Extruded plastic inner spring suspension system and cushion, pad and mattress

Abstract

An linear, extruded, inner spring suspension system, mattresses made therewith, and a process of making the inner spring. The linear spring has a thin resilient vertical wall extending longitudinally in the horizontal direction, which may be pleated with at least one (and preferably a plurality) of pleats which extend longitudinally along the wall. The invention may further have a second wall identical to and parallel to the first wall, which may be connected by plates at top and bottom and at medial points to make a linear spring of rectangular cross section. Embodiments of short length create an inexpensive spring having a generally rectangular platform; longer embodiments create an inexpensive spring in the general shape of a box beam. The linear spring may be produced by an extrusion process, in which polymer compounds are forced through a die in the shape of the linear spring cross section.

1 . A spring comprising: 
 1) a first resilient wall having a top edge, a bottom edge, a vertical height, a horizontal length in a first horizontal dimension, and a thickness in a second horizontal dimension perpendicular to the first horizontal dimension;    2) the wall having at least one horizontal lengthwise pleat.    
   
   
       2 . The spring of  claim 1 , wherein the pleat extends a portion of the horizontal length.  
   
   
       3 . The spring of  claim 1 , wherein the pleat extends the entire horizontal length.  
   
   
       4 . The spring of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 3) a first connector disposed at one edge.    
   
   
       5 . The spring of  claim 4 , wherein the first connector extends linearly along the top edge.  
   
   
       6 . The spring of  claim 5 , wherein the first connector comprises at least one vertical extension defining a channel, the extension and channel extending linearly along the top edge.  
   
   
       7 . The spring of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 4) a second resilient wall having a second wall top edge, a second wall bottom edge, a second wall vertical height equal to the vertical height of the first wall, a second wall horizontal length in the first horizontal dimension equal to the horizontal length of the first wall, and a thickness in the second horizontal dimension, the second wall having at least one horizontal lengthwise pleat;    5) a top plate extending from the top edge of the first resilient wall to the second resilient wall top edge; and    6) a bottom plate extending from the bottom edge of the first resilient wall to the second resilient wall bottom edge.    
   
   
       8 . The spring of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 7) at least one hole in at least one plate.    
   
   
       9 . The spring of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 8) a second resilient wall having a second wall top edge, a second wall bottom edge, a second wall vertical height equal to the vertical height of the first wall, a second wall horizontal length in the first horizontal dimension equal to the horizontal length of the first wall, and a thickness in the second horizontal dimension, the second wall having at least one horizontal lengthwise pleat;    9) at least one plate extending from a pleat of the first resilient wall to a pleat of the second resilient wall.    
   
   
       10 . A mattress comprising: 
 1) a top plate having a periphery, a bottom plate having a periphery, the bottom plate located at a first distance from the top plate, each plate having a distal outer surface and a proximate inner surface,    2) a resilient side wall connecting the peripheries of the top and bottom plates, and    3) at least one linear spring between inner surfaces of the top and bottom plates, the linear spring extending from the top plate to the bottom plate and having at least a first resilient wall having a top edge at the top plate inner surface, a bottom edge at the bottom plate inner surface, a vertical height equal to the first distance, a horizontal length in a first horizontal dimension, and a thickness in a second horizontal dimension perpendicular to the first horizontal dimension;    4) the first resilient wall of the linear spring having at least one horizontal lengthwise pleat.    
   
   
       11 . The mattress of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 5) at least one metal reinforcement located at the junction of one plate and the resilient side wall.    
   
   
       12 . The mattress of  claim 10 , wherein the linear spring further comprises: 
 3a) at least a second resilient wall having a top edge at the top plate inner surface, a bottom edge at the bottom plate inner surface, a vertical height equal to the vertical height of the first resilient wall, a horizontal length in the first horizontal dimension equal to the length of the first resilient wall, a thickness in a second horizontal dimension perpendicular to the first horizontal dimension;    3b) the second resilient wall of the linear spring having at least one horizontal lengthwise pleat;    3c) a top plate extending from the top edge of the first resilient wall to the second resilient wall top edge; and    3d) a bottom plate extending from the bottom edge of the first resilient wall to the second resilient wall bottom edge.    
   
   
       13 . The mattress of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 6) at least a second linear spring between inner surfaces of the top and bottom plates, the second linear spring extending from the top plate to the bottom plate and having at least first and second resilient walls each having a top edge at the top plate inner surface, a bottom edge at the bottom plate inner surface, a vertical height equal to the first distance, a horizontal length in a first horizontal dimension, and a thickness in a second horizontal dimension perpendicular to the first horizontal dimension, the first and second resilient walls connected at top edges by a top plate and connected at bottom edges by a bottom plate;    7) the first and second resilient walls of the second linear spring each having at least one horizontal lengthwise pleat.    
   
   
       14 . The mattress of  claim 12 , wherein the first linear spring further comprises: 
 3e) a horizontal plate extending from the at least one lengthwise pleat of the first resilient wall to the at least one lengthwise pleat of the second resilient wall.    
   
   
       15 . A linear spring made by the process of: 
 1) providing a die having an extrusion aperture, the extrusion aperture being an opening having a height in a first dimension substantially longer than the aperture width in a second perpendicular dimension,    2) extruding through the die a polymer which becomes resilient after extrusion to form an elongate body having the cross section of the die;    3) separating a first length of the elongate body into at least one linear spring.    
   
   
       16 . The linear spring made by the process of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 2a) cooling the elongate body after extrusion.    
   
   
       17 . The linear spring made by the process of  claim 16 , wherein the step  2 a) of cooling the elongate body after extrusion further comprises: 
 2b) water cooling the elongate body after extrusion.    
   
   
       18 . The linear spring made by the process of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 2c) applying tension to the elongate body as it is extruded.    
   
   
       19 . The linear spring made by the process of  claim 15 , wherein the extrusion aperture further comprises a generally straight aperture having at least one angle therein, whereby the elongate body extruded therethrough has at least one longitudinal pleat therein.