Breathable mattress foundation and sleep system

Abstract

Embodiments of a ventilated sleep system and an airflow/breathable mattress foundation are disclosed, and typically may be configured to provide ventilation to a mattress, for example through an upper surface of a foundation allowing airflow therethrough. Typically, sleep system embodiments may include mattresses with foam layers with ventilation passageways in fluid communication with a lower surface of the mattress cover, which is configured to allow airflow therethrough, and some embodiments may also include foam pillars. Such sleep system embodiments typically may have such a ventilation mattress atop such a ventilation foundation, with airflow therebetween.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sleep system comprising:
 a mattress, which comprises:
 a mattress cover; and 
 one or more foam layers within the mattress cover; 
 wherein the mattress cover comprises a bottom surface; 
 wherein the bottom surface of the mattress cover comprises a mattress air permeable element (e.g. high airflow fabric (for example 150 gsm 100% polyester spacer fabric or mesh fabric and/or restricting airflow CFM less than about 35% at 3 PSI and/or a spacer fabric with a thickness of about 3.5 mm, a weight of about 245 g/m 2 , and/or an air permeability of about 636 ft3/ft2/minute at 0.018 PSI (e.g. per ASTM D737-96—Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics))); 
 wherein the mattress is spring-free; 
 wherein the one or more foam layers each comprise a plurality of substantially vertical air passageways which pass through the entire thickness of the corresponding foam layer; 
 wherein the one or more foam layers comprise: 
 a base layer of foam comprising a sculpted upper surface with a plurality of foam pillars projecting upward; 
 a transition layer of foam with uniform thickness located atop and in contact with the upper surface of the base foam layer; 
 a middle sculpted layer of foam having a sculpted lower surface with a plurality of foam pillars projecting downward, wherein the middle sculpted layer of foam is located atop and in contact with the transition layer of foam; and 
 a top layer of foam with uniform thickness, which is located above the middle sculpted layer; and 
 a mattress foundation, which comprises: 
 a support structure; and 
 a foundation cover comprising an upper surface; 
 wherein the upper surface of the foundation cover comprises a foundation air permeable element (e.g. high airflow fabric (for example 150 gsm 100% polyester spacer fabric or mesh fabric and/or restricting airflow CFM less than about 35% at 3 PSI and/or a spacer fabric with a thickness of about 3.5 mm, a weight of about 245 g/m 2 , and/or an air permeability of about 636 ft3/ft2/minute at 0.018 PSI (e.g. per ASTM D737-96—Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics))); and 
 wherein the mattress is located atop the foundation, and wherein the mattress and foundation are in fluid communication with each other. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sleep system of  claim 1 , wherein the middle sculpted layer of foam further comprises a sculpted upper surface with a plurality of foam pillars projecting upward; and wherein the foam pillars of the middle sculpted layer of foam are sized within the range including 1-to-1-4-to-1 with respect to the foam pillars of the base layer of foam (such that the foam pillars of the middle sculpted foam layer each range in cross-section size from being equally sized to the base layer pillars down to being a quarter the size of the base layer pillars (i.e. four middle sculpted layer pillars per one base layer pillar)). 
     
     
         3 . A sleep system comprising a mattress, which comprises:
 a cover;   wherein the cover comprises a bottom surface, and wherein the bottom surface comprises an air permeable element (e.g. high airflow fabric (for example 150 gsm 100% polyester spacer fabric or mesh fabric and/or restricting airflow CFM less than about 35% at 3 PSI and/or a spacer fabric with a thickness of about 3.5 mm, a weight of about 245 g/m 2 , and/or an air permeability of about 636 ft3/ft2/minute at 0.018 PSI (e.g. per ASTM D737-96—Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics))).   
     
     
         4 . The sleep system of  claim 3 , wherein the entire bottom surface of the mattress cover is formed of high airflow mesh fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The sleep system of  claim 3 , wherein the mattress cover further comprises an upper surface, and wherein the upper surface comprises a second air permeable element (e.g. high airflow fabric (for example 150 gsm 100% polyester spacer fabric or mesh fabric and/or restricting airflow CFM less than about 35% at 3 PSI and/or a spacer fabric with a thickness of about 3.5 mm, a weight of about 245 g/m 2 , and/or an air permeability of about 636 ft3/ft2/minute at 0.018 PSI (e.g. per ASTM D737-96—Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics))). 
     
     
         6 . The sleep system of  claim 3 , wherein the mattress further comprises one or more foam layers within the mattress cover. The sleep system of  claim 6 , wherein the mattress is spring-free. 
     
     
         8 . The sleep system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more foam layers (or in some embodiments, all foam layers) each comprise a plurality of substantially vertical air passageways. 
     
     
         9 . The sleep system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more foam layers comprise:
 a base layer of foam comprising a sculpted upper surface with a plurality of foam pillars projecting upward;   a transition layer of foam with uniform thickness located atop and in contact with the upper surface of the base foam layer;   a middle sculpted layer of foam having a sculpted lower surface with a plurality of foam pillars projecting downward, wherein the middle sculpted layer of foam is located atop and in contact with the transition layer of foam; and   a top layer of foam with uniform thickness, which is located above the middle sculpted layer.   
     
     
         10 . The sleep system of  claim 9 , wherein the middle sculpted layer of foam further comprises a sculpted upper surface with a plurality of foam pillars projecting upward. 
     
     
         11 . The sleep system of  claim 10 , wherein the sculpted upper surface of the middle sculpted layer of foam comprises pillars of a different size than the sculpted lower surface of the middle sculpted layer of foam. 
     
     
         12 . The sleep system of  claim 10 , wherein the foam pillars of the sculpted upper surface of the middle sculpted layer are a quarter of the size of the corresponding pillars of the sculpted lower layer of the middle sculpted layer of foam. 
     
     
         13 . The sleep system of  claim 9 , wherein the foam pillars of the middle sculpted layer of foam are sized within the range including 1-to-1-4-to-1 with respect to the foam pillars of the base layer of foam (such that the foam pillars of the middle sculpted foam layer each range in cross-section size from being equally sized to the base layer pillars down to being a quarter the size of the base layer pillars (i.e. four middle sculpted layer pillars per one base layer pillar)). 
     
     
         14 . The sleep system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more foam layers further comprises a penultimate foam layer with uniform thickness located atop and in contact with the middle sculpted layer and beneath and in contact with the top layer of foam. 
     
     
         15 . The sleep system of  claim 9 , wherein at least some of the substantially vertical air passageways in the foam layers align to provide continuous airflow paths from the bottom surface of the mattress to an upper surface of the mattress. 
     
     
         16 . The sleep system of  claim 3 , further comprising a mattress foundation, which comprises:
 a support structure; and   a cover comprising an upper surface, and wherein the upper surface of the foundation cover comprises a foundation air permeable element (e.g. high airflow fabric (for example 150 gsm 100% polyester spacer fabric or mesh fabric and/or restricting airflow CFM less than about 35% at 3 PSI and/or a spacer fabric with a thickness of about 3.5 mm, a weight of about 245 g/m 2 , and/or an air permeability of about 636 ft3/ft2/minute at 0.018 PSI (e.g. per ASTM D737-96—Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics) and/or the entire upper surface comprises such high airflow fabric));   wherein the mattress is located atop the foundation and wherein the mattress and foundation are in fluid communication with each other.   
     
     
         17 . The sleep system of  claim 16 , wherein the foundation cover further comprises a port and/or a second foundation air permeable element (e.g. high airflow fabric (for example 150 gsm 100% polyester spacer fabric or mesh fabric and/or restricting airflow CFM less than about 35% at 3 PSI and/or a spacer fabric with a thickness of about 3.5 mm, a weight of about 245 g/m 2 , and/or an air permeability of about 636 ft3/ft2/minute at 0.018 PSI (e.g. per ASTM D737-96—Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics) and/or Polyester Non-Woven Fabric with a thickness of about 0.004 mm and/or a weight of about 1.5 oz./ft 2 ), for example located on the lower surface of the foundation cover) for fluid communication of the foundation with the outside environment. 
     
     
         18 . The sleep system of  claim 17 , further comprising an airflow unit (operable to provide forced air flow through the foundation), wherein the air flow unit is located within the support structure and cover of the foundation. 
     
     
         19 . The sleep system of  claim 18 , wherein the air flow unit comprises filtration. 
     
     
         20 . The sleep system of  claim 18 , wherein the air flow unit comprises a climate control unit operable to cool or heat air. 
     
     
         21 . The sleep system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more foam layers comprise two sculpted foam layers, each comprising a sculpted surface with a plurality of foam pillars. 
     
     
         22 . The sleep system of  claim 21 , wherein the two sculpted foam layers comprise
 a lower sculpted foam layer with sculpted surface facing upward; and   an upper sculpted foam layer with sculpted surface facing downward.   
     
     
         23 . The sleep system of  claim 22 , wherein the upper sculpted foam layer further comprises a second sculpted surface facing upward.