ADJUSTABLE MATTRESS SIDE RAILS
20220287469 · 2022-09-15
Inventors
Cpc classification
International classification
Abstract
A side rail of a mattress that may be used with an adjustable bed may include a main body that facilitate adjustment of the mattress while maximizing contact between a bottom of the mattress and an upper supporting surface of an adjustable bedframe. More specifically, the main body of the side rail may include a top edge with one or more upper recesses therein and a bottom edge with one or more lower recesses therein. An upper insert may be secured within each upper recess, while a lower insert may be secured within each lower recess. The material from which each upper insert and lower insert is formed may be more compressible than a material from which the main body of the side rail is formed to enable the side rail and the mattress to bend with the supporting surface of the adjustable bedframe.
Claims
1. A side rail for a mattress for an adjustable bed, comprising: a main body comprising a first material having a first rigidity and a first compressibility; at least one upper recess extending into a top edge of the main body, partially into a height of the main body, and across an entirety of a width of the main body, the at least one upper recess including: a base adjacent to but spaced apart from a bottom edge of the main body; a head surface extending at a non-perpendicular angle to the top edge, to the base and toward a foot end of the main body; and a foot surface extending at a non-perpendicular angle to the top edge, to the base and toward a head end of the main body; at least one upper insert substantially filling the at least one upper recess, the at least one upper insert comprising a second material and including a top edge coplanar with the top edge of the main body, a base adjacent to the base of the at least one upper recess, a head surface adjacent to the head surface of the at least one upper recess, and a foot surface adjacent to the foot surface of the at least one upper recess; at least one lower recess extending into the bottom edge of the main body, partially into the height of the main body, and across the entirety of the width of the main body, the at least one lower recess including: a top adjacent to but spaced apart from the top edge of the main body; a head surface extending at an angle to the bottom surface, to the top; and a foot surface extending at an angle to the bottom surface, to the top; and at least one lower insert substantially filling the at least one lower recess, the at least one lower insert comprising a third material and including a bottom edge coplanar with the bottom edge of the main body, a top adjacent to the top of the at least one lower recess, a head surface adjacent to the head surface of the at least one lower recess, and a foot surface adjacent to the foot surface of the at least one lower recess.
2. The side rail of claim 1, wherein the at least one upper recess is positioned at a location where an upper surface of the mattress is expected to bend concavely.
3. The side rail of claim 1, wherein the at least one lower recess is positioned at a location where the upper surface of the mattress is expected to bend convexly.
4. The side rail of claim 1, comprising a plurality of upper recesses, a plurality of upper inserts, a plurality of lower recesses, and a plurality of lower inserts.
5. The side rail of claim 4, wherein the plurality of upper recesses and the plurality of upper inserts are grouped together.
6. The side rail of claim 4, wherein the plurality of lower recesses and the plurality of lower inserts are grouped together.
7. The side rail of claim 1, wherein the base of the at least one upper recess is defined by a junction between the head surface and the foot surface of the at least one upper recess.
8. The side rail of claim 1, wherein the base of the at least one upper recess is elongated.
9. The side rail of claim 8, wherein the base of the at least one upper recess is substantially parallel to the bottom edge of the main body.
10. The side rail of claim 1, wherein the top of the at least one lower recess is defined by a junction between the head surface and the foot surface of the at least one lower recess.
11. The side rail of claim 1, wherein the top of the at least one lower recess is elongated.
12. The side rail of claim 11, wherein the top of the at least one lower recess is substantially parallel to the top edge of the main body.
13. The side rail of claim 1, wherein the second material and the third material are less rigid and more compressible than the first material.
14. A mattress for an adjustable bed, comprising: a foundation including a base, a head rail, a foot rail, and a pair of side rails defining a receptacle, each side rail including: a main body formed from a first compressible material and including a top edge with at least one upper recess therein and a bottom edge with at least one lower recess therein; at least one upper insert formed from a second compressible material secured within the at least one upper recess; at least one lower insert formed from a third compressible material secured within the at least one lower recess; a cushioning element within the receptacle defined by the foundation; and a cover over the cushioning element, the head rail, the foot rail, and the pair of side rails of the foundation.
15. The mattress of claim 14, wherein the at least one upper recess and the at least one upper insert has a shape of a triangular prism.
16. The mattress of claim 15, wherein the at least one lower recess and the at least one lower insert has a shape of a triangular prism, a trapezoidal prism, or a rectangular prism.
17. The mattress of claim 14, wherein the second compressible material and the third compressible material are more compressible than the first material.
18. The mattress of claim 14, further comprising: a gel cushion over the cushioning element and comprising interconnected walls formed from an elastomeric material and defining an array of columnar voids.
19. The mattress of claim 14, wherein the cushioning element comprises an array of coils and/or at least one pressurizable bladder.
20. An adjustable bed, comprising: an adjustable frame including: a support surface including a plurality of support elements; at least one concavely bending joint between a head support element and an intermediate support element of the plurality of support elements; and at least one convexly bending joint between the intermediate support element and a foot support element of the plurality of support elements; and a mattress on a support surface of the adjustable frame and including: a foundation including a base, a head rail, a foot rail, and a pair of side rails defining a receptacle, each side rail including: a main body formed from a first compressible material and including a top edge with at least one upper recess therein, the upper recess positioned over the at least one concavely bending joint of the adjustable frame, and a bottom edge with at least one lower recess therein, the at least one lower recess positioned over the at least one convexly bending joint of the adjustable frame; at least one upper insert formed from a second compressible material secured within the at least one upper recess; at least one lower insert formed from a third compressible material secured within the at least one lower recess; a cushioning element within the receptacle defined by the foundation; and a cover over the cushioning element, the head rail, the foot rail, and the pair of side rails of the foundation.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] In the drawings:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] With reference to
[0034] A height of the main body 20 and, thus, of the side rail 10 extends between the top edge 22 and bottom edge 24 of the main body 20. The main body 20 also includes an interior surface 21, which faces an interior of a mattress (not shown in
[0035] The main body 20 may be formed from a material having a rigidity that imparts the side rail 10 with sufficient structural integrity to laterally support a remainder of the mattress (not shown in
[0036] Each upper recess 30 may extend downwardly into the top edge 22 of the main body 20, partially into the height of the main body 20, and across an entirety of the width of the main body 20. Each upper recess 30 may include: a base 32 adjacent to but spaced apart from the bottom edge 24 of the main body 20; a head surface 34 extending at a non-perpendicular angle to the top edge 22, from the top edge 22 to the base 32 and toward the foot end 28 of the main body 20; and a foot surface 36 extending at a non-perpendicular angle to the top edge 22, from the top edge 22 to the base 32 and toward the head end 26 of the main body 20. The base 32 of the upper recess 30 may be defined by a junction between the head surface 34 and the foot surface 36 of the upper recess 30. In some embodiments, that junction may be radiused (e.g., it may comprise an arc of a circle, etc.) or otherwise rounded. Alternatively, the base 32 of the upper recess 30 may be elongated. An elongated base 32 may be substantially parallel to the bottom edge 24 of the main body 20.
[0037] Each upper recess 30 may be positioned at a location along the length of the main body 20 of the side rail 10 where the top of the mattress (not shown in
[0038] The side rail 10 may include a main body 20 with a plurality of upper recesses 30. In the embodiment shown in
[0039] With continued reference to
[0040] Each lower recess 40 may be positioned at a location along the length of the main body 20 of the side rail 10 where the top of the mattress (not shown in
[0041] The side rail 10 may include one or more lower recesses 40. In the embodiment depicted by
[0042] An upper insert 60 may be provided in each upper recess 30 of the main body 20 of the side rail 10. Each upper insert 60 may substantially fill its corresponding upper recess 30 and include a top edge 62 that is coplanar or substantially coplanar with the top edge 22 of the main body 20, a base 64 adjacent to the base 32 of the corresponding upper recess 30, a head surface 66 adjacent to the head surface 34 of the corresponding upper recess 30, and a foot surface 68 adjacent to the foot surface 36 of the corresponding upper recess 30. An entirety of each of the base 64, head surface 66, and foot surface 68 of the upper insert 60 may contact and be secured to (e.g., with a suitable cement or other adhesive material, etc.) its corresponding base 32, head surface 34, and foot surface 36 of the corresponding upper recess 30. Thus, a shape or configuration of each upper insert 60 may complement, be the same as, or be substantially the same as a shape or configuration of the upper recess 30 in which the upper insert 60 is positioned.
[0043] A lower insert 70 may be provided in each lower recess 40 of the main body 20 of the side rail 10. Each lower insert 70 may substantially fill its corresponding lower recess 40 and include a bottom edge 72 that is coplanar or substantially coplanar with the bottom edge 24 of the main body 20 of the side rail 10, a top 74 adjacent to the top 42 of the corresponding lower recess 40, a head surface 76 adjacent to the head surface 44 of the corresponding lower recess 40, and a foot surface 78 adjacent to the foot surface 46 of the corresponding lower recess 40. An entirety of each of the top 74, head surface 76, and foot surface 78 of the lower insert 70 may contact and be secured to (e.g., with a suitable cement or other adhesive material, etc.) its corresponding top 42, head surface 44, and foot surface 46 of the corresponding lower recess 40. Thus, a shape or configuration of each lower insert 70 may complement, be the same as, or be substantially the same as a shape or configuration of the lower recess 40 in which the lower insert 70 is positioned.
[0044] A shape of each upper insert 60 and each lower insert 70 and a material from which each upper insert 60 and each lower insert 70 is formed may enable the side rail 10 to readily flex when the mattress (not shown in
[0045] The material from which each upper insert 60 and each lower insert 70 is formed may be readily compressible, but have sufficient rigidity to impart the side rail 10 with acceptable structural integrity. By way of example only, each upper insert 60 and each lower insert 70 may comprise a compressible, resilient material. The compressible, resilient material may comprise a foam. The compressible, resilient material of each upper insert 60 and each lower insert 70 may be more readily compressible than the compressible, resilient material of the main body 20 to which the upper insert 60 and lower insert 70 are secured. For example, an ILD rating of the compressible, resilient material of each upper insert 60 and each lower insert 70 of a side rail 10 may be less than an ILD rating of the compressible, resilient material from which the main body 20 of the side rail 10 is formed. An ILD rating of the compressible resilient material may be 18 to about 24 (e.g., 18, 20, 22, 24, etc.). In a specific embodiment, each upper insert 60 and/or each lower insert 70 may be formed from a medium density polyethylene (MDPE) foam.
[0046] While
[0047]
[0048] The embodiment of side rail 10′ depicted by
[0049] The four upper recesses 30′ and corresponding upper inserts 60′ are grouped together at a location where a top of a mattress (not shown in
[0050] While
[0051]
[0052] The upper recesses 30″ and/or lower recesses 40″ of the side rail 10″ may be grouped. As shown in
[0053] While
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[0055] Turning now to
[0056] The cushioning element (not shown) of the mattress 100 may comprise coil springs (not shown) (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2019/0150632 A1, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein), one or more pressurizable bladders (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 11,213,139, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein), memory foam, and/or any other suitable cushioning element for a mattress, or a combination of cushioning elements.
[0057] An intermediate layer 120 may be positioned over the foundation 110. A top cushioning element 130 may be positioned over the intermediate layer 120. The top cushioning element 130 may comprise a gel cushion (not shown). The gel cushion of the top cushioning element 130 may include a plurality of resiliently compressible intersecting or interconnected walls defining an array of interconnected, resiliently buckling columns, with a void in each column, as described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,060,213, 7,076,822, and 8,919,750. Stated another way, the interconnected or intersecting walls may define an array of hollow columns, or voids. Such a gel cushion may be formed from any of a variety of compressible, resilient materials, including cushioning foams and elastomeric materials, such as the extended A-B-A triblock copolymers described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,413,458, 6,797,765, and 7,964,664. While such a gel cushion may extend to the periphery of the inner assembly of the mattress 100, such a gel cushion may be surrounded by foam edge pieces 135. Although not shown in
[0058] In
[0059] In addition to illustrating an embodiment of a side rail 10′ and an embodiment of a mattress 100,
[0060] Although the preceding disclosure provides many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any of the claims that follow, but merely as providing illustrations of some embodiments of elements and features of the disclosed subject matter. Other embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, and of their elements and features, may be devised which do not depart from the spirit or scope of any of the claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. Accordingly, the scope of each claim is limited only by its plain language and the legal equivalents thereto.