JP2006026024A - Pillow and device for snore prevention - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pillow for snore prevention on which the head of a snoring sleeper slantingly sideways lies so as not to disturb a quiet sleep and a device for snore prevention with the use of the pillow. <P>SOLUTION: In the pillow 1 for snore prevention, a pair of air bags 11a and 11b formed in bilateral symmetry are disposed in bilateral symmetry in a manner that the bags 11a and 11b are piled up and down on the middle. Each of the bags 11a and 11b consists of a laminate of two cover-and-back sheet members provided with gas-tightness and joined together on the outer periphery and has a piled part 16 where the bags 11a and 11b are piled in the middle. The bags 11a and 11b are fixed onto a base member 12 of the pillow 1 in the middle. The device for snore prevention uses the pillow 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a snoring suppression pillow and a snoring suppression device using the pillow.

  As a snoring suppression device, a snoring suppression device as in Patent Document 1 is known. This device is designed to stop snoring by vibrating the person's head from side to side. However, this method is not a preferable method for a sleeping person because it gives the sleeping person a stimulus in the direction of waking up from a deep sleep state.

  In addition to the above method, a snoring suppression device described in Patent Document 2 is known. According to Patent Document 2, this apparatus divides a mattress into a plurality of sections, and the sections are filled with air, liquid, or gel fluid. Each divided portion is provided with a sensor for detecting pressure, vibration, and temperature. Based on the information from this sensor, the position of the sleeping person, respiratory rate, heart rate, snoring, moaning, etc. are detected, and based on these information, the shape of the mattress is temporally changed so as to induce a rollover. It is described that snoring is stopped.

However, since this conventional apparatus needs to control a large number of cells, it is presumed that the configuration becomes complicated. For this reason, it is easily predicted that the entire apparatus is increased in size and weight and is not suitable for general households. Further, although this document itself has an abstract description that the shape of the mattress is changed so as not to disturb the sleep of the sleeper, there is no mention of a specific method or apparatus. Therefore, this patent document 2 only describes an abstract idea, and does not specifically disclose a specific device for preventing snoring without disturbing the sleep of a sleeper.
Registered Utility Model Publication No. 3063219 JP 11-342049 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 48-45497

  The inventor has studied a method of stopping snoring without disturbing the sleep of a snoring person. As a result, it was found that the occurrence of snoring and the volume of snoring from a person sleeping in a lying position are significantly lower than the occurrence of snoring and the volume of snoring from a person who is lying on the back. In addition, we found that it is an effective way to stop snoring so that sleepers who are snoring do not disturb their sleep are unconsciously lying in a lying position. . Also, for this purpose, it has been found that it is an effective means to tilt the pillow by lifting either the left or right side of the pillow so that the head is inclined sideways. However, an appropriate snoring-suppressing pillow has not been developed in the past for lifting the left or right side of the pillow and making the head of a sleeping person slant sideways.

  Incidentally, a pillow using a pair of left and right air bags can be assumed as a method of lifting either the left or right side of the pillow. However, there are the following problems when a pair of left and right air bags simply joined at the outer periphery are provided. An air bag simply joined at the outer periphery (the left air bag and the right air bag have the same shape) normally has a flat surface as shown in FIG. 32 before inflating. As shown in FIG. 34, the center portion is the highest position 106. In FIG. 34, broken lines indicate contour lines. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 35, in the pillow 100 in which the two air bags 101 are stored in the cover 108 in a pair of left and right, the point 106 that is highest when inflated is located at the center of the air bag 101. When the sleeping person's head 103 is placed at a position closer to the end of the left air bag 101, the head 103 is more likely to fall out of the pillow. Therefore, what has the inclination which becomes low from high toward the center side edge part from the outer side edge part of the air bag 101 is desired. As shown in FIG. 35, it is assumed that the pillow 100 is a combination of upper and lower cushion materials 104 and 105 made of urethane foam or the like housed in a cover 108.

  With regard to inclining the air bag to the left and right, Patent Document 3 describes one method as a medical mat for preventing bed slip and visceral function deterioration. This medical mat will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in these drawings, the air bag 111 is divided into two left and right air chambers that expand and contract independently by a meandering partition 112. This patent document 3 inclines the posture of a patient 115 left and right by expanding and contracting the left and right air chambers 113 and 114. Therefore, with reference to this Patent Document 3, it can be considered to form a pillow with an air bag that can be tilted to the left and right. When considering the air bag 116 (see FIGS. 38 and 39) provided with a meandering partition portion similar to that of Patent Document 3, if the meandering shape is left as it is, the meandering dimension becomes rough as shown in FIG. In this case, as shown in FIG. 39, the inflated height L1 is increased, but the contact portion with respect to the head 117 on the air bag 116 is imbalanced on the left and right. That is, as shown in FIG. 38, the left side of the head 117 is in contact with the A part, and the right side of the head 117 is in contact with the B and C parts. The tilt effect cannot be obtained. On the other hand, if the meandering dimension is made fine, the way of contact with the head 117 becomes substantially equal on the left and right as shown in FIG. 40, but the expansion part is restricted by the apex of the partition part, so that the meandering interval becomes smaller. Thus, as shown in FIG. 41, the expansion height L2 in this case is reduced, and the tilting effect of the head 117 is reduced.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems in the prior art, and is a snoring suppression pillow that makes the head of a sleeping snorer slant sideways so as not to disturb sleep. The purpose is to provide. Moreover, an object of this invention is to provide the snoring suppression apparatus using this pillow for snoring suppression.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the snoring suppression pillow according to the first invention mounts and fixes a pair of left and right air bags to be inflated and contracted, and the pair of left and right air bags. Each air bag that includes a base member and constitutes a pair of left and right air bags is formed by stacking two air-tight sheet materials on the front and back and joining them at the outer periphery. Are formed symmetrically and are arranged symmetrically so as to form an overlapping portion that overlaps the center of the pillow in the left-right direction, and is fixed to the base member at the substantially central portion in the left-right direction of the pillow. It is characterized by.

  In addition, according to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the pair of left and right air bags are connected to the base member from portions positioned on overlapping portions of the sleeper's body side and upper head side, respectively. A fastening margin made of a flexible member is extended, and the tip of the fastening margin is fixed to the base member, and the length of the fastening margin provided on the body side is provided on the upper head side. It is characterized by being formed longer than the fastening allowance.

  In a third aspect based on the second aspect, the pair of left and right air bags are fixed to the base member at a common position by a common fixing member at the base member side end of the fastening allowance. It is characterized by being.

  In addition, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the pair of left and right air bags are formed by bonding a front and back two-layer sheet to a substantially central portion in the height direction of the sleeping person in the overlapping portion. It is characterized by having a seam part.

  According to a fifth invention, in the fourth invention, the seam portion has a predetermined length of at least one linear or belt-like shape extending in the direction from the center side end portion of each air bag to the opposite end portion. It is formed by the joint.

  Moreover, 6th invention puts the cushioning material which consists of foaming urethane on the upper part of the said air bag in any one of said 1st-5th invention, and laminated | stacked the base member, the air bag, and the foaming urethane cushion material. Is wrapped with an outer cushion material made of low foaming urethane, and further covered with a stretchable cloth cover.

The seventh invention is characterized in that, in the sixth invention, the outer cushion material is formed so as to be wound in the height direction of the sleeping person.
In addition, an eighth invention is characterized in that, in the seventh invention, the outer cushion material is formed such that a recessed contact portion of a bed of a sleeping person is thick.

In addition, a ninth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to eighth inventions, the overlapping dimension of the overlapping portion in the left-right direction is about 5 cm or more.
A snoring suppression device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is a snoring suppression pillow according to any of the first to ninth aspects of the invention, a snoring sensor for detecting snoring generated by a sleeper, and air for supplying air to an air bag. Air to supply air to the air bag on the side where the head is located when snoring is detected by the snoring sensor and the air control valve that supplies air to the air bag and exhausts air in the air bag And a control device for controlling the pump and the air control valve.

  In an eleventh aspect based on the tenth aspect, when the snore is detected by the snoring sensor, the control device detects an internal pressure of each of the pair of left and right air bags by the atmospheric pressure sensor and calculates a difference between the two atmospheric pressures. In comparison, the head position determination means for determining that the head of the sleeping person is placed on the side with the higher internal pressure, and the air bag on the side determined to have the head placed by the head position determination means The air bag is maintained in an inflated state for a certain period of time, and when the snoring sensor determines that the snoring sound has been reduced, or when a predetermined holding time has elapsed, the inflated air bag is exhausted. And snoring suppression control means for controlling.

  According to the pillow for snoring suppression according to the first invention, a pair of air bags to be inflated and shrunk are built in, and each air bag constituting the pair of air bags is overlapped with two sheet materials having airtightness. In addition, since it is joined at the outer peripheral portion and fixed to the base member at the substantially central portion in the left-right direction of the pillow, an inclination from the outer end portion of the pillow toward the central portion of the pillow can be formed. In addition, since the pair of air bags are formed symmetrically, the problem of left-right inequalities in the manner of contact with the head that may occur when a meandering partition as shown in Patent Document 3 is provided. And the problem of insufficient expansion can be avoided. In addition, each air bag is formed symmetrically and is arranged symmetrically so as to form an overlapping portion that overlaps vertically at the central portion in the left-right direction of the pillow. It is possible to increase the lifting dimension of the head at the center of the pillow while forming an inclination toward the center.

  Further, according to the pillow for snoring suppression according to the second invention, in the first invention, the pair of left and right air bags are respectively formed from the portions located at the overlapping portions on the side on the body side and the side on the head side of the sleeper. The fastening margin made of a flexible member for connecting to the base member is extended, the tip of the fastening margin is fixed to the base member, and the length of the fastening margin provided on the side of the body is overhead Since it is formed longer than the clasp provided on the side, the side on the body side can be made higher than the side on the top of the head. Therefore, according to the pillow for snoring suppression according to the present invention, when raising the head of the sleeping person, the depression of the tray can be lifted high, so that the meat part blocking the airway of the person snoring is pushed up. Can forcibly open the airway and stop snoring quickly.

  Further, according to the snoring suppression pillow according to the third invention, in the second invention, the pair of left and right air bags are connected to the base member at the common position by the common fixing member at the end portion on the base member side of the fastening margin. It is fixed symmetrically. Further, the fixing structure can be simplified.

In addition, according to the snoring suppression pillow according to the fourth invention, in any one of the first to third inventions, the pair of left and right air bags each include a seam portion in which a sheet of two layers on the front and back sides is joined to the overlapping portion. Because it is equipped, the position from the end in the left and right direction that does not have the seam part can be the maximum expansion height point, and the inclined surface that becomes high to low from the outer end part toward the central overlapping part Can be formed. Therefore, when such an air bag is used, the possibility of the head falling outside the pillow is reduced as compared with the case of using a conventional air bag in which the outer periphery is simply joined.
Moreover, according to the pillow for snoring suppression which concerns on 5th invention, in 4th invention, the said seam part is at least 1 linear shape extended in the direction of the other side edge part from the center side edge part of each air bag. Or since it forms with the junction part of strip | belt-shaped predetermined length, the inclination which makes the center part of the pillow the lowest point can be formed with a simple structure.

  Further, according to the snoring suppression pillow according to the sixth invention, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the cushion member made of urethane foam is placed on the upper part of the air bag, and the base member, the air bag, and the urethane foam are made. Since the thing which laminated | stacked the cushion material is wound in the outer side cushion material which consists of low foaming urethane, cushioning properties can be made favorable. In addition, the outer cushion material is made of low-foaming urethane, so when sleeping, a mold is formed along the head, which increases the sense of stability at the position of the head and can bring a deep sleep effect to the sleeping person. Can do. Moreover, since these laminated members are covered with a stretchable cloth cover, the laminated structure can be easily held.

  Moreover, according to the snoring suppression pillow according to the seventh invention, in the sixth invention, since the outer cushion material is formed so as to be wound in the height direction of the sleeper, the outer cushion material is displaced in the left-right direction. Can be reduced. Since the displacement of the outer cushion material coincides with the direction of the tensile force generated by the expansion and contraction of the air bag when the cushion material is wound in the left-right direction, the cushion material is likely to be displaced. However, in the case of the present invention, since the direction in which the cushion material is wound and the direction of the tensile force due to the expansion and contraction of the air bag are at right angles, the lateral displacement of the outer cushion material is suppressed.

  Further, according to the pillow for snoring suppression according to the eighth invention, in the sixth or seventh invention, the outer cushion material is formed so as to thicken the recessed contact portion of the bed of the sleeper. It becomes the shape which lifts the pit of, and it becomes easier to prevent snoring.

  In addition, according to the pillow for snoring suppression according to the ninth invention, in the first to eighth inventions, the overlapping dimension in the left-right direction of the overlapping part is formed to be about 5 cm or more. The influence of individual differences can be reduced. This is an experimentally confirmed effect.

  Moreover, according to the snoring suppression apparatus which concerns on 10th invention, any one of the pillows for snoring suppression which concerns on 1st invention-9th invention, the snoring sensor which detects the snoring which a sleeper generate | occur | produces, and an air bag An air pump that supplies air to the air bag, an air control valve that supplies air to the air bag and exhausts air in the air bag, and air in the air bag on the side where the head is located when snoring is detected by the snoring sensor A control device for controlling the air pump and the air control valve so as to supply the sleeper so that when the snoring of the sleeper is detected by the snoring sensor, the sleeper is softly irritated without stimulating the sleeper. The head can be turned sideways. In addition, this can induce the sleeper to turn to the lying position, and as a result, the snoring sound of the sleeper can be reduced.

  Further, according to the snoring suppression device of the eleventh aspect of the invention, in the tenth aspect, when snoring is detected by the snoring sensor, the internal pressure of each of the pair of left and right air bags is detected by the atmospheric pressure sensor, and the atmospheric pressure of both Since the head position determining means for comparing the difference and determining that the head of the sleeping person is placed on the side where the internal pressure is high is provided, the position of the head can be accurately determined. Further, it is determined that air is supplied to the air bag on the side where the head is determined to be placed by the head position determining means, the air bag is maintained in an inflated state for a certain time, and the snoring sound is reduced by the snoring sensor. Or a snoring suppression control means for controlling to exhaust the inflated air bag when a predetermined holding time has elapsed, so that an operation for appropriately suppressing snoring can be performed. it can.

  A snoring suppression device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, this device is roughly divided into a snoring suppression pillow 1 and a control device 2. First, a specific configuration of the pillow 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a side view of the pillow according to the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the pillow 1 is an air bag 11 for inflating and shrinking the pillow 1, a foamed urethane base member 12 for mounting and fixing the air bag 11, and a foamed urethane product placed on top of the air bag 11. The cushioning material 13 is composed of a low-rebound urethane outer cushioning material 14 that wraps the entire cushioning material 13, and a cloth cover 15.

  3 to 11 are state diagrams in which the air bag 11 is placed on the base member 12. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the left air bag 11a in an inflated state. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. These are EE sectional drawing in FIG. 3, and are II sectional drawings in FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the left and right air bags 11a and 11b in a contracted state. 10 is a sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 9, FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 9, and FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. In the following description, the X direction shown in FIGS. 3 and 9 is the sleeping person's body side, the Y direction is the sleeping person's head, the Z direction is the left side, and the W direction is the right side. To do. In addition, the Z-W direction is the height direction of the sleeping person.

  The air bag 11 is composed of a pair of left and right air bags 11a and 11b formed substantially symmetrically. Moreover, each air bag 11a, 11b overlaps the soft sheet material of 2 sheets of front and back, and joined the outer peripheral part, and the bag part was formed. As this flexible sheet, a sheet made of a stretchable material or a sheet made of a non-stretchable material can be used. Moreover, as a sheet | seat which consists of elastic materials, the sheet | seat which consists of rubber | gum or an elastic resin can be mentioned. Examples of the sheet made of a non-stretchable material include a sheet made of nylon, polyethylene reinforced with nylon naphtha, urethane with cloth, cloth, or the like. Further, an intermediate material between a stretchable material and a non-stretchable material may be used as the flexible sheet, and a urethane sheet can be used as such a material. In addition, as a method for joining these sheets, a method of bonding with an adhesive, a method of bonding by welding, or the like can be used.

  Moreover, each air bag 11a, 11b is mounted and fixed on the upper surface side of the base member 12, as shown in these drawings, and is formed with an overlapping portion 16 that overlaps at the center in the left-right direction of the base member 12. Are arranged symmetrically. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, each air bag 11a, 11b is formed on the center side of the pillow 1 by joining two sheets of front and back sheets to the center part in the height direction of the sleeper. A seam portion 18 is provided. Each air bag 11a, 11b is provided with an air supply / exhaust port 17 on the upper head side from the outside.

  The seam portion 18 is obtained by joining the tip portions of two linear joint portions 18a and 18b extending in the direction from the center side end portions of the air bags 11a and 11b to the opposite (left side) end portions by arc-shaped joint portions 18c. It is. Further, since the outer peripheral joint portion is formed on the outer periphery of the central end portion of the air bags 11a and 11b, the bag-shaped portion 18d that is not supplied with air between the two linear joint portions 18a and 18b and the outer peripheral joint portion. Is formed. The seam portion 18 includes the bag-like portion 18d. The seam portion 18 is formed so as to enter the overlapping portion 16 (see FIG. 1) of the pair of left and right air bags 11a and 11b.

  Thus, the seam portion 18 is provided in the air bag 11 for the following reason. When the air bag 11 is provided with the seam portion 18 as described above and inflated, the air bag 11 has an inflated height on the center side (right side in these drawings) as shown in the schematic diagrams of FIGS. As can be seen from FIGS. 14 and 15, the maximum inflated height point 19 is formed from the outer end portion (left side in these drawings) instead of the central portion. As a result, the air bag 11 itself is inflated to have a shape that inclines from low to high from the outer end (left side in these figures) toward the central end (right side in these figures). Therefore, in the pillow 1 using such an air bag 11, as shown in FIG. 16, the sleeper's head 25 is unlikely to fall outside the pillow 1 by forming the maximum inflated height point 19 from the outside. Become. In this figure, the outer cushion material 14 in the present embodiment is omitted and is simply illustrated.

  In the above-described embodiment, the air bag 11 is fixed at the center of the pillow 1. The reason is that the air bag 11 is inclined from the outer end toward the center end. Because it is easy. This will be described based on FIGS. 17 to 20 by showing the relationship between the fixing position of the air bag and the inclination of the air bag. FIGS. 17 to 20 are schematic front views of a state in which the air bag 11 is placed and fixed on the base member 12 made of urethane foam (that is, a schematic view seen from the body side of the sleeper). It shows how the air bag inflated by the fixed position of the bag 11 is inclined. In these drawings, 20 indicates a fixed position. In addition, as the air bag 11, it has shown by providing the seam part 18 as mentioned above.

  FIG. 17 shows a position from the outer end 27 (left side in these drawings) of the base member 12 and a fixed position 20 in the vicinity of the maximum inflation height point 19 of the air bag 11. In this case, both sides of the air bag 11 are in a lifted state, and it is not preferable because an inclination that goes down to the central end 26 cannot be obtained. Further, FIG. 18 shows that the fixed position 20 is provided near the outer end 27 of the base member 12, and in this case, the center side end 26 becomes higher and tilts in the direction opposite to the preferred direction. Therefore, the case of FIG. 18 is not preferable. FIG. 19 shows a case where fixed positions 20 are provided at both end portions of the air bag 11. In this case, only the central portion becomes high, and an effective inclination cannot be obtained. Moreover, the problem that the urethane foam board which comprises the base | substrate member 12 will be pulled toward the center part of the inflating air bag 11, and will be distorted also arises. Therefore, the case of FIG. 19 is also not preferable. FIG. 20 shows a case where a fixed position is provided on the center side of the base member 12, and in this case, an ideal inclination in which the center side end 26 of the air bag is lowered and the outer end 27 is raised can be obtained. .

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, as mentioned above, the superimposition part 16 which overlaps the left and right air bags 11a and 11b by a predetermined dimension in the center part of the pillow 1 is provided (FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 9). 10, 12). This meaning will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. In FIG. 21, the broken line is a diagram when the left and right pillows are not overlapped, and the solid line is an example when the overlapping portion 16 is formed as in the present embodiment. As can be seen from this figure, when the ends of the left and right air bags 11a and 11b are not overlapped at the center of the pillow 1, the height of lifting the head 25 at the center of the pillow 1 is low. On the other hand, when the superposition part 16 is provided (in the case of the solid line in FIG. 21), there is an advantage that the head 25 is lifted at the center part of the pillow 1 and the height is increased.

  As a result of the configuration of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to obtain a certain level of head lifting height at the center, and from the left end to the center end. An ideal slope from high to low can be obtained. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on a line passing through the seam portion 18, and the air bags 11 a and 11 b are not expanded in the seam portion 18. The overlapping length of the overlapping portion 16 is preferably about 5 cm or more. It has been experimentally found that by making the overlapping length of the overlapping portion 16 about 5 cm or more, individual differences due to the physique of the sleeping person can be reduced.

  Moreover, each air bag 11 is provided with the allowances 21 and 22 from each piece of a head upper side and a body side, as shown to FIG. 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12. FIG. The clasp here is one in which one end is fixed to the air bag 11 and the other end is fixed to the base member 12, and the distance between the base member 12 and each of the pieces on the head side and the body side of the air bag 11 is defined. It has a function to adjust, and is made of a soft member. The clasps 21 and 22 in the present embodiment are formed by extending the sheet constituting the air bag 11. In addition, a hook hole is provided at the tip, and a hook 23 attached to the base member 12 is engaged with this hole. In this case, the air bags 11a and 11b are fixed to the base member 12 at a common position by a common hook 23 by concentrically positioning the hook holes of the left and right air bags 11a and 11b. A total of three hooks 23, one on each side of the pillow 1 with a predetermined distance from the left and right center lines of the pillow 1, are used for attaching the fasteners 21 and 22.

  Further, the clasps 21 and 22 change the lengths A and B of the seat portion from the air bag 11 to the base member 12 between the upper head side and the body side. Specifically, the length B on the body side (see FIGS. 6, 11, and 12) is made longer than the length A on the head side (see FIGS. 6, 11, and 12). If it does in this way, the body side can be made high like the schematic diagram of FIG.22 and FIG.23. 22 shows a form when the air bag 11 is not inflated, and FIG. 23 shows a form when the air bag 11 is inflated. In addition, when the length B of the clasp 22 on the body side is increased as described above, the depression of the bed of the sleeping person can be lifted by inflating the air bag 11. The schematic diagrams of FIGS. 24 to 26 explain this. FIG. 24 shows a flat case where the height of the pillow 1 does not change between the upper head side and the body side. In this case, the chin remains horizontal. As a result, the airway cannot be pushed up. FIG. 25 shows a case where the center part of the head 25 is lifted and the chin is lowered. This blocks the airway. When the head 25 is lifted in this way, the airway is blocked and it becomes difficult to suppress snoring. On the other hand, when the tray recess 25a is lifted as shown in FIG. 26, the chin is raised. As a result, the flesh that has blocked the airway can be lifted to forcibly open the airway, and snoring can be stopped.

  Further, the pillow 1 according to the present embodiment incorporates the air bag 11 configured as described above, and as shown in FIG. 2 described above, the base member 12, the air bag 11, and the foamed urethane are made. A laminate of the cushion material 13 is rolled up by an outer cushion material 14 made of low foaming urethane. The reason why the low foaming urethane is used as the outer cushion material 14 is to improve the familiarity with the head of the sleeping person. Further, in order to prevent the outer cushion material 14 from being displaced due to the expansion and contraction of the air bag 11, the entrainment direction of the outer cushion material 14 is set to the height direction of the sleeping person. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer cushion member 14 according to the present invention is formed so that the depression contact portion 14 a of the bed of the sleeping person is thick so that the depression 25 a of the bed of the sleeping person can be easily lifted.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the length B of the clasp 22 on the body side is made longer than the length A of the clasp 21 on the head side of the sleeper, and the depression of the bed of the sleeper in the outer cushion material 14. By increasing the thickness of the contact portion 14a, the tray recess 25a is lifted, and at the same time, the sleeper's head 25 is tilted toward the center to stimulate the body to turn sideways.

  Next, the configuration of the control device 2 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the control device 2 includes a drive unit 30 and a control unit 40. The drive part 30 consists of the apparatus which comprises the air circuit for performing expansion / contraction of the air bags 11a and 11b of the pillow 1 for snoring suppression. Specifically, there are an air pump 31, a switching three-way air control valve 32 for switching between supply and exhaust, and a selection three-way air control valve 33 for selecting the left and right air bags 11a and 11b.

  On the other hand, the control unit 40 receives the output from the air pump 31, the drive circuit 41 for driving the three-way air control valves 32, 33, the snoring sensor 28, and the snoring sensor 28, and determines whether snore is present or not. A pressure detection circuit 44 that detects the internal pressures of the left and right air bags 11a and 11b in response to outputs from the detection circuit 42, the atmospheric pressure sensor 43, and the atmospheric pressure sensor 43, a microcomputer 45 that performs arithmetic processing, etc. An operation unit 46 including switches and buttons used for operations and the like, and a display unit 47 including LEDs and LCDs for presenting the operation status of the apparatus to the user. The snoring sensor 28 is attached in the vicinity of the pillow 1 as shown in FIG.

  In the above, the atmospheric pressure sensor 43, the air pump 31, the switching three-way air control valve 32, the selection three-way air control valve 33, and the pair of left and right air bags 11a and 11b are respectively connected by piping such as a silicon tube. Yes.

  The three-way air control valves 32 and 33 have openings in three directions, and selectively operate so as to connect the openings in the two directions via the drive circuit 41 in response to a signal from the microcomputer 45. It is. More specifically, the switching three-way air control valve 32 performs an operation of switching whether to supply air from the air pump 31 to the air bag 11 or to exhaust air from the air bag 11. On the other hand, the selection three-way air control valve 33 operates to select whether the supply or exhaust of air is performed on the left air bag 11a or the right air bag 11b.

  When an air pump 31 having a low discharge pressure performance is used, the internal pressure generated in the air bag 11 fluctuates due to the bed load of the sleeping person acting on the snoring suppression pillow 1, and the supply to the air bag 11 is changed. Velocity changes. For example, when the load on the head is large, the internal pressure generated in the air bag 11 increases, and the air supply speed decreases. Therefore, an air pump 31 having a sufficiently large discharge pressure is selected so that air can be supplied at a substantially constant air supply speed with respect to fluctuations in the internal pressure generated in the air bag 11. Thereby, in the snoring suppression device according to the present embodiment, the air supply amount can be controlled by adjusting the air supply time.

  Next, the operation of the snoring suppression apparatus according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. Each figure is as follows. FIG. 27 is a flowchart for explaining the overall operation of the snoring suppression apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 28 is a flowchart for explaining the preliminary supply in FIG. FIG. 29 is a flowchart for explaining the head position determination in FIG. FIG. 30 is a flowchart for explaining the snoring suppression operation in FIG. FIG. 31 is a flowchart for explaining the additional supply in FIG.

  When the snoring suppression apparatus according to the present embodiment is operated by the operation unit 46, first, preliminary air supply (step S10) is performed on the left and right air bags 11a and 11b in the pillow 1, as shown in FIG. Is called. As shown in FIG. 28, the specific processing content of the preliminary air supply (step S10) is such that the switching three-way air control valve 32 is in a position where air can be supplied (step S101), and then the selection three-way air control valve 33. Is communicated with the left-side air bag 11a (step S102). Next, the air pump 31 is operated to supply air to the left air bag 11a (step S103). If a predetermined preliminary air supply time has elapsed (step S104), the air pump 31 is stopped (step S105). Subsequently, the selection three-way air control valve 33 is switched so as to communicate with the right air bag 11b (step S106), and the air pump 31 is operated to supply the right air bag 11b in the same manner as in the case of the left air bag 11a. Care is taken (step S107). If a predetermined preliminary air supply time has elapsed (step S108), the air pump 31 is stopped (step S109).

  For the preliminary air supply time, depending on the performance and specifications of the air pump 31 and the pair of left and right air bags 11a, 11b to be used, an appropriate internal pressure is generated by placing the head 25 of the sleeper, for example, When the head 25 is in the center of the pillow 1, it is set so that a gauge pressure of about 0.5 kPa is generated as the internal pressure of the pair of left and right air bags 11a and 11b, and is stored in the microcomputer 45 in advance.

  After the preliminary supply (step S10) is completed, the operation time of the present apparatus set by the user by operating the operation unit 46 is read, the operation timer is set, and the operation timer is started (step S20). In the above description, when the user does not set the operation time by operating the operation unit 46, the operation timer is set using a predetermined value stored in the microcomputer 45 in advance.

  After the operation timer is started, the end of the operation timer is determined according to a predetermined cycle (step S30), and the snoring detection operation is performed by the snoring sensor 28 and the snoring detection circuit 42 until the operation timer ends. Repeat (step S40). When the occurrence of snoring is detected, the operation proceeds to the head position determination (step S50).

  As shown in FIG. 29, the specific processing content of the head position determination (step S50) switches the selection three-way air control valve 33 so that the left air bag 11a and the atmospheric pressure sensor 43 are in communication with each other. Then, the output of the atmospheric pressure sensor 43 is taken in via the pressure detection circuit 44 and stored in the memory in the microcomputer 45 as the pressure value of the left air bladder 11a (step S502). Next, the selection three-way air control valve 33 is switched (step S503), and the right air bag 11b is communicated with the atmospheric pressure sensor 43 so that the pressure value of the right air bag 11b is reduced to the microcomputer in the same manner as in the left air bag 11a. 45 (step S504). Subsequently, by comparing the stored left and right pressure values (step S505), it is determined that the sleeper's head 25 on the pillow 1 is on the higher pressure side (step S506). In this way, a series of head position determination operations (step S50) are completed. The head position detecting means in the present invention includes the processing of steps S40 to S60.

  Next, the selection three-way air control valve 33 is communicated with the air bags 11a and 11b on the side where the head 25 is determined to be placed in the head position determination (step S50) (step S60). Then, the snoring suppression operation (step S70) is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 30, the specific processing content of the snoring suppression operation (step S70) is, for example, when it is determined that the head 25 is on the left side, first, the selection three-way air control valve 33 is operated to the left side. The air bag 11a is communicated. Subsequently, after setting the switching three-way air control valve 32 to a position where air can be supplied (step S701), the air pump 31 is operated (step S702) to supply air to the left air bag 11a. If the predetermined air bag supply time elapses (step S703), the air pump 31 is stopped (step S704). Next, the air bag holding state is entered, and the left air bag 11a is kept inflated for a certain period of time, so that the head 25 of the sleeping person is directed to the right side, and urging to turn to the right-side lying posture is urged. When the predetermined holding time has elapsed (step S705), the switching three-way air control valve 32 is set to the exhaust position (step S706), and the air in the left air bag 11a is exhausted. If the predetermined exhaust time has elapsed (step S707), the series of snoring suppression operations (step S70) is terminated.

  In the above snoring suppression operation (step S70), snoring is detected even in the air bag holding state (step S705), and when it is detected that the snoring sound has been reduced, the exhaust operation (step S706) is performed. Also good. In the above snoring suppression operation (step S70), the preset values stored in the microcomputer 45 in advance are set as the air supply time, holding time, and exhaust time of the air bag. Further, the user may be able to appropriately change these times by operating the operation unit 46 and the display unit 47 while using the specified value on the left as a reference. In addition, the snoring suppression control means in the present invention includes the processing in steps S60 and S70.

  When the snoring suppression operation (step S70) ends, additional air supply (step S80) is performed. The specific content of this additional air supply (step S80) is shown in FIG. In this additional air supply (step S80), after the snoring suppression operation (step S70) is completed, the switching three-way air control valve 32 that is in the exhaust position is switched to the air supply position (step S801), and the air pump 31. Is started (step S802), and air is supplied to the air bag on which the snoring suppression operation has been performed. If the predetermined additional air supply time has elapsed (step S803), the air pump 31 is stopped (step S804). As a result, in the same manner as after the preliminary air supply, a proper internal pressure is generated in the left and right air bags 11a and 11b due to the load on the sleeping person's head, and preparation for the next head position determination (step S50) operation is performed. Is completed.

If additional air supply (step S80) is complete | finished, it will return to the completion | finish determination (step S30) of an operation timer, and the loop of a process will be repeated.
Since the snoring suppression pillow 1 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, the following effects can be achieved.

  (1) Since the pair of air bags 11 a and 11 b are fixed to the base member 12 at the substantially central portion in the left-right direction of the pillow 1, the pillow 1 is directed from the outer end of the pillow 1 toward the center of the pillow. A slope can be formed.

  (2) Since the pair of air bags 11a and 11b are formed symmetrically, the manner of contact with the head 25 that can occur when a meandering partition as shown in Patent Document 3 is provided. The problem of unevenness in the left and right and the problem of insufficient expansion can be avoided.

  (3) Moreover, since each air bag 11a, 11b is formed left-right symmetrically, and it arranges left-right symmetrically so that the overlapping part 16 which overlaps up and down in the center part of the left-right direction of the pillow 1 may be formed. It is possible to increase the lifting dimension of the head 25 at the center of the pillow 1 while forming an inclination from the outer end of the pillow 1 toward the center of the pillow 1.

  (4) Since the length B of the clasp 22 provided on the side on the body side is longer than the length A of the clasp 21 provided on the top side, the side on the body side is It can be made higher than the sides of Therefore, when raising the sleeper's head 25, the tray recess 25a can be raised particularly high, so that the airway is forcibly opened by pushing up the flesh that blocks the airway of the snoring person. And snoring can be stopped quickly.

  (5) Since the air bags 11a and 11b are fixed symmetrically to the base member 12 by a common fixing member at the end portions of the clasps 21 and 22 in the overlapping portion 16 on the base member 12 side, Both air bags 11a and 11b can be fixed without being affected by the expansion and contraction of the other air bags 11a and 11b. In addition, the fixing structure is simplified.

  (6) Since the pair of left and right air bags 11a and 11b each include a seam portion 18 in which two sheets of front and back layers are joined to the overlapping portion 16, the position from the end in the left-right direction that does not include the seam portion 18 Can be set as the maximum expansion height point 19, and an inclined surface can be formed from the outer end toward the center overlapping portion 16, from the height to the lower. Therefore, when such an air bag 11 is used, the possibility that the head 25 falls out of the pillow is reduced as compared with the case where a conventional air bag in which the outer periphery is simply joined is used.

  (7) Since the seam portion 18 is formed by at least one linear or belt-shaped joining portion extending in the direction from the center side end of each air bag 11a, 11b to the opposite side end, The inclination which makes the center part of the pillow 1 low can be formed with a simple structure.

  (8) In addition, the seam portion 18 has two linear joint portions 18a and 18b having a predetermined length extending from the center side end portions of the air bags 11a and 11b toward the opposite end portions (left and right end portions). Therefore, the expansion and inclination of the air bag 11 can be easily adjusted by changing the length, number, or width of the linear joint portions 18a and 18b.

  (9) Further, in this embodiment, the ends of the two linear joint portions 18a and 18b constituting the seam portion 18 are joined to each other so that air is generated between the two linear joint portions 18a and 18b. Since the bag-like portion 18d that is not supplied with air is formed, the wide seam portion 18 can be easily configured.

  (10) A cushion material 13 made of urethane foam is placed on top of the air bag 11, and the base member 12, the air bag 11 and the urethane foam cushion material 13 are laminated together with an outer cushion material 14 made of low foam urethane. Since it is entrained, the cushioning property can be improved. Further, since the outer cushion material 14 is formed of low foaming urethane, a mold along the head 25 is formed at the time of sleeping, and a sense of stability is increased at the position of the head 25 of the sleeping person so that the sleeping person can sleep well. It can have an effect. Moreover, since these laminated members are covered with a stretchable cloth cover 15, the laminated structure can be easily held.

  (11) Since the outer cushion material 14 is formed so as to be wound in the height direction of the sleeper, when one pair of left and right air bags is inclined, one of the air bags expands, and thus either one of the left and right directions. Even if it is pulled to the side, since the entrainment direction is perpendicular to the direction in which the tensile force acts, the displacement of the outer cushion material 14 can be suppressed.

  (12) Further, the outer cushion material 14 is formed with a thickened concave contact portion 14a of the bed of the sleeping person, so that the bed 25a of the bed of the sleeping person can be easily lifted. Therefore, coupled with the fact that the clasp 22 on the body side is longer than the clasp 21 on the upper side, the tray recess 25a can be lifted more easily, and the snoring can be prevented more effectively. It can be carried out.

  (13) Since the overlapping dimension in the left-right direction in the overlapping portion 16 in the air bag 11 is formed to be about 5 cm or more, the influence of individual differences on the physique of the sleeping person can be reduced.

Moreover, according to the snoring suppression apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment, there can exist the following effects.
(1) Since the pillow 1 as described above is used, when the sleeper's snoring is detected by the snoring sensor 28, the sleeper's head 25 is gently turned sideways without stimulating the sleeper. can do. In addition, this can induce the sleeper to turn to the lying position, and as a result, the snoring sound of the sleeper can be reduced.

  (2) When snoring is detected, the air pressure sensor 43 detects the internal pressure of each of the pair of left and right air bags 11a and 11b, compares the pressure difference between the two, and the head 25 of the sleeping person is on the side where the internal pressure is high. Since the head position determining means for determining that the head is placed is provided, the position of the head 25 can be accurately determined.

  (3) The air bags 11a and 11b on the side where the head 25 is determined to be placed by the head position determination means are supplied with air and maintained in an inflated state for a certain period of time, and the snoring sensor 28 reduces the snoring sound. And the snoring suppression control means for controlling the air in the inflated air bags 11a and 11b to be exhausted when a predetermined holding time has elapsed. An operation for suppressing snoring can be performed.

The present embodiment can be modified and embodied as follows.
(1) The fixing member that fixes the fastening allowances 21 and 22 to the base member 12 is not limited to the hook 23. For example, a fixing hole through which a fixing string is passed is provided at the tip end portions of the fastening margins 21 and 22, a fixing string having one end fixed to the base member 12 is provided, and the other end of the string is tied through the fixing hole. Accordingly, one end of the fastening allowances 21 and 22 may be fixed to the base member 12. In addition to the above, Velcro (registered trademark), clips and the like can also be used as the fixing member.

  (2) Moreover, although the clasps 21 and 22 are configured by extending the sheet constituting the air bag 11 in the above embodiment, this may be configured by another member made of a soft material. Such a material may be the same as the sheet material constituting the air bag 11 or may be a string-like material made of another soft material.

  (3) Regarding the shape of the seam portion 18, the shape is not limited to the above-described shape, and may be another shape in which two sheets of front and back are joined. However, it is necessary to be symmetrical in order to prevent the touch with respect to the head 25 from being different between right and left.

  (4) The number of seam portions 18 is not limited to the one described above, and a plurality of seam portions 18 may be provided. However, it is necessary to have the same number on the left and right sides so that the touch on the head 25 does not differ between the left and right.

  (5) Further, the shape of the linear joint portions 18a and 18b constituting the seam portion 18 is not limited to two linear shapes. For example, it is good also as one wide strip | belt shape, without providing the bag-shaped part 18d. Further, it may be curved instead of linear.

  (6) Further, regarding the number of linear joint portions 18a and 18b constituting the seam portion 18, for example, it may be constituted by one as in the case of the above-described belt shape, or three or more linear shapes. You may comprise from a junction part. After all, the number and shape of the seam portions 18 and the number and shape of the joint portions are the characteristics of the material of the air bag 11, the size and shape of the air bag 11, and the set inclination angle when the air bag 11 is inflated. And it should be determined by changing as appropriate according to the set height.

  (7) In the above embodiment, the switching operation of the supply / exhaust is realized by the switching three-way air control valve 32, and the selection operation of the left and right air bags is realized by the selection three-way air control valve 33. However, the three-way air control valves 32 and 33 may be changed to a combination of a two-way valve, a four-way valve, or other multi-way valve.

It is a whole block diagram of the snoring suppression apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the pillow which concerns on this Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view when the left side air bag expand | swells in the state in which the air bag incorporated in the pillow was mounted in the board | substrate member. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. It is BB sectional drawing in FIG. It is CC sectional drawing in FIG. It is DD sectional drawing in FIG. It is EE sectional drawing in FIG. 3, and is II sectional drawing in FIG. It is a top view when the right and left air bags contract in the state where the air bag built in the pillow is mounted on the substrate member. It is FF sectional drawing in FIG. It is GG sectional drawing in FIG. It is HH sectional drawing in FIG. It is a state figure of expansion and contraction of an air bag provided with a seam part, and shows a top view at the time of contraction. It is the same state figure, Comprising: The side view at the time of expansion is shown. It is the same state figure, Comprising: It is a top view at the time of expansion. It is effect explanatory drawing of the pillow which uses the same air bag. It is a schematic state diagram showing the relationship between the fixed position of the air bag relative to the base member and the inclination of the air bag, wherein the fixed position is the outer position of the base member and the maximum inflated height position. It is. It is the same model state figure, Comprising: The case where a fixed position exists in the outer side edge part vicinity of a base member is shown. It is the same model state figure, Comprising: The case where a fixed position exists in the right-and-left both ends of an air bag is shown. It is the same model state figure, Comprising: The case where a fixed position exists in the center part of a base member is shown. It is action | operation explanatory drawing of the superimposition part in the case of arrange | positioning a pair of air bag side by side. It is a model state figure when the air bag provided with the allowance in each piece of the head upper side and body side which concerns on this Embodiment expands and contracts, Comprising: It is a thing at the time of air bag contraction. It is a thing at the time of expansion | swelling of the air bag in the same model state diagram. It is the schematic diagram which showed the sleeping person's head lifting state by the form of a pillow, and is a thing in the case of a flat pillow. This is a schematic view of a pillow having a shape that lifts the central part of the head. This is a schematic view of a pillow having a shape that lifts a recess in a tray. It is a flowchart explaining the whole operation | movement of the snoring suppression apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the preliminary | backup air supply in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the head position determination in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the snoring suppression operation | movement in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the additional air supply in FIG. It is a top view before the expansion | swelling of the air bag which just joined the outer periphery. It is the front view (figure seen from the sleeping person's head side) before the inflation of the air bag. It is a top view at the time of expansion | swelling of the air bag. It is a pillow using the same air bag as the left air bag, and is a schematic front view of the pillow when the left air bag is inflated (viewed from the sleeping person's head). It is a top view before expansion of the conventional medical mat. It is a front view (figure seen from the sleeping person's head side) when the right air chamber of the medical mat is expanded. It is a top view at the time of applying the meandering partition in the medical mat to the air bag for pillows with the roughness as it is. It is a front view when the right side of the air bag for pillows has expanded. It is a top view at the time of applying to the air bag for pillows in the state where the meandering partition in the medical mat was made fine. It is a front view (figure seen from the sleeping person's head side) when the right side of the air bag for pillows is inflated.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pillow 2 (For snoring suppression) Control apparatus 11 Air bag 11a Left air bag 11b Right air bag 12 Base member 13 Cushion material 14 Outer cushion material 14a Recessed part 15 Cover 16 Superimposition part 18 Seam part 21 Upper head side stop Bill 22 body side clasp 25 head 25a tray recess 28 snore sensor 31 air pump 32 three-way air control valve 33 for switching three-way air control valve 43 pressure sensor A length of head-side clasp B body side clasp length

Claims (11)

Incorporating a pair of left and right air bags to inflate and shrink, and a base member for mounting and fixing the pair of left and right air bags,
Each air bag constituting the pair of left and right air bags is formed by superimposing two airtight sheet materials on the front and back and joining them at the outer periphery.
Furthermore, each air bag is formed symmetrically so as to form a superimposed portion that overlaps vertically at the central portion of the pillow in the left-right direction, and is substantially centered in the left-right direction of the pillow. A pillow for snoring suppression characterized by being fixed to a base member at a portion.   The pair of left and right air bags extend from a portion located at the overlapping portion on the side of the sleeping person's body and on the side of the head, respectively, and a fastening margin made of a flexible member for connecting to the base member is extended. The front end portion of the clasp is fixed to the base member, and the length of the clasp provided on the body side is longer than the clasp provided on the upper head side. Claim | item 1 snoring suppression pillow.   The snoring suppression pillow according to claim 2, wherein the pair of left and right air bags are fixed to the base member at a common position by a common fixing member at the base member side end of the clasp. .   4. The snoring suppression device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of left and right air bags has a seam portion in which two sheets of front and back layers are joined to the overlapping portion. 5. pillow.   5. The seam part is formed by at least one linear or belt-like joining part extending in a direction from the center side end part to the opposite side end part of each air bag. The pillow for snoring suppression described.   A cushion material made of urethane foam is placed on top of the air bag, and a base member, an air bag and a urethane foam cushion material are laminated with an outer cushion material made of low-foam urethane, and made of a stretchable cloth. The pillow for snoring suppression according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pillow is covered with a cover.   The pillow for snoring suppression according to claim 6, wherein the outer cushion material is formed so as to be wound in a height direction of a sleeping person.   The pillow for snoring suppression according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the outer cushion material is formed with a thickened concave contact portion of a bed of a sleeping person.   The pillow for snoring suppression according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein an overlapping dimension of the overlapping portion in the left-right direction is formed to be about 5 cm or more.   The snoring suppression pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 9, a snoring sensor that senses snoring generated by a sleeper, an air pump that supplies air to an air bag, and air supply and air to the air bag An air control valve that exhausts air in the bag, and a control device that controls the air pump and the air control valve so as to supply air to the air bag on the side where the head is located when snoring is detected by the snoring sensor; A snoring suppression device characterized by comprising: When snoring is detected by the snoring sensor, the control device detects the internal pressure of each of the pair of left and right air bags by the air pressure sensor, compares the pressure difference between the two, and the head of the sleeping person is on the side where the internal pressure is high. A head position determining means for determining that the head is on;
When air is supplied to the air bag on which the head is determined to be placed by the head position determination means, and the air bag is maintained in an inflated state for a certain period of time, and the snoring sensor determines that the snoring sound has been reduced. 11. The snoring suppression device according to claim 10, further comprising: a snoring suppression control unit that controls to exhaust the inflated air bag when a predetermined holding time has elapsed.

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