Patent Publication Number: US-5426798-A

Title: Resting support particularly adapted for prone sleeping

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/985,905 filed on Dec. 4, 1992 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a mattress for a person resting, and, more particularly, to a support designed to comfortably accommodate a person sleeping in a prone position. 
     Most people spend about one-third of their lives sleeping or resting. It is widely accepted in the medical field that proper rest is needed in order to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Poor bedding support, improper sleeping positions, particularly misalignment of the neck during sleeping can lead to a wide variety of physical and, consequently, psychological ailments. Cervical (neck) distortion aggravates, directly and indirectly, vertebral position, muscles and nerves dependent upon those positions. There is also a recognized correlation between cervical distortion and lumbar (low back) function. Such distortion does not necessarily correct itself and can lead to subluxations (vertebral misalignments), nerve interference, muscular aches and pains. The ailments can cause a person to be less functional, less productive, less restful and irritable. These ailments can have a high cost to society in lost work days, medical visits, ancillary treatments and collectively contribute to the present strain on the health care systems of society. 
     With a conventional mattress, people desiring to sleep in a prone, i.e. face down, position are required to turn their heads in order to breathe. Prolonged fixation of the neck in this position creates muscular, vascular and spinal stresses which can lead to pain not only in the neck but also in the fingers, head, shoulders and arms. Lower back problems caused or exacerbated may require expensive professional treatment. 
     In light of the desire for many people to sleep in the prone position and the recognized disadvantages of having people sleep on their stomachs while turning their heads to breathe, mattresses have been previously proposed which provide openings near the superior end of a mattress to accommodate a person&#39;s head while allowing the free flow of needed air. Such prior attempts to design a mattress which comfortably supports a person sleeping in a prone position, however, had serious shortcomings. For example, some prior designs had rectangular openings which did not comfortably accommodate different head sizes and face shape differences. Such openings also did not provide for variations in facial-mattress contact by the person sleeping during a resting period. Other such prior mattresses proposed for prone sleeping positions, were provided with circular or oval openings which were also limited to faces and heads having certain sizes. 
     In light of the shortcomings of such prior mattresses, it is desirable to provide a mattress which allows a person to rest comfortably in the prone position without requiring neck twisting for the person to breathe. It is also highly desirable to provide a mattress which can comfortably accommodate different head sizes and face shapes comfortably. 
     Furthermore, it is also desirable to provide a mattress which allows a person to sleep comfortably in the prone position while permitting variation of facial-mattress contact during resting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a mattress comprising at least one opening proximate the superior end of the mattress which allows a person to rest comfortably in a prone position without requiring that person to turn his neck in order to breathe comfortably. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an opening is defined by interior sidewalls of the mattress which taper generally continuously, inwardly toward the inferior end, i.e. the feet end, of the mattress. In addition to tapering inwardly as measured from the superior end to the inferior end of the mattress, the interior sidewalls of this embodiment of the present invention taper inwardly for at least a portion of the depth of the opening. 
     The generally continuous taper from the superior end to the inferior end of the mattress, advantageously provides flexibility with respect to the head sizes and face shapes which can be comfortably supported by the opening. This taper also allows a person sleeping in the prone position to vary the portions of his face which are being contacted by the sidewalls of the mattress opening by simply moving slightly toward the superior or inferior end of the mattress as desired. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, an interior opening is defined by a first interior sidewall which extends from the top of the resting support and tapers downwardly in the direction of a central, longitudinal axis of the opening, and a second interior sidewall which extends further downwardly from a lower portion of the first interior sidewall at an angle which is steeper than the angle of the first interior sidewall. In a preferred version of this embodiment, the first interior sidewall is substantially flat in order to maximize the mattress-facial contact. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention comprises selectively removable inserts which may be employed to fill the opening when a person does not want to use the opening. Alternatively, a removable insert can serve to provide additional facial support. 
     A still further embodiment of the present invention provides an adjustment member for adjusting the width of the superior portion of the opening in order to even further increase the range of head sizes and face shapes which can be comfortably supported in the prone position. 
     The present invention also comprises coverings for the resting supports and mattresses disclosed herein. These and other embodiments are described in further detail below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of a mattress of one embodiment of the present invention which is designed for two people. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single size mattress showing a placement of a person&#39;s face in the opening. 
     FIG. 3 is a side, perspective view of a single size mattress showing a placement of a person&#39;s face and another optional aspect of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mattress with an insert in place. 
     FIG. 5 is a top, perspective view of the insert shown in FIG. 4. 
     FIG. 6 is a partial, perspective view from the superior end of the mattress shown in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprising an adjustment member for the opening. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an opening of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a frontal view of a face indicating areas where a head can be supported by the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a partial, perspective view of the superior end of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 11--11 of FIG. 10. 
     FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprising a supplemental facial support. 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the supplemental facial support shown in FIG. 12. 
     FIGS. 14 and 15 are side and top views, respectively, of the supplemental support shown in FIG. 13. 
     FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a mattress cover in the form of a sheet of one embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is directed to mattresses specifically designed to allow a person to sleep comfortably in the prone position. As used herein, the term &#34;mattress&#34; is used to include bedding having a supporting depth of at least 3 inches, preferably 6 inches, designed to provide enough resiliency to comfortably support a person sleeping for extended periods of 6-8 hours. The mattresses of the present invention may be formed of any suitable material such as those conventionally used in mattress construction. The thickness, which in most embodiments will define the depth of the opening, may vary with construction, but is preferably at least three inches, and most preferably about 6-7 inches. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a mattress, of a size suitable for accommodating two adult persons, is provided with a pair of openings 20. The openings 20 are advantageously designed to comfortably support the head of a person sleeping on mattress 10 in the prone position. As shown in FIG. 1, both openings 20 are provided proximate the superior end, i.e. the head end, of the mattress. Since both openings 20 of this embodiment of the present invention are identical, only one of the openings will be described in detail herein. 
     According to this embodiment, opening 20 extends entirely through mattress 10 in order to allow the free circulation of air to and from the face of a resting person. It is preferred, but is not necessary, that the opening extend through the entire depth of the opening. In order to maximize comfort to the resting person, opening 20 is tapered in two directions. As shown in FIG. 1, the sidewalls 25 taper inwardly, in a substantially continuous and gradual fashion from the superior end of the mattress toward the inferior end, i.e. feet end, of the mattress. Opening 20 may be formed with different lengths, widths and angles of taper without departing from the scope of the present invention. One preferred embodiment has a length, as measured along a central longitudinal axis L shown in FIG. 1, of about 10 to 25 inches, preferably about 18-20 inches. The superior end of the mattress of this embodiment has an opening with a width of about 8 to 12 inches, most preferably about 9-10 inches and tapers, substantially continuously such that at a second point on longitudinal access L two inches away from the inferior end of opening 20, the opening has a width of about 1.5-4 inches, preferably about 2-3 inches. From that second point about two inches from the inferior end of opening 20, the sidewalls 25 of opening 20 converge smoothly but more quickly to form a smooth, rounded inferior end 27. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 with a person lying in the prone position with her head supported comfortably within opening 20. The second direction of taper is shown by sidewalls 25 of opening 20 which are generally convex and taper inwardly toward longitudinal access L for at least a portion of their downward extension into the depth of opening 20. This inward taper of sidewalls 25 provides a greater contact area between the resting person&#39;s face and the mattress 10 than would sidewalls which extend only vertically. This contact is referred to herein as &#34;facial-mattress&#34; contact. In less preferred embodiments which are not illustrated, the sidewalls extend vertically or meet proximate the bottom of the mattress. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the illustrated embodiments are preferred since they provide the user with the option of flipping the mattress while still enjoying the benefits of the present invention. 
     According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a removable insert 40 is provided for each opening 20. Insert 40 is designed to fit snugly within opening 20 while complementing the contours of sidewalls 25 of opening 20. Thus, sidewalls 45 of inserts 40 are preferably substantially concave such that they can receive the convex tapers of sidewalls 25. From the present description, it will be appreciated that inserts 40 can be readily inserted or removed as desired by the mattress user. Inserts 40 may be formed of a material identical to or quite different from the rest of the mattress. 
     In addition to filling an opening for a partner or house guest who does not wish to take advantage of the opening of the present invention, inserts may also be utilized to fill the openings of a mattress having a greater number of openings that the mattresses shown in the Figures. Those in the mattress industry will appreciate that it is often recommended that users flip and rotate their mattresses on a regular basis in order to avoid the formation of permanent depression in a single area of the mattress. If a mattress such as the mattress illustrated in FIG. 1 was flipped in a certain way, the openings 20 normally present at the superior end of the mattress would end up proximate the feet of the resting person. Instead of changing their sleeping position within a room, if the mattress of FIG. 1 was provided with similar openings at the inferior end, all a person would have to do would be to remove inserts 40 from one end and place these inserts into the openings which are then proximate the user&#39;s feet. Such additional openings would thereby tend to extend the useful life of a mattress of the present invention. 
     As a further alternative to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a person desiring to switch to a supine, i.e. face up, position can simply place a pillow over the opening. In this manner, the opening can be utilized when it is desired and covered when it is not desired. 
     According to still another embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 7, an adjustment member is provided for widening the width of the opening. The adjustment member 250 has a length which is greater than the normal, i.e. unstressed, width of the opening to which the adjustment member 250 will be inserted. For example, if the adjustment member 250 is to be inserted into the opening proximate the superior end of the opening which has a width of nine inches, the adjustment member may have a length of 10-12 inches. The illustrated adjustment member 250 comprises a crossbar 252 and is also advantageously provided with outwardly facing abutment walls 255 for grabbing the inner sidewalls 225 and maintaining the positioning of adjustment member 250 in opening 240. When a person desires a slightly wider opening 240, the adjustment member 250 is simply inserted into the opening proximate the superior end of mattress 210. One way of inserting adjustment member 250 into opening 240 is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 7. 
     The interior sidewalls of the openings of the present invention preferably, but do not necessarily, continuously taper from the superior end to the inferior end. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, sidewalls 325 diverge for a portion of their length in order to provide even greater space for circulating air. A major portion of these sidewalls, i.e. a portion corresponding to at least half of the length of the central longitudinal axis, converge. This converging portion is preferably, but not necessarily, continuous. 
     The advantages of the present invention are further illustrated in FIG. 9 which illustrates a face. Lines V outline the substantially triangular aspects of the skull. They extend from the mandibular bone to the lateral aspects of the orbits which are also supported by the zygomas (cheek bones). Converging lines A-D indicate portions of the skull which are preferably supported by the tapering sides of an opening of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be appreciated that the tapering configuration of the openings of the present invention provide more comfortable support allowing the skull to remain relatively horizontal and the neck in a less stressed position than would a rectangular opening. The tapering configuration of the various embodiments of the present invention comfortably supports different head sizes having different face shapes. The present invention also allows a resting person to change the area on his/her face being contacted by the mattress. By shifting forwardly toward the superior end of the mattress, the contact areas will be spread further apart. Conversely, by shifting toward the inferior end of the bed, the person&#39;s face will contact a narrower portion of the opening and cause an area of contact to be closer together. 
     The mattresses of the present invention can be any size including twin, full, queen and king sizes or may be used with less conventional sizes while still providing the aforementioned benefits. When a mattress of present invention is utilized along with a box spring 75, wooden platform 70, or other support, that support may also be provided with a similar opening in order to enhance the free flow of air to and from the person resting. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the mattress piping 15 which extends around the edges of the illustrated mattress, is preferably recessed to provide a smooth contour to the inner edge in the opening area in order to maximize facial comfort for the person resting. Outside the opening area, the piping 15 may be more prominent as on conventional mattresses. 
     A still further embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, comprises an adjustable instep cushion 30. Instep cushion 30 is designed to comfortably support the instep of a person resting in the prone position. The position of the instep cushion 30 can be readily adjusted by providing the cushion and the mattress or a suitable mattress cover with some form of adjustable attachment, such as VELCRO®. From the description provided herein, it will be appreciated that the instep cushion 30 may be used with any of the previously described embodiments as desired by the person resting. 
     Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 10-12. In this embodiment, the interior sidewalls of the opening are formed with a bevel which forms a first interior sidewall 510. The first interior sidewall preferably slopes downwardly from the upper resting surface 512 of the resting support at an angle of about 30° to 60°, preferably about 40° to 50°, as measured from the plane of the upper support surface of the mattress. The span of the opening of this embodiment of the present invention as measured from the lower edge of the first interior sidewall is about 5-10 inches, preferably about 6-8 inches at the superior end of the opening and, at a distance about 2 inches from the inferior end, is about one-half to 3 inches, most preferably about 1-2 inches. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the angles of the first interior sidewalls and the distances between opposing sidewalls can be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. This first interior sidewall 510 is designed to increase the facial-mattress contact to provide a more comfortable resting surface. As shown in FIGS. 10-12, the first interior sidewall 510 preferably extends around substantially the entire rim of the opening. As best shown in FIG. 10, a second interior sidewall 520 extends from the lower portion of first interior sidewall 510 at an angle sloped downwardly and steeper than first interior sidewall 510. Second interior sidewall 520 may have the same general shape as interior sidewall 25 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 above. 
     While the dimensions of the opening of this embodiment of the present invention may vary, the width of the first interior sidewall preferably ranges from about one-half to about 3 inches, most preferably about 1-2 inches. The width of first interior sidewall 510 which is available for facial-mattress contact can advantageously be greater near the center of the opening. Thus the width of the first interior sidewall 510 is not necessarily constant around the top of the opening. As illustrated in FIG. 11, this embodiment is also preferably formed with symmetrical openings on both the top and bottom of the mattress in order to facilitate use with either side facing upwardly. 
     Another aspect of the present invention, illustrated in FIG. 12, comprises a supplemental support which can be used with the various embodiments of resting supports described above. The supplemental support 540 is preferably formed of a resilient material and is selectively removable and positionable within any of the openings described herein. For example, the support 540 can be formed of a polyurethane foam and is preferably covered, for example, with a muslin ticking and a removable, washable sheet material such as broadcloth or percale. One advantage of the supplemental support is that it provides additional facial-mattress contact area in the area of the user&#39;s forehead and therefore reduces the pressure on the person&#39;s cheeks. 
     In a preferred supplemental support illustrated in FIGS. 13-15, supplemental support 550 has a generally concave upper surface 551 and sidewalls 553 which taper inwardly. As best shown in the frontal view of FIG. 14, the sidewalls 553 of the illustrated supplemental support 550 taper downwardly such that the bottom side 555 of supplemental support 550 is smaller than the distance across the concave upper surface 551. 
     While the dimensions of the supplemental support may vary, the superior and inferior ends may have a width of about 5-6 inches and extend downwardly into the opening for a distance of about 3 inches. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different sizes and shapes of supplemental supports may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It will also be appreciated that suitably configured sheets or other removable covers can be designed to conform to the novel resting supports and supplemental supports disclosed herein. FIG. 16 illustrates a washable bedding sheet 600 particularly adapted for use with a mattress of the type shown in FIG. 6. Sheet 600 comprises an upper, substantially planar surface 610, a beveled surface 620 and a downwardly-extending surface 625 adapted to conform to the mattress opening shown in FIG. 10. 
     The various mattresses of the present invention are preferably used with supports such as boxsprings having corresponding openings. A boxspring is preferably positioned below the mattress of the type shown in FIG. 10. The boxspring advantageously has an opening which is larger than the mattress opening in order to enhance the free circulation of fresh air. The opening in the boxspring is also provided with a porous mesh 530 designed to inhibit any dust located below the bed from interfering with the breathing of the person resting.