WO2007063276A1

WO2007063276A1 - Spring units compressed for storage and/or transportation

Info

Publication number: WO2007063276A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/004239
Authority: WO
Inventors: Simon Paul Spinks; David Clare
Original assignee: A Harrison (Bedding) Limited
Priority date: 2005-12-01
Filing date: 2006-11-15
Publication date: 2007-06-07
Also published as: GB0524468D0

Abstract

A method of forming a spring unit for the purposes of storage and/or transportation comprises the steps of taking a spring (4) having a top cover of fabric or other suitable material and a bottom cover of fabric or other suitable material, and removably connecting said covers together by suitable connection means (28) so as to reduce the height of said spring (4). There will preferably be a plurality of springs (4), and more preferably a plurality of pocketed springs, the top and bottom covers being constituted by upper and lower coverings of said pocketed springs. The method includes the further step of compressing said springs (4) prior to or after connecting said top and bottom covers together.

Description

SPRING UNITS COMPRESSED FOR STORAGE AND/OR TRANSPORTATION

TMs invention relates to spring units such as are used in mattresses,

beds, divan beds and other upholstered units, and to such items

incorporating said spring units.

Spring units for incorporation into mattresses, beds, divan beds and

other upholstered units, and such items themselves, are very bulky,

and as such they present problems as regards storage and/or

transportation, and the present invention seeks to obviate such

disadvantages by modifying the spring units and the mattresses etc

for the purposes of storage and/or transportation.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a

method of forming a spring unit for the purposes of storage and/or

transportation comprising the steps of taking a spring having a top

cover of fabric or other suitable material and a bottom cover of fabric

or other suitable material, and removably connecting said covers

together by suitable connection means so as to reduce the height of

said spring. Preferably, there will be a plurality of springs arranged in

symmetrical rows , each of said springs having a top cover and a

bottom cover of fabric or other material.

Said top and bottom covers may each take the form of a layer of

fabric or other suitable, said layers being common to all of said

springs. Alternatively, said top and bottom covers of fabric or

other suitable material may be constituted by the top and bottom

covers of pocketed springs, such that each of said springs has its own

top and bottom covers.

The method may include the additional step of compressing said

springs prior to or after connecting together said top and bottom

covers of fabric or other suitable material.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided

for the purposes of storage and/or transportation a spring unit for

incorporation into a mattress, bed, divan bed or other upholstered unit comprising a plurality of springs having top and bottom covers of

fabric or other suitable material, said top and bottom covers being

connected together so as to reduce the height of said springs and so as

to reduce the height of said spring unit.

Said top and bottom covers may be common to all of said springs, or

alternatively said springs will take the form of pocketed springs such

that each spring has its own top and bottom covers.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is

provided a mattress, bed, divan bed or other upholstered unit

including a spring unit comprising a plurality of springs having top

and bottom covers of fabric or other suitable material, said top and

bottom covers being removably connected together so as to reduce

the height of the spring unit and hence the height of said mattress,

bed, divan bed or other upholstered unit for the purposes of storage

and/or transportation, said connection of said top and bottom

covers being released to realise the ' in-use' condition of said mattress bed, divan bed or other upholstered unit.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood,

embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only,

reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a plurality of springs forming part of a spring unit in

a first condition;

Figure 2 is a part cross-sectional view through the springs shown in

In Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 and shows the springs in

a subsequent condition;

Figures 4 and 5 show the springs in a subsequent stage in the

formation of said spring unit;

Figures 6 to 8 illustrate varying stages in an alternative method of

forming a spring unit according to the invention; and

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate the varying stages in a still further

alternative method of forming a spring unit according to the present

invention. Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figures 1 to 5, Figures 1 and 2

illustrate a plurality of springs 4 forming part of a spring unit, not

generally indicated, each of said springs being a pocketed spring, i.e.

a spring enclosed in a sheath or pocket 4A of fabric or other suitable

material. Each of the sheaths or pockets 4A includes a top cover 6 and

a bottom cover, not readily apparent in the drawings.

An upper compression plate having apertures or openings 10 therein

is indicated by reference numeral 8, and a lower compression plate

having a plurality of upward projections 14 is indicated by reference

numeral 12.

Reference to Figure 3 shows that the upper and lower compression

plates 8 and 12 are closer together than they are in Figures 1 and 2

such that the space between said plates is less, it being a matter of

choice as to whether the top compression plate 8 is moved down¬

wardly or the bottom plate 12 is moved upwardly. Alternatively, both

of the compression plates may be movable. In the positions of the compression plates 8 and 12 shown in Figure 3,

it will be seen that the projections 14 lie within their respective

springs 4 with the result that the bottom covers of the sheaths or

pockets 4A have been moved upwardly so as to be in contact with the

undersurfaces of the top covers 6 of said sheaths or pockets 4A. Also,

it will be apparent that, as a result of the above, the springs 4 have

been compressed so that the height of the springs 4 is reduced. It will

also be seen that the fabric or other material of the sheaths or pockets

4 A projects above the upper surface of the upper compression plate 8,

as indicated at 16.

Referring now to Figure 4, this shows that a thread or cord - or draw

string - 18 passes through the projections 16 of the sheaths or pockets

4A such that all such projections are connected together, and by

tensioning the thread or cord 16 - as shown in Figure 5 - the springs 4

may be retained in their compressed state, as shown. The thread or

cord will be anchored to some suitable or appropriate part of the

spring unit. Referring now to Figures 6 to 8, these Figures show an alternative

method of compressing the springs. Referring firstly to Figure 6,

there is shown a pocketed spring - indicated generally by reference

numeral 20 - which forms part of a spring unit and which comprises

an inner spring 22 and an outer closed sheath or pocket 24 of fabric

or other suitable material. It will be appreciated that the spring unit

consists of a plurality of such pocketed springs 20 arranged in

contiguous rows, a part of one of such rows being shown at 26 in

Figures 7 and 8.

Passing through the upper extremity of the sheath or pocket 24 is a

first thread or cord 28, the thread or cord then passing downwardly

on the inside of the spring 22 and exiting through the lower extremity

of the sheath or pocket 24. Similarly, a second thread or cord 30

passes through the lower extremity of the sheath or pocket 24,

upwardly on the inside of the spring 22 and exits through the upper

extremity of the sheath or pocket 24. Such threads or cords then pass

upwardly and downwardly as described relative to the remaining springs in each row of springs. This is clearly shown in Figure 7 and

in greater detail in Figure 8.

Thus, referring to these Figures, the threads or cords 28 and 30 are

shown passing through the springs 24, and by means of top and

bottom compressor plates 32 and 34, the springs 24 may be

compressed so that the height of the springs is lessened. Tying

together or otherwise anchoring of the otherwise free ends of the

threads or cords 28 and 30 will maintain the springs in the

compressed state, whereafter the plates 32 and 34 may be withdrawn.

Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, Figure 9 shows a spring unit 40

for incorporation into a mattress, bed, divan bed or other upholstered

unit, the spring unit 40 comprising a plurality of pocketed springs 42

arranged in contiguous rows, the springs being located between upper

and lower sheets or layers 44 and 46 of fabric or other suitable

material. It will be seen from the drawing that adjacent springs 42 in

each row of springs, and adjacent rows of springs are connected together by a thread or cord 48, the arrangement being that loops or

eyes 50 are left above the upper sheet or layer 44 at the positions of

each of the springs 42. Thus, all of the springs 42 are connected

together.

With the spring unit 40 in this condition, referring now to Figure 10,

the spring unit 40 is compressed by means, not shown - such means,

for example, being compressor plates as referred to earlier - such that

the height of the springs 42 and hence the spring unit 40 is reduced

and is held in this compressed state. Whilst the spring unit 40 is in the

compressed state, a thread or cord 52 is passed or laced through all of

the loops or eyes 50 as shown. The thread or cord 52 is then tied or

otherwise anchored so as to maintain the spring unit 40 in its

compressed condition, but in such a way that the tension in the thread

or cord can be subsequently released to enable the spring unit 40 to

return to its full, in-use, condition. The compression applied to the

spring unit is then removed, the spring unit remaining in the

compressed state due to the lacing. Thus the invention provides a spring unit for incorporation into a

mattress, bed, divan bed and other upholstered units - and such items

incorporating such a spring unit - which, due to its compressed state,

occupies less space and which is therefore easier and less expensive

to store and/or transport.

It will be appreciated that modifications may be made to the described

embodiments of the invention. For example, instead of using

pocketed springs and joining or using the sheaths or pockets thereof

to achieve the desired objective, open springs may be used along with

discrete upper and lower layers or sheets of fabric or other suitable

material which are common to all of the springs, such layers or sheets

being connected together at the appropriate positions. In addition,

means other than threads or cords may be used to retain the springs

and the spring unit itself in the compressed state.

Other modifications will readily present themselves to persons skilled

in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of forming a spring unit for the purposes of storage

and/or transportation comprising the steps of taking a spring having a

top cover of fabric or other suitable material and a bottom cover of

fabric or other suitable material, and removably connecting said top

and bottom covers together by suitable connection means so as to

reduce the height of said spring.

2. A method according to Claim 1, in which there is a plurality of

springs arranged in symmetrical rows, each of said springs having a

top cover and a bottom cover of fabric or other suitable material, the

top cover and the bottom cover of each spring being removably

connected together so as to reduce the height of said springs.

3. A method according to Claim 2, wherein said top and bottom

covers each take the form of a layer of fabric or other suitable

material, said layers being common to all of said springs.

4. A method according to Claim 2, wherein said top and bottom

covers of fabric or other suitable material are constituted by top and

bottom coverings of pocketed springs, such that each of said springs

has its own top and bottom covers.

5. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, including the

additional step of compressing said spring(s) prior to or after

connecting together said top and bottom covers.

6. A method according to Claim 5, wherein the compression of

said spring(s) is achieved by positioning said spring(s) between upper

and lower compression plates, at least one of which is movable so as

to compress said spring(s).

7. A method according to Claim 5, including the additional step

of passing a thread or cord or draw string through the top and bottom

covers of fabric or other suitable material so as to maintain said

springs in their compressed state.

8. A method of forming a spring unit for the purposes of storage

and/or transportation comprising the steps of taking a plurality of

springs having a top cover of fabric or other suitable material and a

bottom cover of fabric or other suitable material, compressing said

springs, and releasably connecting together said top and bottom

covers of said springs so as to reduce the height of said springs.

9. A spring unit for incorporation into a mattress, bed, divan bed

or other upholstered unit comprising a plurality of springs having top

and bottom covers of fabric or other suitable material, said top and

bottom covers being releasably connected together so as to reduce the

height of said springs and so as to reduce the height of said spring

unit for the purposes of storage and/or transportation of said spring

unit.

10. A spring unit according to Claim 9, wherein said top and

bottom covers of fabric or other suitable material are common to all

of said springs.

11. A spring unit according to Claim 9, wherein said springs are

pocketed springs, said top and bottom covers being constituted by

upper and lower coverings of said pocketed springs.

12. A mattress, bed, divan bed or other upholstered unit including

a spring unit comprising a plurality of springs having top and bottom

covers of fabric or other suitable material, said top and bottom covers

being releasably connected together so as to reduce the height of the

spring unit and hence the height of said mattress, bed, divan bed or

other upholstered unit for the purposes of storage and/or

transportation, said connection of said top and bottom covers being

released to realize the 'in-use' condition of said mattress, bed, divan

bed or other upholstered unit.