Reticulated material body support and method

• US 8,418,297 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tempur World LLC (Tempur Sealy International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tempur-Pedic Management Incorporated (Tempur Sealy International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikkelsen, Tom D., Mitchell, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trettel, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/346,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20090165213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 572/4, 573/0, 573/6, 574/0, 565/59, 565/21, 428/71, 428/315.9, 428/316.6, 428/319.3, 442/370, 442/372, 442/221, 442/223, 297/452.27
• US Class Current: 5/740
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/122 with special fibres, such as acrylic thread, coconut, horsehair
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/144 inside 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 7/029 of non-adjustable shape adapted to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/742 for ventilating or cooling A47C31/116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/10 Pillows pillow holders A47C21/00, A47C21/026; specially adapted for preventing snoring A61F5/56
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/233 Foamed or expanded material encased

Abstract

A support cushion including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite top surface, a layer of flexible foam having plurality of cells defining a reticulated cellular structure, the reticulated cellular structure cells comprising a skeletal plurality of supports through which substantially open cell walls establish fluid communication between interior of the cell and interiors of adjacent cells, the layer of flexible foam having density no less than about 30 kg/m³ and no greater than about 175 kg/m³, and hardness of no less than about 20 N and no greater than about 150 N at 40% indentation force deflection measured at about 22 degrees Celsius, the layer of flexible foam comprising visco-elastic foam having at least one material property responsive to temperature change in range of 10-30° C., and layer of polyurethane foam located beneath layer of flexible foam, the layer of polyurethane foam having hardness of at least about 50 N.

Claims

1. A mattress, comprising:

a single, continuous uppermost layer of flexible material sized to accommodate a user lying in a prone or supine position and having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, the uppermost layer of flexible material comprising a non-reticulated visco-elastic cellular foam; and

an underlying layer of flexible material supporting the uppermost layer of flexible material and having top and bottom surfaces on opposite sides of the second layer of flexible material, the underlying layer of flexible material comprising a reticulated non-visco-elastic cellular foam.

2. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the underlying layer of flexible material is adjacent the uppermost layer of flexible material.

3. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the underlying and uppermost layers of flexible material are secured to one another.

4. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the uppermost layer of flexible material has a density no less than about 30 kg/m3 and no greater than about 150 kg/m3.

5. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the uppermost layer of flexible material has a hardness no less than about 30 N and no greater than about 175 N.

6. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the uppermost layer of flexible material has a temperature change responsiveness of no greater than 10% change in hardness within a temperature range of 10-30 degrees Celsius.

7. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the underlying layer of flexible material has a density no less than about 20 kg/m3 and no greater than about 80 kg/m3.

8. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the underlying layer of flexible material has a hardness no less than about 50 N and no greater than about 300 N.

9. The mattress claimed in claim 1, wherein the underlying layer of flexible material is thicker than the uppermost layer of flexible material.

10. A mattress, comprising:

a first layer of flexible material having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, the first layer of flexible material comprising a non-reticulated visco-elastic cellular foam; and

a second layer of flexible material supporting the first layer of flexible material and having top and bottom surfaces on opposite sides of the second layer of flexible material, the second layer of flexible material being thicker than the first layer of flexible material and comprising a reticulated non-visco-elastic cellular foam, wherein the second layer of flexible material is thicker than the first layer of flexible material.

11. The mattress claimed in claim 10, wherein the first layer of flexible material is adjacent the second layer of flexible material.

12. The mattress claimed in claim 10, wherein the first and second layers of flexible material are secured to one another.

13. The mattress claimed in claim 10, wherein the first layer of flexible material has a density no less than about 30 kg/m3 and no greater than about 150 kg/m3.

14. The mattress claimed in claim 10, wherein the first layer of flexible material has a hardness no less than about 30 N and no greater than about 175 N.

15. The mattress claimed in claim 10, wherein the first layer of flexible material has a temperature change responsiveness of no greater than 10% change in hardness within a temperature range of 10-30 degrees Celsius.

16. The mattress claimed in claim 10, wherein the second layer of flexible material has a density no less than about 20 kg/m3 and no greater than about 80 kg/m3.

17. The mattress claimed in claim 10, wherein the second layer of flexible material has a hardness no less than about 50 N and no greater than about 300 N.