EP1719437B1

EP1719437B1 - An article for rest

Info

Publication number: EP1719437B1
Application number: EP06112842A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Angelo Ranaldo
Original assignee: POINTEX SpA
Current assignee: POINTEX SpA
Priority date: 2005-04-27
Filing date: 2006-04-20
Publication date: 2008-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-20
Also published as: ATE383796T1; ITBO20050284A1; EP1719437A1; DE602006000448D1

Abstract

An article (1) for rest comprises an outer shell (4) filled with a soft material (5), a covering (6) which at least partly covers the outer shell (4); the covering (6) comprises a textile support (7) and a film (8), impermeable to liquids, which is attached to the support (7); the film (8) also being permeable to air.

Description

The present invention relates to an article for rest, such as a mattress or cushion.
For the sake of simplicity the following description refers to a mattress, although without limiting the scope of the invention.
Coverings for mattresses and the like are known which are designed to protect them from liquids which may accidentally be spilled on the mattress or on the mattress cover.
In particular, such coverings are widely used in hospitals and care homes where they are applied to every bed to protect the mattress if, for example, patients are incontinent or patients who cannot get out of bed need washing.
Water-repellent coverings are also applied on mattresses in the case of incontinent children, at home or at nursery school.
Amongst said coverings, the most widely used are oilcloths, which are placed on the mattress or on a portion of it.
Oilcloths are completely waterproof and are made using, for example, hydrophobic greasy substances such as paraffin, artificial and natural waxes and, therefore, have some disadvantages.
Firstly, the body of a user lying on the oilcloth cannot "breathe" and contact with the coating is unpleasant and unhygienic.
If a patient remains on such a surface for a lengthy period it may also cause bedsores, therefore, the patient must be moved regularly.
Moreover, the mattress, covered with the oilcloth, does not "breathe" and so has a limited life span.
In addition, the known waterproofing processes also make the cloths used as a support stiff and so not very soft, considerably reducing comfort.
It is also known, from US 2003/0121101 , a covering sheet for bedding articles that is moisture vapour permeable and liquid impermeable. The covering comprises at least a moisture vapour permeable fibrous layer, such as fibres, woven, papers or cloth, and a liquid impermeable but moisture vapour permeable film layer of preferred thermoplastic compositions. The two layers are bonded together, so giving rise to a composite structure.
In this context, the main purpose of the present invention is to propose an article for promoting rest, in particular a mattress, which is free of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
In particular, the aim of the present invention is to propose an article for rest which is comfortable and absolutely hygienic.
Another aim of the present invention is to produce a covering for an item for rest which help to prevent bedsores if the patient is immobile in bed for lengthy periods.
Yet another aim is to produce an article for rest whose life span is not compromised by a lack of breathability.
The stated technical need and the preset aims are substantially fulfilled by an article for promoting rest as described in the independent claim 1 and in one or more of the dependent claims herein.
Further features and advantages of the present invention are more apparent in the detailed description below, with reference to a preferred, non-limiting, embodiment of an article for promoting rest, in particular for mattresses and cushions, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a mattress in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cushion in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 3 is an enlarged schematic view of a cross-section of an article for rest in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 4 is a view of a covering in accordance with the present invention, in a condition in which it is repelling a liquid substance;
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a detail from Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a view of a second embodiment of the covering in accordance with the present invention, in a condition in which it is repelling a liquid substance;
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a detail from Figure 6;
Figure 8 shows a cotton sample of the covering in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 9 shows a towelling sample of the covering in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 1 denotes as a whole an article for promoting rest.
In particular, by way of example and without thereby limiting the scope of the invention, Figure 1 illustrates a mattress 2 and Figure 2 a cushion 3.
As illustrated in Figure 3, the article 1 consists of a shell 4 filled with soft material 5 and a covering 6 which at least partly covers the shell 4.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the covering 6 covers the whole of the shell 4, forming a sort of cover.
The covering 6 comprises a textile support 7, that is to say textile material-based and with a basic textile structure, on which a film 8 is fixed making the covering 6 waterproof and permeable to air.
The film 8 is made from a resin, in particular a fluorocarbon resin, diluted in water.
The support 7 is treated with the resin, which is applied to it dry and subsequently fixed.
The support 7 is preferably immersed in a solution or emulsion containing the resin then dried.
The resin, in particular, is fixed using heat at a temperature of between 110°C and 150°C and, preferably, at around 130°C.
The film 8 may also be polyurethane-based, that is to say comprising polyurethane, which is spread on the support 7 using an aqueous solution.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the support 7 consists of a fabric 9, in other words, the support 7 is obtained by weaving textile fibres and yarns.
As illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 8, in a first embodiment the fabric is cotton 10, whilst, as illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 9, in a second embodiment the fabric is towelling 11.
In another embodiment, not illustrated, the support 7 is a non-woven fabric of the substantially known type.
The covering 6 is stain-resistant, that is to say, substances which accidentally come into contact with the article 1 do not penetrate the support 7, instead remaining on the surface of the covering 6 without reaching, in particular, the shell 4 and the soft material 5.
As illustrated in Figures 4 to 7, a liquid 12 remains suspended on the covering 6, in particular on the film 8.
Therefore, the liquid 12 does not reach the support 7, which remains substantially dry.
The covering 6 is removable from the article 1, for example so that it may be washed, preferably in water.
If the film 8 comprises polyurethane, the covering 6 is produced by immersing the support 7 in an aqueous solution containing the polyurethane.
The impregnated support 7 is subsequently passed through calendering means, of the known type and not described in further detail, then dried in the known way.
The invention brings important advantages.
The article for rest with the covering disclosed is water-repellent and breathable, guaranteeing comfortable contact with human skin.
The covering repels both moisture from the body and liquids accidentally spilled on the mattress or on the cushion.
In this way, the article for rest or the covering are ideal for particular situations involving prolonged immobility in bed, incontinence and the like.
Moreover, the high level of breathability helps to prevent bedsores.
The invention described has evident industrial applications and can be modified and adapted without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

An article for rest comprising an outer shell (4) filled with a soft material (5), a covering (6) which at least partly covers the shell (4), the covering (6) comprising a textile support (7) and means (8) for making it impermeable to liquids, said means being attached to the support (7), the means (8) for making it impermeable to liquids being permeable to air, the article being characterised in that the covering (6) also repels moisture from the body.
The article according to claim 1, characterised in that the means (8) for making the support impermeable form a film (8) which is permeable to air, the film (8) being fixed on the covering (6).
The article according to claim 2, characterised in that the film (8) is made from a resin.
The article according to claim 3, characterised in that the resin is a fluorocarbon resin.
The article according to claim 4, characterised in that the fluorocarbon resin is diluted in water.
The article according to any of the claims from 3 to 5, characterised in that the resin is fixed using heat on the covering (6).
The article according to claim 6, characterised in that the resin is fixed using heat at a temperature of between 110°C and 150°C.
The article according to claim 7, characterised in that the resin is fixed using heat at a temperature of around 130°C.
The article according to claim 2, characterised in that the film (8) comprises polyurethane.
The article according to claim 9, characterised in that the polyurethane is deposited on the support (7) using an aqueous solution.
The article according to any of the claims from 1 to 10, characterised in that the support (7) consists of a fabric.
The article according to claim 11, characterised in that the fabric comprises cotton (10).
The article according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the fabric comprises towelling (11).
The article according to any of the claims from 1 to 10, characterised in that the support (7) consists of a non-woven fabric.
The article according to any of the claims from 1 to 12, characterised in that the covering (6) is removable from the shell (4).
The article according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the covering (6) is stain-resistant.