JP2021052867A - Fluid cell type mattress - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fluid cell type mattress having a novel structure that is capable of highly accurately detecting a pressure by preventing a positional deviation of a pressure sensor with respect to a fluid cell.SOLUTION: A fluid cell type mattress 10 comprises: a fluid cell 14 where supply or discharge of a fluid with respect to an internally formed fluid chamber 36 is possible; and a flexible sheet-like pressure sensor 16 that detects a pressure acting in a thickness direction. The supply or discharge of the fluid with respect to the fluid chamber 36 of the fluid cell 14 is controlled on the basis of a pressure in a vertical direction detected by the pressure sensor 16. The fluid cell type mattress 10 further comprises connection means 18, 58, and 60 for performing positioning by limiting a movement amount in a surface direction of the pressure sensor 16 through connection of the pressure sensor 16 with the fluid cell 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention is a fluid cell type mattress whose upper surface can be deformed by supplying and discharging a fluid to the fluid chamber of the fluid cell, and particularly to supply and discharge the fluid to the fluid chamber based on the pressure detection result by a pressure sensor. It relates to a fluid cell mattress to be controlled.

Conventionally, as a kind of mattress used, for example, laid on a bed, there is a fluid cell type mattress. As shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-153743 (Patent Document 1), the fluid cell type mattress includes a fluid cell having a fluid chamber inside, and adjusts the amount of air or the like in the fluid chamber of the fluid cell. This makes it possible to change the shape of the upper surface of the mattress so as to follow the user.

By the way, the applicant has proposed a structure in which a sheet-shaped pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the vertical direction acting on the fluid cell is provided in the fluid cell type mattress of Patent Document 1. Then, by controlling the supply and discharge of air and the like to the fluid chamber of the fluid cell based on the detection result of the pressure sensor, it is possible to provide the user on the mattress with a good sleeping comfort by dispersing the body pressure.

Further, in Patent Document 1, the pressure sensor is positioned in the plane direction with respect to the fluid cell so that the pressure measurement by the pressure sensor is appropriately performed. That is, the pressure sensor is positioned with respect to the support surface cover covering the upper surface of the mattress body, and by attaching the support surface cover to the mattress body, the pressure sensor is positioned with respect to the fluid cell via the support surface cover. It has become so.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-153743

However, as a result of examination by the present inventor, it has become clear that the position of the pressure sensor may not be sufficient in the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1. That is, in the structure of Patent Document 1, while the pressure sensor is sufficiently positioned with respect to the fluid cell under normal use conditions, when the mattress is transported or stored with the mattress upright, the support surface cover becomes the mattress body. The position of the pressure sensor with respect to the mattress body may shift due to the movement. Further, if the pressure sensor is displaced with respect to the mattress body, it is difficult to detect and notify the displacement, and it is difficult to automatically recover after that, so that the displacement state continues. There was a problem. If the misaligned state continues, the body pressure distribution of the user on the mattress cannot be measured correctly, so it is considered that the high pressure part with a high risk of pressure sore may be overlooked and the occurrence of pressure sore may not be prevented.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid cell type mattress having a novel structure capable of preventing a displacement of a pressure sensor with respect to a fluid cell and detecting pressure with high accuracy.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for grasping the present invention will be described, but each of the embodiments described below is described as an example, and not only can be appropriately combined with each other and adopted, but also described in each embodiment. The plurality of components of the above can also be recognized and adopted independently as much as possible, and can be appropriately adopted in combination with any of the components described in another embodiment. Thereby, in the present invention, various other aspects can be realized without being limited to the aspects described below.

In the first aspect, a fluid cell capable of supplying or discharging a fluid to a fluid chamber formed inside is provided, and a flexible sheet-like pressure for detecting a pressure acting in the thickness direction is provided. A fluid cell type mattress in which a sensor is provided and the supply and discharge of a fluid to the fluid chamber of the fluid cell is controlled based on the vertical pressure detected by the pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor is provided. Is provided to the fluid cell to position the pressure sensor by limiting the amount of movement of the pressure sensor in the surface direction.

According to the fluid cell mattress having a structure according to this aspect, the positioning of the pressure sensor and the fluid cell is realized by the connecting means for connecting the pressure sensor to the fluid cell. That is, the pressure sensor is connected to the fluid cell by the connecting means. Therefore, for example, even if the fluid cell type mattress is erected and stored in a direction different from the normal usage state, the movement of the pressure sensor with respect to the fluid cell is directly suppressed and restricted by the connecting means. To.

In the second aspect, in the fluid cell type mattress described in the first aspect, a plate-shaped bottom plate member is provided below the fluid cell, and the connecting means is the bottom plate member and the fluid cell. It is configured to include a first connecting portion for connecting the bottom plate member and a second connecting portion for connecting the pressure sensor and the bottom plate member.

According to the fluid cell type mattress having a structure according to this embodiment, the fluid cell and the pressure sensor are connected to the bottom plate member, respectively, so that the fluid cell and the pressure sensor are connected to each other by the connecting means including the bottom plate member. Is positioned. In this aspect, the connecting means can be configured by using, for example, a bottom plate member fixed to the fluid cell to position the fluid cell or to support the lower part of the fluid cell. Further, for example, when a bottom plate member to which a plurality of fluid cells are fixed is adopted and a flexible sheet-like pressure sensor arranged over the plurality of fluid cells is adopted, a small number or a number of connecting means may be used. It is also possible to efficiently position the pressure sensor with respect to a plurality of fluid cells.

A third aspect is the fluid cell mattress according to the second aspect, wherein the second connecting portion is configured to include a flexible connecting band, and one end of the connecting band is formed. It is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the pressure sensor superposed on the upper surface of the fluid cell, and the other end of the connecting band is attached to the bottom plate member.

According to the fluid cell type mattress having a structure according to this embodiment, the second connecting portion includes the connecting band, so that the bottom plate member arranged on the lower side of the fluid cell and the upper side of the fluid cell The arranged pressure sensors can be easily connected.

A fourth aspect is the connection in which the fluid cell and the pressure sensor are provided between the fluid cell and the pressure sensor in the fluid cell type mattress according to any one of the first to third aspects. They are fixed to each other by means.

According to the fluid cell type mattress having a structure according to this embodiment, the relative displacement of the fluid cell and the pressure sensor in the plane direction is more effective by directly fixing the fluid cell and the pressure sensor by the connecting means. It is suppressed to.

A fifth aspect is the fluid cell mattress according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the connecting means is provided at a position outside the central portion of the upper surface of the fluid cell. is there.

According to the fluid cell type mattress having a structure according to this aspect, it is difficult to give the user a sense of discomfort due to the provision of the connecting means, and it is possible to realize a good sleeping comfort.

A sixth aspect is the fluid cell mattress according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein an outer peripheral frame portion is provided around the pressure sensor, and the outer peripheral frame of the pressure sensor is provided. The amount of upward movement with respect to the portion is limited by the connecting means.

According to the fluid cell type mattress having a structure according to this embodiment, the pressure sensor is held inside the outer peripheral frame portion without protruding upward from the outer peripheral frame portion. In short, in this embodiment, by adopting the connecting means in combination with the outer peripheral frame portion, the outer peripheral frame portion can also exert the effect of suppressing the displacement of the pressure sensor in the plane direction with respect to the fluid cell.

A seventh aspect is the fluid cell mattress described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the pressure sensor has elasticity in the plane direction.

According to the fluid cell type mattress having a structure according to this aspect, the pressure sensor has elasticity in the surface direction when, for example, the fluid cell expands and contracts and the upper surface of the fluid cell type mattress becomes uneven. This improves the followability of the pressure sensor to the upper surface of the mattress. As a result, the accuracy of the surface pressure measurement on the upper surface of the mattress by the pressure sensor can be improved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the pressure sensor from being displaced with respect to the fluid cell and detect the pressure with high accuracy.

It is a perspective view which shows the fluid cell type mattress as the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and is the figure which showed the state before the pressure sensor is attached. An exploded perspective view of the fluid cell mattress shown in FIG. Sectional drawing of the fluid cell type mattress shown in FIG. An exploded perspective view of the pressure sensor constituting the fluid cell type mattress shown in FIG. Top view of the pressure sensor shown in FIG. Sectional drawing of the fluid cell type mattress shown in FIG. A perspective view showing a main part of the fluid cell type mattress shown in FIG. An exploded perspective view showing a main part of the fluid cell type mattress shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the main part of the fluid cell type mattress as the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a fluid cell mattress 10 (hereinafter, mattress 10) as the first embodiment of the present invention. The mattress 10 has a structure in which a plurality of fluid cells 14 and a pressure sensor 16 are attached to a base member 12. In the following description, as a general rule, the vertical direction is the vertical direction in FIG. 3, which is substantially the vertical vertical direction when the mattress 10 is used, the horizontal direction is the horizontal direction in FIG. 3, and the vertical direction is FIG. The directions perpendicular to the paper inside are referred to respectively.

The base member 12 has a structure in which a frame member 20 as an outer peripheral frame portion and a leg cushion 22 are mounted on a bottom plate member 18.

The bottom plate member 18 has a thin rectangular flat plate shape made of foamed polyethylene or the like. The bottom plate member 18 of the present embodiment includes a substrate portion 24 and a cell support portion 26 superposed on the upper surface of the inner peripheral portion of the substrate portion 24. A plurality of through holes 28 penetrating in the vertical direction are formed in the cell support portion 26. Further, as the bottom plate member 18, a flexible sheet-like structure capable of maintaining the plate shape without easily slackening or wrinkling in the laid state is preferably adopted so that the fluid cell 14 can be positioned. ..

The frame member 20 is made of foamed polyethylene or the like like the bottom plate member 18. The frame member 20 is superposed on the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate portion 24 that is separated from the cell support portion 26, and is provided on three sides including both the left and right sides of the bottom plate member 18. Therefore, the cell support portion 26 is fitted into the inner circumference of the lower end portion of the frame member 20. The frame member 20 extends in the circumferential direction of the bottom plate member 18, and is formed by combining a plurality of substantially rectangular block-shaped members.

The leg cushion 22 is a sponge-like flexible member made of polyurethane foam or the like, and is softer than the bottom plate member 18 and the frame member 20. The leg cushion 22 has a substantially rectangular plate shape as a whole, and has a large number of cushioning protrusions 30 protruding from the upper surface. The leg cushion 22 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bottom plate member 18 at a portion where the frame member 20 is detached in the circumferential direction.

A plurality of fluid cells 14 are arranged in the region of the base member 12 surrounded by the frame member 20 and the leg cushion 22. The fluid cell 14 has, for example, a balloon shape formed by laminating a plurality of synthetic resin films. As shown in FIG. 3, the fluid cell 14 has a two-stage structure in which the upper portion 32 and the lower portion 34 have an internal space that communicates with each other. The fluid cell 14 has a constricted shape in which the cross-sectional area in the vertical direction is partially reduced at the boundary portion between the upper portion 32 and the lower portion 34. The internal space of the fluid cell 14 is a fluid chamber 36. The fluid chamber 36 is fluid-tightly sealed with respect to the external space. The fluid chamber 36 is connected to a pump (not shown) via a supply / discharge pipe (not shown) connected to a supply / discharge port 38 projecting from the lower surface of the fluid cell 14, and the fluid (air) to the fluid chamber 36 is connected by the pump. Etc.) are made feasible to supply and discharge.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of fluid cells 14 are provided in an aligned manner, and in the present embodiment, 60 fluid cells 14 are provided in an arrangement of 6 × 10. The fluid cell 14 is arranged above the bottom plate member 18 constituting the base member 12. As shown in FIG. 3, in the fluid cell 14, the supply / discharge port 38 is inserted into the through hole 28 of the cell support portion 26 constituting the bottom plate member 18, and the lower surface is fixed to the upper surface of the cell support portion 26. There is. The method of fixing the fluid cell 14 and the cell support portion 26 is not particularly limited. For example, hooks (not shown) are attached to the lower surface of the fluid cell 14 and the upper surface of the cell support portion 26, and the hooks are used to attach the fluid cell 14 and the cell. The support portion 26 is fixed. Further, for example, the supply / discharge port 38 may be fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 28. As described above, a first connecting portion 40 for connecting the fluid cell 14 to the bottom plate member 18 is provided between the lower surface of the fluid cell 14 and the cell supporting portion 26 of the bottom plate member 18.

The plurality of fluid cells 14 may be independent of each other in a state where they are not attached to the bottom plate member 18, but may be connected in advance by a predetermined number by a sheet or the like to form a group. In this way, if a plurality of fluid cells 14 are connected in advance and grouped, the work of attaching the fluid cells 14 to the base member 12 becomes easy.

A pressure sensor 16 is provided above the fluid cell 14. The pressure sensor 16 has a flexible sheet shape and can be flexibly deformed. The pressure sensor 16 preferably has elasticity in the surface direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure sensor 16 has a structure in which the first electrode layer 42 and the second electrode layer 44 are superposed with the dielectric layer 46 interposed therebetween.

The first electrode layer 42 and the second electrode layer 44 have a substantially rectangular sheet shape formed of a synthetic resin or a rubber elastic body. A plurality of strip-shaped first electrodes 48 are provided in parallel on the lower surface of the first electrode layer 42, and a plurality of strip-shaped second electrodes 50 are provided in parallel on the upper surface of the second electrode layer 44. It is provided. The first and second electrodes 48 and 50 are formed of a conductor. For example, an elastomer (conductive elastomer) in which a conductive filler is dispersed is applied to the surfaces of the first and second electrode layers 42 and 44. It can be obtained by printing in a predetermined shape.

The dielectric layer 46 is a synthetic resin film or the like formed of an electrical insulator, and the formed portion of the first electrode 48 in the first electrode layer 42 and the second electrode 50 in the second electrode layer 44. It is said that the shape and size can cover the formed portion of the above. It is desirable that the dielectric layer 46 has flexibility and is deformable by expansion and contraction, like the first and second electrode layers 42 and 44.

The pressure sensor 16 shown in FIG. 5 is configured by superimposing the first electrode layer 42 and the second electrode layer 44 from both sides of the dielectric layer 46 and fixing them to each other. The first electrode layer 42 and the second electrode layer 44 are overlapped with each other in a direction in which the first electrode 48 and the second electrode 50 intersect each other, and the first electrode 48 and the second electrode 50 are overlapped with each other. A capacitor is configured at the crossing opposite portion. As a result, the capacitance of the intersecting portion of the first electrode 48 and the second electrode 50 changes depending on the approach / separation of the first electrode 48 and the second electrode 50 in the opposite direction. This constitutes a capacitance-type pressure-sensitive unit 52 capable of detecting pressure based on the capacitance. In FIG. 5, the first and second electrodes 48 and 50 and the dielectric layer 46 are shown by thin solid lines.

Then, by scanningly applying a detection voltage to each pressure-sensitive unit 52, the capacitance of each pressure-sensitive unit 52 is detected. Based on the detection result of this capacitance, the pressure acting on each pressure sensitive unit 52 is detected. Since the pressure sensor 16 shown in FIG. 5 has six first electrodes 48 and ten second electrodes 50, it is possible to detect pressures acting on the pressure sensitive portions 52 at 60 locations, respectively. .. However, for example, the number of pressure-sensitive portions 52 provided in one pressure sensor 16 is set to 30, and the pressures of 60 fluid cells 14 can be detected by arranging the two pressure sensors 16 and 16 side by side. You can also do it. When a plurality of pressure sensors 16 are used, the number of pressure-sensitive portions 52 of the pressure sensors 16 may be different from each other, and the shapes and sizes in the vertical view may be different from each other. The pressure sensor 16 is connected to a power supply device (not shown) that applies a voltage to the first and second electrodes 48 and 50, an arithmetic device (not shown) that calculates the pressure based on the detection signal of the pressure sensor 16.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure sensor 16 is superposed on the upper surface of the fluid cell 14. The pressure-sensitive portion 52 of the pressure sensor 16 is superposed on the central portion of the upper surface of each fluid cell 14. In the present embodiment, a flexible plate-shaped sensor support 54 is arranged between the pressure sensor 16 and the fluid cell 14, and the pressure sensor 16 and the fluid cell 14 are indirectly overlapped with each other. Further, a flexible plate-shaped sensor protective body 56 is superposed on the upper surface of the pressure sensor 16, and the pressure sensor 16 is sandwiched between the sensor support 54 and the sensor protective body 56. The pressure sensor 16 is held in a stretched state by fixing the four corners to the sensor support 54 and the sensor protection body 56 by connecting pins 58. The pressure sensor 16, the sensor support 54, and the sensor protector 56 are fitted into the upper end portion of the frame member 20 of the base member 12, and the frame member 20 is arranged around the pressure sensor 16. As a result, the relative movement of the pressure sensor 16 with respect to the frame member 20 in the surface direction is restricted.

The pressure sensor 16 is connected to the bottom plate member 18 of the base member 12. That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the four corners of the pressure sensor 16 are connected to the bottom plate member 18 by the connecting band 60. The connecting band 60 is a flexible strip. It is desirable that the connecting band 60 is hard to expand and contract, and is formed of, for example, a non-stretchable cloth. The length of the connecting band 60 is preferably set to a length that allows the fluid cell 14 to be elongated and deformed in the vertical direction up to the maximum size when mounted on the pressure sensor 16 and the bottom plate member 18, which will be described later. The expansion and contraction deformation of the above is not hindered by the connecting band 60.

One end of the connecting band 60 is fixed to the four corners of the pressure sensor 16 by connecting pins 58. The method of fixing the connecting band 60 to the pressure sensor 16 is not particularly limited, and for example, it can be fixed with a hook-and-loop fastener, double-sided adhesive tape, or the like. The fixed portion of the connecting band 60 to the pressure sensor 16 is located above the outer peripheral portion of the fluid cell 14 outside the central portion of the upper surface of the fluid cell 14, and the connecting band 60 is located at the center of the upper surface of the fluid cell 14. It is provided on the outer peripheral side by removing the portion. As a result, the fixed portion of the connecting band 60 by the connecting pin 58 does not easily affect the tactile sensation of the upper surface of the mattress 10.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the connecting band 60 whose one end is fixed to the pressure sensor 16 extends so as to wrap around the outside of the fluid cell 14, and the other end is fixed to the bottom plate member 18. ing. As a method of fixing the connecting band 60 to the bottom plate member 18, for example, holes to be extrapolated to the supply / discharge ports 38 of the fluid cells 14 located at the four corners are provided at the other end of the connecting band 60, and the supply / discharge ports 38 are provided. The other end of the connecting band 60 extrapolated to is fixed in a state of being sandwiched between the lower surface of the fluid cell 14 and the upper surface of the bottom plate member 18. According to this, the other end of the connecting band 60 is not only fixed to the bottom plate member 18, but also to the lower surface of the fluid cell 14. For example, it is also possible to provide hooks on the other end of the connecting band 60 and the upper surface of the bottom plate member 18, and to fix the connecting band 60 and the bottom plate member 18 by the hooks. The fixing method is not particularly limited.

By attaching both ends of the connecting band 60 to each of the pressure sensor 16 and the bottom plate member 18, the pressure sensor 16 is connected to the bottom plate member 18 by the connecting band 60. As a result, the amount of movement of the pressure sensor 16 with respect to the bottom plate member 18 is limited in the surface direction and the thickness direction of the pressure sensor 16. In the present embodiment, the second connecting portion that connects the pressure sensor 16 and the bottom plate member 18 includes a connecting pin 58 and a connecting band 60.

The fluid cell 14 is directly fixed to the bottom plate member 18 at the first connecting portion 40, and the pressure sensor 16 is connected to the bottom plate member 18 via the connecting band 60. As a result, the connecting means for connecting the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 to each other includes the bottom plate member 18 and the connecting band 60. The fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are positioned with each other by limiting the relative movement amount of the pressure sensor 16 in the surface direction and the thickness direction by the connecting means. The connecting means of the present embodiment includes a first connecting portion 40 for connecting the fluid cell 14 and the bottom plate member 18, a connecting pin 58 and a connecting band 60 as a second connecting portion.

The mattress 10 having such a structure is used, for example, in a state where the surface is covered with a mattress cover (not shown). As a result, the mattress 10 is protected by the mattress cover, the durability of the mattress 10 is improved, and dirt is prevented from adhering to the mattress 10.

In the mattress 10 in a state where the user lies on the upper surface (top surface), for example, from the shoulder to the buttocks of the user is placed on the arrangement portion of the fluid cell 14. As a result, the head is stably supported by the frame member 20, and the legs on which a large pressure is hard to act are supported by the leg cushion 22.

The downward pressure exerted by the user on each fluid cell 14 is detected by the pressure sensor 16. Then, a pump (not shown) that supplies and discharges a fluid such as air to the fluid chamber 36 of each fluid cell 14 is controlled based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 16. For example, the pressure acting on the shoulders and buttocks is reduced by reducing the amount of fluid in the fluid chamber 36 in the fluid cell 14 that supports the shoulders and buttocks where a large pressure is likely to act on the user in a lying state. It is possible to realize a good sleeping comfort by equalizing the pressure. The fluid cell 14 in the portion of the mattress 10 where the pressure acting is small is controlled so that the amount of fluid in the fluid chamber 36 increases and extends in the vertical direction, so that the body pressure of the user can act. desirable. In short, the mattress 10 controls the supply and discharge of fluid to the fluid chamber 36 of the fluid cell 14 based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 16, so that the upper surface of the disposed portion of the fluid cell 14 corresponds to the body surface of the user. It is possible to equalize the body pressure distribution by transforming it into a shape that is suitable for the body pressure.

When controlling the supply and discharge of fluid to the fluid cell 14 based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 16, the pressure sensitive portion 52 of the pressure sensor 16 is positioned with respect to each fluid cell 14. You will need it. When the lid is closed and the pressure sensitive portion 52 is displaced with respect to the upper surface of the fluid cell 14, the pressure sensitive portion 52 is located between the two adjacent fluid cells 14 and 14, and the pressure sensitive portion 52 is relative to the pressure sensitive portion 52. This is because the pressure becomes difficult to act and the pressure cannot be detected correctly. Preferably, the pressure sensitive portion 52 is superposed on the central portion of the upper surface of the fluid cell 14.

Therefore, in the mattress 10, the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are connected to each other by the bottom plate member 18 and the connecting band 60, and the relative movement amount of the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 is limited. As a result, the pressure-sensitive portion 52 of the pressure sensor 16 is positioned with respect to the upper surface of the fluid cell 14, and the supply and discharge of the fluid is controlled based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 16 to control the upper surface of the fluid cell 14. It is possible to accurately control the shape corresponding to the body surface of the user.

It is desirable that the amount of movement of the pressure-sensitive portion 52 of the pressure sensor 16 with respect to the central portion of the upper surface of the fluid cell 14 is limited to 70% or less of the width dimension of the fluid cell 14 in the vertical direction. More preferably, the amount of movement of the pressure sensitive portion 52 with respect to the central portion of the fluid cell 14 is limited to 64% or less of the width dimension of the fluid cell 14. As a result, the deviation of the pressure sensitive portion 52 with respect to the upper surface of the fluid cell 14 is sufficiently suppressed, and the pressure can be detected with high accuracy.

Since the fluid cell 14 is directly fixed to the bottom plate member 18, it is effectively positioned with respect to the bottom plate member 18. Since the pressure sensor 16 is connected to the bottom plate member 18 by the connecting band 60, the pressure sensor 16 is connected to the bottom plate member 18 even if the pressure sensor 16 is arranged at a position away from the bottom plate member 18 upward. can do.

The connecting means for positioning the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 is composed of a bottom plate member 18 of the mattress 10, a first connecting portion 40, a connecting pin 58 as a second connecting portion, and a connecting band 60. Therefore, for example, even when the mattress cover is replaced or only the mattress 10 without the mattress cover is stored or transported, the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are held in a positioned state.

Further, even if the relative positions of the mattress cover and the mattress 10 are displaced due to body movements such as turning over of the user or transportation of the mattress 10, the relative positions of the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are unlikely to be displaced. ..

Moreover, one end of the connecting band 60 is fixed to the four corners of the pressure sensor 16, and the other end extends outward from the fluid cell 14 and is fixed to the bottom plate member 18. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 13 of JP-A-2017-080252, even when a plurality of fluid cells 14 are connected by an intermediate sheet at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction, the pressure sensor 16 and the pressure sensor 16 are used. The bottom plate member 18 can be connected. Further, since the fluid cells 14 at the four corners are unlikely to be subjected to a force and cause large deformation, damage due to interference between the fluid cell 14 and the connecting band 60 is unlikely to be a problem, and the fluid cell 14 is restrained by the connecting band 60. The adverse effect on sleeping comfort is also avoided.

The pressure sensor 16 is not only positioned in the surface direction with respect to the base member 12 including the frame member 20, but also in the thickness direction (vertical direction). As a result, for example, when the mattress 10 is stored upright, the pressure sensor 16 is unlikely to come off from the frame member 20 to the side opposite to the bottom plate member 18 (upper side in the used state of the mattress 10), and the pressure sensor 16 is positioned in the surface direction. It becomes easy to be held in a closed state.

The pressure sensor 16, the sensor support 54 and the sensor protector 56 superposed on the pressure sensor 16 are flexibly deformable, and when the fluid cell 14 contracts in the vertical direction, the pressure sensor 16 is affected by the action of the user's weight. It deforms following the deformation of the fluid cell 14. As a result, the pressure sensor 16 does not become stretched away from the upper surface of the fluid cell 14, and it is difficult to give the user uncomfortable sleep such as ship sickness due to the hammock effect. Moreover, since the connecting band 60 that connects the four corners of the pressure sensor 16 to the bottom plate member 18 is a flexible band, the pressure sensor 16 is not held in a stretched state by the connecting band 60. In particular, the pressure sensor 16 of the present embodiment has excellent deformation followability because it has elasticity in the surface direction in addition to flexibility.

FIG. 9 shows a main part of the fluid cell mattress 70 as the second embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the members and parts substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The mattress 70 of the present embodiment is provided with connecting means 72 between the upper surface of each fluid cell 14 and the lower surface of the pressure sensor 16. The connecting means 72 is fixed to a sensor support 54 fixed to the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16, and is composed of, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener or double-sided adhesive tape. As a result, each fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are directly fixed and positioned by the connecting means 72. Since the pressure sensor 16 and the sensor support 54 are directly fixed to each other and do not move relative to each other, the pressure sensor 16 and the fluid cell are fixed by fixing the sensor support 54 and the fluid cell 14. 14 are also fixed to each other.

By directly fixing each fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 by the connecting means 72 in this way, the upper surface of each fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensitive portion 52 of the pressure sensor 16 can be positioned with higher accuracy. .. That is, in the first embodiment, the lower surface of the fluid cell 14 is fixed to the bottom plate member 18, while the pressure sensor 16 is connected to the bottom plate member 18 via the connecting band 60. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the fixing point of the fluid cell 14 to the bottom plate member 18 (first connecting portion 40) and the fixing point of the pressure sensor 16 to the connecting band 60 by the connecting pin 58 are the connecting band 60. Some degree of relative movement is allowed due to deformation. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the upper surface of the fluid cell 14 and the lower surface of the pressure sensor 16 located close to each other are directly connected by a thin-walled connecting means 72 composed of a hook-and-loop fastener, double-sided adhesive tape, or the like. It is fixed. Therefore, the movement between the fixed points of the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 due to the deformation of the connecting means 72 is suppressed, and the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are positioned more strongly.

In the present embodiment, the connecting means 72 is provided at the central portion of the upper surface of each fluid cell 14, but for example, the connecting means 72 may be provided at a position off the central portion on the upper surface of each fluid cell 14. good. According to this, the connecting means 72 is less likely to cause a sense of discomfort on the upper surface of the mattress 70, and it is possible to provide a better sleeping comfort.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited by the specific description thereof. For example, the number, arrangement, shape, and the like of the fluid cells 14 are not limited. For example, the fluid cell 14 may be arranged in the portion where the leg cushion 22 is arranged in the above embodiment. The fluid cell 14 is not limited to the two-stage structure, and may have a one-stage structure or a multi-stage structure having three or more stages. The fluid cells 14 have a longitudinal shape that is continuous in the horizontal direction, and a plurality of fluid cells 14 may be arranged in the vertical direction.

The pressure sensor 16 may be arranged below the fluid cell 14. In this case, the pressure sensor 16 can be directly fixed to the bottom plate member 18 without the intervention of the connecting band 60. However, by arranging the pressure sensor 16 on the upper side of the fluid cell 14 as in the above embodiment, the body pressure can be detected more accurately. Further, by arranging the flexible sheet-shaped pressure sensor 16 so as to cover the upper side of the plurality of fluid cells 14, the pressure sensor 16 can be efficiently, easily or easily spread over the plurality of fluid cells 14 or a wide area. It becomes possible to arrange with a structure.

By fixing the other end of the connecting band 60 to the fluid cell 14, the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 may be connected by the connecting band 60 without passing through the bottom plate member 18. As a connecting means for connecting the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16, except for the second embodiment in which the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are positioned by being directly and partially fixed. It is desirable that at least a part of the mattress 10 is made of a flexible member in the connecting direction, thereby avoiding an adverse effect on the usability of the mattress 10. Further, even when the connecting means (connecting band 60) for connecting the pressure sensor 16 arranged on the upper side of the fluid cell 14 to the lower portion of the fluid cell 14 is provided with flexibility as in the first embodiment. Since the connecting band 60 is pulled by the fluid cell 14 expanding due to the fluid pressure, even if the pressure sensor 16 is displaced relative to the fluid cell 14, the self-position restoration effect can be exhibited. In short, by adopting the flexible connecting band 60 as the connecting means, the feeling of use of the mattress 10 is sufficiently ensured, and the pressure sensor 16 is pulled by the pulling action of the connecting band 60 using the bulge of the fluid cell 14. The effect of correcting the temporary deviation with respect to the fluid cell 14 is exhibited. Furthermore, it is also possible to employ a stretchable elastic connecting body such as rubber as such a connecting means in at least a part of the connecting direction, whereby the height of the fluid cell 14 changes due to contraction / expansion. Even in such a case, by maintaining the connecting means in the pulled state, it is possible to make the positioning action of the pressure sensor 16 on the fluid cell 14 more stable.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are connected to the bottom plate member 18 of the base member 12 is shown. For example, the fluid cell 14 and the pressure sensor 16 are frame members of the base member 12. It may be connected to 20. Further, even if the fluid cell 14 is fixed to the bottom plate member 18 and the connecting band 60 is fixed to the pressure sensor 16 and the frame member 20 so that the pressure sensor 16 is connected to the frame member 20, the fluid cell 14 And the pressure sensor 16 are connected and positioned via the base member 12.

In the above embodiment, the structure in which the four corners of the pressure sensor 16 are connected to the fluid cell 14 is illustrated, but for example, the outer peripheral portion of the pressure sensor 16 can be connected to the fluid cell 14 at the side portion, or the pressure sensor 16 can be connected to the fluid cell 14. The inner peripheral portion and the central portion of the above can be connected to the fluid cell 14. Further, the pressure sensor 16 may be connected to the fluid cell 14 at three or less points, or may be connected to the fluid cell 14 at five or more points. Furthermore, as described in the above embodiment, the pressure detection point (pressure sensitive portion 52) of the pressure sensor 16 does not have to be provided corresponding to each one fluid cell 14, for example, a plurality of fluid cells. 14 can also be set as the detection point of the common pressure sensor 16. Further, a flexible sheet-shaped pressure sensor 16 divided into a plurality of parts may be adopted, and each may be connected to the corresponding fluid cell 14 by the connecting means.

The detection principle of the pressure sensor 16 is not limited to the capacitance type, and may be, for example, an electric resistance type or a piezoelectric type.

10,70 Fluid cell mattress 12 Base member 14 Fluid cell 16 Pressure sensor 18 Bottom plate member (connecting means)
20 Frame member 22 Leg cushion 24 Board part 26 Cell support part 28 Through hole 30 Buffer protrusion 32 Upper part 34 Lower part 36 Fluid chamber 38 Supply / discharge port 40 First connecting part 42 First electrode layer 44 Second electrode layer 46 Dielectric layer 48 First electrode 50 Second electrode 52 Pressure sensitive part 54 Sensor support 56 Sensor protection body 58 Connecting pin (connecting means)
60 Connecting band (second connecting part, connecting means)
72 Connecting means

Claims (7)

A fluid cell that can supply or discharge fluid to the fluid chamber formed inside is provided, and a flexible sheet-like pressure sensor that detects the pressure acting in the thickness direction is provided. A fluid cell mattress in which the supply and discharge of fluid to the fluid chamber of the fluid cell is controlled based on the vertical pressure detected by the pressure sensor.
A fluid cell type mattress provided with a connecting means for connecting the pressure sensor to the fluid cell and positioning the pressure sensor by limiting the amount of movement of the pressure sensor in the surface direction. A plate-shaped bottom plate member is provided below the fluid cell.
The connecting means includes the bottom plate member, a first connecting portion that connects the fluid cell and the bottom plate member, and a second connecting portion that connects the pressure sensor and the bottom plate member. The fluid cell mattress according to claim 1. The second connecting portion is configured to include a flexible connecting band, and one end of the connecting band is attached to an outer peripheral portion of the pressure sensor superimposed on the upper surface of the fluid cell. The fluid cell mattress according to claim 2, wherein the other end of the connecting band is attached to the bottom plate member. The fluid cell type mattress according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fluid cell and the pressure sensor are mutually fixed by the connecting means provided between the fluid cell and the pressure sensor. The fluid cell mattress according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting means is provided at a position outside the central portion of the upper surface of the fluid cell. The outer peripheral frame portion is provided around the pressure sensor, and the amount of upward movement of the pressure sensor with respect to the outer peripheral frame portion is limited by the connecting means according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The described fluid cell mattress. The fluid cell mattress according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pressure sensor has elasticity in the plane direction.

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