WO2013157534A1

WO2013157534A1 - Mattress of improved suitability for nursing and medical care

Info

Publication number: WO2013157534A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/061255
Authority: WO
Inventors: 英石川; 重利望月; 宣弘笹澤
Original assignee: 株式会社タイカ
Priority date: 2012-04-18
Filing date: 2013-04-16
Publication date: 2013-10-24
Also published as: JPWO2013157534A1; CN104244896A; CN104244896B; JP5555384B2

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention addresses the technical problem of developing a novel mattress of improved suitability for nursing and medical care, suitable for preventing pressure ulcers. [Solution] The present invention is characterized by being provided with: elastic forms comprising a base layer elastic form and an upper layer elastic form, formed into at least two layers; and a plurality of strips of a gel sheet, which are provided between the elastic forms and for which the length direction is set to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the elastic forms; at least some of the upper layer elastic form disposed above the gel sheet, which is provided in an embedded state, being configured to be a form block narrower than the length dimension of the gel sheet so as to intersect with the surface of at least two adjacent pieces of the gel sheet.

Description

Mattress with improved care and medical aptitude

The present invention relates to a mattress suitable for pressure ulcer prevention and the like, which has an enhanced effect of preventing symptoms called bed sores or pressure ulcers that may occur in patients who are bedridden, and is particularly optimized for use conditions, and It relates to mattresses with improved care and medical aptitudes that have been improved, such as improved sanitary properties through improved cleaning suitability.

For so-called bedridden elderly and healed patients, there is a risk that floor rubbing or the like may occur due to a constant posture on the bed for a long time. Of course, if such care is given to the patient such as sufficient posture change and body wiping, the occurrence of pressure sores called so-called floor rubs can be prevented at a significant rate, but the current public or In the current situation of home care, there is a limit to seeking ideal human care.

In this situation, several proposals have been made to prevent the development of pressure ulcers on the brace. Most of these eyes are concentrated in pressure ulcers, such as the sacral region, so pressure is concentrated, so take measures to reduce the pressure, or develop pressure ulcers in a ventilated state. Development from the viewpoint of ensuring air permeability from the viewpoint of being extremely affected is being carried out.

By the way, among the general researchers, while estimating the cause of pressure ulcer development, not only breathability but also improvement in the direction of eliminating pressure concentration at the high pressure ulcer occurrence site is extremely effective. Various types of air mattresses and foam mattresses have been proposed as means for eliminating such pressure concentration. As the air mattress, there is a method of controlling the air pressure or partially switching the pressure, and although the effect of eliminating pressure concentration is high, the pressure control becomes impossible at the time of a power failure, and the air mattress has a unique shaking There may be discomfort, and the posture of the caregiver and caregiver becomes unstable when the posture is changed on the air mattress or when the user (caregiver) is transferred to the air mattress. There were also problems such as easy. On the other hand, a foam mattress is a mattress in which a foam material (elastic foam) such as polyurethane foam is singly or laminated, and is also called a stationary mattress because pressure control by power is not required unlike an air mattress. Due to the characteristics that can improve the problem of air mattresses, it is often used for users with moderate or low pressure ulcer levels. However, foamed polyurethane, etc., which is generally used as a mattress material for bedding, tends to induce pressure ulcers due to the tendency of the body position pressure to concentrate partially. On the other hand, if it is soft, there is an effect of pressure dispersion, and although concentration of pressure on the sacral region etc. can be eliminated, the patient's position sinks and bends, causing other disorders, etc. Had technical incompleteness.

The present applicant has proposed a new technique for solving the technical problem of such a foam mattress, and has already obtained a patent as Japanese Patent No. 4667943 “mat for preventing pressure ulcer” (see Patent Document 1). Implemented products are well received by the market.
This technology pays attention to the fact that the user's spine is articulated, and multiple strips of gel sheets are placed between the layers of the foam mat material in a direction perpendicular to the user's spine, so that there are various modes in the height direction. The principle of the invention is to hold the user like a hammock (supporting action) while the gel sheet is elastically deformed (elongated and deformed) in the longitudinal direction according to each part of the sleeping posture. At this time, it is ideal that the gel sheet extends to the long direction and acts like a hammock for the user.
From this point of view, the present applicant has obtained the following new knowledge while continuing the technological development. That is, because the foam mat material arranged on the upper layer of the gel sheet is a single sheet that covers the entire surface, this foam mat material on the upper layer is accompanied by the sinking of the user's sleeping position. Since tensile stress is generated in all directions, the load (stress) direction acting on the gel sheet is diversified. Therefore, a part of the load is not reflected in the action of the gel sheet extending in the longitudinal direction, so that the supporting action is It was found that there was room for improvement because it was not fully utilized.
Furthermore, in addition to this new knowledge, the equipment used for this type of care / medical care has different requirements depending on the individual physical condition of each user, and technical improvements corresponding to each device are constantly being made. It has been demanded. The specific technical requirements include, for example, improvements to mat materials due to weight differences and deterioration of elastic function, and users who need frequent rollovers (postural changes) and their caregivers. It is an improvement to make it easier to perform, a safety measure when sitting on a bed, and a measure for cleaning and disinfection at regular intervals.

Japanese Patent No. 4674943

In order to comprehensively respond to such various technical demands, the present invention adds further improvements to the foam mattress technology accumulated by the applicant and improves the care and medical aptitude for new pressure ulcer prevention. The proposed mattress is proposed.

That is, the mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to claim 1 is provided between an elastic foam composed of at least a base layer elastic foam and an upper layer elastic foam, and the base layer elastic foam and the upper layer elastic foam. A plurality of strip-shaped gel sheets whose length direction is set in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elastic foam, and at least a part of the upper layer elastic foam disposed above the gel sheet is adjacent to at least two pieces. It is characterized by being configured as a foam block having a width shorter than the length of the gel sheet so as to cross the surface of the mating gel sheet.

In addition to the requirement described in claim 1, the mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to claim 2 is characterized in that a plurality of foam blocks are connected at the lower part. .

Furthermore, in the mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to claim 3, in addition to the requirement according to claim 1 or 2, the foam block has a long piece shape, the longitudinal center line thereof, and the length of the gel sheet. The intersection angle with the direction center line is 90 ° ± 60 °.

Furthermore, in the mattress with improved care / medical aptitude according to claim 4, in addition to the requirements of

claim

1, 2, or 3, each foam block has a different shape or property. It consists of features.

Furthermore, in addition to the requirements of

claim

1, 2, 3 or 4, the mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to claim 5 has a rebound resilience of the foam block and / or upper layer elastic foam of 50. % Or more (conforms to JIS K6400-3).

Furthermore, in addition to the requirements of

claim

1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, the mattress with improved care / medical aptitude according to claim 6 is characterized in that the elastic foam has a side portion on its longitudinal side edge. It is characterized in that a hard part is formed.

Furthermore, in the mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to claim 7, in addition to the requirement according to

claim

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, all or a part of the elastic foam is film-free. It is characterized by being formed of foam.

Furthermore, the mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to claim 8 is positioned so that both ends of the gel sheet overlap the side hard part in plan view in addition to the requirements of claim 6 or 7. It is characterized by being.

Furthermore, in addition to the requirements described in

claim

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, the mattress with improved care / medical aptitude according to claim 9 includes: A lateral gap extending in the width direction is formed in a range other than the portion located at the waist of the user.

Furthermore, the mattress with improved care / medical aptitude according to claim 10 has the requirements of

claim

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 and the base layer elastic foam. The hardness is set to be equal to or higher than the hardness of the upper layer elastic foam, and the hardness of the upper layer elastic foam is 50 to 120 N (conforms to JIS K6400-2: 25% compression).

First, according to the first, second, third, and fourth aspects of the invention, it is possible to improve the hammock effect of the gel sheet while maintaining body pressure dispersibility and to maintain a good posture. It is possible to prevent pressure ulcer (rubbing the floor) while reducing the above.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, since the user can easily perform the operation when turning over, the burden on the user and the caregiver can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 6, since the hard portion is present near the side edge portion of the mattress, the hard portion acts as if the mattress is trimmed, and prevents the user from falling off the mattress. The sitting position is stabilized in a state where the mattress is laid on the bed, and as a result, it is possible to improve the stability when further rising from the sitting position.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 7, by using a film-free foam as a raw material, the air permeability and water permeability of the raw material are improved, the washing suitability is increased, and the drying after washing is performed smoothly. Can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 8, since both ends of the gel sheet overlap with the hard part in a plan view, a situation where the end of the gel sheet is stably held is obtained, and the hammock-like support effect by the gel sheet is further increased. It is definitely obtained.

Furthermore, according to the inventions of claims 9 and 10, appropriate support according to the body part of the user can be achieved.

It is a perspective view which shows the use condition of the mattress of this invention, and the mode of a deformation | transformation of a support action part. It is the perspective view which isolate | separates and shows the constituent material of a mattress, and a partially expanded sectional view. It is the top view, front view, and side view of a mattress. It is the front view and cross-sectional view which show the state in which the foam block and the gel sheet are deforming in cooperation with the user sleeping in the supine posture. It is the cross-sectional view which shows the variation of an elastic foam, and the top view which shows the arrangement | positioning aspect of a gel sheet. It is sectional drawing which shows various foam blocks. It is a top view which shows the example of formation of a foam block. It is a top view which shows the variation of the combination aspect of a foam block and a gel sheet. It is a top view which shows the variation of the arrangement | positioning aspect of a foam block and a gel sheet. It is the top view, side view, and cross-sectional view which show the variation of the aspect which formed the foam block in the two-layer which is an example of a multilayer. It is a top view which shows the pattern of the foam block 1 verified in the Example. It is a top view which shows the pattern of the foam block 2 verified in the Example. It is a top view which shows the pattern of the foam block 3 verified in the Example.

1 Mattress 11 Cover Sheet 2 Elastic Foam 20 Base Layer Elastic Foam 20a First Base Layer Elastic Foam 20b Second Base Layer Elastic Foam 21 Upper Layer Elastic Foam 22 Foam Block 22a First Foam Block 22b First Foam Block 23 Connecting Portion 24 Gap Part 24a First gap part 24b Second gap part 25 Lateral gap part 3 Gel sheet 31 Adhesion reinforcement hole 4 Side hard part 5 Support action part 6 Sheet B Bed P User

The best mode of the mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to the present invention is as shown below. However, it is possible to appropriately modify this form within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on an example of the embodiment shown in FIGS. First, an outline of the configuration of a mattress (hereinafter abbreviated as a mattress) with improved care / medical aptitude according to the present invention will be described.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a mattress according to the present invention, which is laid on an appropriate bed B and used so that a user P sleeps mainly in a supine posture.
In FIG. 3, the bottom surface of the mattress 1 is not shown, but is flat. Moreover, the gel sheet 3 depicted by a broken line in FIG. 3 is provided inside without being visually recognized from the outside.

The mattress 1 of the present invention includes, as main members, an elastic foam 2 including at least a base layer elastic foam 20 and an upper layer elastic foam 21, and a plurality of layers provided between the base layer elastic foam 20 and the upper layer elastic foam 21. The strip-shaped gel sheet 3 is covered with a cover sheet 11 for use. Of course, in actual use, it is preferable to use the sheet 6 in combination so that at least the upper surface of the cover sheet 11 can be replaced more frequently. The plurality of strip-shaped gel sheets 3 are arranged in a substantially parallel state over the longitudinal direction of the elastic foam 2 (or mattress 1) with the longitudinal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the elastic foam 2 (or mattress 1). Is done. In this arrangement, a plurality of strip-shaped gel sheets 3 are arranged in a substantially parallel state in a direction in which the long direction is orthogonal to the height direction of the user P (that is, the spine direction) and across the height direction of the user P. This arrangement corresponds to the above, and the strip-shaped gel sheet 3 extends in the longitudinal direction and exhibits a support effect that acts like a hammock on the user P.
In addition, the said orthogonal does not necessarily need to be strictly perpendicular, and the longitudinal direction of the gel sheet 3 is generally the width direction of the elastic foam 2 within a range where the hammock-like support effect is exhibited. It only has to be arranged.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the mattress 1 is provided for the purpose of preventing the user P from falling off the mattress 1 and for stabilizing the sitting position in a state where the user is seated on the bed B on which the mattress 1 is laid. It is more preferable to use a configuration including the side hard portion 4 provided along the long edge portion. The side rigid portion 4 can be provided on both the base layer elastic foam 20 and the upper layer elastic foam 21, but if a large hardness difference (hardness gap) occurs on the upper layer surface of the mattress 1, the sitting stability is impaired. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the base layer elastic foam 20.
The gel sheet 3 is a member effective for preventing pressure ulcers and maintaining a good sleeping posture, which are the main purposes of the present invention. The gel sheet 3 is provided with a foam block 22 to be described later. The part is referred to as the supporting action part 5.

Each of these constituent members will be described below. First, the elastic foam 2 has, for example, a shape having a length of 1950 mm, a width of 780 mm, and a thickness of about 50 to 200 mm, and has rebound resilience (sometimes referred to simply as elasticity). A foamed resin such as foamed polyurethane is applied as an example. These dimensions and materials, as well as the magnitude of the resilience and the compression / restoration characteristics (the relationship between the displacement in the compression direction and the resilience) are appropriately changed according to the body shape of the user P and the properties required of the mattress 1. Is. Here, the elasticity in the elastic foam 2 (the same applies to the base layer elastic foam 20 and the upper layer elastic foam 21) includes viscoelasticity having a viscous element.
As the foamed resin, either closed cell or open cell can be applied, but open cell foam is preferable from the viewpoint of air permeability. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of further improving the air permeability and water permeability, it is more preferable to use a film-free foam (film-free foam) in which the bubble membrane is removed to achieve communication. The film foam can be obtained by removing the foamed resin after molding by a crushing method, an alkali treatment method, a blasting method, or the like.

Next, the hardness of the elastic foam 2 in each part will be described. First, it is preferable that the hardness of the base layer elastic foam 20 is equal to or higher than the hardness of the upper layer elastic foam 21, and the base layer portion 20 and the first base layer elastic foam 20a are the same as the mattress 1 illustrated in FIGS. In the case where the double-layer elastic foam 20b is composed of two layers, it is preferably set so as to gradually become harder as the distance from the gel sheet 3 in the thickness direction of the mattress 1 increases. As an example, the hardness of the upper elastic foam 21 is set to 50 to 120 N (conforms to JIS K6400-2: 25% compression), and the hardness of the base layer elastic foam 20 is equal to or higher than the hardness of the upper elastic foam 21 (hard). .
Further, the side hard portion 4 is formed of a foamed resin such as polyurethane foam which is harder (high hardness or high resilience) than the base layer elastic foam 20 and the upper layer elastic foam 21.
Furthermore, you may vary the hardness of the elastic foam 2 for every site | part corresponding to the upper body of the user P, a waist, and a leg.

Next, the gel sheet 3 is formed with dimensions of, for example, a length of 450 mm, a width of 80 mm, and a thickness of about 2 mm. The material of the gel sheet 3 is, for example, a silicone material such as αGEL (alpha gel: registered trademark) manufactured by Taika Corporation, a urethane gel such as human skin gel (human skin: registered trademark) manufactured by EXCIAL Corporation, Cosmo Keiki Co., Ltd. Olefin-based gels such as Cosmo PE gel (registered trademark) manufactured by the Company can be applied. The hardness of the gel sheet 3 is preferably in the range of, for example, Asker hardness value C0-40 (conforming to SRIS 0101 standard) or penetration (JISK2207 25 ° C.) 50-250. Here, the gel in the present invention includes the concept of a so-called rubber material, and is not limited to the gel material exemplified above, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, acrylic rubber, etc. Also known rubber materials can be applied. These dimensions and hardness are appropriately changed according to body conditions such as the body shape and weight of the user P and the properties required for the mattress 1. For example, when the weight of the user P is heavy, the design may be changed such as increasing the hardness, increasing the size to increase the pressure receiving area, or increasing the thickness of the gel sheet.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the gel sheet 3 is in the form of a sheet having the same thickness, but considering that the pressure receiving state varies depending on the body part of the user P, the thickness is correspondingly increased. The pressure receiving state can be changed in accordance with the pressure receiving value, for example, by changing the pressure or by using a rectangular shape other than a rectangle.
The “hardness” is generally a value measured with a hardness meter corresponding to the hardness range. In the present invention, in order to define the hardness in the low hardness region of the Asker C hardness in more detail, It is regulated in accordance with the input.

Further, the cover sheet 11 that covers the entire surface is only required to ensure air permeability as appropriate, and the texture is preferably as bulky as possible. Therefore, it is an example to which three-dimensional knitting such as so-called Russell knitting, which is close to knitting, is applicable rather than weaving. The cover sheet 11 itself is preferably removable from the mattress 1 and can be cleaned, but it is preferable to apply a cover sheet that has been further treated to further improve its therapeutic functions such as antifungal properties and antibacterial properties.

Further, the sheet 6 provided on at least the upper surface of the mattress 1 is designed to allow more frequent replacement. Depending on the situation of the patient P, for example, a sheet having water repellency in consideration of measures at the time of incontinence, etc. An appropriate one can be selected.

A specific form of the mattress 1 is such that the entire thickness of the elastic foam 2 is about 50 mm to 200 mm, and the elastic foam 2 provided below the gel sheet 3 is used as the base layer elastic foam 20. The elastic foam 2 provided above the gel sheet 3 (on the user side) is referred to as an upper layer elastic foam 21. The same definition is applied even when the upper layer elastic foam 21 and the base layer elastic foam 20 have a multilayer structure. As a result, the gel sheet 3 is sandwiched and provided between at least a part of them.

Next, exemplifying variations of the elastic foam 2, first, the elastic foam 2 in the mattress 1 shown in FIG. 5A is constituted by a base layer elastic foam 20 and an upper layer elastic foam 21. Moreover, the elastic foam 2 in the mattress 1 shown in FIG. 5 (b) is configured by a base layer elastic foam 20 having a first base layer elastic foam 20a and a second base layer elastic foam 20b provided on top of this. The upper layer elastic foam 21 is further stacked thereon. Furthermore, in the elastic foam 2 in the mattress 1 shown in FIG. 5C, both sides of the second base layer elastic foam 20b in the elastic foam 2 shown in FIG. Is provided. The base layer elastic foam 20, the upper layer elastic foam 21, the side hard portion 4, and the gel sheet 3 are bonded to each other using a known adhesive or welding method (also referred to as adhesive fixation). The mattress 1 is assembled. The gel sheet 3 does not necessarily need to be adhesively fixed over the entire surface. In order to obtain a hammock-like support effect, at least both ends should be adhesively fixed to the base layer elastic foam 20 and / or the upper layer elastic foam 21. That's fine. In the example of the multilayer structure in which the base layer elastic foam 20 is composed of the first base layer elastic foam 20a and the second base layer elastic foam 20b, at least the second base layer elastic foam 20b includes the gel sheet 3 and The first base layer elastic foam 20a and the second base layer elastic foam 20b do not necessarily have to be bonded as long as they are bonded and fixed to the upper layer elastic foam 21.
In the mattress 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a slope that descends inward is formed on the inner side of the side hard part 4. 1 to 4 show a form in which the gel sheet 3 is not positioned above the side hard part 4, but a form in which the gel sheet 3 is arranged so as to overlap the side hard part 4 in plan view may be adopted. The situation where the edge part of the gel sheet 3 is stably hold | maintained is obtained, and the hammock-like support effect by the gel sheet 3 can be acquired still more reliably. In this case, it is preferable to form an adhesion strengthening hole 31 to be described later in a portion located above the side hard portion 4.
Further, the mattress 1 shown in FIG. 3 has a flat bottom surface, but in order to facilitate the follow-up of the bed B, the width of the mattress 1 is placed on the bottom surface of the lowermost base layer elastic foam 20. You may give the groove process along a direction.

The upper-layer elastic foam 21 is divided by providing a gap 24 at the portion of the supporting action portion 5, and the divided portion is used as a foam block 22 (FIG. 5 ( In FIG. 5 (a) to FIG. 5 (c), the foam block 22 is not shown). The upper-layer elastic foam 21 includes not only a single-layer structure but also a multi-layer structure, and the case where the upper-layer elastic foam 21 is a single layer will be described below as an example, and the multi-layer structure will be described later. To do. Among the upper layer elastic foams 21 having a single layer structure shown below, those shown in FIGS. 6 (b), (c), (e), (f) and (g) have a connecting portion 23. However, as will be described below, the connecting portion 23 connects the foam block 22 and is integrated with the foam block 22, so that it is substantially simple. It shall be handled as a layer structure.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the foam block 22 is arranged on the base layer elastic foam 20 in a state of being individually divided in a sectional view, and the gel sheet 3 and the foam which are the features of the present invention. As long as the linkage with the block 22 is not impaired, a configuration in which the lower portion is connected by the connecting portion 23 as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C can also be adopted. First, in FIG. 6 (b), an independent prismatic foam block 22 is laid down horizontally, and an elastic foam material constituting one connecting portion 23 is positioned at the bottom, and these are bonded or welded together. Is. FIG. 6 (c) shows an independent prismatic foam block 22 lying on its side, with a rectangular bar-like elastic foam material positioned on its lower side, and these are bonded or welded together. The connecting portion 23 functions to reinforce the adhesive fixing between the foam block 22 and the gel sheet 3 and / or the base layer elastic foam 20, for example. Further, when the surface of the gel sheet 3 has adhesiveness (tackiness), the connecting portion 23 covers the surface of the gel sheet 3, and thus has an effect of preventing adhesion dirt such as dust on the gel sheet 3. Note that the material and properties of the connecting portion 23 may be the same as or different from those of the foam block 22. Thus, between the foam blocks 22 connected by the connecting portion 23, there is a certain interval, and this is referred to as a gap portion 24.

As shown in FIG. 6D, by forming a gap portion 24 by cutting the upper portion of a solid elastic foam material into a slit shape, it is as if a plurality of long foam blocks 22 have voids 24. It can also be configured to be connected in a formed state. By adopting the configuration of FIG. 6D, the configurations of FIGS. 6B and 6C can be easily formed, and the same effects as the configurations of FIGS. 6B and 6C are realized. However, productivity can be improved.
In addition, since the said gap | interval part 24 should not have a remarkable influence with respect to deformation | transformation of each foam block 22 on the principle of this invention, the form with which one part or the whole surface of adjacent foam blocks 22 has contact | connected is also possible. Is included. That is, if the contact portion with the adjacent foam block 22 is not fixed, the width of the gap portion 24 may be zero.
On the other hand, if the width of the gap 24 becomes too wide, it may be difficult to turn over or change the body posture, and the sleeping comfort and body pressure dispersibility may be impaired. Includes the above 0 mm, preferably 20 mm or less, more preferably 10 mm or less, and particularly preferably 5 mm or less. Here, the value of the width of the gap 24 is the value of the shortest distance between the side surfaces of the adjacent foam blocks 22.
In FIGS. 6A to 6D, the gap 24 is constant, but the gap between the gaps 24 may be changed. The gap 24 is also effective for improving air permeability.

The cross-sectional shape in the short direction of these foam blocks 22 is not only a quadrangle as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (d), but also a semicircular shape as shown in FIG. 6 (e). A semi-elliptical shape as shown, or a so-called mushroom shape in which the upper portion bulges and the base portion is somewhat narrowed as shown in FIG. 6G can be applied.
Further, the upper surface of the foam block 22 is made smooth as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (g), and fine irregularities may be formed as shown in FIG. 6 (h). Good. As for the foam block 22, when the depth of the gap portion 24 is compared with the thickness dimension of the connecting portion 23 as in the above-described embodiment, it is preferable that the depth of the gap portion 24 is increased. As shown in FIG. 6 (h), the thickness dimension of the connecting portion 23 is sufficiently taken, and the depth dimension of the gap portion 24 is set to such an extent that the interlocking property between the gel sheet 3 and the foam block 22, which is a feature of the present invention, is not impaired. It can also be taken shallow. Further, the depth of the gap 24 can be partially varied.

When the foam block 22 is viewed in plan, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), it is independent in a columnar shape, as shown in FIG. 7 (b), a combination of elastic foam materials in the vertical direction, As shown in FIG. 7 (c), a part of one elastic foam material in which a part is cut out so as to form the gap portion 24 can be applied. Furthermore, the material of the foam block 22 may be made different depending on the part corresponding to the body of the user P, for example, so that the hardness differs for each part.

Next, an adhesion fixing mode of the gel sheet 3 and the foam block 22 will be described.
As described above, the gel sheet 3 is combined with the base layer elastic foam 20 and the upper layer elastic foam 21 so as to be sandwiched from above and below. In this case, the upper layer elastic foam 21 and the gel sheet 3 may be bonded and fixed in all of the foam blocks 22 or only a part thereof may be fixed. In addition, when only a part is fixed, it is preferable that the gel sheet 3 is fixed at both ends in the longitudinal direction.
In fixing the elastic foam 2 and the gel sheet 3 described above, in order to make the fixing more complete, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, an adhesion reinforcing hole 31 is provided in the gel sheet 3 and the base elastic foam 20 ( The second base layer portion elastic foam 20b) and the foam block 22 (upper layer elastic foam 21) are adhered to each other to securely fix the position.

Next, the variation of the combination aspect of the foam block 22 in the upper layer part elastic foam 21 and the gel sheet 3 is demonstrated. These can take various forms. First, the features shown in FIG. 8 are illustrated as features in a plan view.
That is, in FIG. 8A, two foam blocks 22 are provided so as to be divided at the center with respect to three strip-shaped gel sheets 3.
In FIG. 8B, a wide foam block 22 is arranged in the center, and narrow foam blocks 22 are arranged on both sides thereof.
Furthermore, what is shown in FIG. 8 (c) is one in which foam blocks 22 of equal width are arranged in parallel at equal intervals.
Further, in FIG. 8 (d), the equal-width foam blocks 22 are arranged in parallel, and the size of the gap portion 24 formed between the three central pieces is formed on both sides thereof. This is narrower than the dimension of the gap 24 to be formed.
Further, FIG. 8 (e) shows a structure in which foam blocks 22 of three kinds of width dimensions are arranged in parallel, with the widest foam block 22 arranged in the center and the narrowest foam on the outside. A block 22 is disposed, and a medium-width foam block 22 is disposed on the outside thereof. Further, the size of the gap portion 24 formed on the center side is made wider than the size of the gap portion 24 formed on the outside thereof.
Furthermore, what is shown in FIG. 8 (f) is that all the foam blocks 22 do not connect the gel sheets 3 in the same way, but the connection states of the foam blocks 22 and the gel sheets 3 are different. The foam blocks 22 are connected to all three gel sheets 3, and the three foam blocks 22 are arranged in a staggered manner and are connected to two gel sheets 3 respectively.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A to 8F, the foam block 22 is a long piece, and the intersection angle between the longitudinal center line and the gel sheet 3 is approximately 90 °. However, the crossing angle can be set within a range in which the effect of the present invention by the interlocking action of the gel sheet 3 and the foam block 22 is obtained. Specifically, 90 ° ± 60 ° is preferable, and 90 ° ± 45 Is more preferable, and 90 ° ± 30 ° is particularly preferable. Further, for example, the crossing angle may be varied for each part corresponding to the upper body, waist, and lower limbs of the user P. However, if the effects of the present invention can be obtained, it is possible to adopt an arrangement mode that deviates from this. That is, in the case shown in FIG. 8 (g), an isosceles triangular foam block 22 is arranged in the center, and two gel sheets 3 are connected by this, and further, parallel to the oblique side of the isosceles triangle. As shown, straight rows of foam blocks 22 are arranged in two rows.
Further, in FIG. 8 (h), a straight rod-shaped foam block 22 is arranged at the center, and arc-shaped foam blocks 22 are arranged on both sides thereof with the curved outer periphery facing inward. In this case, the width of the gap 24 is not constant, and increases or decreases along the curved outer periphery of the foam block 22.
Furthermore, what is shown in FIG. 8 (i) is a configuration in which oblong foam blocks 22 are arranged in a staggered manner, and each foam block 22 connects two gel sheets 3 together. In this case, the width of the gap 24 is not constant, and increases or decreases along the outer shape of the foam block 22. Further, the gap 24 is not only formed between the adjacent foam blocks 22, but the gap 24 is also formed between the adjacent foam blocks 22.

Further, in FIGS. 7 and 8 described above, only the form in the support action portion 5 has been described with respect to the arrangement form of the foam block 22 and the gel sheet 3, but the following arrangement is provided as the arrangement form of the mattress 1 as a whole. Conceivable. That is, the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A shows an example in which the gel sheet 3 is disposed over the substantially entire length direction (longitudinal direction) of the mattress 1 and the supporting action portion 5 is configured over the entire surface. It is.
Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9B, the gel sheet 3 is disposed over the substantially entire length direction (longitudinal direction) of the mattress 1, but the foam block 22 is disposed only at the portion corresponding to the waist of the user P. Thus, an example in which the supporting action portion 5 is formed at this portion is shown.
Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9C, the gel sheet 3 is disposed over substantially the entire length direction (longitudinal direction) of the mattress 1, and the body of the user P with respect to the foam block 22. Is formed in a range in the width direction where the main part is located, and a lateral gap 25 perpendicular to the gap 24 is provided in a range other than the vicinity of the region corresponding to the waist of the user P. . In addition, the site | part which corresponds to the said user's P waist | lumbar corresponds to the center area | region when the mattress 1 is divided into three equal parts in a substantially full length direction as a standard. It is important that the lateral gap 25 has a depth that does not impair the interlocking between the gel sheet 3 and the foam block 22, which is a feature of the present invention, and is not more than the depth of the gap 24. . In addition, if the width of the lateral gap portion 25 becomes too wide, it may be difficult to turn over or change the posture, and is preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less, particularly preferably 3 mm or less, A part or all of the side surfaces of the adjacent foam blocks 22 separated by the directional gap portion 25 may be in contact with each other (corresponding to the case where the width of the lateral gap portion 25 is 0 mm). Here, the value of the width of the lateral gap 25 is the value of the shortest distance between the side surfaces of the adjacent foam blocks 22.
In addition, in the lower limb of the user P, particularly in the region corresponding to the buttocks, the size of the lattice portion formed by the gap 24 and the lateral gap 25 is preferably 30 to 50 mm × 30 to 50 mm. The size range is equivalent to the standard buttock contact size for adults in the supine position. Especially effective. If the size of the grid portion is smaller than this range, the apparent hardness of the upper layer elastic foam 21 may be too low (soft), and it may be difficult to turn over, and if the size of the grid portion is large, the upper layer is particularly high. In the case where the partial elastic foam 21 is a highly repulsive material, the feeling of wrapping the heel during “evaluation of fitting performance to the heel” described later becomes poor.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 (d), the arrangement of the gel sheet 3 is different from that of the mattress 1 shown in FIG. 9 (c), and the portion corresponding to the waist of the user P who is most loaded is applied. Only the gel sheet 3 is provided. Of course, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, only the arrangement of the gel sheet 3 can be applied to the configuration shown in FIG. 9D. As described above, for example, the number of the gel sheets 3 is changed according to the body shape of the user P, the shape of the gel sheets 3 is partially changed, and further, the interval between the gel sheets 3 is changed for each part. Is possible.

The embodiment described above is an example in which the upper layer elastic foam 21 is formed as a single layer. Hereinafter, the embodiment in which the upper layer elastic foam 21 is a multilayer (for example, a two-layer structure) will be described. Description will be made by focusing on the portion of the foam block 22.
First, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10A, the foam block 22 has a two-layer structure of a first foam block 22a and a second foam block 22b. The width of the foam block 22b has the same dimension, and as a result, the interval portion 24 has the same dimension throughout the depth direction.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10B, the second foam block 22b shown in FIG. 10A is divided into a discontinuous and laminated state on the first foam block 22a. In particular, the performance of the mattress 1 is changed.
Furthermore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 (c) is an example in which the width of the first foam block 22a is smaller than the width of the second foam block 22b in the foam block 22 shown in FIG. 10 (a). is there. The embodiment shown in FIG. 10D is an example in which the width of the second foam block 22b in the foam block 22 shown in FIG. 10A is smaller than the width of the first foam block 22a. As shown in FIGS. 10C and 10D, the effect of the mattress 1 of the present invention can be further diversified by making the width of each layer of the foam block 22 made of multiple layers different. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 (c) and 10 (d), the second foam block 22b is discontinuous and the first foam block is dissimilar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 (b). It is good also as a lamination | stacking state on 22a.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10 (e), the second foam block 22b may be arranged orthogonal to the first foam block 22a. In this embodiment, since the second foam block 22b is deformed in the same direction as the gel sheet 3, the gel sheet is formed when the gap 24 of the first foam block 22a is wide or the arrangement interval of the gel sheets 3 is wide. The action which assists the hammock-like support effect by 3 can be added.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the first foam block 22a and the second foam block 22b have different hardness, thickness, and resilience, so that the feeling of use such as body pressure dispersibility and rollover is appropriately selected. It becomes possible to do.

The mattress 1 of the present invention adopts the embodiment as described above as an example, and the operation principle thereof will be described below based on the embodiment shown in FIGS.
The mattress 1 of the present invention can realize a suitable sleeping posture by supporting the user P's body (especially the waist) in the support action portion 5, and the principle is on the gel sheet 3. The upper layer elastic foam 21 (single layer) to be laminated is divided so as to intersect with the gel sheet 3, and the direction of the tensile stress of the upper layer elastic foam 21 when the user lies down acts on the gel sheet 3 efficiently. In addition, the plurality of gel sheets 3 are caused to act in cooperation with the foam block 22 which is the divided upper layer elastic foam 21, and the width direction of the gel sheet 3 is determined by the presence of each foam block 22 and the gap 24. It is mentioned that the pulling action is not impaired.
As a result, the gel sheet 3 exhibits an ideal pulling action in the width direction, and the actions and effects of the supporting action part 5 become more remarkable by newly adding a linkage action with a plurality of gel sheets 3. It is. Specifically, since the hammock-like support effect by the gel sheet 3 is improved while maintaining the body pressure dispersibility and the good posture is maintained, the pressure ulcer is reduced while reducing the burden on the body of the user P. It is possible to prevent (floor rubbing). Further, when the foam block 22 and / or the upper layer elastic foam 21 is applied with a high resilience foam having a resilience of 50% or more (conforming to JIS K6400-3), an operation when the user P turns over Can be made easier. Further, since the side hard portion 4 is present near the side edge of the mattress 1, the side hard portion 4 acts as if the mattress 1 is trimmed, and prevents the user P from falling off the mattress 1. The sitting position is stabilized in the state where the mattress 1 is laid on the bed B, and as a result, it is possible to improve the stability when further rising from there. Furthermore, by using a film-free foam as a raw material, the air permeability and water permeability of the raw material are improved, the washing suitability is increased, the drying after washing is performed smoothly, and the sanitary property can be improved. Furthermore, when both ends of the gel sheet 3 overlap with the side hard portions 4 in a plan view, a situation where the end portions of the gel sheet 3 are stably held is obtained, and a hammock-like support effect by the gel sheet 3 is obtained. Is more reliably obtained. Furthermore, appropriate support according to the body part of the user P can be achieved.

Specific examples and comparative examples of the mattress 1 of the present invention will be described below, but the mattress 1 of the present invention is not limited to this example.
First, as the mattress 1 of the present invention, a gel sheet 3 (two-component addition type silicone gel CF5106 manufactured by Toray Dow Silicone Co., Ltd .: Asker C hardness 25 compliant with SRIS 0101 standard) and urethane foam shown in Table 1 are used. 12 types of mattresses 1 having different patterns of the foam blocks 22 were produced from the types 1 to 4 of the mattresses 1 having the specifications shown in 2 to 5 as described above. It was set to 12. In the production of each mattress, the elastic foam 2 and the gel sheet 3 which are constituent members of the mattress are bonded and fixed to the surfaces where the respective members are in contact with each other using a urethane-based adhesive. The hardness values in Tables 2 to 5 are measured values based on JIS K6400-2 (25% compression: Method D).
As a comparative example, in the mattress 1 of types 1 to 4, there is no pattern of the foam block 22 (a structure in which one upper layer elastic foam 21 is laminated on the entire surface of the base elastic foam 20). These were designated as Comparative Examples 1 to 4.

First, the type 1 mattress 1 is constructed as shown in FIG. 5 (a), and the type 2 mattress 1 is constructed as shown in FIG. 5 (b). The

mattresses

3 and 4 are configured as shown in FIG. In FIG. 5 (c), the slope that descends toward the inside of the side hard part 4 is indicated by imaginary lines, but the side hard part 4 in the mattress 1 of

type

3 or 4 is This is indicated by a solid line with no slope. The type 4 mattress 1 is one in which a film-free foam is applied as all urethane foam.

The pattern 1 of the foam block 22 is as shown in FIG. 11 and is provided with an independent block pattern in which a vertical gap 24 (width 2 mm) is formed. Further, the pattern 2 is as shown in FIG. 12, and the gap portion 24 (width 2 mm, depth 30 mm) is formed by connecting the foam block 22 by the connecting portion 23. Further, the pattern 3 is as shown in FIG. 13, and a lateral gap 25 (width 1 mm, depth 20 mm) is formed with respect to the pattern 2.
Note that the foam blocks 22 of the

patterns

2 and 3 are formed by partially cutting the elastic foam 2 so as to be in a half cut state. Further, in the foam block 22 of the pattern 3, the depth of the vertical gap portion 24 is formed deeper than the depth of the horizontal gap portion 25. Further, the bottom surface of the foam block 22 or the upper layer elastic body 21 shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 is in a flat state as shown in the bottom view of FIG.
The arrangement pattern of the gel sheets 3 is the same as that of the mattress 1 of types 1 to 4, and four gel sheets 3 are arranged at equal intervals in the central portion corresponding to the waist of the user P as shown in FIG. It was set as the pattern to arrange | position. Then, the gel sheet 3 is installed by arranging the widthwise outer peripheral end of the first gel sheet 3 at a position of 695 mm from one end in the longitudinal direction of the elastic foam 2 and sequentially arranging the second to fourth gel sheets 3 at intervals of 80 mm. Was arranged.
In addition, the structure that the gel sheet 3 is positioned by the adhesion reinforcing hole 31 is adopted, and the adhesion reinforcing hole 31 is formed at a position of 60 mm from the longitudinal end of the gel sheet 3 with a diameter of 40 mm.

Then, using the type 1 to 4 mattresses 1 (12 types) employing the above-described patterns 1 to 3 of the foam block 22, the evaluation of body pressure dispersibility, the evaluation of the retention of the sleeping posture, and the fitting property to the heel. Evaluation was performed. These evaluation methods are as follows.
First, body pressure dispersibility is evaluated by placing a sensor sheet of a body pressure dispersion measuring device (BIGMAT) manufactured by NITTA on a mattress 1 (without a cover sheet 11 and a sheet 6), and a BMI index (Body Mass Index). Eighteen subjects (male in their 20s) were allowed to sleep in the supine position, and the maximum value of the sacral body pressure (sacral pressure) 20 seconds later was measured. And it was judged that it was excellent in the body pressure dispersibility, so that the value of sacral pressure was small.
In addition, the evaluation of the retention of sleeping posture was conducted for three subjects each having a BMI index of 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28, and a mattress 1 of type 1 to 4 (without a cover sheet 11 and a sheet 6) and a comparative example. Compared to the conventional mattress (no pattern), sleeping in the supine position, it was crawled and compared with the comparative example, it was judged that the number of persons who felt that the posture retention was improved was 10 or more. “The case where there were less than 10 people was judged as inappropriate, and“ x ”was assigned.
In addition, the evaluation of the fitting property to the heel was performed in a lattice shape composed of the gap portion 24 and the lateral gap portion 25 of the pattern 3 for each of the three subjects having a BMI index of 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28. For mattress 1 with different dimensions (without cover sheet 11 and sheets 6), select the one that feels that the feeling of fitting to the heel when lying in the supine position is different based on the grid dimensions of 39 mm x 38 mm The correlation between the size of the lattice part and the fitting property of the ridges was investigated.
Note that, as described above, the conventional mattress is a flat plate in which the upper layer elastic foam 21 in the mattress 1 of types 1 to 4 is the same material and the same thickness, but the foam block 22 is not formed. And correspond to the mattresses of Comparative Examples 1 to 4, respectively.

First, the sacral pressure (body pressure dispersibility) test results using the mattress 1 of types 1 to 4 adopting the patterns 1 to 3 described above are all about 25 to 27 mmHg as shown in Tables 6 and 7. It was confirmed that good body pressure dispersibility equivalent to or better than Comparative Examples 1 to 4 in Table 8 can be realized.

Further, in the results of the sensory test for holding the sleeping posture shown in Tables 6 and 7, the feeling of holding the sleeping posture is improved as compared with Comparative Examples 1 to 4 in which the foam block pattern 22 is not formed. And all have been confirmed to be good results.

Although not described in Tables 6 and 7, in Examples 3, 6, 9, and 12 of Pattern 3, the size of the lattice-shaped portion constituted by the gap 24 and the lateral gap 25 is 39 mm. Instead of × 38 mm (longitudinal direction × width direction), without changing the gap between the gap portion 24 and the lateral gap portion 25 of the pattern 3, the dimensions of the lattice-like portions are 20 mm × 20 mm, 30 mm × 30 mm, 50 mm × 50 mm, For the case of 60 mm × 60 mm, the heel fitting feeling was evaluated. The evaluation results were the same as shown below for any mattress 1 (Examples 3, 6, 9, and 12). First, in the case of 20 mm × 20 mm, the fitting feeling was good, but the operation such as turning over was difficult compared to the case of 39 mm × 38 mm. Moreover, when it was set to 60 mm x 60 mm, the feeling of resilience to the wrinkles was felt compared with the case of 39 mm x 38 mm. On the other hand, in the case of 30 mm × 30 mm and 50 mm × 50 mm, the fitting feeling was the same as that in the case of 39 mm × 38 mm. Therefore, the portion corresponding to the buttocks is composed of the gap 24 and the lateral gap 25. It can be seen that the size of the lattice-shaped portion is preferably 30 to 50 mm × 30 to 50 mm. Note that the lattice-shaped portions with different dimensions are formed in a region including a portion where the lattice-shaped portions are formed in FIG. 13, and are formed at both ends in the width direction of the mattress 1 (regions where the gap portion 24 is not formed). The dimensions were different from those shown in FIG. 13 depending on the dimensions of the grid-like portion.

The present invention has the configuration exemplified above, and distributes the entire pressure while maintaining a good posture in the supine posture of the user (patient) P, and also concentrates the pressure on the part where many pressure ulcers occur. It was also possible to prevent pressure ulcers onset.

Claims

An elastic foam composed of at least a base layer elastic foam and an upper layer elastic foam, and is provided between the base layer elastic foam and the upper layer elastic foam, and the length direction is set in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elastic foam. A foam having a width shorter than the length of the gel sheet so that at least a part of the upper layer elastic foam disposed above the gel sheet intersects at least two adjacent gel sheet surfaces. A mattress with improved care and medical aptitude, characterized by being configured as a block.
The mattress according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of foam blocks are connected at a lower portion.
The care foam according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the foam block has a long strip shape, and an intersection angle between the longitudinal center line of the foam block and the longitudinal center line of the gel sheet is 90 ° ± 60 °. A mattress with improved medical aptitude.
4. The mattress according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein each foam block has a different shape or property.
The rebound resilience of the foam block and / or the upper layer elastic foam is 50% or more (in accordance with JIS K6400-3), improving the suitability for care and medical treatment according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4. Mattress.
6. The mattress according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the elastic foam has a side hard portion formed at a longitudinal side edge thereof. .
7. The mattress with improved care / medical suitability according to claim 1, wherein all or part of the elastic foam is formed of a film-free foam.
The mattress according to claim 6 or 7, wherein both ends of the gel sheet are positioned so as to overlap the side hard part in plan view.
The lateral elastic gap portion extending in the width direction is formed in the upper layer elastic foam in a range other than a portion located at a user's waist. 6. A mattress with improved care and medical aptitude as described in 6, 7 or 8.
The hardness of the base layer elastic foam is set to be equal to or higher than the hardness of the upper layer elastic foam, and the hardness of the upper layer elastic foam is 50 to 120 N (conforms to JIS K6400-2: 25% compression). 10. A mattress with improved care and medical aptitude according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.