Chiral Zipper System For A Mattress
A multiple layer mattress system is disclosed which addresses the issue of degradation of the elasticity of a foam mattress core. In one embodiment, the multiple layer mattress is formed with split layers; namely, one or more comfort layers and one or more support layers. Each layer is encased with an encasement which includes complementary chiral zippers to enable the comfort layer and the support layer to be removably secured together. The chiral zippers allow the various layers to be rotated 180° relative to each other and reconnected thereto. Layers can also be added to the mattress or replaced to suit a user's comfort level. Optionally, a separate cover may be selectively secured to the top of a comfort layer and/or the bottom of the support layer for accessories. The optional bottom accessory cover may be used to provide active or passive maneuvering of the support layer relative to a foundation. The optional top accessory layer may provide for various accessories including: a protective cover; a heating pad, a smart tech cover, for example, as illustrated at lunasleep.com; a launderable cover; a pillow top and other accessories. An aftermarket mattress encasement is also disclosed that includes a top cover and a bottom cover connectable together by way of a chiral zipper system that allows accessories to be secured on top of a conventional mattress.
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This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/130,906, filed on Mar. 10, 2015, hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for forming mattresses with multiple layers that are removably connected together by way of a chiral zipper system that provides functionality heretofore unknown, such as; replacing one or more layers with one or more user selected layers, repositioning layers vertically relative to other layers, rotating one or more layers 180°; and enabling a mattress to be custom configured with one or more user selectable support layers and one or more user selectable comfort layers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various mattress systems are known.
The coil springs are known to have various shapes and configurations. The steel gauge of the coils as well as the number of coils per mattress may vary. The steel core support system is covered with various types of padding, such as foam, fiber and one or more additional layers of smaller coil springs.
In addition to the foam and inner spring support layers, mattresses are known to include spacers. Various spacers are illustrated in
Unfortunately, the elasticity of some foam materials, such as memory foam, is known to degrade over a period of use resulting in uneven support causing discomfort. Since the mattress cores are normally encased with an encasement that does not allow access to the mattress core, a user is left with a few choices in such a situation. For one, a user can keep using the mattress and suffer with the discomfort. Alternatively, a user can replace the mattress, which is normally relatively expensive.
Another option is the user can purchase a “pillow top” cover and install it over the mattress. An example of a pillow top cover is disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0283497 A1. Pillow tops are also relatively expensive.
Another problem with known mattresses relates to the fact that the top cover is not removable. Thus, when the top cover becomes soiled, it cannot be laundered.
In order to solve these problems, various mattress systems have been developed. Examples of these systems are disclosed in: US Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0000019 A1; European Patent Application No. EP 0 748 602 A1; Canadian Patent Application Nos. CA 2 290 164 A1 and CA 2 297 573 A1; and Canadian Patent No. 2,166,942.
US Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0000019 A1 discloses a mattress with an encasement that has a removable cover. The removable cover is formed with multiple layers, such as a top layer of a breathable fabric, one layer forming a moisture barrier and a batting layer that are quilted together forming a comfort layer. Even though this mattress system allows for laundering of the top cover of the mattress encasement, it does not allow for access to the mattress core. As such, as the elasticity of a foam core mattress degrades, there is no way to remedy the situation.
European Patent Application No. EP 0 748 602 A1 discloses a mattress with an encasement with top and bottom covers that are removable for laundering. In this case, the mattress core is a set of inner springs covered by padding. Though the elasticity of the inner springs will remain fairly constant, the support provided by the springs is fixed. As such, a user is unable to alter the support level.
Canadian Patent No. 2,166,942 discloses a mattress system which includes a mattress encasement that permanently encases the mattress core and a removable top panel that is removably attached to the top panel of the mattress encasement. The removable top panel is quilted and provides added comfort. It can also be removed for cleaning.
Canadian Patent Application No. CA 2 290 164 A1 discloses a removable quilted top cover that can be removably attached to a top panel of a mattress encasement. An additional panel can be inserted between the top panel of the mattress encasement and the top quilted cover. The additional panel is for added comfort and can be removed for laundering.
Canadian Patent Application No. CA 2 297 573 A1 is similar to Canadian Patent Application No. CA 2 290 164 A1 but includes a cover that is split in a lengthwise direction defining two halves of a mattress. Each half of the cover is removably attached to the mattress to enable removable support panels to be inserted in each half of the cover.
The foam core mattresses discussed above do not address the issue of eliminating the effects of degrading elasticity of the mattress core. At best, the prior art teaches to add removable top covers on top of a mattress to adjust comfort level on top of the mattress but does not disclose or suggest addressing the problems associated with the mattress core. The various covers discussed above do not allow access to the mattress core and thus would provide unsatisfactory results in situations in which the elasticity of the mattress core is significantly degraded. Moreover, none of the prior art references allow the mattress cores to be replaced or custom configured by the user after the mattress is purchased.
Thus, there is a need for providing a mattress system which addresses the problems discussed above and addresses the issue of degradation of the elasticity of the foam mattress cores and allows a user to custom configure as mattress even after it is purchased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBriefly, a multiple layer mattress system is disclosed which addresses the issue of degradation of the elasticity of a foam mattress core. In one embodiment, the multiple layer mattress is formed with split layers; namely, one or more comfort layers and one or more support layers. Each layer is encased with an encasement which includes complementary chiral zippers to enable the comfort layer and the support layer to be removably secured together. The chiral zippers allow the various layers to be rotated 180° relative to each other and reconnected thereto. Layers can also be added to the mattress or replaced to suit a user's comfort level. Optionally, a separate cover may be selectively secured to the top of a comfort layer and/or the bottom of the support layer for accessories. The optional bottom accessory cover may be used to provide active or passive maneuvering of the support layer relative to a foundation. The optional top accessory layer may provide for various accessories including: a protective cover; a heating pad, a smart tech cover, for example, as illustrated at lunasleep.com; a launderable cover; a pillow top and other accessories. An aftermarket mattress encasement is also disclosed that includes a top cover and a bottom cover connectable together by way of a chiral zipper system that allows accessories to be secured on top of a conventional mattress.
These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily understood with reference to the following specification and attached drawing wherein:
A multiple layer mattress system is disclosed which addresses the issue of degradation of the elasticity of a foam mattress core. In one embodiment, the multiple layer mattress is formed with split layers; namely, one or more comfort layers and one or more support layers. Each layer is encased with an encasement which includes complementary chiral zippers to enable the comfort layer and the support layer to be removably secured together. The chiral zippers allow the various layers to be rotated 180° relative to each other and reconnected thereto. Layers can also be added to the mattress or replaced to suit a user's comfort level. Optionally, a separate cover may be selectively secured to the top of a comfort layer and/or the bottom of the support layer for accessories. The optional bottom accessory cover may be used to provide active or passive maneuvering of the support layer relative to a foundation. The optional top accessory layer may provide for various accessories including: a protective cover; a heating pad, a smart tech cover, for example, as illustrated at lunasleep.com; a launderable cover; a pillow top and other accessories. An aftermarket mattress encasement is also disclosed that includes a top cover and a bottom cover connectable together by way of a chiral zipper system that allows accessories to be secured on top of a conventional mattress.
As used herein, a mattress layer means a layer formed from virtually any conventional or non-conventional mattress core materials and covered with a conventional or unconventional encasement. Conventional core materials include foam cores, innerspring mattress cores and hybrid mattress cores that include a combination of both foam and innerspring mattress core materials, as generally illustrated in
As shown in
The mattress cores can also be encased with various materials, For example.
An important aspect of the mattress system disclosed herein is a chiral zipper system. As used herein, a chiral system relates to a zipper system that includes two zippers that are used to attach a cover or encasement to a mattress core layer or to attach two (2) or more mattress core layers together. The system allows the cover or the encasement or the core mattress layer to be un-zipped from the other mattress core layer, rotated 180° and zipped back to the other mattress core layer.
In addition, the chiral zipper system allows a mattress core zipped to another mattress core to be unzipped flipped about a horizontal axis and re-zipped together for example, with a configuration as shown in
In addition, the top cover 196 may include an integral comfort layer. This top cover 196 can be removably attached to the mattress core 191. In an alternate embodiment, the top cover 196 may include an integral comfort layer that is formed from a single layer of conventional or non-conventional mattress comfort material. Alternately, the top cover 196 may be formed from at least two layers of conventional or non-conventional mattress comfort material. For example, the top cover 196 may be formed with a comfort layer formed from one or more layers of conventional or non-conventional mattress comfort materials. In one embodiment, the top cover may include a comfort layer formed from 2 different materials such as a latex layer and a foam layer. This allows additional selectivity of the sleep surface by flipping the top layer about a horizontal axis with respect to the mattress core and reattaching the top cover to the mattress core 191 by way of the chiral zipper system. This also applies to the bottom cover 190 which provides addition user mattress comfort selectivity.
Each zipper of the chiral zipper system may include a zipper start, a zipper stop formed on a zipper backing material and one or more zipper pulls. Alternatively, each zipper may include two zipper starts and no zipper stop. The head and tail ends of the backing material may be at least partially formed from a stretchable material to account for shrinkage.
Various configurations of the chiral zipper system are contemplated. An exemplary embodiment of a chiral zipper system is illustrated in
Each zipper 52, 54 may be a conventional zipper and extend around a mattress layer, for example 180° or 360°. Both zippers 52, 54 need to have the same length and be disposed at the same height relative to the side of the mattress layer. The zippers 52, 54 need to be oriented so that the zipper starts and zipper stops line of the two zippers line up when the mattress core is rotated 180° or flipped or a cover or encasement is rotated. For example, the zippers 52, 54 may be configured so that one zipper extends around one half of the mattress layer and the other zipper extends around the other half of the mattress layer, as generally shown in
The location of the starting and stopping points around the periphery of the mattress layer is not critical and may vary. The zippers 52, 54 need only be configured to have the functionality as discussed above and have the same length and be at the height relative to the side of the mattress layer.
As used herein, a chiral zipper system refers to any of the embodiments illustrated in
As used herein a multiple layer mattress refers to a mattress that is separate from a box spring or platform (“foundation”) and is normally supported by a foundation. The multiple layer mattress may include a support layer on the bottom of the stack and one or more comfort layers on top of the support layer. Each mattress layer may be formed from virtually any mattress core material including those mattress core materials discussed above and illustrated herein.
Turning to
The support layer 82 may include virtually any mattress core materials including those discussed above. For example, the exemplary support layer 82 may include individual or a matrix of inner springs, comfort foam, natural or synthetic materials otherwise used in an upper or lower portion of a mattress plus any materials normally used for comfort layers.
The comfort layer 80 may include virtually any mattress core materials including those discussed above. For example, the comfort layer may include one or more layers of memory foam, gel foam, spacer material, cotton, wool, latex or any natural or synthetic material, that is breathable or not.
Each mattress layer 80, 82 is covered with an encasement or outer fabric cover 84, 86, respectively. Such encasements are known to include removable bottom panels to enable mattress core materials to be received therein. The layers 80 and 82 may be selectively and releasably secured together by way of a chiral zipper system. As discussed above, the chiral zipper system may include a pair of zippers 88 and 90. One half of each of the zippers 88 and 90 is secured to the support layer 82 while the complementary half of each of the zippers 88 and 90 is secured to the comfort layer 80. Each half of the zippers 88 and 90 must be oriented so that the zippers 88 and 90 can be zipped up to secure the comfort layer 80 to the support layer 82 and unzipped to disconnect the support layer 82 from the comfort layer 80.
Turning to
The chiral zippers 88 and 90 enable the comfort layer 180 to be reconnected to the support layer 182 after the comfort layer 180 is rotated 180° relative to the support layer 182. One half of the zippers 88 and 90 on the support layer 182 remain in place. However, when the comfort layer 180 is rotated with respect to the support layer 182, the complementary halves of the zippers 88 and 90 are also rotated 1800.
As such, with reference to
Each of the comfort layers 98 and 100 may be rotated 180°. In particular, the comfort layer 98 can be rotated 180° relative to the support layer 96. Similarly, the comfort layer 98 can also be rotated 180° relative to the support layer 96.
In addition to rotating the comfort layers 98 and 100, one or more of the comfort layers 98 and 100 as well as the support layer 96 can be removed and/or replaced. For example the comfort layer 98 can be removed to form a two-mattress system. Additional layers can be added to form a mattress system with four or more layers, for example.
Turning to
A top accessory panel 172 is shown separated from the multiple layer mattress. The top accessory panel 172 is releasably secured to the comfort layer 166 by a chiral zipper system which includes the zippers 174 and 176. The zippers 174 and 176 are secured to the accessory panel 172 and to a top edge of the comfort layer 166. As mentioned above the top accessory panel 172 can be used for various accessories, as discussed above.
A bottom accessory boot 178 is also shown separated from the mattress. The bottom accessory boot 178 is formed as an upside down shoe box top and is slipped over the bottom of the support layer 164 but connectable to the comfort layer 166 by way of a chiral zipper system which includes the zippers 180 and 182 to cover up the zippers 168 and 170.
An exemplary embodiment of an application of the accessory boot 178 is illustrated in
An exemplary embodiment of an active accessory boot is described in detail in US Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0269108 A1 (“the '108 publication”) and illustrated in FIG. 139 B, hereby incorporated by reference.
Bottom accessory panels are also contemplated. These panels are releasably securable to the bottom of the support layer 164 by any way of any conventional or non-conventional means including a chiral zipper system, as described herein. The active mattress management system can also be configured as a panel. An exemplary embodiment of a bottom accessory panel is illustrated in
US Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0212809 A1 (“the '809 publication”), hereby incorporated by reference, describes and illustrates in FIGS. 46-48 exemplary embodiments of a bottom accessory boot that can be used for passive mattress management. FIGS. 53, 56 and 57 of the '809 publication illustrate exemplary bottom accessory panels that can be used for passive mattress management.
One chiral zipper system may be used to releasably secure a bottom cover 190 to the mattress 184. This chiral system includes the zippers 192 and 194. The zippers 192 and 194 are secured to a top edge of the bottom panel 190 and to the mattress 184. For those embodiments which include a center band 188, the zippers 192 and 194 are secured to a lower edge of the center band 188.
Another chiral zipper system is used to releasably secure a top cover 196 to the mattress 184. This chiral zipper system includes the zippers 198 and 200. These zippers are secured to a bottom edge of the top cover 196 and to the mattress 184. For embodiments that include a center band 188, the zippers 198 and 200 are secured to a top edge of the center band.
The bottom cover 190 may be configured for active mattress maneuvering for example as described in detail in US Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0269108 A1 and illustrated in FIG. 139 B, hereby incorporated by reference. As part of the active mattress management system, the bottom cover 190 may include an adjustable air exit valve 202 to adjust the airflow out of an inflatable volume (not shown). Air is supplied to the inflatable volume by way of an air inlet 203 from an external air source, such as the external air pump 112, illustrated in
The bottom cover 190 may also include an attachment point 204 which attaches the layers of the inflatable volume together. The inflatable volume is used to levitate or lift the mattress 184. The attachment point 204 stabilizes the levitation.
The bottom cover 190 may optionally be formed to provide passive mattress management in addition to or in lieu of the active mattress management discussed above. In particular, the bottom cover 190 may be formed with a panel 206 and sidewalls 208 forming an upside down shoe box top. An interior, i.e. top, side of the panel 206 may be formed with a slick surface. The sidewalls 208 may be formed to enable them to be selectively flipped down in a first mode of operation and releasably secured to a foundation (not shown). In a second mode of operation, the sidewalls 208 are releasably secured to the mattress 184. Such covers (without the chiral zippers) are described in detail in the '809 publication.
Referring first to
24A-24D illustrate a method of adding an additional mattress layer to a multiple layer mattress.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described above.
What is claimed and desired to be secured by a Letters Patent of the United States is:
Claims
1. A mattress comprising
- a support layer;
- one or more comfort layers; and
- one or more chiral zipper systems for releasably securing said layers together.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 2, 2015
Publication Date: Sep 15, 2016
Applicant: LEVITATION SCIENCES LLC (Chicago, IL)
Inventor: William John Scarleski (Chicago, IL)
Application Number: 14/790,976