Lath bottom with rope sheaves
The present invention concerns a bottom structure for a bed and a seat, the shaping of which is adjustable according to the user's measuremebts. Beds and mattresses with lath bottom are known in the art which are pre-stressed and attached to the frame by particular fixing members. The object is to make the base for sleeping and sitting as elastic as possible and such that it gives sufficient support to the user. In addition, these bottom designs comprise as an essential component a padding component, or mattress, the elastic properties of which have a decisive significance for the whole.
Among the drawbacks encumbering bottom designs of the kind described is their deficient ability to adapt to the user's masurements and deficient ability to provide support of the user. Furthermore, individual adjustability is not fully realized. If the drawbacks mentioned in the foregoing are corrected by increasing the thickness of the padding component, that is the mattress, the structure becomes more complex, and the internal ventilation is impaired.
Endeavours are made to eliminate by the bottom structure of the invention the drawbacks mentioned because the lath bottom with rope sheaves supports the user uniformly and conforms to his/her measurements. In order to accomplish this, the sitting or sleeping base of the invention is characterized by that which is stated in the characteristic features part of claim 1. The user may also himself/herself adjust the lath bottom with rope sheaves to suit his person. Furthermore, the ventilation of the bottom structure of the invention is good, because the mattress can be made thin and therefore breathing.
The advantages of the bottom design of the invention compared with conventional designs, in the functional domain, are those which it
aims to improve.
Since a lath bottom with rope sheaves made of the same elements, and most often of the same size, by reason of its ajustability fits most people, the production series of its different elements can be made large and therefore favourable as regards manufacturing costs.
It is also noted that the lath bottom with rope sheaves has a long service life because it is easy to replace any elements that are worn so as to be unusable. The mattress may also be made thinner than usual, implying material savings and low initial price.
In the following drawings are presented the. structure and functioning of the invention:-
Fig. 1 : the construction of the lath bottom with rope sheaves
Fig. 2: the functioning of the lath bottom with rope sheaves, in sectional view
Fig. 3: application of the lath bottom with rope sheaves in a seat, in sectional view
Fig. 4: application of the lath bottom with rope sheaves to a single lath.
As shown in Fig. 1, the lath bottom with rope sheaves consists of a frame (1), with rope sheaves (3) mounted on both sides thereof. The attaching means (7) and tightening or adjusting means (6) for the rope (4) are located at both ends of the end portions of the frame (1). A lower limit depression stop (5) has been provided in the end portion of the frame (1), carried by adjustment screws (8). A rope sheave (3) is mounted on both ends of the elastic bottom lath (2), and the elastic bottom lath (2) is free to move in support of the rope sheaves (3) affixed to the frame, and of the rope (4). For the sake of simplicity, the mattress has not been depicted.
The application of the principle of a lath bottom with rope sheaves to a single lath is presented in Fig. 4. On the ends of a rigid lath (2) provided with guide holes have been mounted rope sheaves (3). The fastening means (7) and tightening or adjusting means (6) for the rope (4) are located under the lath (2) at its ends.
The load take-up element (11) is supported by the rope (4) and the rope casing (9), over an interposed supporting bar (10) with rope casing, and it is movable with reference to the lath (2).
The mode of operation of the lath bottom with rope sheaves is revealed by Fig. 2, wherein is depicted in sectional view the laths change of position in their adaptation to the user's measurements in longitudinal direction. When, to begin with, the person sits down on the lath bottom with rope sheaves, the elastic laths (2) subside at the seating point down to the limit of depression (5). With the descent of the elastic laths (2) at the seating point, the rope (4) is pulled taut and its being pulled taut lifts in its turn upwardly those elastic laths (2) on which no load is bearing down. When the person declines to recumbent (sleep) position on the lath bottom with rope sheaves, the lath bottom with rope sheaves shapes itself, in keeping with the principle mentioned above and as has been shown in the drawing, in such manner that the laths descend mainly in the regions of the upper back, buttocks and lower legs, thereby pulling the rope (4) taut, with the consequence that in the regions of neck, lower back and bends of the lower extremities the elastic laths (2) rise upward, thus furnishing support to the parts mentioned.
The maximum depression is adjusted by the aid of the depression limiting stop (5) and the amount of deformation, with the rope tightening means (4).
If deformation is also desired in the breadth direction of the lath bottom with rope sheaves, a design such as shown in Fig. 4 is used instead of the elastic lath (2), which design operates in a way similar to the function of the lath bottom with rope sheaves pre
sented in Fig. 2. Hereby is obtained a structure which adapts itself to its user's measurements in the longitudinal and breadth directions.
The detailed structural features of the lath bottom with rope sheaves may be modified in detail, depending on the kind of requirements set by the user in each case. The breadth and number of the elastic bottom laths may be altered in the manner that one and the same lath bottom with rope sheaves may comprise elastic bottom laths of several different breadths. Since the number of elastic bottom laths affects the angularity of the longitudinal shaping and further the thickness of the padding part, that is of the mattress reducing the angularity, it is possible at those points which require stronger shaping to use narrower elastic bottom laths and thereby to improve locally the longitudinal shaping. When instead of an elastic bottom lath is used'a lath operating according to the principle of the lath bottom with rope sheaves (Fig. 4), one obtains a structure which shapes itself in the breadth direction as well. The lath bottom with rope sheaves may also be constructed by combining laths of the kinds mentioned, so that a structure is produced which will only in desired parts shape itself in the breadth direction also. Later changes of the construction are easy if the needs change. The angle between the laths of the lath bottom with rope sheaves may also be influenced by means of the way in which the frame for the rope sheaves is constructed, in that the rope sheaves mounted on the laths receive guidance from the rope sheaves fixed on the frame, whereby desired inclination between laths is obtained. The rope sheaves may be replaced by rope casings through which the rope runs. The friction between the rope casing and the rope, and the resultant wear, has its effect on which of the two designs is better usable in view of the whole - the rope sheave or the rope casing.