FIRE RESISTANT INSULATOR PAD

• US 20090126119A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Polyester Fibers, LLC
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: OGLE, Steven E.
• Application Number:
  US12/101,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20090126119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/698
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/02 on fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/021 Fibrous or filamentary layer layers of natural mineral fibres or particles being impregnated in a plastic substance B32B19/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/02 Synthetic macromolecular fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0223 Vinyl resin fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0238 Vinyl halide, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0246 Acrylic resin fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0269 Aromatic polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/04 Cellulosic plastic fibres, e.g. rayon
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/08 Animal fibres, e.g. hair, wool, silk
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/14 Mixture of at least two fibres made of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/3065 Flame resistant or retardant, fire resistant or retardant
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7145 Rot proof, resistant to bacteria, mildew, mould, fungi
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2479/00 Furniture upholstery B32B2601/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2509/00 Household appliances
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/04 characterised by at least one layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer ; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/08 characterised by added members at particular parts layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 : Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/028 : Net structure, e.g. spaced apart filaments bonded at the crossing points
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 : characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 : characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/32 : at least two layers being foamed and next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43 : Acrylonitrile series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43835 : Mixed fibres, e.g. at least two chemically different fibres or fibre blends
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/54 : by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving in combination with needling D04H1/485
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/60 : the bonding agent being applied in dry state, e.g. thermo-activatable agents in solid or molten state, and heat being applied subsequently
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 : including nonapertured component

Abstract

A mattress or mattress foundation comprising a core and a ticking surrounding the core, the core comprising a spring assembly, a flammable core component positioned above the spring assembly, and a fire resistant (FR) insulator pad positioned between a spring assembly and the flammable core component, wherein the FR Insulator pads protects the flammable core component by delaying the penetration of the flammable core component by the spring assembly during a partial or complete consumption of the mattress or mattress foundation by a fire. The FR insulation pad may be a nonwoven fiber batt comprising a homogeneous blend of shoddy fibers and oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers. If the mattress or mattress foundation further comprises a surface FR layer, the surface FR layer is the primary FR layer for the mattress or mattress foundation and the FR Insulator pad is the secondary FR layer for the mattress or mattress foundation.

Claims

1. A mattress core comprising:

a spring assembly having an upper surface;

a fire resistant (FR) insulator pad having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface of the FR insulator pad positioned adjacent to the upper surface of the spring assembly; and

a cushioning layer having a lower surface positioned adjacent to the upper surface of the FR Insulator pad;

wherein the FR insulator pad comprises a plurality of fibers and a resin intermixed with the fibers, the resin bonding the fibers to other of the plurality of fibers.

2. The core of claim 1 wherein the weight per unit area in ounces per square foot of the FR insulator pad is greater than twice the thickness in inches of the FR insulator pad.

3. The core of claim 1 wherein the resin provides FR characteristic to the FR insulator pad.

4. The core of claim 3 wherein the plurality of fibers comprise shoddy fibers.

5. The core of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fibers comprise FR fibers.

6. The core of claim 5 wherein the FR fibers comprise inherently FR fibers.

7. The core of claim 6 wherein the inherently FR fibers are oxidized polyacrylonitrile.

8. The core of claim 6 wherein the inherently FR fibers are modacrylic fibers.

9. The core of claim 5 wherein the FR fibers are fibers treated with an FR chemical compound.

10. An FR insulator pad comprising:

a plurality of shoddy fibers; and

a resin having FR characteristics intermixed with the plurality of shoddy fibers, the resin bonding the shoddy fibers to other shoddy fibers.

11. The FR insulator pad of claim 10 wherein the weight per unit area in ounces per square foot of the FR insulator pad is greater than twice the thickness in inches of the FR insulator pad.

12. The FR insulator pad of claim 10 further comprising FR fibers.

13. The FR insulator pad of claim 12 wherein the FR fibers are inherently FR fibers.

14. The FR insulator pad of claim 12 wherein the FR fibers are non-inherently FR fibers each treated over substantially their entire surface with an FR chemical compound.

15. The FR insulator pad of claim 12 wherein the shoddy fibers and the FR fibers are substantially homogenously blended to provide substantially uniform FR characteristic throughout the FR insulator pad.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a core; and

a ticking surround the core;

the core comprising;

a spring assembly;

a flammable core component positioned above the spring assembly; and

a fire resistant (FR) insulator pad positioned between the spring assembly and the flammable core component.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the FR insulator pad comprises a plurality of inherently FR fibers.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the FR insulator pad comprises a plurality of FR fibers, wherein the FR fibers are non-inherently FR fibers treated with an FR chemical compound.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the weight per unit area in ounces per square foot of the FR insulator pad is greater than twice the thickness in inches of the FR insulator pad.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the FR insulator pad is comprised of a homogeneous blend of a plurality of FR fibers and a plurality of shoddy fibers which are not inherently FR.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the FR insulator pad comprises a plurality of shoddy fibers and a resin having FR characteristics intermixed with the plurality of shoddy fibers, the resin bonding the shoddy fibers to other shoddy fibers.

22. A method of forming a mattress core comprising:

providing an FR insulator pad, a spring assembly, and a flammable core component; and

positioning the FR insulator pad between the spring assembly and the flammable core component.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming the FR insulator pad, wherein forming the FR insulator pad comprises:

forming a web from a plurality of fibers; and

applying a resin to the web, the resin bonding fibers to other of the plurality of fibers and the resin having FR characteristics.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the plurality of fibers are shoddy fibers.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming the FR insulator pad, wherein forming the FR insulator pad comprises substantially homogeneously blending FR fibers with carrier fibers.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein forming the FR insulator pad further comprises needle-punching the web.