US20150359351A1

US20150359351A1 - Mattress assembly

Info

Publication number: US20150359351A1
Application number: US14/762,833
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark E. Wilder; Tom Mikkelsen; Christopher L. Glover; James A. Lamb
Original assignee: Tempur Pedic Management LLC
Current assignee: Tempur Pedic Management LLC
Priority date: 2013-01-28
Filing date: 2013-01-28
Publication date: 2015-12-17
Also published as: WO2014117128A1

Abstract

A mattress assembly is provided that includes a body supporting portion, one or more air bladders positioned beneath the body supporting portion, and a frame portion. The frame portion includes a bottom surface and a sidewall that collectively define a well for receiving the one or more air bladders. The sidewall of the frame portion is secured to the second surface of the body supporting portion at a foot portion of the mattress assembly, while the sidewall of the frame portion and the body supporting portion are configured to move relative to one another at a head portion and a middle portion of the mattress assembly to thereby allow the mattress assembly to conform to the shape of an adjustable foundation.

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/757,280, filed Jan. 28, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to mattress assemblies and, more particularly, to mattress assemblies that are capable of conforming to the shape of an adjustable foundation.

BACKGROUND

Customizable mattress assemblies that make use of air bladders, which are also known as air beds or air mattresses, are becoming increasing popular as an alternative to traditional innerspring or spring-foam hybrid mattresses. Unlike traditional mattress assemblies where the firmness of the mattress assemblies is not adjustable, the firmness of a mattress assembly that makes use of an air bladder is readily adjustable by increasing or decreasing the amount of air included in the air bladders present within a particular mattress assembly. In other words, by changing the air pressure in the air bladders of such a mattress assembly, a user can readily change the firmness of the mattress assembly and consequently, customize the feel provided by the mattress assembly. That is, by being able to easily adjust the firmness, a user can quickly match the firmness of the bed to their specific preferences and, at least partially, individualize his or her level of sleep comfort.
Despite the readily adjustable nature of those air bladders, however, an mattress assemblies have yet to be effectively used in connection with beds having adjustable foundations. In a conventional air mattress and adjustable foundation arrangement, when the adjustable foundation is articulated, the air mattress tends to slide on the upper surface of the adjustable foundation. To prevent, or at least reduce this slippage, it is customary for a retainer bar, which is attached to the adjustable foundation, to be used and positioned adjacent to the foot end of the air mattress. Thus, as the adjustable foundation is articulated, the foot end of the air mattress assembly engages the retainer bar and moves the air mattress assembly with the adjustable foundation. Nevertheless, while the retainer bar is effective in preventing slippage of the air mattress, it is still not uncommon for portions of the foot end of the air mattress assembly adjacent the retainer bar, especially air mattress assemblies having a foam topper, to extend in an unsightly manner past the retainer bar.
One proposed solution to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks is shown in FIGS. 1-2. More particularly, in a mattress assembly 10 that makes use of air bladders, the sidewall 44 of the frame portion 40 of the mattress assembly 10 is adhesively secured to a body supporting portion 20 on an upper surface of the sidewall portion 44. as shown by the hatched lines in FIG. 2. In doing so, however, when the mattress assembly 10 is placed on an adjustable foundation 50 and a portion of the foundation 50 is articulated, the mattress assembly 10 fails to conform to the new shape of the foundation 50 and a significant space is created between the mattress assembly 10 and the foundation 50. Consequently, the lack of conformance to the new shape of the foundation 50 and the newly created space then leads to a reduction in the level of comfort experienced by a user lying on the mattress assembly 10.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes mattress assemblies and, more particularly, mattress assemblies that are capable of conforming to the shape of an adjustable foundation.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mattress assembly is provided that includes a body supporting portion having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The mattress assembly further includes six air bladders that are positioned adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting portion, and are dimensionally-sized such that the air bladders can be suitably received by a well that is defined by a bottom surface and a sidewall of the frame portion of the mattress assembly.
The body supporting portion and the frame portion of the mattress assembly are generally comprised of a flexible foam. The flexible foam comprising the frame portion is typically of a sufficient density and hardness for supporting the air bladders and the body supporting portion of the mattress assembly. The flexible foam comprising the body supporting portion, on the other hand. typically has a density less than that of the frame and is suitable for distributing pressure from a user's body, or portion thereof, across the body supporting portion. In some embodiments, the flexible foam included in the body supporting portion is a visco-elastic foam that has a desired density and hardness, and allows pressure to be absorbed uniformly and distributed evenly across the body supporting portion of the mattress assembly. In this regard, in certain embodiments, the body supporting portion of the mattress assembly can be further covered by a comfort layer that is positioned atop the body supporting portion to provide an additional level of comfort to a body of a user or a portion thereof that is resting on the mattress assembly. Such a comfort layer, in certain embodiments, is also comprised of a visco-elastic foam or other foam, but typically has a density that is less than that of the body supporting portion of the mattress assembly so as to provide a softer surface on which to rest, and so as to provide a sufficiently soft barrier between the body of a user and the air bladders of the mattress assembly.
Regardless of the particular densities of the materials (e.g., the foams) used for the body supporting portion, the comfort layer, and the frame portion of a mattress assembly of the present invention, the body supporting portion and the comfort layer are generally secured to one another to prevent the body supporting portion and the comfort layer from moving relative to one another during use. With respect to the body supporting portion and the frame portion, however, the second surface of the body supporting portion is generally only secured to the upper surface of the sidewall of the frame portion at a foot portion of the mattress assembly (e.g., only at the lower one-third of the upper surface of the sidewall of the mattress assembly). By only securing the body supporting portion and the sidewall of the frame portion to one another at that location, the body supporting portion and the frame portion are prevented from moving relative to one another at the foot portion of the mattress assembly, but are configured to move relative to one another at the head portion and the middle portion of the mattress assembly to thereby allow the mattress assembly to conform to the shape of an adjustable foundation.
As an additional benefit to only securing the body supporting portion and the upper surface of the sidewall of the frame portion to one another at the foot portion of the mattress assembly, the air bladders of the mattress assembly can be easily accessed without taking apart the entirety of the mattress assembly. More specifically, by securing the body supporting portion to the frame portion at only the toot portion and leaving the body supporting portion unsecured to the frame portion at the middle portion and head portion, the body supporting portion can simply be pulled back or away from the frame portion and the air bladders at the middle portion and head portion of the mattress assembly. Once the body supporting portion has been pulled back, the air bladders can then be readily accessed for removal or servicing, while the body supporting portion and the frame portion remain secured to one another at the foot portion of the mattress assembly. In some embodiments, a fabric layer can be positioned adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting portion and can be used to overlay and provide a protective barrier for the air bladders, but yet still allow the air bladders to be accessed as desired by simply peeling back the body supporting portion and the fabric layer.
With respect to the air bladders of the mattress assembly, the air bladders are typically positioned adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting portion and are in fluid communication with an air pump that delivers air to the air bladders via one or more conduits, such that the air bladders are configured to provide a desired amount of support to the body supporting portion of the mattress assembly. Further, in addition to providing a desired amount of support, the air bladders are, in some embodiments, individually addressable such that the air bladders can be configured to selectively provide a desired amount of support to certain areas of the body supporting portion and to allow greater control over the firmness of the mattress assembly in those particular areas.
With further regard to the mattress assemblies of the present invention, in some embodiments, various covers can also be included and used to cover various portions of the mattress assemblies. For example, in some embodiments, a first cover in the form of a fire sock can be used to surround the body supporting portion and the frame portion of the mattress assembly, and an outer fabric cover can then be used to cover the fire sock surrounding the body supporting portion and the frame portion. As another example, in other embodiments, a mattress assembly can include a first cover in the form of a first fire sock that surrounds the exterior surface and the sidewall of the frame portion and a second cover in the form of a second fire sock that surrounds the body supporting portion and comfort layer. Subsequently, once the fire socks have been suitably secured together at a foot portion of the mattress assembly, as described above, an outer fabric cover can be used to cover the entirety of the mattress assembly to provide a mattress assembly that has unitary appearance, but that is still capable of conforming to the shape of an adjustable foundation.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those of ordinary skill, in the art after a study of the description, figures. and non-limiting examples in this document.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a prior art air mattress assembly positioned on an adjustable foundation;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the frame portion of the prior art air mattress assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary air mattress assembly made in accordance with the present invention and positioned on an adjustable foundation;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the frame portion of the exemplary air mattress assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view of another exemplary air mattress assembly made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the exemplary mattress assembly of FIG. 5, showing the mattress assembly in an assembled form;

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective of the exemplary mattress assembly of FIG. 5, showing the head portion of the mattress assembly and further showing a cover partially surrounding the mattress assembly;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the exemplary mattress assembly of FIG. 5, showing the conduits for delivering air to the air bladders of the mattress assembly;

FIG. 9 is an exploded, perspective view of another exemplary mattress assembly made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of the exemplary mattress assembly of FIG. 9, showing the mattress assembly in an assembled form;

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the exemplary mattress assembly of FIG. 9, showing the foot portion of the mattress assembly in an assembled form;

FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view of the exemplary mattress assembly of FIG. 9, showing the body supporting portion separated from a fabric layer at the head portion of the mattress assembly; and

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective of the exemplary mattress assembly of FIG. 9, showing a portion of the fabric layer removed at the head portion of the mattress assembly to expose the air bladders.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention includes mattress assemblies and, more particularly, mattress assemblies that are capable of conforming to the shape of an adjustable foundation.
As depicted in FIGS. 3-4 and as explained in further detail below, the present invention includes mattress assemblies, such as the air mattress assembly 10 a, in which an upper portion of a sidewall 44 a of a frame portion 40 a of the mattress assembly 10 a is only secured to a body supporting portion 20 a at a foot portion 12 a of the mattress assembly 10 a, as indicated by the hatched lines in FIG. 4. By only securing the sidewall 44 a of the mattress assembly 10 a at the foot portion 12 a of the mattress assembly 10 a. when the mattress assembly 10 a is placed on an adjustable foundation 50 a and a portion of the foundation 50 a (e.g., the head portion) is articulated, the mattress assembly 10 a substantially conforms to the new shape of the foundation 50 a without creating a space between the mattress assembly 10 a and the foundation 50 a, Thus, the mattress assemblies of the present invention allow a user to increase their level of comfort by substantially conforming to the shape of an articulated, adjustable foundation and by substantially reducing any spaces that would otherwise be present between the mattress assemblies and the foundations.
Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mattress assembly 110 is provided that includes a body supporting portion 120 having a first surface 122, which is generally an upper surface of the body supporting portion 120, and a second surface 124, which is generally a lower surface of the body supporting portion 120 and is opposite the first surface 122. The mattress assembly further includes six air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f that are positioned adjacent to the second surface 124 of the body supporting portion 120, and are dimensionally-sized such that the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f can be suitably received by a well 146 defined by a bottom surface 142 and a sidewall 144 of the frame portion 140 of the mattress assembly 110. in one preferred embodiment, the bottom surface 142 includes a planar wood portion which supports a thin layer of foam that, in turn, supports the aforementioned air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f.
The mattress assembly 110 also includes an air pump 170 operably connected to a controller 174 for delivering air into the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f via conduit lines 172 that place the air pump 170 and the an bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f in fluid communication with one another. In certain embodiments, and although not shown in FIGS. 5-8. the conduit lines 172 include one-way valves, such that air can be delivered into the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f, but is subsequently prevented from being inadvertently released or leaking from the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f when the conduit lines 172 are disconnected from the air pump 170. Thus, the air pump 170 can be disconnected from the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f without causing a loss of pressure in the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f.
The body supporting portion 120 and the frame portion 140 of the mattress assembly 110 are generally comprised of a flexible foam. The flexible foam comprising the frame portion 140 is of a sufficient density and hardness for supporting the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f as well as the body supporting portion 120 of the mattress assembly 110. The flexible foam comprising the body supporting portion 120 of the mattress assembly 110, on the other hand, typically has a density less than that of the frame portion 140 and is suitable for distributing pressure from a user's body, or portion thereof, across the body supporting portion 120. Such flexible foams include, but are not limited to, latex foam, reticulated or non-reticulated visco-elastic foam (sometimes referred to as memory foam or low-resilience foam), reticulated or non-reticulated non-visco-elastic foam, polyurethane high-resilience foam, expanded polymer foams (e.g., expanded ethylene vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene, or polyethylene), and the like. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-8, the body supporting portion 120 is comprised of a visco-elastic foam that has a low resilience as well as a sufficient density and hardness, which allows pressure to be absorbed uniformly and distributed evenly across the body supporting portion 120 of the mattress assembly 110. Generally, such visco-elastic foams have a hardness of at least about 10 N to no greater than about 80 N, as measured by exerting pressure from a plate against a sample of the material to a compression of at least 40% of an original thickness of the material at approximately room temperature (i.e., 21° C. to 23° C.), where the 40% compression is held for a set period of time as established by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 2439 hardness measuring standard. In some embodiments, the visco-elastic foam included in the body supporting portion 120 has a hardness of about 10 N, about 20 N. about 30 N, about 40 N, about 50 N, about 60 N, about 70 N, or about 80 N to provide a desired degree of comfort and body-conforming qualities.
The visco-elastic foam described herein for use in the mattress assembly 110 can also have a density that assists in providing a desired degree of comfort and body-conforming qualities, as well as an increased degree of material durability. In some embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam used in the body supporting portion 120 has a density of no less than about 30 kg/m³to no greater than about 150 kg/m³. In some embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam used in the body supporting portion 120 of the mattress assembly 110 is about 30 kg/m³, about 40 kg/m³, about 50 kg/m³, about 60 kg/m³, about 70 kg/m³, about 80 kg/m³, about 90 kg/m³, about 100 kg/m³, about 110 kg/m³, about 120 kg/m³, about 130 kg/m³, about 140 kg/m³, or about 150 kg/m³. Of course, the selection of a visco-elastic foam having a particular density will affect other characteristics of the foam, including its hardness, the manner in which the foam responds to pressure, and the overall feel of the foam, but it is appreciated that a visco-elastic foam having a desired density and hardness can readily be selected for a particular application or mattress assembly as desired.
Referring still to FIGS. 5-8, the body supporting portion 120 of the mattress assembly 110 is further covered by a comfort portion or layer 180 that is positioned atop the body supporting portion 120 and provides a level of comfort to a body of a user or a portion of thereof that is resting on the mattress assembly 110. The comfort layer 180 can also be comprised of a visco-elastic foam. However, the comfort layer 180 typically has a density, hardness, or both that is less than that of the body supporting portion 120 of the mattress assembly 110, such that the comfort layer 180 provides a softer surface on which to rest the body of a user or a portion thereof, while also providing a sufficiently soft barrier between the body of a user and the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f of the mattress assembly 110, as described in further detail below. For example, in certain embodiments, the mattress assembly 110 includes a body supporting portion 120 that is comprised of visco-elastic foam with a density of about 80 kg/m³and a hardness of about 13 N, while the comfort layer 180 is comprised of a visco-elastic foam with a density of about 35 kg/m³and a hardness of about 10 N.
With further regard to the body supporting portions of the mattress assemblies of the present invention, as indicated above, the body supporting portions are generally comprised of one or more layers of visco-elastic foam having a density and hardness suitable for distributing pressure from a user's body, or portion thereof However, it is additionally contemplated that an exemplary body supporting portion can be comprised of different or additional layers having various densities and hardnesses. For instance, it is contemplated that a layer of high-resilience polyurethane foam can be used alone or can be secured to the second surface of a layer of low-resilience visco-elastic foam used in a body supporting portion. Such multi-layered body supporting portions are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,469,437; 7,507,468; 8,025,964; and 8,034,445, as well as in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0252562, each of which is incorporated herein by this reference.
Regardless of the particular densities of the materials (e.g., the foams) used for the body supporting portion 120, the comfort layer 180, and the frame portion 140 of the mattress assembly 110, the body supporting portion 120 and the comfort layer 180 are generally secured to one another to prevent the body supporting portion 120 and the comfort layer 180 from moving relative to one another during use. With respect to the body supporting portion 120 and the frame portion 140, however, the second surface of the body supporting portion is generally only secured to the upper surface of the sidewall 144 of the frame portion 140 at a foot portion 112 of the mattress assembly 110 (e.g., only at the lower one-third of the upper surface of the sidewall 144 of the mattress assembly 110 as indicated by the hatched region of the sidewall 144 in FIG. 5). By only securing the body supporting portion 120 and the sidewall 144 of the frame portion 140 to one another at that location, the body supporting portion 120 and the frame portion 140 are prevented from moving relative to one another at the foot portion 112 of the mattress assembly 110, but are configured to move relative to one another at the head portion 116 and the middle portion 114 of the mattress assembly 110. In this regard, and as perhaps best shown in FIG. 7, when the mattress assembly 110 is positioned on an adjustable foundation, such as the foundation 50 shown in FIG. 2, and the head portion 116 of the mattress assembly 110 is articulated, the body supporting portion 120 and the frame portion 140 move relative to one another along the head portion 116 and middle portion 114 of the mattress assembly 110 to allow the mattress assembly 110 to substantially conform to the new shape of the adjustable foundation and to prevent the formation of any spaces between the mattress assembly 110 and the adjustable foundation. At the same time, by securing the body supporting portion 120 and the frame portion 140 together at the foot portion 112 of the mattress assembly 110, the body supporting portion 120 remains aligned with the frame portion 140 as areas of the frame portion 140 are being articulated.
As an additional benefit to only securing the body supporting portion 120 and the upper surface of the sidewall 144 of the frame portion 140 to one another at the foot portion 112 of the mattress assembly 110, the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f of the mattress assembly 110 can be easily accessed without taking apart the entirety of the mattress assembly 110. More specifically, by securing the body supporting portion 120 to the frame portion 140 at only the foot portion 112 and leaving the body supporting portion 120 unsecured to the frame portion 140 at the middle portion 114 and head portion 116, the body supporting portion 120 can simply be pulled hack or away from the frame portion 140 and the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f at the middle portion 114 and head portion 116. Once the body supporting portion 120 has been pulled back, the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f can then be readily accessed for removal or servicing, while the body supporting portion 120 and the frame portion 140 remain secured to one another at the foot portion 112 of the mattress assembly 110.
Various means of securing one layer of material to another can be used to secure the several layers of the mattress assembly 110 together, including tape, hook and loop fasteners, conventional fasteners, stitches, and the like. In one particular embodiment, the body supporting portion 120, the comfort layer 180, and the frame portion 140 are bonded together by an adhesive or cohesive bonding material. In one embodiment, the body supporting portion 120 and the comfort layer 180 are bonded together by an adhesive or cohesive bonding material to create a substantially continuous assembly where the body supporting portion 120 and the comfort layer 180 are fully adhered to one another. Such adhesive bonding materials include, for example, environmentally-friendly, water-based adhesives, like SABA AQUABOND RSD, a two-component water-based adhesive product produced by SABA DINXPERLO BV, B-7090 AA, Dinxperlo, Belgium.
Turning now to the air bladders included in the mattress assemblies of the present invention, and referring still to FIGS. 5-8, the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f of the mattress assembly 110 are positioned adjacent to the second surface 124 of the body supporting portion 120 and are, upon delivering a desired amount of air to the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f. thus positioned and configured to provide a desired amount of support to the body supporting portion 120 of the mattress assembly 110. Further, in addition to being configured to provide a desired amount of support, the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f are, in some embodiments, individually addressable such that the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f can be configured to selectively provide a desired amount of support to certain areas of the body supporting portion 120 and to allow greater control over the firmness of the mattress assembly 110 in those areas of the body supporting portion 120. For example, in some embodiments, the air bladders 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d, 130 e, 130 f are individually addressable such that it is possible to provide an increased amount of air and support to the air bladders 130 b, 130 e that would be in proximity to the torso of a person lying in a supine or prone position on the mattress assembly 110, while providing a decreased amount of air and support to the air bladders 130 a, 130 c, 130 d, 130 f that would be in proximity to the head and legs of a user lying in a supine or prone position.
As a refinement to the mattress assemblies of the present invention, and referring now to FIGS. 9-13. an exemplary mattress assembly 210 is provided that includes a body supporting portion 220 having a first surface 222 and a second surface 224 opposite the first surface 222; a comfort layer 280 positioned adjacent to the first surface 222 of the body supporting portion 220; six air bladders 230 a, 230 b, 230 c, 230 d, 230 e, 230 f positioned and configured to provide support to the body supporting portion 220; and a well 246 defined by a bottom surface 242 and a sidewall 244 of the frame portion 240 of the mattress assembly 210. The mattress assembly 210 also includes an air pump 270 that, like the mattress assembly 110 shown in FIGS. 5-6, is operably connected to a controller 274 for delivering air into the air bladders 230 a, 230 b, 230 c, 230 d, 230 e, 230 f via conduit lines 272 that place the air pump 270 and the air bladders 230 a, 230 b, 230 c, 230 d, 230 e, 230 f in fluid communication with one another. Unlike the mattress assembly 110 shown in FIGS. 5-8, however, a fabric layer 225 is positioned adjacent to the second surface 224 of the body supporting portion 220 and overlays the air bladders 230 a, 230 b, 230 c, 230 d, 230 e, 230 f and the upper surface of the sidewall 244 of the frame portion 240. In this regard, rather than securing the second surface 224 of the body supporting portion 220 directly to the upper surface of the sidewall 244 of the frame portion 240 at the foot portion 212 of the mattress assembly, the body supporting portion 220 is first secured to the fabric layer 225 at the foot portion 212, and the fabric layer 225 is subsequently secured to the frame portion 240 by a zipper 226 that extends around the perimeter of the fabric layer 225 and connects the fabric layer 225 to the frame portion 240 of the mattress assembly 210.
By making use of a fabric layer 225 placed between the second surface 224 of the body supporting portion 220 and the sidewall 244 of the frame portion 240, the fabric layer 225 provides a protective layer over the air bladders 230 a, 230 b, 230 c, 230 d, 230 e, 230 f, but further allows the air bladders 230 a, 230 b, 230 c, 230 d, 230 e, 230 f to be accessed as desired by simply unzipping the zipper 226 and peeling back the fabric layer 225. For example, when servicing or removal of the air bladders is required, the second surface 224 of the body supporting portion 220, which is not secured to the fabric layer 225 at the head portion 216 or middle portion 214 of the mattress assembly 210, can first be pulled back away from the fabric layer 225 and the frame portion 240, as shown in FIG. 12. Then, once the body supporting portion 220 has been pulled back, the fabric layer 22 can then simply be pulled away from the frame portion 240 and the air bladders 230 a, 230 d to thereby expose the air bladders 230 a, 230 d for removal or servicing. In some embodiments, to provide a fabric layer 225 that is sufficiently durable, the fabric layer 225 is comprised of TIETEX® fabric (Tietex Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C.). Of course, numerous other materials for the fabric layer can also be readily selected for a particular mattress or application as desired.
As a further refinement to the mattress assemblies of the present invention, one or more covers can also be included and used to cover the various portions of the mattress assemblies. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, in one embodiment, a cover in the form of a fire sock 160 is first used to surround the body supporting portion 120 and the frame portion 140 of the mattress assembly 110. Then, an outer fabric cover, such as the fabric cover 15 a shown in FIG. 4, can be used to cover the fire sock 160 surrounding the body supporting portion 120, the comfort layer 180, and the frame portion 140. As another example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the mattress assembly 210 includes a first cover in the form of a first fire sock 262 that surrounds the exterior of the sidewall 244 of the frame portion 240 and a second cover in the form of a second fire sock 260 that surrounds the body supporting portion 220 and comfort layer 280. In this regard, to secure the various portion of the mattress assembly 210 together, the first tire sock 262 is initially secured to the frame portion 240 and the fabric layer 225, and the second fire sock 260 is subsequently secured to body supporting portion 220 and the fabric layer 225 to secure the various layers of the mattress assembly 210 together at the foot portion 212. Subsequently, however, an outer fabric cover, again such as the fabric cover 15 a shown in FIG. 4, can used to cover the first fire sock 262 surrounding the exterior surface of the side wall, the fabric layer 225, and the second fire sock 260 surrounding the body supporting portion 220 and comfort layer 280.
As an even further refinement to the mattress assemblies of the present invention, in some embodiments, the aforementioned outer fabric covers, the comfort layers, the body supporting portions, or combinations thereof can further be coated or impregnated with a phase change material. In this regard, as a user rests his or her body on the outer fabric cover, the comfort layer, and the body supporting portions of the mattress assemblies and those portions increase in temperature, the phase change materials can absorb the heat from the user, store the heat for a cooling effect, and then release the heat at a later time when the user is no longer lying on the mattress and the temperature of the mattress assembly cools down. Thus, in certain embodiments, a mattress assembly can be provided that allows for a cooling effect, but, as indicated above, is also capable of substantially conforming to the shape of an adjustable foundation.
Throughout this document, various references are mentioned. All such references are incorporated herein by reference, including the references set forth in the following list:

REFERENCES

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26. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2005/0202214 by Landvik, published Sep. 15, 2005, and entitled “Cushion.”
27. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0084667 by Landvik, et al., published Apr. 21, 2005, and entitled “Laminated Visco-Elastic Support.”
28. U.S. Patent Application Publication No 2005/0076446 by Fogg, published Apr. 14, 2005, and entitled “Pillow top for a Cushion.”
29. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0073931 by Trussel Jr., et al., published Apr. 15, 2004, and entitled “interactive Bed Display.”
30. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0033351 by Landvik, et al., published Feb. 19, 2004, and entitled “Laminated Visco-Elastic Support.”
31. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0171954 by Guerin, et al., published Sep. 11, 2003, and entitled “Method of Managing the Provision of Healthcare and System for Effecting Same.”
32. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001/0021438 by Landvik, published Sep. 13, 2001, and entitled “Cushion.”

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional embodiments are also possible without departing from the teachings of the present invention or the scope of the claims which follow. This detailed description, and particularly the specific details of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, is given primarily for clarity of understanding, and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress assembly, comprising:

a body supporting portion having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

one or more air bladders positioned adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting portion; and

a frame portion including a bottom surface and a sidewall defining a well for receiving the one or more air bladders,

wherein the sidewall of the frame portion is secured to the second surface of the body supporting portion at a foot portion of the mattress assembly, and

wherein the sidewall of the frame portion and the second surface of the body supporting portion are configured to move relative to one another at a head portion and middle portion of the mattress assembly.

2. The mattress assembly of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable foundation positioned and configured to provide support to the mattress assembly.

3. The mattress assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cover surrounding the body supporting portion and the frame portion of the mattress assembly.

4. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the body supporting portion, the frame portion, or both are comprised of a flexible foam.

5. The mattress assembly of claim 4, wherein the body supporting portion is comprised of a visco-elastic foam.

6. The mattress assembly of claim 4, wherein the flexible foam comprising the body supporting portion has a density less than that of the flexible foam comprising the frame portion.

7. The mattress assembly of claim 1, further comprising a comfort layer comprised of a flexible foam and positioned on the first surface of the body supporting portion.

8. The mattress assembly of claim 7, wherein the flexible foam comprising the comfort layer has a density less than that of the flexible foam comprising the body supporting portion.

9. The mattress assembly of claim I, wherein the one or more air bladders comprise six air bladders.

10. The mattress assembly of claim 9, wherein the six air bladders are individually addressable.

11. The mattress assembly of claim 1, further comprising an air pump operably connected to the one or more air bladders, the air pump for delivering air into the one or more air bladders.

12. A mattress assembly, comprising:

one or more air bladders positioned and configured to provide support to the body supporting portion;

a frame portion including a bottom surface and a sidewall defining a well for receiving the one or more air bladders; and

a fabric layer positioned adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting portion and overlaying the one or more air bladders and the frame portion,

wherein the fabric layer, the sidewall of the frame portion, and the second surface of the body supporting portion are secured to one another at a foot portion of the mattress assembly, and

wherein the fabric layer and the sidewall of the frame portion are configured to move relative to the second surface of the body supporting portion at a head portion and middle portion of the mattress assembly.

13. The mattress assembly of claim 12. further comprising a cover surrounding the body supporting portion and the frame portion of the mattress assembly.

14. The mattress assembly of claim 12, further comprising an adjustable foundation positioned and configured to provide support to the mattress assembly.

15. The mattress assembly of claim 12, further comprising a first cover surrounding the body supporting portion and a second cover surrounding the frame portion.

16. The mattress assembly of claim 12, wherein the fabric layer defines a perimeter, and wherein the fabric layer includes one or more zippers extending around the perimeter of the fabric layer, the one or more zippers for connecting the fabric layer to the sidewall of the frame portion.

17. A mattress, comprising:

a body supporting portion having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a frame portion positioned adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting portion, the frame portion secured to the second surface of the body supporting portion at a foot portion of the mattress assembly, and the base portion and the second surface of the body supporting portion configured to move relative to one another at a head portion and middle portion of the mattress.

18. The mattress assembly of claim 17, further comprising one or more air bladders positioned and configured to provide support to the body supporting portion.