MULTIPLE ZONE LAYERED MATTRESS

Abstract

This disclosure addresses mattresses. In particular, a mattress that includes a plurality of layers. A foam core of the mattress is constructed to have selected characteristics of support and cushioning, the characteristics varying from zone to zone of the mattress. The foam core includes at least three zones; a first zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the head of a user, a second zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the torso of the user, and a third zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the legs and feet of the user. A top surface of the foam core is formed with a plurality of parallel transverse peaks.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of United States Design application Serial Number 29/748,357, filed Aug. 8, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to mattresses and more particularly is a mattress with multiple zones, each of which may have different textures.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a mattress device includes a plurality of layers, the layers being chosen from various cushioning and absorbent materials. The layers may be one or more of coil springs, fill material, foam, gel, and fiber. A mattress cover encloses and secure the layers.

At least one layer is a foam core formed with a plurality of zones. Each of the zones is constructed to have selected characteristics of support and cushioning, the characteristics varying from zone to zone. The foam core typically has at least three zones; a first zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the head of a user, a second zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the torso of the user, and a third zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the legs and feet of the user.

A top surface of the foam core has a plurality of parallel transverse peaks. The top surface of the foam core may also include multiple cutouts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed disclosure, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

The methods and systems disclosed herein have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

FIG. 1 is a partially broken side view of a mattress utilizing the pad of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a pad element used in the mattress shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to configurations of mattresses. The construction utilizes multiple zones, each zone having a varying pre-selected set of characteristics that conform to the zones of a user's body.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a mattress 100 includes multiple layers of different materials. One layer might be a coil spring layer 101. The layer of most interest in this disclosure is a foam core 102 layer, which typically is positioned on top of the spring layer. The foam core may be covered by a fill material 103, and one or more pad or protective layers 104. The layers making up the mattress may include any or all of foam, gel, fiber, or other cushioning or absorbent materials. In addition to the composition of the layers, the order of the layers from bottom to top may be altered to fit the requirements of a given manufacturer.

FIG. 2 shows the foam core 102 of the mattress 100. The foam core 102 has multiple zones. In FIG. 2, the core 102 is illustrated as having three zones, a first zone 201, a second zone 202, and a third zone 203. The number of zones chosen for the core 102 is an engineering decision based on desired characteristics for the mattress. In many embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the foam core 102 will include at least three zones: the first zone 201 corresponding generally to an area that supports the head of a user, the second zone 202 that corresponds generally to an area that supports the torso of the user, and the third zone 203 corresponding generally to an area that supports the legs and feet of the user.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view take along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows the sculpted nature of the top surface of the foam core 102. The foam core is generally formed from latex. The generic term for the material is a latex foam rubber pad. Some examples of the typical latex materials that can be used are Dunlop® or Talalay®.

The latex pad is molded (or cut or otherwise machined) to form a series of transverse peaks 301 in the top surface of the core 102. The transverse peaks 301 can be nearly any shape desired by a manufacturer. In many preferred embodiments, the transverse peaks 301 are molded or cut to have a generally triangular shape as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The apex of the peaks 301 may be rounded to increase comfort, as the peaks 301 form a support surface for the user of the mattress 100. As the core 102 is formed from a pliable latex, nearly any shape can be used if desired.

The spacing of the peaks 301 is chosen to yield a desired support characteristic. That is, if greater support is desired, the transverse peaks 301 will be spaced minimally. If less support is required, then the spacing between the transverse peaks 301 is increased. As shown in FIG. 2, in many embodiments, zones 201 and 203 on the foam core 102, which correspond generally to a user's head and legs and feet will have the transverse peaks 301 spaced further apart than the transverse peaks 301 in the second zone 202. The second zone 202 corresponds generally to the main mass of a user's body. Thus in many preferred embodiments, the first zone 201 and the third zone 203 may have transverse peaks 301 spaced two inches apart, while the second zone 202 may have transverse peaks 301 spaced an inch apart when measured peak to peak. The spacing can of course be adjusted according to the characteristics sought in the mattress. The variable spacing allows the mattress to provide greater support for a user's spine, while less support is given in the area of the head and feet of the user.

Also visible in FIG. 3 are multiple cutouts 302. The cutouts 302 provide an additional method whereby the characteristics of the foam core 102 can be modified. The cutouts 302 are formed in the latex pad when the foam core 102 is being molded, typically by providing projections on the mold itself. As shown in FIG. 3, the cutouts 302 may extend for varying depths from the surface into the interior of the foam core 102. In some embodiments, the cutouts 302 pass completely though the body of the foam core 102. In addition to affecting the support and stiffness of the foam core 102, the cutouts 302 allow the foam core to “breathe”. That is, the cutouts 302 provide a means for airflow into the foam core 102.

The technology disclosed herein addresses improved mattress configurations. The improvements disclosed are independent of the actual materials used.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the present disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the technology. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It will be understood that like or analogous elements and/or components, referred to herein, may be identified throughout the drawings with like reference characters. It will be further understood that several of the figures are merely schematic representations of the present disclosure. As such, some of the components may have been distorted from their actual scale for pictorial clarity.

In the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular embodiments, procedures, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” or “according to one embodiment” (or other phrases having similar import) at various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Furthermore, depending on the context of discussion herein, a singular term may include its plural forms and a plural term may include its singular form. Similarly, a hyphenated term (e.g., “on-demand”) may be occasionally interchangeably used with its non-hyphenated version (e.g., “on demand”), a capitalized entry (e.g., “Software”) may be interchangeably used with its non-capitalized version (e.g., “software”), a plural term may be indicated with or without an apostrophe (e.g., PE's or PEs), and an italicized term (e.g., “N+1”) may be interchangeably used with its non-italicized version (e.g., “N+1”). Such occasional interchangeable uses shall not be considered inconsistent with each other.

Also, some embodiments may be described in terms of “means for” performing a task or set of tasks. It will be understood that a “means for” may be expressed herein in terms of a structure, such as a processor, a memory, an I/O device such as a camera, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, the “means for” may include an algorithm that is descriptive of a function or method step, while in yet other embodiments the “means for” is expressed in terms of a mathematical formula, prose, or as a flow chart or signal diagram.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. The descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth herein. To the contrary, the present descriptions are intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A mattress device, comprising:

a plurality of layers, the layers being chosen from various cushioning and absorbent materials, the layers being one or more of coil springs, fill material, foam, gel, and fiber; and

a mattress cover to enclose and secure the layers; wherein

at least one layer is a foam core, the foam core comprising a plurality of zones, each of the zones being constructed to have selected characteristics of support and cushioning, the characteristics varying from zone to zone.

2. The mattress of claim 1, wherein:

the foam core is a latex foam rubber pad.

3. The mattress of claim 1, wherein:

a top surface of the foam core comprises a plurality of transverse peaks.

4. The mattress of claim 3, wherein:

the transverse peaks are parallel.

5. The mattress of claim 3, wherein:

the transverse peaks are generally triangular in cross section.

6. The mattress of claim 1, wherein:

a top surface of the foam core includes multiple cutouts.

7. The mattress of claim 1, wherein:

the foam core comprises at least three zones; a first zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the head of a user, a second zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the torso of the user, and a third zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the legs and feet of the user.

8. The mattress of claim 7, wherein:

a top surface of the foam core comprises a plurality of transverse peaks, the transverse peaks being spaced more closely together in the second zone as compared to the transverse peaks in the first and third zones.

9. A foam core adapted to be used in a mattress, comprising:

a plurality of zones, each of the zones being constructed to have selected characteristics of support and cushioning, the characteristics varying from zone to zone, the zones comprising a first zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the head of a user, a second zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the torso of the user, and a third zone corresponding generally to an area that supports the legs and feet of the user.

10. The mattress of claim 9, wherein:

a top surface of the foam core comprises a plurality of transverse peaks, the transverse peaks being spaced more closely together in the second zone as compared to the transverse peaks in the first and third zones.

11. The mattress of claim 9, wherein:

the foam core is a latex foam rubber pad.

12. The mattress of claim 9, wherein:

a top surface of the foam core comprises a plurality of transverse peaks.

13. The mattress of claim 12, wherein:

the transverse peaks are parallel.

14. The mattress of claim 12, wherein:

the transverse peaks are generally triangular in cross section.

15. The mattress of claim 9, wherein:

a top surface of the foam core includes multiple cutouts.