TH57721A - The top layer is a single piece of foam with a perimeter area that exhibits variable support and firmness properties. - Google Patents

Abstract

DC60 (19/02/46) A selectively contoured single-piece foam component for use as an inner layer in cushioned load-reducing structures has a first-level topographic region with distinctly different support properties from a second-level topographic region. These differential topographic regions are formed in the surface of the single-piece foam component by applicable foam cutting technology. The selective removal of foam material from the single-piece creates regions with different ILD densities or load-reducing properties, along with distinct support and feel characteristics. The single-piece component in a responsive flexible support structure has distinctly different regions with distinctly different support characteristics, positionally corresponding to the anticipated load and the load pattern of the responsive support device in the application. A selectively contoured single-piece foam component for use as an inner layer in cushioned load-reducing structures has a first-level topographic region. The topographically different regions exhibit distinctly different load-bearing properties compared to the second topographically topographically topographically topographically topographically topographically formed within the single-piece foam structure by applicable foam cutting technology. The patterned removal of foam material from a single-piece structure creates regions with different ILD densities or load-bearing properties, along with distinct support and feel characteristics. The single-piece structure components exhibit distinctly different regions with distinct support characteristics, corresponding to the positional load and the load pattern of the responsive support device in the application.

Claims (38)

1. In a mattress assembly with at least two layers of material that create the dimensions to provide a supportive surface, a single piece of foam has an area first with topography type one and an area second with topography type two that differs from topography type one. The single piece of foam is covered by a padding layer. The area first with supportive characteristics type one is at least partially bound by the ILD factor one. The area second with supportive characteristics type one is at least partially bound by the ILD factor two. The area first is positioned at the perimeter of the area second, and the padding layer overlaps the single piece of foam. 2. The mattress assembly of Claim 1 where a single piece of foam is rectangular and region one is bounded along the opposite longitudinal edge of region two, and the ILD factor of region one is greater than the ILD factor of region two. 3. The mattress assembly of Claim 1 where a single piece of foam is rectangular and Area 1 is bounded as a boundary around Area 2, and the ILD factor of Area 1 is greater than the ILD factor of Area 2. 4. The mattress assembly of claim 1, in which a single-piece foam layer is constructed from polyurethane foam. 5. The mattress assembly of claim 1, in which a single piece of foam layer is manufactured from latex foam. 6. The mattress assembly of Claim 1, where region one has a planar topography and region two has a nonplanar topography. 7. The mattress assembly of Claim 1, where Area 1 is positioned at the perimeter of Area 2 and has a width between two and twenty inches. 8. The mattress assembly of claim 1, where the transition between area one and area two is defined by one or more voids in the surface of the single-piece foam layer. 9. The mattress assembly of claim 1, where the second area has a topography defined by a repeating pattern of foam segments removed from the surface of the foam layer. 10. The mattress assembly of claim 9, where the topographic pattern of the second area is aligned with the length of the foam layer. 11. A single-piece, textured foam layer is used as a cushioning layer in a mattress with an internal spring assembly and layers of material adjacent to the internal spring assembly, where one layer is the textured foam layer. The internal spring assembly typically has a rectangular support surface and rectangular perimeter lines around the support surface. The perimeter lines have transverse channel edges that are opposite and opposite end edges. The textured foam layer typically has a rectangular shape corresponding to the rectangular support surface of the internal spring assembly. The foam layer has parallel channel sections that are dimensionally shaped to overlap the channel edges of the internal spring assembly. The channel sections typically have topographic features on a flat surface and connect to the central part of the foam layer, which has topographic features on a textured surface. 12. A one-piece foam mattress with the etched pattern of Patent 11, having a bottom surface opposite the trough and center sections, where the bottom surface has uniform topography. 13. A one-piece foam mattress engraved with the design of Patent 11, featuring a rail section with a width ranging from 2 to 30 inches. 14. A one-piece foam mattress layer engraved with the pattern of Patent 11, where the rail section has a higher material density than the material density of the middle section. 15. A one-piece foam mattress layer engraved with the Patent 11 pattern, where the rail section has a higher ILD level than the middle section. 16. A one-piece foam mattress engraved with the pattern of Patent 11, where the rail section has a higher IFD step than the middle section. 17. A one-piece foam mattress layer engraved with the pattern of Patent 11, where the topography of the central section is uniform. 18. A single-piece foam mattress engraved with the pattern of Patent 11, where the topography of the central section is slowly transitioned towards the edges of the rail. 19. A one-piece foam mattress with a textured pattern representing claim number 11, where the density of the central section slowly increases towards the edges of the trough. 20. A one-piece foam mattress layer etched with the pattern of Patent 11, where the topography of the rail section is planar. 21. A one-piece foam layer with a changing topography, used as a base and support layer adjacent to the rectangular inner springs in a mattress. The foam layer has support areas along the perimeter corresponding to the perimeter of the inner springs. The support area along the perimeter generally has a planar topography. The central support area within the perimeter support area has a non-planar topography with a contoured structure. 22. A one-piece foam mattress layer of claim 21, where the topography of the central support area is formed by removing foam material in a repeating pattern. 23. A one-piece foam mattress layer under claim 21 where the perimeter support area has a higher material density than the central support area. 24. A one-piece foam mattress layer under claim 21 where the perimeter support area is between two inches and thirty inches wide. 25. The one-piece foam mattress layer of claim 21, where the perimeter layer is positioned in conjunction with the perimeter of the mattress. 26. A one-piece foam mattress layer of claim 21 where the underside of the layer is positioned opposite the areas for perimeter support and the areas for central support, and generally has uniform topography. 27. A single-piece foam mattress layer under claim 26, together with inner springs, where the underside of that layer is positioned to face the inner springs. 28. A one-piece foam mattress layer of claim 21 where the topography of the central support area is slowly transformed towards the central support area. 29. The one-piece foam mattress layer of claim 21, where the topography of the central support area is assembled with numerous vertices and indentations, where the depth of the indentation near the central support area is less than in the center of the central support area. 30. A one-piece foam mattress layer of claim 21, where the topography of the support area is centrally integrated with projections, and with spaces between those projections. 31. The one-piece foam layer of claim 21, together with the mattress, where the side edges of the one-piece foam layer are positioned in conjunction with the edges of the mattress, thus the area for support along the perimeter of the foam layer is provided as an edge support for the mattress. 32. The one-piece foam mattress layer of claim 21 has a homogeneous foam cell structure. 33. A mattress has internal springs, with a number of interconnected springs arranged to form a support surface along the ends of the coils of the internal springs. At least one layer of material is placed above the surface to support the internal springs. A single piece of foam is placed above this layer of material and extends along the surface to support the internal springs. A single piece of foam is typically plane-underside facing the layer of material and opposite-overside facing away from the surface to support the internal springs. The top has at least two distinct regions, each with a different surface topography. The first region typically has planar surface topography and the second region has contoured surface topography, where the foam density of the first region is higher than the foam density of the second region. The mattress also includes a layer of upholstery above the internal springs, a layer of material, and a single piece of foam. 34. The mattress of claim 33, in which a single piece of foam has a third transitional zone between the first and second zones, where the foam density of the transitional zone is less than that of the first zone and greater than that of the second zone. 35. The mattress of claim 33, where the first area is placed at the edge of a single piece of foam layer. 36. The mattress of claim 33, where the first area is arranged around the perimeter of a one-piece foam layer. 37. The mattress of claim 33, where the topography on the surface, having the outline of the second region, is the form of the space on the top of the single-piece foam layer. 38. The mattress of claim 33, in which a single piece of foam layer has a homogeneous foam cell structure throughout those areas.