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US 10,376,983 B2Granted
Glueless pocketed spring unit construction
OwnerMartin Wolfsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for no-glue pocketed spring unit construction. Rows of pocketed springs, preferably arranged into modules of more than two pocketed springs surrounding a central hole, are ultrasonically welded together when paired vibrating probes and anvils press layers of pocketed spring fabric from the rows of pocketed springs together and a welding pulse is transmitted to the vibrating probe.
Claims22
A mechanism for glueless assembly of pocketed units, comprising:
- (a) at least first and second adjacent and mutually parallel rows of locator pins configured to position two or more adjacent rows of pocketed spring modules, said locator pins having a longitudinal axis;
- wherein individual ones of said pocketed spring modules comprise more than two pocketed springs which together surround an-opening;
- and wherein individual ones of said pocketed springs each comprise a coil spring inside a pocket made of a flexible material;
- and
- (b) one or more welding pairs of probes and contact prongs, said probes having a longitudinal axis and said contact prongs having a longitudinal axis, said probes' longitudinal axis and said contact prongs' longitudinal axis configured to align with said longitudinal axis of respective ones of said locator pins to enable said probes and said contact prongs to receive said rows of pocketed spring modules from said respective locator pins, said probes and said contact prongs configured to close together to compress and thermally weld pocket material between two adjacent pairs of pocketed springs from two different rows of pocketed spring modules.
2 more elements
A mechanism for glueless assembly of pocketed spring units, comprising:
- at least one probe and at least one anvil having a noncontact portion and a contact portion, said contact portion parallel to and configured to press flush against said probe during thermal welding, said noncontact portion configured to be distal from said probe when said contact portion and said probe are pressed flush, said probe and said anvil configured to be relatively moveable,
- wherein two rows of pocketed spring modules are welded together when layers of pocket fabric corresponding to both of said rows of pocketed spring modules are pressed between said probe and said contact portion and a welding pulse is transmitted to said probe;
- and
- wherein said probes have a longitudinal axis, said anvils have a longitudinal axis parallel to said probes' longitudinal axis, said probes and said anvils are configured to move in parallel to said probes' longitudinal axis, relative to said pocket fabric, to surround said pocket fabric, and said probes and said anvils are configured to move relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to said probes' longitudinal axis to perform said press flush action.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.