IE84847B1 - Mattress - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT A mattress construction comprises a base support layer, an outer covering supported if necessary by a suitable framework, and optional lining material placed above the base support layer and removably attached to the outer covering, at least one inflatable support structure on which a user of the mattress lies and a removable cover attached to the outer covering above the inflatable support structure. The inflatable support structure comprises an air impermeable envelope enclosing a body of foam material and preferably also includes a valve to regulate the air pressure within the envelope.

Description

Mattress The present invention relates to mattresses, and particularly but not exclusively to mattresses for domestic use.

Domestic mattresses conventionally comprise a body of springs encased in suitable padding material (e.g. batting) and an external cover. Other conventional domestic mattresses include layers of foams of different types and grades to provide the necessary support for a user. Again, the foams are enclosed in an external cover. It is not common for any access to be provided through the external cover to the interior of the mattress.

Mattresses for hospital use will often have a construction which is primarily a body of foam encased in a moisture impermeable material, such as a plastic material.

Although the plastic material of the hospital mattress can be cleaned relatively easily, such as by wiping it down, it is inherently unsuitable for a domestic environment since it lacks the required comfort, or perception of comfort.

It is well-known that more and more people are suffering from allergic symptoms including asthma and eczema and that a significant contributing factor to such conditions can be bed mattresses. The mattresses harbour house dust mites (or more specifically house dust mite faecal matter), dead skin cells, general dust, moisture, sweat, body secretions and other materials which can promote allergic conditions. It is therefore desirable to provide a domestic mattress which can easily be cleaned to avoid the above disadvantages. Quoting a report in The Guardian newspaper of 10 July 2002: “Your mattress will soak up anything to a pint of your sweat each night and half a kilogram of dead skin every year. And without near~fanatica1 vacuuming, your mattress is likely to be home to millions of mites and other invisible little nasties”.

Some mattresses are known which include a removable top cover. An example is the "Healthsma1t" mattress from Simmons Bedding Company of Atlanta, Georgia USA.

In this case, the mattress includes a top cover which can be attached to the mattress by means of the zip fastener. The mattress cover is removable by releasing the zip fastener and is washable in a conventional washing machine. In some cases, removal mattress cover reveals the underlying structure of the mattress, normally the layers of foam material. In other cases, the removable cover is in effect an additional layer on top of a closed conventional mattress. Especially in the former case, the interior of the mattress remains exposed to the ingress of undesirable materials, such as house dust mite faeces etc as noted above. There is no possibility of cleaning the mattress, other than wiping down its exterior surface, in order to alleviate this problem.

Therefore, the undesirable materials continue to accumulate over time within the mattress.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a mattress construction comprising: i. a base support structure ii. side and end walls surrounding and extending upwardly at marginal edges of the base support structure thereby to define a well iii. a removable closure attachable to upper parts of the sidewalls to close the well, and iv. at least one inflatable structure disposed within the well, the inflatable structure comprising: a. an envelope of air impermeable material defining a closed chamber; and b. a body of foam material disposed within the envelope.

Preferably the removable closure is attachable to the upper parts of the side walls by means of a zip fastener.

Preferably the internal faces of the well comprise a liquid impermeable material.

Preferably the internal faces of the well comprise a removable lining material.

Preferably the inflatable structure further comprises at least one valve for operatively regulating the air pressure within the chamber defined by the envelope.

Preferably the mattress construction comprises first and second inflatable structures arranged side-by-side. In this case, preferably each said inflatable structure includes at least one valve for operatively regulating the air pressure within the chamber defined by the envelope.

Preferably the body of foam material comprises a viscoelastic foam.

Preferably at least one internal face of the envelope is bonded to a corresponding external face of the body of foam material.

Preferably the body of foam material includes an array of substantially vertical bores.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will be made by way of example only to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a mattress structure according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section along the line A-A of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a mattress structure 10 comprising an underneath face 12, side walls 14, 16 and end walls 18, 20. The respective side and end walls may be formed from any suitable material, such as an attractive fabric, mounted on a supporting framework (not shown).

The side walls 14, 16 and end walls 18, 20 define a void in the lower part of which is arranged a base support structure 22. The base support structure 22 provides a primary support layer for the elements of the mattress construction which lie above it.

The base support structure 22 may be a body of foam material, such as a combustion modified foam material, a latex foam material or a viscoelastic foam material.

Alternatively, the base support structure 22 may be an enclosed body of springs as in a conventional mattress. In another variation on the base support structure 22 may be one or more inflatable structures 30 (the inflatable structures 30 are described below).

Above the base support structure 22 is defined a well 24 which in one form of the mattress construction 10 is bounded by an upper surface of the base support structure and upper parts of the side and end walls 14, 16, 18, 20. In an altemative fomi of the mattress construction 10 an additional layer of material is provided over the base support of 22 and this layer of material forms the lower surface of the well 24. In particular, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the well 24 may be provided with a lining material 26, which is described further below.

The well 24 is closed at its upper face by means of a removable closure 28. The removable closure 28 is not shown in Figure 1. The removable closure 28 is conveniently a simple layer of fabric material, such as of cotton or man-made fibre.

However, the removable closure 28 may alternatively comprise a more complex structure and/or one or more advanced materials. For example, the removable closure 28 may comprise a breathable material, such as a breathable polyurethane material. In this sense, "breathable" refers to the property of allowing water vapour and moisture to be transmitted through the material, with the material also being liquid impermeable. In other variations, the removable closure 28 may comprise a material which is effective in transporting moisture away from the body of a user lying on the mattress, an example of such a material being "Coo1max" TM materials available from INVISTA, Wichita, KS, USA. Other advanced materials include temperature regulating materials such as micro-encapsulated phase change materials available from Outlast Technologies of Boulder, Colorado, USA. The removable closure 28 may also comprise combinations or laminates of these materials. In other preferred embodiments padding material or the like may be incorporated into the removable closure 28 in order to improve the level of comfort for a user. Materials used in such padding may be selected to prevent or inhibit the growth of fungi, dust mites and other allergens. An example of such materials is Amicorm Pure from Accordis UK Ltd, Bradford BD7 4AD, United Kingdom.

The removable closure 28 is attached to upper portions of the side and end walls 14, 16, 18, 20 by suitable attachment means. Conveniently, the attachment means may be a zip fastener or a hook and loop fastener such as Velcro (TM). In this way, the removable closure 28 can be separated from the remainder of the mattress construction 10 without difficulty so that, for example, it can be laundered.

Where, as is preferable, a lining material 26 is present, this forms a physical barrier between the well 24 and the side walls and end walls 14, 16, 18, 20 and also the base support portion 22. The lining material 26 conforms to the shape of the well 24, that is, the lining material 26 includes side wall portions 26a, 26b, end wall portions 26c, 26d and a base portion 26e. Preferably, the lining material 26 is removably attached to the mattress construction 10. Preferably, the lining material 26 is removably attached at upper portions of the side wall portions and end wall portions 26a — 26d.

Suitable attachment means include zip fasteners and hook and loop fasteners.

Because the lining material 26 is removable it can be detached from the mattress construction 10 to allow the lining material 26 to be cleaned, and also to allow access to the remainder of the mattress construction 10 so that that remainder can be cleaned.

Preferably the lining material 26 comprises a liquid impermeable polymeric material, in particular a polyurethane material and especially a woven backed polyurethane material. Such material has the advantage of being impermeable to liquids and impassable by bacteria and fungi and the like; preferably the lining material 26 is also "breathable".

Within the well 24 the mattress construction 10 according to the invention includes one or more inflatable structures 30. In the case of a mattress construction 10 for a double bed, preferably two such inflatable structures 30 are provided, that is, one for each user of the mattress. In further variations, additional inflatable structures may be provided, one above the other, with a view to achieving a desired level or style (firm or soft) of comfort for a user.

The inflatable structures 30 each comprise an envelope 32 comprising an air impermeable material. The envelope 32 may typically comprise upper and lower webs of material 32a, 32b which are joined together along a marginal seam 320, such as by a heat seal. The body of foam material is disposed within the envelope 32.

Conventional foam materials may be used such as latex foam or combustion modified high resilience foam, or the foam material may be a viscoelastic foam.

More than one layer of foam material may be used, each layer having different properties to achieve a desired overall combination. For example, different users may prefer different levels of hardness for the foam. Because the envelope 32 is impermeable and closed to the exterior, the body of foam material and the air enclosed in the envelope 32 both contribute to the level of support provided by the inflatable structure 30 to a user. In preferred embodiments of the invention each inflatable structure 30 is provided with at least one valve 36 which is operable by a user to adjust the amount of air retained within the inflatable structure 30. Thus, a user lying on the mattress construction 10 may use the valve 36 to release air from the envelope 32 and thereby to lower the air pressure within the envelope 32. As the air is released the user becomes supported to a progressively greater extent by the body of foam material 34 alone. Thus, the user can adjust the valve to achieve a desired level of comfort. Relatively heavier users may prefer to release more air using the valve 36, for example.

In variations of the mattress construction 10, the envelope 32 may, or may not, be bonded to the body of foam material 34, or may be bonded in particular areas only, such as around the periphery of the upper and/or lower faces of the inflatable structure 30. Where the envelope 32 is bonded to the body of foam material 34, this prevents a so-called ballooning of the envelope 32 in which the envelope 32 is locally lifted away from the body of the material 34 when a user lies on the mattress construction 10. This tends to occur as a user, because of his weight, compresses the body of foam material 34 so that air is displaced to marginal regions of the inflatable support 30 adjacent to where the user is lying. Such marginal regions accommodate the increased pressure within the envelope 32 by allowing the envelope 32 to expand away from the body of foam material 34 -- the so-called ballooning effect.

Where the envelope 32 is not bonded to the body of foam material 34, the ballooning effect is not prevented but the material of the envelope 32 is allowed to move to a certain extent with the user as the user moves upon it, which can contribute to increased levels of comfort.

The envelope 32 comprises an impermeable material and in particular a polyurethane skin material. The polyurethane skin material may have a woven backing, which forms the outer surface in use. The woven backing can be effective in wicking away moisture from the user. Preferably the polyurethane skin material will have a thickness of about 75 pm to 100nm prior to manufacture of the inflatable structure .

In one preferred construction the inflatable structure 30 includes a plurality of bores, preferably through bores, 38, extending downwardly from the upper surface of the inflatable structure 30. The inner surface of the bores 38 is defined by portions of the envelope material, so that the integrity of the envelope 32 is maintained, that is, the envelope 30 remains airtight. The bores 38 are useful in providing additional ventilation for a user of the mattress construction 10, in particular so that excessive sweating is avoided.

The mattress construction 10 of the invention allows the removable cover 28 and the lining material 26 to be entirely removed from the mattress construction 10 and washed in a conventional washing machine. Similarly, the external surfaces of the inflatable structure 30 are made from materials which can be sponged or wiped to render them clean. The foam materials providing the desired support for a user are enclosed in impermeable material and so undesirable materials such as house dust mite faecal matter carmot accumulate in the body of foam material. The base support structure 22 is either maintained in a sealed environment (by virtue of lining material 26) or is itself provided with a washable exterior. Thus, each component of the mattress construction 10 is either readily cleanable or inaccessible to undesirable materials, whereby excellent hygiene and cleanliness is achieved. In this way, allergens which cause adverse reactions such as asthma and eczema can be significantly reduced or substantially eliminated.

Furthermore, the mattress construction 10 of the invention allows the user to adjust the inflatable structures 30 to achieve a desired level of comfort. Since in preferred embodiments a pair of inflatable structures 30 is provided, for a double mattress each user many adjust to the inflatable structure 30 to their own individual requirements.

Where the users of the double mattress are of different weights there is no need to compromise with regard to the different comfort levels desired by each user, since the respective inflatable structures 30 can be individually adjusted.

In addition, in contrast to conventional mattresses, the mattress construction 10 of the present invention does not require turning during its working life, thereby avoiding inconvenience and potential back injuries for the user. Also, because individual components of the mattress construction 10 are removable and accessible, they can be replaced or exchanged at will without replacing the whole mattress construction

Claims (1)

Claims

1.A mattress construction comprising: i. a base support structure ii. side and end walls surrounding and extending upwardly at marginal edges of the base support structure thereby to define a well iii. a removable closure attachable to upper parts of the sidewalls to close the well, and iv. at least one inflatable structure disposed within the well, the inflatable structure comprising: a. an envelope of air impermeable material defining a closed chamber; and b. a body of foam material disposed within the envelope. A mattress construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein the removable closure is attachable to the upper parts of the side walls by means of a zip fastener. A mattress construction as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the internal faces of the well comprise a liquid impermeable material. A mattress construction as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the internal faces of the well comprise a removable lining material. A mattress construction as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the inflatable structure further comprises at least one valve for operatively regulating the air pressure within the chamber defined by the envelope. A mattress construction as claimed in the preceding claim comprising first and second inflatable structures arranged side-by-side. A mattress construction as claimed in claims 5 and 6 wherein each said inflatable structure includes at least one valve for operatively regulating the air pressure within the chamber defined by the envelope. A mattress construction as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the body of foam material comprises a viscoelastic foam. A mattress construction as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one internal face of the envelope is bonded to a corresponding external face of the body of foam material. A mattress construction as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the body of foam material includes an array of substantially vertical bores. A mattress substantially has hereinbefore described with reference to either of