Medical air mattress

A medical air mattress has a mattress body, a lower bedspread, an upper bedspread and a guardrail unit. The mattress body is formed by multiple air cells parallel arranged in an air cell row. The upper bedspread covers the mattress body and has two guardrail sleeves formed on the upper bedspread. The guardrail unit has multiple guardrail air cells mounted respectively in the guardrail sleeves. Since the guardrail sleeves are formed on the upper bedspread, the guardrail sleeves from each opposite side of the upper bedspread will draw each other to maintain the guardrail sleeves in position when pressed. Therefore, the guardrail sleeves do not fall down when pressed to remain providing optimal protection purpose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a medical air mattress, especially to a medical air mattress for anti-decubitus purposes.

2. Description of the Prior Arts

For patients who have physical difficulties with mobility or bedfast. Patients lying on a mattress over a long period of time are susceptible to develop decubitus ulcers on multiple areas of body due to continuous pressure. In order to minimize or eliminate the development of decubitus ulcers caretakers must turn patients' body over or move patient to alternate the areas of pressure on the body. The conventional medical air mattress was developed to assist in the manual movement of and alternating pressure areas on the patient using multiple odd and even cells alternatively inflated to generate wave motion for changing the contact areas of the patient's body. The conventional medical air mattress has the following inadequacies.

1. Because the patients lying on the conventional air mattress have difficulty with mobility or bedfast, the protective apparatus around the conventional air mattress is important to keep the patient from falling off of the mattress. Hospital beds, which a medical mattress is used on, are equipped with guardrails; which at times can prohibit medical staff from taking care of the patients lying on the hospital beds and cannot always be in optimal position for patient protection. Many patients require the continued therapy of a medical air mattress in their homes. The medical air mattress is also required to assist caretakers move patient with minimal manual labor. In many cases the home is not equipped with guardrails on the bed that the medical air mattress is being used. The conventional medical air mattress has air filled guardrails to protect patients and to assist caretakers, who can easily press down the air guardrails. Such guardrails cannot be inflated or deflated independently. If the patient accidentally compresses either air guardrail, such air guardrails will slant outward and cannot protect the patient anymore, causing the opportunity for the patient to fall from mattress. Such air guardrails have no connection with the upper bedspreads, only being connected to the lower bedspreads restrict the ability to have mutual-drawing power to each other from two-side on the upper bedspreads.

2. To assist patients in turning over, two inclined cells are mounted under the body air cells. When the patients need to turn over, one of the inclined cells inflates to tilt the conventional air mattress. This design offers only one inclined angle. Patients with varying disabilities will require different inclined positions, which are decided by physicians or patient discomfort. In the event that the patient requires a different angle than that offered by the conventional air mattress caretakers may use non-recommended accessories or the therapy cannot be provided. Either of these options put the patient at risk of injury.

The present invention provides a medical air mattress to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned inadequacies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a medical air mattress that will have mutual-drawing guardrail sleeves to keep the guardrail sleeves from tilting when being pressed. The medical air mattress has a mattress body, an upper bedspread and a guardrail unit. The mattress body is formed by multiple air cells parallelly arranged in an air cell row. The upper bedspread covers the mattress body and has guardrail sleeves on two-side formed on the top of the upper bedspread. The guardrail unit has multiple guardrail air cells mounted respectively in the guardrail sleeves. The guardrail sleeves are formed on the upper bedspread, the upper bedspread and the guardrail sleeves will draw each other on two-side to ensure the guardrail sleeves remain in position when pressed. Therefore, the guardrail sleeves will not fall down when pressed and continue to provide optimal protection for the patient as its intended purpose.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when reviewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of a medical air mattress in accordance with the present invention comprises a lower bedspread10, two inclined air cells20, a mattress body30, an upper bedspread50and a guardrail unit60.

The inclined air cells20are mounted longitudinally on the lower bedspread10; respectively near two sides of the lower bedspread10and are parallel to each other.

The mattress body30is mounted on the lower bedspread10, which is mounted across the inclined air cells20comprising of multiple body air cells31and multiple head air cells32. In a preferred embodiment, the mattress body30comprises three head air cells32. Each body air cell31and each head air cell32are tubular and respectively uniform in diameter. The head air cells32have the same diameter with the body air cells31. The body air cells31and the head air cells32are parallel to each other and are arranged in a row to form an air cell row. The head air cells32are arranged at a head end in the air cell row, i.e. the head air cells32arranged at first to third in the air cell row. The body air cells31are arranged at fourth to seventeenth in the air cell row.

The upper bedspread50covers the mattress body30and is connected securely to the lower bedspread10. A heat unit51is installed right under the upper bedspread50and above mattress body30for heating. The heat unit51may be carbon fiber electrothermal sheet. The upper bedspread50has guardrail sleeves52. The guardrail sleeves52are formed parallel on two-side of the upper bedspread50and are respectively formed adjacent to the edges of two sides of the upper bedspread50. In a preferred embodiment, the guardrail sleeves52are stitched on the upper bedspread50. Each guardrail sleeve52has at least one sleeve body521. In a preferred embodiment, each guardrail sleeve52has two sleeve bodies521formed separately and aligning with and coaxial to each other.

The medical air mattress as described further comprises a massage unit40mounted on the mattress body30. The massage unit40comprises multiple micro vibrators41to massage the patients lying on the medical air mattress as described. Those micro vibrators41distribute massage separately and respectively to patient's neck, back, waist, thighs and so on.

The guardrail air unit60is mounted in the guardrail sleeves52and comprises multiple guardrail air cells61. The guardrail air cells61are mounted respectively in the sleeve bodies521of the guardrail sleeve52.

With reference toFIG. 3, the medical air mattress as described comprises a pumping assembly70. The pumping assembly70is connected to and selectively inflates the inclined air cells20, the body air cells31, the head air cells32and the guardrail air cells61. In a preferred embodiment, the pumping assembly70comprises a pump71, an inclined pipeline72, an odd body pipeline73, an even body pipeline74, a guardrail pipeline77and a rapidly releasing valve78. The inclined pipeline72connects the pump71with the inclined air cells20. The odd body pipeline73connects the pump71with the body air cells31and the head air cells32at odd rows of the air cell rows. The even body pipeline74connects the pump71with the body air cells31and the head air cells32at even rows of the air cell rows. The guardrail pipeline77connects the pump71with the guardrail air cells61. The rapidly releasing valve78is connected to the odd body pipeline73and the even body pipeline74for rapidly releasing the air in the mattress body30for emergency uses. For example, when the patient needs C.P.R., the medical air mattress as described needs not be removed or the patient needs not be moved since the mattress body30is rapidly deflated to rescue the patient immediately.

In a preferred embodiment, the pump71is connected to an inclined alternating-valve701and a body alternating-valve702. An inclined solenoid valve703is also connected between the inclined alternating-valve701and the pump71. The inclined alternating-valve701is connected between the inclined solenoid valve703and the inclined pipeline72. The body alternating-valve702is connected between the pump71with the body pipelines73,74and the guardrail pipeline77. The guardrail pipeline77is connected to the body alternating-valve702via a guardrail solenoid valve772. The odd body pipeline73is connected to the head air cells32via a check valve731. The even body pipeline74is connected to the head air cells32via a check valve741. The body alternating-valve702is connected to the guardrail solenoid valve772via a check valve771.

With reference toFIG. 3A, the deflating unit for the guardrail air cells61may be a manual alternating device772A. The user controls the manual alternating device772A to stop inflating the guardrail air cells61. The manual alternating device772A has an air inlet, an inflating opening, a deflating opening, a linking rod, two airflow washers, an air restricting washer and a resilient element. The air inlet is connected to the body alternating-valve702. The inflating opening is connected to the guardrail air cells61through the guardrail pipeline77. The deflating opening communicates with the exterior. When inflating, the deflating opening is closed and the inflating opening is opened to inflate the guardrail air cells61. When deflating, the resilient element, the linking rod and the air-resisting washer are manually moved to close the inflating opening and to open the deflating opening. Then the guardrail air cells61are deflated independently.

When the medical air mattress as described is operated, the pump71, the alternating-valves and the solenoid valves are actuated to inflate the air cells and to adjust the inflating. The inflating and the deflating operations are described detailedly below.

For guardrail air cells61, when the pump71is operated, the guardrail air cells61are inflated to expand the guardrail sleeves52to provide side protections on the upper bedspread50. When the patients lying on the upper bedspread50accidentally press on the guardrail sleeves52, the guardrail sleeves52on both sides are drawn by each other since the guardrail sleeves52are formed on two-side of the upper bedspread50. The drawing force keeps the guardrail sleeves52maintaining their shapes even being pressed. Therefore, the guardrail sleeves52are kept in position to protect the patients lying on the medical air mattress as described. Further, the check valve771keeps the air from back flowing when the body alternating-valve702is operated.

For the mattress body, when the pump71is operated, user may select different modes.

With reference toFIGS. 3 and 4, the pump71is operated to inflate the body air cells31and the head air cells32.

With reference toFIGS. 3,5and6, the pump71is operated and inflates the body air cells31at odd or even rows of the air cell rows alternately. In a preferred embodiment, the body alternating-valve702accomplishes the alternating inflating. The pump71supplies air into the body alternating-valve702. The body alternating-valve702alternately supplies air into odd or even body pipelines73,74. When the odd body pipeline73is inflated, the body air cells31at odd rows of the air cell rows are inflated and the body air cells31at even rows of the air cell rows are deflated as shown inFIG. 5. When the even body pipeline74is inflated, the body air cells31at even rows of the air cell rows are inflated and the body air cells31at odd rows of the air cell rows are deflated as shown inFIG. 6. Moreover, since the check valves731,741are connected between the head air cells32with the odd and even body pipelines73,74, the head air cells32are kept inflated without deflating by the body alternating-valve702to support the patient's head stably.

For the inclined air cells20as shown inFIGS. 3 and 7, the pump71is operated to inflate one of the inclined air cells20to tilt one side of the medical air mattress as described so that the patient is to be turned over easily. In a preferred embodiment, the inclined alternating-valve701is operated to inflate the inclined air cells20alternately.

With reference toFIGS. 8 and 9, a second embodiment of a medical air mattress in accordance with the present invention is similar to the first embodiment as described, but the body air cells31A of the body mattress30A are conical. Each body air cell31A gradually tapers in diameter from one end to the other end so that each body air cell31A has a wide end and a narrow end. The body air cells31A are arranged with wide ends adjacent to the narrow ends. For example, the wide ends of the body air cells31A at odd rows of the air cell rows align with the narrow ends of the body air cells31A at even rows of the air cell rows. The medical air mattress as described further comprises two offset air cells34A mounted longitudinally and mounted respectively on two sides of the mattress body30A to enlarge the area of the medical air mattress and to support the upper bedspread50A. The offset air cells34A are connected to the pipeline connecting to the head air cells32A and are also protected by the check valves731,741to maintain inflating.

When the medical air mattress as described is operated, the pump71A, the alternating-valves and the solenoid valves are also actuated to inflate the air cells and to alternatively adjust the inflating. Since most operations are discussed above, only different operations are described below for the second embodiment of the medical air mattress.

For mattress body30A, when the pump71A is operated, user may select different modes.

The pump71A is operated to inflate all the body air cells31A and the head air cells32A.

With reference toFIGS. 9 to 11, the pump71A is operated and inflates the body air cells31A at odd or even rows of the air cell rows alternatively. When the body air cells31A at odd rows of the air cell rows are inflated, the body air cells31A at even rows of the air cell rows are deflated as shown inFIG. 10. Since the body air cells31A at odd rows of the air cell rows have wide left ends and narrow right ends, the mattress body30A is higher at left side and lower at right side to tilt the patient rightward. When the body air cells31A at even rows of the air cell rows are inflated, the body air cells31A at odd rows of the air cell rows are deflated as shown inFIG. 11. Since the body air cells31A at even rows of the air cell rows have wide right ends and narrow left ends, the mattress body30A is higher at right side and lower at left side to tilt the patient leftward. Therefore, the alternating inflating of the body air cells31A not only provides the alternative wave of the mattress body30A, but also tilts the patient at certain inclined angle. In this embodiment, the body air cells31A provides inclined angle at, said 20 degrees.

With reference toFIGS. 9 and 12to14, the alternating inflating of the body air cells31A associated with the inclined air cells20A provides more different inclined angles.

When all of the body air cells31A are inflated and one of the inclined air cells20A is inflated as shown inFIG. 12, the top surface of the upper bedspread50A is tilted to one side to provide an inclined angle at, said 10 degrees.

When the body air cells31A at even rows of the air cell rows are inflated and the body air cells31A at odd rows of the air cell rows are deflated, the inclined air cell20A at right side is also simultaneously inflated to provide a totally added inclined angle at, said 30 degrees.

When the body air cells31A at odd rows of the air cell rows are inflated and the body air cells31A at even rows of the air cell rows are deflated, the inclined air cell20A at left side is also inflated to provide an inclined angle at, said 30 degrees.

The medical air mattress in accordance with the present invention has numerous advantages. With the guardrail sleeves52formed on the top of the upper bedspread50, the mutual drawing-force between the guardrail sleeves52from 2-opposite side of the upper bedspread50holds the guardrail sleeves52in position to protect the patient lying on the medical air mattress. Furthermore, the body air cells31A in conical shape associated with the inclined air cells20A provide multiple inclined angles. Therefore, different patients may choose a proper inclined angle they need or as instructed by the doctor.