POCKETED SPRINGS ASSEMBLY, MATTRESS AND POCKETED SPRINGS ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURING METHOD

Abstract

A pocket spring assembly 1 includes a core 1 of a pocket spring assembly formed by a plurality of adjacent first pocket spring webs 2 and at least one second pocket spring web 4 attached to the core. Additional strips (6) are provided connecting the at least one pocket spring web 2 with the first layer (3), while on the other side the pocket spring webs 4 are attached to the extending parts of the textile layer. The layers 3,3 are attached to the core 1. A mattress contains 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, at least one second pocket spring web is 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 the springs in said at least one second pocket spring web a first strip of textile material which is attached to at least one second pocket springs web and to the first layer of textile material, and the second layer of textile material has a part extending beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly to which is attached at least one second pocket spring web.

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

3. The pocket spring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the core of the pocket spring assembly comprises opposed longitudinal ends, and wherein one or more third pocket spring webs are arranged at both longitudinal ends of the core of the pocket spring assembly, wherein the springs in the third pocket spring webs have 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 is attached to the first strip of textile material and to the first layer of textile material and to the part of the second layer of textile material extending beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly.

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, wherein the second layer of textile material has a second part extending beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly to which one or more second pocket spring webs attached to the second side surface, and an additional second first strip of textile material is attached to one or more second pocket spring webs attached to the second side surface and to the first layer of textile material.

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, wherein said core of the pocket spring assembly comprises 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, wherein the first layer of textile material covers the first surface of the pocket spring core and does not extend beyond a perimeter, while the second layer of textile material has a portion extending beyond 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 strip of textile material to at least one second pocket springs web in a plane parallel to a plane of the first layer of textile material, wherein after attachment said strip of textile material has an unattached portion extending beyond a surface where said strip is attached to the at least one second pocket springs web, e) forming a pocket spring assembly by attaching at least one second pocket spring web obtained in step to a first lateral surface of the core of the pocket spring assembly so that said unattached extending part of the strip of textile material is attached to the first layer of textile material and, on an opposite side, at least one second pocket spring web is attached to a part of the second layer of textile material extending beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly.

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

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step a) the core of the pocket spring assembly comprises one or more third pocket spring webs attached to the outermost pocket spring webs at both longitudinal ends 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.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step b) the second layer of textile material has two opposite portions extending beyond a perimeter of the core of the pocket spring assembly, and in step e) one or more second pocket spring webs obtained in accordance with step, are additionally attached to a second lateral surface of the core of the pocket spring assembly, such that said unattached extending portion of the strip of textile material is attached to the first layer of textile material, and on the opposite side at least one second pocket spring web is attached to a portion of the second layer of textile material extending beyond the core of the pocket spring assembly.

Description

[0042] The object of the invention is illustrated in more detail in the following description and in the drawing wherein:

[0043] FIG. 1 shows in perspective view a pocket spring assembly in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows in exploded view, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pocket spring assembly according to FIG. 1.

[0045] 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 of the core.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows, in a perspective view in a preferred embodiment, the strips of a pocket spring assembly attached to second pocket spring webs.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows, in a perspective view In a preferred embodiment, a step of the method before two pocket spring assembly webs according FIG. 4 are attached to lateral surfaces of the core.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows, in a perspective view, core of the pocket spring assembly according FIG. 3 in step of the method before attaching the second pocket spring webs according to FIG. 4 to the lateral surfaces of the core.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows, in a perspective view, 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 and before attaching the strips to the first layer of textile material.

[0050] All references in the figures showing different embodiments of the invention refer to identical elements of the pocket spring assembly.

[0051] 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 strip 6 of textile material and third pocket spring webs 7.

[0052] As is better illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 2, a plurality of adjacent first pocket spring webs 2 are attached to each other along the direction, in which they are arranged (the direction in which first webs 2 extend, in other words the direction of the first webs 2, is indicated by an arrow in the drawing as an A). The plurality of pocket spring webs 2 connected together 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), strips 6 of textile material and third pocket spring webs 7, all of which are schematically shown in the 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 from the drawing, the longitudinal direction B (coinciding with the direction in which of the second webs 4 of the pocket spring assembly extend) 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.

[0053] 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) third pocket springs webs 7 are connected to the first pocket springs webs 2, wherein the first webs 2 and the third webs 7 have the same web direction (direction A 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.

[0054] Using the FIGS. 3-9 as an example, an exemplary embodiment of the method steps according to the invention will now be presented.

[0055] 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 in which they extend (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.

[0056] 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) respectively to a first and second surface of the core 1 (here lower and upper), wherein, as shown in the drawing, first layer 3 of textile material extends along the entire area of said first surface and essentially does not extend beyond its perimeter while second layer 3 has part 3 extending beyond the core 1 of the pocket spring assembly.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows schematically strips 6 attached to the upper surface of the second pocket spring webs 4 (in a plane parallel to the plane of the first layer 3 of textile material, not shown in FIG. 4), wherein, as can be seen in the drawing, the textile strip 6 is arranged so that after attachment to the webs 4 it has an unattached part extending beyond the surface where it is attached to least one second pocket spring web 4. As shown in FIG. 5, said unattached parts of strip 6 extending beyond the attachment surface to webs 4 can be unwound so as to apply lines of glue (indicated by a dashed line) to the surfaces of the strip intended for attachment to the textile layer 3 of the core 1 (as better shown in FIG. 7). The side surfaces of the second pocket spring webs 4 which will be attached to the lateral surfaces 5,5 of the core 1 are also provided with lines of glue (due to perspective limitations shown as dashed lines on one side only).

[0058] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the step of forming the pocket spring assembly 1 before the second pocket spring webs 4 are connected to the core 1. The drawing shows in dashed lines the application of glue lines to the extending parts 3 of the textile layer 3, which will enable the attachment of the second pocket spring webs 4 to said layer.

[0059] FIG. 7 shows a pocket spring assembly 1 formed by attaching second pocket spring webs (4) to the lateral surfaces of a core (1) of the pocket spring assembly (shown in FIG. 6) and to portions of the textile layer 3 extending beyond the core (1) of the pocket spring assembly (portions 3 shown in FIG. 6). As shown in the drawing, the second pocket spring webs (4) extend in a direction B perpendicular to the direction A of the first and third pocket spring webs (2, 7).

[0060] At this stage, the textile strips 6 are unwound and attached to the textile layer 3, in the direction of the arrows, to obtain a finished pocket spring assembly 1, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0061] 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 at the same time connecting the second pocket spring webs and the first layer of textile material not only provides effective reinforcement of the edge, but also significantly improves and stabilizes the shape of the corners, which becomes 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, it is also provided for adding second and third pocket spring webs in sets of two webs. 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.