Mattress assembly with a mattress topper that includes pocketed coil springs and methods of producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11026517-B2
Application number	US-201616474318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A mattress assembly is provided that includes a mattress core having a bottom surface and a top surface opposite the bottom surface, and a mattress topper positioned adjacent to the top surface of the mattress core. The mattress topper includes a plurality of coil springs, an upper fabric layer extending above the plurality of coil springs, and a lower fabric layer extending below the plurality of coil springs. The lower fabric layer is connected to the upper fabric layer around each coil spring such that the upper fabric layer and the lower fabric layer collectively form a fabric pocket encasing each coil spring. The mattress topper further includes a padded layer positioned atop the upper fabric layer, with the padded layer connected to the upper fabric layer by ultrasonic welds and/or tufts. Methods of producing a mattress topper for connection to a mattress core are further provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress assembly, comprising:
a mattress core having a bottom surface and a top surface opposite the bottom surface; and
a mattress topper positioned adjacent and connected to the top surface of the mattress core, the mattress topper including:
a plurality of coil springs,
an upper fabric layer extending above the plurality of coil springs,
a lower fabric layer extending below the plurality of coil springs and connected to the upper fabric layer around each coil spring by a plurality of overlapping welds such that the upper fabric layer and the lower fabric layer collectively form a fabric pocket encasing each coil spring,
a padded layer positioned atop and connected to the upper fabric layer, wherein the padded layer is comprised of a visco-elastic foam, a fibrous material, or both a visco-elastic foam and a fibrous material,
a textile layer on a top surface of said padded layer,
a backing layer disposed along a bottom surface of said lower fabric layer,
wherein said upper fabric layer is connected to the lower fabric layer by said plurality of overlapping welds, said backing layer is connected to said lower fabric layer by said plurality of overlapping welds, said padded layer is connected to said upper fabric layer by the plurality of overlapping welds, and the textile layer is connected to the padded layer by said plurality of overlapping welds.

2. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the padded layer is comprised of a visco-elastic foam.

3. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the padded layer is comprised of a plurality of layers.

4. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper fabric layer, the lower fabric layer, or both are comprised of a non-woven textile.

5. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower fabric layer is connected to the upper fabric layer by an ultrasonic weld.

6. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the padded layer is connected to the upper fabric layer by an ultrasonic weld.

7. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the padded layer is connected to the upper fabric layer by an adhesive.

8. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the padded layer is connected to the upper fabric layer by a plurality of tufts that extend through the lower fabric layer, the upper fabric layer, and the padded layer.

9. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mattress topper further includes a textile layer positioned atop the padded layer.

10. The mattress assembly of claim 1 , wherein the backing layer is comprised of a non-woven textile.

11. A method of producing a mattress topper for connection to a mattress core, comprising the steps of:
providing an array of coil springs;
positioning the array of coil springs between an upper fabric layer and a lower fabric layer;
connecting the lower fabric layer to the upper fabric layer between each coil spring with a plurality of overlapping welds;
connecting a backing layer to said lower fabric layer by said plurality of overlapping welds;
connecting a padded layer to said upper fabric layer by the plurality of overlapping welds;
connecting the textile layer to the padded layer by said plurality of overlapping welds.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of connecting the lower fabric layer to the upper fabric layer comprises ultrasonically welding the lower fabric layer to the upper fabric layer.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of ultrasonically welding the lower fabric layer to the upper fabric layer is performing by positioning a circular iron around each said coil spring of the array of coil springs such that the iron simultaneously forms an ultrasonic weld completely surrounding each said coil spring.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising a step of connecting a padded layer to the upper fabric layer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of connecting the padded layer to the upper fabric layer comprises roll coating the upper fabric layer with an adhesive and positioning the padded layer atop the upper fabric layer.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of connecting the padded layer to the upper fabric layer comprises:
positioning the padded layer atop the upper fabric layer;
compressing the lower fabric layer, the upper fabric layer, and the padded layer around each coil spring; and
ultrasonically welding together the lower fabric layer, the upper fabric layer, and the padded layer around each coil spring.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of connecting the padded layer to the upper fabric layer comprises forming a plurality of tufts extending through the lower fabric layer, the upper fabric layer, and the padded layer.

18. A mattress topper, comprising:
a plurality of coil springs,
an upper fabric layer extending above the plurality of coil springs, and
a lower fabric layer extending below the plurality of coil springs and connected to the upper fabric layer by an overlapping weld around each coil spring of said plurality of coil springs such that the upper fabric layer and the lower fabric layer collectively form a fabric pocket encasing each of said coil spring;
a padded layer positioned atop the upper fabric layer, said padded layer comprising a visco-elastic foam, or a fibrous material, or both a visco-elastic foam and a fibrous material;
a textile layer positioned atop the padded layer; and
a backing layer positioned below the lower fabric layer,
wherein said upper fabric layer is connected to the lower fabric layer by said overlapping welds, said backing layer is connected to said lower fabric layer by said overlapping welds, said padded layer is connected to said upper fabric layer by the overlapping welds, and the textile layer is connected to the padded layer by said overlapping welds.

19. The mattress topper of claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of tufts that extend through the lower fabric layer, the upper fabric layer, and the padded layer.

20. The mattress topper of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of tufts also extend through the backing layer, the textile layer, or both the backing layer and the textile layer.

Assignees

• Sealy Technology Llc

Inventors

• Demoss Larry K
• Manuszak Brian M
• Thomas Darin T
• Tar Kevin

Classifications

• B68G9/00

  Placing upholstery springs in pockets; Fitting springs in upholstery · CPC title

• A47C27/14

  with foamed material inlays · CPC title

• B68G7/10

  Finishing of edges · CPC title

• A47C27/053 Primary

  with only one layer of foamed material · CPC title

• A47C27/22

  with both fibrous and foamed material inlays · CPC title