Mattress structure having a foam mattress core

An elongated mattress core for a mattress structure, the mattress core comprising a foam core including an upwardly-facing top surface, a bottom surface spaced apart from the top surface, and first and second elongated sides connecting the top and bottom surfaces, the foam core being formed to include a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart transverse slits extending downwardly from the top surface, each slit terminating at a lower end spaced apart from the bottom surface by a first distance and each slit extending transversely from a first slit end spaced apart from the first side of the foam core to a second slit end spaced apart from the second side of the foam core, each adjacent pair of slits defining a foam column so that the foam core has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending foam columns, each foam column having a pair of generally vertical column side walls defining the slits, the foam core being formed to include a plurality of slots, each slot being associated with a slit and extending generally vertically upwardly from the bottom surface to the lower end of its associated slit so that the slot cooperates with the slit to define an opening extending through the foam core from the top surface to the bottom surface, each slot extending transversely from a first slot end spaced apart from the first side of the core and a second slot end spaced apart from the second side of the core.

An elongated mattress core for a mattress structure, the mattress core comprising a foam core including an upwardly-facing top surface, a bottom surface spaced apart from the top surface, and first and second elongated sides connecting the top and bottom surfaces, the foam core being formed to include a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart transverse slits extending downwardly from the top surface, each slit terminating at a lower end spaced apart from the bottom surface by a first distance and extending transversely from a first slit end spaced apart from the first side of the foam core to a second slit end spaced apart from the second side of the foam core, each adjacent pair of slits defining a foam column so that the foam core has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending foam columns, each foam column having a pair of generally vertical column side walls defining the slits, the foam core including longitudinally spaced apart head, shoulder, seat, thigh, and foot zones, each zone including at least one foam column, the foam columns of each zone being made from foam having a selected indention load deflection, the indention load deflection of the foam in each zone being selectable for each for each zone independently of the other zones, each of the foam columns being formed to include a second shallow slit extending downwardly from the top surface and terminating at a lower end of the shallow slit that is spaced apart from the bottom surface by a second distance and extending transversely from a first shallow slit end spaced apart from the first side of the core to a second shallow slit end spaced apart from the second side of the core, the second distance of each shallow slit within each zone being generally equal to the second distance of each other shallow slit within the zone, the second distance in one of the head, shoulder, seat, thigh, and feet zones being different from the second distance in another of the head, shoulder, seat, thigh, and feet zones.

An elongated mattress core for a mattress structure, the mattress core comprising a foam core including an upwardly-facing top surface, a bottom surface spaced apart from the top surface, and first and second elongated sides connecting the top and bottom surfaces, the foam core being formed to include a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart transverse slits extending downwardly from the top surface, each slit terminating at a lower end spaced apart from the bottom surface by a first distance and extending transversely from a first slit end spaced apart from the first side of the foam core to a second slit end spaced apart from the second side of the foam core, each adjacent pair of slits defining a foam column so that the foam core has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending foam columns, each foam column having a pair of generally vertical column side walls defining the slits, the foam core including a frame including an elongated first foam side member having an inner side surface and an outer side surface spaced apart from the inner side surface and defining the first side of the foam core and an elongated second foam side member having an inner side surface and an outer side surface spaced apart from the inner side surface and defining the second side of the foam core, the slits extending transversely from the inner side surface of the first foam side member to the inner side surface of the second foam side member, each side member including an upper foam side member attached to at least one foam column of the plurality of foam columns and a lower foam side member positioned beneath the upper foam side member and attached to at least one foam column of the plurality of foam columns.

A mattress structure comprising

• an elongated foam core of unitary construction including a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart and transversely-extending foam columns, each foam column having first and second longitudinally spaced-apart side walls, each pair of adjacent side walls of adjacent foam columns defining a slit so that the foam core includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart slits, each pair of adjacent side walls further defining a slot beneath the slit and extending downwardly therefrom to the bottom surface, each slot and its respective slit cooperating to define an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and
• a shear panel including a first tab, a first side panel attached to the first tab, a top panel attached to the first side panel, a second side panel attached to the top panel, and a second tab attached to the second side panel, the shear panel being made from a material having a low coefficient of friction and being wrapped around one foam column of the plurality of foam columns so that the top panel engages the top surface, the first and second side panels engage the first and second side walls, the first tab is received by the slot defined by the first side wall and extends therethrough, and the second tab is received by the slot defined by the second side wall and extends therethrough.