US3538521A - Hospital mattress - Google Patents

Description

E. L. BASNER HOSPITAL MATTRESS 4 Nov. 1o, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July l5, 1968 NWN NN .Nq

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Nov. 10, 1970 E. L.. BASNER HOSPITAL MATTRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1968 Zge/2,502. 3552651512 sfaen gyda@ @ML2/m United States Patent O 3,538,521 HOSPITAL MATTRESS Ernest L. Basner, Barrington, Ill., assignor to Sealy, Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 15, 1968, Ser. No. 745,036 Int. Cl. A47c 23/00; A61g 7/02 U.S. Cl. --91 6 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE An auxiliary mattress is provided which lits on top of a primary mattress to modify the firmness thereof. The auxiliary mattress has a plurality of transverse pockets on the underside, into which stiffening members may be inserted along selected portions of the mattress length. Also included in the invention is an articulated primary mattress, to which the auxiliary mattress may be attached. The articulated mattress comprises a pair of resilient, generally rectangular mattress constructions aligned with one another in close spaced relationship, and covered in conventional manner with unitary top, bottom, and side covers. To permit proper flexing without bunching, an elongated strip of exible material is located between the mattress constructions and joined to the top and bottom covers to provide a taut connection between them.

The present invention relates to improvements in the art of mattress construction, and more specifically to an improved auxiliary mattress adapted for attachment on top of a primary mattress and to an improved articulated mattress for use in hospital beds, which may be used alone or together with the auxiliary mattress.

A significant problem in the use of mattresses with articulated beds, such as those found in a hospital, is the tendency of such mattresses to bunch up under the small of the back when the bed is moved from a reclining position to a position which lifts the patients back out of the horizontal. Such articulated beds are usually designed for similar bending at the knees of the patient, but in this case bunching presents no problem, since it occurs on the underside of the mattress. The aforementioned bunching under the small of the back can be a source of discomfort, or even of injury to the skin, if it is permitted to exist for long periods of time.

While numerous articulated mattresses have been developed for use in hospital beds, most have been of cornplex construction, and therefore subject to structural breakdown during prolonged use. In addition, such mattresses have been relatively expensive.

There is an additional need in the iield of hospital bedding for a mattress that can be easily adapted to provide a stiffness tailored to the needs of a particular patient. It has heretofore generally been necessary to use different mattresses of varying degrees of firmness, depending upon the individual requirements of a patient.

The present invention overcomes the problem of tailoring the firmness of a mattress to a particular patient by providing a resilient auxiliary mattress adapted for attachment on top of a primary mattress. The auxiliary mattress comprises a mattress filler, which may be of varying degrees of firmness, and which is enclosed by a cover. In order to provide further flexibility, the underside of the mattress includes a plurality of transverse pockets adapted to receive relatively rigid stiffening members, which may be inserted to stiifen the mattress along one or more selected portions of its length. The auxiliary mattress also includes attaching means for attaching it to a primary mattress.

The present invention also provides an articulated mattress which may be used in conjunction with the aforementioned auxiliary mattress, and which comprises a pair of resilient, generally rectangular mattress constructions aligned with one another in close spaced relationship. The mattress constructions are covered with unitary top, bottom, and side covers, the top and bottom covers being joined to the side cover to completely enclose and closely t the mattress constructions. In order to provide for proper flexing Without bunching, an elongated strip of flexible material is located between the mattress constructions and joined to the top and bottom covers to provide a taut connection between them. When the mattress is flexed at the point where the mattress constructions meet, a neat fold will be formed.

The invention, its construction and method of operation, along with its objects and advantages, will be best appreciated by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: e

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan View of an articulated mattress constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the mattress shown in FIG. 1, cut away to show the internal construction;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of an articulated mattress constructed in accordance with the present invention, shown in a partially flexed position on top of an articulated frame such as that found in a hospital bed;

FIGLS is a side elevation of a mattress constructed in accordance with the present invention to which an auxiliary mattress, also constructed in accordance with the present invention, is attached; and

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of an auxiliary mattress constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIG. l, the articulated mattress of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10. In order to distinguish it from the auxiliary mattress of the present invention, hereinafter described, this mattress will sometimes be referred to as a primary mattress, it being understood that this term refers to any mattress that may easily be used by itself or together with an auxiliary mattress. As shown in FIG. 2, the mattress 10 of the present invention includes a relatively longer mattress construction, generally indicated by reference numeral 12, and a relatively shorter mattress construction generally indicated by reference numeral 14. As shown in FIG. 3, these mattress constructions 12, 14 are of equal width, and are aligned with one another in close spaced relationship. Each mattress construction 12, 14 in the preferred embodiment includes a multiplicity of coil springs 16, aligned both transversely and longitudinally, and retained in position by transverse helical tie springs 18, as shown in FIG. 2. It will be appreciated that such construction is conventional in the art, and that other types of mattress construction are equally adaptable to the present invention, as will appear to those skilled in the art. Above and below the coil springs 16 are located sheets of resilient material 22 which are connected to the springs 16 by metal hooks 24 disposed around the outer edges of each mattress construction 12, 14. Additional layers of material may be included within the resilient material to tailor resiliency and strength to a particular mattress design, as is well known in the art.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mattress constructions 12, 14 are aligned with one another in close spaced relationship. The mattress constructions 12, 14 are covered with a unitary top cover 26, a unitary bottom cover 28, and a side cover 30. The top and bottom covers 26, 28, respectively, are preferably identical, so that the mattress may be reversed and used easily with either side upward. The side cover 30 is also preferably a unitary strip of material running the entire periphery of the mattress 10, although this type of construction is not essential.

It is also preferable that the mattress of the present invention be manufactured according to the well-known technique of tlangeing In this technique, a strip or flange 32 of strong material is sewn to the top cover along a sew line 34 inward of the outer edge of theinattress. The flange is then connected to the mattress constructions 12, 14 -by suitable hooks (not shown) in order to draw the top and bottom covers 26, 28 taut across the mattress. The side cover 30 is then sewn to the edges of the top and bottom covers 26, 28, although very little stress is placed on the side cover 30.

In order to achieve the advantageous neat folding of the present invention, the mattress includes a relatively strong strip of material 36, referred to herein as a flexing strip, located between the mattress constructions 12, 14 and sewn to the top and bottom covers 26, 28 to provide taut connection between them. The flexing strip 36 is of a length suflicient to extend the entire width of the mattress 10, and is wide enough to be sewn to both the top and bottom covers 12, 14, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, each end of the flexing strip 36 preferably is sewn to the top and bottom covers 26, 28 for a short distance along the inside of the side cover 30. This provides added strength, and reduces the tendency of the flexing strip 36 to come unstitched.

FIG. 4 shows the mattress of the present invention on top of an articulated bed frame 38 (diagrammatically illustrated), such as those used in hospitals. As this figure shows, when the mattress 10 of the present invention is caused to bend on such a frame, the flexing strip 36 tends to pull the top cover 26 downwardly, maintaining it taut, and preventing bunching under the patients back.

As also shown in FIG. 4, the mattress 10 of the present invention preferably includes a plurality of handles 40, preferably made of flexible materials, mounted on the side cover 30. Such handles 40 are well known in the art. In addition to permitting the mattress 10 to be easily lifted and transported, the handles 40 may be used for attaching an auxiliary mattress as hereinafter described. The handles 40 are preferably equidistant between the top cover 26 and the bottom cover 28 so that the mattress 10 may be reversed without affecting the fit of the auxiliary mattress.

An auxiliary mattress in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 5, and generally indicated by reference numeral 50. Any of a variety of filler materials may be used in the auxiliary mattress 50, the selection depending upon the firmness desired. Suitable fillers include foam rubber, synthetic polyester fiber, polyurethane foam (low or high density), cotton, etc., as is well known in the art. The preferred fillers are high density polyurethane, which provides a firm mattress, and synthetic polyester fibers, such as Daeron fibers, which provide a soft mattress. The filler material is covered with a unitary top cover 52, a unitary bottom cover S4, and a unitary side cover 56. The covers 52, 54, 56 closely lit the filler materiall Because the auxiliary mattress is rela- 4 tively thin, there will be little tendency toward bunching, even when it is bent as on a hospital bed. There is therefore no requirement for the auxiliary mattress to be articulated, as is the primary mattress 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, the auxiliary mattress 50 is attached to the primary mattress 10 by suitable attaching means. In the preferred embodiment, the attaching means include a plurality of straps 58, preferably made of elastic material, each having one end attached to the side cover 56 of the auxiliary mattress 50, andthe opposite end hanging free. Suitable fastening means such as a pair of snap fasteners 60 are mounted on each of the straps 58. These snap fasteners 60 are designed and positioned to mate with one another in a manner such that the free ends of the straps 58 may be formed in a loop around the handles 40 on a primary mattress and fastened back upon themselves.

As those skilled in the art will understand, other attaching means may be substituted for the means shown in the drawings. For example, the ends of the straps 58 could each carry a single snap fastener adapted to engage a mating snap fastener on the side of the primary mattress. In addition, fastening means other than snap fasteners could be employed. Examples include hook-and-eye type fasteners and adherent strips of material on the side cover 30 and the straps 58.

Referring to FIG. 6, the auxiliary mattress of the present invention preferably includes a plurality of transverse pockets 62. These pockets 62 are preferably spaced close to one another, and are designed to receive relatively rigid stiffening members such as the wood strips 64 shown in FIG. 6. For purposes of illustation, two of these wood strips 64 are shown only partially inserted into the pockets 62 in FIG. 6. Because the wood strips 64 may be individually removed, the auxiliary mattress 50 may be tailored to the requirements of an individual patient. That is, for example, if extra stiffness is required under a portion of a patients back, all of the wood strips 64 except for those which are underneath that portion of the patients back may be removed.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention as hereinbefore set forth will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An articulated mattress comprising: a pair of resilient, generally rectangular mattress constructions aligned with one another in close spaced relationship; a unitary top cover; a unitary bottom cover; and a unitary side cover, said top and bottom covers joined to said side cover to completely enclose and closely fit said mattress constructions; an elongated strip of flexible material located between said mattress constructions, said strip extending the entire width of said mattress and joined to said top and bottom covers to provide a taut connection therebetween.

2. The articulated mattress as defined in claim 1 further including a plurality of handles mounted on said side cover.

3. The articulated mattress as defined in claim 2 wherein said handles are equidistant from said top and bottom covers.

4. An articulated hospital mattress having a removable auxiliary mattress comprising: a primary mattress comprising a pair of resilient, generally rectangular mattress constructions aligned with one another in close spaced relationship, a unitary top cover, a unitary bottom cover, and a unitary side cover, said top and bottom covers joined to said side cover to completely enclose and closely fit said mattress constructions, and an elongated strip of flexible material located between said mattress constructions, said strip extending the entire width of said primary mattress and joined to said top and bottom covers to provide a taut connection therebetween; and a resilient auxiliary mattress adapted for attachment on top of said primary mattress comprising a resilient mattress filler, a cover enclosing said ller, and a plurality of transverse pockets on the underside of said auxiliary mattress, said pockets adapted to receive relatively rigid stiiening members, and attaching means for attaching said auxiliary mattress to said primary mattress.

5. The hospital mattress and removable auxiliary mattress as defined in claim 4 wherein said primary mattress further includes a plurality of handles on said side cover, and wherein said attaching means comprise a plurality of straps attached to the side of said auxiliary mattress, said straps each having fastening means adapted to fasten said straps back upon themselves to form a loop, and said straps positioned so that they may be looped around said handles and fastened back upon themselves.

6. The articulated mattress and removable cover as defined in claim 5 wherein said fastening means comprise a pair of mating snap fasteners on said straps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 5-351

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