JP6934667B2 - Spring structure, and mattresses and cushions using the spring structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a spring structure used as a cushion for a bed mattress or a chair such as a sofa, and a mattress and a cushion using the spring structure.

Many bed mattresses, sofa cushions, etc. are provided with coil springs inside in order to obtain appropriate cushioning properties, and the spring pressure is used. As a spring structure that utilizes spring pressure in this way, a so-called bonnel coil type spring structure in which a plurality of juxtaposed coil springs are connected to each other with a metal wire, and a cylinder in which each coil spring is made of a non-woven fabric or the like. There is a so-called pocket coil type spring structure that is individually housed in a shaped bag and functions independently.

According to the pocket coil type spring structure, each coil spring functions independently, so that the cushioning property is greatly improved, and the vibration of the coil spring can be suppressed from propagating to the adjacent coil spring. The shaking prevention performance can be improved.

On the other hand, there is also a pocket coil type spring structure formed by embedding a coil spring in a drum-shaped, barrel-shaped or cylindrical foam or spongy elastic body (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). According to such an embedded configuration, the longitudinal vibration of the coil spring itself is dampened by the foam or spongy elastic body, so that the vibration damping time can be shortened and the longitudinal vibration itself can be reduced.

Jikken Sho 54-9450 Jikken Sho 54-9451 Special Publication No. 51-13070

However, if the coil spring is embedded in the foam in this way or fixed to the surface of the foam to form the spring structure, there is a problem that the spring bites into the foam and the foam is damaged when the spring structure expands and contracts. Was occurring.

The present invention solves such a problem, and an object of the present invention is a spring structure capable of braking the longitudinal vibration of the coil spring itself and preventing damage to the foam during expansion and contraction, and the spring structure. The purpose is to provide mattresses and cushions using the body.

According to the present invention, the spring structure comprises a coil spring having spiral streaks and a foam in which the spiral streaks of the coil spring are embedded or fixed to the surface. .. In particular, the foam has a spiral groove formed between the spiral lines of the coil spring.

Spiral lines of the coil spring are embedded or fixed to the surface of the foam, and spiral grooves are formed between the spiral lines of the coil spring. By forming a spiral concave groove between the filaments of the coil spring, the spring constant of the concave groove portion of the foam becomes smaller than the spring constant of the portion other than the concave groove, and as a result, the spring structure is axially When expanded and contracted, this concave groove portion is displaced (deformed) more than the portion other than the concave groove portion. Since the displacement amount (deformation amount) of the concave groove portion is larger than the displacement amount (deformation amount) of the portion other than the concave groove where the spring exists, the spring bites into the foam when the spring structure expands and contracts. This can be prevented, and damage to the foam due to this bite can be prevented. Of course, since the wire of the coil spring is embedded in the foam or fixed to the surface, the coil spring receives a braking force by the foam having a slow restoration speed at the time of restoration, and the relaxation time until the damping vibration ends is short. Therefore, the pitching phenomenon can be suppressed. In addition, the cushioning property inherent in the coil spring is maintained without being impaired.

It is preferable that the foam is provided between the spiral concave grooves and has a spiral convex groove in which spiral lines are embedded or fixed to the surface.

It is also preferable that the wire of the coil spring is embedded in the foam body or fixed to the surface of the foam in a state where compressive stress is applied in the expansion / contraction direction.

It is also preferable that the wire of the coil spring is embedded in the foam body or fixed to the surface of the foam in a state where tensile stress is applied in the expansion / contraction direction.

It is also preferable to have an end face contact member that is in contact with the end face of the coil spring or the end face of the foam in the expansion / contraction direction and moves together with the coil spring or the foam.

In this case, it is more preferable that the end face contact member is a block-shaped member, a sheet-shaped member, or a cup-shaped member.

It is also preferable that the foam and the coil spring are enclosed in a cylindrical bag body so that the bag body functions as an end face contact member.

It is also preferable that the foam, the coil spring and the end face contact member are enclosed in a cylindrical bag.

It is also preferable that the overall shape of the foam excluding the concave groove is columnar or cylindrical.

The foam is configured so that the elastic restoring force in the compressed state in the expansion / contraction direction of the coil spring is equal to or less than the elastic restoring force in the compressed state in the expansion / contraction direction of the coil spring, and per unit distance in the expansion / contraction direction from the compression state. It is also preferable that the restoration time of the coil spring is longer than the restoration time of the coil spring.

It is also preferable that the foams are composed of a plurality of foams made of different types of foaming materials.

It is more preferable that the elastic restoring force or restoration time in the compressed state of at least one of the plurality of foams is different from the elastic restoring force or restoration time in the compressed state of the other foams.

It is also preferable that the plurality of foaming materials are laminated in the expansion / contraction direction of the foam or in the direction intersecting the expansion / contraction direction.

It is also preferable that a part of the spring structure in the expansion / contraction direction is composed of only the coil spring.

In this case, it is more preferable that the lower portion of the spring structure in the expansion / contraction direction is composed of only the coil spring, or the central portion is composed of only the coil spring.

According to the present invention, the mattress or cushion includes a plurality of the above-mentioned spring structures.

According to the present invention, by forming a spiral concave groove between the filaments of the coil spring, the spring constant of the concave groove portion of the foam becomes smaller than the spring constant of the portion other than the concave groove, and as a result, the spring. When the structure expands and contracts in the axial direction, the concave groove portion is preferentially displaced (deformed) more than the portion other than the concave groove portion. Since the displacement amount (deformation amount) of the concave groove portion is larger than the displacement amount (deformation amount) of the portion other than the concave groove where the spring exists, the spring bites into the foam when the spring structure expands and contracts. This can be prevented, and damage to the foam due to this bite can be prevented.

Of course, since the wire of the coil spring is embedded in the foam or fixed to the surface, the coil spring receives a braking force by the foam having a slow restoration speed at the time of restoration, and the relaxation time until the damping vibration ends is short. Therefore, the pitching phenomenon can be suppressed. In addition, the cushioning property inherent in the coil spring is maintained without being impaired.

It is a perspective view which shows typically the structure of the example of the mattress in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of each spring structure in embodiment of FIG. FIG. 5 is an elevational view schematically showing the configuration of each spring structure according to the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 5 is an elevational view schematically showing a configuration of a modified mode of the spring structure according to the embodiment of FIG. It is an elevation view which compares the structure of a spring structure, (A) is the structure of the spring structure shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and (B) is the structure of the spring structure shown in FIG. 4, respectively. Shown. It is a figure which shows the deformed state when a spring structure is compressed in the expansion and contraction direction, (A) is an uncompressed state, (B) is a slightly compressed state, (C) is a greatly compressed state. Are shown respectively. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of a coil spring and a foam when compressive stress is applied to a spring structure. It is a perspective view which shows the apparatus configuration in a comparative experiment. It is a characteristic diagram which shows the result of the comparative experiment, (A) shows the characteristic of the vibration data in a vertical direction, and (B) shows the characteristic of the vibration data in a horizontal direction. It is a figure which shows the structure of the spring structure in another embodiment of this invention, and the hysteresis curve of the displacement and stress | FIG. (B) shows a configuration example in which the length of the coil spring in the expansion / contraction direction is equal to the length of the foam, and (C) shows a configuration example in which the length of the coil spring in the expansion / contraction direction is longer than the length of the foam. It is a figure which shows the structure of the spring structure in still another Embodiment of this invention, (A) is the configuration example which the spring structure is housed in the bag body without compression, (B) is the structure where the spring structure is compressed. Each of the configuration examples housed in the bag is shown. As yet another embodiment of the present invention, it is a figure which shows the structure which provided the end face contact member on the end face of a spring structure, (A) is the configuration example when the end face contact member is a plate shape, (B). ) Indicates a configuration example when the end face contact member has a cap shape. It is a figure which shows the structure of the spring structure connecting body which connected the spring structure of FIG. Each configuration example of the spring structure having the end face contact member of the above is shown. It is a figure which shows the structure which provided the end face contact member on the end face of the spring structure in still another embodiment of this invention, (A) is the configuration example which provided the end face contact member on the end face of a spring structure. , (B) is a configuration example in which an end face contact member is provided on the end face of the spring structure housed in the bag, and (C) is a spring structure and an end face contact member provided with the end face contact member. An example of the configuration housed in the bag is shown. It is a figure which shows the pattern shape along the concave groove of the spiral concave groove in various modification aspects of the foam of this invention, (A) is the structural example of the concave groove of the linear parallel pattern shape, (B) is the waveform. A configuration example of a concave groove having a parallel pattern shape and (C) showing a configuration example of a concave groove having a variable waveform width pattern are shown. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional shape of the spiral concave groove in various modified aspects of the foam of this invention, (A) is the structural example of the concave groove of the rectangular cross-sectional shape, (B) is the concave groove of the semicircular cross-sectional shape. (C) is a configuration example of a concave groove having a semi-trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, (D) is a configuration example of a concave groove having a single-flow semi-trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and (E) is a configuration example of a concave groove having a variable width cross-sectional shape. , (F) show a configuration example of a concave groove having a corrugated parallel cross-sectional shape. It is an elevation view which shows the shape of various modified aspects of the foam of this invention, (A) is a structural example of a cylindrical foam, (B) is a configuration example of a spindle-shaped foam, and (C) is A configuration example of a truncated cone-shaped foam and (D) show a configuration example of a bale-shaped foam. It is a shaft cross-sectional view which shows the shape of various modified aspects of the foam of this invention. FIG. Shows a configuration example of a prismatic foam. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the shape (the concave groove is omitted | display) and the combination structure in various modification aspects of the foam of this invention, and (A) is the structural example of the cylindrical foam which combined a plurality of kinds of foam materials. , (B) is a configuration example of a cylindrical foam in which a plurality of types of foam materials are combined, (C) is a configuration example of a cylindrical foam in which a plurality of types of foam materials are combined, and (D) is a configuration example of a plurality of types of foam materials. A configuration example of a spindle-shaped foam in which foam materials are combined, (E) is a configuration example of a cylindrical foam in which a plurality of types of foam materials are combined, and (F) is a column-shaped configuration example in which a plurality of types of foam materials are combined. An example of the composition of the foam is shown. It is a figure which shows the connection pattern of the spring structure connection which connected the spring structure (the concave groove is omitted | display), (A) is the structural example of the spring structure connection which connected a plurality of spring structures shown in FIG. (B) is a configuration example of a spring structure connection in which only a plurality of spring structures and coil springs shown in FIG. 4 are connected, and (C) is a spring structure connection in which only a plurality of spring structures and coil springs shown in FIG. 4 are connected. (D) is a configuration example of a spring structure connected body in which a plurality of spring structures shown in FIG. 4 are housed in a bag, and (E) is a configuration example of a spring structure connected body in which the spring structure shown in FIG. 4 is housed in a bag. A configuration example of a spring structure connection in which a plurality of the coils are connected, (F) is a configuration example of a spring structure connection in which a plurality of spring structures shown in FIG. 4 are housed in a bag, and (G) is a spring shown in FIG. A configuration example of a spring structure connection in which a plurality of structures housed in a bag are connected, and (H) is a configuration example of a spring structure connection in which a plurality of spring structures housed in a bag are connected as shown in FIG. Are shown respectively. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of the spring structure connection | connection which connected the spring structure (the concave groove is omitted | display). It is a figure which shows the structural example of the spring structure in still another Embodiment of this invention, (A) is the example of the spring structure which the lower part is composed only of a coil spring, (B) is the central part. An example of a spring structure in which one place is composed of only a coil spring, and (C) is an example of a spring structure in which two places in the central portion are composed of only a coil spring. It is a figure which shows the arrangement pattern of the spring structure in the mattress, (A) is the configuration example which the spring structure is arranged all over the mattress, (B) is the spring structure and every other row of the mattress in the longitudinal direction, and is A configuration example in which spring coils are arranged, (C) is a configuration example in which a spring coil is arranged only on the outer periphery of the mattress, and (D) is a configuration example in which a spring structure is arranged at other positions, and (D) is a spring structure in the center of the mattress. The body shows a configuration example in which spring coils are arranged at other positions, and (E) shows a configuration example in which a spring structure and a spring coil are arranged in every other row of the mattress in the lateral direction. .. It is a figure which shows the arrangement pattern of the spring structure connection in the mattress, (A) is the configuration example in which the spring structure connection containing only the spring structure is arranged along the lateral direction of the mattress, (B) is the length of the mattress. An example of the configuration in which the spring structure connection including only the spring structure is arranged along the direction, (C) is the configuration in which the spring structure connection including only the spring structure is arranged along the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction of the mattress. Example, (D) is a configuration example in which a spring structure connection including only a spring structure is arranged in the center of the mattress, and spring coils are arranged at other positions, and (E) is a configuration example in which the mattress is arranged in the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction. A configuration example in which a spring structure connection including only the spring structure and a spring structure connection including the spring structure and the spring coil are arranged is shown.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of an example of a mattress according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the mattress 10 has a plurality of mattresses 10 arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) and the lateral direction (horizontal direction) of the mattress 10 in a state along the height direction of the mattress 10. It has a spring structure 11. Although not shown, these plurality of spring structures 11 are divided by border wires having arrangement areas provided above and below, and the spring structures 11 arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the mattress 10 are attached to the border wires. It is connected by a ring. Further, at least the upper surface side of the mattress 10 of the plurality of spring structures 11 is covered with the cushion material, and the entire surface surface of the cushion material and the lower surface side of the mattress 10 are covered with the surface material. For the other configurations of the mattress 10 other than the spring structure 11, a conventionally known layer structure of the mattress can be appropriately adopted. In FIG. 1, the arrow X indicates the horizontal width direction of the mattress 10, Y indicates the vertical width direction, Z indicates the height direction, and the height direction Z is the same direction as the expansion / contraction direction of the spring structure 10. be.

2 and 3 schematically show the configuration of each spring structure 11 in the present embodiment. As shown in these figures, each spring structure 11 includes a foam 12 and a coil spring 13 which is composed of spiral streaks and the streaks are embedded inside the foam 12. doing.

The foam 12 is composed of, for example, a polyurethane foam, a silicone foam, a styrene elastomer foam, a resin foam such as an olefin elastomer foam, or a rubber foam such as natural rubber, but is an open cell type. It is desirable to have a foam structure of. The reason is that in the case of the open cell type, the communication portion functions as an orifice, so that the damping effect is improved. The coil spring 13 is composed of a hard steel wire, a piano wire, a carbon steel oil tempered wire, or a steel wire for a spring such as a stainless steel wire. The diameter of the wire of the steel wire for spring is appropriately set according to the wire material to be used so as to obtain the desired spring force, and as an example, for a general steel wire, it shall be 1.0 to 2.5 mm. Is desirable. Further, in order to reduce the weight of the coil spring 13, a resin such as glass fiber reinforced plastic or carbon fiber reinforced plastic may be applied.

The foam 12 has a spiral concave groove 12a and a spiral convex groove 12b provided between the spiral concave grooves 12a. The spiral convex groove 12b of the foam 12 and the spiral streak of the coil spring 13 have a spiral shape with the same pitch, but the diameter of the spiral convex groove 12b of the foam 12 is a coil. The diameter of the spiral wire of the spring 13 is larger than the diameter of the spiral wire of the coil spring 13, and the spiral wire of the coil spring 13 is embedded in the spiral convex groove 12b of the foam 12. That is, the spiral groove 12a of the foam 12 is formed between the spiral lines of the coil spring 13. The larger the volume (or the cross-sectional area in the groove width direction) of the spiral concave groove 12a, the smaller the resistance when the spring structure 11 expands and contracts. Therefore, the groove width and groove depth of the spiral concave groove 12 are adjusted. Thereby, the expansion / contraction characteristics of the spring structure 11 can be adjusted. The groove width of the concave groove 12a can be appropriately set within a range in which the spiral convex groove 12b can be formed. The groove depth of the concave groove 12a is at least the diameter of the spiral wire of the coil spring 13 so that the foam is not caught and damaged between the spiral wires of the coil spring 13 when the spring structure 11 is expanded and contracted. Is preferably larger than. The groove depth of the concave groove 12a is appropriately adjusted according to the expansion and contraction characteristics of the spring structure 11, but as a guide, the groove depth is 50% or less of the outer radius of the coil spring 13 in the portion where the concave groove 12 is formed. It is preferable to do so. Further, the groove depth of the concave groove 12a may be the same over the entire length direction (spiral traveling direction) of the concave groove 12, or may be partially different. The outer shape of the foam 12 excluding the spiral groove 12a is a cylindrical shape, and the dimensions thereof are merely an example, but the axial length is 150 to 250 mm and the outer diameter is 40 to 75 mm. Further, as a mere example, the width (axial width) of the spiral concave groove 12a is 10 to 35 mm, and the pitch (axial distance between the midpoints of the adjacent concave grooves 12a) is 20 to 55 mm. The width (axial width) of the spiral convex groove 12b is 10 to 30 mm, and the pitch (axial distance between the midpoints of the adjacent convex grooves 12b) is 20 to 55 mm.

Further, in the spring structure shown in FIG. 2, not all of the coil springs 13 are embedded in the foam 12, and a part of the coil springs 13 may be exposed from the surface of the foam 12, and the coil springs 13 may be exposed. As long as the front and rear portions of the formed portion are buried and fixed to the foam 12, the exposed portion of the coil spring 13 may not be fixed to the foam 12 as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained. .. The portion of the coil spring 13 exposed from the surface of the foam 12 may be the radial surface of the spiral convex groove 12b, or may be near the side surface or the root of the spiral convex groove 12b. You may.

FIG. 4 schematically shows the configuration of the spring structure 11'as a modification of the spring structure in the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, in this modification, the spring structure 11'consists of a foam 12'and a spiral streak, and the streak is fixed to the surface of the foam 12'. It has a coil spring 13'and a coil spring 13'.

The foam 12'is composed of, for example, a polyurethane foam, a silicone foam, a styrene elastomer foam, a resin foam such as an olefin elastomer foam, or a rubber foam such as natural rubber, but has open cells. It is desirable to have a type of foam structure. The reason is that in the case of the open cell type, the communication portion functions as an orifice, so that the damping effect is improved. The coil spring 13'is composed of a hard steel wire, a piano wire, a carbon steel oil tempered wire, or a steel wire for a spring such as a stainless steel wire. The diameter of the wire of the steel wire for spring is appropriately set according to the wire material to be used so as to obtain the desired spring force, and as an example, for a general steel wire, it shall be 1.0 to 2.5 mm. Is desirable. Further, the coil spring 13'may be a resin molded body such as glass fiber reinforced plastic or carbon fiber reinforced plastic in order to reduce the weight.

The foam 12'has a spiral concave groove 12a'and a spiral convex groove 12b' provided between the spiral concave grooves 12a. The spiral convex groove 12b'of the foam 12'and the spiral streak of the coil spring 13' have a spiral shape having the same diameter and the same pitch, and the spiral wire of the coil spring 13' The strip is fixed to the surface of the spiral convex groove 12b'of the foam 12'with an adhesive or the like. Further, not all of the spiral wires of the coil spring 13'are fixed to the surface of the foam 12', and a part thereof may be partially embedded in the foam 12'. Even in such a modified mode, the spiral groove 12a'of the foam 12'is formed between the spiral lines of the coil spring 13'. The larger the volume (or the cross-sectional area in the groove width direction) of the spiral concave groove 12a', the smaller the resistance during expansion and contraction of the spring structure 11', so that the groove width and groove depth of the spiral concave groove 12' The expansion and contraction characteristics of the spring structure 11'can be adjusted by adjusting. The groove width of the concave groove 12a'can be appropriately set within a range in which the spiral convex groove 12b'can be formed. The groove depth of the concave groove 12a'is at least the spiral shape of the coil spring 13'so that the foam is not caught and damaged between the spiral lines of the coil spring 13'when the spring structure 11' is expanded and contracted. It is preferably larger than the diameter of the streak. Further, the groove depth of the concave groove 12a'is appropriately adjusted according to the expansion and contraction characteristics of the spring structure 11', but as a guide, the outer radius of the coil spring 13'of the portion where the concave groove 12'is formed is used. It is preferably 50% or less. Further, the groove depth of the concave groove 12a'may be the same over the entire length direction (spiral traveling direction) of the concave groove 12', or may be partially different. The outer shape of the foam 12'excluding the spiral concave groove 12a'is a cylindrical shape, and the dimensions thereof are merely an example, but the axial length is 150 to 250 mm and the outer diameter is 40 to 75 mm. .. Further, as a mere example, the width (axial width) of the spiral concave groove 12a'is 10 to 35 mm, and the pitch (axial distance between the midpoints of the adjacent concave grooves 12a') is 20 to 55 mm. The width (axial width) of the spiral convex groove 12b'is 10 to 30 mm, and the pitch (axial distance between the midpoints of the adjacent convex grooves 12b') is 20 to 55 mm.

As a form of fixing the spiral wire of the coil spring 13'and the foam 12', the entire surface of the spiral wire in contact with the foam 12'may be fixed, and the effect of the present invention can be obtained. As long as it is possible, it may be fixed at appropriate intervals.

FIG. 5 shows a comparison of the configurations of the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. FIG. 2A shows the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in which the spiral streaks of the coil spring 13 are embedded in the spiral convex groove 12b of the foam 12. FIG. 3B shows the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4 as a modification thereof, and the spiral streaks of the coil spring 13'are fixed to the surface of the spiral convex groove 12b'of the foam 12'. Has been done.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (A), the coil spring 13 is embedded in the foam 12, and as shown in FIG. 5 (B), the coil spring 13'is fixed to the surface of the foam 12'. A spring structure may be configured by combining the structure, or in that case, a part of the coil spring 13 embedded in the foam 12 may be configured to be exposed on the surface of the foam 12.

FIG. 6 shows a deformed state when the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4 is compressed in the expansion / contraction direction. The figure (A) shows a state in which the spring structure 11'is not compressed, the figure (B) shows a state in which the spring structure 11'is slightly compressed, and the figure (C) shows a state in which the spring structure 11'is greatly compressed. It shows each of the states that have been done. As shown in FIGS. The portion of the spiral convex groove 12b'is not displaced (deformed) so much. This is because the diameter of the concave groove 12a'of the foam 12'is smaller than the diameter of the portion other than the concave groove (the portion of the convex groove 12b'), and the coil spring 13'is formed only in the convex groove 12b'. Since the streaks are provided, it is presumed that the spring constant of the portion of the concave groove 12a'is smaller than the spring constant of the portion other than the concave groove (the portion of the convex groove 12b'). As a result, when the spring structure 12'expands and contracts in the axial direction, it is possible to prevent the streaks of the coil spring 13' from biting into the foam 12', and it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the foam 12'due to this bite. be able to. Similar operations and effects can be obtained when the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is used.

FIG. 7 shows the operation of the entire foam 12 or 12'and the coil spring 13 or 13'when a compressive stress is applied to the spring structure. Hereinafter, the spring constant and the restoration time of the entire foam 12 or 12'and the coil spring 13 or 13'in the present embodiment or its modified embodiment will be described. The restoration time (per unit distance) from the compressed state of the entire foam 12 or 12'in the expansion / contraction direction in the present embodiment or its modified embodiment is the restoration time (per unit distance) from the compressed state of the coil spring 13 or 13'. Is set to be longer than. As described above, since the coil spring 13 or 13'is embedded in the foam 12 or 12' or fixed to the surface, a compressive stress F1 is applied to the spring structure as shown in FIG. In this case, the height of the coil spring 13 or 13'after compression and the height of the foam 12 or 12'after compression are the same. When the compressive stress F1 is released in this state, the material characteristics and shape characteristics of the foam 12 or 12'are set so that the coil spring 13 or 13'will return to the original position H0 before compression earlier. Has been done. More specifically, the foam 12 or 12'is set to have physical properties such that the restoration time per unit distance in the compressed distance PL is longer than the restoration time of the coil spring 13 or 13'. This condition is also satisfied when the elastic restoring force (= spring constant) in the compressed state of the foam 12 or 12'is equal to the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 13 or 13'in the compressed state.

On the other hand, the elastic restoring force (spring constant) in the compressed state in the expansion / contraction direction (axial direction) of the entire foam 12 or 12'is equal to or less than the elastic restoration force (spring constant) in the compressed state in the expansion / contraction direction of the coil spring 13 or 13'. It is set to be. Specifically, the material of the foam 12 or 12'and the coil spring 13 or 13'so that the spring constant of the entire foam 12 or 12'is equal to or smaller than the spring constant of the coil spring 13 or 13'. Characteristics and shape characteristics are set. That is, the foam 12 or 12'and the coil spring 13 or 13' are set so as to satisfy the following conditions.
Restoration time: Coil spring <foam spring constant: foam ≤ coil spring

By setting in this way, the coil spring 13 or 13'is braked by the foam 12 or 12' in the expansion / contraction direction (axial direction) of the spring structure. Therefore, the relaxation time of the damped vibration is shortened, the pitching is reduced, and the rolling is also reduced.

A comparative experiment on vibration between a case where the spring structure is composed of only a coil spring (which can be regarded as a pocket coil) and a case where the coil spring is fixed to the surface of the foam as in the modified mode of the present embodiment. went. FIG. 8 shows the device configuration in this comparative experiment. As shown in the figure, a sample mat 80 in which a plurality of spring structures are arranged side by side is produced, and a spherical weight 81 is dropped on the weighting action point P on the sample mat 80 as a dummy of a person who rolls over. Dropped at height h. Further, a rectangular parallelepiped weight 82 was placed at the measurement point as a dummy of a person sleeping sideways, and its behavior was measured with an accelerometer. A comparative experiment was conducted on a spring structure composed of only a coil spring and a sample mat 80 in which a spring structure (coil spring + foam) having a coil spring fixed to the surface of the foam was arranged.

FIG. 9 shows the result of this comparative experiment. The figure (A) shows the vibration measurement result in the vertical direction, and the figure (B) shows the vibration measurement result in the horizontal direction. In these figures, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents acceleration. The "coil spring only" shown by the broken line in the figure indicates that it is the data of the spring structure of only the coil spring, and the "coil spring + foam" shown by the solid line is the coil spring in the foamed body in which the spiral groove is formed. It is shown that it is the data of the spring structure in which. From the figure, in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, the spring structure in which the coil spring is fixed to the surface of the foam has a shorter decay time than the case where the coil spring alone is used. By adjusting the combination of the physical properties of the foam and the physical properties of the coil spring, it is possible to shorten the damping time. As described above, according to the spring structure in which the coil spring is embedded in the foamed body in which the spiral groove is formed, the relaxation time until the end of the damped vibration can be shortened, which can contribute to the suppression of the pitching phenomenon and the rolling phenomenon. You can see that. Similarly, when the coil spring is fixed to the surface of the foam, the relaxation time until the damping vibration ends can be shortened, which can contribute to the suppression of the pitching phenomenon and the rolling phenomenon.

FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the spring structure (upper figure) and the displacement and stress hysteresis curves (lower figure) of the other embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A shows a configuration example in which the length of the coil spring 13 in the expansion / contraction direction is shorter than the length of the foam 12 (coil spring length <foam length), and FIG. A configuration example in which the length of the foam 12 is equal to the length of the foam 12 (coil spring length = foam length), and FIG. Length> Foam length) is shown respectively. As shown in these figures, the different lengths of the foam 12 with respect to the coil spring 13 result in different displacement and stress hysteresis curves and different damping characteristics. This means that by changing the length of the foam, the relaxation time until the end of the damped vibration can be adjusted. That is, if it is configured as shown in FIG. 3A, since the coil spring length <foam length, the foam has an internal stress that acts to stretch the coil spring in the expansion / contraction direction (axial direction). It will be. Further, if it is configured as shown in FIG. 6C, since the coil spring length> the foam length, the foam exerts an internal stress acting to compress the coil spring in the expansion / contraction direction (axial direction). Will have.

FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the spring structure in still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A shows a configuration example in which the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4 is housed in the bag 14 without compression, and FIG. 4B shows the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4 being compressed. Each of the configuration examples housed in the bag body 14 is shown. FIG. 3A shows a normal pocket coil configuration, but as shown in FIG. 3B, if the spring structure 11'is compressed and housed in the bag 14, the spring structure 11'can be obtained. It has an internal stress that acts to stretch (repel) in the expansion / contraction direction (axial direction). The bag body 14 is usually made of a non-stretchable sheet material, but may be made of a knitted fabric having elasticity, a woven fabric made of a stretchable material, a non-woven fabric, or a sheet. When the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is used instead of the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

FIG. 12 shows a configuration in which end face contact members 15 and 15'are provided on the end faces of the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4 as yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. (A) shows a configuration example when the end face contact member 15 has a plate shape, and (B) shows a configuration example when the end face contact member 15 ′ has a cap shape. As shown in FIG. 3A, a resin plate-shaped end face contact member 15 is fixed to one or both end faces of the spring structure 11'(the upper surface side of the mattress) with an adhesive or the like to reinforce it. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, a resin cap-shaped end face contact member 15'is fixed to one or both end faces of the spring structure 11'(the upper surface side of the mattress) with an adhesive or the like. You may reinforce it. When the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is used instead of the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the spring structure connecting body in which the spring structure 11'of the embodiment of FIG. 12 is connected. FIG. (A) shows a configuration example of the spring structure 11 ′ having the end face contact member 15, and FIG. (B) shows a configuration example of the spring structure 11 having the end face contact member 15 ′. As shown in FIG. 3A, the upper surface of the plate-shaped end face contact member 15 may be connected by the connecting member 16 to form the spring structure connecting body 17, or as shown in FIG. , The side surface of the cap-shaped end face contact member 15'may be connected by the connecting member 18 to form the spring structure connecting body 19. In these configuration examples, the two spring structures 11 are connected by the connecting member 16 or 18, but it is clear that three or more spring structures 11'may be connected by the connecting member 16 or 18.

The connecting member 16 or 18 is made of a flexible, stretchable or flexible material and has a strip or tape shape or a strip shape. It may be in the shape of a string or a plane. By having the connecting member 16 or 18 having such a configuration, it is possible to divide or reduce the transmission of the vibration in the expansion / contraction direction of the adjacent spring structure 11 in the lateral direction (plane direction), so that the effect of preventing rolling is effective. Further improve. The elastic or flexible member constituting the connecting member 16 or 18 is a member having rubber elasticity or spring elasticity in which the spring constant in the tension direction in the actual shape is smaller than the spring constant in the expansion and contraction direction of the spring structure 11. It is preferable to have. Further, as the flexible member, it is desirable that the member is a sheet material in which the bending stiffness in the actual shape (by the bending stiffness test method of plastic by a cantilever using a cantilever according to JIS K7106) is equal to or less than a predetermined value. When the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is used instead of the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

FIG. 14 shows a configuration in which the end face contact member 15 is provided on the end face of the spring structure 11'in still another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3A, a resin plate-shaped end face contact member 15 may be fixed to one end face of one of the spring structures 11'(the upper surface side of the mattress) with an adhesive or the like to reinforce it. As shown in FIG. 3B, the spring structure 11'is housed in the bag body 14, and a resin plate-shaped end face contact member 15 is attached to one end face (upper surface side of the mattress) with an adhesive or the like. It may be fixed and reinforced, or as shown in FIG. 6C, a resin plate-shaped end face contact member 15 is attached to the end face of one of the spring structures 11'(the upper surface side of the mattress) with an adhesive or the like. The one fixed and reinforced with the above may be housed in the bag body 14. When the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is used instead of the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

FIG. 15 shows the pattern shape along the concave grooves of the spiral concave grooves 12a, 112a and 212a in various modifications of the foam of the present invention. The spiral concave grooves of the foams 12, 112 and 212 may be concave grooves 12a having a linear parallel pattern shape as shown in FIG. 6A, or may be corrugated parallel as shown in FIG. It may be a concave groove 112a having a pattern shape, a concave groove 212a having a variable waveform width pattern shape as shown in FIG. 6C, or a concave groove having another pattern shape. ..

FIG. 16 shows the axial cross-sectional shapes of the spiral groove 12a, 312a, 412a, 512a, 612a and 712a in various modifications of the foam of the present invention. The spiral concave grooves of the foams 12, 312, 412, 512, 612 and 712 may be the concave grooves 12a having a rectangular cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. As shown, it may be a concave groove 312a having a semicircular cross section, or it may be a concave groove 412a having a semi-trapezoidal cross section as shown in FIG. It may be a concave groove 512a having a one-sided semi-trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, or a concave groove 612a having a variable-wave width cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. The concave groove 712a having a corrugated parallel cross-sectional shape may be used, or the concave groove having another cross-sectional shape may be used.

FIG. 17 shows the shapes of various modifications of the foam of the present invention. The foam may be a foam 12 having a cylindrical outer shape excluding the spiral concave groove as shown in FIG. (A), or the foam may be a spiral concave groove as shown in FIG. The outer shape excluding the above may be a spindle-shaped foam 812, or the outer shape excluding the spiral concave groove may be a truncated cone-shaped foam 912 as shown in FIG. , As shown in FIG. 3D, the outer shape excluding the spiral concave groove may be a bale-shaped foam 1012, or may be a foam having another shape. By changing the shape and material properties of the foam, its physical properties (restoring force and / or restoration time) can be adjusted. By adjusting the physical properties (restoring force and / or restoration time) of the foam, the relaxation time of the damped vibration in the expansion / contraction direction (axial direction) of the spring structure can be adjusted, and the rolling phenomenon of the spring structure can be adjusted. It is possible to optimize the suppression conditions.

FIG. 18 shows the axial cross-sectional shape of various modifications of the foam of the present invention. The foam may be a foam 12 having a cylindrical outer shape as shown in FIG. 6A, or a foam 1112 having a hexagonal columnar outer shape as shown in FIG. It may be a foam 1212 having a prismatic outer shape as shown in FIG. 6C, or a foam having another axial cross-sectional shape. By changing the shape and material properties of the foam, its physical properties (restoring force and / or restoration time) can be adjusted. By adjusting the physical properties (restoring force and / or restoration time) of the foam, the relaxation time of the damped vibration in the expansion / contraction direction (axial direction) of the spring structure can be adjusted, and the rolling phenomenon of the spring structure can be adjusted. It is possible to optimize the suppression conditions.

FIG. 19 shows the shape and combination structure of the foam of the present invention in various modifications. However, in the figure, the concave groove is omitted for ease of understanding. The foam may be a cylindrical foam 1312 in which two types of foam materials a and b are combined so as to form two layers in the axial direction as shown in FIG. ) May be a cylindrical foam 1412 in which two types of foam materials c and d are combined in three layers in the axial direction, or as shown in FIG. , D and e may be a cylindrical foam 1512 in which three layers are combined in the axial direction, or two types of foam materials f and g may be formed into two layers in the axial direction as shown in FIG. It may be a combined spindle-shaped foam 1612, or a cylindrical foam 1712 in which two types of foam materials h and i are combined in two layers in the radial direction as shown in FIG. Alternatively, it may be a cylindrical foam 1812 in which four types of foam materials j, k, n and m are combined into four layers in the axial direction and the radial direction as shown in FIG. Foams of other shapes and combinations may be used. As described above, by combining the foaming materials a to m having different physical properties (elastic restoring force and / or restoring time), it is possible to provide a foam having optimum physical properties.

FIG. 20 shows a connection pattern of the spring structure connection body in which the spring structure is connected. However, in the figure, the concave groove of the foam is not shown for easy understanding. As shown in FIG. 3A, the upper surface and the lower surface of the three spring structures 11'may be connected by band-shaped, tape-shaped or strip-shaped connecting members 20 and 21 to form the spring structure connecting body 22. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the upper and lower surfaces of the two spring structures 11'and one coil spring 13 are connected by strip-shaped, tape-shaped or strip-shaped connecting members 20 and 21 to form a spring structure. The connecting body 122 may be configured, or as shown in FIG. 6C, the upper and lower surfaces of the three spring structures 11'and one coil spring 13 are strip-shaped, tape-shaped, or strip-shaped connecting members. The spring structure connecting body 222 may be formed by connecting by 20 and 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 3D, three spring structures 11'are housed in the bag body 14, and the upper and lower surfaces thereof are strip-shaped, tape-shaped, or strip-shaped connecting members 20. The spring structure connecting body 322 may be formed by connecting with and 21, respectively, or as shown in FIG. The side surfaces of the spring structure may be connected to each other by a flat plate-shaped or tape-shaped connecting member 23 to form a spring structure connecting body 422, or as shown in FIG. The spring structure connecting body 522 may be housed in the body 114, or three spring structure 11's housed in the bag body 14 are prepared as shown in FIG. These side surfaces may be connected by one connecting member 24 having a band shape, a tape shape, or a strip shape to form a spring structure connecting body 622, or as shown in FIG. Three pieces each housed in the bag body 14 may be prepared, and these side surfaces may be connected by two connecting members 24 having a band shape, a tape shape or a strip shape to form a spring structure connecting body 722. Other spring structure connections may be used. The connecting members 20, 21, 23 or 24 are made of a flexible, stretchable or flexible material and have a strip or tape or strip shape. It may be in the shape of a string or a plane.

FIG. 21 shows another example of a spring structure connecting body in which the spring structure is connected. However, in the figure, the concave groove of the foam is not shown for easy understanding. As shown in the figure, the spring structure connecting body 822 is configured by connecting a plurality of (two in this example) spring structures 11 by a connecting member 27. The connecting member 27 is configured by connecting a ring-shaped member 27a having a thick rubber band-like shape with a connecting portion 27b on the outer peripheral portion thereof and having an 8-shaped structure as the minimum unit. In actual use, ring-shaped members 27 arranged in the plane direction are provided as many as the number of spring structures 11 to be connected. The ring-shaped member 27a is made of a shrinkable material or structure such as a synthetic resin material, a rubber material or a spring structure.

By having the connecting members 20, 21, 23, 24 or 27 having such a configuration, it is possible to divide or reduce the transmission of the vibration in the expansion and contraction direction of the adjacent spring structure 11'in the lateral direction (plane direction). , The effect of rolling prevention is further improved. As a member having elasticity or flexibility constituting the connecting member 20, 21, 23 or 24, the rubber elasticity or spring whose spring constant in the tension direction in the actual shape is smaller than the spring constant in the expansion / contraction direction of the spring structure 11'. It is preferably a member having elasticity. Further, as the flexible member, it is desirable that the member is a sheet material in which the bending stiffness in the actual shape (by the bending stiffness test method of plastic by a cantilever using a cantilever according to JIS K7106) is equal to or less than a predetermined value. When the spring structure 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is used instead of the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

FIG. 22 shows a configuration example of a spring structure according to still another embodiment of the present invention. However, in the figure, the concave groove of the foam is not shown for easy understanding. As shown in the figure (A), the foam 1912'may be provided only in the upper portion, and the lower portion may be a spring structure 11'consisting only of the coil spring 13'without providing the foam. As shown in FIG. (B), a spring structure 11 in which the foams 2012'and 2112' are divided into two parts only in the upper portion and the lower portion, and the central portion is composed of only the coil spring 13'without the foam. ′ May be used, or as shown in FIG. 6C, the foams 2212 ′ 2312 ′ and 2412 ′ are provided in three parts only in the upper portion, the central portion and the lower portion, and the two central portions are provided. It may be a spring structure 11'consisting only of a coil spring 13'without providing a foam. By having the spring structure having such a configuration, it is possible to perform more complicated desired vibration control while exerting the effect of the present invention.

FIG. 23 shows the arrangement pattern of the spring structure on the mattress. As shown in FIG. (A), the spring structure 11 may be arranged over the entire area to form the mattress 10, or as shown in FIG. (B), every other row in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction). The mattress 110 may be configured by arranging the spring structure 11 and the spring coil 13 in the mattress 110, respectively, or the spring coil 13 may be arranged only in the outer peripheral portion as shown in FIG. The body 11 may be arranged to form the mattress 210, or the spring structure 11 may be arranged in the central portion and the spring coil 13 may be arranged at other positions to form the mattress 310 as shown in FIG. The mattress 410 may be configured by arranging the spring structure 11 and the spring coil 13 in every other row in the lateral direction (horizontal direction) as shown in FIG. It may be a mattress with other arrangement patterns. When the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4 is used instead of the spring structure 11, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

FIG. 24 shows the arrangement pattern of the spring structure connection in the mattress. As shown in FIG. 3A, a spring structure connecting body 25 including only the spring structure 11 may be arranged along the lateral direction (lateral direction) to form the mattress 510, or the mattress 510 may be configured in FIG. The mattress 610 may be configured by arranging the spring structure connecting body 25 including only the spring structure 11 along the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction) as shown in FIG. The mattress 710 may be configured by arranging the spring structure connecting body 25 including only the body 11 along the lateral direction (horizontal direction) and the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction), or as shown in FIG. The mattress 810 may be configured by arranging the spring structure connecting body 25 including only the spring structure 11 in the central portion along the lateral direction (horizontal direction), or as shown in FIG. The spring structure connecting body 25 including only the body 11 is arranged along the lateral direction (lateral direction), only the spring coil 13 is arranged along the lateral direction (lateral direction), and further, the spring structure 11 and the spring are arranged. The spring structure connecting body 26 including the coil 13 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction) to form the mattress 910, or a mattress having another arrangement pattern may be used. When the spring structure 11'shown in FIG. 4 is used instead of the spring structure 11, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

In the above description, an example of applying the spring structure and the spring structure connection to the mattress has been described, but the same can be applied to the cushion of a chair such as a sofa.

All of the above-described embodiments are exemplary and not limited to the present invention, and the present invention can be implemented in various other modifications and modifications. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims and their equivalents.

10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, 910 Mattress 11, 11'Spring structure 12, 12', 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712, 812, 912, 1012, 1112, 1212, 1312, 1412, 1512, 1612, 1712, 1812, 1912', 2012', 2112', 2212', 2312', 2412' Foams 12a, 12a', 112a, 212a, 312a, 412a, 512a, 612a, 712a Concave groove 12b, 12b'Convex groove 13, 13'Coil spring 14 Bag body 15, 15'End face contact member 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27 Connecting member 17, 19, 22 , 25, 26, 122, 222, 322, 422, 522, 622, 722, 822 Spring structure connecting body 27a Ring-shaped member 27b Connecting part 80 Sample mat 81, 82 Weight

Claims (16)

It comprises a coil spring having a spiral streak and a columnar or tubular foam in which the spiral streak of the coil spring is embedded or fixed to the surface.
The foam has a spiral concave groove formed along the axial direction of the columnar or cylindrical surface and a spiral convex groove provided between the spiral concave grooves. A spring structure characterized in that the spiral-shaped streaks are embedded in the spiral-shaped convex groove or fixed to the surface of the spiral-shaped convex groove. The spring structure according to claim 1 , wherein the wire of the coil spring is embedded in the foam body or fixed to the surface of the foam in a state where compressive stress is applied in the expansion / contraction direction. body. The first or second claim, wherein the wire of the coil spring is embedded in the foam or fixed to the surface of the foam in a state where tensile stress is applied in the expansion / contraction direction. Spring structure. Any one of claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that it has an end face contact member that is in contact with the end face of the coil spring or the end face of the foam in the expansion / contraction direction and moves together with the coil spring or the foam. The spring structure described in the section. The spring structure according to claim 4 , wherein the end face contact member is a block-shaped member, a sheet-shaped member, or a cup-shaped member. The spring structure according to claim 5, wherein the foam and the coil spring are enclosed in a cylindrical bag, and the bag is configured to function as the end face contact member. .. The spring structure according to claim 5, wherein the foam, the coil spring, and the end face contact member are enclosed in a cylindrical bag. The foam is configured such that the elastic restoring force of the coil spring in the compressed state in the expansion / contraction direction is equal to or less than the elastic restoring force of the coil spring in the compressed state in the expansion / contraction direction, and the foam from the compressed state. The spring structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the restoration time per unit distance in the expansion / contraction direction is configured to be longer than the restoration time of the coil spring. The spring structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the foam is composed of a plurality of foams made of different types of foaming materials. The feature is that at least one of the plurality of foams is configured so that the elastic restoring force or restoration time in the compressed state is different from the elastic restoring force or restoration time in the compressed state of the other foams. The spring structure according to claim 9. The spring structure according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein the plurality of foaming materials are laminated in an expansion / contraction direction of the foam or a direction intersecting the expansion / contraction direction. The spring structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein a part of the spring structure in the expansion / contraction direction is composed of only the coil spring. The spring structure according to claim 12 , wherein a lower portion of the spring structure in the expansion / contraction direction is composed of only the coil spring. The spring structure according to claim 12 , wherein the central portion of the spring structure in the expansion / contraction direction is composed of only the coil spring. A mattress comprising a plurality of spring structures according to any one of claims 1 to 14. A cushion comprising a plurality of spring structures according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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