Fire resistant corner guard

Abstract

Corner guards suitable for use with a bedding assembly and providing a degree of fire resistance. The corner guards may contain fire/flame resistant (FR) polymeric reagents, flammable polymeric reagents combined with one or more FR agent or have an FR coating. Additionally, the corner guards may have effective FR properties while substantially maintaining the mechanical properties that allow the corner guard to support and protect the edges of upholstered furniture, such as a foundation or sofa. The corner guards arise, at least in part, from the realization that flare ups occurring during the test about the combustion of an FR foundation, result from high burn temperatures causing the corner guard to melt and the subsequently combustion of the melted polymeric material.

1 . A corner guard for a bedding assembly, comprising
 a rigid body having a side wall that is curved about a longitudinal axis and configured to be positioned at a corner of a bedding assembly,   wherein the rigid body includes a fire retardant material.   
     
     
         2 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the side wall includes the fire retardant material. 
     
     
         3 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the fire retardant material is intermixed within the rigid body. 
     
     
         4 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the fire retardant material is affixed to the sidewall. 
     
     
         5 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid body is configured for positioning on a base of a box spring. 
     
     
         6 . The corner guard of  claim 5 , wherein the rigid body includes a top end, a bottom end and the corner guard further comprises a locator flange adjacent to the bottom end of the rigid body. 
     
     
         7 . The corner guard of  claim 5 , wherein the rigid body includes a top end, a bottom end and the corner guard further comprises a limit flange adjacent to the top end of the rigid body. 
     
     
         8 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid body is configured for positioning between a mattress foundation and a frame supporting the mattress foundation. 
     
     
         9 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one strengthening rib formed in the side wall and extending in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         10 . The corner guard of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one strengthening rib extends perpendicularly from adjacent a top end of the rigid body to adjacent a bottom end of the rigid body. 
     
     
         11 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the side wall includes a convex outer surface. 
     
     
         12 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid body is bent such that a portion of the side wall is perpendicular to another portion of the side wall along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         13 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the rigid body across the side wall is substantially uniform. 
     
     
         14 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid body includes a material selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, paper, corrugated paper, wood, Masonite, fiberglass, metal, and polyethylene, polypropylene or acrylovnitrate-butadiene-styrene. 
     
     
         15 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein rigid body including the fire retardant material has material properties selected such that the corner guard meets the California Bureau of Home Furnishings Technical Bulletin 129 Flammability Test Procedure. 
     
     
         16 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the fire retardant material includes a halocarbon. 
     
     
         17 . The corner guard of  claim 16 , wherein the halocarbon includes at least one of polybrominated diphenyl ether and polychlorinated biphenyl ether. 
     
     
         18 . The corner guard of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid body includes substantially impact-resistant materials. 
     
     
         19 . A bedding assembly, comprising:
 a mattress foundation including a bottom surface, an upper support surface, and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the bottom surface and the upper support surface, where at least two of the side surfaces intersect to form an exterior corner   a frame supporting the mattress foundation; and   a fire retardant corner guard positioned along the exterior corner and attached to the mattress foundation to cover at least a portion of the exterior corner.   
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a corner guard for a bed assembly, comprising
 providing a rigid body having a side wall that is curved about a longitudinal axis and configured to be positioned at a corner of a bedding assembly, and   applying at least one layer of fire retardant material across a portion of the side wall.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein applying at least one layer of fire retardant material includes coating a fire retardant material onto the side wall. 
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing a corner guard for a bed assembly, comprising
 providing a corner guard mold,   introducing a molten rigid body material into the corner guard mold,   combining a fire retardant material with the molten rigid body material, and   allowing the molten rigid body material to set, thereby forming a rigid body shaped as the corner guard mold and having fire retarding materials.