No-glue 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 welded together when paired probes and anvils press layers of pocketed spring fabric from the rows of pocketed springs together and a welding pulse of current is transmitted through wires on the probes to heat the wire it is pressed against the fabric. Non-stick material interposed between the wires and the fabric prevents melted fabric from sticking to the wires.
Claims20
A method for glueless assembly of cushioning units, comprising:
- a) inserting one of at least one probe/anvil pair into openings of a first continuous row of connected multiple-coil modules, and inserting the other of said probe/anvil pair into openings of a second continuous row of connected multiple-coil modules, individual ones of said modules comprising more than two pocketed springs which together surround one of said openings, individual ones of said pocketed springs each comprising a spring inside a pocket made of a flexible material;
- b) moving said probe/anvil pair together such that at least one contact region on said anvil presses said material against at least one heating element connected to said probe, and applying current across said heating element to thereby weld said first and second rows of multiple-coil modules together;
- c) removing at least one of said first and second rows of modules from said probe/anvil pair;
- and
- repeating said steps (a), (b) and (c) until more than two rows of modules have been thereby welded together to form a cushioning structure having an extended area.
A mechanism for glueless assembly of pocketed spring units, comprising:
- at least one probe and at least one anvil, said probe and anvil configured to be inserted into openings of pocketed spring modules, individual ones of said modules comprising more than two pocketed springs which together surround one of said openings, and individual ones of said pocketed springs each comprising a spring inside a pocket made of a flexible material;
- said anvil having at least one contact region configured to press flush against said heating element when said probe and anvil are closed together;
- and
- at least one heating element mounted on an anvil-facing side of said probe and configured to thermally weld pocketed spring fabric when said probe and said anvil press together and current is propagated through said heating element.
A method for glueless assembly of cushioning units, comprising:
- a) inserting multiple double-rows of probe/anvil pairs into openings in multiple continuous rows of connected multiple-coil modules, ones of said pairs in ones of said double-rows inserting into openings in ones of said rows of modules, others of said pairs inserting into openings in adjacent ones of said rows of modules, different double-rows of probe/anvil pairs inserting into different twos of said rows of modules;
- wherein individual ones of said modules comprise more than two pocketed springs which together surround one of said openings, and wherein individual ones of said pocketed springs each comprise a spring inside a pocket made of a flexible material;
- b) moving said probe/anvil pairs together such that said anvils press said material against at least one heating element disposed along a facing side of corresponding ones of said probes, and applying current across said heating element to thereby weld said pairs of rows of multiple-coil modules together;
- c) removing said pairs of rows of modules from said double-rows of probe/anvil pairs;
- and
- d) repeating step a) such that said double-rows of probe/anvil pairs are inserted into different twos of said rows of modules that were not welded together in step b), and then repeating step b);
- wherein said rows of modules are sufficient to form a pocketed spring component of a mattress, and whereby said rows of modules are welded together in two welding events.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.