Bedding configuration having variable support characteristics

Abstract: Bedding configurations (10) are disclosed having supporting surfaces (25) the firmness of which may be selectively adjustable by remote control means (28, 30), providing for a supporting surface (25) which may be quickly and easily adjusted by a user for maximum comfort. Various air chambers (26), cylinders, and tubes are disclosed for use in the central or "lumbar" portions of the mattresses (12) of such bedding configurations (10), which may be selectively inflated or deflated in order to provide corresponding firmness levels.

Description: Technical Field The present invention generally relates to bedding, and more particularly to bedding configurations having supporting surfaces the firmness of which may be selectively adjustable by remote control means, providing for a personnalized supporting surface which may be quickly and easily adjusted by a user for maximum comfort. Background of the invention In bedding configurations, a need has been recognized for such configurations which provide comfortable supporting surfaces. However, different users of bedding configurations may have different concepts of comfort; one user may desire a less firm sleeping surface while another may desire a more firm surface. This problem is compounded when two different users, such as a husband and wife, have different bedding firmness preferences but wish to sleep in the same bed. Difficulties can also arise if the same user has different bedding needs at different times, such as when that user's back pains prompt a need for a sleeping surface having a different firmness than the norm. Therefore, it may be seen that a need exists for a bedding configuration which provides an improved supporting surface which may be adjustable to satisfy the various needs of its users, has improved wear characteristics, and is less likely to require periodic turning of the mattress. Summary of the invention The present invention provides an improvement over the prior art by providing an improved supporting surface which may be infinitely adjustable within a particular firmness range, and also may be adjusted to exhibit different firmness for each side of the bed. To this end, the present invention provides an innerspring construction, comprising a plurality of adjacent rows of barrel-shaped pocketed coils having substantially parallel longitudinal axes and being placed in a side-to-side position, such a construction is for instance known from US-A-4 566 926. The invention is characterized in that a group of said barrel-shaped pocketed coils is constituted by half-size pocketed coils located at a predetermined area of the construction and forming an upper layer of half-size pocketed coils which terminate in flush aligment with the upper surface of the full-size pocketed coils in the construction, and in that an inflatable chamber is positioned under the upper layer of half-size pocketed coils and may be selectively inflated to displace upwardly the upper layer of half-size pocketed coils. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bedding configuration having an improved supporting surface. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a supporting surface which may be used by users having different firmness preferences. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a supporting surface which may have different firmnesses in different areas. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a supporting surface which may have different firmnesses at different periods in time. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a supporting surface which may be adjustable by use of a remote control device. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a supporting surface which may have different firmnesses on each side of the bed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mattress which requires less turning due to improved wear characteristics. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side plan view of a first preferred embodiment of the invention, with a portion of the mattress shown in partial cut away, the air chamber shown deflated and various concealed elements shown in dotted line. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the mattress shown in Figure 1, with a substantial portion of the fabric cover shown cut away to illustrate the interior features of the mattress. Figure 3 is a side plan view of the first preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in figure 1, with the air chamber being illustrated as inflated. Figure 4 is a side plan view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention, with a portion of the mattress shown in partial cut away, and various concealed elements shown in dotted line. Figure 5 is an isolated view of an air chamber used in the bedding configuration shown in Figure 4. Detailed Description of the preferred embodiments First preferred embodiment Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be discussed. A bedding system 80 includes a mattress 82 situated atop a box spring 83, with the mattress 82 including a fabric cover 84, upper and lower padding layers 85, 86, respectively, and pocketed coils 88. Half-size pocketed coils 90 are used to "sandwich" left-and right-side chambers 91, 92. The box spring unit 83 includes an air pump 96, left- and right- side remote control units 93, 94 respectively and a pair of air supply tubes 95. Left- and right- side remote control units are used to control the air pump 96 such that air may be inserted into or withdrawn from corresponding left- and right- side air chambers 91, 92 respectively. For purposes of this application, various references may be made to elements being "left" or "right" relative to other elements. The references "left" or "right" are made as if one is standing at the foot of the bed and viewing the bed. Of course, it should be understood that such terms "left" and "right" are merely relative as to the point of reference of the viewer. As shown in Figure 2, the mattress 82 and box spring 83 may be considered to have three "regions", a head region, a center or "lumbar region", and a foot region. The head region and the foot region each include a plurality of pocketed coils 88. An example of such pocketed coils is illustrated in U.S. Patent n° 4,234,983, entitled "THERMALLY WELDED SPRING POCKETS", hereby incorporated by reference, in which pocketed coil strings are provided, with individual springs formed between the overlaid plies of a two-ply strip of material by lines of separate individual thermal welds which connect the plies together. The compression axis of the coils 88 are substantially coparallel and substantially normal to the upper supporting surface 85 of the mattress. The strings of pocketed coils may run longitudinally along the length of the mattress, or may alternately run transversely. The strings of coils may be fastened together into innerspring assemblies, if desired. An example of such innerspring assemblies is illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,234,984, entitled "POCKETED SPRING ASSEMBLY" and 4,401,501, entitled "APPARATUS FOR MAKING ASSEMBLIES OF POCKETED SPRINGS", both hereby incorporated by reference, in which strips of pocketed upholstery springs are assembled, one strip at time, into mattresses and the like. The connections of each such strip to its predecessor are made between the interpocket webs of the pocket sheeting of the two adjacent strips, preferably at intervals of two springs, and are staggered by one spring from strip to strip. Another type of innerspring construction is shown in U.S. Patent N° 4,578,834, entitled "INNERSPRING CONSTRUCTION", hereby incorporated by reference, in which an innerspring construction including adhered strings of pocketed coil springs is disclosed together with a method of manufacture. The strings are connected to each other by an adhesive applied between the lines of tangency of adjacent coil springs. A hot melt adhesive applicator traverses a string of pocketed coils, depositing a precise amount of adhesive on each coil jacket. A second string is positioned on the first, and pressure is applied thereto. The applicator then traverses the second string in the same manner as the first. The sequence is repeated until an innerspring construction of desired size is created. U.S. Patent N° 4,566,926, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING INNERSPRING CONSTRUCTIONS", U.S. Patent N° 4,578,834, discloses a method and apparatus for manufacturing the mattress assembly disclosed in the U.S. Patent N° 4,578,834. Without departing from the scope of the present invention, the pocketed coils may not be fastened together, instead being packed sufficiently tight into the mattress interior to prevent misalignment or lateral movement. Referring now to Figures 1 and 3, the inflation of the left side air chamber 91 is illustrated. It may be seen that as the air chamber 91 is inflated from the configuration shown in Figure 5 to Figure 7, it upwardly displaces the upper layer of half-size coils, such that the upper padding layer 85 is likewise displaced. It should be therefore understood that as the air chamber 91 is inflated, the central or "lumbar" portion of the mattress will feel firmer in the configuration as shown in Figure 3 than in the configuration shown in Figure 1. Second preferred embodiment Referring now to Figure 4 a second preferred embodiment 100 is illustrated. Bedding system 100 includes a mattress 102, a box spring 104, and fabric layers, padding layers, full-size coil springs and air control features similar to those described above. However, the second embodiment differs in that it includes a layer of half-size pocketed coils 106 and a right-side air chamber 108 and a left-side air chamber (not shown), with the half-size coils 106 positioned atop both the air chambers. Similar to the other configuration, each of these chambers may be independently controlled through corresponding remote control units 110, 111 as they control the flow of air from the air pump 112 through the tubes 114. The two chambers 108 are similar in configuration and operation. Referring now only to Figure 5, the right side air chamber 108 includes a top wall 38, a bottom wall 40, sides 41, and an air filler port 44. The air chamber 108 is configured to contain air provided through port 44, such that when air is inserted into the chamber 108 through port 44, it may be understood that the chamber is being "filled", whereas when air is withdrawn through the port 44, it may be understood that the chamber is being "deflated". Interior walls 45 are positioned within the cavity of the chamber and are attached to the upper and lower walls 38, 40 respectively, in order to reduce a disadvantageous "ballooning" effect which could cause the centers of the upper and lower walls 38, 40 to bulge outwardly. The chamber 108 is preferably made of vulcanized rubber, although other air-containing materials may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. A lumbar support member 115 spans the mattress side-to-side in a transverse manner, and is positioned atop both the air chambers but underneath the layer of half-size pocketed coils 106, such that the half-sized pocketed coils exhibit a slight upward bulge at approximately the area at which the small of the user's back will be situated when lying on his or her back. This bulge will allow the small of the user's back to "fit" to the contour of the supporting surface of the mattress such that the small of the back is better supported compared to conventional mattresses. It should be understood that this member 115 could be utilized in other of the concurrently-described embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, such a contour member could be placed between the air chambers and one or both of the padding layers in the first preferred embodiment. It should of course be understood that, in order to provide a "symmetrical" mattress configuration as described below, two contour members would have to be used. With respect to the second preferred embodiment, it may be understood that this particular embodiment 110 is not "symmetrical" about a horizontal plane intersecting the center of the mattress, as in the previously described mattress 82. Symmetric mattress configurations may in many cases be desirable, as it is often desired to periodically flip mattresses over during their operating lives in order to insure longer wear characteristics. However, any perceived difference between the "feel" of the chamber versus the half-sized pocketed coils may be minimized by selectively increasing the thickness or firmness of the padding layers, allowing inversion of the mattress with a minimum of perceived difference in the feel of the mattress. However it may not be necessary to flip such mattress configurations over, as often the main reason for the need to make such inversions is due to excessive wear in the center of the mattress, which may be avoided by the novel configurations provided by the present invention. Finally, the thickness of the padding layers may instead be reduced in order to exploit the difference in feel of the air chambers versus the pocketed coils, as a user may consider it advantageous to invert the mattress as desired to suit his or her bedding preference at a given time. Variations from preferred embodiments It should be understood that many alterations may be provided to the preferred embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, a rigid foundation could be used in place of a box spring. Vibrating means known in the art could be attached to the mattress or box spring (or foundation) to provide the desired effect. Single air chambers could be used instead of dual chambers. Water could be used instead of air. Air control means (not shown) could be also provided with a feedback feature which would permit a user to "select" a desired air pressure (and corresponding firmness) or a particular chamber, whether or not the chamber is supporting a heavy user, a light user, or not user at all. Plastic coils could be used instead of pocketed coils, such as the plastic coils described in U.S. Patent N° 4,895,352, entitled "Mattress or Cushion Spring Array", hereby incorporated by reference. Extruded plastic spring elements such as those described in U.S. Patent N° 4,895,352, could also be used in either the mattress or the box springs described above. Finally portions of extruded high performance plastic components could be used in either the mattresses or box springs. If used in box springs, the plastic components could be configured to "snap" onto a wire grid, which could itself be positioned atop a perimeter of conventional open coils such that the plastic components fit within the perimeter of open coils. Use of such plastic components will reduce squeaking inherent in many metal spring configurations, which will result in greater customer satisfaction. Conclusion Therefore, it may be seen that the present invention provides an improvement over the prior art, as it provides an improved supporting surface at the center or "lumbar" region of the mattress, while avoiding undersirable effects of full-length chambers. The present invention also provides an improvement over the prior art by providing a personalized air control system which allows a user to choose, at any time, a selected firmness for each side of the bed by simply operating a remote control device. This adjustability feature is an important part of the invention, as it may be seen that infinite adjustability within a particular range may be achieved by use of suitable air pumps and flow control valves. The present invention also provides the general desirable characteristics of pocketed coils or similar conventional configurations at the head or foot regions, while providing improved wear characteristics and firmness control at the center or "lumbar" portion of the mattress. Finally, the nature of the air containers situated within the lumbar area, typically the first area to fail due to repeated wear or "setting" or conventional coils springs, encourages longer life of the mattress, resulting in user satisfaction not only due to the longer life of the mattress but also due to a reduced need to invert or "flip" the mattress. While this invention has been described in specific detail with particular reference to the disclosed embodiments, it will be understood that many variations and modifications may be effected within the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims.

Claims: An innerspring construction, comprising a plurality of adjacent rows of barrel-shaped pocketed coils (88; 106) having substantially parallel longitudinal axes and being placed in a side-to-side position, characterized in that a group of said barrel-shaped pocketed coils is constituted by half-size pocketed coils located at a predetermined area of the construction and forming an upper layer (90) of half-size pocketed coils which terminate in flush aligment with the upper surface of the full-size pocketed coils in the construction, and in that an inflatable chamber (91, 92; 108) is positioned under the upper layer of half-size pocketed coils and may be selectively inflated to displace upwardly the upper layer of half-size pocketed coils. An innerspring construction according to claim 1, characterized in that said inflatable chamber (108) occupies all the free space beneath the upper layer of half-pocketed coils. An innerspring construction according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a lower layer (90) of half-size pocketed coils positioned so that inflatable chamber is sandwiched between the upper and lower layers of half-size pocketed coils. An innerspring construction according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a lumbar support member (115) positioned a top said inflatable chamber and beneath the upper layer of half-size pocketed coils such that the half-size pocketed coils exhibit a slight upward bulge. An innerspring construction according to any preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a top padding layer (85) positioned atop all of said pocketed coils (88; 106). An innerspring construction according to any preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means (93, 94, 96; 110, 11, 112) for inflating said inflatable chamber. An innerspring construction according to any preceding claims, characterized in that it is used as a mattress having a head region and a foot region each constituted by full-size pocketed coils; and a center region constituted by said area of half-size pocketed coils under which is positioned said inflatable chamber.

Inventors: CALLAWAY MILTON CHRIS, CALLAWAY, MILTON CHRIS
Applicants: SIMMONS CO, SIMMONS COMPANY
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A47C27
IPC codes: A47C27