US20040128774A1

US20040128774A1 - Mattress base for a massage bed

Info

Publication number: US20040128774A1
Application number: US10/336,198
Authority: US
Inventors: Meng-Tsung Chen
Original assignee: LifeGear Inc
Current assignee: LifeGear Inc
Priority date: 2003-01-02
Filing date: 2003-01-02
Publication date: 2004-07-08

Abstract

A base of a mattress for a massage bed. The mattress comprises a leather or vinyl cover, a thin foam pad, a thick foam pad and a dense foam pad. The base supports the mattress and includes a mesh layer made of an elastic mesh cloth, and a strap layer made of a plurality of woven straps interlaced together. Accordingly, the base of the mattress of the present invention provides the massage bed with a good supporting force, resilience, and ductility, and reduces the overall weight of the massage bed to a range from about 14 kilograms to about 15 kilograms, whereby the mattress bed is compact and easily carried by a user.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a mattress for a massage bed and, more particularly, to the base of the mattress, which is supportive and dramatically reduces the overall weight of the mattress.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Massage therapists use massage beds to give massages to people in order to relax their tense muscles. Because of medical progress, medical research has revealed that keeping xue-dao and blood vessels of human bodies running without obstruction promotes blood circulation, metabolism, peristalsis, and the like to be in good condition. Therefore, patients can enjoy the foregoing therapeutic advantages by relying on massage therapists who use massage beds which are collapsible, compact, and lightweight when the massage therapists have to travel to provide therapy.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional

prior art mattress

10 of a massage bed in structural order comprises a leather or vinyl cover 12, a thin foam pad 14, a thick foam pad 16, a dense foam pad 18, and a base board 20, which is typically a wooden board.

The

conventional mattress

10 has the following disadvantages, among others:

1. To accommodate the height of most people, the length of the massage bed is designed to be between 180 centimeters and 200 centimeters, such that the

base board

20 is relatively large in size and the overall weight of the massage bed is substantial. Typically, the total weight of a conventional massage bed is in the range from about 20 kilograms to about 30 kilograms.

2. The

base board

20 disposed at the bottom of the mattress 10 is so rigid that patients feel uncomfortable after sitting or lying on the mattress 10 for a long time.

3. Although the

base board

20 provides a good supporting force, it is not resilient and flexible.

4. If the

thin foam pad

14, the thick foam pad 16, and the dense foam pad 18 are used for a long time, they lose their resilience and the durability of the mattress 10 is reduced.

It would therefore be desirable to have a base of a mattress for a massage bed which has a good supporting force, while reducing the overall weight of the massage bed to a range from about 14 kilograms to about 15 kilograms, and making the massage bed compact for massage therapists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, the mattress for the massage bed in structural order comprises a leather or vinyl cover and at least one foam pad. The present invention is characterized in that the mattress base disposed below the mattress includes a mesh layer made of an elastic mesh cloth, and a strap layer made of a plurality of woven straps interlaced together. Accordingly, the base enhances the supporting force, resilience, and ductility of the overall mattress and reduces the overall weight of the massage bed to a range from about 14 kilograms to about 15 kilograms, whereby the mattress bed is compact and easily carried by a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which like elements in different figures are identified by the same reference numeral and wherein: [0011]
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a conventional prior art mattress for a massage bed; [0012]
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a mattress for a massage bed according to the present invention; [0013]
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the mattress for the massage bed according to the present invention; [0014]
FIG. 4 is bottom view of the mattress for the massage bed according to the present invention; [0015]
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and [0016]
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 2, a [0018] mattress 50 according to the present invention in structural order includes a leather or vinyl cover 52, a thin foam pad 54, a thick foam pad 56, a dense foam pad 58, and a base 60. The base 60 is composed of a mesh layer 62 and a strap layer 64, wherein the mesh layer 62 is made of an elastic mesh cloth and the strap layer 64 is made of a plurality of woven straps interlaced together.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the [0019] mattress 50 is mounted on a bed frame, as in the base 60. The mesh layer 62 and the strap layer 64 of the base 60 are preferably elastic, such that the base 60 structurally enhances the resilience and ductility of the mattress 50 so that the mattress 50 is ergonomic for a user's comfort while sitting and lying. Additionally, when a patient lies or sits on the mattress 50, the weight of the patient is evenly supported by the thin foam pad 54, the thick foam pad 56, the dense foam pad 58, and the base 60, such that the durability of the mattress 50 is enhanced.
The [0020] base 60 of the mattress 50 of the present invention replaces the base board 20 (FIG. 1), which is a wooden board, of the conventional mattress 10 so as to reduce the overall weight of the massage bed and to provide a massage bed which is compact and easy for a user to carry. In the process of manufacturing the prior art mattress 10, the base board 20 is made of wood, which requires cutting and sanding to obtain the correct size of the base board 20. The base 60 of the present invention includes the mesh layer 62 and the strap layer 64, which are fabric such that the cutting is considerably simpler. Additionally, the strap layer 64 is interlaced together so as to completely enhance the supporting force and the structural integrity.
Illustratively, the [0021] elastic mesh cloth 62 is Permatron® fabric, manufactured by Baycor Corporation of Pendergrass, Ga. This fabric is typically used for rebounders and trampolines and has a 100% polypropylene fabric content. A characteristic of this fabric is that it is flexible, but does not stretch. Its thickness is 20 mils and it weighs only 7.6 ounces/yard. The straps 64 are illustratively two inch wide and 1.5 mm thick polyester straps. Thus, the inventive base 60 is considerably lighter than the conventional base 20.
To assemble the [0022] base 60, the straps 64 are interlaced, as shown in FIG. 4, and have their ends secured to the aluminum frame 66, illustratively by screws (not shown). The mesh cloth 62 is then placed over the straps 64 and secured to the frame 66 by screws (not shown). If desired, hook and loop fastener fabric (e.g., Velcro®)) can be used in an intermediate step to hold the mesh fabric 62 to the frame 66 before it is secured by the screws. The foam pads 54, 56, 58 and the cover 52 are then placed over the base 60, and can be secured to the frame 66 by hook and loop fastener fabric.
The [0023] mattress 50 having the base 60 of the present invention can be used in different types of bed assemblies, such as a first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5 and a second embodiment shown in FIG. 6.
Therefore, the present invention results in the following advantages, among others: [0024]
1. The base of the mattress for the massage bed according to the present invention enhances the supporting force, resilience, and ductility of the overall mattress and allows a user who sits or lies on the mattress to feel comfortable. [0025]
2. The base of the mattress for the massage bed according to the present invention dramatically reduces the overall weight of the massage bed to a range from about 14 kilograms to about 15 kilograms. It is compact and easily carried. [0026]
3. The weight of a user who sits or lies on the mattress is evenly supported by the thin foam pad, the thick foam pad, the dense foam pad, the mesh layer and the strap layer of the base of the present invention, such that the durability of the mattress is enhanced. [0027]
4. The base of the mattress for the massage bed according to the present invention simplifies the cutting during the manufacturing process, thereby reducing production costs. [0028]
Accordingly, there has been disclosed an improved mattress base for a massage bed. While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein, it is understood that various modifications and adaptations to the disclosed embodiment are possible, and it is therefore intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. [0029]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A base of a mattress for a massage bed, said mattress in structural order comprising a cover, at least one foam pad, and a base, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the base comprises a mesh layer including an elastic mesh cloth, and a strap layer including a plurality of woven straps interlaced together.

2. The base according to claim 1 wherein the massage bed includes an aluminum frame, further CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the base is secured to the aluminum frame.

3. The base according to claim 2 further CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each of the mesh layer and the strap layer is individually secured to the aluminum frame.

4. The base according to claim 1 further CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the elastic mesh cloth is formed of polypropylene.

5. The base according to claim 4 further CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the elastic mesh cloth is Permatron® fabric.

6. The base according to claim 1 further CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each of the straps is formed of polyester.

7. The base according to claim 6 further CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each of the straps is a two inch wide and 1.5 mm thick polyester strap.