RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/784,085, filed Mar. 14, 2013.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The disclosure of this application is in the field of reflexive and spring-containing support structures, including furniture and mattresses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wire form springs individually encased in fabric, also known as “pocketed” or Marshall-type coils and have been manufactured for many years for use as spring cores for mattresses by arranging the strings of pocketed coils in rows or columns within a perimeter. With each coil contained in its own pocket and attached to adjacent pockets, the axes of the coils are held in alignment and each coil is able to be compressed individually or in combination in accordance with the flexibility of the encasing fabric and the manner of attachment or connection between the coil pockets. In addition to conventional stitching, thermal welds have been used at different intervals to form and connect the pockets and thereby dictate to some extent the support characteristics of a pocketed spring core. Other variations on the basic construct of pocketed coil spring cores have focused on details of the fabric encasement—such as altering the length of the pockets or pre-compressing coils within a pocket—but with common coil configurations throughout, or different coil configurations with variations in wire gauge, numbers and pitches of turns, shapes and heights, in different strings of the core. These prior art designs require manufacturing strings of identical coils, encasing the coils in the particular fabric configurations, and then assembling the strings in an alternating pattern, about a perimeter or in zones to form the finished spring core assembly. Although various pocketed spring core characteristics and performance can be achieved in these manners, the manufacture and assembly thereof is tedious and expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present disclosure and related inventions provides a pocketed spring core which in a preferred embodiment utilizes a common coil configuration and a uniform encasement or pocket configuration, and wherein the coils have an asymmetrical configuration and the vertical end-up orientation of the coils is alternated or otherwise varied. Selected coils in different areas or patterns in the array of pocketed coils that form the spring core are inverted, relative to a support surface of the spring core, within the individual pockets. The inverted coils have spring characteristics including spring rate, stiffness and initial deflection force which are different from the spring characteristics of the non-inverted coils due to the asymmetry of the coils along a longitudinal axis. The coil configurations in various alternate embodiments are generally helical coil springs with spring bodies which are generally cylindrical (in profile), conical, hour glass, barrel shaped or coil-in-coil, i.e. a smaller diameter helical coil body formed continuously with and inside of a larger diameter helical coil body. The ends of any of these different types of coil springs can be of any particular configuration, but in general include wire form which lies in a plane generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the helical coil body. The first and second ends of the coil may be identically configured, or vary in size or configuration.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure and related inventions are further described herein with reference to the drawing Figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In the accompanying drawing Figures:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with columns of encased asymmetric coils with coil orientation alternating between columns;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is an elevation of an encased asynunetric coil of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is an end view of the encased asymmetric coil of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with zones or sides of an innerspring defined by encased asymmetric coils defined by coil orientation;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with zones of an innerspring defined by encased asymmetric coils defined by coil orientation;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with perimeter and non-perimeter zones of an innerspring defined by encased asymmetric coils defined by coil orientation;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
FIG. 10 is an elevation of an alternate embodiment of a portion of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
FIG. 12 is an elevation of an alternate embodiment of a portion of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
FIG. 16 is an elevation of an alternate embodiment of a portion of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a first embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring, indicated generally at 100 in which each of the coils 10 are encased or pocketed within an encasement or pocket 101, which may be formed from fabric or other flexible material in sheet form and bonded together by stitching or adhesive. The encasements 101 are generally cylindrical and aligned with planar ends 1001 and 1002 to form generally planar support surfaces. Continuous bands of encased coils are arranged in a rectangular array of rows, indicated at R, and columns, indicated at C, to form an innerspring for a mattress or other flexible support structure. In general, in a mattress innerspring, the columns C of aligned encased coils are oriented to run in a lengthwise direction between the head and foot ends of the mattress, and the rows R of aligned encased coils are oriented to run transversely between the longitudinal sides of the mattress. However, as described herein, the references to columns C and rows R are representative orientations only and the inventions as disclosed and claimed are not limited to any particular arrangement of the encased coils.
The term “coil” refers to a single coil spring, and is generally synonymous with the word “spring”. As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, coils 10A and 10B are in the configuration of generally helical springs which include a helical coil body 11 formed by multiple turns or helical windings of wire W, a first end 10B1 and a second end 10B2. As shown, the turns or helical windings of the coil body 11 are of varying diameter, for example gradually decreasing in diameter from first end 10B1 to second end 10B2, so that the coil has a generally tapered profile as shown in FIG. 4, and the second end 10B2 is generally smaller than first end 10B1. As illustrated in this particular coil embodiment, the pitch or angle of inclination of the wire through the helical turns may be relatively constant, or may vary as in later described embodiments. The diameters of the helical turns and the variation thereof whether constant or otherwise is a significant factor in the overall spring rate or stiffness of the coil, in addition to other factors such as overall coil height and any pre-compression of the coil by the encasement. In this example of an asymmetrical coil body 11 and the differently sized coil ends 10B1 and 10B2, the support characteristics of the coils 10A and 10B as oriented in the innerspring, for example with coil ends 10B2 and 10A1 being co-planar to form support surface 1001 of the innerspring, are very different. For example, in the support surface plane 1001, coil end 10B2 will have a higher apparent spring rate and stiffer feel than coil end 10A1. The juxtaposition of these coils and the respective coil ends in the alternating column configuration shown in FIG. 2 to define the support plane 1001 creates a unique and novel support surface.
FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring 200, also referred to as a “core”, in which encased asymmetric coils 10A and 10B as previously described (or alternatively other embodiments of encased asymmetric coils as later described) are arranged in their respective orientations in groups which define right and left sides of the innerspring 200, with coil end 10A1 of coils 10A forming one half of the planar support surface 2001, and coil end 10B1 of coils 10B forming the other half of the planar support surface 2001. In this embodiment, the two sides of the innerspring 200 will have perceptibly different support characteristics and feel when employed as the innerspring or core of a mattress. This also enables customization of a mattress by selection and orientation of coils for each side of the mattress. This embodiment also lends itself to expeditious or automated manufacture, for example by simply inverting the strings of encased coils on one side of the innerspring, or by use of two set-ups or lanes of encased coil manufacturing equipment in which the coil orientation differs and feeds directly to the designated half or zone of an innerspring.
FIG. 9 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at 20, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. The coil 20 has an outer generally helical coil body 21 which extends between a first coil end 20B1 and a second coil end 20B2. The coil body 21 may be generally cylindrical with a generally constant diameter of the helical turns, although the diameters and number of turns of the coil body may be varied according to configurations of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends 20B1 and 20B2 may be generally the same diameter or of different diameters as illustrated, also by configuration of the coil forming machinery. The coil 20 also includes an inner helical coil body indicated generally at 22 which is generally co-axial with the outer coil body 21 and extends into the interior of the outer coil body 21 from the coil end 20B1. Alternate embodiments and other aspects and features of this type of coil-in-coil spring which can be used in any of the encased asymmetric coil innersprings described herein are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,693, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
FIG. 10 illustrates a strand of encased coils 20 with alternating orientation of the coil ends 20B1 and 20B2 between the opposed innerspring surfaces 2001 and 2002. In this embodiment also, due to the different spring characteristics of the coil ends 20B1 and 20B2, the alternating orientation of the coils creates a support surface with a novel hybrid combination of spring characteristics which act together to define the overall support and feel of the innerspring and mattress.
FIG. 11 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at 30, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. The coil 30 has a generally helical coil body 31 which extends between coil ends 30B1 and 30B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of the coil body 31 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends 30B1 and 30B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are of the type with one or more generally linear segments or offsets which are not aligned or continuous with the helical coil body 31, and which may extend beyond a diameter of the coil body 31. The coil 30 also includes a non-helical segment indicated at 301 which extends from coil end 30B1. The non-helical segment 301 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of the coil 30 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end 30B1. Other embodiments of coils with non-helical segments proximate either or both ends of the coil, which can be used in any of the encased asymmetric innersprings of the present disclosure, are described below with reference to FIGS. 13-15, and further disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,223, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIG. 12 illustrates a strand of encased coils 30 with alternating orientation of the coil ends 30B1 and 30B2 between the opposed innerspring surfaces 2001 and 2002. In this embodiment also, due to the different spring characteristics of the coil ends 30B1 and 30B2, the alternating orientation of the coils creates a support surface with a novel hybrid combination of spring characteristics which act together to define the overall support and feel of the innerspring and mattress. Also contributing to the hybrid spring characteristics of the innerspring is the fact that the encasement 101 of the strands of coils of both orientations may be fused or otherwise attached.
FIG. 13 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at 40, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. The coil 40 has a generally helical coil body 41 which extends between coil ends 40B1 and 40B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of the coil body 41 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends 40B1 and 40B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are generally circular and with a radius greater than that of the coil body 41. The coil 40 also includes a non-helical segment indicated at 401 which extends from coil end 40B1. The non-helical segment 401 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of the coil 40 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end 40B1. Either coil end 40B1 or 40B2 can be oriented within the encasement 101 to lie in the support plane 2001 or 2002, in any arrangement or alternating arrangement, for example in the manner as described with reference to FIG. 12.
FIG. 14 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at 50, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. The coil 50 has a generally helical coil body 51 which extends between coil ends 50B1 and 50B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of the coil body 51 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends 50B1 and 50B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are of the type with one or more generally linear segments or offsets which are not aligned or continuous with the helical coil body 51, and which may extend beyond a diameter of the coil body 51. The coil 50 also includes a non-helical segment indicated at 501 which extends from coil end 50B1. The non-helical segment 501 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of the coil 50 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end 50B1. Either coil end 50B1 or 50B2 can be oriented within the encasement 101 to lie in the support plane 2001 or 2002, in any arrangement or alternating arrangement, for example in the manner as described with reference to FIG. 12.
FIG. 15 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at 60, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. The coil 60 has a generally helical coil body 61 which extends between coil ends 60B1 and 60B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of the coil body 61 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery, to produce a coil body which generally cylindrical (equal diameter turns), hourglass (smaller diameter intermediate turns) or barrel-shaped (larger diameter intermediate turns). The coil ends 60B1 and 60B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are generally circular and with a radius equal to or less than that of the coil body 61. The coil 60 also optionally includes a non-helical segment indicated at 601 which extends from coil end 60B1. The non-helical segment 601 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of the coil 60 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end 60B1. Either coil end 60B1 or 60B2 can be oriented within the encasement 101 to lie in the support plane 2001 or 2002, in any arrangement or alternating arrangement, for example in the manner as described with reference to FIG. 12.
Any of the described asymmetric coil configurations can be modified in order to achieve any desired form of asymmetry. For example, FIG. 16 illustrates asymmetric coils 70 in which a generally helical coil body 71 is formed by multiple helical turns or wire in which the pitch or angle of the helix is varied among the turns, as illustrated. In general, the smaller the pitch turns, such as those proximate to coil end 70B1, produce a lower spring rate and softer support characteristic, and the larger pitch turns such as those proximate to coil end 70B2 produce a higher spring rate and firmer support characteristic. The coils 70 are illustrated in an alternating orientation arrangement in an encased strand as the innerspring or core of a mattress with at least one layer of overlying foam F and upholstery U, for example over support surface 2001.
FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring 300 in which encased asymmetric coils, including any of the coils 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 and variants thereof, are in an alternating arrangement with coils in a first orientation A in selected rows and coils in a second orientation, e.g. 180 degree or upside-down orientation, across a width dimension of an innerspring as illustrated. This width-wise zoning of the innerspring 300 is beneficial for optimizing support of a mattress in higher pressure zones such as the head, shoulder and lumbar areas. The width-wise row patterns of alternating coil orientations may be equally spaced from head to foot, or not.
FIG. 8 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring 400 in which encased asymmetric coils, including any of the coils 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 and variants thereof, are in an alternating arrangement with coils in a first orientation A at the longitudinal perimeters of the innerspring and coils in a second orientation, e.g. 180 degree or upside-down orientation, in the central region of the innerspring. Preferably, the coils of orientation A have a higher spring rate in order to create a firmer support surface along the longitudinal edges of a mattress support surface.
The production of any of the described coils and coil, arrangements can be manual or automated by appropriate configuration of coil forming and pocketed coil manufacturing machinery. The coil orientation within its encasement 101 can be determined by coil handling machinery between a coil former and transition to automated equipment which handles the encasement material to receive coils and forms the individual encasements between coils. A single coil forming machine can be used and the coils then oriented accordingly prior to closure of the encasement material. Alternatively, when two coil forming machines are employed, one can be configured to deliver coils for encapsulation in the opposite orientation. In a continuous coil production operation, coils can be fed from one or two coil forming machines to a coil encapsulation mechanism and the orientation of the coil changed in a continuous feed operation so that a single strand of coils may include coils with first and second or inverted orientations. The single strand containing coils with first and second orientations can then be assembled or arranged as desired to form the core. For simple manual assembly, uniformly completed strands of coils can be simply cut to length and placed in the desired orientation in a desired row or column of an innerspring array. Also as noted a single innerspring may contain two or more types of encased asymmetric coils in either orientation and in any pattern.
The foregoing descriptions of various embodiments of the disclosure and related inventions are representative of ways in which the inventions may be realized and are not otherwise limiting to the scope of the following claims.
