MATTRESS SHIPPING UNIT

Abstract

A mattress shipping unit including a mattress and a shipping bag, wherein the mattress is in a compressed shipping condition and is completely accommodated in the shipping bag. The shipping bag has a cover which is predominantly made of an air-permeable material.

Claims

1. A mattress shipping unit comprising a mattress and a shipping bag, wherein the mattress is in a compressed shipping condition and is completely accommodated in the shipping bag, wherein the shipping bag has a cover which is predominantly made of an air-permeable material.

2. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover is completely made of the air-permeable material.

3. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material is a textile.

4. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 3, wherein the textile is a not-woven textile.

5. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material is polypropylene.

6. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a bottom and at least one peripheral wall, wherein the bottom is at least partially made of the air-permeable material.

7. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 6, wherein the bottom is completely made of the air-permeable material.

8. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a bottom and at least one peripheral wall, wherein the at least one peripheral wall is at least partially.

9. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 8, wherein the at least one peripheral wall is completely made of the air-permeable material.

10. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the shipping bag has a closure.

11. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 10, wherein the closure is a drawstring.

12. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the shipping bag has at least one of a diameter (D.sub.S) of less than or equal to 50 cm, and a length (L.sub.S) of less than 150 cm.

13. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 12, wherein the shipping bag has at least one of a diameter (D.sub.S) of less than or equal to 40 cm, and a length (L.sub.S) of less than or equal to 135 cm.

14. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the cover is selected such that the cover keeps the mattress in the compressed shipping condition.

15. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein in its compressed shipping condition, the mattress generates a previously known expansion force (F.sub.E), and the shipping bag is configured so as to exert a counterforce (F.sub.G) in the opposite direction to the expansion force (F.sub.E).

16. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 15, wherein the cover is configured so as to exert a counterforce (F.sub.G) in the opposite direction to the expansion force (F.sub.E).

17. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a predetermined breaking point.

18. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 17, wherein the cover has a predetermined breaking line.

19. The mattress shipping unit according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined breaking line extends in the axial direction along the cover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Further features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the description below and from the attached drawings to which reference is made and in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a mattress shipping unit according to the disclosure in the unpacked condition, and

[0032] FIG. 2 shows the mattress shipping unit according to the disclosure of FIG. 1 in the packed condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In the context of the present disclosure, enumerations of several components with and/or, for example a, b and/or c are to be interpreted as a disclosure of any combination of the components, i.e. a and/or b and/or c.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows very schematically a mattress shipping unit 10 composed of a mattress 12 and a shipping bag 14.

[0035] The mattress 12 and the shipping bag 14 are illustrated on different scales to show details of the shipping bag 14. In reality, the shipping bag 14 is significantly smaller than the mattress 12.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows the mattress 12 in used condition, i.e. in an uncompressed condition.

[0037] In the example embodiment shown, the mattress 12 has a length L.sub.M of 200 cm and a width B.sub.M of 90 cm.

[0038] The mattress 12 is made of a compressible cellular material.

[0039] However, it is also conceivable to use other materials for manufacturing the mattress 12.

[0040] The mattress 12 is in particular a European mattress, i.e. a mattress of the European or western type and for example not a Japanese futon.

[0041] In the example embodiment shown, the shipping bag 14 is cylindrical, here circular cylindrical, and has a cover 16.

[0042] The cover 16 has a bottom 18 which in the present case is circular, and a peripheral wall 20 extending from the bottom 18.

[0043] In the example embodiment shown, the cover 16 and thus the bottom 18 and the peripheral wall 20 are completely made of an air-permeable material 21.

[0044] It is of course also conceivable that only parts of the cover 16, i.e. only parts of the bottom 18 and/or parts of the peripheral wall 20 are made of the air-permeable material 21. However, in an overall consideration, the cover 16 is predominantly made of the air-permeable material 21.

[0045] The air-permeable material 21 is a textile which is not woven, for example a nonwoven fabric.

[0046] Polypropylene is for example used as the air-permeable material 21.

[0047] The peripheral wall 20, in particular the entire cover 16 has a thickness of 75 g/m.sup.2.

[0048] In the example embodiment shown, the bottom 18 and thus the shipping bag 14 has a diameter of less than or equal to 50 cm, in particular less than or equal to 40 cm. In the example embodiment shown, the diameter D.sub.S is 40 cm.

[0049] The peripheral wall 20 extends from the bottom 18. The peripheral wall 20 is fastened, for example sewn to the bottom 18. The seam can extend over the entire periphery of the bottom 18 or cover only parts thereof.

[0050] The peripheral wall 20 extends along the entire periphery of the bottom 18 and thus also over the entire periphery of the shipping bag, or forms the periphery of the shipping bag 14.

[0051] In the unfolded condition, the peripheral wall 20 and thus the shipping bag 14 has a length L.sub.S of less than 150 cm, in particular less than or equal to 135 cm.

[0052] In the example embodiment shown, the peripheral wall 20 and thus the shipping bag 14 has a length L.sub.S of 135 cm.

[0053] It is however also conceivable, that the length L.sub.S of the shipping bag 14 is at most 50%, in particular at most 25% larger than the width BM of the mattress 12.

[0054] No further bottom is provided at the end of the peripheral wall 20 facing away from the bottom 18, rather, the shipping bag 14 has an opening 22 there.

[0055] The opening 22 is used for inserting and/or removing the mattress 12 from the shipping bag 14.

[0056] A closure for closing the opening 22 may be provided on the peripheral wall 20 in the area of the opening 22.

[0057] In the example embodiment shown, it is a drawstring 26 which runs in a hem 28 of the peripheral wall 20.

[0058] In the example embodiment shown, the cover 16, here the peripheral wall 20 has a predetermined breaking point 30.

[0059] In the example embodiment shown, the predetermined breaking point 30 extends from the opening 22 towards the bottom 18 as a predetermined breaking line.

[0060] For example, the predetermined breaking point 30 is a section of the cover 16 having a thinner thickness, or a cut in the cover 16 which is closed by a tear seam.

[0061] FIG. 2 illustrates the packed condition of the mattress shipping unit 10 which corresponds to the shipping condition.

[0062] The mattress 12 is in a compressed shipping condition in which the mattress 12 has a fraction of its volume. For example, in the compressed shipping condition, the mattress 12 has only at most 80% of its uncompressed volume, i.e. the volume in the uncompressed condition. In the compressed shipping condition, the volume of the mattress 12 may thus be reduced by at least 20% of its uncompressed volume.

[0063] In the compressed shipping condition, the mattress 12 is rolled up and/or folded.

[0064] In the example embodiment shown, the mattress 12 is merely rolled up. Larger mattresses, however, are folded once or several times before rolling.

[0065] It is however also conceivable that the mattress is only folded.

[0066] The compressed mattress 12, i.e. the mattress 12 in the compressed shipping condition, is completely received in the shipping bag 14.

[0067] The diameter D.sub.K of the mattress 12 in the compressed shipping condition is less than or equal to the diameter D.sub.S of the shipping bag 14.

[0068] In the example embodiment shown, the length L.sub.K of the mattress 12 corresponds to the width B.sub.M of the uncompressed mattress, i.e. here 90 cm.

[0069] In the compressed shipping condition, i.e. also within the shipping bag 14, the mattress 12 generates an expansion force F.sub.E radially to the outside.

[0070] This expansion force is previously known, as it depends on the degree of the compression of the mattress 12.

[0071] The cover 16, in particular the peripheral wall 20 exerts a counterforce F.sub.G in the opposite direction to the expansion force F.sub.E, which keeps the mattress 12 in its compressed shipping condition.

[0072] The thickness or gauge of the cover 16 is selected appropriately so that the cover 16, in particular the peripheral wall 20 can apply the counterforce F.sub.G. The thickness or gauge of the cover 16, in particular from the peripheral wall 20 of course depends on the material properties of the air-permeable material 21.

[0073] The shipping bag 14 is closed by the closure 24, i.e. here the drawstring 26 to avoid damages or a soiling of the mattress 12.

[0074] The mattress 12 is thus accommodated in the shipping bag 14 in a safe manner and with a small volume for shipping. At the same time, the air permeability of the shipping bag 14 always permits an exchange of air between the mattress 12 and the environment of the shipping bag 14, so that volatile organic compounds present in the mattress 12 as a result of the manufacture are released to the environment already during shipping, as a result of which the exposure to such volatile organic compounds during unpacking is very low.

[0075] In addition, a shipping bag 14 made of an air-permeable material 21 is more environmentally friendly than a film.

[0076] To remove the mattress 12 from the shipping bag 14, the shipping bag 14 can simply be opened using the predetermined breaking point 30. Although the shipping bag 14 is thus destroyed, an end customer cannot independently return the mattress 12 into its compressed shipping condition, so that the shipping bag 14 cannot be reused by the customer anyway.

[0077] Though only a circular-cylindrical shipping bag 14 was described as an example embodiment, other geometries of the shipping bag 14 with a corresponding compression of the mattress 12 are of course also conceivable. For example, a cuboid shipping bag 14 can accommodate a mattress 12, which is only folded in the compressed shipping condition.