JP7355679B2 - Fluid cell for body pressure support - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fluid cell for body pressure support, which has a fluid chamber inside and supports the body pressure of a user by being installed on a body pressure acting surface.

Conventionally, it has been considered to configure a user's body pressure support surface using fluid cells. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-125798 (Patent Document 1) discloses an air mat in which a plurality of bag-shaped air cells filled with air are arranged in parallel on the floorboard of a bed.

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

However, with an air cell that is so long and slender that it spans almost the entire length in the width direction of the bed, as in Patent Document 1, the user's body pressure acts locally in the length direction of the air cell, and when the user's body pressure is applied, the air cell The air moves in the lengthwise direction greatly and easily. Therefore, as the air moves within the air cell, large swings tend to occur in the left and right width directions, making it difficult to stabilize the user's body pressure support, resulting in discomfort such as uncomfortable sleeping and seasickness. There was a risk of giving.

Therefore, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-027531 (Patent Document 2), the applicant has developed a bag-like fluid cell that is not elongated and has a rectangular shape with rounded corners when viewed from above in the length direction and width direction of the bed. We proposed a mattress in which multiple pieces of each type were arranged side by side. In such a mattress, the movement of air between the fluid cells installed in the bed width direction can be suppressed, and the stability of the user's body pressure supporting surface is improved compared to the air mattress described in Patent Document 1. obtain.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-125798 JP2013-027531A

However, in the fluid cell of Patent Document 2, each cell is smaller than the air cell of Patent Document 1, so the number of cells is increased to constitute the same body pressure support surface. Therefore, there were problems in that handling of many cells was troublesome and manufacturing was time-consuming. Moreover, even when piping for supplying and discharging fluid from the outside is connected to each cell, the number of piping increases, which tends to complicate the structure and control, and the routing of the piping itself also becomes complicated.

The present invention was made against the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved is to be able to provide a body pressure supporting surface that is more stable than the air mattress of Patent Document 1, and to be able to provide a body pressure supporting surface that is more stable than the air mattress of Patent Document 2. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel body pressure supporting fluid cell whose structure can be simplified compared to a mattress.

Hereinafter, aspects of the present invention made to solve such problems will be described. Note that the constituent elements employed in each aspect described below can be employed in any possible combination.

A first aspect of the present invention includes a lower cell and an upper cell that communicate with each other, and provides body pressure support that can be expanded and contracted in the height direction by supplying and discharging fluid to and from the lower cell and the upper cell. , wherein the lower cell is constituted by a shared cell in which a fluid chamber is formed between overlapping surfaces of an upper sheet and a lower sheet extending below a plurality of upper cells, and the shared cell A fluid supply/discharge port from the outside is provided in the upper sheet and the lower sheet are partially partitioned by a fixed region extending discontinuously in a partition direction corresponding to the plurality of upper cells. As a result, lower air chambers are defined in the common cells at positions corresponding to the upper cells, and adjacent lower air chambers are connected through ventilation holes formed by discontinuous portions of the fixed regions. The body pressure is such that the lower air chambers are in communication with each other, and the flow resistance of the ventilation hole communicating between the lower air chambers is greater than the flow resistance of the communication passage communicating between the lower air chamber and the inside of the upper cell. A supporting fluid cell.

In the fluid cell for body pressure support according to the present aspect, the shared cells constituting the lower cells are configured to have a size that extends below the plurality of upper cells, so that the lower cells can be expanded while maintaining the number of upper cells. The number of configured shared cells can be reduced. Furthermore, since the plurality of upper-stage cells are communicated through the shared cells forming the plurality of lower-stage air chambers, it is also possible to reduce the number of supply/discharge pipes connected to the fluid cells. Therefore, the structure can be simplified compared to a fluid cell in which the upper cell and the lower cell, which form a pair above and below, are both independent of the adjacent cells, as in Patent Document 2. Furthermore, since a plurality of upper cells can be handled together with the shared cell as a unit, it becomes easier to handle many fluid cells.

Moreover, since the upper cell on which the user's body pressure acts is configured to be able to expand and contract independently on the shared cell, it has better support performance for the body surface than the elongated air cell of Patent Document 1. be done. In particular, since the fluid flow between the upper cells occurs through the lower air chambers of the shared cell, it is possible to suppress the movement of fluid between the upper cells. The stability of the body pressure supporting 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 air cells due to the communication passages. As a result, while ensuring cushioning performance in the cell height direction and rapid expansion/contraction performance due to the lower air chamber and upper cell stacked one above the other, this technology is able to prevent body pressure caused by excessive fluid flow between adjacent lower air chambers. It also becomes possible to suppress unstable behavior such as shaking on the support surface.

A second aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell for body pressure support according to the first aspect, in which a plurality of upper stages are provided above the shared cell in the X direction and the Y direction, which are orthogonal to each other. The cells are arranged, and the flow resistance of the ventilation hole that communicates between the lower air chambers of the shared cell in the X direction, and the ventilation hole that communicates the lower air chambers of the shared cell in the Y direction. The distribution resistances of the two are different from each other.

In the fluid cell for body pressure support according to this embodiment, the fluid flow characteristics can be made different between cells adjacent in the X direction and between cells adjacent in the Y direction. As a result, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in tuning behavior such as body pressure distribution when body pressure fluctuates, for example. Specifically, when constructing a mattress for a bed, for example, 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, it is possible to achieve body pressure dispersion and cushioning performance when body pressure changes such as when turning over in bed, while also being tuned to suppress excessive shaking caused by fluid movement between adjacent cells in the length direction of the bed. It becomes possible.

A third aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell for body pressure support according to the first or second aspect, wherein piping for fluid supply and discharge to the supply and 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 vent hole.

In the fluid cell for body pressure support according to this aspect, the fluid movement between the lower air chambers provided in the fluid cell or between the lower air chamber and the upper cell is faster than the fluid supply and discharge to and from the fluid cell. , can be developed rapidly with small resistance. Therefore, it is possible to quickly transmit pressure adjustment by supplying and discharging fluid to and from the fluid cells through the fluid supply and discharge piping to each lower air chamber and each upper stage cell.

Furthermore, even when multiple fluid cells are connected to each other through piping for fluid supply and drainage, for example, when body pressure changes, fluid movement within one fluid cell is preferentially caused, while fluid movement between different fluid cells is It becomes possible to allow fluid movement of . Therefore, when a user moves, for example, by prioritizing changes in the body pressure support surface and pressure dispersion in a small area, and dispersing pressure in a large area, the user can move the body without significantly impairing the feeling of use. It also becomes easier to tune the system to more effectively suppress vibrations caused by pressure fluctuations.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell for body pressure support 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 area of the lower air chamber located closest to the supply/discharge port.

In the fluid cell for body pressure support according to this aspect, by positioning the common cell with respect to the cell installation surface, compared to the case where individual cells are positioned separately as described in Patent Document 2, for example. Therefore, it becomes possible to efficiently position and install the plurality of lower air chambers and upper cells with respect to the cell installation surface using a small number of positioning members. Furthermore, in the vicinity of the supply/discharge port in the shared cell, a positioning effect can be expected from fluid supply/discharge piping connected to the supply/discharge port. By positioning at the site, positioning on the cell installation surface can be realized using fewer positioning members.

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

In the fluid cell for body pressure support according to the present aspect, since the connection portion between the upper cell and the common cell is constricted, the upper cell can easily be allowed to swing in a swing-like manner with respect to the common cell. In addition, by providing a communication path using the connecting part between the upper cell and the shared cell, it is possible to form the communication path in a manner that does not hinder the tilting of the upper cell, but on the contrary makes it easier to tilt. Become.

Since the upper cell is easily allowed to tilt in a swing-like manner relative to the shared cell, the body pressure support surface formed by the top surfaces of the plurality of upper cells can be applied to the unevenness of the user's body surface. This makes it easier to follow changes. Therefore, it is possible to improve the dispersion support performance of the user's body pressure and the feeling of use, and to reduce the forces such as friction that act in the shearing direction (displacement direction) between the user and the body pressure supporting surface. In addition to further improving the feeling of use, it is also possible to reduce the occurrence of bedsores caused by shearing forces.

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

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

A seventh aspect of the present invention is the fluid cell mattress according to the sixth aspect, in which piping is connected to the supply/discharge port in the fluid cell and supplies and discharges fluid from the outside to the common cell. It is installed so as to extend between the lower air chambers arranged adjacent to each other.

In the fluid cell mattress according to this aspect, piping for fluid supply and drainage is arranged with good space efficiency by avoiding areas where large body pressure is exerted between the lower air chamber and the cell installation surface. It becomes possible to do so. Note that adjacent lower air chambers in which fluid supply and discharge piping is installed may be provided in the same shared cell, or may be provided in mutually different shared cells. In addition, lower air chambers arranged next to each other may be installed with their outer edges overlapping, and the arrangement of fluid supply and discharge piping is limited to the gap between the lower air chambers arranged next to each other. Instead, it may be inserted under one or both of the lower air chambers arranged adjacent to each other. In short, fluid supply and drainage piping is arranged between the center parts of adjacent lower air chambers, avoiding the center part of the lower air chamber where the maximum body pressure is applied between the cell installation surface and the cell installation surface. That's fine.

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

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

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a fluid cell for body pressure support according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the II cross section in FIG. 2. Top view of the fluid cell shown in Figure 1 A plan view illustrating the fixed areas of the upper and lower sheets in the shared cell that constitutes 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 mattress configured using the fluid cells shown in FIG. 1 Cross-sectional explanatory diagram of the bed shown in FIG. 4 A plan view illustrating a unit of fluid cells constituting the bed shown in FIG. 4 Side view of the fluid cell unit illustrated in FIG. 7 A perspective explanatory view illustrating the base sheet in the bed shown in FIG. 4 A cross-sectional explanatory diagram illustrating the body pressure action state in the bed shown in FIG. 4 A side view showing a fluid cell for body pressure support as a second embodiment of the present invention Top view of the fluid cell shown in FIG. A plan view illustrating the fixed areas of the upper and lower sheets in the shared cell configuring the fluid cell shown in FIG. A plan view illustrating a fluid cell unit that configures the bed mattress shown in FIG. 4 using the fluid cells shown in FIG. 10 (non-inflated state) A perspective explanatory view showing the expanded state of the fluid cell unit shown in FIG. 13 A plan view showing an intermediate sheet constituting the fluid cell unit shown in FIG. 13

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

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

More specifically, each of the upper and lower cells 12 has a two-tier cell structure in which an upper cell 18 is stacked on a lower cell 16 in the height direction. The four upper cells 18 have a bag-like structure that is 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 overlapping two flat resin sheets 20a and 20b with rounded rectangular shapes and fixing their outer peripheral edges to each other by welding or the like, an upper air chamber 22 as a fluid chamber is created between the resin sheets 20a and 20b. An upper cell 18 may be configured. Note that the hatched areas in FIG. 2 indicate the fixed portions of the outer peripheral edges of the upper and lower resin sheets 20a and 20b that constitute the upper cell 18.

On the other hand, the four lower cells 16 have a single bag-like structure that is connected to each other, and the interior thereof is partitioned to form four lower air chambers 24. Each lower air chamber 24 is positioned below each upper air chamber 22 to form an upper and lower cell 12.

Such a lower cell 16 is formed, for example, by overlapping two flat resin sheets 26a and 26b that extend below the four upper cells 18 and fixing their 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 approximately as large as four upper and lower resin sheets 20 forming the upper cell 18. As a result, the four lower cells 16 are constituted by one common cell 28 that extends below the four upper cells 18.

The shared cell 28 has one fluid chamber formed between the resin sheets 26a and 26b, and this one fluid chamber is partially partitioned so that the shared cell 28 is located under each of the four upper cells 18. Four lower cells 16 are formed, respectively. In this embodiment, each lower cell 16 has a planar shape and size that substantially corresponds to each upper cell 18, but it is also possible to make the size and shape 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 edges of the four upper cells 18 arranged with their adjacent edges overlapping. It has a planar shape that is approximately a rectangular shape with rounded corners. The reason why the plan view of FIG. 3 is larger than the plan view of FIG. 2 is because FIG. 2 shows the expanded state of the air chamber corresponding to FIG. 1, whereas FIG. This is because the air chamber is viewed from above in a non-inflated state with no air in it.

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 edges, and one air chamber is formed between the resin sheets 26a and 26b. A fluid containment region is formed. Furthermore, the upper and lower resin sheets 26a, 26b are also provided with a fixing region 30 by welding or the like in the central portion. The fixed region 30 in the central portion extends in the partition direction corresponding to the four upper cells 18.

In other words, the fixed region 30 provided at the center of the upper and lower resin sheets 26a, 26b partitions the air chamber in the shared cell 28 into four lower cells 16, and the upper air chamber 22 of each upper cell 18. A lower air chamber 24 having a substantially corresponding shape is formed on the lower side of the lower air chamber 24 . In the present embodiment, in the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b, which have substantially rounded rectangular planar shapes, two linear fixed regions extend through the center and connect the center portions of the opposing sides. 30a and 30b are provided orthogonally to each other.

In addition, each of the linear fixed regions 30a, 30b extends in a direction connecting the center portions of opposing sides of the resin sheets 26a, 26b, but does not extend continuously over the entire length between the opposing sides. Not yet. In short, each of the fixed regions 30a, 30b extending between opposing sides is divided at at least one point 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 fixed regions 30a and 30b, and is located below the upper air chamber 22 of each upper cell 18. A plurality (four in this embodiment) of lower air chambers 24 are formed.

Note that the fixed regions 30a, 30b have width dimensions that change in the length direction, and are partitioned into a fixed region at the outer periphery and a fixed region 30a, 30b at the center between the overlapping surfaces of the resin sheets 26a, 26b. The planar outer peripheral shape of each of the lower air chambers 24 formed in this manner is substantially rectangular with rounded corners, similar to the upper cell 18. By forming the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 24 into rectangular shapes with rounded corners, stress concentration and the occurrence of large wrinkles when the air chambers expand are reduced compared to rectangular air chambers with right-angled corners. can be done.

Furthermore, these four lower air chambers 24 are not completely independent from each other, but are communicated with each other through ventilation holes 34 formed by discontinuous portions 32 set in the fixed regions 30a and 30b. . Note that the communication between the lower air chambers 24 through the ventilation holes 34 is limited, and by tuning the cross-sectional area and length of the ventilation holes 34 depending on the dimensions of the discontinuous portion 32, the communication between the lower air chambers 24 through the ventilation holes 34 is limited. The flow resistance between 24 can be adjusted and set.

In this embodiment, assuming two axes of X and Y on orthogonal planes, with the left and right direction in FIG. 3 being the X direction and the top and bottom directions being the Y direction, the fixed region 30a extending in the A total of two ventilation holes 34 are provided with discontinuous portions 32 at both end portions in the lengthwise direction, and a fixed region 30b extending in the Y direction includes discontinuous portions 32 at both end portions in the lengthwise direction and at the center portion. A total of four ventilation holes 34 are provided. Since these ventilation holes 34 have approximately the same size, in this embodiment, the flow resistance through the ventilation holes 34 between the lower air chambers 24, 24 adjacent to each other in the X direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 3) is reduced. The flow resistance between the lower air chambers 24 and 24 adjacent to each other in the Y direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) through the ventilation holes 34 is set larger than that.

An upper cell 18 having an upper air chamber 22 is superimposed on each lower air chamber 24 formed inside the common cell 28, and the common cell 28 is partitioned by a fixed region 30. Upper cells 18 are arranged above the four lower cells 16, respectively. In addition, the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 are connected to each other by welding or the like the upper resin sheet 26b of the lower cell 16 and the lower resin sheet 20a of the upper cell 18 at each central portion. Upper and lower cells 12 each having an air chamber 24 therein are formed.

The upper and lower cells 12 have a communication path 36 that penetrates each resin sheet 26b, 20a at the center portion where the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 are fixed to each other. 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 through the communication passage 36 .

Note that the connecting portion between the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 may be formed to have an arbitrary outer peripheral shape, such as a rounded rectangular shape or a circular shape that is one size smaller than the outer peripheral edges of the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16. The outer peripheral portions of the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 extend outward from the central connecting portion. As a result, when the upper and lower cells 12 are swollen, as can be seen from FIG. Since the bending deformation of the upper cell 18 is easily allowed, the upper cell 18 can be easily tilted relative to the shared cell 28.

Furthermore, the shape, size, number, etc. of the communication passages 36 provided at the connecting portion between the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 can be set as appropriate; The communication path 36 is set so as to have a smaller flow resistance than the flow resistance of the ventilation hole 34 that communicates between the lower cells 16, 16. As a result, fluid movement between the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 in each upper and lower cell 12 can be caused more preferentially than fluid movement between the adjacent upper and lower cells 12, 12. .

Furthermore, a pipe body 14 for supplying and discharging air from the outside is provided to each of the air chambers in the plurality of (four in this embodiment) upper and lower cells 12a to 12d as described above. One open end of the tube body 14 is connected to the common cell 28 and communicated with a fluid chamber inside the common cell 28 . Specifically, for example, as shown in the figure, for the central portion in the width direction of the shared cell 28 located between the adjacent lower air chambers 24, 24, where the width of the fixed region can be made relatively large. , so that one end of the tubular body 14 is inserted. Then, with the end of the tube 14 sandwiched between the upper and lower resin sheets 26a and 26b constituting the shared cell 28, the outer peripheral surface of the tube is airtightly fixed by welding or the like. Attached to fluid cell 10.

Thereby, 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. Note that the two lower air chambers 24a and 24c located closest to the opening of the tube 14 can supply and discharge air almost directly through the tube 14; Air is supplied and discharged from the remaining two lower air chambers 24b and 24d located apart from each other through the pipe body 14 via the ventilation hole 34 and the lower air chambers 24a and 24c. Further, air can be supplied and discharged through the pipe body 14 from the upper air chambers 22 of the upper and lower cells 12a to 12d through the communication passage 36 and the lower air chamber 24.

Furthermore, the tube body 14 whose tip end is fixed to the common cell 28 extends outward and is laid on the support surface of the fluid cell 10, and as described in Patent Document 2, for example, the tube body 14 is provided with an external supply. It is connected to a pump etc. via a drainage valve. Therefore, the tubular body 14 can also exert a certain degree of positioning effect on the common cell 28 and, by extension, the fluid cell 10 on the support surface on which the fluid cell 10 is installed. By utilizing the positioning effect of the tubular body 14, it is also possible to simplify the means for positioning the fluid cell 10 on the support surface which is the mounting surface. Positioning means for the support surface, such as a button or a hook-and-loop fastener, can also be installed so as to be biased to the opposite side to the connection side of the tube body 14.

Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. They are not provided in the bottom wall portions of the lower air chambers 24a, 24c, but are provided in the center portions of the bottom walls of the two lower air chambers 24b, 24d located far away.

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

Further, the resin sheet 20 constituting the upper cell 18 is attached to the resin sheets 26, 26 constituting the shared cell 28 so that a large gap does not occur between the adjacent upper cells 18, 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, when the fluid cell 10 is expanded, the outer peripheral edges of the welded resin sheets 20 overlap each other between the adjacent upper cells 18, 18. In this way, it is possible to substantially prevent a gap from occurring between the adjacent upper cells 18, 18. That is, in the contracted state in which air is removed from the fluid cell 10, the outer peripheral edges of the adjacent upper cells 18, 18 overlap each other in an area having a larger width dimension than the outer peripheral edge of the welded resin sheet 20. It is desirable to form the resin sheet 20 with a size that is large enough (see FIG. 13 of the second embodiment).

According to the fluid cell 10 configured as described above, the four lower cells 16 constituting the four upper and lower cells 12a to 12d form one shared cell that extends 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 pipe body 14 for fluid supply and discharge can be substantially reduced. The structure and manufacturing can be simplified.

In particular, in this embodiment, the pipe body 14 for supplying and discharging air to the four upper and lower cells 12a to 12d is one pipe connected to the shared cell 28. Therefore, in the fluid cell 10 having a plurality of upper and lower cells 12, the arrangement of the pipe body 14, the equipment for supplying and discharging air through the pipe body 14, the control of supply and discharge of air, etc. can be simplified. obtain.

Furthermore, although the four lower cells 16 are substantially composed of one common cell 28, the air flow characteristics between the adjacent lower air chambers 24a to 24d are determined for each vent hole 34 (fixed area). It can be set as appropriate depending on the size of the discontinuous portions 32) set in 30a and 30b.

Therefore, for example, if the ventilation resistance of each ventilation hole 34 is set to be larger than that of the communication path 36 between the upper air chamber 22 and the lower air chamber 24, the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 24 can have a shock-absorbing effect and can quickly control the pressure. It is also possible to suppress shaking of the body pressure supporting surface due to excessively rapid air flow between the adjacent upper and lower cells 12, 12, while ensuring performance.

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

In addition, the ventilation hole 34 between the lower air chambers 24, 24 and the communication path 36 between the upper and lower air chambers 22, 24 in the shared cell 28 have a smaller flow resistance than the pipe body 14 for supply and discharge. This is desirable. Thereby, pressure control through the pipe body 14 can be easily exerted quickly on each lower air chamber 24 and each upper air chamber 22.

Furthermore, in the fluid cell 10 of the present embodiment, the upper cell 18, which constitutes the top surface of the fluid cell 10 as a body pressure acting surface on which the body pressure of the user acts, is connected to the common cell 28 through the small diameter constricted portion. Because it is installed in the body and can be relatively easily tolerated by oscillating deformation, it has excellent ability to follow the user's body surface and support body pressure. It is also possible to reduce the applied frictional force. On the other hand, since a plurality of the lower cells 16 are integrally constituted by the shared cells 28, lateral deformation and displacement are suppressed, and the upper and lower cells 12 as a whole are prevented from deformation such as falling in the lateral direction. can be suppressed. Therefore, even when a large body pressure is applied locally, for example, it is easy to prevent a part of the user's body from entering between the adjacent upper and lower cells 12, or from hitting the bottom.

Moreover, in the fluid cell 10 of the present embodiment, one lower cell 16 and one upper cell 18 substantially correspond to each other, and the upper and lower cells 12 are configured by overlapping each other on a substantially linear central axis extending in the vertical direction. There is. Therefore, the central axes of expansion and contraction in the height direction accompanying each air supply and discharge in the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 substantially coincide with each other, and are used as the central axis of expansion and contraction in the height direction of the upper and lower cells 12. In the embodiment, the central axes of expansion and contraction in the height direction of the four (4) upper and lower cells 12 are substantially parallel. As a result, the inclination of the supporting surface of the upper cell 18 in the lower cell 16 due to expansion/contraction of the lower cell 16, which is a concern when a plurality of upper cells 18 are provided on one lower cell 16, for example, can be suppressed. Therefore, the inclination of the upper and lower cells 12 during expansion and the resulting gap between the upper cells 18, 18 can be reduced.

In addition, in the fluid cell 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 are arranged so that the entire upper cell 18 in the expanded state overlaps with the lower cell 16 in plan view. The size and shape of the cells 16 when viewed from above when expanded are substantially the same. Therefore, not only the upper cell 18 but also the lower cell 16 expands in the plane direction of the body pressure supporting surface with almost no gap, and the upper and lower air chambers 22, 24 in the upper cell 18 and the lower cell 16 are expanded. Accordingly, bottoming out due to gaps can be avoided, and the body pressure acting surface can be configured to have a large area and can exhibit good and substantially uniform cushioning performance.

By the way, by using the fluid cell according to the present invention, it is possible to realize, for example, a mattress that constitutes a body pressure supporting surface in a bed, a chair, or the like. 4 and 5 illustrate a bed 42 equipped with a fluid cell mattress 40 configured using a plurality of fluid cells 10 according to the first embodiment as described above.

The bed 42 of this embodiment includes a mattress body 46 installed on a bed frame 44. The mattress body 46 includes a base cushion 48 extending over the entire bottom, a head cushion 50 and left and right cushions 52, 52 superimposed on the base cushion 48. A fluid cell mattress 40 is installed in a central portion of a base cushion 48 surrounded by cushions 52, 52. Further, a cover cushion 54 that extends over the entire upper surface is superimposed on the top layer of the mattress body 46, and the head cushion 50, left and right cushions 52, 52, and the entire fluid cell mattress 40 are covered with the cover cushion 54. It is being said.

Note that a cover may be attached to the mattress body 46 for the purpose of protecting the mattress body 46 or the like. For example, a pad type cover that covers only the upper surface of the mattress body 46, a cover type that covers the upper surface and the outer peripheral surface, a bag type cover that accommodates the entire mattress body 46, etc. may be appropriately adopted as the cover.

The materials of the base cushion 48, head cushion 50, left and right cushions 52, 52, and cover cushion 54 are not limited, and are made of foamed resin such as urethane foam, taking into account the required shape stability and cushioning properties. may be adopted. Incidentally, the base cushion 48 may be hard, and the cover cushion 54 may be a non-cushion flexible sheet.

In addition, the size and shape of the base cushion 48, head cushion 50, and left and right cushions 52, 52 can be arbitrarily set according to the required characteristics, and are not limited to this, and cushions are added to the foot side of the bed. It is also optional to add cushions to the middle part of the bed in the length direction or width direction. Depending on the shape and arrangement of these cushions, the form of the fluid cell mattress 40 can be changed as appropriate.

The fluid cell mattress 40 is constructed by arranging a plurality of fluid cells 10 shown in FIGS. It is configured to be completely filled with cells 10. In this embodiment, three fluid cells 10 are arranged in parallel in the bed width direction and eight fluid cells 10 are arranged in parallel in the bed length direction. That is, the upper cells 18 as a whole are 6 in the width direction of the bed and 16 in the length direction of the bed, and are swollen to form a body pressure acting surface in a state where they are lined up with substantially no gaps between each other.

In addition, in this embodiment, the adjustment cushion 56 is arranged so as to cover the entire top of the fluid cell mattress 40, so that the cushioning properties of the fluid cell mattress 40 can be adjusted, and the fluid cell mattress 40 and the head can be adjusted. Adjustment of the heights of the front cushion 50 and the left and right cushions 52, 52, and homogenization of support characteristics on the body pressure support surface by the large number of upper cells 18 are attempted. However, such an adjustment cushion 56 is not essential, and by fixing the adjustment cushion 56 to the lower surface of the cover cushion 54, the function of fitting the adjustment cushion 56 into the inside of the head cushion 50 and the left and right cushions 52, 52 can be utilized. It is also possible to position the cover cushion 54 in the plane direction.

Further, although the large number of fluid cells 10 constituting the fluid cell mattress 40 may be prepared independently and placed on the base cushion 48, an appropriate number of fluid cells 10 may be combined in advance. You may install a unitized version.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, a fluid cell unit 60 is prepared in which three fluid cells 10a, 10b, and 10c, which are arranged in the width direction of the bed 42, are combined in a juxtaposed state. obtain. In addition, when forming a plurality of fluid cells 10 into a unit, 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. . Also, like a fluid cell unit (70) of another embodiment described later, a plurality of fluid cells 10 can be integrated into a unit by employing an intermediate sheet (72) that spreads out so as to connect the constricted portions of the upper and lower cells 12. It is also possible to do so (see FIG. 14 of the second embodiment).

In such a fluid cell unit 60, when the upper and lower air chambers 22, 24 are inflated, the periphery is closed in the non-inflated state so that there is substantially no gap between the adjacent upper cells 18, 18 or between the shared cells 28, 28. The parts are arranged so as to overlap each other. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the positioning of each fluid cell unit 60 is performed by providing snap receivers 64 in advance at predetermined positions on the base sheet 62 laid on the base cushion 48. This can be done by fitting and fixing the aforementioned snap button 38 provided on the bottom surface of the shared cell 28 of the fluid cell unit 60 into the snap receiver 64.

However, in each fluid cell 10 constituting the fluid cell unit 60, the positioning effect is exerted not only by fitting and fixing the snap button 38 into the snap receiver 64 but also by the tube body 14. Therefore, the number of positioning means consisting of the snap buttons 38 can be reduced, and labor for attaching the snap buttons 38 and the snap receivers 64 to the members and for fitting them together can be reduced.

Further, the air supply/discharge tubes 14 extending from each common cell 28 of the fluid cell unit 60 are drawn out to the same side in the bed width direction. Then, in a bundled state, a plurality of tube bodies 14 (three in this embodiment) 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. It will be connected to air pressure control means such as a valve body and a pump as described in 2.

In this embodiment, the tube bodies 14 extend in the same direction from the central portion of each shared cell 28 in the width direction. Therefore, the pipe body 14 extending linearly from one shared cell 28 passes under the center portion in the width direction of another shared cell 28 adjacent in the bed width direction (length direction of the unit). . Here, since the central portion in the width direction of each shared cell 28 is a fixed region 30 extending between the adjacent lower cells 16, 16, the pipe body 14 is connected to the lower air chamber 22 adjacent to each other in the shared cell 28. , 24, passing below the fixed area 30.

Therefore, the installation area for each tube body 14 can be secured on the base cushion 48 with excellent space efficiency. Furthermore, even if the tube body 14 enters the lower side of the lower air chamber 24 from below the fixed area 30 to some extent, the outer peripheral portion of the lower air chamber 24 is a region that rises due to air chamber expansion, and even when body pressure is applied, Pressure acting on the tube 14 is avoided. Therefore, even if the tubular body 14 is formed of a relatively soft resin tube or the like, the adverse effect on pressure control due to collapse of the tubular body 14 can be avoided. In short, it is possible to obtain a space for arranging the tube body 14 by making good use of the area between the lower air chambers 24 and 24, where space can easily be secured by lifting up due to air chamber expansion.

Further, a plurality of tube bodies 14 arranged in the same area between the adjacent lower air chambers 24, 24 may be bundled with tape or the like, so that the positioning effect for each common cell 28 via the tube bodies 14 can be improved. Improvements can also be made. Note that when a plurality of shared cells 28 are arranged, it is not essential in the present invention that the tube bodies 14 connected to each shared cell 28 extend in the same direction; for example, some tube bodies 14 are connected to other It can also be arranged so as to extend in the opposite direction to the tube body 14.

In the fluid cell mattress 40 having the above-described structure, a sufficient number of upper cells 18 constituting the body pressure supporting surface are ensured, and a plurality of lower cells 16 are combined into a shared cell 28 to form a fluid cell 10. By adopting this method, the actual number of cells can be reduced compared to a fluid cell mattress with a conventional structure in which a plurality of independent upper and lower cells are arranged side by side as described in Patent Document 2. The structure of the mattress 40 can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. In addition, compared to fluid cell mattresses of conventional structure, the number of tubes 14 for supplying and discharging air can be reduced, making it easier to arrange the tubes 14 and simplifying air pressure control through the tubes 14. It also becomes easier to convert.

By controlling the pneumatic pressure of each fluid cell 10 through the pipe body 14, the fluid cell type mattress has a conventional structure in which a plurality of upper and lower cells each having independent air chambers are arranged side by side as described in Patent Document 2. , it is possible to provide load support characteristics corresponding to the applied load such as the user's weight. For example, a load sensor may be placed at a location corresponding to each fluid cell 10 or each upper and lower cell 12, and the load may be adjusted within a predetermined range based on the detected values of the load sensors or based on the detected value of the air pressure in each air chamber. The air pressure in each fluid cell 10 can be controlled so that it is distributed over the air. Note that the load sensor can be arranged, for example, between at least one upper cell 18 of each fluid cell 10 and the cover cushion 54, and in this embodiment, the load sensor can be placed between the adjustment cushion 56 and the upper cell 18 or the cover cushion 54. can be placed between.

In particular, in this embodiment, since the user's body pressure support surface is constituted by a large number of independent upper cells 18 that can be tilted in an oscillating manner, for example, as shown in FIG. The body pressure support surface that roughly follows the body surface of the body makes contact with the body over a wide area, and supports the body while effectively dispersing the body pressure. In this embodiment, the body surface of the user A comes into contact with the body pressure support surface provided by the large number of upper cells 18 via the thin sheet-like cushions 54 and 56. Of course, without providing such a cushion, the body surface of the user A may be directly supported in contact with the body pressure supporting surface of the upper cell 18 via a thin sheet or the like, if necessary.

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 vent hole 34. Therefore, air flow is generated between the upper air chambers 22 of the four upper cells 18 according to the body pressures acting on each other, and the body pressure is distributed, and the upper air chambers 22 of the four upper cells 18 The body pressure supporting surface configured by can quickly deform along the user A's body surface. However, since the flow of air between the four upper cells 18 is restricted by the communication passages 36 and the ventilation holes 34, which have narrowed passage cross-sectional areas, vibrations such as shaking and shaking back due to excessive air flow may occur. Discomfort can be suppressed.

Furthermore, air flow is generated between different fluid cells 10 via the pipe body 14 and, if necessary, by controlling valves, so that body pressure is generated between many upper cells 18 of the plurality of fluid cells 10. Dispersion is achieved, and the entire body pressure supporting surface made up of the large number of upper cells 18 is deformed along the user A's body surface.

Note that the flow resistance of air flow between different fluid cells 10 via the pipe body 14 may be set to be greater than the flow resistance of the vent hole 34 that allows air flow between the air chambers of the fluid cell 10. desirable. This makes it possible to quickly apply pressure changes to the common cell 28 through the pipe body 14 to the plurality of lower air chambers 24 and further to the upper air chambers 22 in the shared cell 28, and to Unnecessary shaking of the body pressure supporting surface due to pressure changes being applied to different cells within the fluid cell 10 with large time differences can also be suppressed. Further, even when a plurality of shared cells 28 are communicated with each other through the pipe body 14, fluid movement between the plurality of cells in one fluid cell 10 is preferentially caused when body pressure changes, while different fluid cells 10 By allowing fluid movement between the two, it is also possible to gradually expand pressure dispersion and suppress large shaking and shaking back over a wide area.

By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the fluid cell 10 including four upper and lower cells 12 has been described. The number of 12 is not limited.

For example, it is also possible to configure the fluid cell 66 with two upper and lower cells 12a, 12b, as in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 10-12. Note that FIGS. 10 and 11 show the cell in an expanded state, and FIG. 12 shows the cell in a non-expanded state. Further, in this embodiment, members and parts having the same structure as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted. Note that the hatched areas in FIG. 11 indicate the fixing areas of the upper and lower resin sheets, similar to FIGS. 2 and 6.

That is, the fluid cell 66 of this embodiment is configured by two independent upper cells 18, 18 and two lower air chambers 24, 24 formed inside one shared cell 28. Two lower cells 16, 16 are provided. Further, in the upper and lower resin sheets 26, 26 constituting the shared cell 28, the fixed region 30 that partitions the two lower air chambers 24, 24 is provided with discontinuous portions 32 on both sides in the length direction. This discontinuous portion 32 constitutes a ventilation hole 34 that communicates between the lower air chambers 24, 24.

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

Similar to the fluid cells 10 of the first embodiment, the fluid cells 66 of this embodiment can also constitute a bed mattress by, for example, arranging a plurality of fluid cells 66 side by side. At this time, as exemplified in the fluid cell mattress 40 described above, a plurality of fluid cells 66 may be assembled into a unit in advance.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, for example, a total of six fluid cells 66 are arranged, three in the longitudinal direction of the fluid cells 66 (in the arrangement direction of the lower air chambers 24), and three in the longitudinal direction of the fluid cells 66 (in the arrangement direction of the lower air chambers 24) One fluid cell unit 70 can be configured by arranging two in the lateral direction. Note that FIG. 13 shows the cells in a non-expanded state, and it can be seen that the outer peripheral edges of adjacent upper cells 18 overlap. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cell in an expanded state.

In this embodiment, six fluid cells 66 are combined into a unit using an intermediate sheet 72 shown in FIG. 15. The intermediate sheet 72 is made of a flexible sheet made of resin or the like, and a cell mounting hole 74 is formed at the position where each fluid cell 66 is arranged. This cell attachment hole 74 is a through hole that is smaller in outer size than the upper cell 18 and lower cell 16, but larger than the outer size of the constricted connecting portion where both cells are fixed at the center. Then, each upper cell 18 is inserted into each cell mounting hole 74 and mounted so that the constricted connecting portion is located within the cell mounting hole 74, so that all the fluid cells 66 are The upper and lower cells each having a constricted shape are mutually positioned and connected by an intermediate sheet 72 at an intermediate portion in the height direction.

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

Similarly to the fluid cell 10 of the first embodiment, the fluid cell 66 of this embodiment also includes lower air chambers 24, 24 that are connected to the upper air chambers 22 of the independent upper cells 18, 18, respectively. The lower cells 16, 16 are composed of one common cell 28, and the air flow resistance between the lower cells 16, 16 in the common cell 28 can also be adjusted and set by the ventilation hole 34.

Therefore, in the fluid cell 66 of this embodiment, the number of lower cells 16 and the pipe body 14 for fluid supply/discharge can be substantially reduced while ensuring the ability to follow the deformation of the body pressure acting surface by each upper cell 18. The same effects as the fluid cell 10 of the first embodiment can be achieved, such as the structure and manufacturing can be simplified by reducing the number of times. Further, even in a fluid cell mattress constructed using such fluid cells 66, the same effects as those of the fluid cell mattress 40 constructed using the fluid cells 10 of the first embodiment can be achieved. becomes.

In addition, when a fluid cell type mattress is constructed using the fluid cell unit 70 of this 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 The tubular body 14 will be arranged using this. Even in this case, the tube body 14 can be disposed with good space efficiency while reducing the pressure exerted on the tube body 14 by utilizing the area raised by 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. 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 to a circular shape, an oval shape, a rectangular shape, etc. when viewed from above.

Further, when a plurality of fluid cells 10 are installed side by side as in the fluid cell mattress 40 of the above embodiment, the resin sheet 26 forming the shared cell 28 of the adjacent fluid cells 10 is made of a continuous sheet. may be configured. Specifically, for example, in an 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 shared cell 28 is It is also possible to configure the unit with one continuous resin sheet extending across a plurality of shared cells adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the unit. Alternatively, in an embodiment in which a 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 It is also possible to construct one continuous resin sheet extending across a plurality of adjacent shared cells.

In the case of the fluid cell mattress 40 for a bed, if the size of the fluid cell 10 (common cell 28) in the bed width direction becomes too large, there is a concern that it will affect body pressure distribution and lateral sway. The number of fluid cells 10 (common cells 28) installed in the bed width direction is preferably two or more, more preferably three or more.

In addition to being completely independent, the upper cells 18 are connected to each other, for example, by connecting the sheet-like portions of the outer periphery in which the upper air chambers 22 are sealed, so that the adjacent upper cells 18, 18 are opposite to each other. It is also possible to prevent it from being deformed in a swinging manner to the side and being separated excessively.

Further, the upper air chamber 22 and the lower air chamber 24 can also accommodate an elastic body such as urethane foam. By accommodating the elastic body, it is possible to prevent the cell from bottoming out when a large impact load is applied, and to improve the recovery speed of the cell when the load is released.

Furthermore, the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 are not limited to the structure in which resin sheets are stacked one on top of the other and the outer peripheral portions are welded, but it is also possible to form them using a cylindrical molded body, a blow molded body, or the like. . Furthermore, the resin sheets 20 and 26 constituting the lower cell 16 and the upper cell 18 are not limited to flat sheets, but may be flat sheets that are pre-concave or convex, for example, taking into consideration the shape of the cell in the expanded state. You may also use a resin sheet that is not.

Furthermore, the structure for attaching the tubular body 14 to the shared cell 28 is not limited to fixation by sandwiching it between resin sheets as shown in the example. It is also possible to form a cylindrical port for insertion of the body 14.

Further, the fluid cell only needs to include a lower cell 16 and an upper cell 18, and for example, the lowermost cell section is provided below the lower cell section, so that the fluid cell has three or more stages in the height direction as a whole. It may have a cell structure.

When constructing a fluid cell type mattress, it is not essential to combine a plurality of fluid cells into a unit. Furthermore, even when unitizing in advance, the number of fluid cells constituting the fluid cell unit is of course not limited. It is also possible to configure a longitudinal unit extending in the direction, and the shape and size of the unit can be freely set.

Furthermore, in the fluid chamber in the shared cell 28 , a plurality of lower air chambers 24 are partitioned by being partially partitioned by the fixing region 30 extending discontinuously. It is sufficient that the fixed region 30 forms a ventilation hole 34 that communicates between the lower air chambers 24, 24, and any fixed region that does not completely airtightly separate the adjacent lower air chambers 24, 24 may be used. For example, the fixed region may be discontinuous at the ends in the length direction, may be discontinuous at the middle portion, or may be discontinuous at multiple locations in the length direction. It is possible to adjust the flow resistance of the vent hole depending on the size and shape of the discontinuous portion, and it is also possible to adopt a vent hole that extends in a meandering or curved manner, for example.

When constructing a fluid cell mattress using fluid cells according to the invention, it is not necessary to construct the entire mattress with fluid cells according to the 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.

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

Further, a plurality of supply/discharge ports may be provided in the shared cell that constitutes the fluid cell. Furthermore, the pipes for supplying and discharging fluid to and from the shared cells may be installed independently for each shared cell, but by providing a branch on one pipe, for example, one pipe can be connected to multiple pipes. It is also possible to connect to a shared cell. If the piping is connected to one supply/discharge control valve, common fluid supply/discharge control can be performed for a plurality of shared cells branch-connected to the piping. Note that if a supply/discharge control valve is provided on each branch path branching from the pipe, it is also possible to perform different fluid supply/discharge controls 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 need to be detachable as illustrated, and adhesive, welding, etc. may be employed if attachment and detachment are not required. In addition, considering that the positioning means utilizes the positioning effect of the pipe connected to the common cell as described above, it is preferable that the positioning means is located at the lower stage located closest to the fluid supply/discharge port to which the pipe is connected. It is provided at approximately the center of the bottom wall of another lower air chamber outside the area where the air chamber is formed. By providing the positioning means approximately in the center of the bottom wall of the lower air chamber, for example, when the shared cell is inflated, the part that can be maintained in contact with the mounting surface even without the positioning means can be fixed to the mounting surface. It is possible to reduce the influence on the inflation form of the lower air chamber.

Furthermore, the body pressure supporting surface constituted by the fluid cell according to the present invention is not limited to the body pressure supporting surface of a bed as illustrated. For example, a fluid cell type mattress that constitutes a body pressure supporting surface such as a seating surface or a backrest of a chair including a vehicle seat by configuring the surface that supports body pressure in a sitting posture with the fluid cells according to the present invention. It is also possible to provide The shape and arrangement direction of the upper and lower cells 12 and fluid cells 10 can also be arbitrarily set depending on the required characteristics of the body pressure support surface to be realized. For example, the planar shape of the body pressure support surface may be circular. A plurality of upper cells with a circular or arcuate planar shape are installed on top of a shared cell with an arcuate or circular planar shape, and the fixed area of the common cell is made circular or circular. It is also possible to form it so that it curves and extends into an arc shape or the like.

10 Fluid cell 12 Upper and lower cells (four in the first embodiment)
14 Pipe body 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 Common cell 30 Fixed area 32 Discontinuous portion 34 Vent hole 36 Communication path 38 Snap button (positioning means)
40 Fluid cell mattress 42 Bed 44 Bed frame 46 Mattress main body 48 Base cushion 50 Head cushion 52 Left and right cushions 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 sheet 74 Cell mounting hole

Claims (7)

A fluid cell for supporting body pressure, comprising a lower cell and an upper cell that communicate with each other, and is expandable and retractable in the height direction by supplying and discharging fluid to the lower cell and the upper cell,
The lower cell is constituted by a shared cell in which a fluid chamber is formed between the stacked surfaces of an upper sheet and a lower sheet that extend below the plurality of upper cells, and in the shared cell, fluid is supplied and discharged from the outside. Along with having a mouth,
The upper sheet and the lower sheet are partially partitioned by a fixed region extending discontinuously in the partition direction corresponding to the plurality of upper cells, so that a position corresponding to each upper cell in the shared cell is formed. A lower air chamber is defined in the lower air chamber, and adjacent lower air chambers are communicated with each other through a vent formed by a discontinuous portion of the fixed area,
A fluid cell for body pressure support, wherein the flow resistance of the ventilation hole that communicates between the lower air chambers is greater than the flow resistance of the communication path that communicates the lower air chamber and the inside of the upper cell. . A plurality of the upper cells are arranged above the shared cell in each of the X direction and the Y direction that are orthogonal to each other,
The flow resistance of the vent hole that communicates between the lower air chambers of the common cell in the X direction and the flow resistance of the vent hole that communicates the lower air chambers of the common cell in the Y direction are mutually The fluid cell for body pressure support according to claim 1, wherein the fluid cell is different. Claim 1: A pipe for supplying and discharging fluid is connected to the supply/discharge port provided in the shared cell, and a flow resistance of the pipe is larger than a flow resistance of the ventilation hole. Or the fluid cell for body pressure support according to 2. The lower sheet is provided with a positioning member with respect to the cell installation surface,
The fluid for body pressure support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positioning member is provided at a position outside the formation area of the lower air chamber located closest to the supply/discharge port. cell. A connecting portion of the upper cell to the shared cell is shaped like a constriction 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 supporting surface is constructed using a plurality of body pressure supporting fluid cells according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. A pipe according to claim 6, wherein a pipe connected to the supply/discharge port in the fluid cell and supplying/discharging fluid from the outside to the common cell is installed to extend between the lower air chambers arranged adjacent to each other. Fluid Cellular Mattress.

Images