US2979739A - Mattress, cushion or the like - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1961 D. KRAKAUl-:R

MATTRESS, CUSHION 0R THE LIKE Filed Dec. 26. 1957 IN VEN TOR. Dam el Krakauer Fig. I

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l OGOGOGQG PO o@ @o Qhwsooo @DFMDD GD h A TTORNE'Y (tijd MATTRESS, CUSIHON R THE LIKE Daniel Krakauer, Great Neck, N.Y., assignor to Kay Manufacturing Corp., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 705,218

13 Claims. (Cl. 5-345) This invention relates to mattresses, cushions and the like, and particularly to the means for arranging and connecting the inner resilient cushioning elements thereof to form an inner spring unit or the finished mattress.

The invention contemplates the provision of a light weight ventilated mattress or innerspring unit adapted for quick and easy cleaning and requiring little or no padding or insulation, yet providing adequate support and yielding sufciently for comfort.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a mattress or cushion or innerspring unit therefor made largely or entirely of plastic material and having a resilient and liexible plastic grid-like top and bottom with integrally molded means for arranging and connecting the respective tops and bottoms of suitable interior resilient cushioning elements and thereby eliminating the need for border wires, helicals, clips, rings and the like fastening means, and the need for the relatively thick padding and covering heretofore deemed essential.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a mattress or inner unit embodying the invention, the pattern of the openings shown in a portion of the top being continued throughout the entire top to form a grid-like member.

Fig. 2 is an elevational View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view thereof showing hourglass springs as the cushioning elementsand the thickened lugs and borders,

Fig. 4 is a somewhat similar sectional view of a resilient grooved lug for holding the end coil of an hourgiass spring or the like to the plastic top or bottom.

ig. 5 is a similar view of the same showing the end coil inserted into the lugr and showing in dotted lines how the sides of the lug 'are spread apart to permit the passage of the wire coil into the groove.

Fig. 6 is a similar View of a modiiied form of the grooved holding lug, showing in dotted lines the operative bent over and heat-sealed positions of the sides of the lug.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modiiied form of the cushioning element.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of another modified form of the invention in which suitably shaped resilient plastic members constitute the cushioning elements.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of still another modiiied form of the invention in which pre-shaped sinuous or zig-zag wire springs constitute the cushioning elements.

in all the forms of the invention, it is intended that a resilient exible top as lil, molded or otherwise suitably formed, preferably of a single piece of non-foam plastic material, be used as the sole means for arranging and connecting the tops of the interior cushioning elements as 11 regardless of the shapes or materials of which such elements are made, and that a similar or identical bottom as 12 be used similarly as the sole means to arrange and to connect the bottoms of such elements. The mat- ...ited States Patent v fo lc@ tress or inner spring unit therefore consists merely of the one piece plastic grid-like top, the similar bottom and the cushioning elements therebetween, no additional fastening elements being essential and the top 10 and bottom 12 being unconnected except by the springs. For the purpose of this specification, the resilient cushioning elements of whatever form will be termed generally springs," and the mattress, cushion or inner unit will be termed the mattress Since the top 10 and bottom 12 are substantially identical, the description of one will suffice for both.

As shown in Figs. l-3, the top 10 determines and is coextensive With the length and width of the mattress and is of substantially uniform thickness but is thickened where necessary or desirable, as for example, to provide a reinforced and stiffened border or marginal portion as laround the periphery thereof and to provide suitable integral securing lugs for the springs 11 which are relatively small and closely spaced. Said top is preferably made-of suitable moldable synthetic plastic which is tough and stiff enough to take the stresses put thereon yet is ilexible and resilient enough to provide comfortable support for the body of the user, such as polyethylene or a vinyl resin. Numerous openings in any desired pattern, determined largely by the size, shape arrangement and spacing of the springs, are also made in the top and serve not only to ventilate the interior of the mattress, but also to increase the yieldability and flexibility of the top as Well as to economize in material, to reduce the weight of the'mattress and to provide access to the springs and securing lugs for purposes of assembly, replacement and repair. If the spring spacing is to be varied at different areas of the mattress, the pattern of the openings is accordingly varied at such areas. Such variations of the pattern may also be caused by the use of spring end portions of dierent dimensions or shapes at dierent parts of the top, or of differences in the types of springs ernployed. As shown in Fig. 1, the pattern of the openings illustrated provides an annular relatively stiff solid portion 15 with radiating arms 16 and a diametrical arm 17.

Suitable outstanding and circumferentially spaced apart lugs as 20 (Figs. 345) each integral with the remainder of the top and provided with a groove 21, are conveniently arranged, as for example, at the circular portion 15 for holding in place the end coil 22 of the hourglass spring 23 which constitutes one form of the cushioning element or spring. Said spring 23 or other cushioning element acts to secure the top 10 movably in upward spaced parallel relation to the bottom 12 when the respectiveend coils 22 thereof are secured to Vsaid top and bottom. The spring is also biased to urge the top and bottom apart.V As the cushioning elements at the areas under pressure, contract and expand under the pressure, the adjacent parts of the top move toward and away from the bottom.

The means for arranging and securing the end coils of the hourglass spring 23 in place may take various forms. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, two or more relatively short lugs 20 are used. The entrance 25 to the groove 21 of the lug is somewhat constricted and is of lesser width than the diameter of the wire of the end coil 22 which the groove is designed to receive. Said coils are forced into the grooves individually or collectively as is found convenient, with a snap action. As shown in Fig. 5, the resilient sides 26 of the groove spread apart to the dotted line positions thereof, enlarging the constricted passage 25 temporarily and allowing the end coil to pass and'to enter the groove. The passage closes to its initial position after the end coil has snapped into place. Suitable adhesive or cement may be employed to aid in holding the end coil in the groove.

As shown in Fig. 6, the groove 27 ofthe lug 2,8 has substantially parallel or inwardly divergent sides 29 so that the end coil 22 is -readily inserted into the groove with or withoutV the use of adhesive. Thereafter the sides of the groove are heated and when softened, are pressed toward each other into the positions shown by the dotted line of Fig. 6 to seal the groove entrance and to secure the end coil thereinto.

By selecting appropriate springs of the proper sizes and shapes and controlling the spacing of the springs, any desired resistance to the weight of the user, and the desired supporting eiect within a wide rangemay be imparted to a given area of the mattress. The exibility and resilience of any area of the mattress may also be. controlled by regulating the thicknesses of the top and bottom at such area. Since the mattress is substantially symmetrical about a horizontal planemidway between the top and bottom, said top and bottom may be molded in the same molds and become interchangeable. By coating the springs with a suitableprotecting coating to prevent corrosion, such as Ypaintor plating, the mattress may-then readily be cleaned by hosing or spraying or other Washing method. In view of the numerous openings in, and the spacing apart of, the top and bottom and the consequent open and unobstructed sides and ends, good ventilation is obviously attained. Since the edges of all the openings and of the sidesv and ends of the top and bottom are well rounded, the mattress may be used by itself and Without padding, covering or ticking, and with or without the-usual removable mattress quilt or pad used to protect against thepressure of tufting buttons. Furthermore, in view kof Ythe minimum amount of metal and the absence of metallic fastening means, the mattress is extremely light, Veasy to manipulate and relatively inexpensive to ship. Y'

As has been indicated, the springs Vmay take a variety of forms other than those of the hourglass type.v In Fig. 7 is shown the hollow rubber cylinder A30 as Ythe spring, the upper and lowerV ends of the cylinder being secured in the lugs 31 projecting inwardly from theetop and bottom. The spring 32V shown in Fig. 8 is of a suitable light weight resilient and exible synthetic.plas tic material of the requisite thickness and shape to urge the top and bottom apart, and to yield to the desired extent under the pressure of the body of the user. As shown, said spring 32 is preferably symmetricalV about a horizontal plane midway between its ends, the entire mattress also being symmetrical about such plane so that it can be used in the customary manner with either the top or bottom on top. The lugs 33 forming integral parts of the top and bottom hold the upper and lower ends of the springs 32 in place.

In Fig. 9 the spring 34 is made of zig-zag or sinuous wire of a well known type used in upholstered furniture and automobile seats, and has a pairy of similar arched portions 35, 36 meeting at a relativelyV sharp bend or apex 37. Those cross bars extending from loops at the ends of the springs as at 38, `39k are secured to one Vof the connecting members of the mattress such as the top 10, while the cross bar at the apex 37 is secured to the opposed connecting member such as the bottomA by suitable lugs as 40. As shown, the alternate springs 34, 34a are reversed in relative positions, but owing to the arched shapes of the portions 35, 36, allof the springs Y urge the top and bottom apart but yield as required under the weight of the body at any area of the mattress.

Where heat sealing of the holding lugs is required, access to the lugs in the assembly of the parts may readily be had through the various openings in the top and bottom adjacent to said lugs and by a suitable tool. The openings and the open sides and ends also make it easy to clean the mattress by Washing or dusting. The openings have rounded edges and are small enough to avoid material indentation of the body of the user and hence need little covering, if any.

While certain specific forms of the invention have herein been shown and described, various obvious changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a mattress, a one piece top of synthetic exible and resilient non-cellular and non-textile lightweight plastic resinous material and of the length and width of the mattress constituting an incompressible but yieldt able support for the body of a user, a similar bottom arranged below the top and movable toward and from the top to provide an unobstructed space therebetween at the sides and ends of the mattress, 'means on and integral With the inner surfaces of said top and bottom and constituting the sole means for holding in place and arranging in rows cushioning elements arranged therebetween and urging said top and bottom apart, and cushioning elements each independent of the other ele` ments and unconnected thereto except by said top and bottom bridging the space between the top and bottom and engaged by said means, the material being thermoplastic, and said means comprising lugs on the inner faces of the top and bottom adapted to engage, encase and embrace the material at the respective end portions of the elements, there being a groove in each lug between the inner and outer sides of the lug receiving the end portion of an element.

2. A one piece moldable spring-holding member for use as the top or bottom of a mattress or the like having inner resilient cushioning elements connected solely by said member, the member determining the length and width of the -mattress and having a plurality of spaced openings therein arranged in a grid-like pattern determined by the shapes, sizes and positions of the inner cushioning elements of said mattress, said member being molded of a light-weight synthetic tough exible and noncellular substantially in elastic and resilient plastic material and being self-supporting and self form-retaining and sufficiently stii to prevent displacement of said elements and sufficiently flexible and resilient to conform to the shape of and to support the body of the user and adapted for connection to the ends of said elements and to arrange and to hold said ends in rows.

3. The moldable member of claim 2, the Vmarginal portions and intermediate selected portions of said member between the openings being thicker than the remainder thereof, and means integral with the member and constituting the sole means for securing the ends of the .cushioning elements to the inner face of the member, the edges of the openings being rounded to avoid cutting into the body.

4. The moldable member of claim 2, the major areas of the member being of a single layer of material, the material between the openings comprising diagonally arranged arms of substantially rectangular outline, similar rectangular arms parallel to the side edges of the member and similar varms parallel to the end edges of the member, the edges of the opening being rounded.

5. A Alightweight ventilated mattress comprising a single relatively stii top sheet of a substantially incompressible self-sustaining and self form-retaining non-cellular tough flexible vand resilient synthetic plastic material vother than textile, elastic, and foam materials, said sheet being of substantial thickness and having integral stili depending lugs each having an inner side and an outer side and being provided with a groove between said sides, a single bottom sheet substantially identical with the top sheet and in parallel inverted spaced relation thereto, and a plurality of spaced apart resilient cushioning elements each of substantially uniform thickness and each in spaced relation to, independent of and unconnected -to the remaining elements except by said top and bottom sheets, the width of the groove of each -lug being of substantially said uniform thickness and receiving and encasing the end portion of an element to hold said portion permanently therein, the 'lugs constituting the sole means for arranging the elements and for securing the elements to the top and bottom sheets and against relative displacement with respect to each other, the side and end edges of the sheet being spaced away from the other sheet to provide a space therebetween communicating at all times with the spaces between the elements.

6. The mattress of claim 5, at least one of the sheets having a multiplicity of openings of different shapes completely therethrough and forming a predetermined pattern and suiciently large to permit access therethrough to the elements, those parts of the sheet between the openings being solid and smooth.

7. The mattress of claim 5, the groove of each lug being constricted at the entrance thereto to a width slightly less than the thickness of the material of which the element is made whereby the end portion of the element may be forced into the groove with a snap action and held therein against removal under the usual stresses of use.

8. The mattress of claim 5, the material of the lugs being heat scalable and the entrance to the groove being substantially closed after the end of the element has been inserted thereinto to retain said end permanently therein.

9. A mattress unit consisting of a light-weight, tough, dense, exible, substantially inelastic, incompressible and self-form-retaining, non-cellular and non-textile premolded plate-like top of sheet-like plastic material having a plurality of openings therethrough, the top being of a single thickness of material, a similar one piece bottom in parallel spaced relation to and unconnected to the top throughout the area thereof except by the elements hereinafter mentioned, a plurality of initially unconnected and independent spring elements extending separately between the top and the bottom, connecting means integral with and projecting downwardly from the top constituting the means for arranging the otherwise unconnected upper ends of vthe elements in predetermined spaced relation to each other, said means also securing the elements to the top and means integral with and projecting upwardly from the bottom arranging and securing the lower ends of the elements in similar spaced relation to the bottom, each of said means being arranged adjacent the openings of the top and bottom respectively. i

10. Means for arranging in rows the opposite ends of upright independent, spaced apart springs in a mattress and for maintaining said ends in said rows under the stresses on the mattress resulting from use, said means comprising a self form-retaining, plate-like, non-foam top sheet of synthetic resin coextensive with the mattress, said sheet being suiciently stil to prevent displacement of said spring ends after said ends have been assembled to the sheet, said sheet being suiciently flexible and resilient to support and conform to the body of a user, and being of a single variable thickness of material substantially resistant to penetration by a free end of a wire spring, a similar bottom sheet in downward spaced relation to the top sheet and unconnected thereto except by the springs thereby to provide an interior space between the top and bottom unobstructed except by said springsand communicating with the exterior of the'mattress at the sides and ends thereof and means integral with and projecting from the sheets for securing the end portions of each of the springs to the adjacent sheet against movement relatively to said sheet and against movement Vtransversely relatively to the corresponding end portions of the remaining springs while permitting relative lateralV movement of said end portions of the springs.

11. Means for arranging in rows the opposite ends of upright springs in a mattress and for maintaining said ends in said rows under the stresses on the mattress resulting from use, said means consisting solely of a nonfoam top sheet of synthetic resin coextensive with the mattress, a similar bottom sheet in downward spaced relation to the top sheet and unconnected thereto except by the springs thereby to provide an interior space between the top and bottom unobstructed except by said springs and communicating with the exterior of the mattress at the sides and ends thereof and means integral wit-h and projecting from the sheets for immovably securing the end portions of the springs to the sheets, each of said sheets having openings therein adjacent the projecting means, through which openings the springs are accessible, the openings communicating with said space, and a multiplicity of spaced apart independent springs unconnected to each other except by the integral projecting means of the top and bottom sheets.

12. A plate-like spring-arranging and spring-holding self form-retaining member of a light-weight, tough, exible, non-cellular-and non-textile plastic material, the member being yieldable and suiiciently stii for the direct support of the body of a person, the member having a plurality of spaced apart openings therein, the thickness of the member being greater at the peripheral edges of selected openings and at the peripheral edges of the member than between the openings, said edges being rounded to avoid excess indentation of the body of the person supported by the member, and means projecting inwardly from the member adjacent the openings for arranging in place adjacent the inner face of the member and for securing thereto, a multiplicity of spaced apart rows of spaced apart and independent springs.

13. A plate-like, yieldable, spring-arranging, springholding and spring-uniting member for use as the top or bottom of a mattress having individual, independent, resilient, inner cushioning elements, and means projecting inwardly from said member for connecting the corresponding ends of the element, the member having a plurality of spaced apart rows of spaced apart openings therethrough arranged in a pattern determined by the position of said means, the member having suticient dimensional stability to control and determine the length and width of the mattress, and being molded of a lightweight, tough, flexible, non-cellular and resilient plastic material, and being self form-retaining and suiciently stili to prevent displacement of said elements and to support the body of a user, the member being suliciently resilient to return to the normal plate-like shape thereof on the release of the load thereon, and ybeing ofV a single thickness of material, the edges of the openings being permanently rounded.

References Cited in the le of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,008,185 Pittoni July 16, 1935 2,235,554 j Hopkes et al. Mar. I8, 1941 2,267,472 Lieberman Dec. 23, 1941 2,309,438 Burisch Jan. 26, 1943 2,425,728 Cobb Aug. 19, 1947 `2,610,334 Piliero Sept. 16, 1952 2,784,773 Rowland Mar. 12, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 335,571 Great Britain Sept. 22, 1930 397,140 Great Britain 1.-.,-.. Aug. 10, 1933 794,573 France Dec. 1, 1935 177,291V Netherlands Dec. 15 1955

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