EP0757899A1

EP0757899A1 - Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit

Info

Publication number: EP0757899A1
Application number: EP96500111A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jose Manuel Nogueira Idoeta
Original assignee: Fabricas Lucia Antonio Betere SA FLABESA
Current assignee: Fabricas Lucia Antonio Betere SA FLABESA
Priority date: 1995-08-08
Filing date: 1996-07-31
Publication date: 1997-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-31
Also published as: DE69611490T2; EP0757899B1; GR3035635T3; DE69611490D1; ATE198534T1; ES2123391B1; PT757899E; ES2123391A1

Abstract

Taking any conventional mattress, with a central elastic core framed with two pads in turn lined with two outer layers of quilting or cushioning, the improvements lie in replacing at least one pad with a reticulated body (1) in which a number of transversely elongate pneumatic chambers (6) are established, each fitted with its own independent inflating means (10), and therefore the user may, depending on the air pressure supplied to each such transverse chamber (6), vary the degree of general firmness of the mattress at will, and also the degree of firmness along the same. In double beds, these transverse chambers (6) are split into two by means of a longitudinal midwall, to allow the firmness of the two sides of the bed to be independently adjusted, and inflating of said chambers will in any event take place with an appropriate compressing equipment and a set of electrovalves (10), one for each chamber (6), driven independently of the rest.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a number of improvements which can be made in any conventional mattress, tending to allow the firmness or deformative strength of its operative surface as against the user's bodily weight to be adjusted at will by means which enable such degree of firmness to be easily varied.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bed structures have changed considerably in time, to such an extent that as opposed to old-fashioned extremely soft beds which adapted perfectly to bodily contours, a certain type of current beds has now been arrived at in which the bed materialises as a rigid duly upholstered board on which an elastic element comprising the mattress is arranged which offers a maximum firmness or hardness, a complementary moulding being therefore established between the user's body and the mattress, moulding of the user's body being greatest, to suitably profile his or her back.
However, in a fully widespread user solution, elasticity is not only conferred by the mattress but also by the bedspring and the degree of firmness of the bed is therefore less, the said bedspring being structured with a rigid generally metallic framework in which a number of elastically deformable slats are established which thus serve as springs. This solution allows the firmness of a particular bedspring to be adjusted at will, depending on the type of slats used and their spacing, and indeed allows said firmness to be varied in different areas of the same bedspring, specifically using slats that are wider or more rigid than others in some areas.
Although the range of slat bedsprings which may be offered in the market affording a different degree of performance is almost unlimited, this is only so from the theoretical standpoint, because in practice, clearly and for reasons of cost, the range is limited to a small number of models which may be adjusted to different standard types, but obviously fail to offer the most suitable performance for the huge majority of users. This problem is increased to a determinant extent in the case of slat bedsprings designed for double beds, i.e. to be simultaneously used by two people, for instance a married couple, where differences in size and weight can be very large, and therefore though the bedspring may be suitable for one user, there is no doubt that it will be very far from being suitable for the other user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The improvements of the invention have been devised to fully solve each and every different aspect of the problem aforesaid as noted above.
More specifically and in order to achieve the above, taking a conventional basic structure for the mattress, based upon a central elastic core, for instance including springs, framed by two layers of padding and finally lined with two layers of quilting or cushioning, the invention lies in replacing said conventional layers of padding with a reticulated body in which a plurality of transversely elongate and longitudinally adjacent screens or pneumatic chambers are defined, each having its own inflating system, the user being therefore able to provide a particular pressure at will for each such transverse chamber, the firmness of the bed therefore varying along the same, depending upon the extent of pressure existing in each of its areas.
Although any conventional system may be used to inflate such chambers, the bed has been designed to be provided, at any suitable location thereof, with a small compressor fitted with a standby air tank from which the desired pressure can be supplied to any of the chambers making up the bed, through suitable valves, each chamber being fitted with a release valve, distinct from the filling valve, which allows pressure therein to be lowered when this is deemed fit.
The filling valves will preferably materialise as electrovalves which, as aforesaid, will be independently driven by the user.
Taking this basic structure, in accordance with another characteristic of the invention, where the beds are destined to be double beds, said transverse chambers have also been provided to be split into two, by means of a longitudinal midwall, and thus two laterally adjacent areas of equal size are established in such bed for both users, also independently adjustable insofar as hardness is concerned, by means of a similarly independent inflating system.
The bed has also been finally provided to optionally be fitted at its longitudinal edges, or optionally along its entire perimeter, with another inflatable cushion which can be given a substantially greater firmness than the transverse chambers, thereby for said side cushions or as appropriate the perimetric cushion to determine a retaining means, resembling a railing, ensuring that the user is retained within the bed.
Said reticulated body can constitute a physically independent element of the central elastic core of the mattress, which core can in turn even made with springs, polyurethane foam, latex or even water, which reticulated body may otherwise be integrated with the central elastic core of the cushion, forming a single unit containing both their properties and qualities.
When the central elastic core is constituted by an innerspring, the pneumatic chambers making up the reticulated body can be included within the springs as such.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to provide a fuller description and contribute to the complete understanding of the features of this invention, a set of drawings is attached to the specification which, while purely illustrative and not fully comprehensive, shows the following:
Figure 1.- Is a schematic, partial, side elevation and sectional representation of a traditional mattress to which the improvements of the invention apply.
Figure 2.- Is a schematic plan representation of the reticulated body applicable to the mattress of the preceding figure, replacing its pad, made in accordance with the improvements of the invention.
Figure 3.- Is an enlarged partial and perspective close-view of the reticulated body of the preceding figure.
Figure 4.- Is a schematic perspective view of a reticulated body designed for a double bed, which also shows a schematic representation of the compressing equipment and standby air tank.
Figure 5.- Is a schematic perspective view similar to that of figure 4 of a different embodiment of the reticulated body in which the body is also fitted with a pair of very firm side longitudinal cushions, acting as "railings".
Figure 6.- Is a profile close-view of the body of figure 5, wherein the effect of the side cushions may be observed.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows, as aforesaid, a traditional mattress structured on the basis of a central elastic core (A), which may comprise springs, polyurethane foam, latex, etc., lined on either side with a pad (B), respective layers (C) of quilting or cushioning lying outside such pads (B).
Now then, the improvements of the invention lie in replacing at least one of the pads (B) with a reticulated body (1) having a basic flattened prismatic-rectangular configuration resembling that of a conventional mattress, in which there is a bottom laminar wall (2), a top laminar wall (3), a side perimetric wall (4), which complements the prismatic body, and a number of inner transverse and vertical dividers (5) defining a plurality of transversely elongate screens or chambers (6) which may affect the whole width of the bed, as in the practical embodiment shown in figure 2, or which may be split into two with the assistance of a longitudinal midwall (7), as in the embodiment of figures 4 and 5.
The said deformable chambers (6) are in any event designed to be pneumatically inflated with the assistance of a compressing equipment (8) lying, for instance, next to the head or foot of the bed, and assisted by a standby air tank (9), which compressing equipment need therefore only be switched on when the tank (9) is empty, the equipment supplying pressurised air to the chambers (6) through respective electrovalves (10) assisting each chamber, and therefore upon actuating such electrovalves (10) one by one, the user may provide each chamber (6) with a particular pressure, equal to or distinct from the pressure of the remaining chambers in the body, and may consequently establish different degrees of firmness throughout the same, to achieve maximum bodily comfort, which adjustment is, in the case of double beds, as shown in figure 4, independent for each of the two users of the bed, since both the chambers lying on the right-hand side of the body and those lying on the left-hand side are provided with respective individual electrovalves (10).
The transverse chambers (6) of the body have additionally been provided to optionally be laterally and longitudinally framed by two pneumatic cushions (11), in turn fitted with respective inflating electrovalves, which cushions may optionally also affect the edges of the body at the head and foot of the bed and which are in any event designed to receive an inflating pressure substantially in excess of that of the transverse chambers (6), and therefore, as shown especially in figure 5, said pneumatic cushions (11) are raised in respect of the remaining body, acting, since they offer a considerably greater firmness than the latter, as railings or containing walls holding the users duly stabilised as they lie on the bed, eliminating the risk of falling.
As explained above, the reticulated body (1) can be independent of the central elastic core (A) of the cushion or make up a single unit with the latter including both their properties and qualities.
Specifically, if the central elastic core (A) is constituted by an innerspring, the pneumatic chambers constituting the reticulated body (1) may be included within the actual springs.

Claims

Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, characterised by the inclusion within the mattress of a reticulated body (1) having a generally prismatic-rectangular configuration, structured based upon a laminar enveloping body (2-3-4) within which a number of transverse dividers (5) are established, determining sealed, transversely elongate pneumatic chambers (6) fitted with their own individual inflating means, and therefore according to the pressure supplied to such transverse chambers (6) throughout the bed, the latter shall offer different degrees of firmness.
Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, as in claim 1, characterised in that the transverse chambers (6) can be split into two by means of a longitudinal divider (7) for instance to be used in double beds, and therefore the two parts into which it is divided can be independently adjusted insofar as the extent of inflation of its chambers is concerned.
Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, as in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that a compressing equipment (8) works with it, assisted by a standby air tank (9) from which pressure is supplied to each and every transverse chamber (6) through respective electrovalves (10) which may be independently controlled one by one.
Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, as in claims 1 to 3, characterised because the transverse chambers (6) are optionally framed laterally and longitudinally by two pneumatic cushions (11) provided with their own inflating means, which may optionally also extend to the other areas of the body (1) at the head and foot of the bed, these pneumatic cushions (11) being designed to receive a substantially higher air pressure than the pressure of the transverse cushions (6), in order to provide the edges of the mattresses with a greater firmness, and even with top linear protuberances as retaining railings.
Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, as in claims 1 to 4, characterised because the reticulated body is included in the mattress as an intermediate element between the elastic core of the mattress and the outer quilting or cushioning.
Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, as in claim 5, characterised because the central elastic core of the cushion is preferably chosen between an innerspring, polyurethane foam, latex or water core as a basis for water mattresses.
Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, as in claims 1 to 4, characterised because this reticulated body is integrated with the central elastic core of the mattress forming a single unit which includes both their properties and qualities.
Improvements made in mattresses to adjust their firmness as the user sees fit, as in claims 1 to 4 and 7, characterised in that when the central elastic core is constituted by an innerspring, the pneumatic chambers constituting the reticulated body are included within the actual springs.