Spilt support configuration mattress

A split support configuration mattress is provided including a mattress having a core element disposed therein and an upper portion defined over a top surface of the mattress core element. The upper portion includes a closure mechanism selectively permitting access to an interior volume thereof. The upper portion is divided along its length so as to define two substantially equal halves. A plurality of insertable auxiliary support elements are provided for selective combination and insertion into each half of the upper portion. As such, a split support configuration mattress is provided. Moreover, the dimensions of the individual auxiliary support elements are such that they may be easily stored, unstored, and interchanged by the mattress user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
The present invention relates generally to mattress systems and, more 
particularly, to a mattress system having an accessible top portion 
capable of selectively receiving individual auxiliary mattress elements in 
a split support configuration. 
2. Discussion 
As is known, mattresses are available for purchase in varying degrees of 
firmness. As such, a purchaser can select to buy a mattress having soft, 
medium, or firm support. However, after purchase, the buyer is typically 
unable to adjust the firmness of the mattress. 
One means of providing more choice in mattress configurations is to provide 
a first degree of firmness on one half of the mattress and a second type 
of firmness on the other half of the mattress. As such, two users of the 
same mattress can have each respective side tailored to their firmness 
preference. However, there is still no convenient means of changing the 
firmness of either side of the mattress should the user's preference 
change. 
One means of addressing the above-identified problem is to provide a 
mattress arrangement with removable and/or interchangeable mattress core 
elements. Although this proposal has provided a means for a user to change 
the firmness of the mattress after purchase, the mattress core elements 
required to be removed and/or inserted into the mattress are of such a 
cumbersome nature that the interchanging must be performed at the 
manufacturer's facilities. As such, the mattress user cannot conveniently 
change the support configuration of the bed but must rather endure the 
time the manufacturer possesses the bed while interchanging the mattress 
elements. 
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a mattress system having an 
internally accessible portion wherein interchangeable auxiliary support 
elements may be inserted by the end user. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The above and other objects are provided by a split support configuration 
mattress including a mattress having a core element disposed therein and 
an upper portion defined over a top surface of the core element. The upper 
portion includes a closure mechanism selectively permitting access to an 
interior volume thereof. The upper portion is divided along its length so 
as to define two substantially equal halves. A plurality of insertable 
auxiliary support elements are provided for selective combination and 
insertion into each half of the mattress upper portion. As such, a split 
support configuration mattress is provided. Moreover, the dimensions of 
the individual auxiliary support elements are such that they may be easily 
stored, unstored, and interchanged by the mattress owner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention is directed towards a split support configuration 
mattress having an upper portion defined above a top surface of a mattress 
core element. The portion includes a closure mechanism for selectively 
enabling access to an interior volume thereof. A plurality of auxiliary 
support elements may be interchangeably inserted into the interior of the 
upper portion to provide varying degrees of firmness in each of the two 
halves of the mattress. 
Referring now to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 illustrates the split support 
configuration mattress 10 of the present invention in a first or closed 
mode. Since the present invention is primarily directed towards a mattress 
having two discrete degrees of firmness on either side, the mattress 10 is 
preferably a "double" size mattress or larger design to support two 
occupants. The mattress system 10 includes a box spring 12 including a 
fabric cover 14 enclosing a conventional internal box spring structure 
(not illustrated). A mattress 16 is supported on a top surface 18 of the 
box spring 12. The mattress 16 includes a fabric cover 20 enclosing a 
conventional foam core (not illustrated) to form a main mattress portion 
22. The fabric cover 20 also encloses an upper portion 24 secured to a top 
surface 26 of the main mattress portion 22. 
Although the main mattress portion 22 is illustrated as including an upper 
portion 24 in the form of a pillow-top, one skilled in the art will 
appreciate that an upper volume or void can be provided between the foam 
core of the mattress and the top surface 26 of the fabric cover 20. As 
such, the following description can be equally applied to a mattress 
configuration including a conventional quilt-top configuration rather than 
the pillow-top configuration illustrated so long as sufficient space is 
provided between the foam core and the fabric cover for accommodating the 
auxiliary support elements described below. 
The upper or pillow-top portion 24 is divided along its length by a seam 28 
to define two separate halves 30 and 32. A closure mechanism 34 is 
provided about the perimeter of the pillow-top portion 24 for selectively 
permitting access to an interior volume of the pillow-top portion 24. 
Preferably, the closure mechanism 34 includes two oppositely oriented 
separate devices 36 and 38 which terminate adjacent the seam 28. Although 
any number of closure mechanisms may be used such as snaps, buttons, 
hook-and-loop fasteners and the like, it is presently preferred that the 
closure mechanism 34 consist of a pair of zippers. 
Referring now also to FIG. 2, the split support configuration mattress 10 
of the present invention is illustrated in a second, open, or interchange 
mode. By opening the closure mechanism 34, access to the interior 44 of 
the upper of pillow-top portion 24 is provided. More particularly, 
unzipping the first zipper 36 allows the first half 30 of the pillow-top 
portion 24 to be folded along the seam 28 away from the mattress 16. 
Similarly, unzipping the second zipper 38 allows the second half 32 of the 
pillow-top portion 24 to be folded along the seam 28 away from the 
mattress 16. As such, access to the auxiliary support elements 45 disposed 
within the interior 44 of the pillow-top portion 24 is provided. The 
support elements preferably include a first foam pad 46, a second foam pad 
48, a felt pad 50 and a liner 52. As can be appreciated, each of the 
support elements is considerably thinner than the foam core of the 
mattress 22. 
Turning now to FIG. 3, an exploded view of the split support configuration 
mattress 10 is illustrated. As can be appreciated from the drawing figure, 
the interior 44 of both halves 30 and 32 of the upper pillow-top portion 
24 are configured to retain a plurality of interchangeable-auxiliary 
support elements 45. In accordance with the teachings of the present 
invention, the particular combination of the support elements 45, and 
particularly, the first and/or second foam pads 46 and 48, may be selected 
by the mattress user to provide a desired degree of firmness. 
To effectuate the foregoing, each mattress includes a support configuration 
kit 49 having two felt pads 50, two liners 52, and two sets of three first 
foam pads 46a-c and two sets of three second foam pads 48a-c. Each set of 
three first foam pads 46 includes a soft pad 46a, a medium pad 46b, and a 
firm pad 46c. Similarly, each set of three second foam pads 48 includes a 
soft pad 48a, a medium pad 48b, and a firm pad 48c. For the purpose of 
this disclosure, the terms soft, medium and firm shall mean a low, medium, 
and high degree of occupant support. Further, it should be appreciated 
that the first foam pads 46a-c are of a different support class (i.e., 
they are generally more or less dense) than the second foam pads 48a-c. As 
such a soft first pad 46a will provide a different degree of support than 
a soft second pad 48a. 
With the kit 49, the mattress user may combine any of the soft, medium, and 
firm first foam pads 46a-c with any of the soft, medium, and firm second 
pads 48a-c to provide a desired degree of firmness on each half 30, 32 of 
the mattress 16. Alternately, the user may combine two of the first foam 
pads 46a-c or two of the second foam pads 48a-c, if desired. Further, two 
of the same type of firmness first or second foam pads 46a-c, 48a-c may be 
combined (e.g., two firm first foam pads 46c or two soft second foam pads 
48a). Advantageously, since the first and second foam pads 46a-c and 48a-c 
are relatively thin (as compared to the foam core of the main mattress), 
they may be conveniently stored by the mattress user and interchanged 
should the user's desired degree of firmness change. 
Thus, a split support configuration mattress is provided including an upper 
portion having a closure mechanism formed thereabout for selectively 
providing access to an interior volume thereof. A plurality of auxiliary 
support elements can be selectively interchanged within each half of the 
interior volume of the upper portion such that select levels of firmness 
can be provided on each half of the mattress. Furthermore, since the 
support elements are relatively small, a kit of support elements may be 
provided such that the mattress firmness can be selectively changed by the 
mattress user. 
Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description 
that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a 
variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention has been described in 
connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the 
invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become 
apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, 
specification, and following claims.