Bedding system

• US 5,231,717 A
• Filed: 06/24/1992
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Leggett & Platt Incorporated
• Inventors: Scott, Terence A., Oexman, Robert D., Kennedy, Earl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILANO, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US07/905,085
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 5/131, 5/132, 5/400, 5/401, 5/448, 5/464, 5/465
• US Class Current: 5/727
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/148 of different resilience
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/20 with springs moulded in, or situated in cavities or openings in foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/123 for beds or mattresses

Abstract

A modular bedding system which comprises a rigid non-resilient platform having depressions formed in the top surface thereof for the reception of resilient cushions, and a relatively thin mattress supported atop that platform and the cushions. In one preferred embodiment, there is a depression and one cushion located beneath the shoulders of a person reclining atop the mattress of the bedding system and a second cushion located beneath the hips of a person reclining atop the system. In another preferred embodiment, there is a single cushion located in a single depression of the bed but the cushion extends beneath the shoulders to beneath the hips of a person reclining atop the mattress and has a zone of increased firmness located beneath the waist of that person.

Claims

1. A bedding system comprising

A rigid non-resilient support platform, said platform having a planar top surface within which there are two longitudinally spaced depressions, a single rigid protrusion between said depressions, said depressions defining a shoulder and a hip zone and the rigid protrusion between said depressions defining a waist zone,

a resilient cushion received within each of said two depressions, said cushions each having a planar top surface, said top surfaces of said cushions and said top surface of said platform all being coplanar, and

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushion and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders and hips positioned over the shoulder and hip zones of said platform and over the cushions received within the depressions of the platform located in said zones and will have the waist located over the space between said depressions of said platform.

2. The bedding system of claim 1 wherein said mattress comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced sections, said sections being of differing resistance to vertical deflection over the length of said mattress.

3. A bedding system for achieving spinal alignment of a person reclining atop said system, said system comprising

a rigid non-resilient platform, said platform having a horizontal planar top surface, a pair of depression means in said horizontal top surface, said depression means being separated by a single rigid protrusion, said depression means having a bottom wall and longitudinally spaced, substantially vertical walls,

at least two resilient cushions received in said depression means, said cushions being received in a shoulder zone and a hip zone of said platform, said cushions having a bottom surface and longitudinally spaced end walls, said bottom surface of said cushions being of the same contour as the bottom wall of said depression, said cushions having a top surface which is coplanar with said top surface of said platform, and

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushions and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders and hips located over the shoulder and hip zones of said platform and over the cushions received in the depression means of said platform.

4. The bedding system of claim 3 wherein said mattress comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced sections, said sections being of differing resistance to vertical deflection over the length of said mattress.

5. A bedding system for achieving spinal alignment of a person reclining atop said system, said system comprising

a rigid non-resilient platform, said platform having a horizontal planar top surface, two longitudinally spaced depressions separated by a single protrusion, said depressions each having a bottom wall and a pair of longitudinally spaced, substantially vertical walls, said depressions defining a shoulder zone and a hip zone of said platform, said platform having a waist zone located over the single protrusion and between said shoulder and hip zones,

a resilient cushion received in each of said depressions, each said cushion having a bottom surface and longitudinally spaced end walls, said bottom surface of each said cushion being of the same contour as the bottom wall of the depression within which the cushion is received, and said longitudinally spaced, substantially vertical end walls of each cushion residing in juxtaposition to the end walls of the depression within which the cushion is received, said cushions each having a top surface which is coplanar with said top surface of said platform, and

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushions and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders and hips positioned over the shoulder and hip zones of said platform and over the cushions received within the depressions of the platform located in said zones and will have the waist located over the space between said depressions of said platform.

6. A bedding system for achieving a spinal alignment of a person reclining atop said system, said system comprising

a rigid platform, said platform having a horizontal planar top surface, two longitudinally spaced depressions separated by a single protrusion, said depressions each having a bottom wall and a pair of longitudinally spaced, substantially vertical walls, said depressions defining a shoulder zone and a hip zone of said platform, said platform having a waist zone located over the single protrusion and between said shoulder and hip zones,

a resilient cushion received in each of said depressions, each said cushion having a bottom surface and longitudinally spaced end walls, said bottom surface of each said cushion being of the same contour as the bottom wall of the depression within which the cushion is received, and said longitudinally spaced, substantially vertical end walls of each cushion residing in juxtaposition to the end walls of the depression within which the cushion is received, said cushions each having a top surface which is coplanar with said top surface of said platform,

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushions and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders and hips positioned over the shoulder and hip zones of said platform and over the cushions received within the depressions of the platform located in said zones and will have the waist located over the space between said depressions of said platform and comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced sections, said sections being of differing resistance to vertical deflection over the length of said mattress.

7. A method of achieving spinal alignment of a person reclining atop a customized modular bedding system, which system comprises a bed rigid non-resilient support platform having a top surface located in a horizontal plane and two depressions separated by a single raised protrusion, a resilient cushion received within each depression, each cushion having a top surface which is coplanar with the top surface of the bed support platform, a mattress overlying and supported atop the coplanar top surfaces of said bed platform and said cushions, which method comprises

weighing and measuring the dimensions of a person who is to sleep atop the bedding system,

selecting a mattress from a plurality of mattresses having differing characteristics for achieving spinal alignment of persons of differing weight and dimensions when those persons are reclining atop the mattresses, which selected mattress has the cushion characteristic desired by the measured person, and

selecting a pair of cushions from a plurality of cushions, which selected cushions are matched to the selected mattress for firmness and for achieving spinal alignment of the measured person when reclining atop the bedding system, and

assembling the platform, cushions and mattress into a bedding system for supporting the measured person in a position of spinal alignment when that person reclines atop the assembled system.

8. A method of achieving spinal alignment of a person reclining atop a customized modular bedding system, which system comprises a bed rigid non-resilient support platform having a top surface located in a horizontal plane and two depression means in said top surface separated by a single protrusion, a pair of resilient cushions received within the depression means, the cushions having a top surface which is coplanar with the top surface of the bed support platform, a mattress having a planar bottom surface overlying and supported atop the coplanar top surfaces of said bed platform and said cushions, which method comprises

weighing and measuring the dimensions of a person who is to sleep atop the bedding system,

selecting a mattress from a plurality of mattresses having differing characteristics for achieving spinal alignment of persons of differing weight and dimensions when those persons are reclining atop the mattresses, which selected mattress has the cushions characteristic desired by the measured person,

selecting cushions from a plurality of cushions for use in such system, which cushions are of differing resistance to vertical deflection and which selected cushions are matched to the selected mattress for firmness and for achieving spinal alignment of the measured person when recling atop the bedding system, and

assembling the platform, cushions and mattress into a bedding system for supporting the measured person in a position of spinal alignment when that person is reclining atop the assembled bedding system.

9. A bedding system comprising

A rigid support platform, said platform having a planar top surface within which there is at least one depression, said depression defining shoulder, waist and hip supporting zones of a person reclining atop said bedding system, said planar top surface of said platform defining head and leg supporting zones of a person reclining atop said bedding system,

a resilient cushion received within said depression, said cushion having a planar top surface, said top surface of said cushion and said top surface of said platform being coplanar, and

said cushion being divided into shoulder, waist and hip supporting sections, said sections being adapted to support the shoulder, waist and hips of a person reclining atop said bedding system, and said waist section of said cushion being of greater firmness than the shoulder and hip sections, and

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushion and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders, waist and hips positioned over the shoulder, waist and hip support zones of said platform and over the cushion received within the depression of the platform located in said zones.

10. The bedding system of claim 9 wherein said mattress comprises a plurality of longitudinal sections, said sections being of differing resistance to vertical deflection over the length of said mattress.

11. A bedding system comprising

a substantially rigid non-resilient support platform, said platform having a planar top surface defining head and leg supporting zones of a person reclining atop the bedding system, at least one depression in the planar top surface of said platform, said depression defining shoulder, waist, and hip supporting zones of a person reclining atop said bedding system, said zones extending lengthwise of said platform,

resilient cushion means of substantially less firmness than said substantially rigid support platform, said cushion means being received within said depression of said platform, said cushion means having a planar top surface, said top surface of said cushion means and said top surface of said platform being coplanar,

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said mattress being of substantially less firmness than said substantially rigid support platform, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushion means and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders, waist, and hips positioned over the shoulder, waist, and hip support zones of said platform and over the cushion means received within the depression of the platform located in said zones and will have the head and legs supported independently of the cushion means over the planar top surface of the platform and mattress of the bedding system,

said cushion means being separate from said mattress and said cushion means and said mattress being separately removable from said support platform, and

said cushion means and said depression of said platform extending over more than one half of the total length of said platform.

12. A bedding system comprising

a substantially rigid support platform, said platform having a planar top surface defining head and leg supporting zones of a person reclining atop the bedding system, at least one depression in the planar top surface of said platform, said depression defining shoulder, waist, and hip supporting zones of a person reclining atop said bedding system,

a resilient cushion of substantially less firmness than said platform received within said depression of said platform, said cushion having a planar top surface, said top surface of said cushion and said top surface of said platform being coplanar,

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushion and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders, waist, and hips positioned over the shoulder, waist, and hip support zones of said platform and over the cushion received within the depression of the platform located in said zones and will have the head and legs supported independently of the cushion over the planar top surface of the platform and mattress of the bedding system, and

said mattress comprising a plurality of longitudinal sections, said sections being of differing resistance to vertical deflection over the length of said mattress.

13. A bedding system comprising

a substantially rigid support platform, said platform having a planar top surface defining head and leg supporting zones of a person reclining atop the bedding system, at least one depression in the planar top surface of said platform, said depression defining shoulder, waist, and hip supporting zones of a person reclining atop said bedding system,

a resilient cushion of substantially less firmness than said platform received within said depression of said platform, said cushion having a planar top surface, said top surface of said cushion and said top surface of said platform being coplanar,

a mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushion and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders, waist, and hips positioned over the shoulder, waist, and hip support zones of said platform and over the cushion received within the depression of the platform located in said zones and will have the head and legs supported independently of the cushion over the planar top surface of the platform and mattress of the bedding system, and

said cushion comprising a plurality of longitudinal zones, at least one of said zones of said cushion being of differing firmness from the other zones of said cushion.

14. A bedding system comprising

A rigid support platform, said platform having a planar top surface defining head and leg supporting zones of a person reclining atop said bedding system, said planar top surface having at least one depression, said depression defining shoulder, waist, and hip supporting zones of a person reclining atop said bedding system,

a metal spring containing resilient cushion received within said depression, said cushion having a planar top surface, said top surface of said cushion and said top surface of said platform being coplanar,

a metal spring containing mattress having a flat planar top surface and a flat planar bottom surface, said flat planar bottom surface of said mattress being received atop and supported from said coplanar top surfaces of said cushion and said platform such that a person reclining atop said mattress will have the shoulders, waist, and hips positioned over the shoulder, waist, and hip support zones of said platform and over the cushion received within the depression of the platform located in said zones, and,

said mattress having a bottom surface which comprises an elastic covering material and said cushion having a top surface which comprises an elastic covering material such that deflection of the springs of said mattress may be transferred from said mattress into the springs of said cushion with a minimum of resistance by the covering material on the bottom of said mattress and top of said cushion.

15. The bedding system of claim 14 wherein said mattress comprises a plurality of longitudinal sections, said sections being of differing resistance to vertical deflection over the length of said mattress.

16. The bedding system of claim 15 wherein said cushion comprises a plurality of longitudinal zones, at least one of said zones of said cushion being of differing firmness from the other zones of said cushion.

17. A method of achieving spinal alignment of a person reclining atop a customized modular bedding system, which system comprises a bed support platform having a length dimension and having a top surface located in a horizontal plane and at least one depression in said top surface, said depression having a length dimension which is substantially less than the length dimension of the platform, a resilient cushion of varying firmness throughout its length received within said depression, said cushion having a top surface which is coplanar with the top surface of the bed support platform, a mattress of varying firmness throughout its length overlying and supported atop the coplanar top surfaces of said bed platform and said cushions, which mattress has a length dimension substantially equal to the length dimension of said platform, which method comprises

weighing and measuring the dimensions of a person who is to sleep atop the bedding system,

selecting a mattress from a plurality of mattresses having differing characteristics for achieving spinal alignment of persons of differing weight and dimensions when those persons are reclining atop the mattresses, which selected mattress has the firmness characteristic desired by the measured person, and

selecting a cushion from a plurality of cushions, which selected cushions is matched to the selected mattress for firmness and for achieving spinal alignment of the measured person when reclining atop the bedding system, and

assembling the platform, cushions and mattress into a bedding system for supporting the measured person in a position of spinal alignment when that person reclines atop the assembled system.

18. A method of achieving spinal alignment of a person reclining atop a customized modular bedding system, which system comprises a bed support platform having a top surface located in a horizontal plane and at least one depression in said top surface, a resilient cushion of varying firmness throughout its length received within said depression, said cushion having a top surface which is coplanar with the top surface of the bed support platform, a mattress of varying firmness throughout its length overlying and supported atop the coplanar top surfaces of said bed platform and said cushions, which method comprises

weighing and measuring the dimensions of a person who is to sleep atop the bedding system,

selecting a mattress from a plurality of mattresses having differing characteristics for achieving spinal alignment of persons of differing weight and dimensions when those persons are reclining atop the mattresses, which selected mattress has the cushion characteristic desired by the measured person, and

selecting a cushion from a plurality of cushions, each cushion of which comprises a plurality of longitudinal zones at least one of which is more firm than the other zones, which selected cushions is matched to the selected mattress for firmness and for achieving spinal alignment of the measured person when reclining atop the bedding system, and

assembling the platform, cushions and mattress into a bedding system for supporting the measured person in a position of spinal alignment when that person reclines atop the assembled system.

19. A method of achieving spinal alignment of a person reclining atop a customized modular bedding system, which system comprises a bed support platform having a top surface located in a horizontal plane and at least one depression in said top surface, a resilient cushion of varying firmness throughout its length received within said depression, said cushion having a top surface which is coplanar with the top surface of the bed support platform, a mattress overlying and supported atop the coplanar top surfaces of said bed platform and said cushions, which method comprises

weighing and measuring the dimensions of a person who is to sleep atop the bedding system,

selecting a mattress from a plurality of mattresses having differing firmness characteristics, which selected mattress has the firmness characteristic desired by the measured person, and

selecting a cushion from a plurality of cushions, each cushion of which comprises a plurality of longitudinal zones at least one of which is more firm than the other zones, which selected cushions is matched to the selected mattress for firmness and for achieving spinal alignment of the measured person when reclining atop the bedding system, and

assembling the platform, cushions and mattress into a bedding system for supporting the measured person in a position of spinal alignment when that person reclines atop the assembled system.