Pillow mattress

• US 4,843,666 A
• Filed: 10/18/1988
• Issued: 07/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flexi-Mat Corporation (JLA Home, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Flexi-Mat Corporation (JLA Home, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martelli, Arthur J., Elesh, James N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Gary L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trettel, Michael F.
• Application Number:
  US07/259,401
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 5/437, 5/446, 5/448, 5/461, 5/462, 5/464, 5/465, 5/468, 5/470, 5/481
• US Class Current: 5/723
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/144 inside the mattress or cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/148 of different resilience
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/20 with springs moulded in, or situated in cavities or openings in foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/922 with hook and loop type fastener

Abstract

A mattress designed to prevent bedsores is made from an open foamed plastic box enclosing pillows filled with stuffing in a cushion cavity. This construction is enclosed in a zippered mattress cover, which may be waterproof. The pillows can be separate or joined together to form a compartmentalized pillow cushion. The pillow cushion can be made from a pillow bag stuffed with textile fiber or foamed plastic particles and divided into compartments by seams. Separately formed pillows may be left loose within the cushion cavity, or detachably joined together. The mattres can have pillows of different density stuffing or sizes the seams being transverse and compartmentalizing the pillow bag; and reclosable closure means in at least one of the seams for easily reopening and reclosing it, whereby the stuffing in the compartment accessed by the closure means may be adjusted.

Claims

1. A mattress comprising:

an open box of firm but resilient material having an upward facing cushion cavity extending substantially the entire length of said box;

a plurality of adjacent individual pillows containing stuffing and disposed in said cushion cavity, each of said pillows having at least two inclined upper surfaces, said inclined surfaces of adjacent pillows defining a space between them;

fastener flaps extending outwardly from each pillow, the flaps of adjacent pillows overlapping one another to form a detachable connection,

whereby the body of a user resting on the mattress lies over an alternating series of supporting pillows and spaces without support, and the width of the space between adjacent pillows can be changed by adjusting the extent to which the flaps overlap.

2. The mattress of claim 1 and a ticking extending across said cavity and over said pillows and spaces.

3. The mattress of claim 1 wherein each of said pillows includes means for accessing the interior of the pillow to adjust the type, quantity, or density of stuffing.

4. A mattress comprising

a frame of firm and resilient material having sides and a bottom, said frame forming a cushion cavity extending substantially the entire length of said frame;

a plurality of adjacent individual pillows containing stuffing and disposed in said cushion cavity, each of said pillows having at least two inclined upper surfaces, said inclined upper surfaces of adjacent pillows defining a space between them;

flaps of hook and loop type fasteners extending outwardly from each pillow, the flaps of adjacent pillows overlapping one another to form a detachable connection so that the width of the space between adjacent pillows can be changed by adjusting the extent to which the flaps overlap; and

a cover extending across said cavity and over said pillows and spaces, so as to provide a resting surface over said pillows and spaces.

5. A mattress for reducing bodily pain including bedsores and back pain, said mattress comprising:

means for defining an outside perimeter of a bodysized mattress in the form of a box having a cavity extending substantially the entire length of said box;

a plurality of adjacent individual body support means substantially filling said box to form a body support surface in said cavity, each of said body support means comprising a cushion extending transversely across substantially the entire width of said cavity; and

adjusting means for connecting adjacent ones of said support means to each other in order to adjust the separation distance between them, whereby the body support characteristics of said support means may be adjusted in accordance with the individual and changing needs of the user.

6. The mattress of claim 5 wherein said adjusting means are attached to said individual support means.

7. The mattress of claim 5 including means for adjusting the amount of body support provided by each support means.

8. The mattress of claim 5 wherein each of said support means have sloped surfaces along upper faces thereof so that the sloped surfaces of adjacent support means define a space between them without presenting sharp edges that may cause stress to the user.

9. The mattress of claim 5 wherein there are a plurality of said body support means with different densities, and said body support means are distributed within said box so that said support means are positioned most comfortably relative to the user'"'"'s body.

10. The mattress of claim 5 wherein said adjusting means comprises a plurality of connecting straps for varying the spacing between said support means, whereby additional spacing may be provided between said body support means to conform to the user'"'"'s needs.