Method of making mattress core with individual foam columns and no springs.

Abstract

This invention is a mattress core that is manufactured as a single unit. It is made up of individual cones that have different configurations resulting in different densities at different portions of the mattress. There are three main ways to accomplishing this goal: columns of different sizes and shapes, columns with different hole diameters, and columns with different density foam used to create them. A key advantage of this invention is that it is a single mattress made from a single mold and does not require multiple parts to be put together.

Claims

1. A method of making a mattress, where the method comprises the steps of obtaining a mattress forming table, where the mattress forming table has two or more molds, where each of the two or more molds has a separate heating control and a separate cooling control, where a computer controls the separate heating control and the separate cooling control for each mold, and where the resulting mattress comprises a mattress core, comprising a top edge, a bottom edge, two side edges, where the top edge, bottom edge and side edges are joined at approximately a 90 degree angle to one another, a mattress bottom, and a mattress main body, where the mattress main body is bounded by the top edge, the bottom edge and the two side edges, and where the mattress body additionally comprises at least two columns, where the at least two columns have a head and a foot, where the foot is a continuous piece of foam extending the entire mattress body, and the head is bounded by air on at least 75% of its diameter and extends vertically from the mattress body, and additionally comprising a cleaning and preparation procedure that ensure that the mattress forming table is adequately prepared to smoothly and efficiently produce one or more mattresses.

2. The method of claim 1, where each mold has heating and cooling means, and where the mattress core is a single piece of foam and where each one of the at least two columns additionally comprises a hole that extends throughout the column.

3. The method of claim 2, where the heating means is steam and where the side edges additionally comprise side channels which enhance the flow of air into and out of the mattress core.

4. The method of claim 3, where cooling means is cold water, and the bottom additionally comprises one or more foots, where each of the one of more foots is the bottom portion each of the one or more columns, and where each foot has a foot top and a foot side, where the foot side is a cylinder extending around the foot, and where the foot top is a flat surface, and a foot hole, where the foot hole is a cavity extending from the foot top through the column, and where each foot has a foot spacing, which is the distance between a particular foot and an adjacent foot.

5. The method of claim 4, where the head additionally comprises a bulb and a base, where the bulb is a roughly cylindrical shape and has a top diameter, a middle diameter, and a bottom diameter, where with a middle diameter is larger than both the top diameter and the bottom diameter, and where the head has a density, a height, and a width.

6. The method of claim 5, additionally comprising a connector, where the connector comprises a ridge of foam with a length longer than a width.

7. The method of claim 6, where the connector bridges at least one column to another column or to the top edge, bottom edge or side edges.

8. The method of claim 7, where at least one at least two columns has a difference from at least another column of the at least two columns and where the cleaning and preparation procedure additionally comprises a rotating arm.

9. The method of claim 8, where the difference is differences in density of the foam used to create the two heads.

10. The method of claim 8, where the difference is different diameters of holes in the head.

11. The method of claim 8, where the difference is different shapes of the at least two columns.

12. The method of claim 8, where the difference is different heights of the at least two columns.

13. The method of claim 8, where the difference is different widths of the at least two columns, and different spacing between one or more of the at least two columns.

14. The method of claim 8, where the difference is different heights and different widths of at least two of the at least two columns.

15. The method of claim 8, where the difference is different densities and different heights and different widths of at least two of the at least two columns.

16. The method of claim 1, where the table additionally comprises means of rotating the table.

17. The method of claim 16, where the means or rotating the table are gears.

18. The method of claim 16, where the method additionally comprises using a computer to mix a quantity of foamable mixture for each mold.

19. The method of claim 18, where the method additionally comprises means of expelling the foam in a desired pattern.

20. The method of claim 19, where the method additionally comprises means of cooling the mold after a desired quantity of foam has been expelled.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0072] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this invention.

[0073] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of mattress with the individual columns in a straight-line configuration as has been manufactured by this process.

[0074] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of a mattress core as described in this patent application, showing the solid version as has been manufactured by this process. There is a second version, where the hole in the column extends all the way through the mattress. This is illustrated in FIGS. 9-13.

[0075] FIG. 3 is a top view of a mattress with the individual columns in a straight, in-line configuration as has been manufactured by this process.

[0076] FIG. 4 is a top view of a mattress with the individual columns in a staggered configuration as has been manufactured by this process.

[0077] FIG. 5 is a side view of the mattress showing the side channels that allow for air to enter and exit the main mattress body as has been manufactured by this process.

[0078] FIG. 6 is an end view (either top or bottom) showing the lack of side channels as has been manufactured by this process.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an individual column, showing the foot portion (that is part of a continuous mattress body) and the head portion that sticks up in the air as has been manufactured by this process.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a front view of an individual column as has been manufactured by this process.

[0081] FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of an individual column, showing the solid bottom version of the invention where the hole in the column does not extend through the bottom of the mattress as has been manufactured by this process.

[0082] FIG. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the main mattress body showing how a number of columns are formed with one mold as has been manufactured by this process.

[0083] FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a main mattress body showing how the connectors connect the columns to each other in the solid bottom version of the invention as has been manufactured by this process.

[0084] FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of a main mattress body showing how the connectors connect the columns to each other in the version of the invention where the holes go all the way through the column, through the mattress bottom as has been manufactured by this process.

[0085] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bottom of a mattress in the embodiment of the invention where the holes go all the way though the mattress bottom as has been manufactured by this process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0086] Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with the references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings.

[0087] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of mattress with the individual columns in a straight-line configuration as has been manufactured by this process. The mattress, generally referenced as 1, has a main mattress body 7 that is bounded on the top by a top edge 2, bounded on the bottom by a bottom edge 5, and on the sides by two side edges 3. In the side edges are side channels 4, which allow air to flow into and out of the main mattress body 7. Because these side channels are molded into the mattress core, there is no loss of resiliency as is the case where side channels are cut into the foam. The main mattress body is made up of many columns, which are attached to the base of the main mattress body and manufactured as part of a single unitary constructed mattress body. With columns (reference number 6 in later figures) of different height, shape, and density, the goal of the invention is to create a mattress core with different densities in different parts of the mattress core without having to put together the mattress from assorted parts, but instead, to create the mattress as single foam body.

[0088] As it is essential to keep the mold clean, the invention provides two different methods by which any residue is removed before foam for a new mattress is injected. First, a visual inspection of the mold is made and any visible particles are removed with needle-nosed pliers, picks or similar instruments. Second, a quick-drying coat of PVC or another plastic is sprayed onto the sides of the mold, allowed to cool and harden, they physically pulled off, thereby removing any smaller particles that were not seen during the visual inspection.

[0089] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom 15 of a mattress core as described in this patent application as has been manufactured by this process. The bottom is flat.

[0090] FIG. 3 is a top view of a mattress with the individual columns in a straight, in-line configuration as has been manufactured by this process, and FIG. 4 is a top view of a mattress with the individual columns in a staggered configuration as has been manufactured by this process. These alternative alignments can be used to affect different performance characteristics.

[0091] FIG. 5 is a side view of the mattress showing the side edge 3 and the side channels 4 that allow for air to enter and exit the main mattress body as has been manufactured by this process.

[0092] FIG. 6 is an end view (either top or bottom) showing the lack of side channels as has been manufactured by this process.

[0093] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an individual column as has been manufactured by this process, showing the foot portion 8 (that is part of a continuous mattress body) and the head portion 14 that sticks up in the air. FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross sectional views of an individual column, showing the foot 8 and the head portion 14. The head portion 14 has a hole 9 in the center. The diameter of the hole 9 can be enlarged to create a column with lower resiliency, or decreased to create a column with increased resiliency. Because the hold is in the mold, it does not have to be cut by hand or machine, thereby not losing any density or resiliency. The head portion also has a bulb 10, which is an enlarged section, and a base 11, which transitions from the bulb 10 to the foot 8. It should be noted that foot 8 extends the entire area of the main mattress body, and all columns are manufactured as part of the mattress. The head portion also has a height 13 and a width 16, which can be varied between columns to provide different amounts of resiliency.

[0094] It can be seen from this view how by increasing the height, widening the bulb 10, making the bulb 10 from a denser foam, or decreasing the diameter of the hole 9, it would be possible to create individual columns with different densities. Creating a mold where all the columns in a certain region of the mold are similarly designed, it can be seen how the invention can be manufactured such that each section could have a different density and resiliency.

[0095] FIG. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the main mattress body as has been manufactured by this process showing how a number of columns are formed with one mold.

[0096] FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a main mattress body as has been manufactured by this process showing how the connectors 12 connect the columns 6 to each other. The connectors serve to anchor the columns from moving too much laterally.

[0097] FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of a main mattress body as has been manufactured by this process showing how the connectors connect the columns to each other in the version of the invention where the holes go all the way through the column, through the mattress bottom. The part of each column section protruding from the plane of the bottom of the mattress is called a foot 17. The foot 17 has a foot side 18, which gives it a certain foot height, and a foot top 19, which gives is a certain foot width. In the center of the foot 17 is a foot hole 20, which extends up through the column to the top of the mattress.

[0098] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bottom of a mattress as has been manufactured by this process in the embodiment of the invention where the holes go all the way though the mattress bottom. Each foot 17, has a foot hole 20, through which air can rush as the mattress is being compressed by a person laying down on it. The height of the foot side 18 can be adjusted to accommodate different weights and desired compression characteristics.

[0099] It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

[0100] All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.