Mattress border construction and method

Abstract

A mattress border assembly and method for preparing foam rails for shipment prior to assembly to form a mattress border assembly are disclosed. Strips of double-faced, high strength acrylic adhesive tape are applied to at least portions of the end walls of two foam rails. The second adhesive surface of the tape is covered with a protective liner until the border is to be assembled. When assembled, the end walls of the two foam rails are adhered with the tape to side walls of two other foam rails to form a generally rectangular frame structure that comprises the mattress border assembly. Optionally, additional strips of double-faced, high strength acrylic adhesive tape are applied to portions of the top walls and portions of the bottom walls of the foam rails so that additional mattress components may be adhered thereto.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A border assembly for a mattress or bedding material, comprising: 
 a first foam rail having a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and an end wall;    a second foam rail having a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and an end wall; and    a piece of adhesive tape applied to at least a portion of the end wall of the first foam rail so that said end wall may be fixedly adhered with said adhesive tape to at least a portion of the side wall of the second foam rail sleeve.    
     
     
         2 . The border assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive tape comprises a double-faced adhesive tape having a first face and a second face.  
     
     
         3 . The border assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first face and the second face of the adhesive tape are each coated with adhesive to a coating weight of at least 30 grains per 24 square inches.  
     
     
         4 . The border assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the adhesive tape achieves a bonding strength of at least 5 psi when adhered to foam.  
     
     
         5 . The border assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first face is adhered to the end wall and the second face is adhered to the side wall.  
     
     
         6 . The border assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a second piece of adhesive tape applied to the portion of the side wall of the second foam rail sleeve so that the piece of adhesive tape applied to the portion of the end wall of the first foam rail fixedly adheres to the second piece of adhesive tape applied to the portion of the side wall of the second foam rail sleeve.  
     
     
         7 . The border assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first foam rail has a second end wall and a second piece of adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the second end wall.  
     
     
         8 . The border assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a second piece of adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the top wall of the first foam rail.  
     
     
         9 . The border assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a second piece of adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the top wall of the second foam rail.  
     
     
         10 . The border assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a third foam rail having a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and an end wall; and    a fourth foam rail having a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and an end wall, wherein a second piece of adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the end wall of the third foam rail so that said end wall may be fixedly adhered with said adhesive tape to at least a portion of the side wall of the fourth foam rail sleeve.    
     
     
         11 . The border assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first foam rail has a second end wall and a third piece of adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the second end wall of the first foam rail so that said end wall may be fixedly adhered with said adhesive tape to at least a portion of the side wall of the fourth foam rail sleeve.  
     
     
         12 . The border assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the third foam rail has a second end wall and a third piece of adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the second end wall of the third foam rail so that said end wall may be fixedly adhered with said adhesive tape to at least a portion of the side wall of the second foam rail sleeve.  
     
     
         13 . The border assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a second piece of adhesive tape is applied along at least a portion of the top wall of the first foam rail so that the top wall may be fixedly adhered to a foam sheet or another component of a mattress with said adhesive tape.  
     
     
         14 . The border assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the second piece of adhesive tape is applied along the entire length of the top wall of the first foam rail.  
     
     
         15 . The border assembly of  claim 13 , wherein adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the top walls of each of the second, third and fourth foam rails.  
     
     
         16 . The border assembly of  claim 13 , wherein adhesive tape is applied to at least a portion of the bottom walls of each of the first, second, third and fourth foam rails so that the bottom walls may be fixedly adhered to a foam sheet or another component of a mattress with said adhesive tapes.  
     
     
         17 . A method of preparing a mattress border assembly for pre-assembly into a mattress construction, comprising: 
 applying a piece of double-faced adhesive tape to at least a portion of an end wall of a foam rail, wherein a first face of said adhesive tape adheres to the end wall and a second face of the adhesive tape is covered with a removable liner.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising applying a second piece of double-faced adhesive tape to at least a portion of a top wall of a foam rail, wherein a first face of said second adhesive tape adheres to the top wall and the second face of the second adhesive tape is covered with a removable liner.  
     
     
         19 . A method for making a mattress border assembly, comprising: 
 fixedly adhering together at least a portion of an end wall of a first foam rail to at least a portion of a side wall of a second foam rail with an adhesive tape.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 fixedly adhering together at least a portion of a an end wall of a third foam rail to at least a portion of a side wall of a fourth foam rail with an adhesive tape.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 fixedly adhering together at least a portion of a second end wall of the first foam rail to at least a portion of the side wall of the fourth foam rail with an adhesive tape.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 fixedly adhering together at least a portion of a second end wall of the third foam rail to at least a portion of the side wall of the second foam rail with an adhesive tape.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the adhesive tape comprises a double-faced adhesive tape having a first face and a second face, the first face and the second face each having adhesive thereon to a coating weight of at least 30 grains per 24 square inches.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising joining the mattress border assembly to a body-supporting section of a mattress.