Beds – Attachment or accessory – For placement below a mattress and above its supporting...
Patent
1997-09-26
1999-02-09
Grosz, Alexander
Beds
Attachment or accessory
For placement below a mattress and above its supporting...
24270, 24279, A47C 2106, A47C 2100
Patent
active
058678522
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a support for the back of a person lying in bed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many people suffer from bad backs. The problem can be alleviated by sleeping on a bed having a suitably constructed mattress. I have tried many mattresses over the years and not found one which gives me lasting relief from back pain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My invention is a support to be placed between a bed base and its mattress for supporting the mattress and hence the back of the user in selected position(s).
According to my invention, I provide a frame for supporting a mattress, the frame having a plurality of laterally extending straps (i.e. extending laterally of the mattress in use), the straps being individually adjustable.
In use, the mattress is laid over the frame and the straps are adjusted to support it and the user lying on it at the position(s) or region(s) of his/her back requiring support against painful bending due to sagging of the mattress; the general objective being for the user's spine to be supported in a horizontal plane when lying on his/her side.
Whilst it is envisaged that the frame may be incorporated into the frame or base of a bed, I prefer to lay the frame onto an existing bed base and place the mattress on top of the base and frame. The frame may be as long as the mattress, but I find this unnecessary. Typically a frame of about two thirds the length of the mattress is adequate, because it is unnecessary to have the frames adjustability beneath the user's legs. Further a short frame allowing the legs to be sightly lower than the torso can be benficial in causing he legs to pull on the pelvis and tension the spine. Accordingly, the frame is preferably adapted for support of side members of the frame above the bed base.
Preferably the straps are of resilient, elastomeric material, so that they have some "give" to the user's weight.
The straps may be adjusted as to their tension. They may alternatively be adjustable as to their height of attachment to the frame. Preferably they are adjustable as to both their tension and height of attachment.
In the preferred embodiment, the straps are attached to the frame via fittings, each having:
Conveniently, the height adjuster acts on a tension member in the buckle connected to the strap attachment ladder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a back support of the invention installed on a bed with a mattress shown partially broken away;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the back support of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional end view of the support on the line III--III;
FIG. 4 is a similar end view in more detail and on a larger scale of a strap end fitting;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the strap end fitting;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of another strap end fitting;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the fitting of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of a frame corner fitting; and
FIG. 9 is a side view of the corner fitting.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the back support 1 is installed on a bed base 2 beneath a mattress 3. The support has a frame of steel tube 4 and a number of straps 5 extending between the side members 6,7 of the frame. The straps extend laterally, that is crosswise, of bed and mattress. They are attached to the frame by fittings 8. Plug and socket members 9 are provided at the corners of the frame 4 to connect the individual members of the frame.
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the fittings 8 comprise a moulded plastics material body 11, having an opening 12 which is a sliding fit on the steel tube of the side members 6,7. The tube is of oval cross-section, which has the twin advantages of preventing the fittings 8 from rotating around the tube and of ensuring the frame does not have sharp corners which could be painful when the bed is being made
REFERENCES:
patent: 1954382 (1934-04-01), Gonzalez
patent: 3346891 (1967-10-01), Cundiff
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