US20160029809A1 - Encased asymmetric coil innersprings with alternating coil spring orientations - Google Patents

Abstract

Encased coil innersprings with alternating spring coil orientations utilize a common coil configuration and a uniform encasement or pocket configuration, and wherein the coils have an asymmetrical configuration and the vertical end-up orientation of the coils that is alternated or otherwise varied. Selected coils in different areas or patterns in the array of pocketed coils that form the spring core are inverted, relative to a support surface of the spring core, within the individual pockets. The inverted coils have spring characteristics including spring rate, stiffness and initial deflection force which are different from the spring characteristics of the non-inverted coils due to the asymmetry of the coils along a longitudinal axis.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application is related to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/784,085, filed Mar. 14, 2013.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The disclosure of this application is in the field of reflexive and spring-containing support structures, including furniture and mattresses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• Wire form springs individually encased in fabric, also known as “pocketed” or Marshall-type coils and have been manufactured for many years for use as spring cores for mattresses by arranging the strings of pocketed coils in rows or columns within a perimeter. With each coil contained in its own pocket and attached to adjacent pockets, the axes of the coils are held in alignment and each coil is able to be compressed individually or in combination in accordance with the flexibility of the encasing fabric and the manner of attachment or connection between the coil pockets. In addition to conventional stitching, thermal welds have been used at different intervals to form and connect the pockets and thereby dictate to some extent the support characteristics of a pocketed spring core. Other variations on the basic construct of pocketed coil spring cores have focused on details of the fabric encasement—such as altering the length of the pockets or pre-compressing coils within a pocket—but with common coil configurations throughout, or different coil configurations with variations in wire gauge, numbers and pitches of turns, shapes and heights, in different strings of the core. These prior art designs require manufacturing strings of identical coils, encasing the coils in the particular fabric configurations, and then assembling the strings in an alternating pattern, about a perimeter or in zones to form the finished spring core assembly. Although various pocketed spring core characteristics and performance can be achieved in these manners, the manufacture and assembly thereof is tedious and expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
• The present disclosure and related inventions provides a pocketed spring core which in a preferred embodiment utilizes a common coil configuration and a uniform encasement or pocket configuration, and wherein the coils have an asymmetrical configuration and the vertical end-up orientation of the coils is alternated or otherwise varied. Selected coils in different areas or patterns in the array of pocketed coils that form the spring core are inverted, relative to a support surface of the spring core, within the individual pockets. The inverted coils have spring characteristics including spring rate, stiffness and initial deflection force which are different from the spring characteristics of the non-inverted coils due to the asymmetry of the coils along a longitudinal axis. The coil configurations in various alternate embodiments are generally helical coil springs with spring bodies which are generally cylindrical (in profile), conical, hour glass, barrel shaped or coil-in-coil, i.e. a smaller diameter helical coil body formed continuously with and inside of a larger diameter helical coil body. The ends of any of these different types of coil springs can be of any particular configuration, but in general include wire form which lies in a plane generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the helical coil body. The first and second ends of the coil may be identically configured, or vary in size or configuration.
• These and other aspects of the present disclosure and related inventions are further described herein with reference to the drawing Figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
• In the accompanying drawing Figures:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with columns of encased asymmetric coils with coil orientation alternating between columns;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 4 is an elevation of an encased asynunetric coil of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 5 is an end view of the encased asymmetric coil ofFIG. 4;
• FIG. 6 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with zones or sides of an innerspring defined by encased asymmetric coils defined by coil orientation;
• FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with zones of an innerspring defined by encased asymmetric coils defined by coil orientation;
• FIG. 8 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the disclosure with perimeter and non-perimeter zones of an innerspring defined by encased asymmetric coils defined by coil orientation;
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 10 is an elevation of an alternate embodiment of a portion of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 12 is an elevation of an alternate embodiment of a portion of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of encased asymmetric coil of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 16 is an elevation of an alternate embodiment of a portion of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS
• FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a first embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring, indicated generally at100 in which each of the coils10 are encased or pocketed within an encasement orpocket101, which may be formed from fabric or other flexible material in sheet form and bonded together by stitching or adhesive. Theencasements101 are generally cylindrical and aligned withplanar ends1001 and1002 to form generally planar support surfaces. Continuous bands of encased coils are arranged in a rectangular array of rows, indicated at R, and columns, indicated at C, to form an innerspring for a mattress or other flexible support structure. In general, in a mattress innerspring, the columns C of aligned encased coils are oriented to run in a lengthwise direction between the head and foot ends of the mattress, and the rows R of aligned encased coils are oriented to run transversely between the longitudinal sides of the mattress. However, as described herein, the references to columns C and rows R are representative orientations only and the inventions as disclosed and claimed are not limited to any particular arrangement of the encased coils.
• The term “coil” refers to a single coil spring, and is generally synonymous with the word “spring”. As illustrated inFIGS. 1,3,4 and5,coils10A and10B are in the configuration of generally helical springs which include ahelical coil body11 formed by multiple turns or helical windings of wire W, a first end10B1 and a second end10B2. As shown, the turns or helical windings of thecoil body11 are of varying diameter, for example gradually decreasing in diameter from first end10B1 to second end10B2, so that the coil has a generally tapered profile as shown inFIG. 4, and the second end10B2 is generally smaller than first end10B1. As illustrated in this particular coil embodiment, the pitch or angle of inclination of the wire through the helical turns may be relatively constant, or may vary as in later described embodiments. The diameters of the helical turns and the variation thereof whether constant or otherwise is a significant factor in the overall spring rate or stiffness of the coil, in addition to other factors such as overall coil height and any pre-compression of the coil by the encasement. In this example of anasymmetrical coil body11 and the differently sized coil ends10B1 and10B2, the support characteristics of thecoils10A and10B as oriented in the innerspring, for example with coil ends10B2 and10A1 being co-planar to formsupport surface1001 of the innerspring, are very different. For example, in thesupport surface plane1001, coil end10B2 will have a higher apparent spring rate and stiffer feel than coil end10A1. The juxtaposition of these coils and the respective coil ends in the alternating column configuration shown inFIG. 2 to define thesupport plane1001 creates a unique and novel support surface.
• FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encasedasymmetric coil innerspring200, also referred to as a “core”, in which encasedasymmetric coils10A and10B as previously described (or alternatively other embodiments of encased asymmetric coils as later described) are arranged in their respective orientations in groups which define right and left sides of theinnerspring200, with coil end10A1 ofcoils10A forming one half of theplanar support surface2001, and coil end10B1 ofcoils10B forming the other half of theplanar support surface2001. In this embodiment, the two sides of theinnerspring200 will have perceptibly different support characteristics and feel when employed as the innerspring or core of a mattress. This also enables customization of a mattress by selection and orientation of coils for each side of the mattress. This embodiment also lends itself to expeditious or automated manufacture, for example by simply inverting the strings of encased coils on one side of the innerspring, or by use of two set-ups or lanes of encased coil manufacturing equipment in which the coil orientation differs and feeds directly to the designated half or zone of an innerspring.
• FIG. 9 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at20, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. Thecoil20 has an outer generallyhelical coil body21 which extends between a first coil end20B1 and a second coil end20B2. Thecoil body21 may be generally cylindrical with a generally constant diameter of the helical turns, although the diameters and number of turns of the coil body may be varied according to configurations of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends20B1 and20B2 may be generally the same diameter or of different diameters as illustrated, also by configuration of the coil forming machinery. Thecoil20 also includes an inner helical coil body indicated generally at22 which is generally co-axial with theouter coil body21 and extends into the interior of theouter coil body21 from the coil end20B1. Alternate embodiments and other aspects and features of this type of coil-in-coil spring which can be used in any of the encased asymmetric coil innersprings described herein are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,693, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
• FIG. 10 illustrates a strand of encasedcoils20 with alternating orientation of the coil ends20B1 and20B2 between the opposedinnerspring surfaces2001 and2002. In this embodiment also, due to the different spring characteristics of the coil ends20B1 and20B2, the alternating orientation of the coils creates a support surface with a novel hybrid combination of spring characteristics which act together to define the overall support and feel of the innerspring and mattress.
• FIG. 11 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at30, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. Thecoil30 has a generallyhelical coil body31 which extends between coil ends30B1 and30B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of thecoil body31 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends30B1 and30B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are of the type with one or more generally linear segments or offsets which are not aligned or continuous with thehelical coil body31, and which may extend beyond a diameter of thecoil body31. Thecoil30 also includes a non-helical segment indicated at301 which extends from coil end30B1. Thenon-helical segment301 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of thecoil30 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end30B1. Other embodiments of coils with non-helical segments proximate either or both ends of the coil, which can be used in any of the encased asymmetric innersprings of the present disclosure, are described below with reference toFIGS. 13-15, and further disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,223, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
• FIG. 12 illustrates a strand of encasedcoils30 with alternating orientation of the coil ends30B1 and30B2 between the opposedinnerspring surfaces2001 and2002. In this embodiment also, due to the different spring characteristics of the coil ends30B1 and30B2, the alternating orientation of the coils creates a support surface with a novel hybrid combination of spring characteristics which act together to define the overall support and feel of the innerspring and mattress. Also contributing to the hybrid spring characteristics of the innerspring is the fact that theencasement101 of the strands of coils of both orientations may be fused or otherwise attached.
• FIG. 13 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at40, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. Thecoil40 has a generallyhelical coil body41 which extends between coil ends40B1 and40B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of thecoil body41 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends40B1 and40B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are generally circular and with a radius greater than that of thecoil body41. Thecoil40 also includes a non-helical segment indicated at401 which extends from coil end40B1. Thenon-helical segment401 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of thecoil40 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end40B1. Either coil end40B1 or40B2 can be oriented within theencasement101 to lie in thesupport plane2001 or2002, in any arrangement or alternating arrangement, for example in the manner as described with reference toFIG. 12.
• FIG. 14 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at50, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. Thecoil50 has a generallyhelical coil body51 which extends between coil ends50B1 and50B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of thecoil body51 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery. The coil ends50B1 and50B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are of the type with one or more generally linear segments or offsets which are not aligned or continuous with thehelical coil body51, and which may extend beyond a diameter of thecoil body51. Thecoil50 also includes a non-helical segment indicated at501 which extends from coil end50B1. Thenon-helical segment501 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of thecoil50 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end50B1. Either coil end50B1 or50B2 can be oriented within theencasement101 to lie in thesupport plane2001 or2002, in any arrangement or alternating arrangement, for example in the manner as described with reference toFIG. 12.
• FIG. 15 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil, indicated generally at60, which can be utilized in any of the described encased asymmetric coil innersprings. Thecoil60 has a generallyhelical coil body61 which extends between coil ends60B1 and60B2. The diameter and pitch of each of the helical turns of thecoil body61 may be constant or varied according to the configuration of the coil forming machinery, to produce a coil body which generally cylindrical (equal diameter turns), hourglass (smaller diameter intermediate turns) or barrel-shaped (larger diameter intermediate turns). The coil ends60B1 and60B2 can be of any particular formation and as illustrated are generally circular and with a radius equal to or less than that of thecoil body61. Thecoil60 also optionally includes a non-helical segment indicated at601 which extends from coil end60B1. Thenon-helical segment601 alters the overall spring rate and characteristics of thecoil60 and the initial spring rate and feel of coil end60B1. Either coil end60B1 or60B2 can be oriented within theencasement101 to lie in thesupport plane2001 or2002, in any arrangement or alternating arrangement, for example in the manner as described with reference toFIG. 12.
• Any of the described asymmetric coil configurations can be modified in order to achieve any desired form of asymmetry. For example,FIG. 16 illustratesasymmetric coils70 in which a generallyhelical coil body71 is formed by multiple helical turns or wire in which the pitch or angle of the helix is varied among the turns, as illustrated. In general, the smaller the pitch turns, such as those proximate to coil end70B1, produce a lower spring rate and softer support characteristic, and the larger pitch turns such as those proximate to coil end70B2 produce a higher spring rate and firmer support characteristic. Thecoils70 are illustrated in an alternating orientation arrangement in an encased strand as the innerspring or core of a mattress with at least one layer of overlying foam F and upholstery U, for example oversupport surface2001.
• FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring300 in which encased asymmetric coils, including any of thecoils10,20,30,40,50,60 or70 and variants thereof, are in an alternating arrangement with coils in a first orientation A in selected rows and coils in a second orientation, e.g. 180 degree or upside-down orientation, across a width dimension of an innerspring as illustrated. This width-wise zoning of the innerspring300 is beneficial for optimizing support of a mattress in higher pressure zones such as the head, shoulder and lumbar areas. The width-wise row patterns of alternating coil orientations may be equally spaced from head to foot, or not.
• FIG. 8 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an encased asymmetric coil innerspring400 in which encased asymmetric coils, including any of thecoils10,20,30,40,50,60 or70 and variants thereof, are in an alternating arrangement with coils in a first orientation A at the longitudinal perimeters of the innerspring and coils in a second orientation, e.g. 180 degree or upside-down orientation, in the central region of the innerspring. Preferably, the coils of orientation A have a higher spring rate in order to create a firmer support surface along the longitudinal edges of a mattress support surface.
• The production of any of the described coils and coil, arrangements can be manual or automated by appropriate configuration of coil forming and pocketed coil manufacturing machinery. The coil orientation within itsencasement101 can be determined by coil handling machinery between a coil former and transition to automated equipment which handles the encasement material to receive coils and forms the individual encasements between coils. A single coil forming machine can be used and the coils then oriented accordingly prior to closure of the encasement material. Alternatively, when two coil forming machines are employed, one can be configured to deliver coils for encapsulation in the opposite orientation. In a continuous coil production operation, coils can be fed from one or two coil forming machines to a coil encapsulation mechanism and the orientation of the coil changed in a continuous feed operation so that a single strand of coils may include coils with first and second or inverted orientations. The single strand containing coils with first and second orientations can then be assembled or arranged as desired to form the core. For simple manual assembly, uniformly completed strands of coils can be simply cut to length and placed in the desired orientation in a desired row or column of an innerspring array. Also as noted a single innerspring may contain two or more types of encased asymmetric coils in either orientation and in any pattern.
• The foregoing descriptions of various embodiments of the disclosure and related inventions are representative of ways in which the inventions may be realized and are not otherwise limiting to the scope of the following claims.

Claims (24)

1. A mattress comprising:

a core of a plurality of individually encased asymmetric coils, each asymmetric coil having a coil body, a first coil end and a second coil end, and asymmetry in the coil body or between the first coil end and the second cod end, the first and second ends of the coils located in first or second planes of the innerspring, at least some of the coils of the innerspring being in with respect to other coils of the innerspring;

at least one layer of padding on one of the surfaces of the innerspring,

an upholstery layer over the padding and the innerspring; and

the coil body of the encased asymmetric coil has at least one non-helical segment.

2. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein the coil body of the encased asymmetric coil is generally helical.

3. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein the coil body of the encased asymmetric coil is asymmetrical.

4. The mattress ofclaim 3 wherein the coil body of the encased asymmetric coil has helical turns with differing pitch.

5. The mattress ofclaim 3 wherein the coil body of the encased asymmetric coil has helical turns with differing diameter.

6. (canceled)

7. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein a lateral extent of the first coil end of the encased asymmetric coil differs from a lateral extent of the second coil end of the asymmetric coil.

8. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein encased asymmetric coils in a first orientation are located in a first column of coils of the core, and encased asymmetric coils in a second orientation are located in a second column of coils of the core.

9. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein encased asymmetric coils in a first orientation are located in a first row of coils of the core, and encased asymmetric coils in a second orientation are located in a second row of coils of the core.

10. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein encased asymmetric coils in a first orientation are located in a first region of the core, and encased asymmetric coils in a second orientation are located in a second region of the core.

11. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein encased asymmetric coils in a first orientation are located on a first lateral side of the core, and encased asymmetric coils in a second orientation are located on a second lateral side of the core.

12. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein encased asymmetric coils in a first orientation are located at a perimeter of the core, and encased asymmetric coils in a second orientation are located in as non-perimeter region of the core.

13. The mattress ofclaim 1 wherein the core is comprised of a plurality of asymmetric coils are encased in as first strand of encasement material in a first orientation and a plurality of asymmetric coils encased in a second strand of encasement material in a second orientation.

14. The mattress ofclaim 13 wherein the encasement material of the first strand and encasement material of the second strand is connected together.

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

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