FLOATATION-TYPE MATTRESS FILLED WITH FLUIDIZED BALLS

Abstract

Provided is a floatation-type mattress filled with fluidized balls, wherein: a tunnel is fully filled with balls along the periphery of the mattress body; a container is merged and connected with a lower plate made of a stiff mesh and an upper plate made of a flexible mesh; multiple columns are arranged inside the container and configured to be pressed vertically; the container is filled with lightweight fluidized small balls; and dynamic equilibrium according to Pascal's principle evenly distributes weight such that, regardless of the angle of bent surfaces of the human body, weight is evenly distributed over all body connection surfaces, thereby providing equilibrium. The floatation-type mattress comforts a person as if he/she is floating on the Dead Sea, has good ventilation, and can be used in a bedroom. The floatation-type mattress prevents or alleviates pressure ulcers occurring to a person restricted to lying in bed for a long period of time.

Claims

1. A floatable mattress filled with fluidizable spheres, wherein the floatable mattress is configured to have a structure in which a plurality of columns, which are configured to be pressed, are arranged in a container, which is formed by stitching a lower plate and an upper plate of the mattress along a wall of a tunnel, which is filled with lightweight spheres, so as to connect the lower plate and the upper plate to each other, whereby the container is filled with the spheres.

2. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein each of the spheres is a hollow sphere having a diameter () of 6 to 8 mm and made of a synthetic resin.

3. The floatable mattress according to claim 2, wherein each of the spheres has a density () of 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

4. The floatable mattress according to claim 2, wherein each of the spheres has strength by which the sphere is not deformed by a lowest force of 12 N.

5. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein each of the spheres is a hollow sphere having a diameter () of 10 mm to 12 mm and made of a synthetic resin.

6. The floatable mattress according to claim 5, wherein each of the spheres has a density () of 0.2 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

7. The floatable mattress according to claim 5, wherein each of the spheres has strength by which the sphere is not deformed by a lowest force of 12 N.

8. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein, when each of the spheres is formed by foaming a synthetic resin, the sphere has a density () of 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

9. The floatable mattress according to claim 8, wherein each of the spheres is not deformed by a lowest force of 6 N.

10. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein each of the spheres is a wood sphere having a density () of 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

11. The floatable mattress according to claim 10, wherein each of the spheres has a diameter () of 6 mm to 8 mm.

12. The floatable mattress according to claim 10, wherein each of the spheres has a diameter () of 10 mm to 12 mm.

13. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein each of the columns, which are configured to be pressed, is made of a nylon fishing line having a size of No. 6 or higher.

14. The floatable mattress according to claim 13, wherein the fishing lines are connected to wide webbing tapes at regular intervals such that the webbing tapes are arranged in parallel to each other, and the webbing tapes are stitched to the lower plate and the upper plate of the mattress.

15. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein each of the columns, which are configured to be pressed, is made of a webbing string.

16. The floatable mattress according to claim 15, wherein the webbing strings are connected to wide webbing tapes at regular intervals such that the webbing tapes are arranged in parallel to each other, and the webbing tapes are stitched to the lower plate and the upper plate of the mattress.

17. The floatable mattress according to claim 14, wherein webbing tapes are added along stitching lines such that the wide webbing tapes are securely stitched to the upper plate and the lower plate of the mattress.

18. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein thick cotton canvas is added to an upper plate of the tunnel.

19. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the tunnel is made of a 3D mesh.

20. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein webbing ribbons, which serve as a loop, are stitched along an outer wall of the mattress at intervals in parallel such that strings of a cover of the mattress are tied to the webbing ribbons.

21. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein a nylon stitching thread of 210d/6 at minimum is used as a sewing thread for stitching fabric of the mattress such that stitched portions do not rupture even at high pressure.

22. The floatable mattress according to claim 1, wherein a fan kit is separately provided such that several small-capacity fans, to which heaters are coupled, are attached to the lower plate of the mattress in a DIY manner.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0089] FIG. 1 is an X-X sectional view showing a floatable mattress using spheres as a fluid according to the present invention.

[0090] FIG. 2 is a view showing that weight is evenly distributed regardless of the curved shape of the human body that contacts the mattress according to Pascal's law of the present invention.

[0091] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention with a corner being cut.

[0092] FIG. 4 is a view showing the arrangement of columns, which are configured to be pressed, of the present invention.

[0093] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing columns, which are configured to be pressed, formed using fishing lines of the present invention.

[0094] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the construction of columns, which are configured to be pressed, formed using webbing strings of the present invention.

BEST MODE

[0095] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0096] The construction of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. A container 70, which is formed by coupling a lower plate 10 and an upper plate 20 to a tunnel 30 surrounding the edge of a mattress 80, is filled with spheres 50. The lower plate 10 is made of a stiff mesh having no elasticity or a 3D mesh, inner and outer walls 32 and 33 of the tunnel 30 are made of a 3D mesh, and the upper plate 20, which contacts the human body, is made of a spandex mesh.

[0097] Columns 40, which are configured to be pressed, are arranged in the container 70 thus configured (see FIG. 4), and the container is filled with the spheres in order to manufacture a floatable mattress. Consequently, it is possible to restrain a phenomenon in which the mattress undulates, crowds, lumps, or floats, a fluid comes into tight contact with the human body that lies on the mattress along the curved shape of the human body, whereby it is possible to achieve dynamic equilibrium, and it is possible to obtain a floating effect in which the weight of the human body is evenly distributed over the surface of the human body that contact the mattress.

[0098] It is very inefficient and impossible, in terms of manufacture, to put up the columns 40, which are configured to be pressed, which are a core of the present invention, between the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 10 of the mattress one by one. Consequently, the following solutions may be proposed according to the present invention.

[0099] According to an embodiment shown in FIG. 5, nylon fishing lines 41 having a size of No. 6 or higher, which become the columns 40, which are configured to be pressed, are connected to wide webbing tapes 43 at regular intervals such that the webbing tapes are arranged in parallel to each other, and the webbing tapes are stitched to the lower plate 10 and the upper plate 20 of the mattress.

[0100] According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 6, webbing strings 42, which become the columns 40, which are configured to be pressed, are connected to wide webbing tapes 43 at regular intervals such that the webbing tapes are arranged in parallel to each other, and the webbing tapes are stitched to the lower plate 10 and the upper plate 20 of the mattress.

[0101] When the columns 40, which are configured to be pressed, are stitched to the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 10, cotton tapes 24 are added along stitching lines 23 in order to maintain secure stitching.

[0102] For convenience in using the floatable mattress, equilibrium plates 22 made of cotton may be widely added in width.

[0103] In Patent Document 1, the interior of the container of the mattress is partitioned into hermetically sealed independent sections, whereby an injection port 31 must be formed in each section. In the present invention, however, the interior of the container 70, which is filled with spheres, is open in all directions, whereby it is possible to inject the spheres into the container through a single injection port 31 formed in the lower plate, and the tunnel 30 may be filled with spheres by injecting the spheres through a single injection port 31 formed in the lower plate or through two injection ports formed in the lower plate so as to be disposed diagonally. At this time, all injection ports are formed so as to have a pipe shape such that a bottleneck phenomenon does not occur when spheres are injected.

[0104] The spheres may be easily removed from the mattress such that the spheres can be washed using a washing machine for home use, and then the mattress may be filled with the washed spheres.

[0105] A nylon stitching thread of 210D/6 or higher must be used as a sewing thread for stitching the columns 40, which are configured to be pressed, to the lower plate 10 and the upper plate 20 of the floatable mattress, and the same is equally applied to all sewing threads used for the floatable mattress. However, adding is an exception.

[0106] The pressure applied to the mattress is the sum of the weight of the human body and acceleration. If this condition is neglected, the sewing thread may be cut, and a large quantity of spheres may be discharged out of the mattress.

[0107] In the case in which a separate container, which serves as the inside skin of the mattress, is inserted into the mattress, it is not necessary to remove the spheres, which fill the mattress, from the mattress in order to wash the spheres and then to fill the mattress with the washed spheres. The inside skin container, which is filled with the spheres, may be separated from the outside skin of the mattress, and may be introduced into a washing machine such that the spheres can be washed together with the inside skin container.

[0108] A fan kit 60 including several small fans, which generate little noise and are controlled by a programmable controller 62, may be mounted under the mattress such that the mattress is cool in summer. In addition, heaters 61, which are attached to the respective fans, may be operated such that the mattress is warm in winter. These components may be mounted in a DIY manner. These components may also serve to remove moisture.

[0109] The fluidizable spheres, which fill the interior of the container 70 of the mattress, are vitally important to the floatable mattress.

[0110] The size and specific gravity of the spheres have an absolute influence to the fluidity of the spheres. Consequently, the present invention proposes optimal specifications in consideration of the weight of the mattress while calculating costs through computation and a lot of experiments.

[0111] The specifications of a fluidizable hollow sphere 50 are set as follows: the diameter of the fluidizable hollow sphere is 6 to 8 mm, the thickness t of the skin of the fluidizable hollow sphere is 0.2 to 0.5 mm, and the density of the fluidizable hollow sphere is 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or less. In addition, the fluidizable hollow sphere is made of a synthetic resin, which has strength at which the fluidizable hollow sphere is not deformed by a lowest force of 12 N and has a low coefficient of surface friction such that the fluidizable hollow sphere well slides so as to serve as a smooth fluid.

[0112] Another fluidizable hollow sphere has a diameter of 10 to 12 mm and a density of 0.2 g/cm.sup.3 or less, and is made of a synthetic resin, whereby this fluidizable hollow sphere is lighter than the former.

[0113] In the case in which a sphere is formed by foaming a synthetic resin, a smooth sphere 50, the surface of which is reinforced and which has a density of 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or less, a little elasticity in which the sphere is not deformed by a force of 6 N, and a diameter of 6 mm to 8 mm, is formed.

[0114] A wood sphere 50 is made of a wood having a density of 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or less and a diameter of 6 to 8 mm.

[0115] Another wood sphere 50 has a diameter of 10 to 12 mm. In the case in which the diameter of wood spheres is large, the required quantity of wood spheres is smaller than in the case in which the diameter of wood spheres is small, whereby it is possible to considerably reduce costs.

[0116] Small spheres provide soft contact with the skin and high comfort; however, costs are high.

[0117] On the other hand, in the case in which the mattress is filled with large spheres, costs are low; however, soft contact with the skin is slightly deteriorated.

[0118] The size and density of the spheres have an influence on the fluidity of the spheres.

[0119] In the case in which the density of the spheres approximates to 1 g/cm.sup.3 and the diameter of the spheres is small, the fluidity of the spheres is considerably reduced. On the other hand, in the case in which the spheres are excessively lightweight, the spheres are pushed by the pressure of the human body due to high fluidity thereof, whereby the protruding portions of the human body may strike the bottom of the mattress.

[0120] The present invention proposes the structure of optimal spheres and a floatable mattress considering the above characteristics.

[0121] The floatable mattress is not fixed in form. For this reason, a cover is separated from the mattress in the case in which the cover is put on the mattress as in a conventional mattress. In order to fix the cover, therefore, strings of the cover are tied to a loop 34, which is formed by stitching webbing ribbons along the outer wall 32 of the tunnel 30 at intervals (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0122] In the case in which the cover is made of cotton tricot, the cover coincides with a concept of the upper plate 20 of the floatable mattress being made of a spandex mesh.

[0123] Nevertheless, in the case in which the cover is made of plain weave fabric, an elastic band may be attached so as to be easily tied to the ribbon loop 34.

[0124] In the detailed description of the present invention, as described above, concrete embodiments have been described; however, the specifications of the present invention propose the optimal values, and therefore fall within the appended claims. In addition, even in the case in which different specifications are used due to difficulties in manufacturing spheres, these specifications also fall within the claims, since the same principle and the same category are applied thereto.