IMPROVED MATTRESS

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a mattress comprising a mattress core and inserts placed on top thereof. For various body zones and also taking account of the lying position of the user on the mattress, the deformation characteristics of the inserts, e.g. the hardness, are determined in such a way that the shape or position of the spinal column of the user at rest corresponds to the shape or position of the spinal column of the user in upright position. The novelty of the invention resides in the fact that this goal is achieved irrespective of the left/right/belly/back lying position of the user on the mattress. To that end a three-dimensional recording of the user takes place and the data thereof are used by a computer program so as to achieve the desired deformation of the inserts.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved mattress and pillow in order to ideally support the body during sleep.

[0002] More in particular the invention relates to a mattress and pillow comprising various elements that can be assembled by the user as a function of his/her bodily constitution to an ideal mattress and corresponding pillow to support the body during sleep.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is known and scientifically proven that a good and healthy sleep is an absolute requirement for a good health. By sleeping one recovers as well physically as mentally from the efforts and strains of a day.

[0004] However, for a good sleep, a correct position of the body is important. A wrong position during sleep often is caused by the use of a wrong mattress and/or pillow. This in turn results or gives rise to problems at the level of the neck and/or the back and lack of sleep.

[0005] US Patent N° 9,179,781, describes a mattress wherein by means of various inserts at the level of the shoulders, the waist and the hips an ideal sleeping position for the body may be obtained.

[0006] However, this mattress does not take account of the fact that a person during its sleep takes various sleeping positions. The sleeping positions or -postures of a person vary in the course of a night, without the person involved being aware thereof. It occurs quite seldom that a person does not change its sleeping position during a whole night.

[0007] A person can lie on its left side, its right side, its back or its belly. All in total a person can take four different sleeping positions during night.

[0008] The mattress described in this US patent does not take account of these various sleeping positions.

[0009] European Patent application N° 3 023 034 A2, in the name of Perzona Benelux B.V., published on May 25, 2016, discloses a mattress and a cushion, comprising a viscoelastic foam layer, with foam inserts embedded therein.

[0010] In line with the above US patent, also this patent does not disclose that the mattress characteristics should be designed taking account of the lying position of the user on the mattress. It even remains completely silent regarding this point.

[0011] Therefor there remains a need for a mattress and corresponding pillow that is not only adapted to the body of a user, but that also takes account of its sleeping positions and with the changing sleeping positions in the course of a night.

[0012] It is generally accepted that an ideal support of the body implies that the spinal column is supported such that it remains in a horizontal position.

[0013] To achieve this goal ergonomically designed mattresses and pillows are available, whereby in the design of such mattresses, resp. pillows the 'average' person is taken as a reference.

[0014] The problem hereby is that this 'average' person only exists as a scientific fiction and that in real life only a very low number of persons correspond to the standards and dimensions of this 'average' person.

[0015] This in turn results in the fact that the vast majority of people sleep on a mattress and a pillow that is either too soft or too hard, and/or that does not suit or take account of the varying sleeping positions during the night.

[0016] The direct result hereof is that for the vast majority of people the spinal column is not ideally supported, this in turn resulting in complaints of the sleep and insufficient recovery during the night.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The aim of the present invention is to remedy the above and other drawbacks and to offer an appropriate solution by designing a mattress and corresponding pillow comprising various elements that can be assembled by the user as a function of his/her individual body constitution and lying position on an ideal mattress, resp. sleeping pillow as support for the body, including the head and the neck.

[0018] To this end, the invention relates to a method for the production for a user of a mattress comprising a mattress core and inserts for various parts of the body of the user.

[0019] The method thereby comprises the following steps

• recording a three-dimensional image of the user;
• determining the desired deformation of the inserts as a function of the three-dimensional image of the user.

[0020] The goal of this determination is that for the lying position of the user on the insert, the shape of his/her spinal column corresponds to the shape of his/her spinal column in upright position.

[0021] Hereupon a selection of inserts takes place, e.g. from a stock of available inserts with the desired deformation characteristic.

[0022] Hereupon the selected inserts are positioned, fitted or deposited upon the lying side of the mattress core (that side of the mattress whereupon the user lies his body during sleep, so the upper side of the mattress).

[0023] The characterizing feature of the invention thereby is that for a given part of the body of the user, three inserts are used, namely a left-, a middle- and a right-insert. For a given zone or area of the body, the inserts are positioned on the lying side of the mattress core as follows:

• the middle-insert in the middle;
• the left-insert at the left side of the middle-insert;
• the right-insert at the right side of the middle-insert.

[0024] The desired deformation of each insert thereby is also determined as a function of the specific lying position of the user for the insert concerned. More in particular this determination is as follows:

• the left-insert takes account of or is designed as a function of the left lying position;
• the right-insert takes account of or is designed as a function of the right lying position;
• the middle-insert takes account of or is designed as a function of the middle lying position.

[0025] The invention also relates to a method for assembling a pillow whereby the above steps are applied mutatis mutandis; differently phrased, whereby the above steps are applied to a pillow instead of a mattress.

[0026] The invention also relates to a mattress, resp. a pillow produced according to this method.

[0027] Finally, the invention relates to the combination of a mattress and a pillow according to the invention.

[0028] More in particular, the invention relates to the method, the mattress, the pillow and the combination of both elements as described in the appended claims.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0029] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, as an example and without any limiting character, a few preferred embodiments and applications of the method of manufacturing the mattress according to the invention, as well as the mattress and the pillow according to the invention, are described hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows three top views, one near to the other, of a sleeping person in three different positions on a mattress (hereby the middle position shows as well the belly- as the back lying position, so all in total three views for in total four positions);

Figure 2 shows a compressed view of figure 1, whereby the person lies on a single mattress in four different sleeping positions, three whereof are shown;

Figure 3 shows schematically a mattress according to the invention, with designation of the various body zones and inserts for each zone;

Figure 4 shows schematically as a side view a mattress according to the invention;

Figure 5 shows schematically the various zones of the pillow, with designation of the overlapping zones;

Figure 6 shows in perspective the pillow according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] As described above, the invention relates to a method for the production of a mattress, resp. a pillow, as well as the mattress, resp. the pillow manufactured by means of this process.

[0031] In the method for the manufacture of the mattress according to the invention, the following means are used:

• a mattress core;
• (exchangeable) inserts.

[0032] The mattress core is the basic or supporting element or means whereupon the inserts are positioned or deposited.

[0033] The inserts are parts, with a rectangular or in some cases square form, the characterising feature whereof is that the deformation in the vertical direction is adapted to the user. As an example, as a function of time, by considering wear, contamination or an increase or decrease of weight of the user, the inserts can be replaced by a new set. So, the inserts are interchangeable in the course of time. The thickness of the mattress core and the inserts together amount to 15 up to 30 cm in most cases, preferably between 20 and 25 cm.

[0034] The mattress core can be approximately 10 cm thick and the inserts can be 10 up to 15 cm thick, for example 12 cm.

[0035] According to the state of the art, as described for example in the US patent N° 9,179,781, described above, it is known to produce a mattress according to a method whereby inserts are used for the different zones of the body, for example the shoulders, the waist and the hips.

[0036] The inserts are then designed such that their deformation, under the influence of the weight of a person lying in rest position thereon, is such that the position of the spinal column of the user as far as possible corresponds to the position of the spinal column of the person in upright position.

[0037] If desired, the deformation can be optimized or designed such that the position or shape of the spinal column of the user is as horizontal as possible.

[0038] The disadvantage of the method however is that no account is taken of the lying position of the user on the mattress.

[0039] It is clear that, depending upon the body constitution of the user, and depending upon whether the user resides on his back, belly, left- or right side, the deformation of inserts selected according to the state of the art, will be different. The result hereof is that when the inserts according to the state of the art have been designed and selected when the user was lying on his back on the mattress, this design and selection does no longer correspond to the optimal solution when the person in its sleep no longer is lying on his back, but has turned for example to his left or right side and continues his sleep in this meanwhile changed position. The person then lies on a mattress designed to be used for a back-sleeping position, but in fact uses same in a left- or right sleeping position.

[0040] This is illustrated for example in figure 1. In this figure a person is shown in three different images near to each other, such person lying on his/her right-, back- or belly-, resp. left-side position. In practice, these three sleeping positions are not executed on three different mattresses, but they are on the contrary applied on one and the same mattress, as shown in figure 2. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that a person during the night can take four different sleeping positions, namely:

1) Resting on his/her left side;

2) Resting on his/her right side;

3) Resting on his/her belly side;

4) Resting on his/her back side.

[0041] In the figures cited above the belly- as well as the back position is shown by one and the same middle position; as a consequence, in the present description and claims three instead of four positions are mentioned. Hereby account should be taken of the fact that this middle position actually represents two different sleeping-positions.

[0042] The result of these differing sleeping positions is that when a mattress according to the state of the art is used, the shape of the user's spinal column in a given sleeping position does not correspond with the shape of the spinal column in upright position (or, as the case may be, does not correspond with the horizontal position of the spinal column, but this is not the preferred mode of execution of the present invention) resulting in sleeping-complaints and an incomplete recovery.

[0043] The invention described as set forth hereinafter takes duly into account this situation that quite often occurs in practice; the goal of the invention consequently is to design a method that offers a suitable and practical solution to this problem. Differently phrased, the method should be designed such that the mattress manufactured according to this method yields an ideal sleeping comfort to the user, independently of the possible lying position of the user.

[0044] The method should thus be designed such that the form of the spinal column of the user, independently of his/her lying position on the mattress, still corresponds to the desired position or shape of the spinal column, namely the position or shape of the spinal column in upright position, and this irrespective of the sleeping position of the user.

[0045] The inventors now have found that a mattress manufactured according to the method as described hereinafter satisfies or meets the above goal in all practical circumstances.

[0046] The method to this end comprises the steps as set forth hereinafter in greater detail.

Three-dimensional recording:

[0047] A first step in the method of the invention is the recording of a three-dimensional image of the user, in order to determine his/her body constitution and weight.

[0048] This recording can be executed according to a method and using means known in the art.

[0049] It is for instance known that in clothing retailer shops cameras are installed in dressing-rooms, whereby with the consent of the user, a three-dimensional recording is performed. The data of such recording are then used to select or manufacture a clothing part according to the user's measures/dimensions.

Optimization of the deformation:

[0050] The next step in the method according to the invention is the determination of the desired deformation, expressed in a well-defined deformation characteristic, for example the hardness, for the various inserts for the various body zones.

[0051] The goal of this operation or step is that the deformation of the various inserts should be such that when the user is lying on the respective insert, the shape or position of his/her spinal column corresponds with the shape of his/her spinal column in upright position.

[0052] The design or fine-tuning of the desired deformation of the inserts takes place on the basis of the data resulting from the three-dimensional recording of the user, described above. In practice, this design is created by means of a computer program that calculates how the user's personal 3D-profile in the mattress should be for the various body-zones and - according to the invention - for the various lying- or sleeping positions. The conversion of the 3D data to a mattress-zone distribution according to the invention is not only in the vertical direction, this means optimized as a function of the various body-zones, but now also horizontally, namely for a given body-zone taking account of the left-, middle- or right- side or zone.

[0053] As set forth above, the goal of this design is that in the lying or sleeping position of the user on the insert, the shape or position of his/her spinal column corresponds to the shape of his/her spinal column in upright position.

[0054] The deformation of each insert to be determined comprises the determination of the desired deformation characteristic, for example hardness or density of the insert concerned, and the power-displacement curve of the chosen material for the insert concerned. In this way more or less deformation of the insert is obtained depending on the measured profile. The program calculates on the basis of the 3D scan-measurement the power-displacement curve of the materials and by doing so the ideal sleeping position on the basis of the personal sleeping profile of the user. The characteristic feature of the invention is that for a given body zone of the user, three inserts are available, namely a left-, a middle- and a right insert.

[0055] This is illustrated for example in figure 3.

[0056] This figure shows a mattress, for example with a characteristic size, 100 cm wide and 200 cm long, whereby the user's head rests on top of the mattress and the user's feet rest at the bottom of the mattress.

[0057] At the right side of the mattress the various body zones are shown.

[0058] According to a preferred mode of the invention, the mattress is manufactured with inserts for up to seven different body zones:

• head and neck
• shoulders and upper chest;
• lower chest;
• waist, lower back or belly;
• hips and backside;
• upper legs;
• lower legs.

[0059] In the figure these zones are numbered Zone 1 up to Zone 7 as follows:

- Zone 1:	Head & Neck	35 cm
- Zone 2:	Shoulders & Upper chest	21 cm
- Zone 3:	lower chest	21 cm
- Zone 4:	Waist & Lumbar	12 cm
- Zone 5:	Hips & bottom	27 cm
- Zone 6:	Upper legs & knees	42 cm
- Zone 7:	Lower legs & feet	42 cm.

[0060] On this same figure, only by means of example and without any limiting character, possible dimensions of these body zones are mentioned.

[0061] These dimensions are set forth also above, near to each body zone.

[0062] The figure shows how for a given body zone, the insert knows as such in the state of the art (over the whole width of the mattress) now is divided in three different zones, a left-, a middle- and a right- insert.

[0063] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the widths of the various inserts for a given body zone can vary as a function of the body zone.

[0064] As an example figure 1 shows that for zone 1, the head and the neck, one single insert generally suffices.

[0065] For zone 2 the middle zone or insert amounts to 60 cm (for a mattress with a total width of 100 cm) and both the outer zones, namely the left- and the right- zone or insert amount to 20 cm.

[0066] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, one or both of the outer inserts, i.e. the left- and/or right insert, comprise an outer edge with a deformation characteristic, for example a hardness higher than the deformation characteristic, for example a hardness of the left-, resp. right- insert. This prevents the situation that when a user lying on his/her right-, resp. left-side substantially rests on the left-, resp. right inserts, the user might roll out of the surface of the mattress because the edge insufficiently supports his body. Such a stronger or reinforced edge prevents such problem to occur.

[0067] According to the invention the desired deformation of each insert is also determined as a function of the specific lying position of the user on the insert concerned. This determination is executed as follows:

• the left-insert is determined taking account of the left-resting or lying position;
• the middle-insert is determined taking account of the belly or back-resting or lying position;
• the right-insert is determined taking account of the right-resting or lying position. In this manner, the above described goal can be achieved and the mattress manufactured according to this method will always offer an optimal support, irrespective of the lying or resting position of the user.

[0068] Tests in practice have revealed that:

• when a person rests on his/her right side, he usually rests on the left-side of the mattress;
• when a person rests on his back or belly, he usually rests in the middle part of the mattress;
• when a person rests on his/her left side, he usually rests on the right side of the mattress.

[0069] The left- resp. the right side of a user is to be understood as that side or part of the person from his/her point of view.

[0070] The left- resp. the right side of the mattress is to be understood as that side or part of the mattress viewed from above the mattress whereby the head of the user rests on top of the mattress and the feet rest at the bottom of the mattress.

[0071] Figure 4 shows schematically a side view of a mattress manufactured according to the invention.

[0072] The reference numeral 1 denotes the mattress core, numeral 2 denotes the inserts, numeral 3 denotes the optional comfort layer, numeral 5 denotes the various body zones.

Selection of inserts:

[0073] The next step in the method according to the invention is that on the basis of the deformation determined in the previous step, expressed in (a set of) deformation characteristics, a selection is made of inserts that correspond to the deformation as determined. This implies that the manufacturer or distributor of the mattresses manufactured according to the method of the present invention, holds an inventory of inserts that correspond to the various possible deformation characteristics.

[0074] When the desired insert is not available in the said inventory, it suffices that the manufacturer or distributor produces one or more inserts according to the desired deformation characteristics.

Positioning or placing of the selected inserts:

[0075] The next step in the method according to the invention is that the selected inserts are positioned, fitted or placed upon the rest-side of the mattress core.

[0076] For a given body zone the inserts are positioned on the rest-side of the mattress core as follows:

• the middle insert in the middle;
• the left insert at the left side of the middle insert;
• the right insert at the right side of the middle insert.

Transition zones:

[0077] According to a preferred mode of execution of the present invention, the left and/or the right insert comprises at its inner side a transition zone, the deformation characteristic whereof, for example the hardness, is the average of the deformation characteristics, for example, the hardness of the left-, resp. right-inserts and the middle- insert. More generally, the hardness of this transition zone should be situated between the hardness of the left, resp. right- inserts and the middle insert. According to a more preferred embodiment, the hardness of such transition zone should be situated between 30 and 70 % of the average value mentioned above, still more preferably between 40 and 60 % of such average value.

[0078] Still according to a preferred mode of operation of the present invention, the middle insert at one or both of its sides comprises one, resp. two transition zone (s) the deformation characteristic whereof, for example the hardness, is the average of the deformation characteristics, for example the hardness, of the middle- and the left-, resp. the right insert.

[0079] More generally, the hardness of this (these) transition zone(s) should be situated between the hardness of the left, resp. right- inserts and the middle insert. According to a more preferred embodiment, the hardness of such transition zone (s) should be situated between 30 and 70 % of the average value mentioned above, still more preferably between 40 and 60 % of such average value.

[0080] The width of such transition zone comprises in a preferred mode from 5 up to 15 cm, more preferably approx. 10 cm. More generally, the width of such transition zones are situated between 5 to 20 % of the width of the respective insert, more preferably between 7 to 15 %, still more preferably from 10 to 15 %.

Comfort layer:

[0081] Still according to a preferred mode of operation of the invention at the rest side of the inserts a comfort layer (topper) is placed (rest side of the insert is the side whereupon the user rests).

[0082] The goal of this topper is to fade out possible unevenness in the global surface of the mattress (formed by the upper sides of the various inserts). Also, in the case of a two-persons bed, such comfort layer is often used to fade out unevenness at the transition point or zone between the mattress of the one person and the mattress of the other person. A usual thickness for such comfort layer is for example 3 cm. The thickness usually is comprised within 1 up to 7 cm, preferably between 2 up to 5 cm.

The extensible case or sleeve

[0083] Still according to a preferred mode of operation of the invention, the mattress core and the inserts are held together by a case or sleeve, preferably a (extra) extensible case or sleeve that is positioned around the combination of mattress core and inserts.

[0084] As a possible alternative mode of execution, the mattress core and the inserts comprise means that enable same to stick to each other in a flexible manner, for example by using Velcro's ®. In this case, a sleeve to keep together the mattress core and the inserts is not required.

[0085] It is further possible to position on top of the mattress core and the inserts (and in case also on top of the comfort layer) a protective layer, before the case or sleeve is put around the combination of both of these elements.

[0086] Preferably use is made of an anti-bacterial and washable resilient or flexible cover or sleeve. Such a sleeve is flexible but not too resilient to cover both the core and the inserts.

Pillow:

[0087] The method described above for the manufacture of a mattress can also be applied, mutatis mutandis, for the manufacture of a (head-)pillow. It suffices to this end to apply the same sequence of steps.

[0088] Figure 5 shows a preferred mode of execution of a pillow manufactured according to such method.

[0089] The total width can amount to 80 cm and the length can e.g. be 35 cm.

[0090] The zone for the head then comprises for example 25 cm and the zone for the neck comprises 10 cm.

[0091] The respective inserts for the head then comprise for example 20 cm for the left- and right-inserts and 40 cm for the middle insert for the head, as shown in the figure.

[0092] For the neck-zone the middle zone can amount to 20 cm and both the outer zones, left and right amount to each 30 cm.

[0093] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the pillow manufactured in this manner.

General:

[0094] Finally, the invention relates to a mattress manufactured according to the method described above.

[0095] Also, the invention relates to a (head) pillow manufactured according to the method described above.

[0096] Finally, the invention relates to a combination of a mattress and a pillow as described above.

Claims

1. Method for the manufacture for a user of a mattress comprising a mattress core (1) and inserts (2) for various body zones (5) of the user, comprising the following steps:

- recording a three-dimensional image of the user;

- determination of the desired deformation of the inserts (2) as a function of the three-dimensional recording of the user in order that for a resting position of the user on the inserts, the position of his/her spinal column corresponds to the position of his/her spinal column in upright position;

- selection from an inventory of inserts the inserts (2) with the desired deformation characteristics;

- positioning the selected inserts (2) at the rest side of the mattress core (1) characterised in that

- for a given body zone (5) of the user, three inserts (2) are used, namely a left-, a middle- and a right-insert,

- for a given body zone (5), the three inserts (2) are positioned on the rest side of the mattress core as follows:

- the middle-insert in the middle;

- the left-insert at the left side of the middle-insert;

- the right-insert at the right side of the middle-insert, and whereby

- the desired deformation of each insert is determined also taking account of the lying position of the user on the insert concerned, namely as follows:

- the left-insert for the left lying position;

- the middle-insert for the belly or back lying position.

- the right-insert for the right lying position.

2. Method according to claim 1, whereby the left and right inserts comprise an outer edge having a deformation characteristic, expressed in hardness, higher than the deformation characteristic, expressed in hardness, of the left-, resp. the right insert.

3. Method according to any of claims 1 or 2, whereby the left and/or the right insert at its inner edge comprises a transition zone, the deformation characteristic whereof, expressed in hardness, is the average of the hardness of the left- resp. the right insert and the middle insert.

4. Method according to any of the claims 1 or 3, whereby the middle insert at one or both of its sides comprises one, resp. two transition zone (s), the deformation characteristic whereof, expressed in hardness, is the average of the hardness of the middle and the left-, resp. the right insert.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising inserts for one or more of the following body zones of the user:

- head and neck

- shoulders and upper chest;

- lower chest;

- waist, lower back or belly;

- hips and backside;

- upper legs;

- lower legs.

6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, whereby a comfort-layer is positioned at the rest-side of the inserts.

7. Method according to any of the claims 1 through 4 and 6, whereby instead of a mattress, a pillow is manufactured.

8. Method according to claim 7, whereby the body zones of the user comprise the head and the neck.

9. Mattress manufactured according to the method of any of the claims 1 through 6.

10. Pillow manufactured according to the method of any of the claims 7 or 8.

11. Pillow-mattress combination comprising the mattress according to claim 9 and the pillow according to claim 10.

Drawing