Patent Abstract:
The invention is directed to a mattress retainer system for adjustable beds which includes a mattress-retention bracket housed within a pocket of a mattress accessible in an upward direction through an opening along a bottom edge of the mattress. The pocket is formed by attaching a separate piece of material along a bottom edge of the mattress at one or both of opposite head/foot ends thereof and permitting an overlying downwardly projecting portion of a peripheral covering of the mattress to remain free thereby defining the opening into the pocket.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a retainer system for adjustable beds and specifically to a pocket formed in a mattress for receiving a retention bracket which is carried by a mattress-supporting element, such as a foot support and/or a head support of an adjustable bed, or a box spring, etc. With the retention bracket housed within the pocket of the mattress, the mattress cannot shift during adjustment of the adjustable bed and, more importantly, because of the novel construction of the pocket, the retention bracket is hidden from view and creates an aesthetic appearance to an observer. 
   A typical conventional mattress-retention bracket constructed in accordance with this invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,737,783 and 5,978,992 in the name of Santino Antinori granted respectively on Apr. 14, 1998 and Nov. 9, 1999. In each of these patents a mattress-retention bracket is of a generally inverted U-shaped configuration or an upstanding T-shaped configuration, and these retention brackets are secured to head, back, hip and/or foot supports of an adjustable bed. The retention brackets embrace the head, back, hip and/or foot ends of the overlying mattress and are functionally adequate for the intended purpose, but are not aesthetically acceptable because they are readily visible to a casual observer. However, in accordance with the mattress-retainer system of the present invention, such brackets are hidden from view by providing a lower opening along a peripheral edge of the mattress which opens into a pocket into which the mattress-retainer bracket can be inserted. An outer portion of the peripheral material defining the mattress cover covers the retention bracket thereby hiding the same and providing the mattress with the appearance of a conventional or standard mattress absent a pocket therein. 
   Other typical mattress holders and/or brackets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,125,277 granted on Jan. 19, 1915 to Homer Eckerson and U.S. Pat. No. 1,371,098 granted on Mar. 8, 1921 to Mariana T. Jones. In each of these patents a bed frame includes a set of supporting springs upon which rests a mattress and mattress holders or brackets are attached to head ends and foot ends of the bedframe to permit the mattress to shift relative to the frame and the springs supported thereby. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,754 granted on Nov. 3, 1981 to Julio A. Zuniga and U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,919 granted on Apr. 19, 1977 to John H. Hemmeter each disclose a plurality of mattress-retention brackets associated with a bed, and in each of these the mattress is supported upon box springs and the mattress-retention brackets prevent each mattress from shifting relative to its associated box spring. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 1,842,873 granted on Jan. 26, 1932 to Mary E. Leeking discloses an adjustable bed formed by a head spring section, a foldable foot spring section and an intermediate foldable spring section therebetween with the three sections supporting a mattress and several sections being adjusted to accommodate a patient in prone, sitting or partially sitting positions. Rather than utilizing retention brackets, the mattress is held to the head, intermediate and foot spring sections by a number of flexible straps having a hooks at opposite ends which are selectively hooked to the spring sections and to eyelets or eye members of the mattress. 
   Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0066142 A1 published on Jun. 6, 2002 in the name of Osborne et al. discloses a mattress having a transverse tubular sleeve along an underside thereof through which a rod passes with the rod being secured to an underlying mattress-supporting surface, such as a box spring for retaining the mattress positioned atop the box spring. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In keeping with the foregoing, a novel mattress-retention system particularly adapted for association with adjustable beds includes a retention bracket which can be configured in a variety of different ways, such as the retention brackets of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,737,783 and 5,978,992 connected in upstanding projected relationship at a head end, a foot end or both head and foot ends of an associated mattress support, such as head and/or foot supports of an adjustable bed. A mattress associated with the adjustable bed is provided with a downwardly opening pocket at its head end, foot end or both its head and foot ends. The mattress includes a conventional inner mattress core which may include coil springs, polymeric/copolymeric foam plastic, combinations thereof, and upper, lower and peripheral outermost pieces of fabric which are conventionally secured together by a conventional tape edging machine except along lower or bottom edges of the head and/or foot ends of the peripheral fabric material. At one or both of the latter ends of the mattress, the peripheral edge of the mattress bottom covering and a lower edge of the peripheral covering are not edge-taped together thereby forming an upwardly accessible hidden pocket which can be accessed by the retention bracket(s). Since the retention bracket(s) is inboard of the outermost peripheral covering or fabric material of the mattress, it is unobservable from the exterior thereby imparting a highly aesthetic appearance to the overall adjustable bed and virtually renders invisible the mattress-retention bracket(s). 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bracket-retention pocket(s) is formed by manufacturing a mattress in a conventional manner except a limited length of the head end and/or foot end of the mattress periphery are not sewn together utilizing typical tape edging. Instead, a piece of pocket-forming material is secured along a bottom peripheral edge of the bottom outer fabric or covering of the mattress and projects freely upwardly inboard of the outer peripheral material or covering of the mattress which is tape secured along the entire periphery of the outer bottom fabric covering except in the area of the pocket-forming piece of material. The latter selective securing of the components creates an opening along a lower edge of the outer peripheral fabric or covering which defines with the pocket-forming material an upwardly accessible pocket into which the retention bracket is received. The latter construction provides an aesthetic appearance when the mattress is assembled upon the head, back, hip and leg supports of the adjustable bed because the retention bracket(s) is completely hidden from view to a casual observer. 
   With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an adjustable bed, and illustrates a wheeled adjustable bed frame including relatively adjustable head, back, hip and leg supports; a mattress support supported upon the latter body supports carrying an inverted U-shaped mattress-retention bracket at a foot end, and a mattress above the mattress support prior to assembly therewith. 
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view of the adjustable bed, and illustrates the retention bracket accessed within a pocket or chamber of the mattress through an opening formed along a portion of a lower peripheral edge of the mattress at the foot or head end thereof. 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the mattress taken generally along line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 7 , and illustrates details of the chamber or pocket and the lower opening for accessing the pocket with the retention bracket by lowering the mattress from the position shown in  FIG. 1  to the position shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view, and illustrates the mattress inverted with its bottom uppermost and a separate piece of pocket-forming border material which is insertable into a foot end (or head end) of the mattress inboard of the peripheral fabric or covering which is folded downwardly for purposes of assembly. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view similar to  FIG. 4 , and illustrates a conventional tape edging machine securing a lower edge of the pocket-forming material to a peripheral edge of the bottom mattress covering. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the mattress, and illustrates the tape edging machining securing the peripheral edge of the bottom mattress covering to the mattress peripheral covering lower edge beginning substantially midway at the head end of the mattress, continuing along the right side, the subsequent corner, excluding the area of the pocket ( FIG. 5 ) previously tape edged only to the peripheral edge of the mattress bottom covering, continuing taping adjacent the succeeding corner and continuing to the mid-portion of the head end of the mattress. 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the completed mattress of  FIGS. 3 and 6  and specifically the pocket thereof, and illustrates the manner in which the peripheral edge taping of the peripheral covering excludes the area of the pocket-forming border material or insert to define an access area or opening opening into the mattress-retainer pocket or chamber. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   An adjustable bed B ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) includes a conventional frame F having wheels or casters W and appropriate linkages, motors and drives (not shown) of a conventional bed adjusting mechanism BAM for moving a mattress-supporting member or mattress support S between numerous positions of adjustment, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,737,783 and 5,978,992, the details of which are herein incorporated by reference. The mattress support S includes a mattress head support Sh, a mattress back support Sb, a mattress hip support Sh′ and a mattress foot support Sf with the latter having secured thereto a mattress-retention bracket MR of a generally inverted U-shaped configuration. The bed adjusting mechanism BAM articulates the pivotally movable mattress supports Sh, Sb, Sh′ and SF between planar ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and nonplanar (not shown) positions. Though the mattress-retention bracket MR is located at the mattress foot support Sf, the same can be located at the mattress head support end Sh or at both mattress supports Sf, Sh. 
   The mattress bracket MR defines one component of a mattress-retention system MRS ( FIG. 2 ) which includes as a second component thereof a mattress-retention bracket receiving pocket or chamber P ( FIGS. 1 through 3 ) accessible through a lower opening  0  ( FIGS. 3 and 7 ) of a mattress  10  which is constructed in a novel manner in accordance with the present invention. 
   The mattress  10  includes a mattress core  11  ( FIG. 3 ) of a substantially conventional construction including coil springs  12  foam plastic corner pieces Cp ( FIGS. 4–6 ), upper and lower relatively thick fabric layers  13 ,  14 , respectively, and upper and lower relatively thin, though dense, mesh fabric  15 ,  16 , respectively, with a layer of polymeric/copolymeric foam plastic material  17  being sandwiched between the layers  13 ,  15 . Another foam layer  20  lies atop the fabric  15  and is covered by an outermost upper or top fabric material, cover or covering  21  defining the uppermost surface of the mattress  10  which can be appropriately stitched by spaced stitching  22  ( FIG. 1 ) to impart a conventional quilted characteristic mattress appearance thereto. Outboard peripheral edge portions  25 ,  26  ( FIG. 3 ) of the thin mesh fabric or fabric material  15 ,  16 , respectively, are spaced from each other along the entire periphery of the mattress  10 , as is readily apparent from  FIG. 3 . An outer peripheral covering  31  formed of a piece of fabric material peripherally bounds or encases the entire periphery of the mattress core  11  and an upper edge  32  thereof ( FIG. 3 ) is secured by edge tape Te and edge stitching Se utilizing a conventional tape edging machine TEM ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) to entirely peripherally unite the peripheral covering  31  to an edge  33  of the top or upper fabric covering  21  ( FIG. 3 ). 
   Reference is made to  FIG. 4  of the drawings which illustrates the mattress  10  constructed as thus far described inverted from the position shown in  FIG. 3  with the uppermost or top covering  21  at the bottom and the peripheral covering  31  projecting upwardly therefrom with a peripheral edge  34  thereof opposite the peripheral edge portion  32  being partially folded downwardly to expose the foot end of the mattress  10  and the inner core  11  thereof into which is inserted a substantially polygonal or rectangular piece of plastic reinforcing foam  40  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) which reinforces the mattress  10  in the area of the pocket P, as is most readily apparent from  FIG. 3  of the drawings. 
   The piece of reinforcing foam  40  slightly overlies the peripheral edge portions  25 ,  26  of the respective fabric pieces  15  and  16  ( FIG. 3 ). Since the outer peripheral covering  31  relatively tightly encases the periphery of the mattress core  11 , the reinforcing plastic foam piece  40  is retained frictionally therein in the position shown in  FIG. 3  but may, if desired, be sewn or adhesively united to the edge portions  25 ,  26  of the pieces of material  15 ,  16 . 
   Thereafter, a sheet of pocket-forming border material  50  of a polygonal configuration larger than that of the plastic foam piece  40  is inserted into the foot end of the mattress, as indicated by the headed arrow I associated therewith in  FIG. 4  with an upper edge  51  thereof, as viewed in  FIG. 4 , which is the lower edge  51  in  FIG. 3 , immediately adjacent a foot edge  52  of a lower or bottom covering  55  of the mattress  10  and a remote terminal edge  53  ( FIG. 3 ) being inboard of and adjacent the peripheral edges  32 ,  33  of the respective peripheral covering  31  and upper covering  21  ( FIG. 3 ). Thereafter, a length of pocket-forming tape Tp ( FIG. 5 ) is secured by stitching Sp of the conventional tape edging machine TEM to the edges  51 ,  52  of the respective pocket-forming border material  50  and bottom covering  55  only along the length of the tape Tp ( FIG. 5 ) which corresponds to the length of the opening  0  which is formed when the peripheral covering  31  is subsequently progressively unfolded to cover the entirety of the pocket-forming fabric material  50 , as is readily visualized in  FIG. 6  of the drawings. 
   Tape edging of the bottom covering  55  to the peripheral covering  31  by the tape edging machine TEM begins at the head end of the mattress ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) which applies bottom tape Tb and associated bottom stitching Sb ( FIG. 3 ) to unite the peripheral edge  52  of the bottom covering  55  to the bottom edge  34  of the peripheral covering  31 , along the entire lengths thereof except in the area of the tape Tp ( FIG. 7 ). In other words, as is best visualized in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the tape Tb secures the edges  52 ,  34  of the respective bottom covering  55  and peripheral covering  31  to each other halfway along the head end of the mattress ( FIG. 6 ), around the adjacent corner, and along a portion of the right side. As the tape edging proceeds, the edges  52 ,  34  are secured to each other by the tape Tb until a first edge E 1  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) of the tape Tp is encountered, and at this point the tape Tb is applied only to the edge  34  ( FIGS. 3 and 7 ) of the peripheral covering  31  until the edge Et of the tape Tp is reached at which point the edges  34 ,  52  are again secured to each other by the tape Tb which continues to the starting point of the edge taping operation at the head end of the mattress  10 . In this manner, the opening  0  ( FIGS. 3 and 7 ) is defined between the tape Tp and the opposing portion to the tape Tb of the peripheral covering  31  which permits upward access, as viewed in  FIGS. 1–3 , into the pocket or chamber P by the mattress-retention bracket MR in the manner readily apparent from  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  of the drawings. As is particularly emphasized in  FIG. 2  of the drawings, the mattress-retention bracket MR is essentially invisible or unobservable because it is, obviously, hidden in the pocket P. Obviously, the bed-adjusting mechanism BAM ( FIG. 1 ) can be selectively operated to adjust or articulate the adjustable bed B to and between desired positions of adjustment during which the mattress supports Sh, Sb, Sh′ and Sf will pivot conventionally relative to each other. However, because the mattress-retention system MRS, specifically the mattress-retention bracket MR housed in the chamber or pocket P of the mattress  10 , the mattress  10  will be held at all times in substantial peripheral alignment with the underlying mattress support S. 
   Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0