U.S. patent application number 10/261895 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-01 for fire-retardant mattress.
Invention is credited to Diaz, Vincent.
Application Number | 20040060118 10/261895 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32030097 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040060118 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Diaz, Vincent |
April 1, 2004 |
FIRE-RETARDANT MATTRESS
Abstract
A fire retardant mattress, sofa cushion and pillow has a foam
base which is covered by a fire barrier material. A ticking covers
the fire barrier material. Sheets of these combined materials are
formed into a top, a bottom and sidewalls for the mattress. The
intersecting planar surfaces are formed as a flange which is
sandwiched between a fire-retardant treated edge binding tape. The
flange is sewn with a fire retardant thread to encapsulate the
mattress with fire retardant components.
Inventors: |
Diaz, Vincent; (Havre de
Grace, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG, KRATZ, QUINTOS, HANSON & BROOKS, LLP,
Suite 220
502 Washington Avenue
Towson
MD
21204
US
|
Family ID: |
32030097 |
Appl. No.: |
10/261895 |
Filed: |
October 1, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/698 ;
5/954 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 27/003 20130101;
Y10S 297/05 20130101; A47C 31/001 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
005/698 ;
005/954 |
International
Class: |
A47C 017/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fire-retardant mattress, sofa cushion, pillow or the like,
comprising a foam base, a fire barrier material substantially
covering the foam base, a ticking covering the fire barrier
material, a tape covering the intersecting planar surface of the
mattress and forming an edge binding for the mattress around the
perimeter thereof, the fire barrier material being sandwiched
between the edge binding, thereby forming a laterally-projecting
flange, and the flange being held together by a stitched fire
retardant sewing thread, the thread and the tape of the edge
binding being capable of withstanding very high temperatures
without rendering the foam vulnerable to the flames, and yet
retaining the structural integrity of the mattress as a whole.
2. The fire retardant mattress of claim 1, wherein the foam base is
attached to the fire barrier material and is sandwiched between the
edge binding together with the fire barrier material and forming
the laterally projecting flange.
3. The fire retardant mattress of claim 1, wherein the fire barrier
material is aramid.
4. The fire retardant mattress of claim 3, wherein the fire barrier
material has a weight ranging from 2 oz/sq. yd to 5 oz/sq. yd.
5. The fire-retardant mattress of claim 1, wherein the stitched
fire retardant sewing thread is formed from aramid fiber.
6. The fire retardant mattress of claim 1, wherein the tape is
treated to be fire-retardant.
7. The fire-retardant mattress of claim 1, wherein the mattress has
a top, a bottom and four sides connecting the top and the bottom,
the entire top and the entire bottom being covered with the fire
retardant material, the fire retardant material covering all four
sides, having a first end and a second end, a segment of the first
end overlapping a segment of the second end and the overlapping
segment being sewn together.
8. A method of making a fire-retardant mattress, sofa cushion,
pillow or the like, comprising the steps of: providing a frame,
providing a foam base, a fire barrier material substantially
covering the foam base and a ticking covering the fire barrier
material, thereby forming a sheet of material, forming the sheet of
material into a top, a bottom and a sidewall for the frame and
defining planar surfaces, forming a laterally projecting flange
around the perimeter of the mattress, sofa cushion and pillow, the
flange formed from the foam, the fire barrier material and the
ticking at the intersecting planar surfaces of the mattress, the
sofa cushion and the pillow, disposing a fire-retardant treated
edge binding tape over the laterally projecting flange such that
the flange is sandwiched between the edge binding tape, sewing the
edge binding tape over the laterally-projecting flange with a fire
retardant thread, thereby securing the edge binding, such that the
mattress, sofa cushion and pillow are capable of withstanding very
high temperatures and open flame while retaining structural
integrity.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a mattress which is
fire-retardant and does not burn when exposed to elevated
temperatures and flame.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] In the United States mattress fires cause the deaths of
approximately 500 people each year. One of the main causes of these
fires is children playing with matches.
[0005] The incidence of mattress fires throughout the United States
is such that the industry has formed committees to attempt to
establish standards for testing flammability of mattresses. The
state of California enacted regulations in 2001 which requires all
mattresses to be sold effective January 2004 to meet the
performance requirements of California Technical Bulletin 129. The
Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering regulations which
would require that mattresses be required to pass an open flame
test which would be mandatory nationwide.
[0006] The foam used within the mattress for cushioning, is a
potential source of fuel which can be ignited and quickly engulf
the mattress in flames. The foam is highly flammable. Not only is
the foam flammable, but when burning, it emits noxious fumes.
Furthermore, in the construction of the mattress, the sewing
thread, used to secure the perimeter of the mattress, which is a
thread made of nylon or other fibers. These threads are flammable
and will melt when exposed to direct flame. The flammability of the
present mattresses is aggravated by these types of thread. These
threads melt at the temperature of a burning match, which is
approximately 460.degree. F. When the thread is destroyed the
structural integrity of the mattress is destroyed. The flame
frequently travels around the periphery of the mattress where the
threads join the top and the sidewalls. This flame then ignites the
foam within the mattress which fuels the fire to a catastrophic
event.
[0007] There is interest from the ASTM International, a national
consensus standards organization, on this subject. Specifically,
Subcommittee E5-15 which is responsible for household furnishings,
has initiated the development of a standard to evaluate the
performance of components which can be used to improve the ability
of mattresses to withstand an open flame.
[0008] In a related area, aircraft seat manufacturers are concerned
about the flame resistance of the seats to meet the performance
requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) 25.833.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
mattress, a sofa cushion and a pillow which, when exposed to an
open flame, will not burn.
[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
fire retardant mattress which is easily produced and is economical
to manufacture.
[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
fire retardant mattress which will meet the requirements
established by government agencies.
[0012] In accordance with the teachings of the present invention,
there is disclosed a fire-retardant mattress, sofa cushion, pillow
or the like, comprising a foam base, a fire barrier material, a
tape covering the intersecting planar surfaces of the mattress and
forming an edge binding for the mattress around the perimeter
thereof. The fire barrier material is sandwiched between the edge
binding, thereby forming a laterally-projecting flange. The flange
is held together by a stitched fire-retardant sewing thread. The
thread and the tape of the edge binding are capable of withstanding
very high temperatures without rendering the foam vulnerable to the
flames, and yet retaining the structural integrity of the mattress
as a whole.
[0013] In further accordance with the teachings of the present
invention, there is disclosed a method of making a fire-retardant
mattress, sofa cushion, pillow or the like. There is provided a
frame, a foam base, a fire barrier material substantially covering
the foam base and a ticking covering the fire barrier material,
thereby forming a sheet of material. The sheet of material is
formed into a top, a bottom and a sidewall for the frame and
defining planar surfaces. A laterally projecting flange is formed
around the perimeter of the mattress, sofa cushion and pillow. The
flange is formed from the foam, the fire barrier material and the
ticking at the intersecting planar surfaces of the mattress, the
sofa cushion and the pillow. A fire-retardant treated edge binding
tape is disposed over the laterally projecting flange such that the
flange is sandwiched between the edge binding tape. The edge
binding tape is sewn over the laterally-projecting flange with a
fire-retardant thread, thereby securing the edge binding. In this
manner the mattress, sofa cushion and pillow are capable of
withstanding very high temperatures and open flame while retaining
structural integrity.
[0014] These and other objects of the present invention will become
apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in
conjunction with the enclosed drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mattress of the prior
art.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken across the lines 2-2
of FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of two intersecting planar
surfaces of the mattress of FIG. 2.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram of ignition of the mattress of the prior
art by a child playing with matches.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the two intersecting
planar surfaces of the mattress of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a diagramatic view of a chain stitch.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a diagramatic view of a lock stitch.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of overlapping ends.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of
overlapping ends.
[0024] FIG. 10 is perspective view of a further embodiment of
overlapping ends.
[0025] FIG. 11A has a cut-away view showing a flame applied to the
prior art mattress.
[0026] FIG. 11B has a cut-away view showing FIG. 11A and the
stitching melted and the tape burning.
[0027] FIG. 11C has a cut-away view showing FIG. 11A with the
entire mattress burning.
[0028] FIG. 11D is a cut-away view showing a flame applied to the
present invention.
[0029] FIG. 11E is a cut-away view showing FIG. 11D retaining
integrity after exposure to the open flame.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1-4 in the prior art, a mattress 10 is
formed by placing a flammable foam material 12 over a frame,
usually having springs on the frame. A ticking 14 or dress cover
fabric is made as a cover directly attached to the foam 12. The
mattress 10 has a top, a bottom and four sidewalls connecting the
top and bottom. These sidewalls intersect the perimeters of the
planar top and bottom surfaces. At the intersection, the respective
ticking are sandwiched between an edge binding 16 which encompasses
the entire top perimeter. A similar edge binding 16 encompasses the
entire bottom perimeter. The edge binding is sewn together to
assemble the mattress.
[0031] In the prior art, the ticking 14 is usually a polypropylene,
polyester or nylon fabric. The edge binding 16 is generally made
from an untreated polyester material. The edge binding and ticking
are sewn together using a polymeric thread 18. None of the
component materials are usually made from fire retardant or flame
resistant material. When exposed to elevated temperatures or an
open flame, all of the components will burn or melt to fuel the
fire and/or to deform and no longer retain the shape of the
mattress. One of the major causes of mattress fires is children
playing with matches (FIG. 4).
[0032] In the present invention, FIG. 5, the ticking 14 is attached
to a first face of a fire barrier material 20. A preferred fire
barrier material is an aramid fiber which is made by E.I. DuPont de
Nemours & Co. and sold as KEVLAR.RTM.. Other known fire barrier
materials which are known are preoxidized acrylic and fiberglass.
The acrylic material and the fiberglass are both uncomfortable on
the skin of persons and are less desirable for use in mattresses.
The ticking 14 is preferably sewn to the fire barrier material 20.
On the opposite face of the fire barrier material 20, the foam 12
is attached. The fire barrier material 20 preferably has a weight
ranging from 2 oz./sq. yd. to 5 oz./sq. yd. This defines a
thickness of the fire barrier material 20 which can withstand an
open flame for a sufficient time to be considered to provide a fire
retardant mattress.
[0033] The top and bottom of the mattress 10 are usually made,
using much thicker foam 12. The sidewalls of the mattress usually
have a thinner foam. The sidewalls intersect the perimeters of the
top and bottom surfaces of the mattress. At the intersection, as
shown in FIG. 5, the foam 12 layer of the outer edges of the top
(and the bottom) are placed adjacent to the foam 12 layer of the
sidewall. The respective ticking 14 of the top (and the bottom) are
disposed distal from the ticking on the sidewalls. The edges are
sandwiched between the folded edge binding tapes 16 which encompass
the entire perimeter of the top and the bottom of the mattress 10.
The foam 12 layers are compressed within the folded edge binding
tapes 16 and the edge binding tapes are sewn with a thread 18
preferably using a lock stitch or a chain stitch (FIGS. 6-7) in
accordance with stitch type 301 or 401 of ASTM D6193.
[0034] The edge binding tape 16 of the present invention preferably
is a polyester material which is treated for flame retardency. The
treated tape can also withstand washing.
[0035] The thread 18 of the present invention preferably is formed
from material which is fire resistant such as aramid fiber.
CRAQ-SPUN.RTM. sewing threads made of aramid fibers provided by
Atlantic Thread and Supply Co., Inc. has been used successfully as
the thread. The thickness of the thread may be selected for
strength and cost. It is possible to use one thickness of thread in
the needle thread of the sewing machine and a different thickness
of thread in the bottom thread of the sewing machine. By a proper
selection of thread thickness, the overall strength of the seam can
be adjusted. The strength of the seam is an important factor
because the foam portion of the top (and bottom layer) is very
thick and is highly compressed when sandwiched in the edge binding
16 with the thinner layer of foam from the sidewalls. The thread 18
must be strong enough to resist the stress of the compressed foam
12, the fire barrier material 20 and the ticking 14 which are all
sandwiched in the folded edge binding 16.
[0036] In manufacturing the mattress, the foam 12, the fire barrier
material 20 and the ticking 14 are assembled in a single sheet
which is large enough to form the respective planar surfaces of the
top and bottom of the mattress. These are disposed on the frame.
The sidewall 22 is usually formed from a single length of the
assembled foam 12, fire barrier material 20 and ticking 14. The
length of sidewall is placed around the frame and the top and
bottom flanges are formed with the sidewall 22. The opposite ends
24, 24' of the sidewall 22 are overlapped and sewn together.
Preferably, the foam 12 and ticking 14 are removed from the
overlapping segments. If the foam and ticking are not removed,
there is a possibility that, when exposed to an open flame, the
foam and/or the ticking could ignite and the fire could travel
through the overlapped segments and reach the foam within the
mattress. This would compromise the fire retardant features of the
mattress. FIGS. 8-10 show alternate overlapping seams which are
recommended. These seams are made in accordance with ASTM D6193.
FIG. 8 shows overlapping of the opposite ends 24, 24' of the
sidewall and seaming with one or more rows of stitches. FIG. 9
shows the folding in and overlapping of the opposite ends 24, 24'
of the sidewall so that the ends are concealed and seaming with one
or more rows of stitching. FIG. 10 shows the overlapping of a strip
of fire retardant material on the abutted opposite ends 24, 24' of
the sidewalls and seaming with two or four rows of stitching. If
the opposite ends 24, 24' of the sidewall 22 were simply butted
together without any overlapping, the mattress would not withstand
an open flame. The flame would ignite the foam 12 which would be
exposed at the butted joint and the foam within the mattress 10
would burn. All of the overlapping seams are sewn with the fire
retardant thread 18.
[0037] The effectiveness of the fire retardant properties of the
present invention has been extensively tested against an open flame
in accordance with California Technical Bulletin 129. This requires
a methane flame at 1,200.degree. F. which is much more severe than
a burning match which burns at approximately 460.degree. F. The
continuous exposure time to the open flame is for three (3)
minutes. After three (3) minutes, the ticking in the vicinity of
the flame has been consumed or has melted. There is charring of the
ticking around the outer areas which have been exposed to the
flame. Also, charred remnants of the ticking cover the fire barrier
material 20 (the aramid). The edge binding 10 is darkened and is
somewhat embrittled, but is intact. The thread 18 through the
flange is unaffected and retains the flange in its original shape.
The mattress successfully passed this vigorous test (FIGS.
11D-11E).
[0038] It was noted that after the open flame was removed, an
afterflame was occasionally observed on the flange, usually at the
edges of the area exposed to the open flame. This was due to
burning of the compressed foam which was in the flange. The
afterflame burned out in a short time and did not ignite adjacent
portions of the flange nor did it ignite the foam within the
mattress.
[0039] If the thread is made from a polymeric fiber, as is
presently used in the contemporary non-fire retardant mattresses,
it has been found that these polymeric fibers melt. The edge
binding tape is not retained over the flange and the foam is
ignited. The mattress does not withstand the open flame test when
nylon thread is used, even with the fire barrier material and the
treated edge binding (FIGS. 11A-11C).
[0040] The present invention is an overall system to encapsulate
the foam which is in the mattress and to prevent the foam from
burning. The system is the fire barrier material (aramid), the
treated edge binding tape and the fire resistant thread (aramid) in
which the three components are interdependent. The system
withstands an open flame and safeguards the structural integrity of
the mattress to prevent ignition of the foam. The present invention
solves a longstanding problem which the mattress and furniture
industry has recognized and has not resolved.
[0041] Obviously, many modifications may be made without departing
from the basic spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that within the
scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other
than has been specifically described herein.
* * * * *