Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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A MATTRESS WITH AN INTEGRATED MATTRESS ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of comfort systems. More
particularly, the
invention relates to an adjustable mattress in which the mechanism achieving
the
adjustment is fully contained therein without external parts.
Background of the Invention
Various forms of beds and mattresses have been used for centuries as a padded
surface for
supporting a reclining body. It is well known in the field of medicine and
hospital beds that a
static fully reclined bed and mattress may cause severe health issues, such as
infections. The
first adjustable bed was introduced in the early 1900s by Dr. Willis Dew
Gatch, and to this
day Dr. Gatch's basic idea of separating a bed into three segments and tilting
each segment
separately is practiced in hospitals and medical facilities worldwide.
As it has been realized that besides the health advantages, adjustable beds
offer recreational
and entertainment solutions, such as reading, watching television and using a
laptop
computer in bed, adjustable beds have become a common piece of furniture
available in
household bedrooms.
In many cases after falling asleep in an adjustable bed, there is need in
changing the position
of the bed. The preferred position for sleeping is usually different from
various positions that
a bed may be positioned beforehand. Obviously manual changing of the bed's
position is
impossible after falling asleep. Moreover, additional room parameters, such as
lighting,
music volume, air-conditioning, TV, etc., as they were set during waking time,
may also not
be appropriate during sleep. Adjusting such parameters for a sleeping
individual would also
be highly desirable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a comfort system that is
free from the
disadvantages of existing products and which is adjustable by means of a
mechanism that is
fully contained within the boundaries of the mattress (referred to herein also
as "mattress
mechanism" or simply as "mechanism"). The term "comfort system", as used
herein is
meant to encompass adjustable systems suitable for different uses, such as
simple sleeping,
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active resting (such as when reading, watching TV, using a laptop, etc.), as
well as for health
purposes, such as used in hospitals or at home with infirm or elderly people.
It is therefore another object of the present disclosure to provide an
adjustable comfort
system capable of automatically obtaining a preferred sleeping position. It is
a further object
of the invention to provide a comfort system that is adapted to control
additional
environmental parameters.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the
description
proceeds.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable mattress frame suitable to be
fully contained
within a mattress, provided with a central body segment and with upper and
lower body
adjustable segments pivotally connected by one or more hinges to said central
body
segment, said central body segment being provided with two or more actuation
modules
suitable to actuate said upper and lower body segments respectively, and to a
mattress
containing it.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the frame comprises two
adjustable
segments on opposite sides of the base segment. In some embodiments of the
invention, at
least one adjustable segment comprises two sections, a first section abutting
the base
segment and the other section abutting the first section, and wherein sections
are adjusted
simultaneously.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the first section is actuated in
the same
manner an adjustable segment if actuated, and the second section comprises a
top side
pivotally connected by one or more hinges to the first section and a bottom
side pivotally
connected by arms to the base segment. According to another embodiment of the
present
invention, the frame further comprises a force absorbing apparatus suitable to
absorb forces
applied to the second section. In some embodiments of the invention, the frame
comprises
an upper body segment; a lower body segment; and a central body base segment.
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The actuation apparatus typically (but not !imitatively) comprises an electric
motor, a linear
actuator, and a motion-transmission module configured to transmit rotation of
the motor to
linear motion of the linear actuator. In some cases the at least one
adjustable segment is
connected to the linear actuator and is actuated thereby. According to another
embodiment
of the invention, the linear actuator is adapted to produce a linear motion
that is transferred
to the adjustable segment as a linear motion by levers that are pivotally
fixed on one side to
the adjustable segment and on the other side to the base segment.
The mattress may further comprise a power source suitable to provide power to
the motor.
Said power source can for instance be selected from an electrical cable
configured to be
connected to a power outlet, a battery cell, a rechargeable battery cell and a
charge port, a
power port configured to receive power from a remote battery cell, or a
combination of two
or more of said sources. According to some embodiments of the invention, the
matters
comprises a maintenance opening.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the mechanism (also
referred to as
"frame") has a thickness of 8 cm or less, and in some embodiments the mattress
does not
exceed the height of a standard mattress. According to still another
embodiment of the
present invention, the boundary material is that of a flexible mattress
casing. The padding
material can connected, in one instance, on a cover located on the top side of
the adjustable
frame and separating said frame from said padding material. The padding
material can be of
any suitable material and, for instance, it may comprise springs, foam, memory
foam, gel,
latex, or any combination thereof.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an adjustable twin, king
size or queen-
size and all sizes of existing mattress system comprising two adjustable
frames arranged
parallel and adjacent to each other, or integrally formed with one another to
create a single
double frame, padding material located above each adjustable frame, and
flexible mattress-
casing means enveloping said adjustable frames. In some embodiments of the
present
invention the mattress casing means consists of two separate casings
comprising a fastening
apparatus configured to bind them into a uniform structure and to allow
separation thereof.
In a further aspect the invention relates to an adjustable twin, King size or
queen-size and all
sizes of existing mattress system comprising:
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a) one double-sized adjustable frame;
b) padding material located above said adjustable frame; and
flexible mattress-casing means enveloping said adjustable frame.
In another aspect the invention relates to an adjustable mattress, wherein the
actuation
module is adapted to be operated automatically upon determination of a
waking/sleeping
state of a user.
In one embodiment the adjustable mattress is configured to be automatically
brought to a
previously defined position of the at least one adjustable segment.
Accordingly, there is also provided an adjustable mattress comprising:
i. one or more sensors configured to measure one or more parameters related
to
the sleep state of an individual; and
ii. a control circuitry to which measurements from the sensors are sent,
configured to analyze the measurements and control the at least one adjustable
segment for bringing it to the predefined position.
The one or more parameters are typically (but not !imitatively) chosen from a
list
comprising: the weight exerted on the mattress at various locations, sounds
produced
around the mattress and motion across the mattress. In one embodiment the
adjustable
mattress is further configured to automatically bring the environmental
parameters of room
environment systems to a previously defined state.
In another embodiment the control circuitry of the adjustable mattress
comprises a machine
learning module for autonomously learning habits and preferences, and
accordingly defining
mattress positions, and for autonomously obtaining the defined mattress
positions.
Also encompassed by the invention is an adjustable mattress system comprising
an
adjustable mattress and a software application with which the previously
defined position is
defined.
Brief Description of the Drawings
In the drawings:
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- Fig. 1A shows a perspective view of an adjustable mattress, according to
an
embodiment of the present invention, in which the lower part of the mattress
boundaries has been removed to expose the adjustment mechanism and the upper
part of said boundaries is shown in transparency;
- Fig. 1B shows the mattress of Fig. 1A in operational form, illustrating
the absence of
any external mechanism;
- Fig. 1C illustrates how the mattress of Fig. 1B can be simply positioned
on a surface,
such as a regular bed frame;
- Fig. 2 shows a top view of an adjustable single mattress frame according
to an
embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of the central body segment of the frame of
Fig. 2,
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 4A schematically illustrates the upper body segment of the frame of
Fig. 2 in a
fully reclined position, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 4B shows the upper body segment of Fig. 2 in a partial upright
position;
- Fig. 5A schematically illustrates the lower body segment of the frame of
Fig. 2 in a
fully reclined position, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 5B shows the lower body segment of the frame of Fig. 2 in a not-
fully reclined
position, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 6A illustrates the segmented upper structure of the inner portion of
a double-
size mattress (as may be, for instance, a King-size or a Queen-size mattress),
showing the cover of the mechanism as well as the frame that contains it;
- Fig. 6B shows the structure of Fig. 6A, sized for a Queen-size mattress,
the
dimensions been shown;
- Fig. 6C is a side view of the structure of Fig. 6B, showing the frame and
its thickness
(in this case, 80 mm);
- Fig. 7A shows an assembled frame 601 of Fig. 6B with its cover removed;
- Fig. 7B shows the same frame of Fig. 6A, with its elements separated;
- Fig. 8 is an exploded view of frame 602 of Fig. 6A;
- Fig. 9 is a bottom perspective view of a mechanism adapted to operate a
Queen-size
mattress;
- Fig. 10 is a perspective bottom view of the base and upper body lifting
sections of
the mattress mechanism of Fig. 9;
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- Fig. 11 is a perspective bottom view of the base and legs sections of the
mattress
mechanism of Fig. 9;
- Fig. 12 is a gas spring adapted to operate the leg section of Fig. 11;
- Fig. 13 is a schematic illustration of the functioning of a double
mattress according
to an embodiment of the invention, with remote control; and
- Fig. 14 is a schematic illustration of the functioning of two, coupled
mattresses,
according to another embodiment of the invention, with remote control.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Reference will now be made to embodiments of the present invention, examples
of which
are provided in the accompanying figures for purposes of illustration only.
One skilled in the
art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative
embodiments of the
structures and methods exemplified herein may be employed, mutatis mutandis,
without
departing from the principles of the invention.
Fig. 1A shows a perspective view from the bottom side of an adjustable
mattress 100,
according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising an adjustable
frame 101,
a padding apparatus 102 (e.g. springs, foam, memory foam, gel, latex, etc.),
and a flexible
mattress-casing 103 (shown transparent in Fig. 1 with the bottom portion
removed).
Padding apparatus 102 is situated on rigid planks that are connected to the
top side of
adjustable frame 101 such the top side of padding apparatus 102 imitates the
position of
frame 101. Consequently, by adjusting frame 101 the position of the whole
mattress 100 is
adjusted. In one embodiment a cable 104, which is connectable to a source of
electric
power, aliments a control device (not shown) that, inter alio, operates motors
301a and
301b further discussed with reference to Fig. 3.
As will be immediately appreciated by the skilled person, the mattress of the
invention is
unique in that its mechanism is completely contained within the mattress and
encased
thereby, with no parts of the mechanism being located outside the contours of
the mattress.
This is distinct from previous attempts made to provide adjustable surfaces,
such as that
described in EP 2374376, which is needed to function to possess balancing bars
that extend
from the adjustment mechanism to the bedding, so as to make the mattress
portion a part
of the bedding which cannot be easily moved to a desired location, or that of
US 7,690,060,
which similarly requires an external stabilization structure, both which teach
away from the
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invention. Moreover, the dimensions of the bed described in the aforementioned
EP
application are not those of a regular mattress, since the dimensions it
achieves are 8 inches
(20.32 cm), while, as will be further described below, the invention allows to
provide a
mechanism that is much thinner and the thickness of which will typically not
exceed 8 cm.
The aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, in contrast, are those that
made it
impractical and caused it to fail.
Fig. 1B is a schematic perspective external view of a mattress comprising the
mechanism of
Fig. 1A. As can be seen, no moving or mechanical parts are seen outside the
mattress casing
and, with the exception of cable 104, the mattress appears like any regular,
non-adjustable
mattress.
Fig. 1C illustrates the use of mattress 100 on a bedding frame, but of course
the mattress of
the invention is completely movable and can be used on any surface without the
need for
any special preparation thereof.
Fig. 2 shows a top view of adjustable frame 101, according to an embodiment of
the present
invention, comprising three segments: upper body segment 101a, central body
segment
101b, and lower body segment 101c, each made of metal profiles.
As said, the adjustable mattress frame of the invention has the considerable
advantage of
being thin, thus permitting its full incorporation in a mattress of regular
size and thickness.
The typical total height of frame 101 can be, for instance, 5 ¨ 7.5 cm or even
less if desired.
Several different motors can be selected for actuating the frame, and those
can be provided
with different sizes.
Persons skilled in the art will easily provide actuating motors that are
capable of delivering
the required power. An illustrative and non-limitative example of a motor that
is suitable for
operating a frame according to the invention is an OD-11 electric motor
available from
ODIN (www.odin-manufacture.com, China), which generates a maximal thrusting
force of
6000N for the linear actuator to extend 50mm, with a low noise operation in a
77mm high
package. In one exemplary embodiment the following specification can be used
for a motor:
- Actuator Motor DC24V
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- Stroke 38, 50, 100, 150, 200mm
- Max Actuator Speed--6mmis
- Max Force Push-3000, 3500, 6000, 8000N
- Max Force Pull-3000N
- Max Critical Dimension is 80mm¨outer dimension of the Motor
- Duty Cycle-10%
Table 1 shows examples of suitable configurations:
Table 1
Motors Stroke, Force Force Pull, Dimensions in Max
Noise, dBA
mm Push, N N Close Position
(Retracted
Length), mm
1 0-60 6000-8000 - 216 50
2 0-60 6000-8000 - 216 50
3 0-60 6000-8000 - 216 50
4 0-60 6000-8000 - 216 50
0 - 200 3500-6000 3500 306 50
6 0 ¨ 200 3500-6000 3500 306 50
7 0 ¨ 200 6000-8000 4000 356 50
8 0 - 200 6000-8000 4000 356 50
A controller adapted for two users (double mattress or two coupled single
mattresses) may
for instance have the following specifications:
- The Controller may connect to up to 8 Motors ¨ up to 4 Synchronized motor
pairs
- 2 Remote Control Units BLE
- Remote Control from Application i0S/Android
- 8 Digital Inputs
- Serial connection between 2 controllers. Master and slave controllers,
the first is the one
that receives a command and becomes a master until the command is finished. No
other
Action takes place at the same time.
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- 2 x USB connectors for Power Supply only
- Optional Wi¨Fl port for internal Control
- Optional External Power Bank for release system only (for example¨ a 9V
battery or
similar)
- Push Button for pairing with Remote Control and Smart phone for
Controller
- Exemplary Dimensions: 30mm x 180mm x 300mm.
A system that utilizes such controller is schematically illustrated in Figs.
13 and 14. In Fig. 13
numeral 130 indicates a double bed, and in Fig. 14 140a and 14b illustrate two
single beds
that are operated separately. Referring to Fig. 13, numeral 131 is a
controller that can be
operated by either smart phone 132 or 133, or by remote control 134 or 135. As
said the
first of the controlling device (either a smartphone or a remote control) that
sends a
command signal to controller 132 is the master device until that operation is
completed.
In contrast, the configuration of Fig. 14 has two mattresses, 140a and 14b
that are operate
by two separate controllers, 141a and 141b. In one embodiment, each individual
mattress
can be operated separately. Conversely, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 14
both
smartphones 142 and 14, and both remote controls 144 and 145, can operate
either
mattress. Of course, there is no absolute need to have both a smartphone and a
remote
control and in some embodiments only one of them will be used, although if
desired both
can be made operative.
The following illustrative specifications apply to an exemplary remote
control:
- Bluetooth connection to controller
- Possibility to connect 2 Remote Controls to one Controller
- Each Remote Control can control 2 different mattresses
The term "smartphone" as used herein should be understood to encompass any
smart
device, such as tablets, PCs, etc. The Application running on the smartphone,
be it using iOS
or Android, should support all the functions of a remote control and should
preferably allow
for voice control via conventional tools such as Google, Sin, Amazon Echo,
Alexa, etc.
Moreover, control of the system can be allowed, if desired, via Wi-Fi, cloud
services, and the
like external systems.
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The frame and the elements that actuate it can be made of any suitable
material that can
withstand the mechanical forces applied thereto. Depending on the weight
requirements for
the final product, material such as industrial steel or other metal can be
used, as well as light
composite materials. Of course, the type of materials employed for the frame
and its
actuation will also affect the thickness of the assembly, as well as its
weight and cost, and
the skilled person will easily select the appropriate materials for an
intended use.
It is noted that the present invention is not limited to a three-segment
frame, and may be
performed with any other number of segments, e.g. four segments.
Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of central body segment 101b of Fig. 2, according
to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, comprising an upper body
actuation
module or apparatus 301a and a lower body actuation module or apparatus 301b,
both
connected to substructure 302 which supports central body segment, 101b. Each
actuation
module 301a and 301b comprises a motor and a set of actuators and levers
suitable to be
actuated by the motor and to cause the upper and lower body segments to be
adjusted,
respectively, as explained in detail hereinbelow.
Fig. 4A schematically illustrates upper body segment 101a in a fully reclined
position, along
with upper body actuation module 301a, according to an embodiment of the
present
invention. Actuation module 301a comprises an electric motor 401, a motion-
transmission
module 402 and a linear actuator 403. Rotation of motor 401 is transmitted to
linear motion
of actuator 403 by transmission module 402, i.e. rotation in one direction of
motor 401
causes linear actuator 403 to extend distally from transmission module 402,
and rotation in
the other direction causes linear actuator 403 to retract proximally into
transmission module
402. The linear motion of actuator 403 is transferred to upper body segment
101b via levers
404 that are pivotally fixed to the upper body segment by anchoring members
406.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, levers 404 are connected
to
substructure 302 via rotational levers 405 (that are pivotally fixed to
anchoring members
407). Levers 405 are provided so as to maintain the motion of levers 404 above
a predefined
level which is determined by the length of levers 405. Upper body segment 101a
is axially
connected to substructure 302 at hinges 408. Linear distal actuation of
actuation module
301a causes upper body segment 101b to be separated from central body segment
101b,
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however hinges 408 prevent complete separation of segments 101a and 101b.
Consequently
linear actuation of actuation module 301a causes segment 101b to rotate around
hinges
408, as shown in Fig. 48 where upper body segment 101a is brought to a
partially upright
position by the operation of actuation module 301a.
When upper body segment 101a is tilted (i.e. not fully reclined) it is
supported solely by
center body segment 101b. Accordingly, motor 401 is required to resist the
horizontal
component of the torque collapsing force applied by upper body segment 101a
being leaned
upon. According to an embodiment of the present invention, motor 401 is
capable of
withstanding a load of up to 6000 Newton which is fairly enough relative to
the weight
applied by an average weighted person leaning on upper body segment 101a.
Furthermore,
the vertical component of force applied to the upper body segment is
transferred to
substructure 302, which is statically situated as the base of frame 101.
Fig. 5A schematically illustrates lower body segment 101c of Fig. 2 in a fully
reclined position,
along with lower body actuation module 301b, according to an embodiment of the
present
invention. Lower body segment 101c comprises a thigh section 501 and a calf
section 502. In
this particular embodiment the structure and operation of lower body actuation
module
301b is identical to those of upper body actuation module 301a. According to
other
embodiments of the invention, other actuation modules may be provided to
either or both
of the body actuation modules 301a and 301b and the invention is not limited
to a specific
actuation module or to the use of identical actuation modules. Fig. 58 shows
lower body
segment 101c in a not-fully reclined position in which thigh section 501 is
tilted in a different
angle than calf section 502.
Thigh section 501 is connected, in this specific embodiment, to substructure
302 in the same
manner that upper body segment 101a is connected thereto. The bottom side of
calf section
502 is linked to substructure 302 by arms 503, while the top side of calf
section 502 is axially
connected to thigh section 501 by hinges 504 (one of which is seen in the
figure) thereby
separating between the thigh and calf sections during tilting, as demonstrated
in Fig. 58.
Motor 505 is configured to resist the torque force applied by lower body
segment 101c
being leaned upon, much like motor 401 and upper body segment 101a. Arms 503
are
further used for transferring collapsing forces from calf section 502 to
substructure 302
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which serves as the base of the adjustable frame 101. Of course, the arms 503
shown in this
exemplary embodiment can be substituted by any other element that serves the
purpose of
allowing the tilting movement of calf section 502, for instance, a separate
motor.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, arms 503 comprise a force-
absorbing
apparatus, such as springs, pistons or other force absorbing apparatus,
suitable to absorb
forces applied to calf section 502. This embodiment is beneficial for
preventing breaking of
the connection between the calf section and thigh section or substructure 302
caused by
heavy loads applied to calf section 502 and motor 505 being static and force-
unabsorbent. In
one exemplary embodiment of the invention arms 503 are gas springs such as gas
spring 120
shown in Fig. 12.
In order to control electric motors 401 and 505, an electrical cable (104 in
Fig. 1) is provided
for connecting the mattress 100 to an electric outlet. In this embodiment an
emergency
power port may be provided for changing the position of the mattress in case
of power
outage. According to another embodiment of the present invention, mattress 100
comprises
a rechargeable battery cell (e.g. lithium, not shown) configured to provide
electric power to
the motors 401 and 505, and a power charge port. In this embodiment the
battery cell may
be used in case of a power outage when electricity isn't available to change
the position of
the mattress, e.g. from tilted to reclined. According to another embodiment of
the
invention, a mechanical damping apparatus is provided for gently reclining
mattress 100 in
case electrical power isn't available (not shown).
According to an embodiment of the invention, an opening 105 (Fig. 1) in one or
more sides
of mattress 100 is provided for maintenance of electrical and/or mechanical
components,
such as replacing a degraded battery cell.
In contrast to common adjustable twin beds, where two mattresses may be
separately
adjusted by adjusting the bed's base beneath each mattress, according to an
embodiment of
the present invention, a large mattress (e.g. king- or queen-size) comprises
two side-by-side
frames 101 and two independent padding apparatuses 102, each on a frame 101,
in order to
adjust each side of the mattress separately. The flexible casing of the
mattress comprises a
fastening apparatus (e.g. a zipper) configured to bind the two independent
padding
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apparatuses to a uniform large mattress and to allow separating of the
mattress, for
instance when separate adjusting is desired.
Frame 101 occupies a portion of the height of mattress 100, although it may be
designed
such that the height of the metal profiles, motors and other components of
frame 101 allow
padding apparatus to be high enough to provide the padding and comfort of a
standard
mattress while not exceeding the height of a standard mattress. According to
an
embodiment of the invention, the height of every component in frame 101 is
80mm or less,
leaving plenty of height for padding the mattress.
Referring back to Fig. 2, frame 101 comprises one or more sensors 106
configured to
measure one or more parameters related to the sleep state of an individual on
the bed.
Sensor(s) 106 may be located at upper body segment 101a and/or at any other
location
throughout bed frame 101 from which parameters may be measured. Sensor(s) 106
may be
of any type suitable to measure and gain data. Sensor types may include, but
are not limited
to: mechanical, electric, piezoelectric, optical, magnetic, electro-optical,
electromagnetic,
Infrared (IR), acoustic, ultrasonic, thermal, radioactive, or a combination of
two or more of
the forgoing.
Some parameters that can be measured by sensor(s) 106 and that indicate
sleeping state
include, but are not limited to:
= the weight exerted on mattress 100 at various locations, which can change
between
different sleep states of an individual; sounds produced around mattress 100,
e.g.
snoring, heavy breathing, etc.;
= motion across mattress 100, e.g. stillness, heavy breathing; and/or
= subtle motions across mattress 100, e.g. changes in pulse rate.
Moreover, additional sensors can be provided in the frame or within the
padding material,
to sense parameters not related to the user but rather to the surroundings,
such as for
instance, temperature. Environmental parameters, e.g., light, sounds, state of
equipment
such as a TV set, etc., may also be sensed by sensors outside the mattress,
which are found
in data connection with the mattress' controller, for instance, via Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, or
physical connection, directly or via cloud connection.
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Bed frame 101 further comprises a control circuitry 107 (Figs. 2, 5B, also
referred to herein
as "mattress controller" or simply "controller") to which measurements from
sensor(s) 106
are sent, and which receives the current position of each of the bed frame
segments.
Control circuitry 107 comprises a processing unit configured to receive the
measurements
and accordingly to determine, for instance, whether or not an individual has
fallen asleep on
the mattress, upon which the upper and lower body actuation modules 301a and
301b are
controlled and automatically brought by the control circuitry to a previously
defined position
(e.g. flat). In some embodiments control circuitry 107 may determine further
states and
automatically obtain a suitable predefined position of the mattress 100. For
instance, upon
determining that a television has been turned on the mattress may obtain a
position suitable
for watching television. Another example is the gentle lifting of section 101a
to alleviate a
snoring detected by a sensor 106. Of course, many other useful position
changes can be
provided in response to parameters detected, as will be easily appreciated by
the skilled
person.
Therefore, the adjustable comfort system of the invention may comprise an
apparatus
suitable to automatically bring the comfort system to a preferred sleeping
position by the
operation of an automatic position changing apparatus comprising sensing
circuitry suitable
to identify a user sleep state (e.g. whether or not a user has fallen asleep)
and control
circuitry suitable to control the position of the comfort system based on the
identified sleep
state.
According to an embodiment, control circuitry 107 is connected to various
systems that
control mattress 100s room environment, e.g. light switch, air conditioner,
audio system,
etc. In this embodiment, upon determining that an individual has fallen asleep
the room
environment systems are automatically brought to a predefined state by control
circuitry
107 (for instance lights are turned off, temperature of the air conditioner is
lowered and the
audio system is muted). In this embodiment, therefore, controller 107 not only
controls the
operation of the adjustable mattress, but also the environment in which the
mattress is
located.
Programming of control circuitry 107 to user preferences can be performed so
as to define
the position to which mattress 100 is brought upon determining a sleeping
state.
Accordingly, a software application (not shown in the figures) is provided,
with which a user
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may choose and define preferred positions. The software application can
further be used for
defining preferred states of room environment systems. Software applications
can be
provided in a dedicated appliance, or can be actuated from a mobile device,
such as a
mobile phone or a tablet. Moreover, control circuitry 107 can be adapted to
change the
aforementioned environmental parameters, or maybe in data connection, wired or
wirelessly, with an external device that receives data relative to the
sleeping state of the
individual using the mattress and operates on the environmental parameters
accordingly.
According to an embodiment, the processing unit of control circuitry 107
comprises a
machine learning module capable of autonomously learning user habits and
preferences and
accordingly defining positions for different states. In this aspect, mattress
100 is an
autonomous mattress suitable to autonomously accommodate its position to the
activity
and sleeping state of individuals.
Control circuitry 107 comprises a communications module suitable to
communicate with the
various abovementioned elements, i.e. sensor(s) 106, the upper and lower body
actuation
modules 301a and 301b, and, in some embodiments, environment control systems
and
mobile devices. Embodiments of the connection between the various elements and
the
communications module include wired connections, wireless connections and a
combination
of the two.
Fig. 6 (A-C) shows an arrangement of a frame 600 suitable for a queen-size
mattress. In this
specific embodiment the frame is divided into four sub-frames 601-604, in a
manner similar
to the division made for the single size mechanism shown in Figs. 1-5. The
actuating
mechanism is hidden by the support plates onto which padding materials will
rest once the
mattress is assembled, which may be made of a variety of materials. In one
embodiment the
support plates are made of polycarbonate sheets, and in another embodiment of
plywood.
Openings 605 are provided in this specific embodiment for accommodating a
small
protrusion of the motors' transmission modules (402 in Fig. 48).
Fig. 68 is a top view of frame 600, showing the dimensions (in millimeters)
suitable for a
queen-size mattress. Fig. 6C is a side view of frame 600, showing the hinges
and rotation
arrangements 606-608 that allow the tilting of the various section relative to
one another.
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Fig. 7 (A-B) shows the construction of frame 601. In Fig. 7A a polycarbonate
sheet 701 is
shown separated from the metal frame 601, which in this exemplary embodiment
is made of
two parts as shown in Fig. 7B, comprising aluminum partial frame 703 and iron
partial frame
704. As will be appreciated by the skilled person, selecting the construction
materials for
each art of the mattress frame has an impact on the final weight thereof.
Fig. 8 is an exploded view of frame 602. In this particular embodiment the
upper plate 801 is
made of a polycarbonate sheet and the metal frame is made for the most part of
iron 803,
because it is the frame to which the motors are connected, with two side parts
of the frame
802 made of aluminum, again for weight reduction purposes.
Fig. 9 is a bottom perspective view of a mechanism 900 adapted to operate a
Queen-size
mattress. Frame 602 houses four identical (in this embodiment) motors 605, and
frame 603
houses four identical (in this embodiment) gas springs 606, which as said can
be replaced by
any other suitable element, such as a motor. The operation of the queen-size
mattress
mechanism is essentially as that of the single-size mechanism of Figs. 1-5,
and therefore
reference is made to the description thereof, for the sake of brevity.
Fig. 10 is a perspective bottom view of the base and upper body lifting
sections 601 and 602
of the mattress mechanism of Fig. 9, with only the two motors 605 needed to
tilt section 601
being shown.
Fig. 11 is a perspective bottom view of the base (602) and legs sections (603,
604) of the
mattress mechanism of Fig. 9, showing only the two motors 605 needed to
operate this
section.
Having described the mechanism and its operation, it is useful to list and
appreciate some of
the characteristics it imparts to the mattress containing it:
1. The adjustable mechanism is one of the inner layers of the mattress;
2. The mechanism is applicable to all sizes of existing mattresses (including
single and
double);
3. One mechanism can be connected to another, thus turning two single
mechanisms into a
double one;
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4. The mechanism can be used with any type of mattress coils (such as
continuous coils,
Bonne!l coils, offset coils, Marshall coils, etc.);
5. The mechanism can be used with mattresses of any height, materials, and
comfort layers;
6. The mechanism is suitable for use in mattresses weighing up to 100 Kg.,
whether single
or double;
7. The mechanism has 3 motion joints allowing motion in all three planes
singularly or
together;
8. The mechanism allows raising the head rest by an angle of 50 -60 ;
9. The mechanism allows rising the calves plane to an angle of 40 -50 , and to
tilt the legs
plane to 5 below a plane parallel to the ground;
10. The mechanism operates quietly and sounds it generates do not exceed 55db;
11. The inclusion of the mechanism does not diminish the comfort of the
mattress;
12. The mechanism can be included such that it cannot be felt upon touch
(applying
pressure) at the sides of the mattress or on its surface;
13. The height of the mechanism does not exceed 80 mm at any position and it
does not
include external parts;
14. The weight of the mechanism for an 80/190 cm mattress is about 20 Kg;
15. The mechanism can lift up to 386 Kg evenly distributed on a Queen Size bed
(156/203
cm);
16. The mechanism can be used without prior preparation on any supporting
surface
suitable to support a mattress, except for a flexible surface.
Although embodiments of the invention have been described by way of
illustration, it will be
understood that the invention may be carried out with many variations,
modifications, and
adaptations, without exceeding the scope of the claims.
