EP4418958B1

EP4418958B1 - Therapeutic bed

Info

Publication number: EP4418958B1
Application number: EP22801583.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Daniel Ekeberg
Original assignee: Helseseng AS
Current assignee: Helseseng AS
Priority date: 2021-10-19
Filing date: 2022-10-19
Publication date: 2025-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 2042-10-19
Also published as: NO20211258A1; WO2023068944A1; EP4418958A1; EP4418958C0; NO348277B1

Description

The present invention belongs to the technical field of therapeutic beds, and more particularly to therapeutic beds as defined by the preamble of claim 1.

Background

Therapeutic beds are well known in order to provide treatment and relief for sickness related symptoms and discomfort. It is often an advantage if the treatment of a patient is performed with the patient arranged in face down position, enabling the patient to relax. However, care has to be taken to relax the head of the patient particularly and to enable relaxed breathing.
CN213851967 U , CN213048154 U and CN104666069 A disclose different types of moxibustion beds, each of which comprise a face hole into which the patient's or user's face is positioned. Air enriched with fume or steam is provided through the hole.
CN211382432 U discloses a multifunctional treatment bed for medical nursing appliance. The treatment bed comprises a face hole.
CN209137199 U discloses a bed for massage, acupuncture and moxibition. The bed is provided with an arm groove and a face hole, so that a patient can conveniently place the arm in the arm groove in the treatment process, and the comfort of the patient in the treatment process is improved through the face down position.
CN104274294 A discloses a massage bed, relating to the field of massage healthcare. The massage bed comprises a bed body provided with an air hole.
US 10842287 B1 refers to a ventilated ergonomic mattress that allows the user to sleep with the face down.
CN203802746 U discloses is a multifunctional massage bed. The multifunctional massage bed comprises a massage bed body, two breast press avoiding holes, a face press avoiding hole and a removable pillow pad for covering the face press avoiding hole.
KR20130063103 A discloses a massage table equipped with a face acceptation hole and a chest accommodating grove.
CN2899781 Y discloses a stream therapy health-care bed comprising a fixed bed board, a movable bed board, a stream therapy hole and a face air vent.
FR 2687294 A and US 2016/0174726 A1 refer to beds comprising a recess that can be used with advantage by pregnant women when lying on their stomachs. The recess can be adapted to the size of the stomach.
None of the therapeutic beds and tables discloses a bed suitable for lying and/or sleeping in a relaxed position for longer periods than a typical massage treatment or similar. There is a need for beds in which a user can conveniently stay and/or sleep in a relaxed position in an everyday (or every night) use.

Objectives

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a bed suitable for convenient stay of a sleeper in an everyday use.
It is a further objective to provide a bed in which sleepers can stay in a relaxed face down position.

The present invention

The above mentioned objects are achieved by a fastening device as defined in claim 1.
Preferred embodiments of the different aspects of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims.
The present invention relates to a bed for everyday use by at least one user. In order to provide a convenient sleep of the user the bed exhibits an anisotropic density and/ or elasticity distribution along an axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the largest surface of the bed. The bed comprises at least one mattress which in case constitutes the first or upper layer of the bed. The bed comprises at least a first or upper layer and at least a second or lower layer, which are located at different positions or levels of the axis and which incorporate at least one mattress. The first layer and the second layer have different densities and/ or elasticities. The first layer comprises a first recess, which optionally proceeds into the lower layer. The recess enables the users head to rest in a face down position. The recess is designed to be supplied with an air stream. The first layer covers at least a distance of 80 mm along the axis.
By the term "density and/ or elasticity" is understood that these properties are inevitably correlated for one and the same material, while elasticity change may nonetheless be obtained without necessarily changing density when different materials or material structures are used for different layers.
Different densities and/ or elasticities of different layers of the bed enable a convenient lying of the sleeper since these properties can be easily adjusted to a given sleeper's need. The density of a material is frequently directly correlated to the stiffness of the material. The higher the density, the higher the stiffness and the lower the elasticity since stiffness and elasticity are reciprocal (inverse) properties. The change of density throughout the layers may be gradually or distinct. Different parts of a mattress with different densities may be described as different layers with different densities and elasticities.
In a first embodiment the first layer covers at least a distance of 90 mm, preferably at least 100 mm, more preferred at least 110 mm and particularly preferred at least 120 mm along the axis. In another embodiment, the first recess is designed with a circular, oval, or polygonal cross-sectional area.
In another embodiment, the first recess is arranged to be reversibly closable with a closure, typically designed to provide an about even surface on the top and in the circumference of the closure and/ or recess.
In yet another embodiment the first recess is arranged to penetrate the first layer and the second layer.
In another embodiment a support for the head is arranged in the vicinity of the first recess.
In another embodiment a second recess is arranged in a relative position to the first recess, said relative position reflecting the relative positions of the head and the right or left arm of the user. In another embodiment a part of the mattress is designed in order to provide the second recess in a removable fashion by removing said part from the mattress, wherein said part optionally can be arranged below the feet of the user in order to further improve the relaxing position of the user.
According to the present invention, the bed comprises an air supply source, movable into and out from a void arranged in the bed.
In yet another embodiment the air stream is selected from the group consisting of oxygen enriched air stream, pollen filtered air, air enriched with volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds.
One layer of the bed, arranged below the top layer, may have the form of a rigid plate.
Below a more detailed explanation of the present invention is provided in the form of exemplary embodiments with reference to enclosed drawings. All the drawings are schematic and simplified in the sense that they only show features of importance for their function as defined herein, not necessarily all functions in real life embodiments and that the scale of the individual elements and details may vary from real life embodiments.

Figure 1A is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a bed according to the present invention;
Figure 1B is a side sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1A;
Figure 1C is a side sectional view of a variant of the embodiment shown in Figure 1A;
Figure 1D is a side sectional view of detail parts to be included in all embodiments of the present invention;
Figure 1E is a top view of an embodiment of a bed according to an embodiment somewhat different from the ones of Figures 1A and 1C;
Figure 2 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a bed according to the present invention with a user resting thereon;
Figure 3A is a side sectional view of still another embodiment of the bed according to the present invention;
Figure 3B is a side sectional view of a variant of the bed shown in Figure 3A;
Figure 4A is a top view of a bed according the present invention focusing on some details thereof;
Figure 4B is a side sectional view illustrating the elements shown by Figure 4A;
Figure 5a-5C are top views of variants of an element of the bed according to the present invention;
Figure 6 is a graph illustrating peoples subjective experience of resting on beds with different elasticities.
Figure 7 is a side view of an optional element of the bed according to the present invention.

Figure 1A is a top view of a bed 1 according to the present invention and more precisely a bed for one person, with a mattress constituting a first layer 11 of the bed. In this first layer 11, a first recess 13 is provided with a size adapted to a person's head. Within the recess 13, a passage or through opening 14 is provided to a source of air, thereby allowing a supply of a controlled "atmosphere" to the user in terms of oxygen, moisture, temperature etc.
A second recess 18 is also provided in at least the first layer 11 of the mattress, arranged to accommodate the right arm of a user resting face down on the mattress with his or hers head positioned in the first recess 13. Furthermore, Figure 1A shows a support 16, which may or may not be divided into separate sections, allowing small items to be placed thereon. The support 16 may have a fixed position or it may have the form of a tray which is slidingly attached to the bed frame and which may be pushed thereunder when not in use.
Figure 1B is a side sectional view of an embodiment of the bed shown in figure 1A. The first layer 11 of the bed has the form of a mattress in which the recesses 13 and 18 are through openings. As illustrated, the bottom of the recesses may be curved to provide a best possible support for the user's head and arm respectively. The passage 14 has fluid connection to a void 17 in which a box or the like for adjusting a controlled air flow to the first recess 13 may be arranged.
The void 17 may be arranged wholly below the second layer of the bed, wholly or partly within the second layer and preferably at least within the second layer and optionally extending through or from the second layer into the first layer of the bed, depending a.o. of the number of layers encountered. An air supply source is part of the bed according to the present invention.
The air supply source, when encountered, may have the shape of a rigid box, thereby being able to serve as supporting element for the bed and/ or the mattress. The change of density throughout the layers including the box is distinct in this embodiment, thereby providing anisotropy along the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the largest surface of the bed. Such an air supply box is designed removable from the bed, thereby facilitating an exchange of different boxes.
Figure 1C is a side sectional side view of a bed 1' similar to Figure 1B with the exception that the bed includes an additional mattress constituting a second layer 12 of the bed 1, the second layer typically having an elasticity different than the elasticity of the first layer 11.
Figure 1D are side views of two mattress parts 15 and 20, fitting into the recesses 13 and 18 respectively, to allow the first layer 11 of the bed to assume an even, flat surface in cases where use of the recesses is not required and/ or not wanted such as, for instance, when the user prefers to rest sideways or on his/ hers back and when supply of controlled air is not considered an issue of importance. Mattress parts 15 and 20 are also denoted closure elements.
Figure 1E is an embodiment of a bed 1" similar to the bed shown in Figure 1A with the exception that it exhibits an extended width, allowing the user to roll away from the part having recesses 13 and 18 to use the bed as a conventional bed when so desired.
Figure 2 shows the bed 1 in a side view with a user 2 resting thereon face down, the mattress parts 15 and 20 removed. Mattress part 20 is positioned near the user's feed to provide support at the ankles. User's head 21 is positioned in first recess 13 while his right arm 22 is positioned in second recess 18. The user may in this position breath air provided through passage 14 in the bed. In Figure 2, the first recess 13 is shown as a through opening through first layer 11 and as a recess in second layer 12, while the passage 14 penetrates second layer 12 of the bed as well as the bed frame there below. In other embodiments this may be different. The first recess 13 may be confined to the first layer 11 only and the passage 14 may be confined to the second layer 12 or may penetrate part of layer 11 and all of or part of second layer 12, depending upon the thickness of each of the layers and the particular arrangement of the source of the controlled air.
In Figure 2 the source of the controlled air is shown. It may have the form of a separate box arranged below the bed or a source arranged at a distance from the bed, fluidly connected to the passage 14.
Figure 3A is a side sectional view of a bed 1‴ constituting an embodiment somewhat different from the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2. In this embodiment the first layer 11' of the bed is a thicker mattress, i.e. a mattress having a more substantial extension along the axis 3 in a large part of its horizontal extension, an exception with regard to the thickness being that it is much thinner in the region in which the first recess 13 for the face of the user is arranged.
Figure 3B is a side sectional view of a bed 1"" similar to that of Figure 3A with the exception that the single mattress 11" exhibits an inherent density anisotropy, the density continuously increasing from a low density at the mattress top to a higher density at the mattress bottom. Such a continuously varying density (and elasticity) is an option with all mattresses constituting part of the bed according to the present invention, whether used alone or as one of two or more mattresses.
In general, persons of highly different size and weight may require quite different elasticity for the part of the bed supporting their torso, while the difference is much smaller when it comes to the part supporting their heads. The option of particularly thick mattress parts as illustrated by Figures 3A and 3B may therefore be particularly welcomed by large people and less required by smaller people. An advantage of the present invention is, that the density and along with it the elasticity of the first layer 11 may be chosen independently from the size of the recess 13. In order to experience increased well-being, users with small heads and high torso weight may request a lower elasticity of the first layer 11 than users with small heads and low torso weight, yet at a similar size of the recess. On the other hand, users with large heads and low torso weight may at a similar size of the recess, experience increased well-being by requesting an elasticity of the first layer 11, which is higher than the preferred elasticity of the first layer 11 for users with large heads and large torso weight.
Production costs will typically be higher for a mattress having varying density and one may therefore often prefer embodiments exhibiting at least two mattresses, each having homogenous density and elasticity but mutually different densities and elasticities.
Figure 4A is a slightly enlarged top view of the head end of a bed 1 according to the present invention, showing a first recess 13 for a user's head and a second recess 18 for the user's right arm, mainly similar to Figure 1. The difference from Figure 1 is the presence of a couple of inserts 131, 132 for recess 13, to accommodate its size to the size of the user's head as well as a couple of inserts 181, 182 for recess 18 to accommodate the size of the recess to the user's arm.
Figure 4B illustrates same principle as Figure 4A, though seen in a side sectional view.
Figures 5A to 5C illustrated possible configurations of the first recess 13 seen as top views. Figure 5A shows a first recess 13 as having a circular 13' cross-section, Figure 5B shows a first recess having an elliptical 13" cross-section, while Figure 5C shows a first recess having one of many possible polygonal 13‴ cross-sections.
Figure 6 is a graphic and simplified illustration of feedback from users on their subjective well-being when resting in beds having mattresses of different elasticity. It comes as no surprise that hard beds (low elasticity mattresses) are not experienced as comfortable, and worth noticing is also the fact that the same is the case for beds with very elastic mattresses.
Figure 7 shows an air supply unit 19 mounted on a chassis with wheels 191 that preferably may be locked. The shape and dimension of the air supply unit 19 is adapted to fit into the void 17 and preferably to fit accurately into the void 17.

List of figure details

1

bed 1', 1", 1‴, 1ʺʺ bed variants

2

user

21 user's head
22 user's right arm

3

axis

4

plane

11

first or upper layer
11', 11" variants of upper layer

12

second layer

13

first recess
13', 13"variants of first recess

14

passage

15

closure element for first recess

16

support

17

void for air supply

18

second recess

19

air supply unit
191 wheels of air supply unit

20

closure element for second recess

131

insert element for 13

132

insert element for 13

181

insert element for 18

182

insert element for 18

Claims

Bed (1) for everyday use by at least one user (2), said bed exhibiting an anisotropic density and/ or elasticity distribution along an axis (3) perpendicular to a plane (4) defined by the largest surface of the bed, said bed comprising at least a first layer (11) and at least a second layer (12) located at different positions of the axis (3), wherein the first layer (11) and the second layer (12) have different densities and/ or elasticities, wherein the first layer (11) exhibits a first recess (13) enabling to rest and support the users (2) head (21) in a face down position, wherein the first recess (13) is at least partly arranged in the first layer (11) , wherein the first layer (11) covers at least a distance of 80 mm along the axis (3), wherein the first recess (13) is designed to be supplied with an air stream, wherein a passage (14) is arranged from the first recess (13) to a void (17) arranged in the bed to receive a source for air supply, characterized in that the bed further comprises an air stream supply designed as a modular box (19), which is arranged to be moved in and out of the void (17).
Bed (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first layer (11) is constituted by a mattress.
Bed (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first layer (11) covers at least a distance of 90 mm, preferably at least 100 mm, more preferred at least 110 mm and particularly preferred at least 120 mm along the axis (3).
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first recess (13) is designed with a circular (13'), oval (13"), or polygonal (13‴) cross-sectional area.
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first recess (13) is arranged to be reversibly closable with a closure element (15).
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first recess (13) is arranged to penetrate the at least one first layer (11) and the at least one second layer (12).
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a support (16) is arranged in the vicinity of the first recess (13).
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a second recess (18) is arranged in a relative position to the first recess (13), said relative position reflecting the relative positions of the head (31) and the right arm (22) of the user (2).
Bed (1) according to claim 8, further comprising a closure (20) designed and dimensioned to reversibly fill at least partially the recess (18).
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the void (17) is arranged within the first layer (11) and the second layer (12).
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modular box (19) is arranged with wheels (191) comprising brakes.
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the density of the first layer (11) is chosen independently from the size of the first recess (13), thereby obtaining increased comfort to users with small heads and high weight or users with large heads and low weight.
Bed (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one layer has the form of a rigid plate.
Bed (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bed (1) has an extended width (22) and comprises a section (24) without any first recess (13) in addition to the first section (23) exhibiting a first recess (13).
Bed (1) according to any one of the claims 1-14, wherein the air stream supply box (19) is arranged to supply air selected from a group consisting of oxygen enriched air stream, pollen filtered air, air enriched with volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds.