Stackable bedding foundation

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/254,122 filed Dec. 8, 2000 entitled “Stackable Bedding Foundation.”

[0003] This invention relates generally to bedding, and more particularly to an improved testable and stackable bedding foundation.

[0004] There is a continuing search for a higher quality, more durable mattress and box spring combination that has a longer service life and can be manufactured more efficiently and for less cost. One example of an improved box spring design is one in which the wire core assembly within the box spring is testable and stackable with other wire core assemblies. Such stackability substantially reduces the cost of storing and/or shipping numerous wire core assemblies.

[0005] In known box spring-mattress combinations, box springs are generally used to provide predominately static support for a mattress and user, and the mattress is used to provide most, if not all, of the resilient support for the user. For example, the mattress deforms and conforms to the load presented by the shape and weight of the user, and the mattress resiliently returns to its original shape when the load of the user is removed. The box spring usually experiences little, if any, deformation under the load of the user.

[0006] A common practice in the design of a box spring or mattress support is to attempt to match the resiliency characteristics of a box spring with the resiliency of a mattress to provide a more comfortable sleeping surface. Heretofore, that has been difficult to accomplish using a box spring which has a testable, stackable wire core assembly because of the limited flexibility of known nestably flexible box springs such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,434.

[0007] Consequently, there is a need for an improved box spring and particularly an improved testable, stackable box spring in which the resiliency and load bearing capability of the box spring can be better matched to the resiliency and load bearing capability of a mattress, thereby creating an improved mattress-box spring combination.

[0008] The present invention provides an improved nestably stackable box spring that provides better support for a mattress. The box spring of the present invention has a resilient load bearing capability that can be advantageously matched to the resiliently load bearing capability of a mattress. Further, the resilient load bearing capability of the box spring of the present invention is especially useful in improving the edge load bearing capability of a mattress-box spring combination. Therefore, the box spring of the present invention provides a higher quality, more durable, testable, stackable box spring that is potentially more efficient to manufacture.

[0009] According to the principles of the present invention and in accordance with the described embodiment, the invention provides a nestably stackable assembly for use in a bedding foundation. The assembly has a rectangular border wire with parallel sides and ends. Transversely spaced, parallel and longitudinally extending support wires are connected at their ends to the border wire ends. The support wires are formed so as to be generally corrugated along their lengths with peaks and valleys. The peaks are flattened at their tops, and the flattened tops are generally coplanar with a plane defined by the border wire. The valleys are vertically displaced beneath and intermediate of said flattened tops. Longitudinally spaced and transversely extending, upper connector wires are connected to the sides of border wire, and the upper connector wires are connected along their lengths to the flattened tops of the peaks of the support wires. The valleys have flat bottoms, and adjacent pairs of the flat bottoms of the valley are interconnected by flexible connectors. The flexible connectors of the nestably stackable assembly are attached to a rigid, generally wooden, base of the bedding foundation.

[0010] In one aspect of the invention, the flexible connectors are resilient; and the bedding foundation resiliently absorbs loads in partnership with a mattress. Such a box spring construction is especially useful in providing additional support along the edges of the mattress.

[0011] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a bedding foundation assembly in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a full perspective view of a flexible connector used in a wire core assembly of the bedding foundation of FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a partial end view of the wire core assembly of the bedding foundation of FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of two wire core assemblies as shown in FIG. 1 that are in the process of being stacked and nested for shipment.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a partial end view of two wire core assemblies as shown in FIG. 1 that are fully stacked and nested for shipment.

[0018] FIG. 6A is a side view of one alternative embodiment of the flexible connector used in the wire core assembly of the bedding foundation of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 6B is a top view of the one alternative embodiment of the flexible connector illustrated in FIG. 6A.

[0020] FIG. 7A is a side view of another alternative embodiment of the flexible connector used in the wire core assembly of the bedding foundation of FIG. 1.

[0021] FIG. 7B is a top view of the other alternative embodiment of the flexible connector illustrated in FIG. 7A.

[0022] FIG. 8A is a side view of a further alternative embodiment of the flexible connector used in the wire core assembly of the bedding foundation of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 8B is a top view of the further alternative embodiment of the flexible connector illustrated in FIG. 8A.

[0024] FIG. 9A is a side view of a still further alternative embodiment of the flexible connector used in the wire core assembly of the bedding foundation of FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 9B is a top view of the still further alternative embodiment of the flexible connector illustrated in FIG. 9A.

[0026] FIG. 10A is a side view of still another alternative embodiment of the flexible connector used in the wire core assembly of the bedding foundation of FIG. 1.

[0027] FIG. 10B is a top view of the still other alternative embodiment of the flexible connector illustrated in FIG. 10A.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, a bedding foundation or box spring 1 is illustrated. The foundation 1 has a rectangular wooden base 2 comprised of a frame 7 on which are attached transverse wooden slats 3. Atop these transverse slats 3 is the nestably stackable wire core assembly 4. A foam pad 5 overlies the wire core assembly 4, and a fabric covering 6 overlies the foam pad 5 and surrounds the wire core assembly 4 and the base 2.

[0029] The wire core assembly 4 comprises a rectangular steel border wire 10 having two parallel sides 11, 11 extending over the length of the assembly 4. Two parallel ends extend over the width of the assembly 4, and one end is shown at 12. Steel support wires 13 are spaced across the width of the assembly 4 and extend over the length of the assembly 4 parallel to the border wire sides 11, 11. The steel support wires 13 have ends 14 that are crimped or wrapped around each of the ends 12 of the border wire 10. The support wires 13 are formed so as to be generally corrugatedly-shaped along their lengths, having peaks 15 and valleys 16. These peaks 15 and valleys 16 have respective flattened tops and bottoms 17, 18, respectively. The flattened tops 17 of the peaks 15 are generally coplanar with the plane defined by the border wire 10, and the flattened bottoms 18 of the valleys 16 are vertically spaced beneath and intermediate the flattened tops 17 of the peaks 15.

[0030] Steel upper connector wires 19 are spaced along the length of the wire core assembly 4 and extend over the width of the assembly 4 parallel to each of the border wire ends 12. The steel upper connector wires 19 have ends 20 which are crimped or wrapped around sides 11, 11 of the border wire 10. The upper connector wires 19 are welded intermediate of their ends along their lengths to the flattened tops 17 of the peaks 15 of the support wires 13.

[0031] If desired, continuous longitudinal wires 31 may be added either before or after the stackable assembly 4 has reached its final assembly destination. The longitudinal wires 31 have their ends 32 crimped around respective ones of the border wire ends 12. The wires 31 may be welded along their lengths to the upper connector wires 19 as desired. The wires 31 provide additional stiffness to the stackable assembly 4 at the ends of the assembly 4 so as to prevent the ends 12 of the border wire 10 from deflecting and permanently distorting when a person sits on the end of a bed which is supported by the foundation 1.

[0032] In this embodiment, the upper connector wires 19 are welded intermediate of their ends along their lengths to the underneath sides of the flattened tops 17 of the peaks 15 of the support wires 13. This allows the longitudinal wires 31 to rest atop and be generally coplanar with the flattened tops 17 of the peaks 15.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, adjacent pairs of the flattened bottoms 18 of the valleys 16 extending laterally between the sides 11 are connected by flexible, arcuate connectors 33. The connectors 33 are attached to the transverse cross slats 3 by a staple or other fastener 34 that is applied at about the center of each connector 33 where it contacts a respective transverse slat 3.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, each connector 33 has a body 40 with a generally C-shaped side profile and a generally U-shaped cross-sectional profile transverse to its length. The body 40 has a bottom wall 41 and opposed side walls 42. The body 40 has a center section 47 that is attached to the base 2 with a staple or other fastener 34. Opposed arm sections 48 extend upward and outward from the center section 47, and the opposed arm sections 48 terminate with clip sections 35. Each clip section 35 has a substantially circular hole 37 extending longitudinally through the clip section. The clip hole 37 is sized to receive a wire forming a flattened bottom 18 of a valley 16 as shown in FIG. 1. The hole 37 in each clip section 35 opens up on one side to form a slot or mouth 38. The slot 38 has side walls that are separated by a distance that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 37; and thus, the hole 37 and mouth 38 are generally keyhole shaped. As shown in FIG. 3, each clip section 35 is attached to a flattened bottom 18 by pressing the slot 38 over the flattened bottom 18 until the slot 38 spreads sufficiently to permit the flattened bottom 18 to snap into the hole 37. The smaller size of the slot 38 effectively locks the end 36 of the connector 33 onto the flattened bottom 18 of the valley 16.

[0035] The connector 33 is resilient and functions as a spring that adds about 1.00 inch to the height or thickness of the finished foundation 1. The connector 33 normally has a working deflection of about 0.75 inch. The resilient spring connector 33 is made of any material that provides a desired spring constant of, for example, about 1.1 Kg/mm and a full deflection force of, for example, about 21-42 Kg at 19 mm full deflection. Examples of such materials are a natural polypropylene or a “BAYPOLENE” 5072.

[0036] In use, the wire core assembly 4 of the bedding foundation 1 is often manufactured by a supplier, who then ships it to an assembler. The assembler mounts the wire core assembly 4 on a wooden base 2 and slats 3 and adds padding 5 and upholstery 6 to make a completed foundation product 1. With reference to FIG. 4, a first stackable wire core assembly 4amay be attached, for example, with staples 34a, to a surface such as transverse slats 3a. In FIG. 4 as well as other FIGS., like numbered elements with those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are substantially identical to the elements illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The connectors 33aare oriented downwardly and the flattened peaks 17aof the support wires 13aare oriented upwardly. Next, a second wire core assembly 4bis placed atop the first assembly 4a, with its connectors 33band flattened support wire peaks 17blikewise oriented downwardly and upwardly, respectively. The connectors 33band flattened valleys 18bof the second assembly 4benter into the voids between the flattened peaks 17aof the first assembly 4a. The second assembly 4bnestles downwardly within the first assembly 4auntil the ends 36bof the connectors 33bcontact the ends 36aof the connectors 33aas shown in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 5, for optimum stacking, the distance separating the centerlines of the holes 37a, 37bin the respective clip sections 35a, 35bis about 10 mm. When the second wire core assembly 4bis fully nested or stacked within the first wire core assembly 4a, the overall height of the nested assemblies 4a, 4bis substantially less than the sum of the heights of the individual assemblies 4a, 4b. Any number of assemblies 4 may be nested and stacked together for storage or shipment.

[0037] Thus, the flexible, resilient connectors 33 are interposed between a lowermost portion of the wire core assembly 4 and the base or frame 2, 3 of the box spring or foundation 1. The connectors 33 give the box spring a resilient load bearing capability that can be advantageously matched to the resilient load bearing capability of a mattress (not shown). With the resilient connectors 33, the box spring 1 resiliently absorbs the load of the user in partnership with the mattress. A box spring 1 having the resilient connectors 33 is especially useful in providing additional edge support when the mattress-box spring combination is subjected to loading, for example, when the user sits on the edge of the mattress. Therefore, the box spring construction described herein provides a higher quality, more durable mattress-box spring combination that is potentially more efficient to manufacture.

[0038] While the invention has been illustrated by the description of one embodiment, and while the embodiment has been described in considerable detail, there is no intention to restrict nor in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those who are skilled in the art. For example, one embodiment of a connector 33 for resiliently supporting the wire core assembly 4 is shown in FIG. 2. As will be appreciated, such a connector can have many different configurations and shapes. Examples of alternative configurations and shapes of the connector 33 are shown in FIGS. 6-9.

[0039] One alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B in which a connector 33ahas a body 40awith a generally C-shaped side profile and a center section 47athat is attached to the base 2 with a staple or other fastener 34. Opposed arm sections 48aextend upward and outward from the center section 47a,and the opposed arm sections 48aterminate with clip sections 39a.Referring to FIG. 6B, the center section 47ais comprised of a center torsion bar 50. Each of the opposed arm sections 48ais comprised of a connecting arm 51 that is connected at a substantially right angle to one end of an end section 52. An opposite end of the connecting arm 51 is connected at a substantially right angle to one end of the torsion bar 50. The end sections 52 are substantially parallel to the center torsion bar 50, and the body 40ahas a generally S-shape. The clip sections 39aare mounted on end sections 52 of the body 40a.Further, depending on the application, the clip sections 39amay be adhered, bonded, mechanically fastened to or otherwise appropriately secured to the end sections 52 as required. The body 40amay be made from conventional spring wire or other material that provides the desired resilient or spring properties to the body 40a.The clip section 39acan be molded from plastic or other material or manufactured by any other appropriate process. Other than the portion for mounting the clip section 39ato the end section 52, the clip section 39acan be substantially identical in size and shape to the clip section 35 described with respect to FIG. 2.

[0040] Another alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B in which a connector 33bhas a body 40bwith a generally C-shaped side profile and a center section 47bthat is attached to the base 2 with a staple or other fastener 34. Opposed arm sections 48bextend upward and outward from the center section 47b,and the opposed arm sections 48bterminate with clip sections 39b.Referring to FIG. 7B, the center section 47bis comprised of a center torsion bar 53. Each of the opposed arm sections 48bis comprised of a connecting arm 54 that is connected at an angle to one end of an end section 55. An opposite end of the connecting arm 54 is connected at an angle to one end of the torsion bar 53. The end sections 55 are substantially parallel to the center torsion bar 53, and the center torsion bar 53 forms a Z-shape with each of the connecting arms 54 and associated end sections 55. The clip sections 39bare mounted on end sections 55 of the body 40b.Further, depending on the application, the clip sections 39bmay be adhered, bonded, mechanically fastened to or otherwise appropriately secured to the end sections 55 as required. The body 40bmay be made from conventional spring wire or other material that provides the desired resilient or spring properties to the body 40b. The clip section 39bcan be molded from plastic or other material or manufactured by any other appropriate process. Other than the portion for mounting the clip section 39bto the end section 55, the clip section 39bis substantially identical in size and shape to the clip section 35 described with respect to FIG. 2.

[0041] A further alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B in which a connector 33chas a body 40cwith a generally C-shaped side profile and a center section 47cthat is attached to the base 2 with a staple or other fastener 34. Opposed arm sections 48cextend upward and outward from the center section 47c,and the opposed arm sections 48cterminate with clip sections 39c.Referring to FIG. 8B, the center section 47cis comprised of a center torsion bar 56. Each of the opposed arm sections 48ais comprised of a first and second connecting arms 57, 59, respectively, outer torsion bars 58 and end sections 60. The first connecting arms 57 are connected at substantially right angles between the ends of the center torsion bar 56 and the ends of outer torsion bars 58. Second connecting arms 59 are connected at substantially right angles between the ends of the outer torsion bars 58 and end sections 60. The center torsion bar 56, outer torsion bars 58 and end sections 60 are substantially parallel; and the first connecting arms 57 are substantially parallel to the second connecting arms 59. The clip sections 39care mounted on end sections 60 of the body 40c.Further, depending on the application, the clip sections 39cmay be adhered, bonded, mechanically fastened to or otherwise appropriately secured to the end sections 60 as required. The body 40cmay be made from conventional spring wire or other material that provides the desired resilient or spring properties to the body 40c.The clip section 39ccan be molded from plastic or other material or manufactured by any other appropriate process. Other than the portion for mounting the clip section 39cto the end section 60, the clip section 39cis substantially identical in size and shape to the clip section 35 described with respect to FIG. 2.

[0042] A still further alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B in which a connector 33dhas a body 40dwith a generally C-shaped side profile and a center section 47dthat is attached to the base 2 with a staple or other fastener 34. Opposed arm sections 48dextend upward and outward from the center section 47d,and the opposed arm sections 48dterminate with clip sections 39d.Referring to FIG. 9B, the center section 47dis comprised of a center torsion bar 63. Each of the opposed arm sections 48dis sinuous and comprised of with a plurality of semicircular connecting arm sections 61 interconnecting a plurality of torsion bars 62. Each arm section 48dterminates with end sections 64. The clip sections 39dare mounted on end sections 64. Further, depending on the application, the clip sections 39dmay be adhered, bonded, mechanically fastened to or otherwise appropriately secured to the end sections 64 as required. The body 40dmay be made from conventional spring wire or other material that provides the desired resilient or spring properties to the body 40d.The clip section 39dcan be molded from plastic or other material or manufactured by any other appropriate process. Other than the portion for mounting the clip section 39dto the end section 64, the clip section 39dis substantially identical in size and shape to the clip section 35 described with respect to FIG. 2.

[0043] Still another alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B in which a connector 33ehas a body 40ewith a generally C-shaped side profile and a center section 47ethat is attached to the base 2 with a staple or other fastener 34. Opposed arm sections 48eextend upward and outward from about their center, and the opposed arm sections 48eterminate with clip sections 39e.Referring to FIG. 10B, each of the opposed arm sections 48eis comprised of a pair of parallel arms 65, 66 that are connected at one end by an end 67. Thus, the arms 65, 66 and end 67 have a generally U-shaped configuration. Further, the ends of each of the arm sections 48a,48aare connected such that the arm sections 48a,48aare configured for form a quadrilateral shape, for example, a rectangle. The clip sections 39eare mounted on ends 67. Further, depending on the application, the clip sections 39emay be adhered, bonded, mechanically fastened to or otherwise appropriately secured to the ends 67 as required. The body 40emay be made from conventional spring wire or other material that provides the desired resilient or spring properties to the body 40e.The clip sections 39ecan be molded from plastic or other material or manufactured by any other appropriate process. Other than the portion for mounting the clip section 39eto the ends 67, the clip section 39eis substantially identical in size and shape to the clip section 35 described with respect to FIG. 2.

[0044] The above-described embodiments are exemplary, and the connector 33 can have any configuration and shape and be made from any material that provides the connector 33 with the desired resilient load bearing support of the wire core assembly 4 of the foundation 1. Further, while several variations of clips designs have been illustrated and described, as will be appreciated, other clip designs may be used that perform the desired function of connecting the connectors 33 to the bottoms 18 of the support wires 13.

[0045] Therefore, the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described. Consequently, departures may be made from the details described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims which follow.