Beds – Mattress – Having innerspring-type core
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-18
2001-03-20
Trettel, Michael F. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Mattress
Having innerspring-type core
C005S260000, C005S721000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202238
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to bedding or seating products, and more particularly, to edge supports used to strengthen or rigidify the periphery of a bedding or seating product.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A traditional bedding or seating product has an inner spring core comprising a plurality of identically configured coil springs arranged in linear columns and rows. If such a spring core is used in a bedding product, the spring core is covered with a mattress pad or covering materials and an upholstered covering surrounds and encases the spring core and mattress pad. Such a traditional bedding or seating product typically has one degree of firmness throughout because all of the springs of the inner spring core are identical.
Bedding or seating products do exist which have increased firmness about the edge portions of the bedding or seating product, primarily to prevent collapse of the side edges of the bedding or seating product when a person sits on the side edges. These edge reinforcements also prevent loss of resiliency of the edge of the bedding or seating product as a result of persons repeated getting on and off the product or by sitting or leaning on one edge of the bedding or seating product.
One method of firming up the outer periphery or edge of a mattress is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,116. According to the disclosure of this patent a rope is wrapped for several revolutions around the perimeter of the mattress and between adjacent convolutions of the outermost peripheral coil springs of the mattress.
Another method is disclosed in applicants' own U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,396 wherein an inflatable pneumatic tube placed around the periphery of a bedding product increases the firmness of the periphery of the product. The pneumatic tube enables a user to adjust the firmness around the periphery of the bedding product by changing the pressure inside the tube.
Another method of reinforcing the edge of a mattress is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,154. According to the disclosure of this patent, conventional mattress padding
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extends between adjacent convolutions of the outermost coil springs of the mattress.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,769 a piece of foam rubber extends around the mattress and is inserted into the interior portion of the outermost or peripheral coil springs to support or reinforce the edge or border of a mattress.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,618,146 and 3,822,426 both disclose resilient foam inserted between the convolutions of the outermost or peripheral coil springs in order to stabilize the border of an inner spring mattress. The resilient foam is held in place by the pitch or angle of the convolutions of the helical coils of the coil springs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,062,172; 3,022,521 and 3,121,882 all disclose edge support springs of differing configurations to enhance the firmness of the periphery of a bedding product.
Each of these patents discloses different devices or methods for enhancing the firmness of the peripheral or edge portions of a bedding or seating product. However, each of these edge supports enhances the firmness by locating firmness enhancing materials or devices between the upper and lower border wires of the bedding or seating product. This limits the effectiveness of the edge support and subjects the border wires to excessive bending forces
It has therefore been an objective of this invention to provide edge support for a bedding or seating product which extends above the upper border wire and below the bottom border wire so as to enhance the firmness of the edge of the product while preventing the border wire from being repeatedly flexed and possibly permanently bent due to a user sitting on the edge of the bedding or seating product.
Still another objective of this invention has been to provide a solution to the problem of enhancing the edge support of a bedding or seating product in a manner which is as effective or more so than the prior edge supports but which is economical to produce and assemble into a finished product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bedding or seating product of the present invention which accomplishes these objectives comprises a spring core comprising a plurality of connected, aligned coil springs having coplanar upper end turns in a first plane and coplanar lower end turns in a second plane. Edge support means are located around the perimeter of the spring core and extend above the first plane and below the second plane. Filling material is located inside the edge support means both above the first plane and below the second plane. The filling material, spring core and edge support means are all enclosed in an upholstered covering.
The edge support means may be a string of pocketed springs, each of the springs having a height greater than the height of the springs of the centrally located spring core. The springs may be individually pocketed or unpocketed.
Alternatively, the edge support means may be a pair of spiral edge supports located around the perimeter of the spring core, each spiral edge support comprising a helical spring coil enclosed in fabric. The spiral edge supports may or may not be secured to a pair of border wires surrounding the spring core. One of the spiral edge supports is located above the outermost rows and columns of the spring core and the other spiral edge support is located below the outermost rows and columns of the spring core.
As yet a third alternative, the edge support may comprise a pair of plastic edge reinforcements located around the perimeter of the spring core which snap fit or releasably secure to border wires of the bedding or seating product. The plastic edge reinforcements are located generally above and below the outermost rows and outermost columns of the spring core.
In each of these embodiments the edge support means extends above the first plane defined by the upper end turns of the spring core and extends below the second plane defined by the lower end turns of the springs of the spring core. In each embodiment filling material is located inside the edge support means above and below the spring core in order to fill the centrally located void created by the edge support means. The spring core, edge support means and layers of filling material are encased in an upholstered covering. Thus, a bedding or seating product is provided having edge support means which extends above and below a centrally located spring core. The edge support means functions to economically strengthen the periphery of the bedding or seating product and prevent sagging of the spring core along the edge portions of the bedding or seating product.
These objectives and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which:
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Mossbeck Niels S.
Wells Thomas J.
L&P Property Management Company
Trettel Michael F.
Wood Herron & Evans LLP
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