Packaging mattresses

Abstract

A method of packaging a mattress for storage and/or transportation comprises the steps of wrapping said mattress around a core and maintaining the mattress in position around said core. The method may include the additional steps of compressing the mattress prior to and/or during wrapping of the mattress around said core and the insertion of a topper for said mattress inside said core. In an alternative arrangement, the core may be constituted by a topper for the mattress. A mattress packaged according to the method is also disclosed.

Description

This invention relates to mattresses and is more particularly concerned with the packaging, storing and transportation of mattresses.

Mattresses are usually stored and transported in their ‘usable’ condition, i.e. in the form in which they are placed on a base or other item which is to support the mattress. They are usually wrapped or packaged in a bag or covering of plastics material for storage and transportation. In such a condition, mattresses take up considerable space—both in terms of storage and transportation—and it is the aim of the present invention to provide an improved way of packaging a mattress in order to alleviate the above-mentioned problem

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of packaging a mattress for storage and/or transportation, the method comprising the steps of wrapping the mattress around a core and maintaining the mattress in position around said core.

The method may include the additional step of compressing the mattress prior to or during the wrapping of the mattress around said core.

The core may be a topper for said mattress.

The method may include the step of securing the mattress in position around said core, the further step of packaging the mattress and core in a container, and the still further step of inserting a topper for said mattress inside the core prior to or after wrapping the mattress around said core.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaged mattress for storage and/or transportation comprising a mattress wrapped around a core, and means for holding the mattress in position around said core.

The core may be a topper for said mattress, or alternatively a topper for said mattress may be located within the core within the mattress, and the means for maintaining the mattress around said core may be strapping and/or a bag or container of plastics material.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a mattress being packaged in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a mattress packaged in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing a topper for the mattress packaged with said mattress; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to FIG. 1, there is shown a mattress—indicated generally by reference numeral 2—whose leading end 2A, as will be seen, is compressed. The mattress is being wrapped around a rigid or semi-rigid core 4 composed of, for example, cardboard or other suitable material. To further the packaging, the mattress continues to be wrapped around the core 4 until the mattress 2 completely envelops the said core 4.

To complete the packaging, the mattress 2 and core 4 may have strapping applied thereto, after which the strapped package may be inserted into a bag or container 6 of plastics material (FIG. 2), or the bag or container itself may be used to hold the mattress and core together, thus obviating the need for the strapping which is not shown in the drawings.

The completed packaged mattress is illustrated in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

In some instances, the mattress may include a removable topper containing filling material for comfort in use of the mattress, and where this is the case the topper will be packaged with the mattress.

Thus, referring now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the packaged mattress includes a topper 8 which is rolled up inside the core 4. The topper 8 may be placed inside the core 4 prior to the mattress 2 being wrapped around the core 4, or alternatively the topper 8 may be placed inside the core 4 after the mattress 2 has been wrapped around the core.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative arrangement of the invention. In FIG. 4—which has been exaggerated for the sake of clarity, it being understood that the various parts would be in closer proximity than shown in the drawing—it will be seen that a mattress 10 has been wrapped around a topper 12 prior to being placed in a bag or container 14 of plastics or other suitable material. Thus in this embodiment of the invention, the topper 12 itself forms the core around which the mattress is wrapped. Thus, the need for the discrete core of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 is obviated, use being made instead of the topper 12 for the mattress. Strapping (not shown) may be used, the strapping serving the same purpose as previously described.

Thus the invention provides a novel method of packaging a mattress—and in some cases a topper also—for storage and/or transportation purposes, resulting in space saving with respect to conventional storage and/or transportation, thus reducing overall costs which are associated with mattresses.

Claims

1. A method of packaging a mattress for storage and/or transportation, the method comprising the steps of wrapping said mattress around a core and maintaining the mattress in position around said core.

2. A method according to claim 1, including the additional step of compressing the mattress prior to and/or during the wrapping of the mattress around said core.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, including the further step of packaging the mattress and core in a bag or container.

4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, including the further step of inserting a topper for said mattress inside the core prior to or after wrapping the mattress around said core.

5. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the core is a topper for said mattress.

6. A packaged mattress for storage and/or transportation comprising a mattress wrapped around a core and means for maintaining the mattress in position around said core.

7. A packaged mattress according to claim 6, including a topper for said mattress.

8. A packaged mattress according to claim 7, wherein said topper is located within said core.

9. A packaged mattress according to claim 7, wherein said topper constitutes said core.

10. A packaged mattress according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the means for holding the mattress in position around said core is strapping and/or a bag or container.