U.S. patent application number 16/304273 was filed with the patent office on 2019-08-01 for comfort item comprising foam filling elements.
This patent application is currently assigned to QUILTS OF DENMARK A/S. The applicant listed for this patent is QUILTS OF DENMARK A/S. Invention is credited to Hans Erik Schmidt.
Application Number | 20190231086 16/304273 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59034412 |
Filed Date | 2019-08-01 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190231086 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schmidt; Hans Erik |
August 1, 2019 |
COMFORT ITEM COMPRISING FOAM FILLING ELEMENTS
Abstract
A comfort item (200) has a first volume (202) delimited by an
outer boundary, where the first volume (202) includes several foam
pieces (100). The foam pieces have a body part (101); several foam
arms (102) having a first end and a second end, where the first end
is attached to the body part (101), and the second end protrudes
away from the body part (101); and several contour recesses (103)
between the foam arms (102), wherein the width of the foam arms is
greater that the length of the foam arms. Several foam filling
elements for such a comfort item are also described. As a result, a
comfort item is obtained with a filling providing good filling
properties and adding air to the comfort item.
Inventors: |
Schmidt; Hans Erik;
(Sommersted, DK) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
QUILTS OF DENMARK A/S |
Vamdrup |
|
DK |
|
|
Assignee: |
QUILTS OF DENMARK A/S
Vamdrup
DK
|
Family ID: |
59034412 |
Appl. No.: |
16/304273 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2017 |
PCT Filed: |
May 24, 2017 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DK2017/050174 |
371 Date: |
November 23, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B68G 2001/005 20130101;
A47G 9/10 20130101; A47G 2009/1018 20130101; A47G 9/0207 20130101;
A47C 27/144 20130101; B68G 1/00 20130101; A47C 27/22 20130101; A47C
27/086 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47C 27/14 20060101
A47C027/14; A47C 27/22 20060101 A47C027/22; A47G 9/02 20060101
A47G009/02; A47G 9/10 20060101 A47G009/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 24, 2016 |
CN |
201620479890.3 |
May 24, 2016 |
DK |
PA 2016 70346 |
Claims
1. A comfort item (200) comprising: a first volume (202) delimited
by an outer boundary, where the first volume (202) comprises a
plurality of foam pieces (100); wherein the foam pieces comprise a
body part (101); a plurality of foam arms (102) comprising at least
three arms extending away from the body part in different
directions, the foam arms (102) having a first end and a second
end, where the first end is attached to said body part (101) and
the second end protrudes away from the body part (101); and a
plurality of contour recesses (103) between the foam arms (102),
wherein the width of the foam arms is wider that the length of the
foam arms and wherein the foam arms have a stump shape and are one
of: rectangular tongue-shaped, trapezoid-shaped or lobe shaped.
2. A comfort item according to claims 1, wherein the distance
between the body part (101) and at least a part of the contour
recesses (103) is smaller than the distance between the body part
(101) and the second end of the foam arms (101).
3. A comfort item according to claim 1, where the foam piece (100)
is planar.
4. A comfort item according to claim 1, where the foam arms (102)
extend in three dimensions from the body part (101).
5. A comfort item according to claim 1, wherein the foam piece
comprises at least one through-going hole or blind cavity.
6. A comfort item according to claim 1, wherein the contour
recesses between the foam arms have a depth being longer than the
length of the foam arms.
7. A comfort item according to claim 1, wherein the contour
recesses between the foam arms have a width being smaller than the
width of the foam arms.
8. A comfort item according to claim 1, wherein the contour
recesses between the foam arms have a width that is greater than
the width of the foam arms.
9. A comfort item (200) according to claim 1, wherein the outer
boundary further delimits at least one second volume (203), where
the first volume (202) and the second volume (203) are separated by
a divider sheet (204), wherein the second volume comprises a
comfort filling.
10. A comfort item (200) according to claim 1, wherein the outer
boundary delimits at least two second volumes (203) comprising a
comfort filling, where the first volume (202) is placed between the
at least two second volumes (203).
11. A comfort item (200) according to claim 9, wherein the comfort
filling is one or more of: down, feather, buckwheat, latex, foam,
memory foam, micro beads, polyester fiber or water.
12. A plurality of foam pieces to be used as filling for a comfort
item wherein the foam pieces comprise a body part (101); a
plurality of foam arms (102) comprising at least three arms
extending away from the body part in different directions, the foam
arms (102) having a first end and a second end, where the first end
is attached to the body part (101), and the second end protrudes
away from the body part (101); and a plurality of contour recesses
(103) between the foam arms (102), wherein the width of the foam
arms is greater that the length of the foam arms and wherein the
foam arms have a stump shape and are one of: rectangular
tongue-shaped, trapezoid-shaped or lobe shaped.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a comfort item comprising
foam piece elements and to a plurality of foam filling element for
such a comfort item.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
[0002] When making comfort items such as pillows and duvets,
various filling materials are possible having different advantages
and disadvantages.
[0003] Down, feathers, fibre and foam are possible conventional
materials.
[0004] Down is the softest of the conventional options, while foam
has a good supporting ability that allows maintaining a good
posture throughout a sleep cycle or a rest period.
[0005] Combination solutions have also been seen in the art
striving to combine the softness of the down and the support of the
foam.
[0006] Foam is typically either supplied as a single piece having
the size and shape thought to be desirable or alternatively, it is
shredded and supplied in a shape that allows a larger degree of
compression thus making it a softer choice.
[0007] However, the predefined shape of a single piece of foam may
become uncomfortable during the sleep period, while shredded foam
will collapse over a longer period.
[0008] Further, it is of interest to obtain a comfort item where
the filling creates a support for the user either supporting e.g.
the head of the user or lying on the body of the user (duvet). At
the same time, air is required in the comfort item ensuring that
the body can breathe through the comfort item and creating a light
and comfortable comfort item. Generally, to ensure such properties
in a comfort item, the properties of the filling is very
important.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In one aspect of the invention, it relates to a comfort item
having in an inner volume a plurality of foam pieces, wherein said
plurality of foam pieces comprises a body part and a plurality of
foam arms having a first end, a second end, a width and a length
extending from said first end to said second end, where said first
end is attached to said body part, and said second end protrudes
away from said body part, and a plurality of contour recesses
between said foam arms and wherein the width of said foam arm is
larger the length of said foam arm.
[0010] Such plurality of foam pieces would be suitable as filling
for a comfort item and would ensure a filling material introducing
air into the comfort item. Thereby, a comfort item is supplied
which is better at retaining elastic deformation characteristics
than the foam solutions of the art by retaining at least some air
between pieces in the uncompressed state. When using a plurality of
such foam pieces for filling e.g. a comfort item such as a pillow
or a mattress, a filling is obtained having good filling properties
and adding air to the comfort item. Inside the comfort item, the
foam arms of one foam piece will be pressed towards the foam arms
of neighbouring foam pieces, and the arms will be able to compress,
but also due to the shape of the foam arms, they will provide a
resistance ensuring that the arms do not just collapse due to a
slight pressure. Therefore, it is necessary that the arms are
shaped with dimensions ensuring enough foam material along the
length of the arms, whereby the arms will not collapse easily.
[0011] In an embodiment, the length of the arms is also shorter
than the body part. Thereby, the body part is the main part
defining the flexibility of each element, and the arms are for
maintaining a distance towards neighbouring elements ensuring air
in the comfort item.
[0012] In an embodiment, the distance between the body part and at
least a part of the contour recess is smaller than the distance
between the body part and the second end of the foam arms. Thereby
the foam arms are present along the body parts.
[0013] In an embodiment, the foam piece is planar. Thereby, it is
easy to produce, e.g. by making a shaped foam beam and slicing the
foam elements from the foam beam, or by extruding/cutting it from
sheets of foam.
[0014] In an embodiment, the foam piece extends in three dimensions
from the body part. Thereby, it is even more effective at retaining
free air between foam pieces.
[0015] In an embodiment, the foam piece may comprise at least one
through-going hole or blind cavity. Thereby, it is even more
effective at retaining free air between foam pieces. The holes
and/or cavities may be arranged according to any angle relative to
the foam pieces, such as perpendicular to the plane of the planar
piece or parallel to the plane, or even angular relative to the
plane.
[0016] In an embodiment, the contour recesses between said foam
arms have a width being smaller than the width of said foam arms.
Thereby, the foam arms cannot fit into the recesses ensuring that
the air in the recesses is maintained.
[0017] In an embodiment, the contour recesses between said foam
arms have a width being wider than the width of said foam arms.
Thereby, even if the arms enter the recesses, air is still present
and further, the arm does not lock in the recess.
[0018] In an embodiment, the length of the foam arms of the foam
pieces is smaller than the breadth of the foam arms as measured at
their base, where the base of a foam arm is the end closest to the
centre of the foam piece. By having a foam piece having foam arms
that are broader than they are long, a deflection-resistant foam
piece is achieved, which retains its elasticity and thereby comfort
level over time. This is because the foam arm becomes relatively
rigid and exerts a force on neighbouring foam pieces to return to
its relaxed state.
[0019] In an embodiment, the contour of the recess has a different
shape than the contour of the foam arms. Thereby, the foam arms
does not fit into the recess, and air will still be present between
individual foam pieces. In a further embodiment, the contour of the
recess is formed or two lines being angled relative to each other
in a wide v-shape, and the foam arms have a rectangular
tongue-shape. In this embodiment, the whole foam piece may be said
to conform to a plus-shape, or a +-shape.
[0020] In an embodiment, the foam arms of the foam pieces are
trapezoid-shaped.
[0021] In an embodiment, the foam piece is flower-shaped,
clover-shaped or quatrefoil-shaped. In other words, it has arms
being lobe-shaped.
[0022] In an aspect, it relates to a comfort item comprising a
first volume delimited by an outer boundary, where the first volume
comprises a plurality of foam pieces.
[0023] In an embodiment, the outer boundary further delimits at
least one second volume, the second volume comprising a comfort
filling. By comfort filling is meant down, feather, buckwheat,
latex, foam including memory foam, micro beads, polyester fibre or
other biological or synthetic material generally being elastically
compressible. In an embodiment of the invention, the comfort
filling may be water, whereby the water allows at least the second
volume to change shape reversibly.
[0024] Thereby, the benefits of other materials may be combined
with the benefits of foam according to the invention.
[0025] In an embodiment, the outer boundary delimits at least two
second volumes comprising a comfort filling, where the first volume
is placed between the second volumes. Thereby, the user may turn
over the comfort item and retain the softness of the comfort
filling between the foam and the skin. In an embodiment, the
comfort filling is chosen from a list of down, feathers and
synthetic fibres.
[0026] By comfort item is meant pillows, mattresses and duvets. The
outer boundary and divider sheet are most often made of cotton,
wool or synthetic fibres.
[0027] In an embodiment, the foam pieces have at least two arms, at
least three arms, at least four arms, at least five arms, at least
six arms, at least seven arms or at least eight arms. In another
embodiment, the foam pieces has at most three arms, at most four
arms, at most five arms, at most six arms, at most seven arms, or
at most eight arms.
[0028] In an embodiment, the foam pieces are made of any type of
foam such as open-celled or closed-celled foam. In a preferable
embodiment of the invention, the foam pieces are made of
open-celled foam.
LIST OF FIGURES
[0029] In the following, example embodiments are described
according to the invention.
[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates different foam piece embodiments
according to the invention.
[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates foam pieces used in different comfort
items.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0032] In the following, the invention is described through a
series of embodiments, none of which are to be thought of as
limiting the invention.
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a number of foam pieces 100 according to
the invention. The foam pieces 100 may take a variety of different
shapes as illustrated by the embodiments shown in FIG. 1. Foam
piece 100A is a rectangular plus-shaped foam piece. Foam piece 100B
is a substantially rectangular plus-shaped foam piece having
rounded corners closest to the centre of the piece. Foam piece 100C
is flower-shaped. Foam piece 100D comprises four arms being
trapezoid, Foam piece 100F is star-shaped.
[0034] Each foam piece according to the invention has a body part
101 and a number of foam arms 102 extending away from the body part
101. Between two neighbouring foam arms 102, the foam piece forms a
recess contour 103, where the distance between the contour and the
body part 101 is lower than between the outer edge of a foam arm
102 and the body part 101. The recess may be shaped by straight
edges as in the embodiment 100A, as a concave recess as in the
embodiment 100B, and as an angle between two diverging lines as in
100C.
[0035] In the art, shredded foam is blown into for example pillows
and duvets. These arbitrarily formed pieces of foam will eventually
settle against each other in a way, where there is substantially no
free air between the foam pieces. This corresponds to the pillow
becoming compressed. Shaking, beating and washing the pillows may
then be performed to disband the shredded foam. However, this only
achieves moderate success of separation and expansion of the
pillow.
[0036] By having the shapes disclosed herein and exemplified in
embodiments 100A, 100B, 100C 100D, 100E and 100F, it is ensured
that the pieces may never engage each other completely, but instead
there will always be free air between them. Further, by compressing
the pieces such as by placing a head onto the pillow, the arms of
the pieces may easily bend and compress out of their preferred
shapes thus affording comfort, while expanding back into a larger
shape when not under pressure. Removing the head again restores the
previous and preferred state at least partially. Since the shape of
the pieces are known and controlled, and since the non-deformed
shapes do not engage each other effectively, it is ensured that
during compression, the foam pieces do not fasten to each other.
Instead, on decompression, the pieces return at least substantially
or partially to their natural and preferred shapes. Thereby, a
pillow filled with foam pieces according to the invention will
retain its capacity of elastic expansion for longer than solutions
in the art.
[0037] The shapes of the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 achieves
individual foam pieces being both flexible, as the arms may bend,
while the force required to compress them is not negligible.
[0038] In another embodiment of the invention, the foam piece is
star-shaped, has an uneven number of arms, is a sphere and/or is
elongated.
[0039] Embodiments 100G and 100H are two variations of embodiment
100A. Embodiment 100G is a planar foam piece, whereby the foam arms
102 all extend from the body part 101 in a single plane. Then, only
the thickness of the piece protrudes in the third dimension.
Thereby, foam pieces may easily be produced from foam sheets or
rolls or other convenient planar foam shapes.
[0040] In another embodiment 100H, the arms of the foam piece
extend from the centre in all three dimensions. Thereby, pockets of
air are secured even better between foam pieces.
[0041] The principles behind embodiments 100G and 100H being that
100H is a version of 100G extended into three dimensions are
extendable to the other shown planar embodiments.
[0042] Three-dimensional foam pieces may also take the basic shape
of 100D but instead having arms distributed in three dimensions
according to the same distribution of 45 degrees between
neighbouring arms.
[0043] Further, star-shaped foam piece 100F may have any number of
arms extending symmetrically in three dimensions, such as
conveniently 4, 6, 8, 12 or 20.
[0044] In another embodiment of the invention, the foam piece
further comprises holes or cavities.
[0045] FIG. 2 illustrates various embodiments of comfort items
according to the invention.
[0046] FIG. 2A illustrates a pillow 200A according to the
invention, with a first volume 202 and a multitude of foam pieces
100 filling up this first volume 202.
[0047] FIG. 2B illustrates a pillow 200B according to the
invention, being a combination pillow, where a first volume is
filled with foam pieces according to the invention, and where a
second volume 203 is filled with another type of comfort fill, such
as feathers, down or fibres. The volumes are separated by divider
sheets 204. Thereby, the shape stability of foam is achieved in
combination with other product features, such as the softness of
down, feathers or fibre.
[0048] FIG. 2C illustrates a pillow 200C according to the
invention, much like embodiment 200B in that it is a combination
pillow. Importantly, 200C comprises two second volumes filled with
another type of filling such as down or feathers. Thereby, the
pillow retains its comfort in both orientations, and the user may
turn it over during use.
[0049] FIG. 2D illustrates a mattress according to the invention,
said mattress being a combination mattress, where a first volume is
filled with foam pieces according to the invention, and where a
second volume 203 is filled with another type of filling,
preferably feathers or down. Thereby, the shape stability of foam
is achieved, while the comfort of down or feathers is also
achieved.
[0050] When a multitude of foam pieces according to the invention
is placed together, the recesses then geometrically hinder the foam
pieces from taking up the full space of the comfort item. Instead,
air pockets among the foam pieces remain. These are then
compressible by a user on use. Thereby, the total compression range
remains greater for a longer period of time.
[0051] Further, because the foam pieces are not shredded, their
edges are significantly smoother, whereby even if they settle into
a somewhat clumped position, a shake of the comfort item will
release the foam pieces much better than will be possible with
shredded foam pieces which may easily fasten strongly together. In
an embodiment of the invention, this allows the pillow not to
experience fatigue like normal shredded foam-filled comfort
items.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
[0052] 100A-H--foam pieces [0053] 101--body part [0054] 102--foam
arm [0055] 103--contour recess [0056] 200A-D--comfort items [0057]
202--first volume [0058] 203--second volume [0059] 204--divider
sheet
* * * * *