into the body to move the body to the in-use condition.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the mattress is retained in the transport or storage condition between the point of manufacture and until the retaining means is removed at the location of use of the mattress.

9. A mattress according to any of the preceding claims wherein when the mattress is released from the transport or storage position, air naturally returns through the said portion into the mattress body to allow the same to increase in volume and thereby gradually move to the in use condition.

10. A mattress according to any of the preceding claims wherein the body of the mattress is at least partially formed by a foam material.

11. A method of adapting a mattress between a storage and/or transport position and an in use position, said method comprising the steps of; forming a body of the said mattress, enclosing the body in an outer shell, providing at least one portion in the outer shell which is relatively air permeable compared to the remainder of the shell to allow the passage of air through the same and hence between the body of the mattress and the external environment, applying a force to the said mattress to cause air to be removed from the mattress body to the external environment through said portion and hence move the mattress to a transport and/or storage condition, applying a retention means to retain the mattress in the storage and/or transport position and, when the mattress is required to be moved to an in use position, removing the outer wrapper and thereby allowing the passage of air through the said portion into the body of the mattress to move the mattress to the in use condition.