WO2000072729A1

WO2000072729A1 - Mobile rod device for supporting the human body

Info

Publication number: WO2000072729A1
Application number: PCT/CH2000/000303
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabio Camponovo
Original assignee: Fabio Camponovo
Priority date: 1999-05-27
Filing date: 2000-05-26
Publication date: 2000-12-07
Also published as: AU4532700A; EP1182950A1; CH690223A5

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for supporting the human body, such as a bedspring mattress or seat system, comprising an upper face located on the side of the contact zone with the body and at least a sealed section containing a fluid. The device comprises on its upper face a plurality of mobile rods (1) adapted to move vertically and whereof the top ends are designed to be urged in contact with a person's body.

Description

Movable rod device for supporting the human body

The present invention relates to a device for supporting the human body as described in claim 1.

For a person supported by a more or less flat and padded surface such as a mattress base or a seat, it is important to optimize the functions of lift, manometric comfort, thermal comfort and hygrometric comfort.

In order to achieve this objective, it is a question of maximizing the support surface of the human body and of smoothing the peaks and depressions of pressure for a person in lying, lying or sitting position.

One solution described in the prior art lies in the fact of using a support device in the fluid state, for example a water bed. With this type of device, the person is in direct contact, via a thin membrane, with the fluid.

The devices of the state of the art however have a certain number of drawbacks. Due to the fact that the contact is almost direct with the fluid, the hygrometric comfort cannot be reached. Precisely because direct contact with an impermeable membrane makes it difficult for moisture to evaporate due to perspiration and perspiration. It is therefore desirable to be able to support the human body by bringing it into contact with an aerated discontinuous solid system while nevertheless benefiting from the advantages of the functional relationship with a fluid body.

Another handicap is represented by the resistance to horizontal elongation and vertical shear of waterproof membranes as well as of all types of mattresses.

Another way to give solids properties similar to those of fluids in this area can be obtained by breaking them up into very fine portions independent whose reciprocal contact points are subjected to a very low coefficient of friction.

Canadian patent application CA 2073424 and French patent application FR 2242966 disclose a bed provided on its upper face with a plurality of rods, the user coming to rest on one end of the rods.

The beds of the state of the art, however, have several drawbacks. The use of a system of rods makes their movement difficult. Furthermore, it would be desirable to optimize the surface of the bed according to the needs of the user.

As will be seen later, the present invention has the merit of remedying the problems described above.

One of its objects aims to respond more adequately to the comfort requirements which can be essentially summarized as follows:

- Minimize the compression stress on cellular tissues, blood vessels and nerve receptors (Meissner, Paccini, ...)

- Maximize compression smoothing

- Allow evaporation of insensitive perspiration

- Allow excess heat dissipation

Since the pressure represents the Force / Surface ratio or the product of the terrestrial acceleration g by the mass divided by the surface, to minimize the average pressure, it is important to maximize the support surface. The shape of the latter must therefore be perfectly complementary to that of the surface of the person in contact and envelop the entire lower half-surface (slope) of the latter.

To minimize the maximum pressure, maximize the pressure smoothing. The contact surface must therefore be distributed by a material made up of particles free of movement between them so that they can adapt their layout in space without constraint to the shape they have to assume. According to one embodiment of the invention, the isolation of the vertical component of the lifting effect of the pneumatic pressure in the mattress and box spring functions, made possible by the device of parallel vertical rods placed through cylindrical holes in several pressurized boxes, makes it possible to avoid the shear strength and the surface tension of the watertight walls of other air or water mattresses.

The optimization of the mattress-box spring system by integrating the mattress function with the box spring (the rods play the role of the mattress) allows the elimination of the one-piece mattress whose shear resistance hinders adaptation to the shape of the individual. Indeed, a major defect of mattresses, by their shear strength, is to hinder the function of the bed base.

The elimination of the thick monobloc mattress also makes it easier to transport the structure.

The homogeneity of the lift pressure along the two horizontal axes, longitudinal and transverse, is obtained thanks to the system of modules independent of each other but able to adapt each to the whole.

This homogeneity extending to the margins of the structure, this allows the connection of two or more adjacent structures without functional losses.

These modules being able to constitute a single structure or to form substructures of super-modules interconnected thanks to tubes or tight joints, allow a great versatility of dimensional or structural conformation.

Indeed, the modules of the right and left halves of a bed can be disconnected and therefore create a functional separation according to two different pressures for filling the isobaric spaces, to adapt comfort to two people who have a weight, or a weight / size ratio , very different.

Conversely, a functional connection of two small beds can be made into a large one which will have the same characteristics as an original large bed. In addition, this modular system makes it possible to enlarge a child's bed of 70 x 140 cm into a small adult bed of 90 x 190 cm and then into a larger one of 140 x 200 cm or 180 x 200 cm by simple adding and connecting modules, possibly using intermediate steps.

A special over-module can include a pneumatic wake-up device in the form of an exhaust valve whose opening, controlled by a clock, lowers the pressure and therefore induces stimulation of the skin receptors as well as movement of the joints perceived by the postural articular and musculotendinous receptors, which is the only way to induce waking up even during REM sleep.

The isolation and distance between the waterproof surface and the skin, made possible by the device of the present invention, thus avoids the discomfort due to perspiration and perspiration.

The transmission of force by the mobile rods (the pilings) makes it possible to avoid contact of the skin with a closed impermeable surface which makes it difficult for the evaporation or absorption of the water of perspiration and perspiration.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the upper face of the device is rigid and pierced with holes in which are placed syringes whose distal end, directed downwards, is connected to a system of tubes connected in network with a sealed container containing the fluid, or said face constitutes the roof of the container in which the syringes are located, the movable rods being formed by the pistons of the syringes. A retaining device in the form of a screw across the upper part of the syringe, or a ring, prevents the exit of pistons which are not subjected to a load.

In another embodiment of the invention, the density of stems is at least 1000 stems / m ² and in some cases 2000 stems / m ² . In fact, one of the aims sought being to avoid any slowdown in circulation, it is necessary at least to obtain a contact pressure between the skin and the support surface which is lower than the arteriolar or even capillary closing pressure.

The function which links the lift pressure to the density of the rods follows from:

Number of interested rods (with an upper support plate with a radius of 1 cm) =

= Subject weight 80 Kg / (Capillary closing pressure 250 Kg / m ² x Tray area (π x radius ² (0.01m) ² )) = 1019 stems.

Surface of the horizontal projection of the subject (modeled by a horizontal cylinder) =

= 2 x Root (Mass / density 80000 cm ³ x Size 180 cm x Corr. Factor 1.789 / π) = 5728 cm ²

Stem density / m ² = Number of interested stems / Project area. horiz. =

= 1019 stems / 5728 cm ² = 0.1778 stems / cm ² => 1778 stems / m ²

This density of stems is recommended for the conditions described above.

Note, however, that at the end which is in contact with the user, the rods can be provided with a flat-shaped part, most often in the form of a disc.

Depending on the diameter of the disc, the density of the rods cannot be greater than a certain value.

Generally, a rod density of at least 1000 rods / m ^{2 is} preferably used.

In a particularly advantageous configuration, a rod density equal to or greater than 2000 rods / m ² will be chosen.

The reduction in the lift pressure, obtained by increasing the density of rods per m ² , is made possible by the fact that the rods slide directly in the box, which eliminates the need to install pistons and cylinders, and therefore allows the transverse size of the modules to be reduced (rod - padded disc - stopper - waterproof seal). Such a configuration thus considerably improves the adaptability to the shape of the individual. The invention will be described below by means of the following figures:

Figure 1 shows a partial sectional view of a support device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 represents an overall view in section of a device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a top view (orthogonal example) of an embodiment of the device of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a bed according to the invention made up of a plurality of modules

Figure 5 shows a group of modules

Figure 6 illustrates more precisely how two modules are connected

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the device comprises a sealed box (8) filled with a fluid (6), for example water or air. The upper face (5) of the box is pierced with a plurality of holes (9) in which vertical rods (1) can slide. Each hole (9) is lined with a seal (2) to seal the box (5). The upper end of each rod (1), intended to come into contact with a person, is provided with a disc (11) on which a padding (4) is fixed. The lower end of each rod (1) is provided with a plate (3) and a stopper (10) intended to come into contact with the lower wall of the box.

The padding (4) can be made of foam, wool, horsehair or cotton. The thickness of the disc (11) and of the padding can be of the order of 2 cm.

The seal (2) is not necessarily as efficient as that of the valve stems in an engine cylinder head since the pressures to be contained are much lower. The seal (2) also creates a damping effect which reduces the swing effect.

FIG. 3 illustrates a way of distributing the rods on the upper surface of the box.

The box can be made of metal or synthetic material, and can be multiple, fragmented into a series of sub-boxes. The pressure is regulated by a pump and a vertical expansion cylinder (not visible in the figures), closed at the top by a piston which supports a determined and interchangeable weight. The pump can be included in a special module, as well as the weight barostat.

The plate (3) located at the lower end of each rod aims to prevent the latter from leaving the box when it is not subjected to a load. In addition to the stopper (10) mentioned above, the plate (3) can also be provided with a second stopper, placed on its upper face, in order to absorb the contact of the plate (3) with the upper surface (5) of the box. .

With an excursion of the rods of 20 cm, we can hope to obtain a very good adaptation to the shape of the sleeper.

With a density of the order of 2000 stems / m ² , a disc and padding thickness of the order of 2 cm and a person of 80 kg, there is substantially a contact surface of 1.8 m ² , i.e. 1150 stems solicited. This results in a contact pressure with the person which is of the order of 0.022 kg / cm ² . The epidermis and dermis, as well as the other surrounding tissues, are thus subjected to a pressure which is lower than the closing pressure of the arterioles (which is around 0.042 kg / cm ² ) and which is comparable to the pressure of capillaries closed (approx. 0.016kg / cm ² ). This configuration therefore results in improved irrigation. It avoids pathologies linked to blood stasis such as decubitus and thrombosis.

As can be seen in Figures 4 to 6, the bed consists of a plurality of modules (12) connected together by seals (13).

In the present case, each seal (13) fulfills a double function. Besides the fact that it makes it possible to make two adjacent modules (12) integral, it allows, by its tubular shape, to convey the fluid between the modules (12). This configuration makes it possible to maintain a single pressure in the entire bed, the regulation of the latter is all the more facilitated. It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the examples illustrated above. The distribution of the rods on the upper surface of the box can be of hexagonal type such as in a brush.

Claims

claims

1. Device for supporting the human body, in particular mattress-box spring system, comprising an upper face which is situated on the side of the zone of contact with the body, at least one sealed compartment in which a fluid resides and provided on its face upper of a plurality of movable rods adapted to move vertically, said device being characterized in that it is modular and that it comprises several sealed compartments interconnected by fixing means.

2. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the sealed compartments are interconnected by a system of pipes or seals adapted to allow the delivery of fluid from one compartment to another.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one sealed box containing the fluid, the upper wall of said box being provided with a plurality of holes and rods, each of said rods being received sealingly in each of said holes and acting on the fluid in the manner of a piston.

4. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one box open on its upper face and that the cross section of the rods is such that it allows the rods to be arranged adjacent to the entire face top of the box to maintain its tightness.

5. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that at least one sealed and flexible compartment rests on the bottom of the box, the lower end of each rod coming into contact with the upper surface of said compartment.

6. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the retaining means are located inside or outside the sealed and flexible compartment in order to limit its local swelling.

7. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that its upper face is rigid and pierced with holes in which are placed syringes whose distal end, directed downwards, is connected to a system tubing connected in network with a sealed container containing the fluid, the pistons of the syringes acting as rods, a retaining device in the form of a screw across the upper part of the syringe prevents the exit of the pistons not subjected to a load.

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the rods have a diameter of 6 mm and that the device supports a weight of 80 kg, the density of the rods being at least 1000 rods / m ² .

9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has the shape of a seat.

10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it does not include a mattress or any other object of similar function.

11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one module comprises an exhaust valve, the opening of which, controlled by a clock, lowers the pressure in order to cause the awakening of the user.