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EP 0 697 184 B1 |
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EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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Mention of the grant of the patent: |
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29.03.2000 Bulletin 2000/13 |
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Date of filing: 18.08.1994 |
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Body support arrangement and bed incorporating same
Stützvorrichtung für einen menschlichen Körper, und damit ausgerüstetes Bett
Dispositif pour supporter le corps humain, et lit en étant équipé
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Designated Contracting States: |
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AT CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI NL PT SE |
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Date of publication of application: |
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21.02.1996 Bulletin 1996/08 |
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Proprietor: Boeve, Michel |
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B-2900 Schoten (BE) |
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Inventor: |
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- Boeve, Michel
B-2900 Schoten (BE)
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Representative: Leherte, Georges M.L.M., Dr. et al |
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K.O.B. n.v.,
Pres. Kennedypark 31c 8500 Kortrijk 8500 Kortrijk (BE) |
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References cited: :
EP-A- 0 378 469 WO-A-94/01024
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WO-A-92/08398
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Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European
patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to
the European patent
granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall
not be deemed to
have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent
Convention).
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[0001] A known conventional bed comprises a body support surface made of flexible slats
that extend transversely of the longitudinal direction of the bed and that rest on
fixed supports at their both ends. The insufficient flexibility of the materials currently
used in making the slats (e.g. wood or polyester) results in the conventional slat
support arrangements being unable to perfectly conform to the contour of a lying body.
[0002] Increased pressure places are thus created under the pelvis and the shoulder regions.
Furthermore, the shoulders are unable to sink down sufficiently in relation to the
mean width of the shoulder girdle. As a result all parts of the body can not be supported
evenly and adequately.
[0003] There is also known a water mattress providing a body support surface that is able
to gently suit the contour of a user's body and that provides a soft support. The
closest prior art is illustrated by WO-A-9401024 and WO-A-0378469. Both documents
disclose a sleeping surface resting on water filled support cylinders. It is noted
that these cylinders define a closed volume. Accordingly, these water filled cylinders
react just like a water mattress and because of their specific design, so will the
above mentioned body support systems.
[0004] The typical characteristic of a water mattress is, that it has equal pressure or
resistance over its entire surface. However, anatomically the body weighs much more
at the pelvic region than at the shouldergirdle or the feet, so the body does not
have equal pressure over its entire surface.
[0005] So, when a person is lying down on the slats of the above mentioned body support
systems (WO-A-94010?4 and WO-A-0378469) or on a water mattress, the water underneath
the pelvic region is moved downwards and away towards areas of lower resistance, i.e.
the areas where the feet and shouldergirdle are lying. Since these body regions weigh
much less than the pelvic region, the feet and the shouldergirdle are pushed upwards.
[0006] When a person is lying on the side, the shouldergirdle, which anatomically is much
wider than the pelvis, should be able to sink deeper into the surface of the bed than
the pelvic girdle, in order to get the spine in a straight horizontal line, which
is its normal neutral posture.
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a resilient body support arrangement
which ensures that when a body is lying on the side the spine extends perfectly aligned
and when the body is lying on the back, all parts thereof are evenly supported whereby
the body is assuming a natural posture.
[0008] To achieve said object, the present invention provides a body support arrangement
as defined in the appended claims.
[0009] Providing a body support arrangement that is resting on water filled tubes ensures
that the body support surface gently conform to any waving of the user's body lying
on it, whereby the pressure is evenly distributed over the entire length of the body.
[0010] Providing a free space in the sleeping surface, in the area where the shouldergirdle
is to rest, as set forth in the claims, not only prevents the shouldergirdle from
being pushed upwards by the displaced water, but also allows the shouldergirdle to
sink adequately into the surface of the bed, thereby to allow the spine of the body
to extend perfectly aligned in a natural posture.
[0011] When a person is lying on the back, the surface of the shoulder region is much larger
than in side-lying position. So, the shouldergirdle will sink even less into the surface
of the bed than in side-lying position, because of the lower pressure per cm
2. Because of this reason, on a water mattress and alike the upwards displacement of
the shouldergirdle will even be more than in side-lying position.
[0012] The free space provided as claimed, allows the shouldergirdle to sink sufficiently
into the surface of the bed and prevents the body to sag in the middle of the bed,
as it would on a water mattress and alike ("hammock"-effect). This allows a proper
horizontal position of the spine. Because the very flexible surface of the bodysupport
system perfectly follows the contours of the body, it gives a proper support of the
curvatures of the spine. This allows the body to assume its natural posture.
[0013] The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the
accompanying drawings. In the drawings :
Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a bed incorporating a body support arrangement
according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a top view of the body support arrangement shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a side view of the bed of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 illustrates the posture of a person lying on a body support arrangement in
accordance with the invention;
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the posture of a person lying on the side on a conventional
slat support surface and a water mattress, respectively;
Fig. 7 illustrates the posture of a person lying on the back on a body support arrangement
according to the invention;
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the posture of a person lying on the back on a conventional
slat support surface and a water mattress, respectively;
[0014] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there are shown a frame 11 with two cup shaped supports
12 and 13 provided along both sides thereof. In each of said supports there is accomodated
a water filled tube 14, resp. 15. In an exemplary embodiment, each cup shaped support
consists of a plate 16 extending lengthwise under a side of the frame and a channel
block 17 made of plastic foam attached to it. A resilient layer 18 lies on each water
filled tube, e.g. a ribbed polyether foam layer of about 6.5 cm thick. The parallel
ribs 19 of the two layers 18 are arranged in alignment.
[0015] A series of transversely extending slats 21 form a flexible sleeping surface 10.
The end portions of each slat rest on aligned ribs 19. The slats 21 may be fixed to
the resilient layers or the water filled tubes by suitable attachment ribbons.
[0016] Owing to their being lying on the water filled tubes, the flexible slats are able
to gently conform to any waving of a lying body and at the same time an evenly distributed
pressure is achieved all along the length of the body. As a result, the lying body
assumes an ideal and natural posture.
[0017] At a chosen distance from one longitudinal end of the frame 11, in the region where
the shoulder of a body is expected to lie, the sleeping surface 10 is interrupted
whereby a free space 20 is provided, e.g. a free space commensurate to the space needed
for placement of three slats. In an exemplary embodiment (Fig. 3), no slats are provided
in the space 20 and the polyether foam layer 18 is interrupted there. However, slats
may be provided in the space 20 by laying them on a thinner foam layer.
[0018] Advantageously, one or more ribs are removably arranged on one end or on both ends
of said free space, e.g. ribs 19a and 19b shown in Fig. 3. This feature allows the
lengthwise extent of the free space to be adjusted so as to suit to the place where
the shoulder of a lying body is expected to come.
[0019] By virtue of the invention the shoulder region which weighs less and is wider than
the pelvis region, is allowed to sink down deeper than the pelvis region. Thereby
the spine of a body lying on the side is able to extend perfectly aligned as illustrated
in Fig. 4. The posture shown in Fig. 4 is to be compared with the postures illustrated
in Figs. 5 and 6 which show the postures assumed by a body lying on a conventional
slat bed and a water mattress respectively.
[0020] When a body is lying on the back, the shoulder girdle is also allowed to sink down
deep enough such that the body back is evenly supported over its entire length as
illustrated in Fig. 7. By comparison, Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the postures of a body
lying on the back on a conventional slat bed and a water mattress respectively.
[0021] A second exemplary embodiment of the body support arrangement according to the invention
comprises a foam layer lying on a flexible water filled container. The latter is accomodated
in a cup shaped support. A free space is provided in the region where the shoulder
of a lying body is expected to come. For instance, the foam layer can be interrupted
by removing one or several removable members provided there such that the free space
can be adjusted to exactly accomodate the shoulder of the person who is expected to
lie thereon.
1. Body support arrangement comprising a frame having a longitudinal direction and a
sleeping surface (10) and support means for supporting the sleeping surface, wherein
the support means for the sleeping surface (10) consist of at least one water filled
tube (14, 15) provided on the frame or on the longitudinal sides thereof, characterized
in that the sleeping surface (10) is provided with a free space (20) arranged therein
at a selected distance from the longitudinal ends of the frame such that when a person
is lying on the sleeping surface, said free space allows the shoulder girdle of the
user's body to sink down.
2. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sleeping surface (10) comprises slats
(21), characterized in that at least one slat is removable whereby the location and/or
width of said free space (20) can be adjusted.
3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each water filled tube
(14, 15) is accomodated in a cup shaped support (13).
4. Arrangement according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that a layer (18) of flexible
material is interposed between each water filled tube (14, 15) and the ends of the
flexible slats resting thereon.
5. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the sleeping surface (10)
consists of a flexible foam layer (18) including at least one removable member (19)
whereby the location and/or width of said free space (20) can be adjusted.
6. Bed comprising a body support arrangement according to either of the preceding claims.
1. Vorrichtung der Körperstütze bestehend aus einem Rahmen in longitudinaler Richtung,
einer Stützfläche (10) und einer Stützvorrichtung um die Stützfläche zu tragen, wo
die Stützvorrichtung für die Stützfläche (10) besteht aus mindestens zwei mit Wasser
gefüllten Stangen (14, 15), die sich an den longitudinalen Seiten des Rahmens befinden,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Stützfläche (10) mit einem freien Raum (20) ausgestattet
ist, einen von den longitudinalen Enden des Rahmens ausgehenden bestimmten Abstand,
so dass wenn eine auf der Stützfläche liegende Person, der freie Raum die Absenkung
der Schulterblätter des Körpers des Verwenders erlaubt.
2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, in der die Stützfläche (10) aus Latten besteht (21),
gekennzeichnet durch die Entnahme von mindestens einer Latte, so dass der Standort
und/oder die Breite des freien Raumes (20) angepasst werden kann.
3. Vorrichtung nach Ansprüche 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass jede aus Wasser
gefüllte Stange (14, 15) in einer kapellenförmigen Stütze (12) eingebettet ist.
4. Vorrichtung nach Ansprüche 1, 2 oder 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass eine Schicht
(18) flexibler Material zwischen jeder mit Wasser gefüllten Stange (14, 15) zwischengelagert
ist und die Enden der flexiblen Latten auf der Schicht ruhen.
5. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Stützfläche (10) aus
einer flexiblen Schaumschicht (18) besteht, enthaltend mindestens eines entnehmfahigen
Elementes (19), wodurch der Standort und/oder die Breite des freien Raumes (20) angepasst
werden kann.
6. Bett aus einer Vorrichtung der Körperstütze nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche.
1. Agencement pour le soutien corporel comprenant un cadre présentant un sens longitudinal
et une surface de repos (10), et un dispositif de soutien pour supporter la surface
de repos, dans lequel le dispositif de soutien pour la surface de repos (10) consiste
en au moins deux tubes remplis d'eau (14, 15) qui sont placés sur les côtés longitudinaux
du cadre, caractérisé en ce que la surface de repos (10) comprend un espace libre
(20) disposé sur celle-ci, à une distance choisie depuis les extrémités longitudinales
du cadre, de sorte que lorsqu'une personne est allongée sur la surface de repos, l'espace
libre permet au plan des épaules du corps de l'utilisateur de s'enfoncer.
2. Agencement suivant la revendication 1, dans lequel la surface de repos (10) comprend
des lattes (21), caractérisé en ce qu'au moins une latte peut être ôtée, ce par quoi
l'emplacement et/ou la largeur de l'espace libre (20) peut être ajusté.
3. Agencement suivant la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que chaque tube rempli
d'eau (14, 15) est logé dans un support en forme de coupelle (13).
4. Agencement suivant la revendication 1, 2 ou 3, caractérisé en ce qu'une couche (18)
de matière flexible est interposée entre chaque tube rempli d'eau (14, 15) et les
extrémités des lattes flexibles reposent dessus.
5. Agencement suivant la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la surface de repos (10)
consiste en une couche en mousse flexible (18) comprenant au moins un élément pouvant
être ôté (19), ce par quoi l'emplacement et/ou la largeur de l'espace libre (20) peut
être ajusté.
6. Lit comprenant un agencement pour le soutien corporel suivant l'une quelconques des
revendications précédentes.