Mattress cleaning system

Abstract

A mattress cleaning system receives a mattress in a tank of wash liquid so that the mattress is fully submerged. A pressure applicator, for example a mechanical structure or a jetted flow of wash fluid, applies a cyclical compressive force to the sleeping surface of the mattress while the mattress is fully submerged so as to cause flushing of the wash liquid outwardly of the mattress through at least the sleeping surface of the mattress. When using a barrier to isolate one of the surfaces of the mattress on a first side of the barrier from remaining surfaces of the mattress on a second side of the barrier, use of a blower to create an air pressure differential between opposing sides of the barrier causes migration of the wash liquid through the mattress from the isolated surface of the mattress to the remaining surfaces for drying the mattress.

1 . A mattress cleaning system for cleaning a mattress comprising a sleeping surface for supporting a user thereon, a backside surface opposite the sleeping surface, and a plurality of side surfaces connected between the sleeping surface and the backside surface about a perimeter of the mattress, the system comprising:
 a tank arranged to receive the mattress and a wash liquid therein;   a mattress support arranged to receive the mattress supported thereon such that the mattress is fully submerged in the wash liquid in the tank; and   a pressure applicator adapted to apply a cyclical compressive force to the sleeping surface of the mattress while the mattress is supported on the mattress support fully submerged within the tank so as to cause flushing of the wash liquid outwardly of the mattress through at least the sleeping surface of the mattress.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the pressure applicator includes at least one jet nozzle adapted to direct a jet of wash liquid onto the sleeping surface of the mattress in the tank. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2  wherein said at least one jet nozzle is supported relative to the tank so as to be arranged to direct the jet of wash liquid non-perpendicularly to the sleeping surface in a sweeping motion displaced across the sleeping surface of the mattress. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the pressure applicator includes (i) a grate supported in the tank so as to receive the mattress between the mattress support and the grate, the grate being adapted to allow flow of wash liquid therethrough and (ii) a drive arrangement for reciprocating the grate relative to the mattress support between a first position at a first spacing from the mattress support and a second position at a second spacing less than the first spacing from the mattress support for compressing the mattress as the grate is displaced from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4  wherein the first spacing and the second spacing are adjustable amounts. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 4  wherein the grate is arranged to fully span the mattress. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the drive arrangement is adapted to displace the grate from the first position to the second position at a greater speed than from the second position to the first position. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the mattress support comprises a grate arranged to receive the backside surface of the mattress thereon and being adapted to allow flow of wash liquid therethrough, whereby the compressive force applied by the pressure applicator causes flushing of the wash liquid outwardly of the mattress through the backside surface of the mattress. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising a drain for draining the wash liquid from the tank, and a blower in communication with the tank for drying the mattress while the mattress remains supported within the tank. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising a mattress drying system operable within the wash tank, the mattress drying system comprising:
 a barrier arranged to isolate at least one of the surfaces of the mattress from remaining ones of the surfaces of the mattress; and 
 a blower arranged to create an air pressure differential between a first side of the barrier and a second side of the barrier so as to cause migration of wash liquid through the mattress from the at least one isolated surface of the mattress to the remaining surfaces of the mattress. 
 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10  further comprising a press including a first pressing surface for engaging the backside surface of the mattress, a second pressing surface for engaging the sleeping surface of the mattress, and a press drive arrangement arranged to displace the second pressing surface relative to the first pressing surface to compress the mattress subsequent to washing of the mattress. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10  wherein the barrier is adapted to isolate the backside surface of the mattress from the sleeping surface of the mattress. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12  wherein the barrier is substantially coplanar with and surrounds a grate adapted to span the backside of the mattress and support the mattress thereon. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 10  wherein the barrier is arranged to cover the side surfaces of the mattress. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 10  wherein the barrier is adapted to isolate the side surfaces of the mattress on the first side of the barrier from the backside surface and the sleeping surface on the second side of the barrier. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 10  including a controller operatively connected to the blower and adapted to pulse operation of the blower. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 10  wherein the blower is operable to create a sufficiently large air pressure differential between the first side and the second side of the barrier to compress the mattress.