Mattress having a multiplicity of elastic elevations

Abstract

The invention relates to a mattress comprising at least one layer (31) having a multiplicity of elastic elevations. Said elastic elevations together form at least one supporting surface for the user of the mattress. According to the invention, the elastic elevations are designed, or arranged, such that an uneven supporting surface is formed. At least two types of elastic elevations with different elasticity are preferably provided. The elastic elevations are formed in particular on elastic bodies (21, 22, 23, 24), wherein each elastic elevation can be formed on a respective elastic body.

Claims

1. A mattress, comprising at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising: a planar grid comprising a plurality of groups of fibers, the plurality of groups of fibers defining a plurality of first openings, wherein each group of the plurality of groups of fibers comprises three rows of fibers, and adjacent fibers in each group of the plurality of groups of fibers define a plurality of second openings for ventilation; a plurality of elastic bodies inserted into the plurality of first openings, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have bottom surfaces being coplanar with each other; wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have upper surfaces thereon which together provide one uneven supporting surface, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies comprise at least two types of elastic bodies having different elasticity, and the plurality of elastic bodies have at least two types of dimensions for each type of elasticity, and wherein the plurality of elastic bodies are distributed in an irregular manner with respect to different elasticity and dimension so as to provide the uneven supporting surface.

2. The mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies are composed of foam plastic.

3. The mattress as claimed in claim 2, wherein the foam plastic has a compression hardness (at 40%) of ?20 kPa.

4. The mattress as claimed in claim 2, wherein the foam plastic has a bulk density between 30 kg/m.sup.3 and 80 kg/m.sup.3.

5. The mattress of claim 2, wherein the foam plastic has a compression hardness (at 40%) ?10 kPa.

6. The mattress of claim 2, wherein the foam plastic has a bulk density between 40 kg/m.sup.3 and 50 kg/m.sup.3.

7. The mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two types of dimensions are different height.

8. The mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have a shape of a polyhedron.

9. The mattress as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have dimensions ?20 cm.

10. The mattress as claimed in claim 9, each of the plurality of elastic bodies is of cuboid shape, having a length or width between 5 cm and 7 cm, and a height between 3 cm and 8 cm.

11. The mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one base is arranged below the at least one layer, wherein said base is composed of at least one foam plastic.

12. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies are composed of at least one polyurethane foam.

13. The mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have a shape of a cuboid or of a cube.

14. The mattress as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have dimensions between 2 cm and 10 cm.

15. The mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of groups of fibers are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated polyester fibers.

16. The mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of groups of fibers are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated polyester fibers.

17. An article having one layer configured to be a part of a mattress, the one layer comprising: a planar grid comprising a plurality of groups of fibers, the plurality of groups of fibers defining a plurality of first openings, wherein each group of the plurality of groups of fibers comprises three rows of fibers, an adjacent fibers in each group of the plurality of groups of fibers define a plurality of second opening for ventilation; a plurality of elastic bodies inserted into the plurality of first openings, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have bottom surface being coplanar with each other; wherein the plurality of elastic bodies have upper surfaces thereon which together provide one uneven supporting surface, wherein the plurality of elastic bodies comprises at least two types of elastic bodies having different elasticity, and the plurality of elastic bodies have at least two types of dimensions for each type of elasticity, and wherein the plurality of elastic bodies are distributed in an irregular manner with respect to different elasticity and dimension so as to provide the uneven supporting surface.

Description

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1: shows a grid which can be used for the production of a mattress according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2: shows different elastic bodies on which elastic elevations for a mattress according to the invention are formed,

(4) FIG. 3: shows a schematic plan view of a layer according to the invention of a mattress according to the invention with a multiplicity of elastic elevations,

(5) FIG. 4: shows a schematic side view of the layer according to FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5: shows a schematic plan view of the layer as per FIG. 3 with an additionally provided base,

(7) FIG. 6: shows a schematic side view of the layer with a base as per FIG. 5,

(8) FIG. 7: shows a schematic plan view of a mattress according to the invention (including cover), and

(9) FIG. 8: shows a schematic side view of the mattress according to FIG. 7.

EXAMPLE

(10) FIG. 1 shows a grid (11) with fibers (12) which are arranged in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction. Openings (13) are formed between the fibers which are in each case arranged in three rows. As will be explained later, said openings serve to receive elastic bodies.

(11) In the example, said fibers are PVC-coated polyester fibers. The arrangement in each case in three rows serves to provide a ventilation effect for a layer according to the invention.

(12) The dimensions of the grid (11) in the example are 60 cm?60 cm. For (full-body) mattresses having the above-mentioned sizes, correspondingly larger grids are used.

(13) FIG. 2 shows four different elastic bodies 21, 22, 23 and 24 of cuboid shape which, by means of the grid (11), are used to produce a layer according to the invention and a mattress according to the invention.

(14) The elastic bodies 21 to 24 are produced from polyurethane foam. In this case, the elastic bodies 21 and 22 are composed of a relatively hard foam, that is to say of a foam with relatively low elasticity, and the elastic bodies 23 and 24 are composed of a relatively soft foam, that is to say of a foam with relatively great elasticity.

(15) Correspondingly, in the case of the example, the elastic bodies 21 and 22 can be composed of a polyurethane foam having a bulk density of 44 kg/m.sup.3 and a compression hardness of 6.5 kPa, whereas the elastic bodies 23 and 24 can be composed of a polyurethane foam having a bulk density of 47 kg/m.sup.3 and a compression hardness of 4.4 kPa. Here, the compression hardness is based in each case on a compression of 40%.

(16) The elastic bodies 21 to 24 are used with the grid of the dimensions 60 cm?60 cm according to FIG. 1. The base area of said cuboidal elastic bodies is in each case 5 cm?5 cm. Said dimensions of the base area of the cuboids 21 to 24 are thus the same for all of the elastic bodies.

(17) However, both the relatively hard cuboids 21 and 22 and the relatively soft cuboids 23 and 24 are provided in two different heights. In the case of the example, said heights are 6 cm (cuboids 21 and 23) and 8 cm (cuboids 22 and 24).

(18) Correspondingly, a layer according to the invention and a mattress according to the invention can be provided by means of the elastic bodies 21 to 24, in the case of which layer and mattress the supporting surface is both uneven and has a different hardness at different points.

(19) The elastic elevations of said layer and of said mattress are then provided by the elastic bodies 21 to 24, as will be explained in more detail below.

(20) FIGS. 3 and 4 show a layer (31) according to the invention in a schematic plan view (FIG. 3) and in a schematic side view (FIG. 4).

(21) As can be seen particularly well from FIG. 4, the elastic bodies 21 to 24 are inserted into the openings (13) of the grid (11), specifically so as to be flush on the lower side. This can be achieved in a simple manner by compressing and correspondingly arranging the elastic bodies in the grid. In this case, as can readily be seen both from FIG. 3 and from FIG. 4, an uneven supporting surface (not denoted in the figures), for example for the human body, which differs in terms of hardness at different points is provided on the upper side of the layer (31).

(22) By specifying the number of different elastic bodies 21 to 24, and also by arranging them in the grid, it is possible to realize a multiplicity of very different layers with different supporting surfaces.

(23) In the case of the example, it is for example possible to use 48 cuboids (21), 21 cuboids (22), 54 cuboids (23) and 21 cuboids (24), that is to say a total of 144 cuboids. Said cuboids are then inserted into the grid (11) in the distribution indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Using the same approach, a total of 720 (40?18) cuboids are then used for a standard mattress of 200 cm?90 cm, with a corresponding distribution in accordance with height and hardness.

(24) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the elastic elevations, which together form the supporting surface for the user of the mattress, are formed by/on the elastic bodies 21 to 24, in particular by the upper sides/upper regions of said elastic bodies. Here, characteristic features of the layer (31) according to the invention as per FIGS. 3 and 4 are, on the one hand, the unevenness of the supporting surface provided by the elastic bodies 21 to 24 and, on the other hand, the different hardness of said supporting surface at different points/regions.

(25) FIGS. 5 and 6 show the case where the layer (31) according to the invention is arranged on a base (52). Said base (52) gives the layer (31) additional stability.

(26) According to the example, the base (52) is likewise manufactured from a polyurethane foam. In this case, the base (52) is preferably formed by the same materials as are also used for the elastic bodies 21 to 24. In particular, the base (52) is likewise composed of a relatively hard foam like the cuboids 21 and 22.

(27) As per FIGS. 5 and 6, the layer (31) can be connected to the base (52) in a suitable manner, in particular by adhesive bonding. Here, it is generally sufficient for the lower side of the peripheral cuboids of the layer (31) to be adhesively bonded (over the full area) to the base (52).

(28) FIGS. 7 and 8 finally show the (finished) mattress (71) according to the invention with a cover (72). In this case, FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic plan view of the mattress (71), and FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic side view of said mattress (71). As illustrated, the cover (72) can be removed by means of the zip fastener (73). The following two aspects which have already been explained in conjunction with the invention are to be emphasized in conjunction with FIGS. 7 and 8.

(29) On the one hand, both figures show that the upper side of the mattress, said upper side forming the supporting surface, is uneven. This important aspect distinguishes the mattress (71) according to the invention from hitherto known mattresses and supports. In addition, the supporting surface also has different hardnesses at different points, which represents a further important aspect of the invention.

(30) On the other hand, the cover (72) which is present in FIGS. 7 and 8 has no significance for the function of the mattress (71). The cover does not form an additional support that could influence, in particular adversely affect, the actual function of the mattress in any way. The cover serves merely to protect the elastic bodies/elastic elevations that form the actual supporting surface.

(31) In the example, the cover can have a thickness of (only) 3 mm with a weight per square meter (grammage) of 300 g/m.sup.2.