TEXTURE MASKING OF A PATTERNED GEL LAYER OF A MATTRESS

Abstract

A mattress cover masks, buffers, or dampens the feel of the texture of the upper surface of a patterned gel layer of an upper cushioning element of a mattress. The mattress cover includes an outer surface, a mask layer, an outer periphery, and an optional bottom. A configuration of the mask layer enables it to mask, buffer, or dampen the feel of the texture of the upper surface of the patterned gel layer without interfering with a compressibility of the upper cushioning element. The mask layer may include a patterned gel layer with a different pattern than that of the patterned gel layer of the upper cushioning element of the mattress. Methods of manufacturing and installing mattress covers that mask, buffer, or dampen the feel of a patterned gel layer of an upper cushioning element of a mattress are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A mattress, comprising: an internal mattress assembly including: an upper cushioning element comprising a plurality of interconnected walls defined from an elastomeric gel and defining an array of cells, the interconnected walls and the array of cells defining a patterned gel layer; and a mattress cover including: a top panel over an upper surface of the upper cushioning element comprising: an outer surface formed from a fabric; and a mask layer secured in place beneath the outer surface and comprising a material that masks a texture of an upper surface of the patterned gel layer; and a periphery extending downwardly from edges of the top panel and laterally surrounding a periphery of the upper cushioning element and a periphery of a remainder of the internal mattress assembly.

2. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the top panel of the mattress cover further includes: an inner surface beneath the mask layer.

3. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein a stretchability of the top panel of the mattress cover enables the mask layer of the top panel to mask the texture of the upper cushioning element without interfering with a compressibility of the upper cushioning element.

4. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the mask layer of the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover has a thickness of about one quarter inch to about one inch.

5. The mattress assembly of claim 4, wherein the mask layer of the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover has a thickness of about one half inch.

6. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover comprises a layer of a compressible, resilient foam.

7. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover comprises an elastomeric gel defining a plurality of interconnected walls defining an array of cells, cells of the array of cells having shapes and/or dimensions that differ from shapes and/or dimensions of cells of the array of cells of the upper cushioning element of the mattress assembly.

8. The mattress assembly of claim 7, wherein a maximum dimension across a center of a cell of the array of cells of the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover is smaller than a maximum dimension across a center of a cell of the array of cells of the upper cushioning element of the mattress assembly.

9. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover comprises a stretchable batting.

10. A mattress cover, comprising: a top panel positionable over an upper surface of an internal mattress assembly that includes an upper cushioning element comprising an elastomeric gel defining a plurality of interconnected walls defining an array of cells, the interconnected walls and the array of cells defining a patterned gel layer, the top panel comprising: an outer surface formed from a fabric; and a mask layer secured in place beneath the outer surface and comprising a material that masks a texture of an upper surface of the patterned gel layer; and a periphery extending downwardly from edges of the top panel and laterally surrounding a periphery of the internal mattress assembly.

11. The mattress of claim 10, wherein the top panel of the mattress cover further includes: an inner surface beneath the mask layer.

12. The mattress assembly of claim 10, wherein the mask layer of the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover has a thickness of about one quarter inch to about one inch.

13. The mattress assembly of claim 12, wherein the mask layer of the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover has a thickness of about one half inch.

14. The mattress assembly of claim 10, wherein the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover comprises a layer of a compressible, resilient foam.

15. The mattress assembly of claim 10, wherein the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover comprises an elastomeric gel defining a plurality of interconnected walls defining an array of cells.

16. The mattress assembly of claim 10, wherein the mask layer of the top panel of the mattress cover comprises a stretchable batting.

17. A method for masking a texture of an upper surface of an internal mattress assembly that includes an upper cushioning element comprising an elastomeric gel defining a plurality of interconnected walls defining an array of cells, the interconnected walls and the array of cells defining a patterned gel layer, the method comprising: placing a mattress cover over the internal mattress assembly, including: positioning a top panel of the mattress cover over an upper surface of the patterned gel layer, including orienting an outer fabric layer of the top panel outwardly away from the upper surface such that a mask layer of the top panel is disposed between the outer fabric layer and the upper surface of the patterned gel layer; and positioning a periphery of the mattress cover around a periphery of the internal mattress assembly.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein positioning the top panel of the mattress cover comprises positioning a top panel with a stretchability that enables the mask layer of the top panel to mask the texture of the upper cushioning element without interfering with a compressibility of the upper cushioning element.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein positioning the top panel of the mattress cover comprises positioning a top panel with a mask layer comprising at least one of a compressible, resilient foam, an elastomeric gel, and a stretchable batting over the upper surface of the patterned gel layer.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein positioning the top panel of the mattress cover comprises placing the top panel of the mattress cover directly against the upper surface of the patterned gel layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the drawings:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view of an embodiment of a mattress that includes an embodiment of a mattress cover of this disclosure and an internal mattress assembly;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the embodiment of the mattress shown in FIG. 1, with the embodiment of the mattress cover shown in FIG. 1 assembled with the internal mattress assembly;

[0025] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are top views of various embodiments of a mask layers that may be included in a mattress cover;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded view of an embodiment of a mattress that includes another embodiment of a mattress cover of this disclosure and an internal mattress assembly; and

[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the embodiment of the mattress shown in FIG. 4, with the embodiment of the mattress cover shown in FIG. 4 assembled with the internal mattress assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a mattress 10 is illustrated. The mattress 10 includes an internal mattress assembly 20 and a mattress cover 40. The mattress cover 40 is positionable over the internal mattress assembly 20.

[0029] The internal mattress assembly 20 includes an upper cushioning element 22 that comprises a patterned gel layer. The upper cushioning element 22 may also be referred to as an upper cushion and as a primary cushion of the mattress 10.

[0030] The upper cushioning element 22 may comprise interconnected walls 24 that are formed from a resiliently compressible material and define an array of resiliently buckling columns 25 and a void 26 within each resiliently buckling column 25. Thus, the interconnected walls 24 define a patterned layer. Embodiments of such an upper cushioning element 22 are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,413,458, 7,060,213, 7,076,822, and 8,919,750, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein. The interconnected walls 24, resiliently buckling columns 25, and voids 26 may extend completely through a thickness of the upper cushioning element 22, substantially through a thickness of the upper cushioning element 22 (e.g., a film of the material from which the upper cushioning element 22 is formed may extend over a major surface (e.g., an upper surface 28, a bottom surface) of the upper cushioning element 22, etc.), or partially through a thickness of the upper cushioning element 22 (e.g., from one major surface of the upper cushioning element 22 partially into the thickness of the upper cushioning element 22, etc.).

[0031] The interconnected walls 24 of the upper cushioning element 22 may be formed from any suitable material, including, but not limited to, an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may comprise a gel or a gel-like material, or an elastomeric gel or gel elastomer. Examples of elastomeric materials that comprise gel-like materials include, but are not limited to, plasticizer extended block copolymers, di-block copolymers and triblock copolymers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,994,450, 6,797,765 and 7,964,664, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein, disclose various embodiments of plasticizer extended A-B-A triblock copolymers that may be used to form the upper cushioning element 22. In embodiments where the interconnected walls 24 of the upper cushioning element 22 are formed from a gel or a gel-like material, the upper cushioning element 22 may comprise a patterned gel layer.

[0032] A scrim fabric (not shown) may be secured to the bottom surface (not shown) of the upper cushioning element 22. The scrim fabric may comprise fabric that may receive (e.g., engage, be impregnated with, etc.) an adhesive material (e.g., a glue), a material that forms the upper cushioning element 22, or the like. In some embodiments, the scrim fabric may comprise cotton, such as a blend of cotton with a synthetic material (e.g., a cotton spandex blend, etc.). The scrim fabric may be woven or non-woven. In a specific embodiment, the scrim fabric may comprise a 90% cotton/10% spandex blend with a weight of 100 GSM (grams per square meter). The scrim fabric may be secured to the bottom surface of the upper cushioning element 22 by an elastomeric material of the upper cushioning element 22 impregnating the scrim fabric, with an adhesive material, or in any other suitable manner. In embodiments where the mattress 10 includes a cushioning element (e.g., a layer of foam, etc.) (not shown) beneath the upper cushioning element 22, the scrim fabric or elastomeric material that has seeped therethrough may be positioned against the intermediate cushioning element. In some embodiments, the scrim fabric may be secured to the intermediate cushioning element (e.g., with an adhesive material, etc.). In some embodiments, the upper cushioning element 22 may be provided over coils (not shown; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 11,317,733, issued on May 3, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein), over one or more pressurizable chambers (not shown; see e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2021/0251393 A1, published on Aug. 19, 2021 (the '393 Publication), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein; U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2022/0273113 A1, published on Sep. 1, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein), or over a combination of coils and one or more pressurizable chambers (see, e.g., the '393 Publication).

[0033] An upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22 may define an upper surface of the internal mattress assembly 20. The upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22 is defined by upper surfaces of the interconnected walls 24 that define an array (e.g., a grid array, a staggered array, etc.) of voids 26, or by the patterned layer of the upper cushioning element 22.

[0034] Rails 30 (e.g., side rails, end rails, etc.) may be positioned laterally adjacent to side and/or end edges of the internal mattress assembly 20. An upper surface of each rail 30 may be substantially flush with or substantially coplanar with the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22. Each rail 30 may comprise a compressible, resilient foam material. A stiffness or firmness of the material that forms each rail 30 may exceed a stiffness or firmness of the material that forms the upper cushioning element 22. In some embodiments, the rails 30 may prevent the side edges of the upper cushioning element 22 from bulging outwardly.

[0035] The mattress cover 40 of the mattress 10 includes a top panel 42 and a periphery 50. The periphery 50 extends downwardly from outer edges of the top panel 42. Optionally, the mattress cover 40 may also include a bottom 60.

[0036] The top panel 42 of the mattress cover 40 includes an outer surface 44 and a mask layer 46. The outer surface 44 may comprise a fabric (e.g., a stretchable fabric, etc.) that forms an upper surface, or a sleep surface, of the mattress 10. The mask layer 46 is located beneath the outer surface 44. The mask layer 46 comprises a material that masks, buffers, or dampens a texture of the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22. An elasticity of the mask layer 46 may enable it to mask, buffer, or dampen the texture of the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22 without interfering with a compressibility of the upper cushioning element 22.

[0037] The mask layer 46 may have a thickness of about one quarter inch (about 6.35 mm) to about one inch (about 2.5 cm) (e.g., about one half inch (about 13 mm), etc.).

[0038] The mask layer 46 may comprise a layer of any of a variety of suitable materials and/or structures, as well as a combination of suitable materials and/or structures. Without limitation, the mask layer 46 may comprise a compressible, resilient foam, a stretchable batting, a patterned layer, a ventilating layer, and/or the like.

[0039] In embodiments where the mask layer 46 comprises a patterned layer, such as the embodiments of mask layers 46A, 46B, and 46C depicted by FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, respectively, the mask layer 46 may be configured as described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,413,458, 7,060,213, 7,076,822. Specifically, the mask layer 46 may be defined by a plurality of interconnected walls 102 defining an array of columns 104, each of which includes a void 106 extending therethrough. The interconnected walls 102 may impart the columns 104 with shapes and/or dimensions that differ from shapes and/or dimensions of the buckling columns 25 defined by the interconnected walls 24 of the upper cushioning element 22 of the mattress 10. For example, a maximum dimension across a center of a column 104 of the mask layer 46 may be smaller than a maximum dimension across a center of a buckling column 25 of the upper cushioning element 22.

[0040] A mask layer 46 that comprises a patterned layer may be formed from any suitable material. Some examples include foams, memory foams, and gel or gel-like materials. In a specific example, the mask layer 46 or, more specifically, its interconnected walls 102, may be formed from a gel or a gel-like material, or an elastomeric gel or gel elastomer, such as a plasticizer extended block copolymer, di-block copolymer, or triblock copolymer. Examples of plasticizer extended A-B-A triblock copolymers that may be used to form the interconnected walls 102 of the mask layer 46 are described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,994,450, 6,797,765 and 7,964,664.

[0041] The mask layer 46 may be secured in place relative to the outer surface 44. In some embodiments, the mask layer 46 may be secured to the outer surface 44. The mask layer 46 may be formed separately from the outer surface 44 of the top panel 42 of the mattress cover 40 and then secured (e.g., sewn to (e.g., quilted with, etc.), adhered to, bonded to, etc.) the outer surface 44. Alternatively, in embodiments where the mask layer 46 is formed from an elastomeric material (e.g., a gel or a gel-like material, etc.), it may be formed directly on an underside of the outer surface 44, with the elastomeric material wicking into or impregnating the outer surface 44.

[0042] The mask layer 46 may define a bottom surface of the top panel 42 of the mattress cover 40. Thus, when the mattress cover 40 is installed with an internal mattress assembly 20, the mask layer 46 may be positioned directly on the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning layer 22.

[0043] The periphery 50 of the mattress cover 40 extends downwardly from edges of the top panel 42. A configuration of the periphery 50 may enable it to laterally surround a periphery of the internal mattress assembly 20. The periphery 50 may secure the mattress cover 40 in place over the internal mattress assembly 20.

[0044] In embodiments where the mattress cover 40 includes a bottom 60, the bottom 60 may further secure the mattress cover 40 in place over the internal mattress assembly 20. Edges of the bottom 60 may be secured to bottom edges of the periphery 50 in any suitable manner (e.g., by sewing, with one or more zippers, etc.) to enclose or encase the internal mattress assembly 20 within the mattress cover 40.

[0045] Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, another embodiment of a mattress 10 is illustrated. The mattress 10 includes an internal mattress assembly 20 and a mattress cover 40.

[0046] The internal mattress assembly 20 may include the same features as the internal mattress assembly 20 of the embodiment of mattress 10 depicted by FIGS. 1 and 2, including but not limited to an upper cushioning element 22 that comprises a patterned gel layer. The upper cushioning element 22 may also be referred to as an upper cushion and as a primary cushion of the mattress 10.

[0047] The mattress assembly 10 also includes a mattress cover 40. The mattress cover 40 includes a top panel 42 and a periphery 50. Optionally, the mattress cover 40 may also include a bottom 60.

[0048] The top panel 42 of the mattress cover 40 includes an outer surface 44 and a mask layer 46. The outer surface 44 may comprise a fabric (e.g., a stretchable fabric, etc.) that forms an upper surface, or a sleep surface, of the mattress 10. The mask layer 46 is located beneath the outer surface 44. The mask layer 46 comprises a material that masks, buffers, or dampens a texture of the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22. An elasticity of the mask layer 46 may enable it to mask, buffer, or dampen the texture of the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22 without interfering with a compressibility of the upper cushioning element 22.

[0049] The top panel 42 of the mattress cover 40 includes an outer surface 44, a mask layer 46, and a lower layer 48. The outer surface 44 may comprise a fabric (e.g., a stretchable fabric, etc.) that forms an upper surface, or a sleep surface, of the mattress 10. The mask layer 46 is located beneath the outer surface 44. The mask layer 46 comprises a material that masks, buffers, or dampens a texture of the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22. The mask layer 46 may include any features described previously herein in reference to the mask layer 46 of the embodiment of mattress cover 40 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. An elasticity of the mask layer 46 may enable it to mask, buffer, or dampen the texture of the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning element 22 without interfering with a compressibility of the upper cushioning element 22. The lower layer 48 is located beneath the mask layer 46.

[0050] The mask layer 46 may be secured in place relative to one or both of the outer surface 44 and the lower layer 48 of the mattress cover 40. In some embodiments, the mask layer 46 may be formed separately from the outer surface 44 and the lower layer 48 of the top panel 42 of the mattress cover 40 and then secured (e.g., sewn to (e.g., quilted with, etc.), adhered to, bonded to, etc.) one or both of the outer surface 44 and the lower layer 48. Alternatively, in embodiments where the mask layer 46 is formed from an elastomeric material (e.g., a gel or a gel-like material, etc.), it may be formed directly on an underside of the outer surface 44 or a topside of the lower layer 48, with the elastomeric material wicking into or impregnating the outer surface 44 or the lower layer 48.

[0051] The lower layer 48 may define a bottom surface of the top panel 42 of the mattress cover 40. Thus, when the mattress cover 40 is installed with an internal mattress assembly 20, the lower layer 48 may be positioned directly on the upper surface 28 of the upper cushioning layer 22.

[0052] The periphery 50 of the mattress cover 40 extends downwardly from edges of the top panel 42. A configuration of the periphery 50 may enable it to laterally surround a periphery of the internal mattress assembly 20. The periphery 50 may secure the mattress cover 40 in place over the internal mattress assembly 20.

[0053] In embodiments where the mattress cover 40 includes a bottom 60, the bottom 60 may further secure the mattress cover 40 in place over the internal mattress assembly 20. Edges of the bottom 60 may be secured to bottom edges of the periphery 50 in any suitable manner (e.g., by sewing, with one or more zippers, etc.) to enclose or encase the internal mattress assembly 20 within the mattress cover 40.

[0054] Although this 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.