Beds – Mattress – Having confined gas
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-02
2002-04-30
Santos, Robert G. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Mattress
Having confined gas
C005S710000, C005S935000, C318S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06378152
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to bed and mattress structures and particularly to mattress structures which may be customized for individual users at the point of sale. The mattress of the present invention may be delivered to the user in a variety of forms assembled from kits provided at the point of sale to accommodate the musculoskeletal condition of the user. The mattress may also be customized at the factory or at some assembly location other than the point of sale based on a customer's reaction to a test mattress used at the point of sale, the test mattress comprising a plurality of air bladders arranged under the user with a system for recording air pressures producing the desired support and firmness for the user. These bladder air pressures may be converted at the factory to equivalent foam core structures having the desired support and firmness characteristics.
It is well known to provide foam support pads or mattresses for supporting a user reclining on the pad. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,776; 5,038,433; 5,077,849; 5,111,542; and 5,172,439, all to Farley, disclose mattress overlays and pads for supporting a user. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,261 to Magnusson and U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,244 to Walker disclose mattress borders for receiving core mattresses, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,488 to Hutchinson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,744 to Peck et al.; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,424,600 and 4,435,864 to Callaway, disclose supporting surfaces having selectively adjustable firmness.
What is needed is a mattress that can be prepared using a mattress kit for customizing the mattress either at the point of sale or at a factory using data generated at the point of sale to provide a user with a mattress having reduced interface pressure while providing the user with his or her individually desired support and firmness characteristics. The improved mattress should be capable of side-by-side customization when the mattress is sized for use on queen-sized beds and king-sized beds so that two sleeping partners are each provided with their individually desired support and firmness characteristics on the same bed. The improved mattress should also be compatible with an articulating bed so that the mattress can be moved to a variety of positions selected by the user.
In addition, the improved mattress should be provided with features such as a “warm air release” to warm the extremities of the user, multiple longitudinal zones that can be controlled to vary the support and firmness characteristics perceived by the user, and it should be provided with a hand held controller having a key pad including a display that is easy to read to determine the status of various features of the bed, buttons that are located for convenient manipulation for adjusting various aspects of the bed and mattress structure, and memory setting capability for matching a desired bed deck position with desired firmness and support characteristics so that by simply pressing one button the bed automatically moves to the user-selected position and the mattress automatically assumes the user-selected firmness and support characteristics selected for each zone of the mattress.
According to the present invention, a plurality of mattress structure components is provided. The components are arranged for selective assembly of the components to provide a customized mattress structure at the point of sale to accommodate the musculoskeletal condition and interface pressure preference of the user. The mattress structure components include a perimetral frame having a head end foam section, a foot end foam section, and longitudinally extending side foam sections joining the head and foot foam sections to provide a longitudinally extending foam frame. The foam frame has a central opening above which the user will rest and the frame sections have upper surfaces lying generally in the same common plane.
The mattress structure components additionally include a plurality of cores for filling the central opening. The cores are provided in a variety of firmness and support characteristics such that various combinations of firmness and support can be provided. A plurality of toppers cover the frame and the central opening and the selected cores therein. The plurality of toppers include toppers having various firmness and support characteristics and can be made from foam rubber and can include air bladders, water bladders, or bladders for containing other fluids.
In preferred embodiments, the mattress is supported by an articulating deck having longitudinally spaced head, seat, thigh, and foot sections. The head, thigh, and foot sections of the illustrative articulating deck are movable relative to each other. The head, thigh, and foot sections are infinitely adjustable between a generally planar sleeping position and reclining positions to allow the bed to attain any desired position within the range of movement of the head, thigh, and foot sections, thus accommodating changes of position of the user on the bed. Preferably, the range of movement of the foot section is limited to positions generally parallel to the seat section and the downward range of movement of the thigh section is limited to the sleeping position so that the feet of the user remain elevated above the torso of the user.
The mattress is suitable for use with such an articulating deck. The mattress includes a head portion for supporting the scapula and the lumbar of the user, a seat portion for supporting the user's sacrum, a thigh portion for supporting the thighs of the user, and a foot portion. Each named mattress portion is associated respectively with the head, seat, thighs, and feet of the person resting on the sleeping surface of the bed as well as with the underlying head, seat, thigh, and foot sections of the deck.
The mattress includes a mattress cover having a top mattress cover and a bottom mattress cover attached to the top mattress cover by a perimetral zipper. The top and bottom mattress covers define a mattress interior receiving a plurality of mattress structure components. The zipper is positioned so that the bottom cover can be placed on a surface and used as a template for building the mattress with a “bottom up” assembly technique placing the components on the bottom of the mattress on top of the bottom cover and building the other components thereon. The zipper is also positioned to facilitate a “top down” assembly by starting with the top cover and first adding the components on the top of the mattress to the top cover and building the other components thereon.
The mattress structure components include a frame preferably made from a relatively firm foam rubber such as a high resiliency, high density urethane foam. The frame is positioned generally along the perimeter of the mattress. Use of a relatively firm foam provides support characteristics that aid users as they ingress and egress to and from an upwardly-facing sleeping surface of the mattress and that prevent the user from rolling off of the sleeping surface. The frame is formed to include a central opening beneath the sleeping surface and above which the user will rest.
A plurality of cores including air bladders, “zone foam” elements, “sculptured foam” shaped from foam blocks, and combinations thereof are provided for filling the central opening. The cores are selected to customize the firmness, support, and interface pressure characteristics to meet the individual desires of each user. To customize the mattress in such a fashion requires considering the combination of each individual's height, weight, body type, weight distribution, health conditions, and preferences.
The preferred method for customizing the mattress is initiated when a potential user completes a questionnaire to aid in the analysis of that user's “sleep profile.” The sleep profile assesses such factors as the user's general health and sleep habits. A firmness recommendation is computed either in terms of a pressure for various zones of a “test mattress” co
Dalton Roger D.
Luff Larry E.
Marasligiller Ares
Reeder Ryan A.
Stolpmann James R.
Barnes & Thornburg
Hill-Rom Services Inc.
Santos Robert G.
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