JP2021132815A - Fluid cell for body pressure support - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a new fluid cell for body pressure support having a structure capable of being simplified while securing a stable body pressure support surface.SOLUTION: A fluid cell 10 for body pressure support includes a shared cell 28 spreading below a plurality of upper stage cells 18. The shared cell is partially partitioned by fastening regions 30 extending discretely toward section directions corresponding to the upper stage cells 18, which sections and forms lower stage air chambers 24 at positions corresponding to the respective upper stage cells 18. Lower stage air chambers 24, 24 adjacent to each other is made to communicate with each other via an air vent 34 constituted by a discrete part of a fastening regions 30. Circulation resistance of the air vent 34 is made to be larger than circulation resistance of communication paths 36 making the lower stage air chambers 24 communicate with the inside of upper stage cells 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid cell for supporting body pressure, which is provided with a fluid chamber inside and is installed on a body pressure acting surface to support the body pressure of a user.

Conventionally, it has been studied to configure the body pressure support surface of the user with a fluid cell. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-125798 (Patent Document 1) discloses an air mat in which a plurality of bag-shaped air cells filled with air are installed in parallel on the floor plate of a bed.

By the way, in the air mat of Patent Document 1, the air cells have an elongated shape extending over substantially the entire length in the width direction of the bed, and a plurality of air cells are arranged side by side in the length direction of the bed.

However, in an air cell that is elongated so as to extend over substantially the entire length in the bed width direction as in Patent Document 1, the body pressure of the user acts locally in the length direction of the air cell, and the air cell acts when the body pressure of the user acts. Inside, the air moves large and easily in the length direction. Therefore, large shaking is likely to occur in the left-right width direction due to the movement of air in the air cell, and it is difficult for the user's body pressure support state to stabilize, resulting in uncomfortable sleep and discomfort such as seasickness. There was a risk of giving.

Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-027531 (Patent Document 2), the applicant has provided a non-elongated bag-shaped fluid cell having a rectangular shape with rounded corners in a plan view in the length direction and the width direction of the bed. We proposed a mattress in which multiple mattresses were arranged side by side. In such a mattress, the movement of air between the fluid cells installed in the width direction of the bed can be suppressed, and the stability of the body pressure supporting surface of the user is improved as compared with the air mat described in Patent Document 1. obtain.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-125798 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-027531

However, since one cell of the fluid cell of Patent Document 2 is smaller than that of the air cell of Patent Document 1, the number of cells is large to form the same body pressure support surface. Therefore, there is a problem that the handling of many cells is troublesome and the manufacturing is also troublesome. Moreover, even when connecting pipes for supplying and discharging fluid from the outside to each cell, there is a problem that the number of pipes increases, the structure and control tend to be complicated, and the handling of the pipes themselves becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made in the background of the above circumstances, and the problem to be solved thereof is that it can provide a stable body pressure supporting surface as compared with the air mat of Patent Document 1, and the problem of solving the present invention is that of Patent Document 2. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new fluid cell for supporting body pressure, which can simplify the structure as compared with a mattress.

Hereinafter, aspects of the present invention made to solve such problems will be described. The components adopted in each of the following aspects can be adopted in any combination as much as possible.

The first aspect of the present invention includes a lower cell and an upper cell that communicate with each other, and a body pressure support that can be expanded and contracted in the height direction by supplying and discharging a fluid to the lower cell and the upper cell. The lower cell is composed of a shared cell in which a fluid chamber is formed between the overlapping surfaces of the upper sheet and the lower sheet extending below the plurality of upper cells. In addition to being provided with a fluid supply / discharge port from the outside, the upper sheet and the lower sheet are partially partitioned by a fixing region extending discontinuously toward the partition corresponding to the plurality of upper cells. As a result, the lower air chamber is partitioned at a position corresponding to each upper cell in the shared cell, and the adjacent lower air chambers are formed through a ventilation hole formed by a discontinuous portion of the fixing region. Body pressure that is communicated and the flow resistance of the ventilation hole that communicates between the lower air chambers is larger than the flow resistance of the communication passage that communicates between the lower air chamber and the inside of the upper cell. It is a fluid cell for support.

In the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to this aspect, since the shared cell constituting the lower cell is configured with a size extending below the plurality of upper cells, the lower cell is formed while maintaining the number of upper cells. The number of shared cells to be configured can be reduced. Further, since the plurality of upper cells are communicated with each other through the common cells constituting the plurality of lower air chambers, it is possible to reduce the number of supply / discharge pipes connected to the fluid cells. Therefore, the structure can be simplified as compared with the fluid cell in which the upper cell and the lower cell, which are paired vertically as in Patent Document 2, are both independently formed from the adjacent cells. Further, since it is possible to handle a plurality of upper cells collectively in units of shared cells, it becomes easy to handle many fluid cells.

Moreover, since the upper cell on which the user's body pressure acts can be expanded and contracted independently on the shared cell, the support performance of the body surface is better than that of the elongated air cell of Patent Document 1. Will be done. In particular, since the fluid flow between the upper cells is generated between the lower air chambers of the common cell, it is possible to suppress the movement of the fluid between the upper cells, and the user can suppress the movement of the fluid between the upper cells, as compared with the air mat of Patent Document 1. The stability of the body pressure support surface can be improved.

In particular, in the fluid cell of this embodiment, the flow resistance between the lower air chambers due to the ventilation holes is made larger than the flow resistance between the lower air chambers and the upper cells due to the continuous passage. As a result, body pressure due to excessive fluid flow between adjacent lower air chambers is ensured while ensuring cushioning performance and rapid expansion / contraction performance in the cell height direction by the upper and lower air chambers that overlap each other. It is also possible to suppress unstable behavior such as shaking on the support surface.

The second aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to the first aspect, and a plurality of the upper stages are placed on the shared cell in the X direction and the Y direction, which are orthogonal to each other. The cell is arranged, and the flow resistance of the vent hole communicating between the lower air chambers of the shared cell in the X direction and the ventilation hole communicating between the lower air chambers of the shared cell in the Y direction. The distribution resistance of the above is different from each other.

In the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to this aspect, the fluid flow characteristics can be made different between the cells adjacent to each other in the X direction and the cells adjacent to each other in the Y direction. As a result, for example, the degree of freedom in tuning the behavior such as body pressure dispersion when the body pressure fluctuates can be improved. Specifically, for example, when constructing a bed mattress, the fluid flow resistance between adjacent cells in the bed length direction is made larger than the fluid flow resistance between adjacent cells in the bed width direction. By doing so, when the body pressure fluctuates such as turning over, while realizing body pressure distribution and cushioning performance, tuning that suppresses excessive shaking due to fluid movement between adjacent cells in the bed length direction can also be performed. It will be possible.

A third aspect of the present invention is a fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to the first or second aspect, and is a pipe for supplying / discharging fluid to the supply / discharge port provided in the common cell. Is connected, and the flow resistance of the pipe is made larger than the flow resistance of the ventilation hole.

In the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to this aspect, the fluid movement between the lower air chambers and the lower air chamber and the upper cell provided in the fluid cell is compared with the fluid supply / discharge to the fluid cell. , Can be rapidly expressed with small resistance. Therefore, it is possible to quickly transmit the pressure adjustment by supplying and discharging the fluid to the fluid cell through the fluid supply / discharge pipe to each lower air chamber and each upper cell.

Further, for example, even when a plurality of fluid cells are connected to each other through a fluid supply / discharge pipe, fluid movement within one fluid cell is preferentially generated when the body pressure fluctuates, and between different fluid cells. It becomes possible to allow the fluid movement of. Therefore, for example, when the user moves, by giving priority to the follow-up change of the body pressure support surface and pressure distribution in a small area and connecting to the pressure distribution in a large area, the body does not significantly impair the feeling of use. Tuning that suppresses the shaking caused by pressure fluctuations more efficiently becomes easy.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the lower sheet is provided with a positioning member with respect to the cell installation surface. The positioning member is provided at a position outside the formation region of the lower air chamber located closest to the supply / discharge port.

In the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to this aspect, the common cell is positioned with respect to the cell installation surface, as compared with the case where individual cells are positioned separately as described in Patent Document 2, for example. Therefore, a plurality of lower air chambers and upper cells can be efficiently positioned and installed with a small number of positioning members with respect to the cell installation surface. Moreover, in the vicinity of the air supply / discharge port in the shared cell, a positioning effect can be expected by a fluid supply / exhaust pipe connected to the air supply / exhaust port, so that the lower sheet constituting the common cell is separated from the air supply / exhaust port. By positioning at the site, it is possible to realize a positioning state on the cell installation surface with a smaller number of positioning members.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the connecting portion of the upper cell to the common cell has a constricted shape. The upper cell is tiltable relative to the shared cell, and the connecting passage is provided through the connecting portion.

In the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to this aspect, since the connecting portion between the upper cell and the shared cell has a constricted shape, a swing-like tilt of the upper cell with respect to the shared cell is easily allowed. In addition, by providing a continuous passage using the connecting portion between the upper cell and the shared cell, it is possible to form a continuous passage in a manner that makes it easier to tilt without hindering the tilt of the upper cell. Become.

Then, since the swing-like tilt of the upper cell with respect to the shared cell is easily allowed, the body pressure support surface formed in cooperation with the top surfaces of the plurality of upper cells is uneven on the body surface of the user. And it is easier to follow changes. Therefore, the distributed support performance of the user's body pressure and the feeling of use are improved, and the force such as friction acting in the shearing direction (deviation direction) between the user and the body pressure support surface is reduced. In addition to further improving the usability, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of pressure ulcers due to shearing force.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is a fluid cell type mattress in which a body pressure supporting surface is formed by using a plurality of fluid cells for supporting body pressure according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

In the fluid cell type mattress according to this aspect, by adopting the specific fluid cell as described above, even when a relatively wide body pressure support surface is required such as a bed mattress, the body pressure support surface By setting the number of shared cells constituting the lower cell to be smaller than that of the upper cell while maintaining the number of upper cells constituting the above cell, the structure can be simplified. Moreover, by appropriately controlling the fluid movement between the lower air chambers that function as the lower cell, it is possible to handle tuning such as control of body pressure distribution and suppression of unnecessary rolling.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell type mattress according to the sixth aspect, wherein a pipe connected to the supply / discharge port in the fluid cell to supply / discharge fluid to the common cell from the outside is provided. It is installed so as to extend between the lower air chambers arranged adjacent to each other.

In the fluid cell type mattress according to this embodiment, the fluid supply / discharge pipes are arranged with good space efficiency so as to avoid the action site where the body pressure is large between the lower air chamber and the cell installation surface. It becomes possible to do. The adjacent lower air chambers in which the fluid supply / discharge pipes are installed may be provided in the same common cell or may be provided in different common cells. In addition, the lower air chambers arranged next to each other may be installed so that the outer peripheral edges overlap each other, and the arrangement of the fluid supply / discharge pipes is limited to the gap between the lower air chambers arranged next to each other. Instead, it may enter under one or both of the lower air chambers arranged adjacent to each other. In short, a pipe for supplying and discharging fluid is arranged between the center parts of the adjacent lower air chambers so as to avoid the center part which is the maximum body pressure acting part between the lower air chamber and the cell installation surface. Just do it.

According to the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to the present invention, the number of shared cells constituting the lower cell can be set to be smaller than that of the upper cell while maintaining the number of upper cells constituting the body pressure supporting surface. can. Moreover, the fluid flow can be adjusted and set by the fixing region and the ventilation hole between the plurality of lower air chambers formed in the common cell and functioning as each lower cell.

Therefore, for example, it becomes easy to provide a body pressure supporting surface superior to that of Patent Document 1 with a structure simpler than that of Patent Document 2.

It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid cell for supporting body pressure as the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and corresponds to the sectional line I-I of FIG. Top view of the fluid cell shown in FIG. The plan view explaining the sticking area of the upper and lower sheets in the common cell constituting the fluid cell shown in FIG. An exploded perspective explanatory view illustrating a bed using a bed mattress as an embodiment of a fluid cell type mattress configured by using the fluid cell shown in FIG. 1. Explanatory cross-sectional view of the bed shown in FIG. Top view illustrating the unit of the fluid cell constituting the bed shown in FIG. Side view of the fluid cell unit illustrated in FIG. Explanatory perspective view illustrating the base sheet in the bed shown in FIG. Explanatory cross-sectional view illustrating the state of body pressure acting on the bed shown in FIG. Side view showing a fluid cell for supporting body pressure as the second embodiment of the present invention. Top view of the fluid cell shown in FIG. The plan view explaining the sticking area of the upper and lower sheets in the common cell constituting the fluid cell shown in FIG. Top view exemplifying a unit of a fluid cell in which the bed mattress shown in FIG. 4 is configured by using the fluid cell shown in FIG. 10 (non-expanded state). Explanatory perspective view showing the expanded state of the unit of the fluid cell shown in FIG. Top view showing an intermediate sheet constituting the unit of the fluid cell shown in FIG.

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

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a fluid cell 10 for supporting body pressure as the first embodiment of the present invention. The fluid cell 10 of the present embodiment has a structure in which four upper and lower cells 12a to 12d are arranged on a plane as a whole. Each upper and lower cell 12 is provided with a fluid chamber inside, and air as a fluid is supplied to and discharged from the outside through the pipe body 14 to the fluid chamber. The internal pressure of the fluid chamber can be changed by supplying and discharging air to the upper and lower cells 12, and the upper and lower cells 12 can be expanded and contracted in the height direction.

More specifically, each of the upper and lower cells 12 has a two-stage cell structure in which the upper cell 18 is superposed on the lower cell 16 in the height direction. The four upper cells 18 have a bag-like structure independent of each other, and as shown in FIG. 2, have a rounded rectangular shape close to a square with rounded four corners in a plan view. For example, by superimposing two flat resin sheets 20a and 20b having rounded rectangular shapes and fixing the outer peripheral edges to each other by welding or the like, the upper air chamber 22 as a fluid chamber is formed between the two resin sheets 20a and 20b. The upper cell 18 provided with the above can be configured. The hatched region in FIG. 2 shows a fixed portion of the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper and lower resin sheets 20a and 20b constituting the upper cell 18.

On the other hand, the four lower cells 16 have a single bag-like structure connected to the whole, and the four lower air chambers 24 are partitioned by partitioning the inside thereof. Each lower air chamber 24 is positioned below each upper air chamber 22 to form the upper and lower cells 12.

Such a lower cell 16 is formed by, for example, stacking two flat resin sheets 26a and 26b having a size extending below the four upper cells 18 and fixing the outer peripheral edges to each other by welding or the like. Can be done. The upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b forming the lower cell 16 are the size of substantially four sheets of the upper and lower resin sheets 20 forming the upper cell 18. As a result, the four lower cells 16 are composed of one shared cell 28 having a size extending below the four upper cells 18.

The common cell 28 has one fluid chamber formed between the resin sheets 26a and 26b, and the one fluid chamber is partially partitioned so that the common cell 28 is located below each of the four upper cells 18. Each of the four lower cells 16 is formed. In the present embodiment, each lower cell 16 has a planar shape and size substantially corresponding to each upper cell 18, but the size and shape can be different between the upper and lower cells.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b constituting the lower cell 16 have the outermost peripheral edges of the four upper cells 18 arranged so as to overlap the adjacent edges. It has a rectangular flat shape with rounded corners. It should be noted that the plan view of FIG. 3 is shown in a larger dimension than the plan view of FIG. 2, while FIG. 2 shows the expanded state of the air chamber corresponding to FIG. 1, whereas in FIG. This is because it is a flat view in a non-expanded state with no air in the air chamber.

Further, the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b constituting the lower cell 16 are fixed to each other by welding or the like so as to border the outermost peripheral edge portion, and in one air chamber between the two resin sheets 26a and 26b. A fluid encapsulation region is formed. Further, the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b are provided with a fixing region 30 by welding or the like even in the central portion. The fixed region 30 in the central portion extends toward the section corresponding to the four upper cells 18.

In other words, the fixing region 30 provided in the central portion of the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b divides the air chambers in the common cell 28 into four lower cells 16 and divides the air chambers into the upper air chambers 22 of each upper cell 18. It is provided so as to form a lower air chamber 24 having a substantially corresponding shape on the lower side. In the present embodiment, in the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b having a substantially rounded rectangular planar shape, two linear fixing regions extending in a direction connecting the central portions of the respective side portions facing each other through the center. 30a and 30b are provided orthogonal to each other.

Further, the linear fixing regions 30a and 30b extend in the direction of connecting the central portions of the opposing side portions in the resin sheets 26a and 26b, but extend continuously over the entire length between the opposing side portions. Not. In short, the fixing regions 30a and 30b extending across the opposite side portions are each divided at at least one position in the length direction, and at least one discontinuous portion 32 is set.

As a result, one air chamber in the common cell 28 formed between the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b is partitioned by the fixing regions 30a and 30b, and is positioned below the upper air chamber 22 of each upper cell 18. A plurality of (4 in this embodiment) lower air chambers 24 are formed.

The width dimensions of the fixing regions 30a and 30b change in the length direction, and the bonding regions 30a and 30b at the outer periphery are partitioned between the overlapping surfaces of the resin sheets 26a and 26b. The plane outer peripheral shape of each lower air chamber 24 formed in this manner is substantially rounded and rectangular like the upper cell 18. Since the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 24 have a rectangular shape with rounded corners in this way, stress concentration and the occurrence of large wrinkles when inflated are reduced as compared with a rectangular air chamber having right-angled corners. Can be done.

Further, these four lower air chambers 24 are not completely independent of each other, but are communicated with each other through a ventilation hole 34 composed of discontinuous portions 32 set in the fixing regions 30a and 30b. .. Communication between the lower air chambers 24 by the ventilation holes 34 is limited, and by tuning the cross-sectional area and length of the ventilation holes 34 according to the dimensions of the discontinuous portion 32, the lower air chambers through the ventilation holes 34 The flow resistance between 24 can be adjusted and set.

In the present embodiment, assuming that the left-right direction in FIG. 3 is the X direction and the vertical direction is the Y direction, and the biaxial directions of XY on the orthogonal planes are assumed, the fixed region 30a extending in the X direction is long. A total of two ventilation holes 34 composed of discontinuous portions 32 are provided at both end portions in the longitudinal direction, and the fixing region 30b extending in the Y direction is composed of discontinuous portions 32 at both end portions in the length direction and a central portion. A total of four ventilation holes 34 are provided. Since these ventilation holes 34 have substantially the same size, in the present embodiment, the flow resistance through the ventilation holes 34 between the lower air chambers 24 and 24 adjacent to each other in the X direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3). The flow resistance through the ventilation holes 34 between the lower air chambers 24 and 24 adjacent to each other in the Y direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) is set to be larger than that of the lower air chambers 24 and 24.

An upper cell 18 having an upper air chamber 22 is superposed on each lower air chamber 24 formed inside the shared cell 28, and the shared cell 28 is formed by being partitioned by a fixing region 30. Upper cells 18 are arranged on each of the four lower cells 16. Further, in the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18, the upper resin sheet 26b of the lower cell 16 and the lower resin sheet 20a of the upper cell 18 are fixed to each other by welding or the like at the central portions thereof, so that the upper air chamber 22 and the lower cell 18 are fixed. Upper and lower cells 12 having an air chamber 24 inside are formed.

The upper and lower cells 12 have a continuous passage 36 that penetrates the resin sheets 26b and 20a at the central portion where the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 are fixed to each other. Through the communication passage 36, the upper air chamber 22 of the upper cell 18 and the lower air chamber 24 of the lower cell 16 are communicated with each other.

The connecting portion between the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 can be formed with an arbitrary outer peripheral shape such as a rounded rectangular shape or a circular shape that is one size smaller than the outer peripheral edge of the upper cell 18 or the lower cell 16. Each outer peripheral portion of the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 extends from the central connecting portion to the outer periphery. As a result, when the upper and lower cells 12 are inflated, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the connection portion to the lower cell 16 (shared cell 28) of the upper cell 18 is formed into a constricted shape, and the constricted connecting portion has such a constricted shape. The upper cell 18 is relatively easy to tilt with respect to the common cell 28 because the bending deformation of the cell 18 is easily allowed.

Further, the communication passages 36 provided in the connecting portion between the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 can be appropriately set in shape, size, number, etc., but in the present embodiment, they are adjacent to each other in the shared cell 28. The communication passage 36 is set so as to have a smaller flow resistance than the flow resistance of the ventilation holes 34 communicating between the lower cells 16 and 16. As a result, the fluid movement between the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 in each upper and lower cell 12 can be preferentially generated over the fluid movement between the adjacent upper and lower cells 12 and 12. ..

Further, as described above, pipe bodies 14 for supplying and discharging air from the outside are provided to each of the air chambers in the upper and lower cells 12a to 12 (4 in the present embodiment). One of the open ends of the pipe body 14 is connected to the common cell 28 and communicates with the fluid chamber inside the common cell 28. Specifically, for example, as shown in the drawing, with respect to the central portion in the width direction of the common cell 28 located between the adjacent lower air chambers 24 and 24, which can have a relatively large width of the fixing region. , One end of the tube 14 is arranged so that it can be inserted. Then, the tubular body 14 is airtightly fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body by welding or the like while the end portion of the tubular body 14 is sandwiched between the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b constituting the common cell 28. It is attached to the fluid cell 10.

As a result, each of the upper and lower cells 12a to 12d can supply and discharge air to the outside through the pipe body 14 connected to the lower air chamber 24. The two lower air chambers 24a and 24c located closest to the opening of the tubular body 14 can supply and discharge air substantially directly through the tubular body 14, but most from the opening of the tubular body 14. The remaining two lower air chambers 24b and 24d located apart from each other realize the supply and discharge of air through the pipe body 14 through the ventilation holes 34 and the lower air chambers 24a and 24c. Further, in each of the upper and lower air chambers 22 of the upper and lower cells 12a to 12d, air supply and discharge through the pipe body 14 is realized through the communication passage 36 and the lower air chamber 24.

Further, the tubular body 14 whose tip is fixed to the common cell 28 extends outward and is laid on the support surface of the fluid cell 10, and is supplied externally as described in, for example, Patent Document 2. It is connected to a pump or the like via an exhaust valve. Therefore, the tubular body 14 can also exert a certain degree of positioning action on the support surface on which the fluid cell 10 is installed with respect to the common cell 28 and the fluid cell 10. By utilizing the positioning action of the tube body 14, it is possible to simplify the positioning means on the support surface which is the mounting surface of the fluid cell 10, for example, hooks and snaps on the bottom surface of the common cell 28. Positioning means for the support surface such as a button or a hook-and-loop fastener can be installed so as to be biased to the opposite side to the connection side of the tube body 14.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, two snap buttons 38 as positioning means are located close to the connection position of the pipe body 14 in the shared cell 28. It is not provided in the bottom wall portion of the lower air chambers 24a and 24c, but is provided in each central portion of the bottom walls of the two lower air chambers 24b and 24d located far away.

By the way, the material of each constituent member of the fluid cell 10 according to the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, a flexible flexible sheet can be adopted as each of the resin sheets 20 and 26 constituting the upper and lower cells. Considering ease of processing, durability, overload resistance, manufacturing cost, etc., the resin sheets 20 and 26 are preferably thermoplastic elastomer sheets, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyamide, polycarbonate, and polytetrafluoroethylene. Synthetic resin sheet can be adopted. The tube body 14 may be made of metal, but a resin tube, a mesh-reinforced composite resin tube, or the like can be preferably adopted in consideration of processing, ease of handling, and the like.

Further, the resin sheet 20 constituting the upper cell 18 is provided with respect to the resin sheets 26, 26 constituting the shared cell 28 so that a large gap is not generated between the adjacent upper cells 18 and 18 when the upper cell 18 is inflated. It is desirable to set the relative size and shape. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a state where the fluid cell 10 is expanded, the outer peripheral edges of the welded resin sheet 20 overlap each other between the adjacent upper cells 18 and 18. In this way, it is possible to prevent a gap from being substantially generated between the adjacent upper cells 18 and 18. That is, in the contracted state in which air is evacuated from the inside of the fluid cell 10, the outer peripheral edges of the adjacent upper cells 18 and 18 overlap each other in a region having a width larger than that of the welded resin sheet 20. It is desirable to form the resin sheet 20 with a large size (see FIG. 13 of the second embodiment).

According to the fluid cell 10 having the structure as described above, the four lower cells 16 constituting the four upper and lower cells 12a to 12 are one shared cell having a size extending below the four upper cells 18. It is composed of 28. As a result, while maintaining the number of upper cells 18 and ensuring the ability to follow the deformation of the body pressure acting surface by each upper cell 18, the number of lower cells 16 and the tube body 14 for fluid supply / discharge are substantially reduced. It can be reduced in terms of weight, and the structure and manufacturing can be simplified.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the pipe body 14 for supplying and discharging air to the four upper and lower cells 12a to 12d is performed by one connected to the common cell 28. Therefore, in the fluid cell 10 provided with the plurality of upper and lower cells 12, the handling of the pipe body 14, the equipment for supplying and discharging air through the pipe body 14, the control of the supply and discharge of air, and the like are simplified. obtain.

Further, although the four lower cells 16 are substantially composed of one common cell 28, the air flow characteristics between the lower air chambers 24a to 24ad adjacent to each other are set to be exhibited in each of the ventilation holes 34 (fixed area). It can be appropriately set according to the size of the discontinuous portion 32) set in 30a and 30b.

Therefore, for example, if the ventilation resistance of each ventilation hole 34 is set larger than that of the communication passage 36 between the upper air chamber 22 and the lower air chamber 24, the impact buffering action and the rapid pressure control by the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 24 are performed. While ensuring performance, it is also possible to suppress the shaking of the body pressure support surface due to excessively rapid air flow between the adjacent upper and lower cells 12, 12.

Further, for example, if the air flow resistance due to the ventilation holes 34 between the lower air chambers 24 and 24 adjacent to each other in the X direction and the Y direction is set to be different even in the shared cell 28, the lower air chambers adjacent to each other in the X direction are set to be different. By allowing relatively rapid air flow between the chambers 24 and 24, relatively rapid body pressure distribution and cushioning performance are realized, and excessively between the lower air chambers 24 and 24 adjacent to each other in the Y direction. It is also possible to suppress the rapid air flow and suppress the shaking of the body pressure support surface.

The ventilation holes 34 between the lower air chambers 24 and 24 and the communication passages 36 between the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 24 in the common cell 28 have a smaller distribution resistance than the pipe body 14 for supply and discharge. Is desirable. As a result, the pressure control through the tubular body 14 can be quickly and easily applied to each lower air chamber 24 and each upper air chamber 22.

Further, in the fluid cell 10 of the present embodiment, the upper cell 18 forming the top surface of the fluid cell 10 as the body pressure acting surface on which the user's body pressure acts is placed on the shared cell 28 via a small-diameter constricted portion. Since it is installed in the body and allows swing-like deformation and displacement relatively easily, it has excellent followability to the body surface of the user and supportability of body pressure, and to the body surface which is also a cause of decubitus. It is also possible to reduce the acting frictional force. On the other hand, since a plurality of the lower cells 16 are integrally formed by the shared cells 28, deformation and displacement in the lateral direction are suppressed, and the upper and lower cells 12 as a whole are deformed so as to collapse in the lateral direction. Can be suppressed. Therefore, for example, even when a large body pressure is locally applied, it is easy to prevent a part of the user's body from entering between the adjacent upper and lower cells 12 and 12 and the occurrence of bottoming out.

Moreover, in the fluid cell 10 of the present embodiment, one upper cell 18 substantially corresponds to one lower cell 16 and overlaps on a substantially linear central axis extending in the vertical direction to form the upper and lower cells 12. There is. Therefore, the expansion / contraction center axes in the height direction of the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 that accompany each air supply / discharge substantially coincide with each other to form the expansion / contraction center axes of the upper and lower cells 12 in the height direction. In the embodiment, the expansion and contraction center axes of the upper and lower cells 12 (4) in the height direction are substantially parallel. As a result, for example, when a plurality of upper cells 18 are provided on one lower cell 16, the inclination of the support surface of the upper cell 18 in the lower cell 16 due to the expansion / contraction of the lower cell 16 is suppressed. Therefore, the inclination of each of the upper and lower cells 12 at the time of expansion and the accompanying generation of gaps between the upper cells 18 and 18 can be reduced.

In addition, in the fluid cell 10 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 18 are overlapped with each other so that the lower cell 16 overlaps the entire upper cell 18 in the expanded state in a plan view. It is said that the size and shape of the cell 16 in a plan view when expanded are substantially the same. Therefore, not only the upper cell 18 but also the lower cell 16 expands substantially without a gap in the plane direction of the body pressure support surface, and the upper and lower two-stage air chambers 22 and 24 in the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 are expanded. As a result, a body pressure acting surface capable of exhibiting good and substantially uniform cushioning performance by avoiding bottoming due to a gap can be formed with a large area.

By the way, by using the fluid cell according to the present invention, for example, a mattress constituting a body pressure supporting surface in a bed, a chair, or the like can be realized. FIGS. 4 to 5 exemplify a bed 42 provided with a fluid cell mattress 40 configured by using a plurality of fluid cells 10 according to the first embodiment as described above.

The bed 42 of the present embodiment includes a mattress body 46 installed on the bed frame 44. The mattress body 46 includes a base cushion 48 that extends over the entire bottom, a head cushion 50 and left and right cushions 52, 52 that are superposed on the base cushion 48, and further, these head cushions 50 and left and right. A fluid cell mattress 40 is installed in the central portion of the base cushion 48 surrounded by the cushions 52 and 52. A cover cushion 54 that extends over the entire upper surface is superposed on the uppermost layer of the mattress body 46, and the head cushion 50, the left and right cushions 52, 52, and the entire fluid cell type mattress 40 are covered with the cover cushion 54. It has been.

A cover may be attached to the mattress body 46 for the purpose of protecting the mattress body 46. As the cover, for example, a pad type that covers only the upper surface of the mattress main body 46, a cover type that covers the upper surface and the outer peripheral surface, a bag type that accommodates the entire mattress main body 46, and the like can be appropriately adopted.

The materials of the base cushion 48, the head cushion 50, the left and right cushions 52, 52, and the cover cushion 54 are not limited, and a foamed resin such as urethane foam is taken into consideration in consideration of required shape stability and cushioning characteristics. Can be adopted. Incidentally, the base cushion 48 may be hard, and the cover cushion 54 may be a non-cushionable flexible sheet or the like.

Further, the sizes and shapes of the base cushion 48, the head cushion 50, and the left and right cushions 52 and 52 can be arbitrarily set according to the required characteristics and are not limited, and a cushion is added to the foot side of the bed. It is also optional to add cushions in the middle of the length and width of the bed. The form of the fluid cell type mattress 40 can be appropriately changed and set according to the shape and arrangement of these cushions.

In the fluid cell type mattress 40, a plurality of the fluid cells 10 shown in FIGS. It is configured to be filled with cells 10. In the present embodiment, three fluid cells 10 are arranged side by side in the bed width direction and eight in the bed length direction. That is, as a whole, the upper cells 18 swell in a state where 6 cells are arranged in the bed width direction and 16 cells are arranged in the bed length direction without any gaps to form a body pressure acting surface.

In the present embodiment, the adjusting cushion 56 is arranged so as to cover the entire surface of the fluid cell type mattress 40, and the cushioning property can be adjusted by the fluid cell type mattress 40, or the fluid cell type mattress 40 and the head. The heights of the part cushion 50 and the left and right cushions 52 and 52 are adjusted, and the support characteristics on the body pressure support surface are homogenized by a large number of upper cells 18 arranged side by side. However, the adjusting cushion 56 is not essential, and by fixing the adjusting cushion 56 to the lower surface of the cover cushion 54, the fitting action of the adjusting cushion 56 inward of the head cushion 50 and the left and right cushions 52 and 52 is utilized. Therefore, it is also possible to position the cover cushion 54 in the surface direction.

Further, a large number of fluid cells 10 constituting the fluid cell type mattress 40 may be independently prepared separately on the base cushion 48, but an appropriate number of fluid cells 10 may be combined in advance. A unitized product may be installed.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 7, three fluid cells 10a, 10b, and 10c to be arranged in the width direction of the bed 42 are prepared as a fluid cell unit 60 in which they are combined in a juxtaposed state. obtain. When unitizing a plurality of fluid cells 10, it is desirable to connect the plurality of fluid cells 10 by, for example, adhesion or welding, or by using a band or the like in order to facilitate handling as a unit body. .. Further, a plurality of fluid cells 10 are unitized by adopting an intermediate sheet (72) that spreads so as to connect the constricted portions of the upper and lower cells 12 to each other, as in the fluid cell unit (70) of another aspect described later. (See FIG. 14 of the second embodiment).

In the fluid cell unit 60, in the non-expanded state, the peripheral edge is substantially eliminated between the adjacent upper cells 18 and 18 and the shared cells 28 and 28 in the state where the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 24 are inflated. The portions are arranged so as to overlap each other. For positioning of each fluid cell unit 60, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, a snap receiver 64 is provided in advance at a predetermined position in the base sheet 62 laid on the base cushion 48, and each of them is positioned. This can be done by fitting and fixing the snap button 38 provided on the bottom surface of the common cell 28 of the fluid cell unit 60 to the snap receiver 64.

However, in each fluid cell 10 constituting the fluid cell unit 60, not only the snap button 38 is fitted and fixed to the snap receiver 64, but also the tubular body 14 exerts a positioning action. Therefore, the number of positioning means including the snap button 38 can be reduced, and labor can be reduced in the work of attaching the snap button 38 and the snap receiver 64 to the member and the work of fitting each other.

Further, the air supply / exhaust pipe body 14 extending from each common cell 28 of the fluid cell unit 60 is pulled out to the same side in the bed width direction. Then, in a state where a plurality of pipe bodies 14 (three in the present embodiment) are bundled, they are taken out to the outside through, for example, one of the left and right cushions 52 in the width direction of the bed 42, and are taken out to the outside. It will be connected to an air pressure control means such as a valve body or a pump as described in 2.

In the present embodiment, the tubular body 14 extends in the same direction from the central portion in the width direction of each common cell 28. Therefore, the pipe body 14 extending linearly from one shared cell 28 passes under the central portion in the width direction of another shared cell 28 adjacent to each other in the bed width direction (unit length direction). .. Here, since the central portion in the width direction of each shared cell 28 is a fixing region 30 extending between the adjacent lower cells 16 and 16, the pipe body 14 is used as the adjacent lower air chamber 24 in the shared cell 28. , 24 can be laid in a state of passing below the fixing region 30 which is a gap between 24 and 24.

Therefore, the laying area of each pipe body 14 can be secured on the base cushion 48 with excellent space efficiency. Further, even if the tubular body 14 slightly enters the lower side of the lower air chamber 24 from the bottom of the fixed region 30, the outer peripheral portion of the lower air chamber 24 is a region that rises due to the expansion of the air chamber, and is the maximum even when the body pressure acts. The effect of pressure on the tube 14 is avoided. Therefore, even if the tube body 14 is formed of a relatively soft resin tube or the like, the adverse effect on the pressure control due to the crushing of the tube body 14 can be avoided. In short, it is possible to obtain a space for arranging the tube body 14 by skillfully utilizing the area between the lower air chambers 24 and 24, which is easily secured by floating due to the expansion of the air chamber.

Further, a plurality of pipe bodies 14 arranged in the same region between the adjacent lower air chambers 24 and 24 may be bundled with tape or the like, whereby the positioning action on each common cell 28 via the pipe bodies 14 is performed. Improvement can also be achieved. In addition, when arranging a plurality of shared cells 28, it is not essential in the present invention to extend the pipe bodies 14 connected to each shared cell 28 in the same direction. It can also be arranged so as to extend in the direction opposite to that of the tube body 14.

In the fluid cell type mattress 40 having the structure as described above, the fluid cell 10 is composed of a plurality of lower cells 16 collectively as a common cell 28 while sufficiently securing the number of upper cells 18 constituting the body pressure support surface. By adopting the above, the number of substantially cell configurations can be reduced as compared with a fluid cell type mattress having a conventional structure in which a plurality of independent upper and lower cells are juxtaposed as described in Patent Document 2, for example. The structure of the type mattress 40 can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. Further, since the number of pipe bodies 14 for supplying and discharging air can be reduced as compared with the fluid cell type mattress of the conventional structure, the arrangement of the pipe bodies 14 can be facilitated and the air pressure control through the pipe bodies 14 can be simplified. It will be easy to change.

Then, by controlling the air pressure of each fluid cell 10 through the tubular body 14, the fluid cell type mattress having a conventional structure in which a plurality of upper and lower cells having independent air chambers are arranged side by side as described in Patent Document 2 is obtained. , It is possible to provide load support characteristics corresponding to a load such as a user's weight. For example, a load sensor is arranged at a portion corresponding to each fluid cell 10 or each upper and lower cell 12, and the load is within a predetermined range based on the detected value of the load sensor or the detected value of the air pressure of each air chamber. The air pressure of each fluid cell 10 can be controlled so as to be dispersed over. The load sensor can be arranged between, for example, at least one upper cell 18 constituting each fluid cell 10 and the cover cushion 54, and in the present embodiment, the adjusting cushion 56 and the upper cell 18 or the cover cushion 54 Can be placed between.

In particular, in the present embodiment, since the body pressure support surface of the user is composed of a large number of independent upper cells 18 that can be tilted in a swinging manner, the user A, for example, as shown in FIG. It is possible to support the body pressure in a state of being efficiently dispersed by abutting on a wide area with a body pressure supporting surface substantially along the body surface of the body. In the present embodiment, the body surface of the user A is brought into contact with the body pressure supporting surfaces of the large number of upper cells 18 via the thin sheet-shaped cushions 54 and 56. However, without providing such a cushion, the body surface of the user A may be abutted and supported by the body pressure supporting surface of the upper cell 18 directly, if necessary, through, for example, thin sheets.

Further, the upper air chambers 22 of the four upper cells 18 constituting one fluid cell 10 are communicated with each other through the communication passage 36, the lower air chamber 24, and the ventilation holes 34. Therefore, air flow is generated between the upper air chambers 22 of the four upper cells 18 according to each acting body pressure to disperse the body pressure, and the upper surfaces of the four upper cells 18 are formed. The body pressure support surface composed of the above can be rapidly deformed along the body surface of the user A. However, since the flow of air between the four upper cells 18 is limited by the continuous passage 36 and the ventilation hole 34 whose passage cross-sectional area is narrowed, swaying and swaying back due to excessive air flow may occur. Discomfort can be suppressed.

Further, even between different fluid cells 10, air flow is generated through the pipe body 14 and, if necessary, by controlling a valve, so that the body pressure is generated among a large number of upper cells 18 of the plurality of fluid cells 10. Along with the dispersion, the entire body pressure support surface composed of the large number of the upper cells 18 is deformed along the body surface of the user A.

It should be noted that the flow resistance of the air flow between different fluid cells 10 via the pipe body 14 may be set larger than the flow resistance of the ventilation hole 34 that allows the air flow between the air chambers of the fluid cell 10. desirable. As a result, the pressure change exerted on the common cell 28 through the tube body 14 can be quickly exerted on the plurality of lower air chambers 24 and the upper air chamber 22 in the common cell 28, so that one. Unnecessary shaking of the body pressure support surface caused by pressure changes being applied to different cells in the fluid cell 10 with a large time difference can also be suppressed. Further, even when the plurality of shared cells 28 communicate with each other through the pipe body 14, different fluid cells 10 are preferentially generated to move between the plurality of cells in one fluid cell 10 when the body pressure fluctuates. By allowing fluid movement between them, it is possible to gradually expand the pressure distribution and suppress large shaking and shaking back in a wide area.

By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the fluid cell 10 including the four upper and lower cells 12 has been described, but the number of lower air chambers 24 composed of one shared cell 28 and thus the upper and lower cells constituting the fluid cell 10 The number of twelve is not limited.

For example, as in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, it is also possible to configure the fluid cell 66 including the two upper and lower cells 12a and 12b. Note that FIGS. 10 and 11 show the expanded state of the cell, and FIG. 12 shows the non-expanded state of the cell. Further, in the present embodiment, the members and parts having the same structure as that of the first embodiment are designated by the same symbols as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that the hatched region in FIG. 11 indicates a fixed region of the upper and lower resin sheets as in FIGS. 2 and 6.

That is, the fluid cell 66 of the present embodiment is configured by forming two independent upper cells 18 and 18 and two lower air chambers 24 and 24 inside one common cell 28. It has two lower cells 16 and 16. Further, discontinuous portions 32 are provided on both sides in the length direction in the fixing region 30 that partitions the two lower air chambers 24, 24 in the upper and lower resin sheets 26, 26 constituting the common cell 28. The discontinuous portion 32 constitutes a ventilation hole 34 that communicates between the lower air chambers 24 and 24.

A pipe body 14 for supplying and discharging air to the air chamber is connected to the common cell 28 at the end of one of the lower air chambers 24 on the side. The end of the tube 14 connected to the shared cell 28 protrudes slightly laterally from one corner of the shared cell 28, and is a side surface of the other shared cell 28 in the fluid cell unit (70) described later. It is designed to extend along. Further, the snap button 38 for positioning the common cell 28 on the mounting surface is not provided in the lower air chamber 24 to which the pipe body 14 is connected, and is located farthest from the connection portion of the pipe body 14. It is provided on the resin sheet 26 that constitutes the bottom of the other lower air chamber 24.

Similar to the fluid cell 10 of the first embodiment, the fluid cell 66 of the present embodiment can also form a mattress for a bed by, for example, arranging a plurality of the fluid cells 66 side by side. At that time, as illustrated in the above-mentioned fluid cell type mattress 40, a plurality of fluid cells 66 can be unitized in advance.

Specifically, for example, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 14, a total of six fluid cells 66 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the fluid cells 66 (arrangement direction of the lower air chamber 24), and the fluid cells 66 have three fluid cells 66. Two fluid cell units 70 can be arranged in the lateral direction to form one fluid cell unit 70. Note that FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the cells in a non-expanded state, and it can be seen that the outer peripheral edges of the upper cells 18 adjacent to each other overlap. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cell in an expanded state.

In the present embodiment, the six fluid cells 66 are collectively unitized by using the intermediate sheet 72 shown in FIG. The intermediate sheet 72 is made of a flexible sheet such as resin, and a cell mounting hole 74 is formed at a position where each fluid cell 66 is arranged. The cell mounting hole 74 is a through hole that is smaller than the outer dimensions of the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16, but is larger than the outer dimensions of the constricted connecting portion in which both cells are fixed at the center. Then, each upper cell 18 is inserted through each cell mounting hole 74, and the constricted connecting portion is mounted so as to be located in the cell mounting hole 74, so that all the fluid cells 66 are mounted. In the middle portion in the height direction of the upper and lower cells having a constricted shape, they are positioned with each other by the intermediate sheet 72 and are in a connected state.

The fluid cell unit 70 has the same number of upper and lower cells 12 as the above-mentioned fluid cell unit 60 using the fluid cell 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, similarly to the above-described embodiment, by arranging eight of the fluid cell units 70 in the bed length direction, the same fluid cell type mattress 40 as the above-described embodiment can be configured.

Similar to the fluid cell 10 of the first embodiment, the fluid cell 66 of the present embodiment also has lower air chambers 24 and 24 communicating with the upper air chambers 22 of the independent upper cells 18 and 18, respectively. The lower cells 16 and 16 are composed of one shared cell 28, and the air flow resistance between the lower cells 16 and 16 in the shared cell 28 can also be adjusted and set by the ventilation holes 34.

Therefore, also in the fluid cell 66 of the present embodiment, the number of lower cells 16 and the fluid supply / discharge tube 14 are substantially increased while ensuring the ability to follow the deformation of the body pressure acting surface by each upper cell 18. The same effect as that of the fluid cell 10 of the first embodiment can be achieved, such that the structure and manufacturing can be simplified. Further, even in the fluid cell type mattress constructed by using the fluid cell 66, the same effect as that of the fluid cell type mattress 40 constructed by using the fluid cell 10 of the first embodiment can be achieved. It becomes.

When the fluid cell type mattress is configured by using the fluid cell unit 70 of the present embodiment, the lower region between the lower air chambers 24 and 24 (between the shared cells 28 and 28) in the adjacent fluid cells 66 and 66 is covered. The tube body 14 will be arranged by utilizing it. Even in this case, it is possible to dispose the tube body 14 with good space efficiency while reducing the pressure action on the tube body 14 by utilizing the region that floats due to the expansion of the air chamber.

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 specific shapes of the upper cell 18, the lower cell 16, and the shared cell 28 are not limited, and may be arbitrarily set such as a circular shape, an oval shape, and a rectangular shape when viewed from above.

Further, in the case where a plurality of fluid cells 10 are installed side by side as in the fluid cell type mattress 40 of the above embodiment, the resin sheets 26 forming the common cells 28 of the adjacent fluid cells 10 are formed by continuous sheets. It may be configured. Specifically, for example, in the embodiment in which a plurality of fluid cells 10 constituting the fluid cell unit 60 are arranged in series as in the first embodiment, at least one of the upper and lower resin sheets 26 in each common cell 28 is formed. It is also possible to configure one continuous resin sheet extending over a plurality of common cells adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the unit. Alternatively, in the embodiment in which the plurality of fluid cells 66 constituting the fluid cell unit 70 are arranged in parallel as in the second embodiment, at least one of the upper and lower resin sheets 26 in each common cell 28 is placed in the lateral direction of the unit. It is also possible to configure one continuous resin sheet extending over a plurality of adjacent shared cells.

In the case of the fluid cell type mattress 40 for the bed, if the size of the fluid cell 10 (shared cell 28) in the bed width direction becomes too large, there is a concern that the body pressure may be dispersed and the roll may be affected. The number of fluid cells 10 (shared cells 28) installed in the bed width direction is preferably two or more, and more preferably three or more.

Further, the upper cells 18 are completely independent, and for example, the sheet-like portions on the outer peripheral edge where the upper air chamber 22 is sealed are connected to each other, so that the adjacent upper cells 18 and 18 are opposed to each other. It is also possible to prevent it from being deformed in a swinging manner to the side and being excessively separated.

Further, an elastic body such as urethane foam can be accommodated in the upper air chamber 22 and the lower air chamber 24. By accommodating the elastic body, it is possible to prevent the cell from bottoming out when a shocking large load is input, and to improve the restoration speed of the cell when the load is released.

Further, the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 are not limited to a structure in which resin sheets are superposed on top of each other and the outer peripheral portion is welded, and can be formed by using a tubular molded body, a blow molded body, or the like. .. Further, the resin sheets 20 and 26 constituting the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 are not limited to flat sheets, and are flat surfaces that are previously concave or convex in consideration of, for example, the cell shape in the expanded state. A resin sheet other than the above may be used.

Further, the attachment structure of the pipe body 14 to the common cell 28 is not limited to fixing by sandwiching between the resin sheets as in the example, for example, the pipe body 14 can be attached through the resin sheet, or the pipe body 14 is attached to the resin sheet in advance. It is also possible to form a tubular port portion for fitting the body 14.

Further, the fluid cell may be provided with the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18. For example, the lowermost cell portion is provided below the lower cell portion, and the fluid cell as a whole has three or more stages in the height direction. It may have a cell structure.

When constructing a fluid cell type mattress, it is not essential to unitize a plurality of fluid cells together. Further, even when unitized in advance, the number of fluid cells constituting the fluid cell unit is not limited, and as in the example, in addition to the embodiment of forming a long unit extending in the bed width direction, the bed length It is also possible to configure a long unit that extends in the direction, and the shape and size of the unit can be freely set.

Further, in the fluid chamber in the common cell 28, a mode in which a plurality of lower air chambers 24 are partitioned by being partially partitioned by a fixing region 30 extending discontinuously is formed adjacent to each other in the common cell 28. Any fixing region 30 may be used as long as it forms a ventilation hole 34 that communicates between the lower air chambers 24 and 24, and may be a fixing region that does not completely airtightly divide the adjacent lower air chambers 24 and 24. For example, the fixing region may be discontinuous at the end portion in the length direction, may be discontinuous at the intermediate portion, or may be discontinuous at a plurality of locations in the length direction. It is possible to adjust the flow resistance of the ventilation holes according to the size and shape of the discontinuous portion, and it is also possible to adopt a ventilation hole having a shape that extends by meandering or bending, for example.

When a fluid cell type mattress is constructed using a fluid cell according to the present invention, it is not necessary to construct the entire mattress with a fluid cell according to the present invention. For example, a specific area of the body pressure acting surface may be configured by a fluid-filled cell having a conventional structure as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

Further, in the fluid cell constituting the fluid cell type mattress, the magnitude of the flow resistance in the ventilation hole in the X direction and the ventilation hole in the Y direction of the common cell is not limited and may be the same. The direction may be larger than the other directions. For example, in one fluid cell type mattress, it is possible to set the magnitude of the fluid flow resistance in the X direction and the Y direction to be opposite depending on the area or the like.

Further, a plurality of supply / discharge ports may be provided in the common cell constituting the fluid cell. Furthermore, the pipe body for supplying and discharging fluid to the shared cell may be piped independently for each shared cell, but for example, by providing a branch on one pipe, a plurality of pipes can be provided. It is also possible to connect to the shared cell of. Then, if the pipe is connected to one supply / discharge control valve, common fluid supply / discharge control can be performed for a plurality of shared cells branched and connected to the pipe. If a supply / discharge control valve is provided on each branch path branched from the pipe, it is possible to execute different fluid supply / discharge control for a plurality of allowable cells using one pipe.

Further, the means for positioning the fluid cell with respect to the mounting surface does not have to be a detachable type as in the example, and if attachment / detachment is unnecessary, adhesion or welding may be adopted. Considering that the positioning means utilizes the positioning action of the pipe body connected to the common cell as described above, the lower stage preferably located closest to the fluid supply / discharge port to which the pipe body is connected. It is provided approximately in the center of the bottom wall of another lower air chamber, outside the formation region of the air chamber. By providing the positioning means substantially in the center of the bottom wall of the lower air chamber, for example, when the common cell swells, a portion that is maintained in contact with the mounting surface even if there is no positioning means is provided on the mounting surface. It can be positioned to, and the influence on the expansion form of the lower air chamber can be reduced.

Further, the body pressure support surface formed by the fluid cell according to the present invention is not limited to the body pressure support surface of the bed as illustrated. For example, by configuring the surface that supports the body pressure in the sitting posture with the fluid cell according to the present invention, the fluid cell type mattress that constitutes the body pressure supporting surface such as the seating surface and the backrest of the chair including the seat for the vehicle. It is also possible to provide. The shapes and arrangement directions of the upper and lower cells 12 and the fluid cells 10 can be arbitrarily set according to the required characteristics of the body pressure support surface to be realized. For example, the planar shape of the body pressure support surface is circular. It may be present, and a plurality of upper cells having a planar shape such as a circular shape or an arc shape are installed on the common cell having an arc-shaped or circular planar shape, and the fixing area of the shared cell is circular or circular. It is also possible to form it so that it is curved in an arc shape or the like and extends.

10 Fluid cell 12 Upper and lower cells (4 in the first embodiment)
14 Tube 16 Lower cell 18 Upper cell 20 Resin sheet (for upper cell)
22 Upper air chamber 24 Lower air chamber 26 Resin sheet (for lower cell)
28 Shared cell 30 Fixed area 32 Discontinuous part 34 Vent hole 36 Continuous passage 38 Snap button (positioning means)
40 Fluid cell mattress 42 Bed 44 Bed frame 46 Mattress body 48 Base cushion 50 Head cushion 52 Left and right cushion 54 Cover cushion 56 Adjustment cushion 60 Fluid cell unit 62 Base sheet 64 Snap receiver 66 Fluid cell 70 Fluid cell unit 72 Intermediate seat 74 Cell mounting hole

Claims (7)

A fluid cell for supporting body pressure, which is provided with a lower cell and an upper cell that communicate with each other and can be expanded and contracted in the height direction by supplying and discharging fluid to the lower cell and the upper cell.
The lower cell is composed of a shared cell in which a fluid chamber is formed between the overlapping surfaces of the upper sheet and the lower sheet extending below the plurality of upper cells, and the fluid is supplied and discharged from the outside in the shared cell. With a mouth
The upper sheet and the lower sheet are partially partitioned by a fixing region extending discontinuously toward the partition corresponding to the plurality of upper cells, whereby the position corresponding to each upper cell in the shared cell is provided. The lower air chambers are partitioned, and the adjacent lower air chambers are communicated with each other through a ventilation hole formed by a discontinuous portion of the fixed region.
A fluid cell for supporting body pressure in which the flow resistance of the ventilation hole communicating between the lower air chambers is larger than the flow resistance of the communication passage communicating the lower air chamber and the inside of the upper cell. .. On the shared cell, a plurality of the upper cells are arranged in the X direction and the Y direction, which are orthogonal to each other.
The flow resistance of the vent that communicates between the lower air chambers of the shared cell in the X direction and the flow resistance of the vent that communicates between the lower air chambers of the shared cell in the Y direction are mutually exclusive. The fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to claim 1, which is different. Claim 1 in which a fluid supply / discharge pipe is connected to the air supply / discharge port provided in the common cell, and the flow resistance of the pipe is made larger than the flow resistance of the vent. Or the fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to 2. The lower sheet is provided with a positioning member with respect to the cell installation surface.
The fluid for supporting body pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positioning member is provided at a position outside the formation region of the lower air chamber located closest to the air supply / discharge port. cell. The connection portion of the upper cell to the shared cell is formed in a constricted shape so that the upper cell can be tilted relative to the shared cell.
The fluid cell for supporting body pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the communication passage is provided through the connecting portion. A fluid cell type mattress in which a body pressure support surface is formed by using a plurality of fluid cells for supporting body pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The sixth aspect of claim 6 in which a pipe connected to the supply / discharge port in the fluid cell to supply / discharge fluid to the common cell from the outside is installed so as to extend between the adjacent lower air chambers. Fluid cell mattress.

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