Beds – Mattress – Sectional with regard to firmness
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2001-04-10
Grosz, Alexander (Department: 3628)
Beds
Mattress
Sectional with regard to firmness
C005S716000, C005S740000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212720
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a mattress tub which forms the upper support portion of a mattress and can as well form a lower support portion which essentially becomes uppermost when the mattress is turned or flipped in the customary fashion. The construction of the mattress tub directly affects the comfort and “feel” of the mattress because it is the support portion upon which a sleeper or patient rests and is thereby supported.
Upper support portions of the type described are relatively common, as is reflected by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,768 in the name of Alvin R. Klancnik granted on Jun. 7, 1994. This patent discloses a mattress which is formed by a coil spring structure, a bottom cloth layer thereabove, next a convoluted foam layer having upwardly directed peaks and upwardly opening valleys, and spanning and covering all the latter are an upper fiber layer and an outermost cloth layer with all of the components, excluding the coil spring structure, being held together by stitching. The patent recognizes inherent problems in a mattress of this type, such as the crushing of the fiber material which causes a loss in resilience and prevents the same from returning to its original position even after weight has been removed. Another disadvantage of the mattress is said to be the retention of moisture by the top surface should a sleeper perspire. Once wet, the fiber is slow to dry and the retained moisture is said to result in an unpleasant aroma. The problem of such mattresses is resolved by the patent disclosure through the utilization of the convoluted foam layer, located beneath the fiber layer, having upwardly directed peaks which are partially compressed when weight (a person or sleeper) is applied thereto and which return to their no-load position once weight is removed. This is said to move or exercise the fiber layer thereby reducing matting and also forces air movement which dries any moisture from the fiber layer. The convoluted foam layer in the top surface also increases the comfort or softness of the mattress since the peaks are quick to respond to a weight by compressing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a mattress which includes a mattress tub which not only provides all of the advantages of known prior art mattress tubs, but also provides comfort, feel and softness comparable to mattresses constructed entirely of foamed latex which are recognized in the trade as superior mattresses at the high end of comfort and cost. The mattress tub of the invention substantially eliminates the quick peak compression of known mattresses of the type described utilizing a convoluted foam layer and instead achieves progressive compression toward full compression through the utilization of a plurality of randomly sized pieces of foamed latex or latex foam housed within and substantially filling the valleys of the convoluted foam layer. In this fashion when weight is applied to an upper surface of the mattress and the mattress tub thereof, the plurality of randomly sized pieces of foamed latex are progressively themselves moved intimately against one another into a mass and as the peaks of the convoluted foam layer compress, the pieces of foam latex also progressively compress thereby providing progressive compression toward full compression which in turn provides superb comfort through automatic ergonomic contouring of the mattress pad to both the shape and weight distribution of a person lying thereupon. For example, the portion of the mattress tub underlyingly supporting the hips of a person would be compressed the most, the shoulder portion of the sleeper next most, and the feet and head of the sleeper the least. Hence, the peaks of the convoluted latex foam layer in the area of the person's hips would be compressed to a maximum, the valleys reduced correspondingly in height, and the pieces of foamed latex similarly being compressed closer together as a mass and also being individually compressed which effectively produces the same desirable functions of a solid foam mattress at an appreciably lessened cost. (Scrap latex foam pieces are relatively inexpensive.) Thus, the mattress tub of the invention when utilized with a coil spring produces a mattress having the most desirable characteristics of the most expensive foamed latex mattresses yet provides the same at an appreciably lesser cost, both wholesale and retail.
In further accordance with the present invention, the pieces of foamed latex can be preferably selectively deposited in the valleys to achieve variable compression zones which provide the ultimate in mattress tub comfort in accordance with the present invention. Desirably, a mattress tub might, for example, be divided into five compression zones, namely, a head compression zone, a shoulder compression zone, a hip compression zone, a leg compression zone, and a foot compression zone. By providing different amounts of the foamed latex pieces in the valleys of these different compression zones, the eventual mattress utilizing the mattress tub would provide ultimate underlying support and comfort to a person/user. However, though the latter is desirable, it is recognized that mattresses are not only turned over but are also rotated end-for-end. Thus, the mattress tub is essentially “divided” into three compression zones, namely, a central shoulder/hip compression zone, a head compression zone at one side thereof, and a leg/foot compression zone at an opposite side thereof. By introducing more pieces of foam latex into the shoulder/hip compression zone than in the opposite head and leg/foot zones, which can have equivalent pieces of foamed latex housed therein, the mattress tub provides maximum resistance to compression/weight at the shoulder/hip compression zone and minimum resistance to compression/weight at the remaining compression zones. The overall effect of such a compression zoned mattress tub is to provide essentially uniform softness and feel over the entire length of the mattress tub and an associated mattress, once again providing ultimate comfort to the user.
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.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3766577 (1973-10-01), Stewart
patent: 4109332 (1978-08-01), Lück
patent: 4432110 (1984-02-01), Sutton
patent: 4862539 (1989-09-01), Bokich
patent: 5317768 (1994-06-01), Klancnik
patent: 5636397 (1997-06-01), Boyd et al.
Agar Brent
Antinori Steven J.
Antinori Steven J.
Diller Ramik & Wight
Grosz Alexander
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