Packaged Mattress Foundation for Stacking on a Pallet

Abstract

A packaged mattress foundation is sized to fit on the most common sized pallets with a minimum height per packaged mattress foundation to maximize a number of packaged mattress foundations that can be fit in a given allowable height for a pallet stack. Maximizing the number of merchandise on a give pallet is particularly important to “big-box retailers” that display merchandise stacked on pallets as shipped. To minimize the height of the packaged mattress foundation, components such as motors, frames, and boarders are distinct (i.e., not overlapping) when the two panels are folded, like a clamshell, for shipping.

Claims

1. A packaged mattress foundation for stacking on a pallet having a pallet length and a pallet width, the packaged mattress foundation comprising: a packaging box having a box length and a box width, said box length being no greater than the pallet length, and said box width being no greater than the pallet width; and a disassembled mattress foundation being contained within said packaging box.

2. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 1, wherein: said box length is no greater than 122 cm; and said box width is no greater than 102 cm.

3. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 1, wherein said disassembled mattress foundation includes: a mattress support for supporting a mattress, said mattress support having a head panel and a foot panel, said head panel having a head-panel length and a head-panel width and being configured to support a head portion of the mattress, said foot panel having a foot-panel length and foot panel width and being configured to support a foot portion of the mattress; said head-panel length is no greater than the pallet length; said head-panel width is no greater than the pallet width; said foot-panel length is no greater than the pallet length; and said foot-panel width is no greater than the pallet width.

4. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 3, wherein: said head panel has a head-panel bottom; said foot panel has a foot-panel bottom; an outer rail being connected to one of said head-panel bottom and said foot-panel bottom; an inner rail being connected to one of said head-panel bottom and said foot-panel bottom not being connected to said outer rail; and a hinge interconnecting said outer rail and said inner rail; said outer rail being distinct from said inner rail when said head panel and said foot panel are folded about said hinge.

5. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 3, wherein: said head panel has a head-panel bottom; said foot panel has a foot-panel bottom; said head-panel bottom facing said foot-panel bottom when said mattress support is folded for shipping; a back massaging unit is disposed on said head panel at a first position between said head panel and said foot panel; and a foot massaging unit is disposed on said foot panel at a second position between said head panel and said foot panel, said second position being distinct from said first position.

6. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 5, wherein: said head panel includes a back sub-panel and a waist sub-panel; said foot panel includes a leg sub-panel and a foot sub-panel; a back motor is disposed on said head-panel bottom at a third position and is configured to move said head sub-panel relative to said back sub-panel; a leg motor is disposed on said foot-panel bottom at a fourth position and is configured to move said leg sub-panel relative to said foot sub-panel; and said first position, said second position, said third position, and said fourth position are distinct when said head-panel bottom faces said foot-panel bottom for shipping.

7. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 3, wherein: said head panel has a head-panel bottom and includes a head sub-panel and a back sub-panel; said foot panel has a foot-panel bottom and includes a leg sub-panel and a foot sub-panel; a back motor is disposed on said head-panel bottom at a first position and is configured to move said head sub-panel relative to said back sub-panel; a leg motor is disposed on said foot-panel bottom at a second position and is configured to move said leg sub-panel relative to said foot sub-panel; and said first position and said second position are distinct when said head-panel bottom faces said foot-panel bottom for shipping.

8. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 3, wherein: said mattress support includes a hinge, said hinge interconnecting said head panel and said foot panel; said head panel has a head-panel bottom, said head-panel bottom having a head-panel left edge, a head-panel right edge opposing said head-panel left edge, and a head-panel outer edge, said head-panel outer edge being disposed on said head-panel bottom opposingly from said hinge; said foot panel has a foot-panel bottom, said foot-panel bottom having a foot-panel left edge, a foot-panel right edge opposing said foot-panel left edge, and a foot-panel outer edge, said foot-panel outer edge being disposed on said foot-panel bottom opposingly from said hinge; a fixed left border being disposed on one of said foot-panel left edge and said head-panel left edge; a fixed right border being disposed on one of said foot-panel right edge and said head-panel right edge; a fixed outer border being disposed on one of said foot-panel outer edge and said head-panel outer edge; a removable left border being removably attachable to an other of said foot-panel left edge and said head-panel left edge, said removable left border being removed when said mattress support is folded and attached when said mattress support is unfolded; a removable right border being removably attachable to an other of said foot-panel right edge and said head-panel right edge, said removable right border being removed when said mattress support is folded and attached when said mattress support is unfolded; and a removable outer border being removably attachable to an other of said foot-panel outer edge and said head-panel outer edge, said removable outer border being removed when said mattress support is folded and attached when said mattress support is unfolded.

9. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said fixed left border, said fixed right border, said fixed outer border, said removable left border, said removable right border, and said removable outer border includes a flexible resilient foam.

10. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 8, wherein said mattress support includes a hook-and-loop fastener having a first part releasably connected to a second part; said first part of said hook-and-loop fastener being disposed on at least one of said removable left border, said removable right border, and said removable outer border; and said second part of said hook-and-loop fastener being disposed on at least one of said foot-panel left edge, said foot-panel right edge, said foot-panel outer edge, said head-panel left edge, said head-panel right edge, and said head-panel outer edge.

11. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 4, wherein: at least one of said inner rail and said outer rail has a leg-mount plate connected thereto, said leg-mount plate having a threaded socket formed therein; and a leg for supporting said mattress support above a floor includes a bolt, said bolt being configured to screw into said threaded socket, said leg being removed when said mattress support is folded for shipping and screwed in when said mattress support is unfolded for use.

12. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 3, wherein said mattress support includes only two panels, said only two panels being said head panel and said foot panel.

13. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 12, wherein: said head panel includes only two head subpanels, said only two head subpanels being a back subpanel and a waist subpanel; and said foot panel includes only three foot subpanels, said only three foot subpanels being a buttock subpanel, a leg subpanel, and a foot subpanel.

14. The packaged mattress foundation according to claim 1, further comprising: a further disassembled mattress foundation being contained within said packaging box.

15. A palletized container of mattress foundations, comprising: a pallet a pallet length and a pallet width; and a packaged mattress foundation being stacked on said pallet, said packaged mattress foundation including: a packaging box having a box length and a box width, said box length being no greater than the pallet length, and said box width being no greater than the pallet width; and a disassembled mattress foundation being contained within said packaging box.

16. The palletized container according to claim 15, further comprising: a further packaged mattress foundation being stacked on said packaged mattress foundation, said packaged mattress foundation including: a packaging box having a box length and a box width, said box length being no greater than the pallet length, and said box width being no greater than the pallet width; and a disassembled mattress foundation being contained within said packaging box.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0030] FIG. 1A is a bottom, left perspective view of a mattress foundation according to the invention.

[0031] FIG. 1B is the bottom, left perspective view of the mattress foundation shown in FIG. 1A with additional reference numbers.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a top left perspective view of the mattress foundation shown in FIG. 1A.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a photograph showing a top, rear perspective view of the mattress foundation shown in FIG. 1 in a folded position and placed in an open box.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pallet of boxed mattress foundations according to the invention.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a bottom, front, right perspective view of the mattress foundation shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a table showing the weight and dimensions of boxes and pallets of mattress foundations.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a table of ISO pallet sizes according to the prior art.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a table of common pallet sizes in North America according to the prior art.

[0039] FIG. 9 is a table of common European pallet sizes in Europe according to the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2 and 5 show a preferred embodiment of a mattress foundation 50. In FIG. 1A, the following parts are shown: back frame 2, foot support part 4, connecting rod 5, retainer bar 6, roller board 7, foot plywood 8, leg plywood 9, buttock plywood 10, waist plywood 11, back plywood 12, hinge unit 13, massager cap 14, plastic tube cap 15, roller 16, shift lever bushing 17, spacer sleeve 18, hinge bolt 19, spacer 20, pulley bin 21, block 22, four jaw nut 23, plastic tube cap 24, motor head 25, motor 26, connecting rod piece 27, external hexagon sew with edge 28, and rubber hinge gasket 29.

[0041] FIG. 1B shows the mattress foundation 50. The mattress foundation 50 includes five subpanels: back subpanel 54A, waist subpanel 54B, buttocks subpanel 55A, leg subpanel 55B, and foot subpanel 55C. Together, the subpanels 54A, 54B, 55A, 55B, and 55C form mattress support 51. Back subpanel 54A and waist subpanel 54B form head panel 52. Buttocks subpanel 55A, leg subpanel 55B, and foot subpanel 55C form foot panel 53. The head panel 52 has a head-panel length l.sub.52 and a head-panel width w.sub.52. The foot panel 53 has a foot-panel length l.sub.53 and a foot panel width w.sub.53. A head-panel bottom 54 is formed by back subpart bottom 54A and waist subpart bottom 54B. A foot panel bottom 55 is formed by buttocks subpart bottom 55A, leg subpart 55B, and leg subpart 55C. The legs 67 are screwed into

[0042] FIGS. 2 and 5 show a preferred embodiment of the mattress foundation 50. The fixed left border 71, fixed right border, and fixed outer border 73 are shown. The removable left border 74, removable right border 75, and the removable outer border 76 are removed. Hook-and-loop fastener 64 can removable attach the removable borders. In FIG. 2, the legs 67 are not shown but the leg mounting plate 78 and threaded socket 79 are shown.

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a packaging box 80 holding a mattress foundation 50 in a folded position.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a pallet 90 with a pallet length l.sub.90, pallet width w.sub.90. A plurality of packaged mattress foundations 91 are stacked on the pallet 90. The length and width of the packaged mattress foundations 91 does not exceed the pallet length l.sub.90 and pallet width w.sub.90, respectively.

[0045] FIG. 6 list the pallet sizes for a preferred embodiment of a pallet of Twin XL sized mattresses and queen-sized mattresses.

[0046] Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0047] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in the invention should not be limited to the details shown in those embodiments because various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention while remaining within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

[0048] The construction and method of operation of the invention and additional objects and advantages of the invention is best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.