WO2019187165A1

WO2019187165A1 - Air cells and air mattress

Info

Publication number: WO2019187165A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/014025
Authority: WO
Inventors: 和博竹田
Original assignee: レインボー＆アイ株式会社
Priority date: 2018-03-30
Filing date: 2018-03-31
Publication date: 2019-10-03
Also published as: JP2019177102A; JP6544753B1

Abstract

Provided are air cells and the like which are capable of reducing contact pressure at a bone protrusion part protruding locally from the body and of preventing a hammock effect. The air cells according to the present invention are used in an air mattress so as to be disposed side by side to each other, and comprise: cells that are formed of a flexible sheet material, that each have a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall disposed so as to face each other, and that expand when air is enclosed therein; and a means that is formed of a flexible material, connects the first and second lateral walls at a plurality of places from within the cells, and forms a plurality of contiguous arches in a supporting surface on which a user is to lie, in a state in which the cells are disposed side by side to each other within the air mattress when air is enclosed therein.

Description

Air cell and air mattress

The present invention relates to an air cell and an air mattress used for an air mattress for preventing bedsores (decubitus).

Bed sores (decubitus) is a local skin pressure ulcer that is often caused by ischemia caused by continued compression of local skin tissue such as a bone protrusion receiving weight. It is very important to prevent bedsores for people who are bedridden or have difficulty moving their bodies due to illness, injury, aging, or the like.

As an air mattress for preventing bed slip, there is known an air mattress in which air is sealed in a cylindrically formed air cell, and a plurality of air mattresses are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). ). In an air mattress for preventing bedsores, the air pressure in each air cell is normally maintained at a low pressure so that the user's body sinks, thereby reducing the contact pressure to the body and preventing bedsores.

In Patent Literature 1, in an air mattress in which a plurality of elongate bag-shaped air cells are laid in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed and arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the bed, each air cell is disposed in a bag-shaped internal space. It is disclosed that a partition plate that bisects the upper and lower sides is provided so as to span between the side walls up to the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707 discloses a technique for oscillating air cells by dividing the air cells arranged side by side into a plurality of systems and expanding and contracting the air cells in order for each system. An air mattress that sequentially changes the pressure in the air cell is called a pressure switching type, and an air mattress that does not change the pressure in the air cell during use is called a stationary type. The pressure-switching type air mattress is not a medical device but a welfare tool called a “bed slip prevention tool” to which care insurance is applied.

Patent Document 3 discloses an inflatable mattress having an elongated planar shape, which is continuously arranged in a row extending along the longitudinal axis of the mattress, and each of the inflatable cells each having an elongated shape. An air mattress is provided.

JP 2005-6939 A JP2011-160894A US Pat. No. 5,704,084

Pathological bone protrusion due to bone deformation and muscle atrophy associated with long-term bedridden life, or sarcopenia often found in elderly hospitalized patients and cancer patients (muscular mass decreases due to aging, etc.), Patients with relative bone protrusion due to loss of cushion tissue of the body, such as skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, due to cancer thinning (cachexia), sputum (decrease in fat), etc., develop bedsores Risk is very high.

The inventor conducted follow-up of patients using a pressure-switchable mattress capable of maintaining a low pressure for the prognosis of refractory acne, and found that there were a considerable number of cases where the recovery of the affected area was stagnant. In addition, there were patients who repeatedly developed pressure ulcers within the pressure ulcer (the occurrence of new pressure ulcers in the affected area of pressure ulcers). Therefore, the present inventor cannot cope with a patient with a remarkable bone protrusion with a conventional low pressure holding or pressure switching type mattress, and it is an urgent need to develop an air mattress suitable for such a high risk patient. I came to be convinced.

Here, since the surface of a general air cell is a flat sheet, in an air mattress in which the internal pressure is maintained at a low pressure, if the body load concentrates on a part of the air mattress, the body becomes extremely in the air cell. The body sinks and the body is suspended by the sheet on the support surface of the air cell (the surface of the air cell that is in contact with the body). Such a state is called a hammock phenomenon. When the hammock phenomenon occurs, the contact pressure at the part of the body that is in contact with the support surface increases, and the risk of bed slippage increases. In addition, when there is a locally protruding portion such as the above-described pathological bone protrusion or relative bone protrusion, a partial hammock phenomenon may occur in the bone protruding portion.

Regarding the hammock phenomenon, in Patent Document 3, a pleat is formed on the support surface of the air cell by fixing the inner sheet to the outer sheet by spot welding, and a margin for the body to sink deeply into the air mattress is created on the support surface by this pleat. Hammocking is to be avoided.

However, Patent Document 3 only considers avoidance of the hammock phenomenon that may occur when the body is submerged deeply into the air mattress, such as the pathological bone protrusion and the relative bone protrusion described above. No consideration has been given to the reduction of contact pressure on local bone protrusions, particularly bone protrusions often seen in lean patients, and the hammock phenomenon in bone protrusions.

In addition, when air cells are arranged side by side so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the air mattress, as in a general air mattress, the center portion in the longitudinal direction of the air cell is the most because each air cell is fixed at both ends. It becomes easy to sink. In other words, such an air mattress has a structure in which contact pressure to the central part of the back surface and the tailbone increases when the patient is suffering from contracture, bruise, and sarcopenia when the supine position is taken with the air mattress. It can be said that it has. Therefore, in a pressure-switching type air mattress, when the air cell is inflated, pressure is applied to the back surface around the spinal column, and when the air cell contracts, the central portion of the air cell sinks. The protruding portion is suspended from the sheet on the support surface. That is, the bone protrusion having a high risk of bed slipping receives force from the air cell when the air cell expands and contracts.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air cell and an air mattress capable of reducing contact pressure and preventing a hammock phenomenon even in a bone protruding portion protruding locally from the body. .

In order to solve the above-described problem, an air cell which is one embodiment of the present invention is an air cell that is used in parallel in an air mattress, and is formed of a flexible sheet material, and is opposed to each other. A cell that has a second side wall and expands by enclosing air therein, and a flexible material, and connects the first and second side walls from the inside of the cell at a plurality of locations. And means for forming a plurality of continuous arches on a support surface, which is a surface on which a user is placed in a state of being arranged in parallel with the air mattress when air is sealed in the cell.

In the air cell, the means is a connection member that is formed in a sheet shape and is bonded to each of the first and second side walls on a main surface at a plurality of joints, and each of the plurality of joints is The air cell may have an elongated shape extending in the vertical direction in a state where the air cell is juxtaposed with the air mattress.

The air cell is formed of a flexible sheet material, and each of the second and third cells expands in a cylindrical shape by enclosing air therein, and of the outer peripheral surfaces of the cells, You may further provide the 2nd and 3rd cell attached to the area | region used as the floor side in an air mattress so that it might become parallel to the longitudinal direction of the said cell.

An air mattress which is another aspect of the present invention is a structure in which a plurality of air cells including at least the air cell are arranged in parallel.

An air mattress according to still another aspect of the present invention is provided with a back raising function and a knee raising function, and a first bottom capable of raising the back and a second bottom disposed adjacent to the first bottom. And an air mattress that is disposed adjacent to the second bottom and is used on a bed bottom that includes a third bottom that can be raised with the second bottom. An air cell, each of which is formed of a flexible sheet material, has first and second side walls facing each other, and expands by enclosing air therein. The first side wall and the second side wall are connected at a plurality of locations from the inside of the cell, and when the air is sealed in the cell, the user is placed in parallel with the air mattress. On the supporting surface A plurality of continuous arches, and a plurality of first air cells arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air mattress, and a flexible sheet material, A plurality of second air cells that expand in a cylindrical shape by enclosing air therein and are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air mattress, the first bottom and the second At least one second air cell is disposed in a first region that is a region on the first bottom side of the boundary with the bottom, and regions on both sides of the boundary between the second bottom and the third bottom The second air cells are arranged in parallel in at least one second region, and two or more first air cells are arranged in parallel between at least the first region and the second region. It has been established.

In the air mattress, two or more first air cells may be juxtaposed in a region closer to the end of the third bottom than the second region.

In the air mattress, two or more first air cells are disposed in an area closer to an end portion of the first bottom than the first area, and at least an area excluding an end portion of the first bottom. May be juxtaposed.

According to the present invention, the first and second side walls are connected at a plurality of locations from the inside of the cell, and means for forming a plurality of continuous arches on the support surface is provided. And the second side wall is attracted to each other by the connecting member, the air cell expands in a bellows shape, and an arch-shaped convex portion and a groove-shaped concave portion are formed on the support surface of the air cell. Therefore, the bone protrusion part which protrudes locally from a body is hold | maintained with a large area so that it may wrap with this recessed part, and the contact pressure to a bone protrusion part can be reduced. Further, since the convex portion has an arch shape, the air cell is less likely to sink with respect to a load from above. Therefore, it is possible to hold the periphery of the bone protrusion with the air cell while wrapping the bone protrusion with the recess, and to disperse the contact pressure from the air cell that tends to concentrate on the bone protrusion. Furthermore, since the increase in the tension of the air cell surface can be suppressed by suppressing the excessive sinking of the body into the air cell, it is possible to prevent the hammock phenomenon even at the local bone protrusion.

It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the air cell which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the air cell shown in FIG. 1 (air sealed). FIG. 2 is an A1-A1 enlarged sectional view of the air cell shown in FIG. 1 (air sealed). FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged side view of the air cell shown in FIG. 1 (air sealed). FIG. 2 is an A2-A2 enlarged sectional view of the air cell shown in FIG. 1 (air sealed). FIG. 2 is an A3-A3 enlarged sectional view of the air cell shown in FIG. 1 (air sealed). It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the air cell which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom view of the air cell shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a CC cross-sectional view of the air cell shown in FIG. 6 (in a state where a load is applied). It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the principle of the body pressure dispersion | distribution in the air cell shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the air mattress which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10B is a side view of the mattress shown in FIG. 10A. It is sectional drawing which shows the air cell shown to FIG. 10A.

Hereinafter, an air cell and an air mattress according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by the following embodiment. Moreover, in description of each drawing, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and shown to the same part. The drawings referred to in the following description only schematically show shapes, sizes, ratios, and positional relationships so that the contents of the present invention can be understood. That is, the present invention is not limited only to the shape, size, ratio, and positional relationship exemplified in each drawing.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of an air cell according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the air cell. FIG. 3 is an A1-A1 enlarged sectional view of the same air cell. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged side view of the air cell (in a state where air is enclosed). FIG. 5A is an A2-A2 enlarged sectional view of the same air cell. FIG. 5B is an A3-A3 enlarged sectional view of the air cell. Among these, FIG. 1 shows a state where air is not sealed in the air cell, and FIGS. 2 to 5B show a state where air is sealed in the air cell.

In the following, among the surfaces of the air cell, when the air is sealed in the air cell and arranged side by side with the air mattress, the surface that is the upper side, that is, the surface that comes into contact with the body and supports the body is called the support surface, The surface opposite to the support surface is called the bottom surface. In the following, the upper side or upper direction of the air cell refers to the support surface side or the support surface direction, and the lower side or lower direction of the air cell refers to the bottom surface side or the bottom surface direction.

The air cell according to the present embodiment is an air cell constituting an air mattress that is used by enclosing air therein. As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5B, an air cell 1 according to this embodiment has first and second side walls facing each other, and a cell 10 that expands by enclosing air therein, And a connecting member 11 disposed inside. The connecting member 11 is a means for connecting two opposing

side walls

10a, 10b of the cell 10 and forming a plurality of continuous arches on the support surface when air is sealed in the cell 10.

The size of the air cell 1 is not particularly limited as long as it can be adapted to a bed frame using an air mattress. Further, the size of the air cell 1 may be determined in consideration of the body shape and physique of the user, the internal pressure of the air cell 1 during use, and the like. As an example, since the length of the bed frame in the short side direction is generally 850 mm or 950 mm in the care bed, the length L1 in the longitudinal direction of the air cell 1 is set to about 830 mm so as to conform to this. Alternatively, it may be about 930 mm. Further, in a state where air is sealed in the air cell 1, the width W1 in the short direction of the air cell 1 may be about 60 to 80 mm, and the thickness H1 may be about 70 to 120 mm.

The cell 10 is formed into a cylindrical shape by welding peripheral portions of flexible sheet materials such as urethane. At both ends of the cell 10, a closing portion 13 at the end of the sheet material protrudes, and a hook 14 for fixing the air cell 1 to the bed frame or connecting the air cells 1 is attached to the closing portion 13. It has been. In addition, an inlet 15 for injecting air into the air cell 1 is provided at the bottom of the cell 10 (a region on the floor side in the air mattress).

The connecting member 11 is formed of a flexible sheet material such as urethane. The connecting member 11 is formed in a band shape that is slightly narrower than the

side walls

10a, 10b. The material forming the cell 10 and the material forming the connection member 11 may be the same material or different materials.

The connecting member 11 is arranged so as to be substantially parallel to the opposing

side walls

10a and 10b of the cell 10 when air is not sealed in the air cell 1 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, in a state where air is sealed in the air cell 1 and disposed as a part of the air mattress, the connecting member 11 is in a posture to stand in the vertical direction (see FIGS. 5A and 5B).

The connecting member 11 is joined to two opposing

side walls

10a and 10b of the cell 10 by welding at a plurality of locations on the main surface. The welded part (joint part) 12a between the one side wall 10a and the connection member 11 and the welded part (joint part) 12b between the other side wall 10b and the connection member 11 do not face each other in front of each other. Has been placed. Specifically, when the connection member 11 is arranged in a planar shape without enclosing air in the air cell 1 (see FIG. 1), the welded

portions

12a and 12b are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cell 10. They are arranged in one row, and the welded portions 12a between the one side wall 10a and the connecting member 11 and the welded portions 12b between the other side wall 10b and the connecting member 11 are alternately arranged.

Each welded

part

12a, 12b has an elongated shape in the vertical direction of the air cell 1. The shape of each welded

portion

12a, 12b is not particularly limited as long as it is elongated in the vertical direction. For example, it may be a rectangle as shown in FIG. 1 or an ellipse with both ends rounded. Also good.

When air is enclosed in the air cell 1, the entire cell 10 expands, but the

side walls

10 a and 10 b are attracted by the connecting member 11 (see FIG. 3), and the length of the cell 10 in the longitudinal direction does not enclose air. The state becomes smaller than the state (see the length L1 shown in FIG. 1). And the convex part 16 which expand | swelled on the support surface of the cell 10 and the recessed part (ridge) 17 narrowed in groove shape are formed, and the unevenness | corrugation (pleat) like a bellows arises as a whole (refer FIG. 2).

In addition, in the welded

portions

12a and 12b, the

side walls

10a and 10b and the connecting member 11 are integrated, so that the thickness of the sheet is greater than in other regions. Therefore, even when the entire cell 10 is expanded, the welded

portions

12a and 12b are almost upright, and the support surface and the bottom surface of the cell 10 expand in an arch shape (see the convex portion 16 in FIG. 4). That is, a structure is formed in which a plurality of continuous arches formed on the support surface are supported like welded piers by the welded

portions

12a and 12b. As a result, even if a vertical load is applied to the air cell 1, the shape of the air cell 1 can be maintained to some extent.

The size of the welded

portions

12a and 12b is not particularly limited, but the length in the longitudinal direction of the welded

portions

12a and 12b is preferably 1/2 or more of the length in the vertical direction of the cell 10 and is 2/3 or more. More preferably. When the length in the longitudinal direction of the welded

portions

12 a and 12 b is shorter than ½ of the length in the vertical direction of the cell 10, the holding force of the shape of the air cell 1 against the load on the air cell 1 may be reduced. In FIG. 1, the connection member 11 is welded to the

side walls

10 a and 10 b leaving a slight upper and lower region. However, the connection member 11 may be welded over the entire top and bottom of the connection member 11.

Further, the number and interval of the welded

portions

12a and 12b are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately determined according to the size of the air cell 1 and the size and size of the unevenness formed when air is sealed. For example, when the number of welded

portions

12a and 12b is increased, many relatively fine irregularities are formed on the upper surface of the air cell 1. On the other hand, when the number of welded

portions

12a and 12b is reduced, relatively large irregularities are formed on the upper surface of the air cell 1.

As described above, when air is sealed in the air cell 1, the

side walls

10a and 10b are attracted to each other by the connecting member 11, the air cell 1 expands in a bellows shape, and irregularities are formed on the support surface of the air cell. When a user's body is put on such an air cell 1, it can support in a wide area so that a user's body may be wrapped by these unevenness | corrugations. That is, the body of the air cell 1 does not support the body in a plane like a general cylindrical air cell, but the air cell 1 loosely follows the body due to the irregularities generated in the air cell 1 (so-called loose fit). Can be supported over a wide area. Therefore, the contact pressure with respect to each part of the body can be reduced, and bed slip can be prevented. In particular, the locally projecting bone protrusions can be individually supported so as to be wrapped by the recesses 17, and the contact pressure on the bone protrusions can be reduced.

Further, in the air cell 1, since the convex portion 16 formed on the support surface forms an arch shape, a structure that is difficult to sink (not easily crushed) with respect to a load from above is formed. Further, in the air cell 1, the welded

portions

12 a and 12 b support the arch (convex portion 16) of the support surface like a bridge pier, and the belt-like connection member 11 reinforces this. Therefore, the air cell 1 suppresses distortion due to a load and maintains its shape, and even when the user's body is placed on the air cell 1, excessive sinking can be suppressed.

Further, the welded

portions

12a and 12b are continuously provided over the entire width of the connecting member 11 in the vertical direction. Therefore, as compared with the case where only a small part in the vertical direction of the connection member 11 or the welded portion is provided intermittently, the connection member 11 can be maintained in a belt-like state without being loosened. . Thereby, the effect of dispersing the local load on the air cell 1 can also be obtained. For example, when a load is applied to the point P1 shown in FIG. 3, the load to the point P1 can be released in two directions (see arrows P2 and P3) through the connection member 11 connected to the welded portion 12b. Thereby, the effect | action which suppresses the sinking of the air cell 1 further increases.

In an air mattress configured using such an air cell 1, the air cell 1 itself can prevent excessive sinking and stably hold the body. Moreover, even when a bone protrusion exists in the body, the periphery of the bone protrusion can be held by the air cell 1 while supporting the bone protrusion by the unevenness formed on the support surface. Thereby, the pressure from the support surface of the air cell, which tends to concentrate on the bone protrusion, can be distributed around the bone protrusion.

Furthermore, by suppressing the sinking of the body into the air cell 1, it is possible to prevent bottoming without excessively increasing the thickness of the air cell 1. In addition, by suppressing the sinking of the body into the air cell 1, it is possible to maintain a state in which the concave portion 17 remains sufficiently on the support surface of the air cell 1, and to suppress an increase in tension on the support surface. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a local hammock phenomenon at the bone protrusion or the like.

In the first embodiment, the connecting member 11 is welded to the

side walls

10a and 10b of the cell 10, but the means for joining the connecting member 11 to the

side walls

10a and 10b is not limited to welding. For example, an adhesive or sewing means may be used as long as air can be sealed in the air cell 1 and strength sufficient to resist deformation when a load is applied to the air cell 1 can be obtained. Moreover, it does not specifically limit about the welding method, Well-known methods, such as hot plate welding and high frequency welding, can be used.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a front view showing an appearance of an air cell according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the air cell. FIG. 8 is a CC cross-sectional view of the air cell. Among these, FIG. 6 shows a state where air is not sealed in the air cell, and FIGS. 7 and 8 show a state where air is sealed in the air cell.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the air cell 3 according to the present embodiment has the second and third portions with respect to the bottom of the air cell 1 according to the first embodiment (region on the floor side of the air mattress). Cells (base cells 31, 32) are provided along the longitudinal direction.

The

base cells

31 and 32 are integrally formed by a single bag 30 made of a flexible sheet material such as urethane. A welding portion 33 is formed along the longitudinal direction at a substantially central portion of the bag body 30 in the short direction (see FIG. 7). The welding part 33 connects the sheet materials facing each other in the bag body 30. Thereby, the bag 30 is separated into two

base cells

31 and 32. The bag 30 is connected to the bottom of the cell 10 in at least a part of the welded portion 33. The location where the bag 30 and the bottom of the cell 10 are connected is not particularly limited. For example, only the both ends of the welded portion 33 or the entire welded portion 33 may be used. Or you may connect the bag body 30 and the bottom part of the cell 10 in multiple places with a hook, a button, etc. FIG.

The bag body 30 is provided with an inlet 34 for injecting air into the bag body 30. The bag body 30 is blocked from flowing air between the cells 10, and the

base cells

31 and 32 are expanded in a cylindrical shape by sealing air from the inlet 34.

A gap region 35 is provided between both ends in the longitudinal direction of the bag body 30 and the welded portion 33 and between the two welded portions 33. The gap region 35 allows air to flow between the two

base cells

31 and 32. Therefore, even when air is supplied to the bag body 30 or the air cell 1 is pressed, the internal pressures in the

base cells

31 and 32 are substantially equal, and the diameters of the

base cells

31 and 32 are substantially the same. Maintained.

In addition, in FIG. 7, although the welding part 33 is divided and formed in two places along the longitudinal direction of the bag body 30, the number of the welding parts 33 is not limited to this. For example, the welded portion 33 may be integrally formed along the longitudinal direction of the bag body 30. Alternatively, the welded portion 33 may be further finely divided (for example, at 4 to 5 locations). Here, when air is sealed in the cell 10, portions other than the welded

portions

12 a and 12 b of the

side walls

10 a and 10 b swell sideways, so that the bottom portion is meandering. Therefore, in particular, when the bag 30 is connected to the bottom of the cell 10 in the entire welded portion 33, the welded portion 33 is divided into a plurality of locations to provide “play” in which the cell 10 and the bag 30 are not welded. Is preferred. Thereby, the bag body 30 can be maintained in a straight state, and the cell 10 can be stably held.

The size of the air cell 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can be adapted to a bed frame using an air mattress. Further, the size of the air cell 3 may be determined in consideration of the body shape and physique of the user, the internal pressure of the air cell 3 during use, and the like. As an example, the air cell 3 (cell 10 and base cells 31, 32) is filled with air, the thickness of the air cell 3 (length in the vertical direction) is about 110 to 160 mm, and the diameter of the

base cells

31, 32 is as follows. May be about 30 to 50 mm. Preferably, the diameter of the

base cells

31 and 32 is set to about 1/3 to 1/2 of the width of the cell 10 (length in the left-right direction in FIG. 8).

As shown in FIG. 8, in a state where no load is applied to the air cell 3, the

base cells

31 and 32 swell substantially in a cylindrical shape. Since the cell 10 and the bag 30 are connected to each other in a generally linear shape rather than a wide surface in at least a part of the welded portion 33, each base cell is connected to the cell 10 when no load is applied to the air cell 3. 31 and 32 are movable about the welded portion 33 as an axis.

In contrast, when a load is applied to the air cell 3, the cell 10 and the

base cells

31 and 32 come into contact with each other in a planar shape. The cell 10 is supported by the two

base cells

31 and 32 through two surfaces where each of the

base cells

31 and 32 contacts the cell 10.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle of body pressure dispersion in the air cell 3. When an air mattress is configured by the air cells 3, the air cells 3 are arranged side by side on the bed frame, and air is sealed in the cells 10 and the

base cells

31 and 32 of each air cell 3. As shown in FIG. 9, when a load is applied to the air cell 3, a truss structure that supports one cell 10 is formed by the two

base cells

31 and 32.

The inside of the cell 10 is maintained at a pressure at which the body sinks somewhat in the cell 10 in order to reduce the contact pressure on the user's body. On the other hand, the internal pressures of the

base cells

31 and 32 are maintained in a state where the air is filled almost completely. As described above, by maintaining the internal pressure of the

base cells

31 and 32 at a predetermined pressure separately from the cell 10, even when a local pressure is applied to the cell 10, the entire air cell 3 is bottomed. Can be prevented.

Further, when the user puts his / her body on the air cell 3, a load P4 is applied to the cell 10 in which the body directly contacts. At this time, if the shape of the cell 10 is distorted by the load P4, a local contact pressure is normally applied to a portion (tip) where the body sinks most. However, in this embodiment, since the truss structure that supports one cell 10 is formed by the two

base cells

31 and 32, the load P4 is in the direction of the two base cells 31 and 32 (see arrows P5 and P6). ). In other words, the body that sinks due to the reaction force received from the

base cells

31 and 32 is widely supported, and the contact pressure to the local body is reduced. Thereby, the bedsore prevention effect can be enhanced.

As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the effect of preventing the hammock phenomenon described in the first embodiment, a body pressure dispersion effect by the truss structure can be obtained, and the bed slip prevention effect can be obtained. Can be improved. Furthermore, since the flow of air is blocked between the cell 10 and the

base cells

31 and 32, the bottom of the air cell 3 as a whole can be prevented.

The air mattress can be configured by arranging the air cells according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention on the bed frame in parallel. When configuring the air mattress, any of the air cells according to the first and second embodiments may be used, or the air cells according to the first and second embodiments may be used in appropriate combination. good. Alternatively, the air mattress may be configured by combining other types of air cells in addition to the air cells according to the first and second embodiments. For example, one of the air cells according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention is juxtaposed in a region around the waist where the user's weight is likely to concentrate (near the center of the bed frame), and the other region In addition, a general cylindrical air cell may be provided in parallel.

The air cells according to the first and second embodiments tend to concentrate by wrapping the bone protrusions and reducing the contact pressure due to the structure of the individual air cells, and by holding the periphery of the bone protrusions with the air cells. The effect of dispersing the pressure from the air cell around the bone protrusion and the effect of preventing the hammock phenomenon by suppressing the excessive sinking of the body into the air cell are exhibited. Therefore, the above effect can naturally be obtained even in an air mattress in which such air cells are arranged in parallel.

Hereinafter, embodiments in which an air mattress is configured using the air cells according to the first and second embodiments and the modified examples will be described.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 10A is a top view showing an air mattress according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a side view of the mattress. The air mattress 7 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B is an air mattress that can also be used for a bed bottom having a back raising function and a knee raising function.

Here, in the field of the bed frame on which the mattress is placed, in order to prevent the body from falling down when the back is lifted, the “back raising function” for raising the head side area of the bed bottom, There are models with a “knee-lifting function” that raises the bed bottom into a mountain shape. A bed bottom having a back raising function and a knee raising function generally includes a back bottom (first bottom) and a waist bottom (second bottom) disposed adjacent to the back bottom from the head side, It has at least three bottoms with a leg bottom (third bottom) arranged adjacent to the waist bottom. The back bottom can stand up the end on the head side with the boundary with the waist bottom as an axis. In addition, the waist bottom and the leg bottom can be raised with the boundary between them (generally, the part on which the knee rides) as a mountain. Of the air mattresses described below, the region generally disposed on the back bottom is defined as the back bottom region (first region), and the region generally disposed on the waist bottom is defined as the waist bottom region (second region). Region), a region generally disposed on the leg bottom is referred to as a leg bottom region (third region).

As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, air cells 5 are arranged in parallel on the bed bottom 7 a on the region from the head side end portion of the back bottom region to about half and the end portion of the leg bottom region. Yes. Further, air cells 5A are arranged in parallel in the region on the back bottom side near the boundary between the back bottom region and the waist bottom region, and air cells 5B are arranged in parallel on both sides of the boundary between the waist bottom region and the leg bottom region. ing. Of the remaining regions, the air cells 3A are arranged side by side on the back bottom region and waist bottom region side, and the air cells 3B are arranged on the leg bottom region side.

The structure of the

air cells

3A and 3B is substantially the same as that of the air cell 3 according to the second embodiment (see FIGS. 6 to 8). However, the air cell 3A has a cell 10 and a bag 30 (base cell 31, The air cell 3B is different in that air can be circulated between the cell 10 and the bag body 30.

The structures of the

air cells

5, 5A, 5B are the same as each other, and only the regions arranged in parallel are different. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the air cell 5. As shown in FIG. 11, the air cell 5 is a general one-air chamber air cell including one bag body 51 as a whole. The size of the air cell 5 is not particularly limited as long as it is a size that can be aligned with the

other air cells

3A and 3B arranged side by side. A film-like member (so-called suspension) 52 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the bag body 51 so as to be oriented substantially parallel to the floor surface of the air mattress. The film-like member 52 is welded at a position that is approximately half the thickness of the bag body 51, and connects regions of the inner peripheral surface that face each other. By providing such a film-like member 52, even when pressure is applied to the air cell 5, the air cell 5 is prevented from expanding laterally, and the amount of compression in the thickness direction of the air cell 5 can be suppressed. it can.

The air mattress 7 is provided with five air supply systems. That is, after supplying air until a predetermined internal pressure is reached, the stationary system and the anchor / bottom stationary system in which the internal pressure is not changed by shutting off the intake and exhaust of air, and the first to the first to sequentially change the internal pressure of the air in a predetermined cycle. The third system. Among these, the set value of the internal pressure differs between the stationary system and the anchor / bottom stationary system, and the anchor / bottom stationary system is set to have a higher internal pressure than the stationary system.

The air cell 5 and the air cell 3B at the head side and leg side ends are connected to a stationary system. The internal pressure of the stationary system may be relatively low, and the user's body may be submerged and supported in the air cell 5 and the air cell 3B.

Here, in general pressure switching type air mattresses, there are many models that periodically switch the internal pressure of all air cells. In this case, the user's head is also moved periodically, and a phenomenon similar to seasickness may occur. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the air cell 5 arrange | positioned in the area | region where a head is mounted is connected to the stationary system. This can prevent the user from becoming seasick.

In addition, the leg portion below the knee has a wide area so as to be wrapped by the bellows of the sheet, even if it is a bone protrusion that protrudes in various directions, such as a heel or a heel, by the sheet of the air cell 3B expanded in a bellows shape. Can be supported.

The portion of the cell 10 in the air cell 3A arranged mainly in the area where the user's trunk is placed is connected in order to the first system to the third system. As a result, the cell 10 that expands in a bellows shape can be exerted to prevent bed slipping by expanding the cell 10 while supporting the body in a wide area so as to be wrapped.

Of the air cell 3A, the portion of the bag body 30 (base cells 31, 32) and the

air cells

5A, 5B disposed in the vicinity of the boundary between the adjacent bottom regions are connected to the anchor / bottom stationary system. In the air cell 3A, by filling the bag 30 with air having a sufficient internal pressure, it is possible to prevent bottoming and obtain a body pressure dispersion effect by the truss structure (see FIG. 9). Further, since the air cell 5A is arranged in a region that becomes a valley when the back is raised, and the air cell 5B is arranged in a region that becomes a mountain when the knee is raised, the air cell 5A has a sufficient internal pressure. By filling this, it is possible to obtain the effect of maintaining the user's posture and suppressing positional deviation (front deviation). Note that an air cell that is arranged to maintain the user's posture and suppress positional deviation is also called an anchor cell.

In this way, so-called trunks such as the user's back, waist, and buttocks are placed and the air cell 3A is placed in an area where a large load is applied, thereby preventing excessive body depression. Further, even when the air cell 3A is in an expanded state, the body can be supported in a wide area so as to be wrapped by the bellows of the sheet, and even when the air cell 3B is contracted, the body is similarly supported. It can prevent the hammock phenomenon caused by subduction.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, an air mattress that can be used comfortably and safely for the user as well as preventing bedsores by combining the stationary type and the pressure switching type and using various air cells depending on the part. Can be realized.

Of course, in the air mattress in the present embodiment, the air cell 1 according to the first embodiment may be used instead of the

air cells

3A and 3B. In this case, the anchor / bottom stationary system may be omitted, and the

air cells

5A and 5B may be connected to the stationary system.

(Modification)
As a further modification, an overlay air mattress may be configured using the air cell according to the first or second embodiment or the air cell according to these modifications. An overlay air mattress is an air mattress that is used over a standard mattress. Specifically, the air cells according to the first or second embodiment or the air cells according to these modifications are arranged side by side so as to be in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the air mattress.

Here, in the JIS standard (JIS 9254: 2009), from the viewpoint of safety (preventing falling from the bed), the height from the upper surface of the mattress to the highest part of the side rail or the bed grip is defined. . It is generally said that the total thickness of the standard mattress and the overlay mattress should be 16 cm or less in order to conform to this standard in the nursing bed currently in widespread use. Since the thickness of a general standard mattress is 7.5 to 8 cm, when configuring an overlay type air mattress, the thickness of the air cell according to the first or second embodiment or the air cell according to these modifications is described. The thickness may be 8 cm or less.

As a further effect of the air mattress in which the air cells according to the first and second embodiments are arranged side by side, it is suitable for use in a bed frame having an automatic posture change support function. The automatic posture change support function is that the bed bottom is divided into two or more along the longitudinal direction, and a part of the divided bed bottom rises along the longitudinal direction of the bed bottom. It is a function that assists in posture change.

Here, when a general cylindrical air cell is bent in the longitudinal direction of the air cell, it tends to return to its original straight state due to the repulsive force. For this reason, if an air mattress with a general cylindrical air cell arranged in parallel with the short direction of the bed frame is used for a bed frame with an automatic posture change support function, the air mattress will Unable to follow the movement of the bed bottom, the air mattress will float or be displaced from the bed bottom. Therefore, conventionally, an air mattress cannot be used for a bed frame having an automatic posture change support function.

In contrast, the air cells according to the first and second embodiments can flexibly follow the bending in the longitudinal direction. This is because, in the air cells according to the first and second embodiments, bellows-like ridges are formed on the support surface and the opposite surface. In other words, when the air cell is bent toward one surface (for example, the support surface), the wrinkles contract on the surface and the wrinkles extend on the opposite surface, so that the bent state can be easily maintained. Therefore, when the air mattress in which the air cells according to the first and second embodiments are arranged side by side in the short direction of the bed bottom is used for a bed frame with an automatic posture change support function, even when the function is used, The air mattress flexibly responds to the movement of the bed bottom, and it is possible to use the air mattress comfortably and safely without causing floating or slippage.

The present invention described above is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments described above, but various combinations of a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the first to fourth embodiments can be used. An invention can be formed. For example, some components may be excluded from all the components shown in the first to fourth embodiments, or the components shown in the first to fourth embodiments may be appropriately changed. You may form combining.

1, 3, 3A, 3B, 5, 5A, 5B Air cell 7 Air mattress 7a Bed bottom 10

Cell

10a, 10b Side wall 11

Connection member

12a, 12b, 33 Welding part 13 Closing part 14

Hook

15, 34 Inlet 16 Convex part 17

Concave portion

30, 51

Bag body

31, 32 Base cell 35 Gap region 52 Film-like member

Claims

An air cell used side by side in an air mattress,
A cell formed of a flexible sheet material, having first and second side walls facing each other, and expanding by enclosing air therein;
The first and second sidewalls are formed from a material having flexibility, and are connected in parallel to the air mattress when air is sealed in the cell when the first and second side walls are connected at a plurality of locations from the inside of the cell. Means for forming a plurality of continuous arches on a support surface which is a surface on which a user is placed;
An air cell.
The means is a connection member that is formed in a sheet shape and is bonded to each of the first and second side walls on a main surface at a plurality of bonding portions.
2. The air cell according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of joint portions has an elongated shape extending in a vertical direction in a state where the air cell is arranged in parallel with the air mattress.
A second cell and a third cell, each of which is formed of a flexible sheet material and expands in a cylindrical shape by enclosing air therein, and is a floor in the air mattress among the outer peripheral surfaces of the cells. The air cell according to claim 1, further comprising a second cell and a third cell attached to a side region so as to be parallel to a longitudinal direction of the cell.
An air mattress in which a plurality of air cells including at least the air cell according to any one of claims 1 to 3 are arranged in parallel.
A back raising function and a knee raising function are provided; a first bottom capable of raising the back; a second bottom disposed adjacent to the first bottom; and a second bottom disposed adjacent to the first bottom; An air mattress used by being arranged on a bed bottom comprising a third bottom that can be raised with the second bottom,
A plurality of first air cells, each of which is formed of a flexible sheet material, has first and second side walls facing each other, and expands by enclosing air therein; A state in which the first and second side walls are formed at a plurality of locations from the inside of the cell and are arranged in parallel to the air mattress when air is sealed in the cell. And a plurality of first air cells arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air mattress. ,
A plurality of second air cells formed of a flexible sheet material, inflated in a cylindrical shape by enclosing air therein, and arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air mattress;
With
At least one second air cell is disposed in a first region that is a region on the first bottom side of a boundary between the first bottom and the second bottom;
At least one second air cell is juxtaposed in a second region that is a region on both sides of the boundary between the second bottom and the third bottom,
An air mattress in which two or more first air cells are arranged in parallel between at least the first region and the second region.
The air mattress according to claim 5, wherein two or more first air cells are juxtaposed in an area closer to the end of the third bottom than the second area.
Two or more first air cells are juxtaposed in an area closer to the end of the first bottom than the first area, and at least excluding the end of the first bottom. The air mattress according to claim 5 or 6.