Patent Publication Number: US-6658682-B1

Title: Bedding or seating product with spring core topper

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to bedding or seating products and more particularly to a bedding or seating product having a topper resting on a base. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Bedding or seating products comprising an array of coil springs for years have been covered with a padding and wrapped in an upholstery material. The padding located on the top of the spring core of the bedding or seating product may be made of numerous material including but not limited to pieces of foam. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,803 utilizes a high density, high Indentation Load Deflection (ILD) convoluted polyurethane foam topper as a transition layer between the top of the spring core and the upholstery surrounding the mattress. Such a topper may cover only one side of the spring core or both sides of the spring core as in the mattress disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,803. A two-sided mattress such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,803 has an identical feel on both sides and may be used accordingly. 
     Another type of topper commonly used in bedding or seating products is a topper which is removable from the bedding or seating product. Such a topper is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,579. This patent discloses a down-filled topper member which is secured to a featherbed below it with straps. Such removable toppers have also been known to be used with mattresses or bedding products having an innerspring core. 
     Seating products have been developed which have a topper covering a spring core, the topper having a plurality of springs incorporated therein. Such toppers have been used in seat cushions in order to soften or cushion the load placed on the cushion. U.S. Pat. No. 2,264,607 discloses a seat cushion with an innerspring topper located above a base, the base comprising a plurality of individually pocketed coil springs. The topper disclosed in this patent comprises a top piece of fabric and a bottom piece of fabric sewn together around the periphery of the topper with individually pocketed coil springs between the pieces of fabric. The springs used in this topper are of a substantially lighter gauge wire than the springs of the base of the cushion in order to provide a yielding initial soft surface when one sits on the cushion. Although this patent discloses a topper comprising a plurality of pocketed coil springs incorporated therein, the topper has a uniform construction throughout and therefore imparts a uniform degree of firmness to the user. 
     Consequently, it has been one objective of the present invention to provide a posturized topper for use in a bedding or seating product, the topper having a plurality of coil springs incorporated therein to impart differing degrees of firmness to different regions of the bedding or seating product. 
     It has further been an objective of the present invention to provide a bedding or seating product having a topper incorporating a plurality of continuous bands of coil springs held together with helical lacing wires. 
     It has further been an objective of the present invention to provide a bedding or seating product having a topper comprising alternating sections of filler and sections of springs in order to impart different degrees of firmness to different regions of the product. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention of this application which accomplishes these objectives comprises a bedding or seating product having a base and a topper located above the base, the topper and base being surrounded in an upholstered covering. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the topper comprises a plurality of parallel bands of coil springs held together with helical lacing wires. The bands of coil springs may extend longitudinally from end to end of the product, or alternatively from side to side, transversely. In this preferred embodiment, the topper covers the entire upper surface of the base of the bedding or seating product. 
     The base of the bedding or seating product may comprise a plurality of individually pocketed coil springs, a plurality of unpocketed springs or any other similar structure. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the topper rests directly on top of the fabric encasing the pocketed coil springs of the base. Because the springs of the base are individually pocketed, “noise” or spring-to-spring contact between the springs of the topper and the springs of the base is avoided. 
     In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an insulator pad is located between the base and the topper in order to prevent spring-to-spring contact which creates “noise.” Such an insulator pad may be connected to the coil springs of the base with hog rings or any other type of fastener. Additionally, the insulator pad may be connected to the bands of springs of the topper with hog rings, other types of fasteners, adhesive or other type of bonding material. Such a connection between the base, the insulator pad and the topper prevents the topper from moving relative to the base and the base from moving relative to the topper. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the topper is posturized, i.e., has different degrees of firmness in different regions thereof. This embodiment of topper provides increased support in the lumbar or lower back region of a bedding product which has an increased load relative to the head and leg regions of the product. The topper has at least one spring core segment and at least one filler segment. Each spring core segment comprises a plurality of springs joined together. The springs may be parallel continuous bands of coil springs or individual springs. Each filler segment preferably comprises a piece of foam which may be polyurethane foam, latex foam or polyurethane foam impregnated with latex. Alternatively each filler segment may be a piece of fibrous material, a bladder filler with air or water or any other structure. The topper is divided into regions or zones, each region or zone comprising one filler segment or one spring core segment. The regions or zones are arranged to alternate as they extend from front to back of the bedding or seating product. 
     In an additional preferred embodiment of the present invention, the topper which rests upon the base comprises a generally rectangular spring core segment and a filler segment surrounding the spring core segment. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment, the topper comprises a generally rectangular filler segment centrally located and spring core segment surrounding the filler segment. In each of these last two preferred embodiments the base and topper are surrounded with an upholstered covering. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a bedding or seating product made in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 1A is schematic side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the bedding or seating product of the present invention, the product having an insulator pad between a base and a topper. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizing a posturized topper comprising segments of filler and segments of springs. 
     FIG. 2A is side elevational view of the bedding product illustrated in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of yet another preferred embodiment of bedding or seating product made in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 A— 3 A of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 4 is a is a top view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 A— 4 A of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a bedding or seating product  10 . The bedding or seating product comprises a base  12 , a topper  14 , padding  16  and an upholstered covering  18 . The topper  14  rests on top of the base  12  with the padding  16  being located directly above the topper  14 . The upholstered covering  18  surrounds the base  12 , the topper  14  and the padding  16 . 
     The base  12  is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being a plurality of individually pocketed springs  20 , each individually pocketed spring  20  comprising a coil spring  22  encased in a fabric covering  24 . For purposes of simplicity, in FIG. 1 only a portion of one coil spring  22  is shown in one pocket  20 . However, it is understood that each of the individual pockets  20  has a coil spring  22  therein. A plurality of pocketed coil springs  20  may be joined together in strings of springs as is conventional in the art or may be joined individually as is known in the art as well. 
     Although individually pocketed springs  20  are shown as making up the base  12 , the base  12  may be made of numerous other materials including, but not limited to, a spring core made of unpocketed conventional springs. FIG. 1A illustrates a base  26  comprising a plurality of conventional coil springs  28  held together. In each of the embodiments of the present invention, the base may be plurality of pocketed springs, unpocketed conventional springs, bands of springs or other spring cores. This application is not intended to limit the configuration of the base used in the bedding or seating product of the present invention. 
     Referring back to FIG. 1, the topper  14  comprises a plurality of parallel continuous bands  30  of coil springs  32 . Each band  30  is made of one piece of wire formed into coil springs  32  connected with connecting segments  34 , as is conventional. Although the bands  30  of coil springs  32  are illustrated in FIG. 1 as extending longitudinally from front to back of the bedding or seating product, such bands may be transversely oriented so that they run from side to side (transversely). Adjacent bands  30  of coil springs  32  are held together with helical lacing wires  36 . The helical lacing wires  36  extend perpendicular to the direction of the bands  30  of coil springs  32  so as to join together multiple bands in a parallel fashion as is conventional. Other connectors other than helical lacing wires may be used to join multiple bands  30  together to form a topper  14 . 
     Referring to FIG. 1A, an alternative embodiment of bedding or seating product  10   a  is illustrated. This embodiment has a base  26  made up of a plurality of individual unpocketed coil springs  28  arranged in rows and columns into a matrix as is conventional. Each of the coil springs  28  has an upper end turn  44  and a lower end turn  45 . In this embodiment in order to prevent “noise” or spring-to-spring contact, an insulator pad  40  is placed between upper end turns  44  of the coil springs  38  of the base  26  and a topper  42 . The insulator pad may be made from numerous types of fibrous materials, non-fibrous material or any other cushioning material. The upper end turns  44  of the coil springs  28  of the base  26  are secured to the insulator pad  40  with hog rings  46  but may be secured in any fashion to the insulator pad  40 . Similarly, hog rings  48  may be used to secure the topper  42  to the insulator pad  40 . Alternatively, the topper may be adhesively secured to the upper surface  41  of the insulator pad  40 . Other methods of attaching either the base  26  or the topper  42  to the insulator pad  40  may be utilized as well. The topper  42  comprises a plurality of continuous bands  43  of coil springs like those illustrated in FIG.  1 . An upholstered covering  50  surrounds the topper  42  and the base  26  as is conventional. 
     Although the bedding or seating product  10   a  illustrated in FIG. 1A is the only embodiment illustrated as having an insulator pad located between the topper  42  and the base  26 , any of the embodiments disclosed in this application may have an insulator pad located between the topper and the base. For example, there may be an insulator pad located between the topper  14  and the base  12  of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 even though the base  12  comprises a plurality of pocketed coil springs  20 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 2A, there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of bedding or seating product  10   c  of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the upper surface  52  of the bedding product  10   c  illustrated in FIG.  2 A. This product  10   c  comprises a base  54  made up of a plurality of coil springs  56 , each coil spring  56  having an upper end turn  58  and a lower end turn  60  as is conventional. A topper  62  rests upon the upper end turns  58  of the coil springs  56  of the base  54 . This topper  62  is posturized in order to provide increased firmness in select portions or regions of the topper. This is accomplished by joining together multiple segments of the topper, each segment having its own characteristics so as to impart differing degrees of firmness to different sections or zones of the topper. 
     Moving from right to left as illustrated in FIG. 2 and 2A, the topper  62  is divided into a head section  64 , an upper back section  66 , a middle back section  68 , a lower back section  70  and a foot section  72 . The head, middle back and foot sections  64 , 68 , 72  are illustrated as being made of filler segments  74 ,  76  and  78 , respectively. The upper and lower back sections  66 , 70  are each made of spring core segments  80  and  82 , respectively. Each spring core segment  80 , 82  comprises a plurality of parallel bands  84  of coil springs, each band  84  extending from side to side, as best illustrated in FIG.  2 . Adjacent bands  84  are connected with helical lacing wires  86 . Although FIG. 2 illustrates four adjacent bands of springs in segments  80  and  82 , any number of bands of springs may be used in a particular segment depending on the desired width of the section. Similarly, the size of any of the filler segments  74 , 76  or  78  may be varied depending on the desired application. 
     Although the spring core segments  80  and  82  illustrated in FIG. 2 are made up of a plurality of bands  84  of coil springs, such segments may be made of individual coil springs joined together. The coil springs of each segment in a posturized topper such as the one illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2A need not be part of continuous bands of springs but may be any springs having the desired firmness. 
     Because the spring core segments  80 , 82  are firmer than the filler segments  74 , 76 , 78 , the lower and upper back sections  70 , 66  of the topper  62  are firmer than the head, middle back and foot sections  64 , 68 , 72  of the topper, thus resulting in a posturized topper. Although one specific configuration of topper is illustrated having three filler segments and two spring core segments, the topper of the present invention may have any number of spring core segments of any size and any number of filler segments of any size in order to provide the desired posturization. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the topper  62  and the base  54  are covered in an upholstered covering  88 . 
     The different filler segments  74 , 76 , 78  may be joined to the spring core segments  80 , 82  with hog rings  85  or any other mechanical fasteners or adhesively secured together. Other fastening methods or devices may be used as well to connect the different segments of the topper. 
     FIGS. 3 and 3A illustrate an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention  10   d . As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the bedding product  10   d  comprises a topper  90  above a base  91 . The topper  90  comprises a generally rectangular spring core segment  92  and a filler segment  94  surrounding the spring core segment  92 . The spring core segment  92  comprises a plurality of bands  94  of coil springs extending from side to side and joined together with helical lacing wires  96 . Although the bands of coil springs are illustrated as extending from side to side, the bands may extend from front to back as well. Individual coil springs rather than bands of coil springs may also be utilized in the spring core segment  92 . Any type of coil springs secured together using any of numerous methods may be used in the spring core segment  92 . An upholstered covering  98  (only a portion of which is shown in FIG. 3) surrounds the topper  90  and the base  91 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 4A illustrate an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention  10   e . In the bedding product  10   e , a topper  100  rests above a base  102  (see FIG.  4 A). The topper  100  comprises a generally rectangular filler segment  102  and a spring core segment  104  surrounding the foam segment  102 . The spring core segment  104  comprises a plurality of bands  106  of coil springs  108  extending from side to side and joined together with helical lacing wires  110 . Although the bands  106  of coil springs  108  are illustrated as extending from side to side, the bands  106  may extend from front to back as well. An upholstered covering  112  (only a portion of which is shown in FIG. 4) surrounds the topper  100  and the base  102 . 
     While I have described several preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate changes and modifications which can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, I intend to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.