Body support arrangements

Abstract

Conventional beds have a spring mattress and a sprung base for the comfort of the user, but on profiling beds, a sprung base cannot be used and, ordinarily, a mattress is laid on lifting and lowering mechanism, with a result that when pivoted or folded, folding or rucking of the surface of the mattress occurs to the discomfort of the user. A first object of the invention is to avoid the above disadvantage, and a second object is to provide a body support arrangement of greater comfort than conventional mattresses and separate bases. The first objective is met by a body support arrangement comprising at least two sectors connected in such a manner as to permit a relative pivoting of the sectors with respect to each other, each sector being formed by an upper sprung or filled mattress part and lower sprung base part. Preferably, the body support arrangement comprises three sectors, each sector being hingedly connected to an adjacent sector, to allow each sector to be so angularly positioned to suit a users required body and leg dispositions. At the pivot area between the mattress parts of the sectors, a filling of a resilient and compressible material may be provided between the springs. The second objective is met by a construction comprising an array of springs, extending between upper and lower surfaces of the support arrangement in spaced relationship in the longitudinal and transverse directions, the spaces between at least some of the springs being filled with resilient and compressible material. The filling preferably extends over the full length and width of the arrangement, and further, preferably, is in upper and lower layers with through holes into which extend the upper and lower ends of the springs respectively.

1 . A body support arrangement characterised by at least two sectors ( 4 ,  5 ,  6 ) connected sector being formed by an upper spring or filled mattress part ( 7 ) and lower sprung base part ( 8 ).  
     
     
         2 . A body support arrangement as in  claim 1 , characterised in that three sectors ( 4 ,  5 ,  6 ) are provided, each being hingedly connected to an adjacent sector, to allow each sector ( 4 ,  5 ,  6 ) to be so angularly positioned to suit a users required leg and body positions.  
     
     
         3 . A body support arrangement as in  claim 1  or  claim 2 , characterised in that the spring arrangement ( 9 ) or filling of the mattress part ( 7 ) and the spring arrangement of the base part ( 10 ) are such as to provide conventional characteristics, and the spring arrangement or filling of the mattress part is supported on a wire mesh or strip lattice ( 11 ) in the plane intersecting the mattress and base parts.  
     
     
         4 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 1  to  3 , characterised in that the hinged connection ( 12 ) between adjacent sectors may be in the plane of the upper or lower surfaces of the mattress part or the base part respectively.  
     
     
         5 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 1  to  3 , characterised in that the hinged connection ( 12 ) in the plane of the intersection of the mattress ( 7 ) and base ( 8 ) parts of the sectors.  
     
     
         6 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 1  to  5 , characterised in that to facilitate the lifting and lowering of the sectors, each base sector ( 8 ) is formed with a solid base ( 26 ) and solid or covered sides.  
     
     
         7 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 1  to  6 , characterised in that abutting faces of the base sectors are angled to provide a V-shaped gap ( 13 ) at the pivot ( 12 ).  
     
     
         8 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 1  to  7 , characterised in that, at the location of the pivot, a different spring means is provided to accommodate the different angular dispositions of adjacent sectors ( 4 ,  5 ,  6 ), and avoid folding or rucking of the surface of the mattress part above the pivot.  
     
     
         9 . A body support arrangement as in  claim 8 , characterised in that a foam rubber packing ( 28 ) is provided between relatively conventional coil springs, at the location of the pivot.  
     
     
         10 . A body support arrangement, characterised by an array of springs ( 15 ) extending between upper and lower surfaces of the support arrangement, in spaced relationship in the longitudinal and transverse directions, the spaces between at least some of the springs being filled with resilient and compressible material ( 20 ,  21 ).  
     
     
         11 . A body support arrangement as in  claim 10 , characterised in that the filling ( 20 ,  21 ) is at the intersection between adjacent sectors of the body support arrangement.  
     
     
         12 . A body support arrangement as in  claim 10 , characterised in that the filling ( 20 ,  21 ) is between the springs ( 15 ) over the length and width of the body support arrangement.  
     
     
         13 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 10  to  12 , characterised in that the ratings of the springs and the firmness of the filling ( 20 ,  21 ) is matched to generate a required softness or firmness to suit a user.  
     
     
         14 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 10  to  13 , characterised in that the filling ( 20 ,  21 ) is so structured as to have different degrees of resilience and compressibility towards the upper and lower surfaces of the arrangement.  
     
     
         15 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 10  to  13 , characterised in that upper and lower layers ( 20 ,  21 ) of resilient and compressible material are provided, each layer having a required degree of resilience and compressibility.  
     
     
         16 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 12  to  14 , characterised in that, spring ( 15 ) ratings and resilience and compressibility of the filling ( 20 ,  21 ) can be different in different zones across the length and width of the arrangement.  
     
     
         17 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 10  to  17 , characterised in that the springs ( 15 ) are relatively conventional pocket springs, with alternate springs removed.  
     
     
         18 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 10  to  17 , wherein the resilient and compressible material ( 20 ,  21 ) is foam rubber and fabric ( 18 ) between the retained springs ( 15 ) cut to leave a centrally disposed tie ( 19 ).  
     
     
         19 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 15  to  18 , characterised in that each layer ( 20 ,  21 ) of resilient and compressible material is formed as a pad ( 22 ) of required initial width and length, with spaced slits ( 23 ), and whereby the pad can be pulled to a required width to cause the slits to open to become through holes into which the ends of the springs can be inserted.  
     
     
         20 . A body support arrangement as in any of  claims 10  to  19 , characterised in that to create a pivot at the intersection between the upper mattress part and lower base part of the arrangement, clip means ( 29 ,  31 ) can be provided at the intersection between adjacent sectors of the arrangement.