Mattress, Mattress Top Comfort Layer and Mattress Topper with differing body area deflection means to provide body prominence pressure reduction and proper spinal alignment

This utility application claims the benefit and priority of application 63/675,650 filed on Jul. 25, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by referenced as if restated herein.

This application includes material which is subject or may be subject to copyright and/or trademark protection. The copyright and trademark owner(s) has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and trademark rights whatsoever.

The invention generally relates to mattress systems. More particularly, the invention relates to means and methods of creating mattress products, such as comfort layers and toppers with varied deflection properties to provide body prominence pressure reduction and proper spinal alignment.

The known related art fails to anticipate or disclose the principles of the present invention.

In the related art, general mattresses, top comfort layers and mattress toppers are known, but the related art fails to provide zones of varied deflection, as found in the disclosed embodiments.

Thus, there is a need in the art for the disclosed embodiments.

The present invention overcomes shortfalls in the related art by presenting an unobvious and unique combination and configuration of methods and components to create distinct areas upon a sleeping surface with each distinct area having a predefined and targeted deflection value. The presently disclosed embodiments overcome shortfalls in the prior art by, inter alia, use of novel void shapes and void locations within a pad system and the use of materials with varying Indention Force Deflection “IFD” properties.

Consumer mattresses of the prior art create pressure on the body during sleep which causes tossing/turning and sleep quality degradation. Higher body pressures cause more nocturnal body movements than lower pressures.

When in a recumbent position on a mattress, certain parts of the body receive more pressure than others. When sleeping in the most frequent and preferred sleep position—side lying—the body's prominences such as the hip and shoulder receive significantly more pressure than other parts of the body. This higher pressure increases the frequency of tossing/turning which degrades sleep quality considerably.

Also, body alignment while laying upon mattresses or sleep systems of the prior art leave much to be desired, resulting in tossing and turning. Since mattresses are flat and the body is not, the undifferentiated compressibility of the mattress structure or the prior art causes the body to conform to the mattress, instead of the mattress conforming to the body's contours. This often results in morning stiffness and low back discomfort.

An object of this invention is to more evenly distribute and equalize the pressure on the body by reducing and redistributing the high prominence pressures on the hip and shoulder to other parts of the body, thereby reducing body shifting and sleep disruption.

Another object of this invention is to improve body alignment which compensates for the mattress's inability to adequately conform to the body's contours. The disclosed embodiments accomplish this, by inter alia, effectively softening the hip and shoulder areas by modified deflection means compared to other areas. This allows deeper deflection of the shoulder and hip prominences into the mattress surface which improves alignment and comfort while reducing and equalizing prominence pressures.

Prior art mattresses leave much room for improvement. For example, it has been reported that approximately 60 million Americans suffer from an inability to stay asleep with 109 million sleepers reporting fair or poor sleep quality. A 2022 Sleep Foundation survey found that about 40% of Americans (˜130M) reported being unhappy with their mattress, citing discomfort and sleep disturbances as major issues. This dissatisfaction is often related to issues such as poor sleep quality, discomfort and tossing and turning throughout the night and reduced next-day performance and wellbeing.

In the prior art, external pressures higher than 32 mmHg are sufficient to occlude capillaries in humans. This is based on studies and clinical observations related to pressure ulcer formation. The lower end of the occlusion pressure spectrum (32 mmHg) is often cited in studies related to the prevention of pressure ulcers. External pressures over 32 mmHg are responsible for mattress-induced nocturnal postural shifting (tossing and turning). This excessive pressure affects comfort and leads to increased body position shifting to relieve pressure and discomfort.

The disclosed embodiments overcome these shortfalls by modifying the sleep surface structural form to redistribute and equalize the external pressures to near or less than the capillary occlusion threshold of about 32 mmHg, while ensuring spinal neutrality. The disclosed embodiments provide a much more natural and comfortable sleep environment which reduces sleep disruption and greatly improves sleep quality.

In the prior art, pressure affects nocturnal posture shifting as follows:

Tissue Hypoxia and Pain: Ischemic pressures can cause tissue hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and potential pain. To counteract this, the body instinctively moves to relieve pressure on the affected areas, which manifests as tossing and turning during sleep.

Pressure and Comfort: When external pressure applied to the body exceeds 32 mmHg, it can compress blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the affected areas. This compression can cause discomfort and lead to the body shifting positions to alleviate pressure and discomfort.

Tissue Health: Sustained pressure at levels above 32 mmHg can lead to ischemia (reduced blood supply) and tissue damage. This can cause pain or discomfort, prompting the individual to change positions during sleep to relieve the pressure.

The disclosed embodiments, overcome such prior art shortfalls by, inter alia, noticing that the reason for excessive body-sleep surface interface pressures above the capillary occlusion pressure was caused by an inherent property of the unmodified foam slab comfort layers common to most sleep surfaces; longitudinal tensile stress caused by vertical compression. In other words, a localized force (i.e., the shoulder or hip area's trochanter protuberance) vertically compressing a large flexible foam area, must overcome the resisting longitudinal (horizontal) tensile forces inherent in the foam, which creates additional compression resistance. This causes increased localized protuberance interface pressures above 32 mmHg which results in increased discomfort and positional shifting. According to an NIH study, average positional shifting occurs 38 times per night (˜every 12 minutes). With some of our earlier prototypes, utilizing infrared video recordings, our technology has recorded major positional shifts as low as 8 times per night (˜every 57 minutes).

A solution presented by the disclosed embodiments is to interrupt those horizontal longitudinal tensile forces by creating a series of transverse (side-to-side) vertical channels cut into the foam comfort layer from the top surface downward, with channel widths typically about ½″ wide, as well as other geometric features. The disclosed width, depth and horizontal spacing pattern of these “tensile force interrupter” channels control the degree of interface pressure reduction. The channels also fine-tune spinal alignment of the body while imparting a much greater degree of foam deflection and conformance to abrupt body contour elevational changes, such as the shoulder deflection area. This is required to achieve “sub-ischemic” pressures along the length of the comfort layer.

These and other objects and advantages will be made apparent when considering the following detailed specification when taken in conjunction with the drawings.

The following detailed description is directed to certain specific embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in a multitude of different ways as defined and covered by the claims and their equivalents. In this description, reference is made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout.

Unless otherwise noted in this specification or in the claims, all of the terms used in the specification and the claims will have the meanings normally ascribed to these terms by workers in the art.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application.

The above detailed description of embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps in a different order. The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not only the systems described herein. The various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the detailed description.

Any and all the above references and U.S. patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions and concepts of the various patents and applications described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.

shows a first embodimentof an all-foam mattress with pressure relieving features. Ina top foam piecehas a series of channelscontour cut or tear drop cut into the foam. The top foam layeris a softer foam than the base foamand is laminated over the base foam after the top foam cutting and removal of the channel plugs or tear drop voids.

shows a channel shape in the form of a trianglewhich has a larger channel area which decreases the force required to compress the foam to the same degree as. All of the channels ofandperform foam tensile stress relief which is tuned to control the deflection under body load for proper spinal alignment as well as body-prominence pressure relief.

shows an embodiment of an all-foam mattress top comfort layer with pressure relieving features. The foam piecehas a series of channels, such as a triangle channel typecut into the foam. All of the channels perform foam tensile stress relief which is tuned to control the deflection under body load for proper spinal alignment as well as body prominence pressure relief.

shows an embodimentof a mattress topper with differing pressure-relieving contour cuts. All of the channels perform foam tensile stress relief which is tuned to control the deflection under body load for proper spinal alignment as well as body prominence pressure relief.

demonstrate how the channelsofaffect and compare to the force-deflection curves of the adjacent foam areas.shows a square section of the mattress ofwith two areasandto be compared.show the segmentation of areasand, respectively, for illustrative purposes, and their respective force-deflection curves. In, the segments 1 through 7 are of equal area, whereas the segments 1 through 7 ofare of differing areas. In, if the segments 1 through 7 ofwere re-joined to look like, they exhibit the force-deflection curve of. In,segment 7 is smaller than segment 1 and is vertically compressed more easily than segment 1 and segments 6-2 progressively. This largely negates the additive compression resistance found in. In, if the segments 1 through 7 of 4-1 were re-joined to look like 10, they exhibit the force-deflection curve of. This flatter force-displacement curve acts more like a spiral compression spring curve which is virtually straight. In addition to the above, the adjacent void creates a tensile stress interrupter which greatly reduces the compressive force required for the same deflection amount for a section of foam with no tensile stress interrupter.

demonstrate how foam tensile stress can be eliminated by interruption of the tensile stress by foam cuts. In, a block of foamis compressed by a platento a depth of X. The force required to penetrate to depth X is 2 as in F=2. The induced tensile stress is created by the resultant elongation of the flexible foam cells, normal to the applied load (Young's modulus).shows the reduction in force required by the platento compress the foamto the same depth X, in this case For force equals 1.2 vs. F=2 as in.

demonstrate the force-deflection curve of two identical foam samples, with and without tensile stress interruption.shows the force-deflection curves of the two samples, N1 and N2.shows the sample N1 under load with resultant tensile stress.shows the sample N2 under load with a tensile stress interrupter.

shows a topper/top comfort layer.shows a topper disposed over a mattress. Referring to, a mattress comprised of a top comfort layer as inglued to a firmer base foam layer. All of the channelsare cut to depths to ensure lowest body interface pressures combined with optimal spinal alignment. Optimum alignment is created and controlled by the amount of each body section vertical deflection allowed by the channel depths as a function of body section vertical force within that channel area.

shows a disclosed embodimenthaving a center channeland two sets of flanking channelsand.includes a base layer.

In general a topper/top comfort layer and a mattress may comprised a top comfort layer glued to a firmer base foam layer. All of the channels or voids are cut to depths to ensure lowest body interface pressures combined with optimal spinal alignment. Optimum alignment is created and controlled by the amount of each body section vertical deflection allowed by the channel depths as a function of body section vertical force within that channel area.

shows a topper/top comfort layer and a mattress () comprised of a top comfort layer as inglued to a firmer base foam layer. The purpose of the two additional hip channelsis to slightly reduce pressure to the pelvic crest of the hip area while maintaining correct hip area deflection for optimal spinal alignment.

demonstrate various principles of pressure reduction or pressure dispersion.andB demonstrate the principle of pressure reduction of the topper/mattress.shows the analogous mattress with the side-lying body contacting only the P-1 areas, with the shoulder and hip having no pressure (P-0).

InB if the P-0 shoulder and hip foam pieces, which are softer than the P-1 pieces, are now raised into position to the point that the pressure is equalized on all parts of the body (P-1), pressure redistribution of less than 32 mmHg will be achieved.

The actual subject mattress is not made this way, but asshows, the same result is achieved by using a single piece of high-density foam which is contour cut in a special way to do the same thing. The original mattresses were produced like theillustration but were much more expensive to manufacture and did not perform as well as the new subject mattress designs due to inclusion of the tensile force interrupters.demonstrates that the disclosed embodiments overcome shortfalls of the prior art.

andshow a disclosed spring mattress with various zones of resistance or support.shows a homogenous uniform foam layer.

depicts a side lying body upon the topper ofor a similar system. The shoulders and hips are shown to be in optimal positions relative to the topper.

presents a tensile force interruptertopper system utilizing one more tensile force interrupters. Such a tensile force interrupter may be defined by two vertical voidsand a horizontal voidjoining the two vertical voids. The horizontal void is often filled with glue so as to hold the block in place. This type of configuration has achieved unexpected results in achieving a body positioning as shown in. The horizontal voidallows the blockto take on a “V” shape when under pressure to further achieve the optimal body positioning of.

depicts a continuation ofbut offers a tensile force interrupter systemwith vertical voidsdefined below the block tensile force interrupter. The vertical voidsfurther allow the block to deflect to a deeper depth but still within the parameters of the two vertical voids. This configuration keeps the deflection within the targeted areas of the shoulder or hip. The bottom portion of the block is often glued to the lower surface of the foam.

show various embodiments that have been found to be very effective.

For example, the shoulder/torso transition area occurs within just an inch or two (head/foot direction) when side lying. The deflection required for each said body area are very different.

To avoid the excessive pressures caused by the tensile forces of a homogenous foam layer as described above, the vertical slots act as tensile force interrupters to allow independent required deflection of closely spaced body areas.

depicts a preferred embodimentusing softer foam for the top layer and firmer foam for lower layer. The vertical voidsare defined by both the upper layer and lower layer to greater deflection. The floating block or floating tensile force interrupteris defined by both the top and lower layers to provide greater deflection.