Abstract:
An ergonomic mattress ( 1 ) having one or more support sections with varying heights and/or thicknesses that create one or more voids ( 13 ) within a body ( 5 ) of the mattress. The varying heights, thicknesses and/or voids are achieved by eliminating one or more layers of support material from the body of the mattress in a desired area and/or using a shorter and/or thicker pieces of support material in a desired area in comparison to the other areas of the mattress to create concave indentations ( 17 ) on a top surface ( 6 ) of the mattress.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to mattresses and more particularly, a mattress wherein the main body is made up of multiple layers of support material having varying heights, thicknesses and/or voids to provide a contoured upper surface. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Chronic pain can sometimes be linked to the type of mattress an individual sleeps on. Sleeping on a conventional mattress can result in physical ailments, such as shoulder pain, hip pain, leg pain and so forth. 
     These ailments are typically caused by undue pressure on the hips and shoulders caused by a mattress having a singular evenly flat upper surface that does not allow the individual&#39;s shoulders and/or hips to sink into proper alignment with the spine, especially when an individual is sleeping on his or her side. This is due to the profile of the human skeleton wherein the top of the shoulder and the top of the femur protrude furthest from the center of the body or spine. With a flat conventional mattress, much of the body&#39;s weight is absorbed in these two areas. 
     Previous attempts to solve this problem included the creation of mattresses having “zones” or areas of material having varying densities. However, the thickness or height of these mattresses always remained the same meaning the individual is still sleeping on a flat surface that allows an individual&#39;s torso to sink below his or her shoulder and hips, thereby causing misalignment of the spine and joints. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a method and system for an ergonomic mattress made up of multiple layers of material having varying heights, thicknesses and/or voids that conform to an individual&#39;s body and properly disperse pressure across the individual&#39;s body. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide an ergonomic mattress made up of multiple layers of material having varying heights, thicknesses and/or voids that conform to an individual&#39;s body and properly disperse pressure across the individual&#39;s body. 
     The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing an ergonomic mattress having one or more support sections with varying heights, thicknesses and/or voids. The varying heights, thicknesses and/or voids are achieved by eliminating one or more layers of support material from the body of the mattress in a desired area and/or using a shorter and/or thicker pieces of support material in a desired area in comparison to the other areas of the mattress to create concave indentations on a top surface of the mattress. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exemplary side view of an individual lying on a conventional mattress wherein the individual&#39;s spine and joints are misaligned; 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary side view of an individual lying on an ergonomic mattress of the present invention wherein the individual&#39;s spine and joints are properly aligned; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a mattress of the present invention showing the various support sections; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation cross-sectional view of a mattress of the present invention having voids located within the mattress body created by eliminating sections of one or more support layers; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation cross-sectional view of an ergonomic mattress of the present invention having voids located within the mattress body created by eliminating sections of one or more support layers and using intermediate support layers of varying thickness within the created void to adjust the depth of the void. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered accessories in the drawings is as follows: 
       1 . ergonomic mattress, generally 
       2 . individual 
       3 . conventional mattress 
       4 . spine 
       5 . mattress body 
       6 . top surface of mattress body 
       7 . bottom surface of mattress body 
       8 . head support section 
       9 . shoulder support section 
       10 . torso support section 
       11 . hip support section 
       12 . leg support section 
       13 . void 
       14 . bottom layer of support material 
       15 . middle layer of support material 
       16 . top layer of support material 
       17 . concave indentation 
       18 . intermediate support layer 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary side view of an individual  2  lying on a conventional mattress  3  wherein the individual&#39;s spine  4  and joints are misaligned is illustrated. Shoulder, back and hip pain are typically caused by undue pressure on the hips and shoulders while sleeping on a conventional mattresses  3  having a flat surface that does not allow the shoulders and/or hips to sink into the conventional mattress  3 , especially when the individual  2  is sleeping on his or her side. This is due to the profile of the human skeleton wherein the top of the shoulder and the top of the femur protrude furthest from the center of the body or spine  4 . With a flat conventional mattress  3 , much of the body&#39;s weight is absorbed in these two areas, thereby pushing the shoulders and hips upward out of their natural position and curving the spine  3 , as illustrated herein. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , an exemplary side view of an individual  2  lying on an ergonomic mattress  1  of the present invention wherein the individual&#39;s spine  3  and joints are properly aligned is illustrated. The ergonomic mattress  1  of the present invention provides a mattress body  5  having a top surface  6 , a bottom surface  7  and sections of varying thickness. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the ergonomic mattress  1  comprises five support sections: a head support section  8 , a shoulder support section  9 , a torso support section  10 , a hip support section  11  and a leg support section  12 . The shoulder support section  9  and hip support section  11  each have heights measured from the bottom surface  7  to the top surface  6  of the mattress body  5  that are less than heights of the head support section  8 , torso support section  10  and leg support section  12 . Therefore, the individual&#39;s shoulders and hips are allowed to rest below a horizontal plane on which the individual&#39;s head, torso and legs are resting, thereby creating proper alignment of the spine  3  and joints, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The shorter heights of the shoulder support section  9  and the hip support section  11  are created using varying thickness of support material and/or eliminating sections of support material to creating voids  13  in the mattress body  5 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , a side elevation cross-sectional view of an ergonomic mattress  1  of the present invention having voids  13  located within the mattress body  5  created by eliminating sections of one or more support layers is illustrated. The ergonomic mattress  1  of the present invention comprises a mattress body  5  having a top surface  6 , a bottom surface  7 , at least one bottom layer of support material  14 , at least one middle layer of support material  15  and at least one top layer of support material  16 . Said support material may comprise foam, springs, micro-coils, cotton batting, and/or any equivalent material. As illustrated herein, a middle layer of support material  15  has voids created  13  by removing sections of the middle layer of support material  15 . Top layers of support material  16  then dip into the voids  13  to created concave indentations  17  on the top surface  6  of the mattress body  5 . The concave indentations  17  are positioned in a manner that creates a plurality of support sections on the ergonomic mattress  1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Voids  13  may be located within a bottom layer of support material  14 , a middle layer of support material  15  and/or a top layer of support material  16 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the plurality of support sections comprise a head support section  8  located adjacent to a top edge of the mattress, a shoulder support section  9  (wherein a concave indentation  17  is located) located adjacent to the head support section  8 , a torso support section  10  located adjacent to the shoulder support section  9 , a hip support section  11  (wherein a concave indentation  17  is located) located adjacent to the torso support section  10 , and a leg support section  12  located adjacent to the hip support section  11 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , a side elevation cross-sectional view of an ergonomic mattress  1  of the present invention having voids  13  located within the mattress body  5  created by eliminating sections of one or more support layers and using intermediate support layers of varying thickness within the created void to adjust the depth of the void  13  is illustrated. The ergonomic mattress  1  of the present invention comprises a mattress body  5  having a top surface  6 , a bottom surface  7 , at least one bottom layer of support material  14 , at least one middle layer of support material  15  and at least one top layer of support material  16 . Said support material may comprise foam, springs, micro-coils, cotton batting, and/or any equivalent material. As illustrated herein, a middle layer of support material  15  has voids created  13  by removing sections of the middle layer of support material  15 . The depth of the voids  13  is then adjusted by placing one or more intermediate support layers  18  within the voids  13 . Top layers of support material  16  then dip into the voids  13  to created concave indentations  17  on the top surface  6  of the mattress body  5 . The concave indentations  17  are positioned in a manner that creates a plurality of support sections on the ergonomic mattress  1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.