Sectional element mat

• US 7,805,791 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DAS Gesundheitshaus GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: DAS Gesundheitshaus GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Malzl, Hans L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos; Robert G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson; Brittany M
• Application Number:
  US11/816,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 572/7, 572/4, 572/2, 573/0, 574/0, 572/9, 570/1, 561/3, 564/0, 564/3, 563/6
• US Class Current: 5/727
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/001 with several cushions, mattresses or the like, to be put together in one cover
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/144 inside the mattress or cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/146 on the outside surface of the mattress or cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/148 of different resilience
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/15 consisting of two or more layers A47C27/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/20 with springs moulded in, or situated in cavities or openings in foamed material

Abstract

The invention relates to a sectional element mat (2), the support properties of which may be individually tailored, whereby exchangeable sectional elements (E) are arranged tightly together or above each other. The above is characterized in that the individual sectional elements (E) may be easily removed and exchanged with other sectional elements. The individual sectional elements are either connected to each other by means of a separable material bridge or perforation (5, 6), connected to each other by means of a plug connector (27, 31), plugged onto or into a common base mat (40) or lying loose on the same. Individual sectional elements can be removed or separated from the combination where necessary and replaced by softer or stiffer sectional elements. In certain situations the resulting free space is left empty. The sectional element mat (2) is either part of a combination with other sectional element mats or contiguous or separate layers (1, 3), or itself forms the mattress core.

Claims

1. A sectional element mat comprising

a base mat having an upper surface with transversely extending channels across a width of the base mat, the channels having cross sections,

wherein the base mat has partition walls between the channels at least one of the partition walls has a perforation, and at the perforation thus formed the partition walls can be adjusted in height by tearing off an upper part of the partition wall,

an array of sectional elements, the sectional elements having a lower part including a protrusion having a cross section complementary to the cross section of the channels to allow insertion of the protrusion of the sectional element into the channel, the sectional element also having an upper pad component that is positioned on the upper face of the base mat when the protrusion of the sectional element is inserted into a channel so that the sectional elements are connected to the base mat in an easily separable way.

2. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein one or more sectional element mats form a mattress or, in combination with other continuous layers, which are placed above or below the sectional element mat, form a multi-layer mattress.

3. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein sectional elements are removable from the array of elements of the sectional element mat and the resulting empty space may be filled with sectional elements of other material properties or may remain empty.

4. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein ones of the upper pad components protruding from the base mat have different widths in cross-section in certain zones of the mat, giving rise to transversal grooves of differing width between adjacent sectional elements and thus influencing the pressure absorbing capability of the sectional element mat in chosen zones.

5. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein gaps exist between the upper pad components of the sectional elements on the upper face of the base mat to provide ventilation grooves at the surface of the sectional element mat.

6. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion of a sectional element is connected to the base mat on its underside by means of a small material bridge.

7. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a cylindrical cross section.

8. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein individual sectional elements are placed one beside the other within a channel.

9. A sectional element mat according to claim 1, wherein protrusions of individual ones of the sectional elements have a neck portion below the pad component that is narrower than a maximum width of the protrusion and at least one channel in the base mat has margins that approach each other and are closer to each other than a maximum width of the channel to fit against the neck of an inserted protrusion.