US3462777A - Mattress - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1969 s. LUTSKY MATTRESS Filed Nov. 7, 1967 ZZZ.

B ri M ill-Ilflllilllllll-.llllll| IIll Aklllllllllllllk INVENTOR. SIDNEY LUTSK Y 3,452,777 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 3,462,777 MATTRES Sidney Lutsky, 3465 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, Tenn. 38111 Filed Nov. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 681,142 Int. Cl. A47c 23/ 00, 25/00, 27/00 US. Cl. 345 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention It pertains generally to mattress construction and particularly to antisnore devices.

Description of the prior art As is well known, a person is prone to snore when sleeping on his back and will stop snoring when he turns on his side or stomach. There is scarcely anyone who has not experienced with sleepless annoyance the sound of a snoring person. Heretofore, various contrivances have been designed for preventing a person from snoring. Most of these devices have been of the sort adapted to be worn or placed in or on the nose or mouth of the snoring sleeper. Earmuffs have also been designed for those in earshot of the sleeper. Most of the antisnore devices have apparently been of the sort adapted for appliance directly on the sleeper or Would-be sleeper. Many of these devices have been uncomfortable to wear and have not been practical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention presents a new approach to the snoring problem. It substantially eliminates snoring by providing a specially designed bed for the snoring person. There are no uncomfortable nose or mouth devices worn by the sleeper. By the substantially simple expedient of providing a mattress with a tiltable surface a sleeper is caused to sleep in such a position as not to snore. Also, it may be that in certain medical cases the present invention may be advantageous, particularly those cases in which it is necessary for the patient to sleep on his side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of the mattress of the present invention supported on a typical bed stnlcture.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the mattress.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical plane longitudinal sectional view of the mattress taken as on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical plane transverse sectional view taken as on the line IVIV of FIG 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken as from the left of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates the mattress of the present invention, indicated by numeral 11, supported on a typical bedstead 13 having a typical headboard 15 and footboard 17. If desired, bed 13 may be provided with the well known boxspring unit, not shown, upon which mattress 11 may rest. The resilient or cushioning structure of mattress 11 is shown as being foam plastic material. It is, of course, apparent that other resilient mattress materials such as cotton, felt or springs may be substituted for foam plastic material if desired in certain applications of the invention.

Mattress 11 primarily includes a resilient body 19, an antisnore mechanism 21 substantially embedded in body 19 and an outer cover 23, formed of stretch fabric material, fully enclosing the combined body and antisnore mechanism of the mattress. It will be understood that the top and bottom portions do not necessarily have to be of stretch material but may be of any suitable fabric.

Body 19 is generally thick and flat and of a size suflicient to underlie and support one sleeping person; the size and configuration of mattress 11 is substantially the same as a regular or twin size mattress and is suitable for use in bedsteads accommodating such mattresses. In addition, it should be pointed out that, if desired, for double or kingsize beds, a single or three-quarter size standard mattress and a mattress 11 of the present invention may be arranged side by side to provide antisnoring apparatus for one of the persons and a regular mattress for the other.

Body 19 is preferably formed of foam plastic and includes upper and lower layer-like structures 25, 27 and a medially arranged main structure 29. Antisnore mechanism 21 is arranged at the head and intermediate sections of body 19 and arranged between upper and lower structures 25, 27. Mechanism 21 preferably extends from the head end of the mattress to a distance slightly below the midsection of the body. Antisnore mechanism 21 preferably extends a distance in body 19 sufiicient for supporting the hip or pelvis region of a person sleeping on the mattress. Medial structure 29 of body 19 is of the same vertical thickness as mechanism 21 and extends from inward end 31 of the mechanism to the foot end edge of the mattress. Medial structure 29 of mattress body 19 is recessed or pocketed as indicated at 33 and in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

Mechanism 21 includes horizontal base structure and horizontal beam structure preferably including a base panel 35 and a top or beam panel 37, and includes pivot means, indicated at 39, pivotally securing the base and beam panels together. Base panel 35 and beam panel 37 preferably each are rectangular and of the same size and shape. Base and beam panels 35, 37 are parallel arranged with base panel 35 engaging top surface 41 of mattress body lower structure 27 and with beam panel 37 engaging bottom surface 43 of the mattress body upper structure 25.

Pivot means 39, pivotally securing base and beam panels together, preferably includes a pivot rod 45, a plurality of strap bearings 47 and a pair of strut boards 49. Pivot rod 45 extends substantially coextensive the length of base panel 35 and is turnably secured along the longitudinal centerline and on top surface 51 of base panel 35 by strap bearings 47. Each strap bearing 47 is of inverted U configuration and is secured by a pair of vertical parallel screw fasteners 53 extending through the strap bearing and base panel 35. Strap bearings 47 ridingly span pivot rod 45 and loosely restrain the pivot rod against top surface 51 of base panel 35; pivot rod 45 is freely frictionally turnable in strap bearings 47 and on top surface 51 of the base panel. Rod 45 is preferably formed of wood or metal and preferably provided with nylon bushings 46 adjacent the strap bearings 47 for antifriction purposes.

Strut boards 49 are V-arranged and rigidly secure rod 45 and beam panel 37 together. The upper and lower edge portions 55, 57 (see FIG. 3), respectively, of strut boards 49 are fixed respectively to undersurface 59 of beam panel 37 and cylindrical surface 61 of rod 45. Apertures 63 formed by scalloping lower edge portions 57 of strut boards 49 provide free travel passageway means for strap bearings 47 about pivot rod 45.

Beam panel 37, along with upper structure 25 of mattress body 19, is adapted to be moved under the weight of the sleeping person to a tilted disposition: In FIG. 4 letter a indicates the position of beam panel 37 (shown in broken lines) when the beam panel is pivoted fully to the left. Letter b indicates the position of beam panel 37 (shown in broken lines) when the panel is in a fully tilted disposition to the right. Letter indicates the normal position (shown in full lines) of panel 37 when it is in a normal nontilted horizontal disposition.

A pair of elastic straps 65 is arranged on each side of mechanism 21 and tensioned respectively between base and beam panels 35, 37. A pair of elastic straps 65, arranged respectively on left and right sides of mechanism 21, provides means for yieldably urging beam panel 37 to a normal horizontal disposition (indicated letter c in FIG. 4). Screw fasteners 67 extending through the upper and lower end portions of each strap 65 and through strap retaining bars 69 operably tension the straps between base and beam panels 35, 37. In addition to elastic straps 65, the stretch fabric construction of vertical side portions 71 of mattress cover 23 also provide means for urging beam panel 37 to a normal horizontal disposition.

Lock means preferably in the form of a pair of hooks 73 are provided for restraining beam panel 37 in a horizontal disposition when desired; hooks 73 are adapted to be used when it is desired to place antisnore mechanism 21 in an inoperative disposition and whereby the mattress may be used as an ordinary mattress. A pivot pin 75 passing through eye portion 77 of each hook 73 pivotally secures each hook; each pivot pin 75 extends through vertical side portion 71 of mattress cover 23 and is embeddedly secured in a side edge portion 79 of base panel 35. A latch pin 81 extends through cover 23 and is embeddedly secured in side edge portion 83 of beam panel 37. By turnably manipulating hooks 73 antisnore mechanism 21 may be arranged in an active or inactive disposition: engaging hooks 73 with hook pins 81 prevents tilting movement of beam panel 37 and places mechanism 21 in an inoperative disposition. Turnably disengaging hooks 73 from hook pins 81 arranges mechanism 21 in an active disposition and permits tilting movement of beam panel 37 with mattress body upper structure 25.

I claim:

1. An antisnore mattress comprising an elongated body having a head and foot end and including generally planar upper structure extending between said head and foot end and defining an upwardly facing bed surface for supporting a sleeping person, and including antisnore mechanism extending transversely of said mattress and extending longitudinally at least a substantial part of the length of said mattress, said antisnore mechanism including base means in the lower level of said mattress body, a normally horizontal generally planar beam panel arranged directly over said base means and arranged underneath said planar upper structure of said mattress body, and pivot means pivotally securing said beam panel on said base means with the pivot axis thereof extending longitudinally of said mattress, said beam panel being adapted to be moved under the weight of a sleeping person to a horizontally tilted disposition relative to said horizontal base.

2. The antisnore mattress of claim 1 wherein said body is thick, flat and of a size sufficient only to underlie and support one sleeping person; wherein said base means comprises a horizontal generally planar substantially rigid base symmetrical of a longitudinal centerline of said body; and wherein said base means has the pivot axis thereof substantially coincident with a vertical plane lying along the longitudinal centerline respectively of both said base and said beam panel and with the vertical plane being substantially coincident with the longitudinal centerline of said mattress.

3. A mattress as defined in claim 1 which additionally includes right and left elastic strap means arranged respectively on the opposite sides of said mattress and tensioned vertically between said base and said beam panel for operably maintaining said beam panel horizontal and in a neutral nontilted disposition relative to said base.

4. A mattress as defined in claim 1 which additionally includes hook means for rigidly engaging and disengaging said base and said beam and selectively arrangeable in an inactive or an active disposition respectively for retaining said beam panel horizontal and said antisnore mechanism inoperative or for releasing said beam panel for pivotal tilting movement and for rendering said antisnore mechanism operative.

5. A mattress as defined in claim 1 which additionally includes an outer cover of stretch fabric enclosing the combined structures of said body and said antisnore mechanism at the sides and ends thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,902,701 9/1959 Driskill 562 3,284,815 11/1966 Grossman et al. 5-62 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner ANDREW M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

Images