POCKETED SPRINGS ASSEMBLY, MATTRESS AND POCKETED SPRINGS ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURING METHOD

Abstract

A pocket spring assembly 1 has a core 1 of a pocket spring assembly formed by a plurality of first, adjacent and interconnected pocket spring webs 2 and at least one second pocket spring web 4 connected to the core. Additional strips are provided connecting the at least one pocket spring web 2 with the first and second layers of textile material, respectively, provided on the core 1. A mattress has a pocket spring assembly and a method is for manufacturing such an assembly.

Claims

1. A pocket spring assembly comprising: a plurality of first pocket spring webs, wherein adjacent first pocket spring webs are joined together to form a core of the pocket spring assembly, a first layer of textile material and a second layer of textile material attached to a first and second surface of the core of the pocket spring assembly, respectively, wherein the layers of textile material extend along an entire area of said first and second surfaces of the core of the pocket spring assembly, at least one second pocket spring web attached to a first lateral surface of said core of the pocket spring assembly, forming a pocket spring assembly, wherein said second pocket spring web extends perpendicularly to a direction of the first pocket spring webs, wherein springs in the first pocket spring webs have different stiffness characteristics than springs in said at least one second pocket spring web, wherein: the first layer of textile material and the second layer of textile material do not extend beyond the area of said first and second core surfaces of the pocket spring assembly, the pocket spring assembly further comprises: a first strip of textile material which is attached to at least one second web of pocket springs and to the first layer of textile material, and a second strip of textile material which is attached to the at least one second web of pocket springs and to the second layer of textile material.

2. The pocket spring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the core comprises longitudinal ends, and wherein one or more third pocket spring webs are disposed at one of the longitudinal ends of the core of the pocket spring assembly, springs in the third pocket spring webs having different stiffness characteristics than the springs in the first pocket spring webs.

3. The pocket spring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the core comprises opposed longitudinal ends, and wherein one or more third pocket spring webs are disposed at both longitudinal ends of the core of the pocket spring assembly, springs in the third pocket spring webs having different stiffness characteristics than the springs of the first pocket spring webs.

4. The pocket spring assembly according to claim 1, wherein a set of two second pocket spring webs are attached to a first side surface of the pocket spring core, the first strip of textile material and the second strip of textile material being attached to said set of two second pocket spring webs and to the first and second layers of textile material.

5. The pocket spring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pocket spring assembly comprises one or more second pocket spring webs, attached to a second lateral surface of the core of the pocket spring assembly, the assembly comprising an additional first strip of textile material and an additional second strip of textile material, which are attached to one or more second pocket spring webs attached to the second lateral surface of the core of the pocket spring assembly, and to the first and second sheets of textile material, respectively.

6. A mattress comprising a pocket spring assembly according to claim 1.

7. A method of manufacturing a pocket spring assembly comprising the steps of: a) providing a core of the pocket spring assembly, said core of the pocket spring assembly comprising a plurality of first pocket spring webs, wherein adjacent first pocket spring webs are joined together to form said core of the pocket spring assembly, b) attaching a first layer of textile material and a second layer of textile material to first and second surfaces of said core of the pocket spring assembly, respectively, said layers of textile material extending along an entire area of said first and second surfaces of the core of the pocket spring assembly, wherein the first layer of textile material and the second layer of textile material do not extend beyond the area of said first and second surfaces of the core of the pocket spring assembly, c) providing at least one second pocket spring web in which springs have different stiffness characteristics than springs in the first pocket spring webs, d) attaching a first strip of textile material to a first layer of textile material along a longitudinal direction of the core of the pocket springs, such that a portion of said first strip extends beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly, e) forming the pocket spring assembly by attaching said at least one second web of pocket springs to a first lateral surface of the core of the pocket spring assembly and to a portion of the first strip of textile material extending beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly, said at least one second web of pocket springs extending perpendicularly to a direction of extension of the first webs of pocket springs, f) attaching a second strip of textile material to at least one second web of pocket springs and to the second layer of textile material.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step a) a pocket spring assembly core is provided with one or more third pocket spring webs attached to an extreme pocket spring web at a longitudinal end of the core of the pocket spring assembly, springs in the third pocket spring web having different stiffness characteristics than the springs in the first pocket spring webs.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step a) a pocket spring assembly core is provided with one or more third pocket spring webs attached to the outermost pocket spring webs at both longitudinal ends of the core of pocket spring assembly, springs in the third pocket spring web having different stiffness characteristics than the springs in the first pocket spring webs.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step d) two first strips of textile material are attached to the first layer of textile material so that two parts of said two first strips extend beyond the core of the pocket springs on both opposite sides thereof, and in step e) one or more second webs of pocket springs, are additionally attached to the second lateral surface of the core of the pocket spring assembly, and in step f) attachment of the second strips of textile material to one or more second webs of pocket springs, and to the second layer of textile material takes place on both opposite sides of the core of the pocket spring assembly.

Description

[0044] The object of the invention is illustrated in more detail in the following description and in the drawing wherein:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows in perspective view a pocket spring assembly in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows in exploded view, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pocket spring assembly according to FIG. 1.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows in perspective view in a preferred embodiment of the invention the core of a pocket spring assembly with first and second textile layers placed on the first and second surfaces core of the core.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows, in a perspective view in preferred embodiment, the strips of a pocket spring assembly with the glue lines applied.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows, in a perspective view in preferred embodiment, a step of the process after the pocket spring assembly strips have been attached to one of the surfaces of the core.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows, in a perspective view in preferred embodiment, a step of the method before attaching the first strips and the second pocket spring webs to the lateral surfaces of the core of the pocket spring assembly.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows, in a perspective view in preferred embodiment, a step of the method after the second pocket spring webs have been attached to the lateral surfaces of the core of the pocket spring assembly.

[0052] FIG. 8 shows in perspective view in preferred embodiment, a step of the process before the second strips are attached.

[0053] FIG. 9 shows, in a perspective view in preferred embodiment, the method of attaching the second strips.

[0054] All references in the figures showing different embodiments of the invention refer to identical elements of the pocketed springs assembly.

[0055] FIG. 1 shows, in an embodiment, a pocket spring assembly 1 which has a plurality of first pocket spring webs 2, a first layer 3 and a second layer 3 of textile material, second pocket spring webs 4, a first strip 6 of textile material and a second strip 6 of textile material, and third pocket spring webs 7.

[0056] As it is better illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 2, a plurality of first pocket spring webs 2 are adjacent one to another and are attached to each other along the direction in which they are arranged (the direction of the webs 2 (or web direction) is indicated in the drawing by an arrow as an A), The plurality of attached pocket spring webs 2 form the core 1 of the pocket spring assembly. FIG. 2 also shows a first layer 3 and a second layer 3 of textile material, second pocket spring webs 4 (joined together to form a set of two second pocket spring webs 4), a first strip 6 of textile material and a second strip 6 of textile material, and third pocket spring webs 7, all of which are schematically shown in view prior to being joined to form the pocket spring assembly. FIG. 2 also shows the lateral surfaces (5,5) to which the second webs 4 are attached so that they extend in the longitudinal direction B of the core 1, as indicated by the arrow in the drawing. As can be seen on the drawing, the longitudinal direction B (coinciding with the direction in which the second webs 4 of the pocket spring assembly 4 extend (in other words the direction of the webs)) is perpendicular to the direction A in which the first pocket springs webs 2 extend. The longitudinal direction B of the core 1 of the pocket spring assembly is the same direction in which the first pocket springs webs 2 are attached to each other to form the core 1.

[0057] As also shown in FIG. 2, at both ends of the core 1 in the longitudinal direction B (hereinafter longitudinal ends of the core 1) arranged for connecting third pocket springs webs 7 to the first pocket springs webs 2, wherein the first webs 2 and the third webs 7 have the same web direction (direction A as indicated by an arrow). As shown in the drawing, the second webs 4 and third webs 7 of the pocket springs have a different spring geometry than that provided in the first pocket springs webs 2. The second webs 4 and third webs 7 differ in their stiffness characteristics from the first webs 2, providing stiffening of the edges of the spring assembly in the embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0058] Using FIGS. 3-9 as an example, an exemplary embodiment of the method steps according to the invention will now be presented.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a core 1 of a pocket spring assembly provided in step a) of the method, wherein the core 1 of the pocket spring assembly comprises a plurality of first pocket spring webs 2, wherein adjacent first pocket spring webs 2 are connected to each other. The connection of the webs 2 can be realized, for example, by gluing them to each other along the direction A of their extension (as indicated by an arrow in the drawing). In this embodiment, the core is provided with third pocket spring webs 7 glued to the longitudinal ends of the core 1. By differentiating the geometry of the springs contained in the pockets of the third pocket spring webs 7 with respect to the springs in the first webs 2, the longitudinal ends of the core 1 are stiffened.

[0060] As also shown in FIG. 3, a first layer 3 of textile material and a second layer 3 of textile material are attached (e.g. by gluing) to a first (here lower) and second (here upper) surface of the core 1, respectively, wherein, as shown in the drawing, both layers (3,3) of textile material extend along the entire area of said first and second surfaces of the core 1 of the pocket spring assembly and do not extend beyond the core 1.

[0061] FIG. 4 shows schematically first strips 6 with applied glue lines (marked with a dashed line) which enable the first strips 6 of textile material to be attached to the first layer 3 of textile material along the longitudinal direction B of the pocket springs core 1, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, wherein it is also shown that a part of said first strip 6 extends beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly.

[0062] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the step of creating the pocket spring assembly 1 before the second pocket spring webs 4 are attached to the core 1. The drawing shows in dashed lines the application of glue lines to the parts of the first strips 6 extending beyond the core 1, which will allow the second pocket spring webs 4 to be attached to them. Glue lines are also applied to the side surfaces of the second pocket spring webs 4, which will be attached to the side surfaces 5,5 of the core 1 (due to perspective limitations, they are shown as dashed lines on one side only).

[0063] FIG. 7 shows a pocket spring assembly 1 formed by attaching second pocket spring webs 4 to the lateral surfaces of the core 1 of the pocket spring assembly (shown in FIG. 6) and to a portion of the first strip 6 of textile material extending beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly 1. As can be seen in the drawing, the second pocket spring webs 4 extend perpendicularly to the direction of the first and third pocket spring webs (2,7).

[0064] FIG. 8 shows a step of the method prior to attaching the second strips 6 to the second pocket spring webs 4 and the second layer 3 of textile material, which are shown schematically in FIG. 9.

[0065] The solution according to the invention is an effective, simpler and cheaper alternative to reinforcing the edge of the pocket spring assembly compared to solutions known in the art. Attaching strips connecting at the same time the second pocket spring webs and the first and second layers of textile material not only provides effective reinforcement of the edge, but also significantly improves and stabilizes the shape of the corners, which become more filled and shapely. Depending on the configuration of the strips used and the geometry of the springs, the solution according to the invention allows for providing different comfort/stiffness zones in the middle and outer part of the mattress layer. Regardless of the above advantages, the production of the pocket spring assembly proposed by the invention can take place at reduced production costs compared to the production of the assemblies using known methods. In the embodiments shown in the drawing, a complete stiffening of the edge of the assembly is provided by ensuring that the second pocket spring webs are glued on both sides of the core, which is also equipped with stiffening resulting from placing third pocket spring webs on the longitudinal ends of the core. It is clear to the person skilled in the art, however, that the scope of the invention also includes solutions in which only partial stiffening of the edge is provided, for example by adding only one second pocket spring web without adding third webs. In the embodiment shown, adding second and third pocket spring webs in sets of two webs is arranged. It is clear to the person skilled in the art that stiffening of the edge, depending on the needs, can also be achieved by adding single second and third webs, or by adding sets comprising more than two second and third webs. Each such solution is covered by the content of the following claims.