This invention relates to the sector of articles used in the home, or in a hospital environment, and refers in particular to a mattress of a modular type, that is, made up of several modules assembled together.
As is well known, mattresses are large pillows normally used both in the home and in hospitals, usually placed on a support structure of a bed, such as a bed frame, but also simply placed on the floor of a room, in the case of the now widespread futons, for sleeping or resting. The mattresses used in hospitals, hotel rooms and other tourist facilities are inevitably used by various people.
The mattresses currently used, in particular because of their large size, which prevents them from being introduced into standard washing machines, cannot be easily washed or sanitised.
For this reason, especially in the case of mattresses used in hospitals, and therefore by sick people, they can be a true receptacle for viruses and bacteria which are thus transmitted from one person to another.
In an attempt to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, modular type mattresses have been proposed, that is to say, comprising a certain number of modules which are assembled together to form a unique supporting body, but which can be disassembled, if necessary, in order to clean and sanitise them.
An example of a modular mattress is described in patent document U.S. Pat. No. 9,420,895. In this case, the modular mattress consists of a series of hollow elements with a substantially hexagonal cross-section. The different modular elements are held together by a containing body that prevents them from moving sideways.
Another type of modular mattress is described in patent document WO2018/213203. Also in this case, the modular mattress is formed by a plurality of elements which are placed together and held by a containing body so that they cannot shift during use of the mattress. The mattress structure may also comprise a surface covering layer and a lower layer, the latter designed to come into contact with a supporting structure of the bed, such as a bed base, or directly on the surface of the room where the mattress is to be placed.
However, the modular mattresses described above have the drawback of comprising a containing body. This necessarily has dimensions, in particular a length and width, which are large and equal to those of a common mattress. For this reason, the containing body cannot be washed and/or sanitised, for example by means of a washing machine of the type normally used in households or in hotels. Consequently, even the above-mentioned modular mattresses cannot guarantee the necessary hygienic conditions required for an object which is placed in close contact with the body of the users, and therefore collects not only dust, but also human flakes such as dandruff, remains of skin, hair, nails, with the possibility that they can encourage the proliferation of mites, or other insects, and therefore cause, as known, allergies and even serious respiratory problems. Similarly, the impossibility of being able to wash and sanitise them can lead to the proliferation, especially in hospitals, of viruses and bacteria which can then be transmitted from one individual to another. Other examples of mattresses with similar drawbacks are also described in patent documents WO2017/206961, FR2730914, CN204105446 and U.S. 2013/269114.
The aim of the invention to therefore to provide a modular mattress which is able to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of prior art mattresses, in particular, which allows a predetermined shape to be maintained when arranged in an assembled configuration, but which, at the same time, can be washed and sanitized in all its parts.
Another aim of the invention to provide a modular mattress which allows the washing and/or sanitising to be performed in an easy and economical manner by using equipment normally used also in a domestic or hotel environment, such as a washing machine.
A particular aim of the invention to provide a modular mattress which can be stored in a dedicated area occupying a reduced space when not in use, such, for example, in the case of a mattress used only occasionally for a guest.
These and other aims are achieved by a modular mattress comprising a plurality of modules configured to be positioned adjacent to each other so as to form a unique body having a support surface for a user, said modular mattress comprising a plurality of engagement elements configured to reversibly engage at least a first and a second module of said plurality of modules, in such a way as to prevent the same from being displaced from a correct relative position, the main feature of which is that the above-mentioned plurality of modules comprises at least one group of modules comprising a predetermined number of modules provided with respective through holes aligned and oriented along a predetermined direction, that said aligned through holes are designed to form a passageway through the modules of the, or each, group of modules, that there is, in addition, at least one connection element configured to be positioned in the, or in a respective, passageway and that the, or each, connection element, at opposite ends is provided with respective engagement elements configured to reversibly engage at respective engagement elements of a first and a second end module of the, or each, group of modules, and that the first and the second end module are arranged at opposite sides of the above-mentioned group of modules.
Other technical features of the invention are described in dependent claims defining particular embodiments of the invention.
In one possible embodiment the modules of the, or each, group of modules are distributed between a first side and a second side of the above-mentioned unique body.
Preferably, the above-mentioned first and second end modules are positioned, respectively, at the above-mentioned first side and the above-mentioned second side of the unique body.
Advantageously, said plurality of engagement elements comprises first engagement elements and second engagement elements integral with respective engagement surfaces of at least a first and a second adjacent module of said plurality, said first and said second engagement elements being designed to form a mutual engagement of a reversible fashion. For example, the first and second engagement elements of two adjacent modules may be, respectively, a first engagement part and a second engagement part of a Velcro element. Alternatively, the first and second engagement elements of two adjacent modules may comprise a magnet constrained to a first module and a ferromagnetic element constrained to the second module, said magnet and said ferromagnetic element being designed to form a mutual magnetic engagement.
More specifically, the engagement elements associated with said ends of said, or each, connection element may be configured to reversibly engage with respective engagement elements provided at the first and second end modules.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the above-mentioned engagement elements of said, or each, connection element may comprise a first engagement part of a Velcro element, and wherein said first and second end modules may comprise a second engagement part of the Velcro element, said first and said second engagement parts of said engagement elements being designed to achieve a mutual engagement of a eversible type.
Advantageously, at least one additional group of modules may be provided having respective additional through holes aligned and oriented along a predetermined second direction which forms a predetermined angle with the above-mentioned predetermined first direction. More specifically, the above-mentioned additional through holes are designed to form an additional passageway, and at least one additional connection element is provided designed to be arranged in the above-mentioned additional passageway. More specifically, the above-mentioned additional connection element is provided at opposite ends of respective additional engagement elements configured to reversibly engage with a first and a second additional end module. These can be positioned on the third and fourth sides, respectively, of the unique body.
More specifically, the additional engagement elements may comprise a first engagement part of a Velcro element, and wherein the first and second additional end modules are provided with a second engagement part of the Velcro element, the first and second engagement parts being designed to achieve a mutual engagement of a reversible type.
In particular, the engagement elements and the additional engagement elements may be of the same or different types.
Advantageously, the, or each, connection element and/or the, or each, additional connection element may be made of an elastic material.
In particular, the, or each, connection element may be designed for being positioned in the above-mentioned passageway, in an elongated configuration, in which it is elongated with respect to a rest length so that, when it is engaged at the ends opposite to the engagement elements of the first and second end modules, it is designed to exert an elastic force on the modules of the group connected by it between the first and second end modules.
Similarly, where there is at least one additional group of modules, the, or each, additional connection element is designed to be positioned in the above-mentioned additional passageway in an elongated configuration, in which it is elongated with respect to a rest length, so that when it is engaged at the opposite ends to the additional engagement elements of the first and second additional end modules it is designed to exert an elastic force on the modules of the additional group connected by it between the first and second additional end modules.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the above-mentioned modules of the above-mentioned plurality may be modules having all the same geometry but different size.
According to a possible variant, the above-mentioned modules may all have the same geometry and a same size.
For example, the above-mentioned modules of said plurality may have a prismatic shape with a polygonal cross-section.
In a further variation according to the invention, the adjacent modules of said plurality are provided with respective engagement surfaces designed to form a shape engagement. For example, the engagement surfaces may comprise at least a recessed portion at a module designed to engage in a protruding portion at the module adjacent to it.
Advantageously, each module of the above-mentioned plurality of modules can have dimensions of between 5×5×5 cm and 40×40×40 cm, so that they can be easily inserted into a standard washing machine through an entry door.
The invention will now be illustrated by the following description of an embodiment thereof, made by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
As shown schematically in
More specifically, as shown in
Preferably, all the modules 10 constituting the above-mentioned unique body 2 are provided with respective engagement elements 40 designed to engage each module 10 to at least one other module 10 adjacent to it. In particular, each module 10 may be provided at opposite sides 11a and 11b with the above-mentioned engagement elements designed to engage the module 10 to at least one module 10 adjacent thereto. In particular, in this way, each module 10 of a given row, or of a given column 10, may be constrained to at least one module 10 adjacent to it. According to an embodiment of the invention, each module 10 may be provided with the above-mentioned engagement elements 40 at least on two sides, so as to constrain a module 10 to at least a part of the modules 10 adjacent thereto.
According to some embodiments not shown for the sake of simplicity, each module 10 may be provided with the above-mentioned engagement elements 40 on all sides thereof, for example 4 sides 10a-10d, if it has a prismatic shape with a rectangular base, or a square base, as in the case illustrated by way of example in
More specifically, each module 10 may be provided with the above-mentioned engagement elements 40 at 2, 3, 4 or even more sides depending on its shape. In general, therefore, a module 10 may be provided with engagement elements 40 on all sides with which it is provided. The engagement elements 40 of each side, or engagement surface, of a module 10 will be designed to engage to respective engagement elements 40 of a module 10 adjacent thereto at the above-mentioned side, or the above-mentioned engagement surface.
According to an embodiment of the invention, schematically illustrated in
More particularly, as shown in detail in
As shown in
In the embodiment schematically illustrated in
According to a possible embodiment, the above-mentioned engagement elements 40 comprise a first engagement part of a Velcro element, and the first and second end modules 10′a and 10′b are provided with a second engagement part 40 of the Velcro element, whereby, as is known, the first and second engagement parts of the engagement elements 40a, or 40b, and 40b, or 40a are designed to form a mutual engagement of a reversible type.
The “first engagement part” of a Velcro element is the part commonly referred to as “slotted” because it has slots, and the “second engagement part” of the Velcro element is the part commonly referred to as “hooked” because it has hooks. However, it is also possible that the first engagement part of a Velcro element may be the “hooked” part, and that the second engagement part of the Velcro element may be the “slotted” part.
In accordance with the invention and as described above with reference to
As shown in
As shown in
In the further variant schematically illustrated in
In particular, the second predetermined direction 150′ forms a predetermined angle, for example a 90° angle, with the first predetermined first direction 150. As shown in particular in
Similarly to what is described above for the, or each, connection element 50, the, or each, additional connection element 50′ may be provided, at opposite ends 51′, and 52′, with respective additional engagement elements 40′ configured to reversibly engage with first and second additional end modules 10″a and 10″b positioned, respectively, at a third side 7 (see
Similarly to that described above with reference to the, or each, connection element 50, the additional engagement elements 40′ may also be configured to reversibly engage with respective engagement elements 40′ provided at the first and second additional end modules 10″a and 10″b. The additional engagement elements 40′ and the respective engagement elements 40′ may also be the two engagement parts of a Velcro engagement element, as described in detail above with reference to
Moreover, as described above in detail for the, or each, connection element 50, the connection elements 50′ may also be made of an elastic material, and be positioned in the above-mentioned additional passageway 20′ in an elongated configuration in which it is elongated with respect to a rest length and to engage, again in an elongated configuration, its ends 40′ at the additional end modules 10″a and 10″b whereby it is designed to exert an elastic force on the plurality of modules of the additional group 30′ connected by it between the first and second additional end modules 10″a and 10″b.
As schematically illustrated in
According to a possible embodiment, the recesses 40a and the protrusions 40b may be positioned at an intermediate position between the upper surface 12a and the lower surface 12b (
Advantageously, the protrusions 40b can be slightly oversized compared to the recesses 40a. More specifically, since the modules 10 may be made of an elastic material, for example a rubber obtained from natural, or synthetic latex, the protrusions 40b may be elastically forced to be introduced into the respective recesses 40a and then tend to return to their original shape. In this way, the protrusions 40a and the recesses 40b form a firm anchorage of the respective modules 10 also thanks to the elastic force exerted by the faces of the protrusions 40b on the faces of the recesses 40a.
In a possible embodiment not shown in the drawings for the sake of simplicity, the above-mentioned protrusions 40b and the above-mentioned recesses 40a may have a dovetail shape.
In particular, each module 10 of the plurality of modules 10 comprising the modular mattress 1 may have dimensions of between 5×5×5 cm and 40×40×40 cm, advantageously between 10×10×10 cm and 30×30×30 so as to be easily introduced into a washing machine of standard dimensions through the relative entry door.
It should be noted that the different embodiments described above with reference to
The technical solution according to the invention and described above with reference to
The above description of certain specific embodiments is able to demonstrate the invention from a conceptual point of view in such a way that others, using the prior art, will be able to modify and/or adapt in various applications such specific embodiments without further research and without departing from the inventive concept, and, therefore, it is understood that such adaptations and modifications will be considered as equivalents of the specific embodiment. The means and the materials to achieve the various functions described may be of various kinds, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention. It is to be understood that the expressions or terminology used are purely descriptive and therefore non-limiting.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102020000008341 | Apr 2020 | IT | national |