Bed with rigid platform and fluid suspension

A bed mattress support apparatus and method includes a fluid filled bladder or multiplicity of bladders to vertically support a rigid platform. The rigid platform provides a suspended surface to support a mattress, foam pad, or other mattress-like device. A frame surrounds the bladder to prevent lateral movement of the bladder. Motion limiting features control vertical displacement of the platform.

BACKGROUND

Waterbeds, water mattress beds, and soft-sided waterbeds use a water bladder or a multiplicity of water tubes to provide compliant and body form fitting support while a person is sitting or lying on the water mattress. Additionally water mattresses provide varying degrees of wave motion when a person or persons move on the bed such as when they roll over from one side to the other while sleeping. These are all desirable attributes to encourage restful and comfortable sleep.

Other mattress designs, or standard mattresses, that do not use water employ foam, springs, memory foam, latex, and other compliant materials. Typically, these mattress designs are preferred by the majority of the population and specifically by those who either do not like the wave motion of water mattresses or are bothered with the nature of such mattresses characterized by sagging or lack of firmness. Often, people complain of back pain after sleeping on a water mattress especially if they prefer to sleep on their stomach and to some extent if they sleep on their side.

These standard mattresses have several compromises in achieving a device to provide comfortable and restful sleep to many. Specifically, there always exists a compromise between support and comfort. To achieve a higher level of comfort, designers make the mattress more compliant with softer foam, more compliant springs, soft “toppers” made of softer foam, and other methods. To achieve a higher level of support, designers increase the spring rate, durometer of the foam, avoid soft toppers, and other methods. This compromise affects those people the most who tend to prefer a stiffer mattress. Typically, these people are people who sleep on their stomachs or their sides. The resulting situation is one in which the mattress and bed system is non-compliant to motions and changes of position during the sleeping period. When such a motion takes place, the non-compliancy of the mattress support system often causes the sleeping person to awake partially or fully.

Many innovations and design trends in the mattress and sleep industry have tried to overcome this dilemma. In particular and recently, manufacturers are offering memory foam mattresses, air mattresses that are adjustable to an individual's need for compliancy, latex foam mattresses, a variety of different mattress toppers of many different materials, and others. None of these addresses the need for a mattress that is firm for proper support and has compliance to lessen the detrimental effect caused by the support system not reacting to motions and body position changes.

What is needed is a mattress and support system that allows for any type of mattress, mattress firmness, and comfort level and that also provides compliancy such that it provides a shock and force absorbing motion when a person changes position during sleep.

SUMMARY

A bed mattress support apparatus and method includes a fluid filled bladder or multiplicity of bladders to vertically support a rigid platform. The rigid platform provides a suspended surface to support a mattress, foam pad, or other mattress like device.

Several aspects of each of the features of the disclosed mattress support apparatus and method are possible. One aspect employs a single water filled bladder typically made from a flexible plastic film such as a bladder used in waterbed mattresses. The fluid filled bladder may be constructed of other flexible materials and may be filled with other fluids than water. Additionally, the suspension component may be a multiplicity of smaller bladders such as tubes.

The mattress support apparatus and method employs a frame that is functional and may be decorative as well. The design of this frame has infinite different configurations and many different material options; but one aspect includes first and second end panels and first and second side panels. Each of these end and side panels also includes a vertical motion limiting device to prevent the rigid platform and the mattress from excessive vertical movement.

The apparatus may also employ either a rigid tray or flexible membrane to provide flooding protection in the event that the bladder ruptures.

The rigid platform may also be constructed of many different materials and may have many different design configurations such as a homogeneous flat panel, honeycomb sandwich construction, other composite constructions, and other stiffening element designs.

Additionally, the mattress support apparatus and method is applicable to a design for a baby's or child's crib. The same construction methods and design elements apply.

The disclosed mattress support apparatus and method provide for a person's choice of mattress, mattress firmness, and mattress comfort characteristics while also providing for compliancy to motions of the sleeping or resting person. Additionally, this compliance provides wave like motions during and after such motions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-18of the drawing and toFIGS. 1-3in particular, there is depicted a bed mattress support apparatus1that employs a bladder3for containment of a fluid, a substantially rigid platform2disposed on top of the bladder3, and an optional cushion4, such as a standard bed mattress, an air mattress, or other similar device, such as a foam pad or a pillow.

The platform2may be constructed of any material and design that results in a rigid or semi-rigid flat panel that does not have excessive or noticeable flexure when a load approximating a sleeping person or persons is applied to it. Many different materials and construction methods will achieve this requirement. These include, but are not limited to, plywood, particle board, medium density and other fiberboards, fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastics, steel, aluminum, other metals, and composite sandwich constructions with any of these same materials combined with any of the same materials or others, such as cardboard, honeycomb material, etc. The platform2may have a solid construction, a honeycomb construction, and it can be formed of a single piece or multiple joined pieces.

The bladder or membrane3is constructed of a semi-rigid or flexible film material, such as vinyl, for example, that is formed into a three dimensional rectangular shaped, closed vessel that contains a liquid. It is understood that other shapes, sizes, and materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc., are possible. The bladder3also has an opening, not shown, that is closable in order to allow for the filling and draining of the fluid. The fluid contained by the bladder3is typically water; although other fluids are possible, such as air, various types of oil, salt water, oil and water mixtures, liquid foams, emollients, etc.

The bladder3and the platform2disposed on the top of the bladder3provide a compliant support or suspension while maintaining a rigid platform for a mattress4in which movements by a sleeping person or persons create motion of the platform2and mattress4relative to the surface on which the bladder3is placed or mounted. These motions are similar to typical waterbed and soft-sided waterbed motions in that a force from a moving person causes volumetric displacement of the bladder3fluid from one area to another area of the bladder3. However, the motion that the sleeping person feels is much different than other typical waterbed constructions as the force of the motion from the sleeping person is distributed over a much larger area as a result of the rigid platform2that is disposed between the mattress4and the bladder3. As a result, the motion caused by movement of the sleeping person in the apparatus1is less severe, has a tendency to dissipate sooner, and is always accompanied by a substantially rigid support from the platform2so that the feel and support of the mattress4is never compromised by a continually changing shape of its support means.

Referring toFIGS. 4-7, there is depicted another aspect of a bed mattress support apparatus5. This aspect employs the rigid platform2and the mattress4that are substantially identical to those described above. Additionally, this apparatus5employs the use of a multiplicity of fluid tubes6instead of the single bladder3. These fluid tubes6are constructed in a similar fashion and with the same materials as the single bladder3. Referring toFIGS. 4-6, this aspect depicts longitudinal tubes that extend from near to the first end of the bed to near to the second end. Referring toFIG. 7, this aspect depicts transverse tubes that extend from near to the first side of the bed to near to the second side. It will be understood that in all of the aspects of the apparatus, a single bladder3, longitudinal tubes6or transverse tubes6are all possible configurations. Additionally, the bladder3or tubes6may contain motion limiting devices used to dissipate waves and energy of the moving fluid.

Referring toFIGS. 4-7, there is depicted a frame7to constrain the bladder3or the fluid tubes6and to constrain the bladder3or tubes6from substantial lateral movement. The frame7may be constructed from many different materials including wood, plastic, plasticized wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber, wood composite fiber, etc. The frame7has closed first and second ends, first and second sides, and a bottom, and an open top. The frame7provides functionality to contain and position the fluid tubes6, to contain any spilled fluid from a potentially broken fluid tube6, and to limit the motion of the platform2. As the platform2moves due to forces such as from movement from or simply the weight of a sleeping person, it is limited and stopped when the motion becomes so great that the bottom of the platform2reaches and touches the top of an end or side of the frame7. Other motion limiting and fluid containment means are possible as will become apparent with the following description of additional aspects.

Referring toFIGS. 8-13, there is depicted another aspect of the bed mattress support apparatus8with another means for motion limitation and fluid containment. A bed mattress support apparatus8employs a frame14that contains the components that make up this type of motion control and fluid containment. The frame14has first and second ends9adjoined to first and second sides10. The ends9and the sides10may be made from many different materials including wood, plastic, fiberboard, particle board, fiberglass, aluminum, steel, other metals, carbon fiber, etc.

Affixed to the ends9and the sides10are one or a multiplicity of motion limiting stops11. Typically, there is at least one motion limiting stop11on each side10and end9though many different configurations are possible including the absence of motion limiting stops11on a particular side10or end9. The motion limiting stops11may be of many different sizes, shapes, such as square, rectangular, wedge-shaped, etc, and of many different materials. The wedge-shaped stops11shown by example only.

Affixed to the motion limiting stops11is an optional damping material12. This is employed to dampen the sound and vibration caused when the platform2impinges onto the motion limiting stop11and to create a “soft stop” arrangement whereby the deceleration to a stopped state of the platform2happens more gradually than if the platform impinged onto the motion limiting stop11without the damping material12. The damping material12may be made from polyurethane, rubber, latex, thermoplastic elastomer, silicone, cellulous foam, plastic, or other suitable materials. As can be seen inFIGS. 11 and 12, the damping material12may be a single piece or a multiplicity of smaller pieces as well as different sizes and shapes. Alternatively, the damping material12may be affixed to the platform2or to both the platform2and the motion limiting stop11.

Referring toFIG. 10depicts a variation of this aspect which employs multiple motion limiting stops11for each end9and side10. In all of the versions of motion limiting stops11, the motion limiting stops11may optionally be configured to be user adjustable to provide for more or less motion to the liking of the user. The adjustments include the vertical position of the motion limiting stops11, the amount of damping material12, and the number of individual damping material segments12.

This aspect employs a fluid-resistant, leak proof safety liner13typically made of flexible polyvinyl chloride film though many other materials are possible including polyethylene, vinyl, polypropylene, and other flexible film waterproof materials. The safety liner13is secured at its outer edges to the frame1A and/or to the motion limiting stops11. For example, the edges of the safety liner13are disposed in between the motion limiting11and the damping material12and are retained in place by this sandwich like construction.

Referring toFIGS. 14 and 15, there is depicted another aspect of motion limitation and fluid containment. The bed mattress support apparatus15employs a safety tray18onto which the bladder3is disposed. The safety tray18is rigid or semi-rigid and may be constructed by compression molding plastic. However, many other materials and fabrications means are possible including fiberglass, carbon fiber, plasticized wood or wood fiber materials, etc. The safety tray18has a closed bottom and stepped first and second sides and ends. The stepped sides and ends provide a substantially horizontal shelf and a substantially vertical outer side and end. One or a multiplicity of an optional damping material12may be affixed to the horizontal shelf.

This aspect also has an optional frame19including first and second ends16and first and second sides17. The ends16and the sides17may be made from many different materials including wood, plastic, fiberboard, particle board, fiberglass, aluminum, steel, other metals, carbon fiber, etc. The ends16and sides17are affixed to the outer sides and ends of the safety tray18. Many affixing means are possible including adhesives, rivets, bolt and nut, screws, a friction or slip-on arrangement, etc. Because the sides17and ends16are removable, this aspect allows many different aesthetic designs that form only the sides16and ends17. This allows for retail stores to have flexibility with stocking options and allows purchasers to change the color or style of their bed without purchasing an entire new assembly15.

Referring toFIG. 16, there is depicted another aspect of a bed mattress support apparatus20with another means for motion limitation. A bed mattress support apparatus20employs a compressible motion limiting frame21. The motion limiting frame21can be constructed of a cellulous foam material and is formed as a single piece. Alternatively, the motion limiting frame21may be fabricated from multiple pieces which are fitted or joined together and may be made from alternative materials including polyurethane, silicone, thermoplastic elastomers, rubber, latex, open-cell foam, closed cell foam, and other compressible materials. Although not shown inFIG. 16, an optional damping material12may be affixed to the underside of the platform2.

The bed mattress support apparatus20may include an optional outer frame22. The outer frame22can be a single piece structure that surrounds the motion limiting frame21. Alternatively, the outer frame22may be made from a multiplicity of individual components. The outer frame22can be constructed of a fabric covered foam, or other material to give the aesthetic appearance of a typical standard mattress. Alternatively, the outer frame22may be constructed from many other materials. The outer frame22can also be integrated as part of the compressible foam frame21as a single piece, unitary component, or constructed as a stand alone structure separate from the compressible frame21.

Referring toFIG. 17, there is depicted another aspect of the bed mattress support apparatus with a raised platform or base25to support the bladder3. The bed mattress support apparatus8employed in this configuration has a riser assembly24. The riser assembly24includes a substantially rigid platform25, onto which is disposed the rest of the mattress support apparatus8, and a multiplicity of longitudinal supports26. The raised platform25may be constructed from plywood, particle board, medium density and other fiberboards, fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastics, steel, aluminum, other metals, and composite sandwich constructions with these same materials combined with any of the same materials or others such as cardboard, honeycomb material, etc. The longitudinal supports26may also be constructed of these same materials.

Referring toFIG. 18, there is depicted another aspect of the bed mattress support apparatus in which the bed mattress suspension technology previously described is applied to a child crib27. The crib27employs a crib frame28to contain the suspension and platform system. The crib frame28has a multiplicity of legs29, first and second sides30, and first and second ends31. One of the first or second sides30and one of the first or second ends31are attached to each of the legs29. Many different materials including wood, wood fiber, plastics, metals, and others may be used to fabricate the legs20, the sides30, and the ends31. It will be understood that many design configurations exist for these components including configurations where the sides and the ends have openings or are constructed with spindles.

The crib27employs a rigid bottom support32. The rigid bottom support32is disposed onto the frame28typically in a vertical position above the floor and near the bottom of the ends31and the sides30. The bottom support32may be constructed from plywood, particle board, medium density and other fiberboards, fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastics, steel, aluminum, other metals, and composite sandwich constructions with these same materials combined with any of the same materials or others such as cardboard, honeycomb material, etc.

One or a multiplicity of motion limiting stops11and optional damping material12may be affixed to one of the sides30or the ends31. The motion limiting stops11and the damping material12are substantially similar to those previously described. Additionally, all of the other aspects of motion limiting and damping material configurations apply to this aspect as well.

A bladder33is disposed on the top of the bottom support32. This bladder33is substantially similar to the bladder3described previously except that it is configured for the smaller size of the crib27. Similar to other aspects, the crib27may be configured with fluid tubes6instead of the bladder33.

A platform34substantially similar to the platform2previously described is disposed onto the bladder33. A mattress, foam pad, pillow, or other soft device, not shown, may optionally be placed over the platform34.