Patent Grant
9622589
The present invention relates to an air mattress with an internal pump for medical or caretaking use, and in particular to an air mattress with an internal pump in which ease of performing caretaking work and ease of maintenance are improved.
Air mattresses or air-type bedding such as that disclosed in Patent Documents 1 through 3 is known in the art. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which air bladders corresponding to the thigh area, right and left shoulder area, or buttock area of a person reclining upon a base mat of an air mattress are provided, the supply and release of air to and from these air bladders is controlled by a control device, and the breathing motions of the person lying on the air mattress are assisted. In the air mattress disclosed in Patent Document 1, the air supply/release device for inflating and deflating the air bladders is disposed at a corner of the base mat, or disposed upon the exterior of the base mat.
Patent Document 2 discloses an air-type bedding having a configuration in which a plurality of air bladders is provided upon an upper surface of a spread bedding such as a mattress or the like at positions corresponding to the thigh area, feet area, and other lower extremities of a person reclining on the mattress, and rubbing of the lower extremities of the person lying on the mattress is performed through the inflation and deflation of these air bladders.
Patent Document 3 discloses an air mattress for preventing decubitus ulcers in which a reinforcing member is provided at an end of the air mattress in the lengthwise direction, i.e., an end on the head area side or leg area side of a person lying on the air mattress, a soft member formed from an elastic material softer than that of the reinforcing member is provided further toward the exterior than the reinforcing member, and an air supply pump is embedded within the soft member. Patent Document 3 also discloses that the air supply pump can be prevented from impeding the work of a caretaker or the like by integrating the pump with the mattress.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No 2006-297056
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No 2004-222743
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No 2000-189288
The prior art described above presents problems such as those described below. In the air mattress according to Patent Document 1, when the air supply/release device is provided on the exterior of the base mat, the air supply/release device must be moved separately from the mattress when the mattress is being moved, reducing the ease of performing medical or caretaking work. In such cases, there is also the problem that the air supply/release device and air tube end up being disposed to the exterior of the mattress, increasing the risk of the air supply/release device and air tube breaking.
The mattress according to Patent Document 2 is one in which the air bladders are provided upon the base mat, which is formed from an elastic material, and is not used as an air mattress. As such, the mattress does not allow body pressure to be dispersed by adjusting the air pressure at positions along the lengthwise direction of the mattress.
In the air mattress according to Patent Document 3, there is a need to provide a reinforcing member and flexible member at an end of the air mattress with respect to the lengthwise direction in order to provide the air supply pump, and not only is the structure of the air mattress complicated, but the size of the air mattress is also increased more than is necessary. As such, there is the problem that limited caretaking space cannot be sufficiently utilized in the case of, for example, home caretaking or the like. There is also the problem that the ease of maintenance of the pump and air tube is low due to the structure in which the pump and air tube are embedded within the interior of the air mattress, and the entirety of the air mattress is further covered by exterior material.
An object of the present invention is to provide an air mattress with an internal pump wherein an air supply/release pump can be contained within the space occupied by a conventional air mattress, and the ease of handling of the pump, ease of performing caretaking work, and ease of maintenance are improved without reducing comfort.
The air mattress with an internal pump according to the present invention has a plurality of air cell groups lined up in the lengthwise direction of the air mattress, each of which groups made from a plurality of bladder-shaped cells, an air supply/release pump, and an air tube linking the air cell groups and the air supply/release pump in an independent system for each air cell group of two or more air cell groups out of the air cell groups. All of the bladder-shaped cells of the air cell groups are rod-shaped cells extending in a widthwise direction of the air mattress; each of the air cell groups is configured so that the bladder-shaped cells are lined up in the lengthwise direction of the air mattress. The bladder-shaped cells of the air cell groups other than the air cell groups corresponding to the heel area of a person lying on the air mattress extend to an edge of the air mattress. The length of the bladder-shaped cells of the air cell groups corresponding to the heel area is up to 30% less than that of the other bladder-shaped cells, a space is left between the cells and the edge of the air mattress. The air supply/release pump is disposed in the space. In the present invention, the length of the bladder-shaped cells of the air cell groups corresponding to the heel area is, for example, less than that of the other bladder-shaped cells by at least the width of the air supply/release pump while falling within the range described above.
In the air mattress with an internal pump described above, for example, the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells can be controlled individually for each of the air cell groups among the air cell groups linked in independent systems by said air tubes.
In the air mattress with an internal pump, it is possible to remove said air supply/release pump by, for example, detaching said air tube from said air supply/release pump.
It is preferable that the exterior surface of said air supply/release pump be covered by a flexible member. The air mattress with an internal pump also has, for example, a top cover covering the upper surfaces of said plurality of air cell groups and said air supply/release pump.
In the air mattress with an internal pump according to the present invention, the plurality of bladder-shaped cells are rod-shaped cells extending in the widthwise direction of the air mattress and being configured so as to be lined up in the lengthwise direction of the air mattress, and support the body of a person lying on the air mattress. The length of the bladder-shaped cells of the air cell groups corresponding to the heel area of the person lying on the air mattress is up to 30% less than that of the other bladder-shaped cells, leaving a space between the cells and the edge of the mattress, in which space is disposed the air supply/release pump. The part corresponding to the side of the heel area is a part that the body of the user of the air mattress does not readily contact even if the user turns over while sleeping, so that comfort is not reduced. The air supply/release pump fits into the space occupied by a conventional air mattress, and does not need to be provided on the exterior of the air mattress, thereby allowing for easy handling thereof.
Because the air supply/release pump is internal to the air mattress, ease of performing caretaking work when using the air mattress of the present invention is high; and because the air supply/release pump is disposed at a corner of the air mattress, a caretaker or the like can easily contact and perform maintenance upon the air supply/release pump and air tube.
Hereafter follows a detailed description of an air mattress with an internal pump according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.
First, the configuration of the air mattress with an internal pump according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
The air supply/release pump 11 is disposed within the space in which bladder-shaped cells are not disposed so that the lengthwise direction thereof is parallel with the lengthwise direction of the air mattress 1; i.e., so that the lengthwise direction is orientated in the direction from the head area to the leg area of the person lying on the air mattress. The air supply/release pump 11 is thereby disposed in a corner out of the four corners of the air mattress 1, which is configured so as to describe a rectangle as a whole when seen in a plan view, that corresponds to the heel area of the person lying on the mattress. The part corresponding to the side of the heel area is a part that the body of the user of the air mattress does not readily contact even if the user turns over while sleeping, so that comfort is not reduced. Even if the user does come in contact with this part, because it is the heel, comfort is not negatively affected by the presence of the pump. It is also possible to cover the exterior surface of the air supply/release pump 11 with a flexible member made of, for example, urethane so that, even when the heel of the person on the air mattress is positioned over the air supply/release pump 11 due to the person rolling over or the like, the flexible member acts as a cushion, thereby preventing a reduction in comfort. It is also possible to protect the air supply/release pump 11 from shock from the heel using the flexible member, so that the functioning of the mattress is not impeded. The flexible member used is preferably a member with high body pressure dispersibility. This enables the risk of decubitus ulcer occurrence to be reduced. Because the air supply/release pump 11 is disposed at a part corresponding to the heel area of the air mattress user, the comfort of the mattress user is not reduced by the operating noise of the pump.
In the present embodiment, the air supply/release pump 11 is provided in an area within the range of the width and length of the air mattress formed from the plurality of air cell groups 10; thus, the pump fits within the space occupied by a conventional air mattress, does not require installation outside of the air mattress, and is easy to handle. Because the air supply/release pump is provided in a corner corresponding to the heel area of the air mattress user, the air mattress according to the present embodiment can be laid on the frame of a bed having, for example, knee-raising and knee-lowering functions, and used. In other words, when the air mattress is laid on the frame of a bed having knee-raising and knee-lowering functions, the air supply/release pump 11 is not disposed at a part of the air mattress that bends, and the knee-raising and knee-lowering operations of the bed are not impeded by the presence of the air supply/release pump. The height of the air supply/release pump 11 is preferably equal to or less than that of the bladder-shaped cells of each of the air cell groups 10. This makes it possible to prevent the air supply/release pump 11, which is harder than the air-filled bladder-shaped cells, from jutting out beyond the air cell groups 10 in the height direction, as well as to prevent the position of the person lying on the air mattress from being higher than that of the side rails when the air mattress is provided on a bed having, for example, side rails.
In the present embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
The present embodiment is configured so that, when the connectors 12 are removed from the air supply/release pump 11 as shown in
As shown in
Next, the operation of the air mattress with an internal pump according to the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, when a caretaker or the like operates the switch on the hand switch and switches the operation of the air mattress 1 to, for example, decubitus ulcer prevention mode while a mattress user is reclining upon the top cover 14 of the mattress 1, an input signal from the hand switch is inputted to a mattress control circuit 15 provided within the hand switch or within the air supply/release pump 11. The control circuit 15 then sends a signal controlling, for example, the rotations per minute or other parameters of an electromagnetic motor provided within the air supply/release pump 11, thereby adjusting the amount of air supplied and released to and from the air tubes 13 connected to each of the air supply/release systems of the air supply/release pump, in turn controlling the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes 13 of each of the air supply systems.
At this time, the control circuit controls the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells corresponding to each of the air tubes 13 connected, for example, to the four block control air supply systems so that the pressure is constantly at a fixed amount. In other words, when the body weight of the person lying on the mattress is, for example, from 30 to 135 kg, each of the air cell groups is separately controlled so that the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of air cell group 10a, which corresponds to the person's head area, is for example from 1.6 to 4.3 kPa; the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of air cell group 10g, which corresponds to the person's heel area, is for example from 1.1 to 3.0 kPa; the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of the lower sections of air cell groups 10c and 10e (system A), which correspond to the person's back area and thigh area, is from 1.5 to 6.4 kPa; and the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of the lower section of air cell group 10d (system B), which corresponds to the person's buttock area, is from 1.1 to 3.3 kPa. By controlling the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of air cell group 10a and 10g, which correspond to the head area and the heel area of the mattress user, so that the pressure is a fixed amount, it is possible to stably support the locations corresponding to bones protruding outward from the back area of the body of the mattress user (the occipital and calcaneal bones) when the user is in a reclined state. By controlling the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of the lower sections of air cell group 10c and 10e (system A), which correspond to the back area and thigh area of the mattress user, so as to be greater than the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of the lower section of air cell group 10d (system B), which corresponds to the buttock area, it is possible to stably support the buttock area, which protrudes toward the mattress and thus receives a larger load of the body's weight compared to other locations when the user is in a reclined state, from both sides, i.e., using the bladder-shaped cells of air cell group 10c and 10e, which correspond to the back area and the thigh area. This, in turn, makes it possible to prevent the pressing force from the bladder-shaped cells of the air cell group 10d corresponding to the buttock area from becoming too great, promoting dispersion of body pressure.
Meanwhile, for example, with regard to the air tubes 13 of the three alternating inflation/deflation air intake systems, the control circuit first sets the amount of air supplied to the air tube 13 of the air intake/release system of system 1 to an amount smaller than the amount supplied to the air tubes 13 of the air intake/release systems of system 2 and system 3, and sets the amount of air being supplied to the air tubes 13 of system 2 and system 3 to roughly equal levels. The pressure within the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes of system 1 thereby becomes the smallest, and the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes of system 2 becomes roughly equal to the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes of system 3 and greater than the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 1. At this time, in cases where a pressure sensor is provided in the bladder-shaped cells of each of the systems, the control circuit increases or decreases the amount of air supplied to each of the systems on the basis of the measured values outputted from the pressure sensors as appropriate, allowing the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes 13 of each of the systems to be rapidly set to a predetermined set value.
After maintaining the internal pressure of the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes 13 of each of the three alternating inflation/deflation systems in this state for a predetermined period of, for example, 460 seconds or less, the control circuit controls the amount of air supplied or released by the seven air supply/release systems, thereby increasing the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 1, decreasing the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 2, and maintaining the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 3 at a fixed level. During a pressure transition period of, for example, 170 seconds or less, the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 2 thereby becomes the smallest, and the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 1 and the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 3 become roughly equal to each other and greater than the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 2. The pressure within the bladder-shaped cells corresponding to the head area, back area (lower section), buttock area (lower section), thigh area (lower section), and heel area are maintained at a fixed level.
In this state, the control circuit controls the internal pressure of each of the bladder-shaped cells according to a method similar to that described above. In other words, the control circuit controls the pressure within each of the bladder-shaped cell by controlling the amount of air being supplied or released by the seven air supply/release systems after a predetermined period of, for example, 460 seconds or less so that, during a pressure transition period of 170 seconds or less, the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 3 becomes the smallest, and the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 1 and the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 2 become roughly equal to each other and greater than the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of system 3. The pressure within the bladder-shaped cells corresponding to the head area, back area (lower section), buttock area (lower section), thigh area (lower section), and heel area are maintained at a fixed level.
By controlling the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes 13 of each of the air supply/release systems, it is possible to continuously vary the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells of the air cell groups 10 corresponding to the parts where the skin contacts the mattress surface, i.e., the shoulder area, back area, buttock area, thigh area, and knee area when the mattress user is in a reclined state, thereby preventing the same amount of pressure from being placed on specific parts of the skin for long periods of time, and thus decubitus ulcers from occurring.
When performing medical or caretaking work upon the mattress user, a caretaker or the like can, for example, stop the decubitus ulcer prevention function of the air mattress by operating the switch on the hand switch. In other words, either the pressure within each of the bladder-shaped cells is maintained at a fixed level while the decubitus ulcer prevention function of the air mattress is in operation, the pressure within the bladder-shaped cells connected to the air tubes 13 of each of the systems is set to a pressure suitable for medical or caretaking work or the like and maintained at the set pressure, or the pressure within all of the bladder-shaped cells is set to the same level and maintained at the set pressure.
In the air mattress 1 according to the present embodiment, the air supply/release pump 11 is contained within the mattress. Thus, medical and caretaking work or the like is not impeded by an air supply/release pump provided outside of the mattress, and the ease of performing this work can be improved.
When there is a need to perform emergency medical treatment, such as cardiac massage or the like, upon the mattress user, the elasticity of the air mattress may impede the medical treatment. When this happens, the air tubes are detached from the air supply/release pump. In the air mattress with an internal pump according to the present embodiment, the air tubes 13 are connected to the air supply/release pump 11 via the connector 12. As shown in
When the air mattress is set, for example, upon a bed, and there is a need to move the mattress user along with the bed, after, for example, a transport mode switch provided on the hand switch is pressed, a plug at the tip of the power cord of the air supply/release pump 11 is removed from a power supply source such as, for example, an electrical socket. The air supply/release pump 11 is configured so that, by pushing the transport mode button on the hand switch, the air supply/release mouths are closed so that air is not released from, for example, each of the air supply/release systems, and the pressure within each of the bladder-shaped cells is maintained at a fixed level. Large depressions due to depressurization of the bladder-shaped cells when the mattress user is being transported are thereby prevented, and thus the occurrence of decubitus ulcers due to the buttock area of the mattress user being compressed by the frame of the bed is prevented.
In the air mattress 1 according to the present embodiment, because the air supply/release pump 11 is disposed at a corner of the mattress, it is easy to contact the air supply/release pump 11 when performing maintenance upon the air supply/release pump 11 and the air tubes 13 when the air mattress is not in use. In this case, when the air tubes 13 are detached from the air supply/release pump 11, if the air supply/release pump 11 is configured so as to be removable from the mattress, maintenance of the air supply/release pump 11 and the air tubes 13 becomes even easier.
In the present invention, as described above, the air supply/release pump is disposed in the space left between the air cell groups corresponding to the heel area of the person lying on the air mattress and the edge of the mattress, the body of the air mattress user does not readily come into contact with the air supply/release pump even if the user turns over while sleeping, and comfort is not negatively affected. Also, because the air supply/release pump is provided at a corner of the mattress within the range of the width and length of the air mattress constituted by the plurality of air cell groups, the pump fits within the space occupied by a conventional air mattress, does not require installation outside of the air mattress, and is easy to handle.
Thus, medical and caretaking work or the like is not impeded by the air supply/release pump, and the ease of performing this work can be improved. Moreover, because the area of the air supply/release pump exposed to the exterior is kept to a minimum, maintenance of the air supply/release pump and air tubes is easy, while the risk of the air supply/release pump and air tubes breaking is reduced.
The present invention is an air mattress in which the position of the pump has been improved, thus allowing comfort, ease of performing caretaking work, and ease of maintenance to be increased.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-024861 | Feb 2010 | JP | national |
The present application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/519,564, filed on Jun. 27, 2012, which is based on and claims priority from Japanese patent application No. 2010-024861, filed on Feb. 5, 2010, and International Application No. PCT/JP2010/068300, filed on Oct. 19, 2010, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160157627 A1 | Jun 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13519564 | US | |
| Child | 14989427 | US |
