US 6,202,239 · Granted 2001-03-20
The Mattress That Learned to Support Five Different Body Parts
Imagine a mattress made of three foam layers stacked on top of each other, where each layer gets firmer as you go down. The middle layer is the clever one—it has five different zones that cradle your head, shoulders, hips, legs, and back in different ways, plus channels to wick away sweat and heat.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The patent covers a multi-layer foam support system with a specific architecture: a soft top layer, a middle layer with five distinct support zones (three with curved, wave-like surfaces for head/shoulder, hip, and leg support; two with flat surfaces for back and thigh support), and a firmer bottom layer with moisture-wicking channels. What's protected is the exact combination of these layered zones and their varying firmness levels, preventing competitors from copying this zoned-support approach without licensing.
Why it matters
This patent became central to Select Comfort's Sleep Number bed business model, which pioneered the idea that different parts of your body need different levels of support and firmness. By locking down the multi-zone foam architecture, Select Comfort created a defensible product category that set it apart from traditional mattress makers. The innovation directly addressed consumer complaints about one-size-fits-all mattresses and helped establish the premium adjustable mattress market.
Real-world use
Every night someone lies on a Sleep Number bed, their shoulders sink into the curved zone while their lower back is supported by the firmer flat zone below, all while moisture drains away through those channels so you don't wake up sweaty.
Original USPTO abstract
A multi-zone support generally includes a top foam layer, a middle foam layer located beneath the top foam layer, and a bottom foam layer located beneath the middle foam layer. The resistance to a compressing force generally increases per layer from top to bottom. The top layer has a top and bottom planar surface. The middle layer incorporates five zones of support. Three of the zones include a sinusoidal surface for supporting the head/shoulder, hips, and legs/feet while the other two zones include a sold surface for supporting the back and thighs. The bottom surface includes a number of channels, the channels help to carry heat and moisture away from the support.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,202,239
- Filing date
- 1999-02-25
- Grant date
- 2001-03-20
- Assignee
- Select Comfort Corp.
- Inventor(s)
- WARD KEVIN, HAWKINS STEVE
- CPC class
- A47C27/144
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