Honeycomb mattress support

Abstract

An apparatus providing a sleeping surface is described. A mattress support includes a honeycomb core formed of undulated strips of resilient thermoplastic material, thermal compression bonded together and expanded to form cell walls defining a plurality of contiguous regularly shaped cells. The honeycomb core has a top face and a bottom face, and includes a thermal compression planarizing deformation of the top face and the bottom face. A first facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material is bonded to the top face of the honeycomb core, and a second facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material is bonded to the bottom face of the honeycomb core. The mattress support is configured to support the mattress and a human being positioned on top of the mattress, the mattress positioned on top of the first facing sheet of the mattress support.

1 . A mattress system, comprising: 
 a mattress; and    a mattress support that supports the mattress, the mattress support, comprising: 
 a honeycomb core formed of undulated strips of resilient thermoplastic material, thermally bonded together and expanded to form cell walls defining a plurality of contiguous regularly shaped cells, the honeycomb core having a top face and a bottom face;  
 a thermal compression planarizing deformation of the top face and the bottom face;  
 a first facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material bonded to the top face of the honeycomb core; and  
 a second facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material bonded to the bottom face of the honeycomb core;  
   where the mattress support is configured to support the mattress and a human being positioned on top of the mattress, the mattress positioned on top of the first facing sheet of the mattress support.    
     
     
         2 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the mattress support is substantially rectangular shaped.  
     
     
         3 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the mattress support is at least approximately 5 feet in length and at least approximately 3 feet in width.  
     
     
         4 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the honeycomb core is at least approximately 4 inches in thickness between the top face and the bottom face.  
     
     
         5 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the honeycomb core is formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane material having a durometer of approximately 80-85.  
     
     
         6 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the first facing sheet is formed from a 20 gauge thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer material and is approximately 0.015 to 0.025 inches in thickness.  
     
     
         7 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the mattress support includes two or more honeycomb cores bonded together.  
     
     
         8 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first facing sheet, the second facing sheet, or the strips of resilient thermoplastic material forming the honeycomb core include perforations.  
     
     
         9 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the mattress comprises a honeycomb core formed of undulated strips of resilient thermoplastic material, thermal compression bonded together and expanded to form cell walls defining a plurality of contiguous regularly shaped cells, the honeycomb core having a top face and a bottom face.  
     
     
         10 . The mattress system of  claim 9 , wherein the mattress further comprises: 
 a thermal compression planarizing deformation of the top face and the bottom face;    a first facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material bonded to the top face of the honeycomb core; and    a second facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material bonded to the bottom face of the honeycomb core.    
     
     
         11 . The mattress system of  claim 10 , wherein for the mattress at least one of the first facing sheet, the second facing sheet or the strips of resilient thermoplastic material include perforations.  
     
     
         12 . A mattress support, comprising: 
 a honeycomb core formed of undulated strips of resilient thermoplastic material, thermal compression bonded together and expanded to form cell walls defining a plurality of contiguous regularly shaped cells, the honeycomb core having a top face and a bottom face;    a thermal compression planarizing deformation of the top face and the bottom face;    a first facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material bonded to the top face of the honeycomb core; and    a second facing sheet of resilient thermoplastic material bonded to the bottom face of the honeycomb core;    where the mattress support is configured to support a mattress and a human being positioned on top of the mattress, the mattress positioned on top of the first facing sheet of the mattress support.    
     
     
         13 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the mattress support is substantially rectangular shaped.  
     
     
         14 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the mattress support is at least approximately 5 feet in length and at least approximately 3 feet in width.  
     
     
         15 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the honeycomb core is at least approximately 4 inches in thickness between the top face and the bottom face.  
     
     
         16 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the honeycomb core is formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane material having a durometer of approximately 80-85.  
     
     
         17 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the first facing sheet is formed from a 20 gauge thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer material and is approximately 0.015 to 0.025 inches in thickness.  
     
     
         18 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the mattress support includes two or more honeycomb cores bonded together.  
     
     
         19 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first facing sheet, the second facing sheet, or the strips of resilient thermoplastic material forming the honeycomb core include perforations.  
     
     
         20 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the mattress support configured to support a mattress has width and length dimensions at least the same as width and length dimensions of the mattress.  
     
     
         21 . The mattress support of  claim 12 , wherein the mattress support configured to support a mattress and a human being is provided with at least enough stiffness to support the weight of a mattress and a human being lying horizontally thereon.