Shredded Foam Mattress

Info

Publication number: 20200029705
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 25, 2019
Publication Date: Jan 30, 2020
Applicant:
Inventors: Michael Fux (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Michael Connor Fux (Eatontown, NJ)
Application Number: 16/522,617

Abstract

A mattress formed with a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

Description

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/703,141, filed Jul. 25, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates in general to mattresses and in particular to mattresses having shredded foam filler material.

Mattresses formed of solid conventional or solid memory foam material are known. A disadvantage of such mattresses is the high cost of forming the mattresses from a single piece of foam. Another disadvantage is the amount of waste that such mattresses produce during manufacturing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would therefore be advantageous to provide a foam mattress that can economically be manufactured while advantageously providing a beneficial use for recycled foam. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed. The mattress may further comprise at least one additional solid foam member disposed within the void space.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed. The mattress may further comprise at least one additional solid foam member disposed within the void space and the at least one additional solid foam member may extend from one of the plurality of sidewalls to another of the plurality of sidewalls.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed; wherein the fill material is disposed within at least one housing.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed. So configured the mattress may further comprise an additional solid foam member disposed within the void space, the additional solid foam member extending from one of the plurality of sidewalls to another of the plurality of sidewalls to separate the void space into two void spaces.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed. So configured the mattress may further comprise an additional solid foam member disposed within the void space, the additional solid foam member extending from one of the plurality of sidewalls to another of the plurality of sidewalls to separate the void space into two void spaces; wherein the fill material in each of the two void spaces is disposed within at least one housing.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, the mattress further comprising an additional layer above the top layer, the additional layer comprising flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, or viscoelastic memory foam.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, the mattress further comprising a housing above the top layer, the housing being filled with a fill material comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base layer to form a void space above the base layer and between the sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop the sidewalls to enclose the void space; and fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, the mattress further comprising springs disposed in the void space between the base layer and the top layer.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, mattress comprises a solid foam encasement forming a cuboid with an encasement top surface and an interior void space; a first layer of material having a first layer top surface and a first layer bottom surface, the first layer bottom surface secured to the encasement top surface; and, fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, mattress comprises a solid foam encasement forming a cuboid with an encasement top surface and an interior void space; a first layer of material having a first layer top surface and a first layer bottom surface, the first layer bottom surface secured to the encasement top surface; and, fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed; wherein the first layer of material is one of flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, and viscoelastic memory foam.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, mattress comprises a solid foam encasement forming a cuboid with an encasement top surface and an interior void space; a first layer of material having a first layer top surface and a first layer bottom surface, the first layer bottom surface secured to the encasement top surface; and, fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed; wherein the first layer of material is one of flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, and viscoelastic memory foam, the mattress further comprising a second layer of material having a second layer top surface and a second layer bottom surface, the second layer bottom surface bonded to the first layer top surface.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, mattress comprises a solid foam encasement forming a cuboid with an encasement top surface and an interior void space; a first layer of material having a first layer top surface and a first layer bottom surface, the first layer bottom surface secured to the encasement top surface; and, fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed; wherein the first layer of material is one of flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, and viscoelastic memory foam, the mattress further comprising a second layer of material having a second layer top surface and a second layer bottom surface, the second layer bottom surface bonded to the first layer top surface, wherein the second layer of material is one of flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, and viscoelastic memory foam.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, mattress comprises a solid foam encasement forming a cuboid with an encasement top surface and an interior void space; a first layer of material having a first layer top surface and a first layer bottom surface, the first layer bottom surface secured to the encasement top surface; and, fill material compressed within the void space; wherein the fill material comprises at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, wherein the first layer of material is a housing with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a foam cuboid having a top surface; a housing attached to the top surface, the housing filled with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a foam cuboid having a top surface; a housing attached to the top surface, the housing filled with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, wherein the foam cuboid is a solid foam cuboid.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a foam cuboid having a top surface; a housing attached to the top surface, the housing filled with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, wherein the foam cuboid is a solid foam cuboid, wherein the cuboid forms an interior void space, at least one of solid foam, shredded foam, and springs being disposed within the void space.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mattress comprises a foam cuboid having a top surface; a housing attached to the top surface, the housing filled with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, wherein the foam cuboid is a solid foam cuboid, wherein the cuboid forms an interior void space, the void space filled with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing exemplary embodiments, as well as the following detailed description of the present disclosure, will be better understood when considered in view of the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustrating the present disclosure, there are shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, partially cut away view of a mattress in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective, partially cut away view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially cut away view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective, partially cut away view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective, partially cut away view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective, partially cut away view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective, partially cut away view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure;

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C each show perspective views of housings used with mattresses formed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8D depicts a perspective view of a mattress with housings formed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 depicts a frontal exploded view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 depicts an exploded perspective view of the mattress of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 depicts a frontal exploded view of a mattress in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and,

FIG. 12 depicts an exploded perspective view of the mattress of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the various aspects of the subject disclosure illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like features. It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale. In reference to the disclosure herein, for purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as top, bottom, left, right, above, below and diagonal, are used with respect to the accompanying drawings. Such directional terms used in conjunction with the following description of the drawings should not be construed to limit the scope of the subject disclosure in any manner not explicitly set forth. Additionally, the term “a,” as used in the specification, means “at least one.” The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

The term “about,” as used herein when referring to a measurable value, such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, is meant to encompass variations such as ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, or ±0.1% and the like from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate in the context of the disclosure and the art.

Throughout this disclosure, various aspects of the subject disclosure can be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the subject disclosure. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range, such as from 1 to 6, should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges, such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6, from 2.5 to 4, from 2.7 to 3.2, from 5.1 to 5.5, etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 2.7, 3, 4, 5, 5.3, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the subject disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the subject disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the subject disclosure.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary mattress 10 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The mattress 10 is fabricated entirely from foam materials, although in other embodiments additional materials may be used. As used herein, the term “solid foam” shall mean foam that has a substantially continuous length, as opposed to shredded foam which is typically represented by a collection of small foam pieces, and is inclusive of memory foam. In particular, the mattress 10 includes a base layer 12 formed from solid foam, a plurality of sidewalls 14 formed from solid foam, and a top layer 16 also formed from solid foam. The base layer 12, sidewalls 14 and top layer 16 can be secured to one another by suitable fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding, and may be referred to herein and elsewhere as an encasement or a cuboid encasement. When used herein, the term “cuboid” shall refer generally to a three-dimensional object with six paneled or sides. It is not necessary that the panels or sides be formed from strict planes, as it is to be understood that the panels or sides may be somewhat irregularly shaped as one of ordinary skill in the art would understand a mattress to be shaped.

The base layer shown in FIG. 1 and later figures may range from about 1 inch to about 12 inches in thickness “BLT,” the sidewalls 14 shown in FIG. 1 and later figures may range from about 1 inch to about 12 inches in thickness “SWT,” and the top layer shown in FIG. 1 and later figures may range from about 1 inch to about 12 inches in thickness “TLT,” preferably the thickness range for these components is from about 1 to about 4 inches. The foregoing ranges can be more or less, and inclusive of e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 inches.

The height “H” of the sidewalls 14 may range from 1 inch to about 24 inches. Again, those ranges can be more or less, and inclusive of e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 inches. When coupled with the bottom layer thickness “BLT” and top layer thickness “TLT” one will arrive at overall mattress thicknesses “MT” of between approximately 1 inch and 24 inches, including values greater or lesser, and inclusive of e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 inches.

The overall length “L” and width “W” of mattresses disclosed herein may range between any practical sizes suitable for a mattress, known or unknown. By way of example, such sizes may include the common sizes of:

Crib size—27 inches×52 inches;

Twin size—39 inches×75 inches;

Twin XL size—39 inches×80 inches;

Full size—54 inches×75 inches;

Queen size—60 inches×80 inches;

King size—76 inches×80 inches; and

California king size—72 inches×84 inches.

Other sizes between approximately 20 inches and 100 inches in either length or width are also contemplated. As before, these ranges can be more or less, and inclusive of e.g., 15, 19, 27, 35, 39, 42, 48, 54, 60, 72, 76, 80, 84, 90, and 100 inches. It will also be appreciated that the complete range of sizes, between approximately 20 inches and 100 inches in either direction, may be coupled with any of the various mattress thicknesses “MT” of between 1 inch and 24 inches for an infinite number of possible combinations.

As shown in FIG. 1, the entire interior void space 18 defined by the base layer 12, the sidewalls 14 and top layer 16 is filled with a filler consisting, in one example, entirely of shredded foam 20.

According to an exemplary embodiment, shredded foam applicable to the present disclosure may comprise foam pieces ranging in size from less than 1 inch to about 3 inches or to about 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36 or more inches in overall length. The shredded foam may comprise, without limitation, shredded flexible polyurethane foam, shredded latex foam, shredded viscoelastic memory foam, or combinations thereof. The grade or density of the shredded foam may range from less than 1 lb./ft³to 5 or more lbs./ft³. Preferable densities are in the 1.25 to 2.0 lb./ft³range, with a typical density being 1.8 lb./ft³.

Preferably, the shredded foam 20 is sourced from scraps used in the manufacturing process of other foam materials, such as other bedding products, cushions, and the like. In this manner such waste material finds immediate utility and is not sent to landfill. Alternatively, the shredded foam may be virgin foam used in the first instance for this purpose.

The compression strength value of such foam pieces may range from about 15 to about 45 units according to the Indentation Load Deflection (“ILD”) test, also known as Indentation Force Deflection (“IFD”) test. There are multiple ways foam strength is tested, but the most prevalent is the 25 percent compression test. As the main method of testing, if a material is simply stated as having an ILD value of “Z,” that refers to its 25 percent compression test results, and this disclosure is consistent with that protocol.

The most important aspect of this evaluation is ensuring that a proper sample size is tested. Samples must be 4 inches thick, 15 inches wide and 15 inches long. Maintaining this consistency across every test is important because foam materials can bear weight and pressure differently depending on thickness and size, even if the sample is cut from the same bulk material. Thinner sections of foam will yield more easily to weight while thicker sections will be more resilient. Additionally, testing products of different dimensions eliminates the test's control and, in turn, the ability to evenly compare results from one material to another.

While shredded foam may have been formed from foam having the same compression strength as solid foam, its collective use in a predefined space results in an overall compression strength less than that of solid foam from which it is derived due to numerous voids resulting from the collection of shredded foam pieces. Thus, in use with the mattresses of the present embodiments, the loose volume of shredded foam added to form a mattress is typically significantly larger than the predefined space e.g., interior void space 18. For example, the loose volume of shredded foam added to the interior void space 18 can be 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200% or more of the actual interior void space. Then when fully encased within the foam mattress, the shredded foam may be compressed to sufficiently provide an overall compression strength of the shredded foam equivalent to or greater than that of the solid foam used to create the shredded foam for the mattress. Alternatively, the volume of shredded foam is compressed within the foam mattress sufficiently to produce an ILD equivalent to or greater than that of the solid foam used for the foam mattress, for example as base layer 12, sidewalls 14, and/or top layer 16. In still another alternative, the shredded foam may be compressed to any desired ILD, including an ILD less than that from which the shredded foam was formed. In other embodiments, the shredded foam may be poured “loose” and not compressed. As used herein, the ratio of a volume of uncompressed shredded foam to a volume of compressed shredded foam is referred to as a “compression ratio.”

As discussed above, it will also be noted that multiple different types of shredded foam may be used to fill the void space 18. For example, the foam used may be shredded flexible polyurethane foam, shredded latex foam, shredded viscoelastic memory foam, or combinations thereof. Additionally, the foam filled void spaces may supplemented with materials other than foams, such as fibers, gels, carbon or charcoal materials, horsehair, or any other additive known or suitable for filling mattress. Accordingly, fill materials may be in the form of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed, etc.

Ratios of the various materials may be any ratio that adds up to 100%. In the instance where two materials are used, the ratios of materials may be from approximately 99% material A 1% material B to approximately 1% material A 99% material B. Common ratios include 80%/20%, 75%/25%, and 60%/40%. Similarly, where three materials are used the ratios can vary from between approximately 1% of a given material to 98% of that material, with the remainder made up of the remaining materials.

The weight of these fills for a given mattress may also vary depending on the fill material and mattress size. However, it is common for the fill to weigh between 1 pound and 200 pounds, total, depending on the volume of void space being filled, the desired ILD of the resultant fill, the density of the materials used, as well as other factors.

It will be appreciated that the shredded foams used herein may fall within any of the characteristic ranges provided. Specifically, any given shredded foam may have a density of between 1 and 5 lb./ft³or more and an ILD of between 15 to about 45 units, inclusive of all combinations thereof.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown another exemplary embodiment of a mattress 110 in accordance with the subject disclosure. Like mattress 10, mattress 110 is constructed with a base layer 112 formed from solid foam, sidewalls 114 also formed from solid foam and a top layer 116 also formed from solid foam which are joined by fastening such as with adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding. Unlike mattress 10, the interior void space 118 of the mattress 110 is not filled entirely with shredded foam 120. In particular, a central region of void space 118 is occupied by a centrally disposed core piece of solid foam 122 that extends either the full length and height and part of the width of the void space 118, or, as shown, the full width and height and part of the length of void space 118. So constructed and arranged, a pair of voids 124 and 126 are formed on opposite ends of central core foam piece 122.

The voids 124, 126 are filled with shredded foam 120 similar in size, shape, compression strength to shredded foam 20 described above. That is, the central core foam piece 122 and shredded foam 120 may be selected to achieve a substantially uniform feel to a user laying atop the top layer 116. Conversely, the central core foam piece 122 and shredded foam 120 may be selected to achieve a different feel when one lays atop the central core foam piece 122 and the shredded foam 120, and the two sections of shredded foam 120 within the void spaces 124, 126 may each have different characteristics. In addition, the core foam piece 122 need not be located centrally of the mattress 110 as shown. That is, it may be disposed to contact the top or bottom side walls 114, or be skewed toward either the top or bottom within the mattress 110. The foam piece 122 may also be arranged longitudinally, in which case it may contact one of the left or right side walls 114 or be skewed toward either.

The overall width “CW” of the foam piece 122 (or length as the case may be) can be any width that permits the foam piece to fit within the mattress 110 and form at least one void space 124, 126. In the preferred configuration, essentially half the mattress 110 may be internally supported by shredded foam 120 and the other half of the mattress may be supported by the core foam piece 122. In this manner the overall width CW of foam piece 122 (or length as the case may be) is essentially equal to the dimensions of void spaces 124 and 126 combined. In other configurations those ratios may differ one way or the other.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, there are shown further exemplary embodiments of foam mattresses 210, 310 and 410 in accordance with the subject disclosure, respectively. Like mattress 10, mattresses 210, 310 and 410 are constructed with a base layer 212, 312, 412 formed from solid foam, sidewalls 214, 314, 414 also formed from solid foam and a top layer 216, 316, 416 also formed from solid foam which are joined by fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding. The foam mattresses of FIGS. 3-5 contain core foam pieces 222, 322, 422 and shredded foam filled void spaces 224, 226, 324, 326, 328, 424, 426, 428 arranged in various patterns, as shown, for example as two core foam pieces 222 disposed diagonally from one another and two shredded foam filled void spaces 224, 226 disposed diagonally from one another (FIG. 3), two core foam pieces 322 and three shredded foam filled void spaces 324, 326, 328 disposed widthwise of the mattress (FIG. 4), and two core foam pieces 422 and three shredded foam filled void spaces 424, 426, 428 disposed lengthwise of the mattress (FIG. 5). Such void spaces are filled with shredded foam 220, 320, 420.

Although not shown, it is contemplated that the foam mattress according to the subject disclosure may have at least one core piece of solid foam running both lengthwise and widthwise of the mattress whereby the foam core piece(s) define a grid pattern interspersed by voids filled with shredded foam. Both the foam core pieces and the shredded foam according to such an embodiment are preferably configured to have equivalent overall ILDs, although the ILDs may differ one way or the other between the foam core pieces and shredded foam.

It will also be appreciated that in any of the embodiments where there are multiple sections of foam core pieces and/or shredded foam, the multiple sections of each need not have equal ILDs. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, shredded foam sections 324, 326, and 328 need not have equal ILDs. Each may have different ILDs or two can match with the third being different. By way of example, it will be appreciated that it may be desirous to engineer shredded foam section 326 with the highest ILD value as it is that area where ones hip may land when laying on the mattress, and that area may require more support than other areas of the body.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a further exemplary embodiment of a foam mattress 510 in accordance with the subject disclosure. Like mattress 10, mattress 510 is constructed with a base layer 512 formed from solid foam, sidewalls 514 also formed from solid foam and a top layer 516 also formed from solid foam which are joined by fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding.

Mattress 510 includes a void space 518 that is occupied by at least one horizontal layer or core piece of solid conventional foam 522 of between about 0.25 inch to about 1.0 inch in thickness, but may be greater or less in thickness, e.g. 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0 inches or more, that extends substantially the full width and length of the void space 518. So constructed and arranged, layer 522 defines a pair of upper and lower voids 524 and 526 that are filled with layers of shredded foam 520. While one such core piece 522 is illustrated in FIG. 5, it is understood that mattress 510 may be fitted with two or more such core pieces defining alternating layers of core pieces 522 and shredded foam 520. Both the foam core piece(s) 522 and the shredded foam 520 have equivalent overall ILDs in preferred configurations, but the ILDs may also differ.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a further exemplary embodiment of a foam mattress 610 in accordance with the subject disclosure. Like mattress 10, mattress 610 is constructed with a base layer 612 formed from solid conventional foam, sidewalls 614 also formed from solid conventional foam and a top layer 616 also formed from solid conventional foam which are joined by fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding.

Unlike the mattresses described hereinabove, mattress 610 may be equipped with a plurality of coils or springs, such as metal or plastic springs 630 extending for some or all of the height of the interior of the mattress to provide additional support for user(s) laying atop top layer 616. Springs 630 may also be incorporated into any of the other embodiments described herein. That is, they may be used solely with shredded foam 620 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1 or with any of the core piece(s) of solid conventional foam and shredded foam shown elsewhere. The springs 630 shown in FIG. 7 or used elsewhere may also be formed from columns of solid conventional foam, the columns being round, oval, rectangular, or otherwise.

In the various embodiments, the shredded foam, e.g., shredded foam 20 shown in FIG. 1, may be placed directly into the void spaces formed by the mattress structures by simple pouring, thus being placed “loose.” This pouring may be supplemented by manual pressing of the shredded foam into position by human operators, or other compaction means, including press fitting the shredded foam into corners and other tight portions.

It also will be appreciated that in each of the embodiments shown and described herein, the shredded foam, e.g. 20, may not be placed “loose” within a void space, e.g. 18, but may first be encapsulated within a housing, such as a quilt formed by multiple panels of natural or synthetic material. As shown in FIG. 8A, the housing 700 may be defined by a plurality of panels 702 of various sizes forming a generally rectangular cuboid (regular or irregular in shape), complete with gusset 704. In other embodiments, the panels 702 may not form a gusset, such as when only two panels 702 are utilized, and may be more irregular in shape. The panels may be connected by various means, such as stitching, zippers, hook and loop fasteners, or the like. As shown in FIG. 8B, a housing 700′ may be stitched with intermediate stitching 706, 708 to separate the housing into multiple partitions. Such stitching may travel across any dimension of the housing 700′, for example across the length, across the width, or at any angle. Multiple lines of stitching may be used to form patterns in the housing 700′, as shown in FIG. 8C, where exemplary angled stitching is depicted as 710, 712 in housing 700″.

By utilizing housings, such as housings 700, 700′, and 700″, the shredded foam may be pre-compressed before placement within the void spaces of a mattress. In other words, the shredded foam may be compressed within a housing, and the entire housing may be placed within a void space of a mattress. For such purpose, it will be appreciated that the housing is preferably sized and shaped to fit neatly within the given void space. Or, alternatively, two or more housings can be sized and configured to fit neatly within a given void space. FIG. 8D depicts a mattress 710 having a void space filled with four housings 714, 716, 718, 720. Although shown as nearly equal in size, the four housings 714, 716, 718, 720 may be different in size. They may also be filled with the same or different materials having the same or different ILDs. It will be appreciated that by utilizing housings, the overall process of compiling a finished mattress may be accelerated.

In further embodiments of the present invention, a shredded foam filled mattress may include multiple layers above what was previously described as the top layer, i.e. the layer that encloses the foam filling. Those additional layers may be foam layers, shredded foam and fiber housing, or encased shredded foam, among other materials.

It will also be appreciated that in other embodiments of the invention, a conventional foam mattress, that is a solid foam mattress or a mattress comprising a plurality of solid foam layers, may be covered by a housing filled with shredded foam, such as a quilt or fabric housing, including without limitation, shredded flexible polyurethane foam, shredded latex foam, shredded viscoelastic memory foam, or combinations thereof. It may also be supplemented with other materials such as fibers, gels, carbon or charcoal materials, horsehair, or any other additive known or suitable for filling mattress. This shredded foam housing may be fastened to the upper surface of the conventional mattress by suitable fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding, to form a shredded foam mattress.

In one embodiment of a mattress shown in a frontal exploded view as FIG. 9 and perspective exploded view as FIG. 10, a mattress 800 is configured with exemplary added layers. As before, the mattress 800 includes a base layer 812 formed from solid foam, a plurality of sidewalls 814 formed from solid foam, and a top layer 816 also formed from solid foam. The base layer 812, sidewalls 814 and top layer 816 can be secured to one another by suitable fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the interior void space 818 defined by the base layer 812, the sidewalls 814 and top layer 816 is partially filled with a filler consisting of shredded foam 820. In this instance, the interior void space 818 is also partially filled with a housing of shredded foam 832. This housing 832 may be tucked around the entire shredded foam fill 820 on all four sides and glued to the inside walls of sidewalls 814, or in other instances glue is not necessary. Additionally, in lieu of a housing layer 832, the shredded foam may be capped by a scrim cover (not shown).

As an additional layer, the mattress 800 includes a top-most layer 834 on top of top layer 816. This top-most layer 834 may be secured to top layer 816 with suitable fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding.

The top-most layer may be constructed of any material suitable for a mattress, but is preferably a foam material including, without limitation, flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, viscoelastic memory foam, or combinations thereof. The top-most layer may also be a housing of shredded materials.

Another embodiment of a mattress with added layers is shown in a frontal exploded view in FIG. 11 and perspective exploded view in FIG. 12. In this embodiment, mattress 900 includes a base layer 912 formed from solid foam, a plurality of sidewalls 914 formed from solid foam, and a top layer 916 also formed from solid foam. The base layer 912, sidewalls 914 and top layer 916 can be secured to one another by suitable fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the interior void space 918 defined by the base layer 912, the sidewalls 914 and top layer 916 is partially filled with a filler consisting of shredded foam 920. In this instance, the interior void space 918 is also partially filled with a pair of core foam pieces forming section dividers 922. In this instance the section dividers 922 split the void space 918 into three equal sections, two outer sections 934 and an inner section 936.

The outer sections 934 are filled with a filler consisting of shredded foam 920. The inner section 936 is filled with springs 930.

Additionally, mattress 900 includes a top-most layer of shredded foam and fiber housing 934. Below the fiber housing 934, mattress 900 includes a pair of intermediate layers 936, 938, formed from foam, sitting directly on top of top layer 916. Each of the layers 936, 938 as well as housing 934 may be secured to the adjacent member with suitable fasteners such as adhesives, or bonding means, e.g., chemical bonding or heat bonding.

Each of the layers forming mattresses, for example mattresses 800, 900, can have different qualities. Some of those qualities include material, thickness, density, and ILD. In the following are described non-limiting examples of exemplary mattress configurations, where the mattress are expressed in terms of these qualities, with Layer 1 being the upper-most layer and subsequent layers being below layer 1. Each of the exemplary mattresses below is also sized in the Queen configuration, the size having a great effect on the weight of fill within the sidewalls as expressed in the “description” column.

EXAMPLE 1-12 inch shredded foam mattress:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD DESCRIPTION LAYER 1 4 1.5 17 Foam LAYER 2 2 1.5 33 Foam LAYER 3 1 1.5 52 Foam Sidewalls 1.5 30 Each 4″ high by 4″ wide, void space filled with 22 lbs of 80% shredded foam and 20% fiber LAYER 4 - 1 1.5 52 Foam foam

EXAMPLE 2-12 inch shredded foam mattress:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD ENCASEMENT LAYER 1 1 Shredded foam and fiber housing LAYER 2 1 1.5 17 Foam LAYER 3 2 1.5 33 Foam LAYER 4 1 1.5 52 Foam Sidewalls 1.5 30 Each 6″ high by 4″ wide, void space sectioned in three with middle chamber filled with springs and outer chambers each filled with 9 lbs of 80% shredded foam and 20% fiber LAYER 5 1 1.5 52 Foam

EXAMPLE 3-12 inch shredded foam mattress with 8 inch encasement:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD ENCASEMENT LAYER 1 1 1.5 17 Foam LAYER 2 1 1.5 33 Foam LAYER 3 1 1.5 52 Foam LAYER 4 1 (within Shredded foam and sidewalls) fiber housing Sidewalls 1.5 30 Each 8″ high by 4″ wide, void space filled with 22 lbs of 80% shredded foam and 20% fiber LAYER 5 1 1.5 52 Foam

EXAMPLE 4-12 inch shredded foam mattress:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD ENCASEMENT LAYER 1 4 1.5 17 Foam LAYER 2 2 1.5 33 Foam LAYER 3 1 1.5 52 Foam Sidewalls 1.5 30 Each 4″ high by 4″ wide, void space filled with four housings each with 4 lbs of 80% shredded foam and 20% fiber LAYER 4 1 1.5 52 Foam

EXAMPLE 5-10 inch shredded foam mattress:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD ENCASEMENT LAYER 1 2 1.5 17 Foam LAYER 2 2 1.5 28 Foam LAYER 3 1 1.5 55 Foam Sidewalls 1.8 55 Each 4″ high by 4″ wide, void space filled with 35 lbs of 70% shredded foam and 30% fiber with scrim cover tucked in LAYER 4 1 1.8 55 Foam

EXAMPLE 6-10 inch shredded foam mattress:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD ENCASEMENT LAYER 1 2 1.8 17 Foam LAYER 2 1 1.8 55 Foam Sidewalls 1.8 55 Each 6″ high by 4″ wide, void space filled with 52.5 lbs of 70% shredded foam and 30% fiber with scrim cover tucked in LAYER 4 1 1.8 55 Foam

EXAMPLE 7-12 inch shredded foam mattress:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD ENCASEMENT LAYER 1 3 1.8 17 Foam LAYER 2 3 1.8 28 Foam LAYER 3 1 1.8 55 Foam Sidewalls 1.8 55 Each 4″ high by 4″ wide, void space filled with 35 lbs of 70% shredded foam and 30% fiber with scrim cover tucked in LAYER 4 1 1.8 55 Foam

EXAMPLE 8-14 inch shredded foam mattress:

THICKNESS DENSITY LAYER (INCHES) (lb./ft³) ILD ENCASEMENT LAYER 1 2 1.8 17 Foam LAYER 2 2 1.8 28 Foam LAYER 3 1 1.8 55 Foam Sidewalls 1.8 55 Each 8″ high by 4″ wide, void space filled with 52.5 lbs of 70% shredded foam and 30% fiber with scrim cover tucked in LAYER 4 1 1.8 55 Foam

While the present invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the subject disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof.

It is to be understood, therefore, that the subject disclosure is not limited to the particular aspects disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments described above.

Claims

1. A mattress comprising a base layer, a plurality of sidewalls extending from said base layer to form a void space above said base layer and between said sidewalls, and a top layer positioned atop said sidewalls to enclose said void space; and

fill material compressed within said void space;

wherein said fill material comprises constituents of at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

2. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional solid foam member disposed within said void space.

3. The mattress of claim 2, wherein said at least one additional solid foam member extends from one of said plurality of sidewalls to another of said plurality of sidewalls.

4. The mattress of claim 1, wherein said fill material is disposed within at least one housing.

5. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising an additional solid foam member disposed within said void space, said additional solid foam member extending from one of said plurality of sidewalls to another of said plurality of sidewalls to separate said void space into two void spaces.

6. The mattress of claim 5, wherein said fill material in each of said two void spaces is disposed within at least one housing.

7. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising an additional layer above said top layer, said additional layer comprising flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, or viscoelastic memory foam.

8. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising a housing above said top layer, said housing being filled with a fill material comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

9. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising springs disposed in said void space between said base layer and said top layer.

10. A mattress comprising:

a solid foam encasement forming a cuboid with an encasement top surface and an interior void space;

a first layer of material having a first layer top surface and a first layer bottom surface, said first layer bottom surface secured to said encasement top surface; and,

fill material compressed within said void space;

wherein said fill material comprises at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

11. The mattress of claim 10, wherein said first layer of material is one of flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, and viscoelastic memory foam.

12. The mattress of claim 11, further comprising a second layer of material having a second layer top surface and a second layer bottom surface, said second layer bottom surface bonded to said first layer top surface.

13. The mattress of claim 12, wherein said second layer of material is one of flexible polyurethane foam, latex foam, and viscoelastic memory foam.

14. The mattress of claim 10, wherein said first layer of material is a housing with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

15. A mattress comprising:

a foam cuboid having a top surface;

a housing attached to said top surface, said housing filled with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.

16. The mattress of claim 15, wherein said foam cuboid is a solid foam cuboid.

17. The mattress of claim 16, wherein said cuboid forms an interior void space, at least one of solid foam, shredded foam, and springs being disposed within said void space.

18. The mattress of claim 16, wherein said cuboid forms an interior void space, said void space filled with a filling comprising at least one of shredded foam memory foam, shredded conventional foam, shredded memory foam and conventional foam mixed, shredded memory foam and fiber mixed, shredded conventional foam and fiber mixed, and shredded memory foam and conventional foam and fiber mixed.