Evacuated bag with mattress and reuse of resealed bag after release of vacuum

Abstract

In embodiments, a mattress is bagged, compressed, and sealed at a first geographic location. A bag utilized for the bagging has an openable and closeable vent. The bagged, compressed, and sealed mattress is shipped to a destination, second geographic location. It may be warehoused in the bagged, compressed, and sealed state, and may also be further transported to distributors or retailers. At a desired point, the bagged, compressed, and sealed mattress is vented before the final end use. Such may occur before delivery to the retailer or retail customer. The vent is reclosed and the bagged uncompressed and sealed mattress is then delivered to the retailer or end user. A bagged, compressed, sealed mattress has an openable and closeable vent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaged mattress, the packaged mattress having a compressed evacuated state and being releasable to an uncompressed non evacuated state, the packaged mattress comprising:
 a bag having a bag wall, the bag wall having an interior surface and exterior surface, the interior surface defining a cavity, the mattress disposed inside the cavity;   the mattress having a thickness direction and having a reduced thickness measured in the thickness direction when packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state and having an expanded normal thickness when in the uncompressed non evacuated state;   whereby when the packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state, the bag wall having an openable and closeable vent in fluid communication with the cavity, the openable and closeable vent comprising an adhesive strip overlaying a slit in an exterior surface of the bag wall, the adhesive strip being positioned to cover and close the slit in the bag wall, whereby when the packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state, the adhesive strip prevents de-evacuation of the packaged mattress and maintains the packaged mattress in the compressed evacuated state, and whereby the adhesive strip may be at least partially removed for releasing the packaged mattress from the compressed evacuated state, whereby the packaged mattress goes to the uncompressed non evacuated state, the adhesive strip replaceable on the slit when the mattress is in the uncompressed non evacuated state.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the bag is form fit to the packaged mattress when the packaged mattress is in the uncompressed non evacuated state. 
     
     
         3 . The packaged mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive strip comprises a tab adapted and dimensioned to be grasped between a thumb and a finger of a hand when the mattress is in the compressed evacuated state. 
     
     
         4 . The packaged mattress of  claim 3 , wherein the tab comprises a part of the adhesive strip that is folded so that a first portion of the substrate overlaps a second portion of the substrate with the adhesive covering the first portion is adhered to the adhesive covering the second portion. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged mattress of  claim 4 , wherein the seal is broken when the adhesive strip is peeled away from the exterior surface of the bag wall. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged mattress of  claim 1 , wherein an interior pressure inside the cavity is less than an atmospheric pressure outside of the cavity so that the atmospheric pressure on the exterior surface of the bag wall applies compressive forces to the mattress. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged mattress of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the mattress is biased to assume a relaxed shape in which the mattress has a first thickness; and   the compressive forces applied to the mattress urge the mattress to assume a compressed shape in which the mattress has a second thickness that is smaller than the first thickness.   
     
     
         8 . The packaged mattress of  claim 1  wherein the closed vent is defined by a slit in the mattress wall, the slit openable and closeable. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged mattress of  claim 8  wherein the slit is openable and closeable by a strip of adhered material covering the slit. 
     
     
         10 . A packaged mattress, the packaged mattress having a compressed evacuated state and being releasable to an uncompressed non evacuated state, the packaged mattress comprising:
 a bag having a bag wall, the bag wall having an interior surface and exterior surface, the interior surface defining a cavity, the mattress disposed inside the cavity, the mattress having a thickness direction and having a reduced thickness measured in the thickness direction when packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state and having an expanded normal thickness when in the uncompressed non evacuated state, the mattress having a length and a width defined by a top side surface and a bottom side surface of the mattress, the length and width substantially the same when the packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state and when the packaged mattress is in the uncompressed non evacuated state;   the bag configured such that when the packaged mattress is in the uncompressed non evacuated state, the bag is form fit to the mattress;   whereby when the packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state, the bag wall having a defined venting region visually identifiable and differentiated on the bag wall, the defined venting region in fluid communication with the cavity, the wall having a closed vent manually openable without separate tools at the venting region for releasing evacuation in the packaged mattress whereby the packaged mattress goes to the uncompressed non evacuated state;   the vent closeable after the packaged mattress is in it uncompressed non evacuated state without using separate tools or components.   
     
     
         11 . The packaged mattress of  claim 10  wherein the closed vent is defined by a slit in the mattress wall, the slit openable and closeable. 
     
     
         12 . The packaged mattress of  claim 11  wherein the slit is openable and closeable by a strip of adhered material covering the slit. 
     
     
         13 . The packaged mattress of  claim 10  wherein the closed vent has an openable and closeable valve in a circular air passageway. 
     
     
         14 . The packaged mattress of  claim 10  wherein the vent comprises a pair of sealable edge surfaces. 
     
     
         15 . The packaged mattress of  claim 10  where in the closed vent is utilizable for evacuating the packaged mattress to the compressed evacuated state. 
     
     
         16 . The packaged mattress of  claim 10 , wherein the bag is form fit to the packaged mattress when the packaged mattress is in the uncompressed non evacuated state. 
     
     
         17 . The packaged mattress of  claim 10 , wherein the adhesive strip comprises a tab configured to be grasped between a thumb and a finger of a hand when the mattress is in the compressed evacuated state. 
     
     
         18 . The packaged mattress of  claim 17 , wherein the tab comprises a part of the adhesive strip that is folded so that a first portion of the substrate overlaps a second portion of the substrate with the adhesive covering the first portion is adhered to the adhesive covering the second portion. 
     
     
         19 . The packaged mattress of  claim 18 , wherein the seal is broken when the adhesive strip is peeled away from the exterior surface of the bag wall. 
     
     
         20 . A packaged mattress, the packaged mattress having a compressed evacuated state and being releasable to an uncompressed non evacuated state, the packaged mattress comprising:
 a bag having a bag wall, the bag wall having an interior surface and exterior surface, the interior surface defining a cavity, the mattress disposed inside the cavity;   the mattress having a thickness direction and having a reduced thickness measured in the thickness direction when packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state and having an expanded normal thickness when in the uncompressed non evacuated state;   whereby when the packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state, the bag wall having an openable and closeable vent in fluid communication with the cavity, the openable and closeable vent comprising an adhered strip overlaying an exterior surface of the bag wall, the adhered strip being positioned to cover and close a slit in the bag wall, whereby when the packaged mattress is in the compressed evacuated state, the adhered strip prevents de-evacuation of the packaged mattress and maintains the packaged mattress in the compressed evacuated state, and whereby the adhered strip may be at least partially removed to de-evacuate the packaged mattress releasing the packaged mattress to the uncompressed non evacuated state, the adhered strip replaceable on the exterior surface of the bag wall; and   a seal formed at the vent and the exterior surface of the bag wall so that the adhesive strip prevents fluid communication between the passageway and an outside atmosphere.