JP7730001B2 - Rocking sleep induction bed - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rocking sleep-inducing bed that can help users fall asleep.

Conventionally, vibrating beds, which apply micro-vibrations using a vibrating device embedded in the mattress part of the bed, and rocking beds, which rock the bed itself, have been developed.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vertically oscillating bed, designed as a medical bed to prevent complications caused by immobility in seriously ill patients or patients with long-term restrictions on movement. The bed has one telescopic drive unit attached to the head and one to the leg, which are attached to the longitudinal center of the bed, allowing it to rotate up and down in the vertical direction.

Patent Document 2 also discloses a rocking bed for medical use, in which the upper end of an arm is fixed to the output shaft of a reducer for a motor attached to the underside of a rest frame for mounting a mattress. When a roller at the tip of the arm is guided up and down along a vertical guide member as the motor rotates forward and backward, the output shaft is swung left and right, causing the rest frame to rotate quietly and gently around the rocking axis.

Patent Document 3 discloses a rocking bed for promoting sleep that minimizes up-and-down rocking of the human head while providing the body with the comfortable rocking motion necessary for sleep, thereby promoting sleep. The bed includes a bed base, a rocking frame rockably supported on the bed base, a bed floor supported by the rocking frame, and a rocking drive means for rocking the rocking frame together with the bed floor, with the rocking central axis of the rocking frame extending along the height of the user lying supine on the bed floor and passing vertically through the user's head.

Patent Document 4 discloses a rocking bed that consists of a base, a rocking body supported so that it can move back and forth across the width of the bed, a drive attached to the base for moving the rocking body back and forth, and a bed body on which the sleeper rests. The bed body portion on which the sleeper's lower back rests moves back and forth across the bed, providing a comfortable lateral rocking stimulus and exercise to the muscles and joints, primarily in the lower back, for a comfortable sleep.

Patent Document 5 discloses a bed with a sleep induction function that is equipped with a vibrating plate on the bed that is equipped with a continuous micro-vibration generator that generates continuous micro-vibrations similar to those caused by a moving train, and an intermittent single-shot vibration generator that generates single-shot vibrations that repeat at a roughly regular interval, similar to those caused by the joints of rails. The bed then applies a combination of continuous micro-vibrations and intermittent single-shot vibrations to the lying human body, aiming to induce good sleep.

Patent Document 6 discloses a medical adjustable bed system that can safely and quietly change the position of a care recipient without disturbing their sound sleep. The adjustable bed system uses a linear actuator to adjust the inclination angle of each section of the bed bottom, which is divided into left and right sections along the length.

Patent Document 7 discloses a rocking bed for use in providing massage and rehabilitation treatments or promoting sleep induction while the user lies down. The rocking device includes a fixed part that is placed at the installation location, a rockable part that is placed on top of the fixed part, a rocking drive part that moves the rockable part back and forth, a first sliding mechanism that rocks the rockable part in the rocking direction relative to the fixed part, a second sliding mechanism that uses a vertical surface to restrict lateral movement of the rockable part, a control part that controls each drive part, various sensors, and an operation panel.

Non-Patent Document 1 states that, based on the empirical effectiveness of the long-standing, everyday practice of patting infants' backs to help them fall asleep, a study was conducted to verify the effects of periodic rhythmic stimulation on changes in the level of wakefulness and relaxation effects. 43 healthy female students were tested, and rhythmic stimulation of approximately 0.33 to 0.67 Hz (approximately 30 times per minute) was administered to the backs of the subjects in a right lateral position for 10 minutes. The results indicated relaxation, suggesting a calming of sympathetic nervous activity, and that a subjective relaxing effect was also achieved.

Patent No. 3124453 Patent No. 3329787 Patent No. 4590238 Patent No. 5086696 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-024678 JP 2016-067429 A JP 2018-139766 A

Hiroi Sumi et al., The effect of 10 minutes of periodic rhythmic stimulation on the level of consciousness, Japan Academy of Nursing Technology, Journal of the Japan Academy of Nursing Technology, 2010, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 29-37

The rocking beds described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are medical beds that can be rotated back and forth or side to side to prevent bedsores and complications in bedridden patients, for example, and are not intended to induce sleep.

The sleep-promoting rocking bed described in Patent Document 3 has a structure in which a rocking frame on which the bed floor is placed is supported by support shafts of side frames located at the front and rear ends of the bed via triangular suspension arms, and in this state is rocked left and right by a rocking drive means. The rocking drive means uses a brake motor fixedly supported in the middle of the bottom frame of the bed base as its drive source, and drives the rocking frame to rock left and right with a predetermined amplitude via an eccentric plate, eccentric shaft, connecting rod, rocking arm, etc.

In the case of the sleep-promoting rocking bed described in Patent Document 3, the bed floor on which the user lies is simply supported at its front and rear ends by triangular suspension arms attached to the support axes of the front and rear side frames. Therefore, all loads act on the connection between the support axes and the suspension arms of the bed floor. If the user rolls over and moves to one side of the bed, for example, bending stresses and shear stresses acting on the bed floor or rocking frame become so great that a safe design is difficult to achieve.

Furthermore, in the case of the rocking drive means used in the sleep-promoting rocking bed of Patent Document 3, a large amount of space is required to install the brake motor, eccentric plate, eccentric shaft, connecting rod, rocking arm, and rocking frame, which not only increases the size of the entire bed, but also creates a large gap between the lower bed base and the upper bed floor.

The rocking bed described in Patent Document 4 is designed to promote blood circulation and provide a massage effect through the stimulation and movement of side-to-side rocking, with an eccentricity of 1 to 10 mm from the center of rotation around the lower back, and a rotation speed of 400 to 800 rpm for the eccentric means, thereby providing a comfortable sleep. However, even though it provides a massage effect through the micro-vibrations and high frequency like a vibrator, it is difficult to expect it to have a sleep-inducing effect on people suffering from insomnia.

The bed with sleep induction function described in Patent Document 5 uses a continuous micro-vibration generator that imitates train vibrations and an intermittent single-shot vibration generator that imitates the vibrations generated at rail joints, but it is not clear how and to which parts of the body the vibration generator applies low-frequency vibrations, and what their effect is.

The adjustable bed system described in Patent Document 6 is intended for medical and nursing care applications, and uses a linear actuator to safely and quietly change the position of a patient or care recipient on a bed to a lateral position, but is not intended to induce sleep in the user.

The rocking bed described in Patent Document 7 is designed to rock the bed in the front-to-rear direction and is provided with a means for restricting lateral displacement of the rocking part, but does not take into consideration rocking in directions other than the front-to-rear direction.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a rocking bed for inducing sleep that allows people suffering from insomnia to fall asleep efficiently by using slow rocking motion from side to side accompanied by gentle up and down movement in a slightly curved, nearly horizontal plane, rather than rotation or high-frequency vibrator-like vibration.

The rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention is a rocking sleep-inducing bed comprising a support section having a curved upper surface portion whose cross section perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the bed is arc-shaped and convex downward, a rocking section which rocks in the left-right direction of the bed along the curved upper surface portion of the support section, and a drive means for rocking the rocking section in the left-right direction of the bed, characterized in that the radius of curvature of the curved upper surface portion is 1.5 m≦r≦ 11 m, the horizontal amplitude d of the rocking section caused by the drive means is set to be variable within a specific range of 0 cm<d≦10 cm, and the frequency f is set to be variable within a specific range of 0.15 Hz<f≦0.5 Hz .

In the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention, a mattress used in a normal bed can be placed on the rocking section. In this case, the mattress may be placed directly on the rocking section, or it may be placed indirectly via some kind of intervening object or mattress fixing means.

The support section of the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention can be equivalent to the bed body, such as the bed bottom located at the bottom of a normal bed, or it can be installed separately on top of the bed body. In either case, the present invention assumes that a curved upper surface is formed on the top surface of the support section.

The amplitude d being within a specific range of 0 cm<d≦10 cm means that various designs are possible within this range, for example, 1.5 cm≦d≦8 cm, 2 cm≦d≦6 cm, etc. Similarly, the frequency f being within a specific range of 0.15 Hz<f≦0.5 Hz means that various designs are possible within this range, for example, 0.2 Hz≦f≦0.4 Hz, etc.

Note that the amplitude d here is a half amplitude, resulting in a total displacement of 2d over one period T. Also, the travel time from one end of the vibration width to the other (a distance of 2d) is T/2 = (1/2f) seconds.

Within this specific range, the operation of the driving means of the rocking device or the associated power transmission mechanism can be adjusted by using a switch or dial depending on the user's physical characteristics, physical condition, mood, etc. on that day. It is also possible to set a timer device to automatically stop the rocking device after a certain period of time has elapsed.

Unlike conventional beds that rotate left and right or front and back around the body of a user lying on the bed, or that stimulate the user with a vibration generator that applies high-frequency vibrator-like vibrations, the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention essentially rocks slowly, usually from side to side, in a slightly curved, nearly horizontal plane while the user is lying on the bed. This gentle rocking motion, with little stimulation and on the order of the frequency of a person's breathing or heartbeat, is designed to naturally and efficiently induce sleep.

A maximum amplitude d (single amplitude) of approximately 10 cm in the reciprocating motion of the rocking unit is considered the limit for providing safe and comfortable sleep, and it is preferable to make the amplitude adjustable within the range of approximately 1.5 cm≦d≦8 cm. If the amplitude is too small, the rocking effect will be small, and if it is too large, an acceleration force will be applied in relation to the vibration frequency, making it difficult to maintain a restful state. Furthermore, if d = 8 cm or d = 10 cm, it is relatively easy to design in relation to the drive mechanism, and there are fewer problems with contact with objects around the bed.

The frequency f of the reciprocating movement of the rocking unit is related to the amplitude, but a maximum of about 0.7 Hz is considered to be the limit for providing safe and comfortable sleep, and in the present invention, it is set to 0.15 Hz < f ≦ 0.5 Hz . More preferably, the frequency should be adjustable within the range of about 0.2 Hz ≦ f ≦ 0.4 Hz. If the frequency is too low, the rocking effect is small, but if it is too high, a force equivalent to the acceleration is applied in relation to the frequency, making it difficult to maintain a restful state.

For example, a frequency of 0.15 Hz is 9 reciprocations per minute (9T), meaning that the timing of movement to one side (half cycle of vibration) is 18 times per minute, which is about the same as the normal breathing rate of an adult, while a frequency of 0.5 Hz is 30 reciprocations per minute, meaning that the timing of movement to one side (half cycle of vibration) is 60 times per minute, which is about the same as the heartbeat at rest. Experiments in Non-Patent Document 1 showed that rhythmic stimulation of 0.33 to 0.67 Hz reduced the level of arousal and consciousness, had a relaxing effect, and the rhythmic heartbeat of a healthy and emotionally stable mother gives a fetus a sense of security, as well as the comfort of clapping, making this range considered to be preferable.

Note that the experiment in Non-Patent Document 1 uses impact timing, not reciprocating motion like the oscillation in the present invention, so the timing of the stimulation is close to the timing of stimulation using oscillation in the present invention (e.g., 0.15 Hz x 2 to 0.5 Hz x 2).

In the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention, the radius of curvature of the upper curved portion of the support unit is set to 1.5 m≦r≦ 11 m because, assuming that the rocking unit is a pendulum weight that rocks along the upper curved portion and the radius of curvature is the length of the pendulum, the driving force of the driving unit can be minimized by synchronizing the frequency of the forced rocking by the driving unit with the frequency of the pendulum or setting it to a frequency close to that of the pendulum. In other words, if the frequency of the forced rocking by the driving unit is synchronized with the frequency of the pendulum, the rocking unit can be rocked along the upper curved portion with a slight driving force, and the rocking unit can be rocked by a compact, low-output driving unit.

When the amplitude of the pendulum is small, the frequency of the pendulum is
f=ω/2π=(g/l) ^1/2 /2π…(1)
where:
f: frequency (1/s)
ω: Angular frequency (rad/s)
g: Gravitational acceleration (9.8m/s ² )
l: length of the pendulum (m)
This can be expressed as:
From the above equation (1), the length l of the pendulum is
l=g/(2π×f) ² …(2)
This becomes:

Substituting the frequency f = 0.10 Hz into equation (2), we get
l≒9.8/(2×3.14×0.10) ² ≒24.87m
This becomes:

Similarly,
At f = 0.15 Hz, l ≈ 11.05 m,
At f = 0.20 Hz, l ≒ 6.21 m,
At f = 0.25 Hz, l ≒ 3.70 m,
At f = 0.30 Hz, l ≒ 2.76 m,
At f = 0.40 Hz, l ≒ 1.55 m,
At f = 0.50 Hz, l ≒ 0.99 m,
At f = 0.60 Hz, l ≒ 0.69 m
This becomes:

However, if the radius of curvature R of the upper curved portion of the support part, which corresponds to the length l of the pendulum, is made shorter than 1.5 m, it is not necessarily easy to manufacture the support part as the upper curved portion, and the stability of the installation of a mattress or futon and the user lying thereon may be impaired. For these reasons, the lower limit of the radius of curvature R of the upper curved portion in this invention is set to 1.5 m. Furthermore, because perfect synchronization is not required, the upper limit of the radius of curvature R of the upper curved portion is set to 11 m, which roughly corresponds to the length l of the pendulum at a frequency f = 0.15 Hz.

In the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention, the rocking unit may be supported by the support unit via a sliding surface made of a low-friction material. Specifically, similar to the sliding bearings used in seismic isolation devices for buildings, a structure can be applied in which a stainless steel plate is attached to the upper surface of the support unit and a fluororesin sheet or panel is attached to the lower surface of the rocking unit.

By incorporating a sliding surface, frictional resistance is reduced at the contact surface between the oscillating part and the support part, allowing the device to be oscillated using a compact drive unit with low output. On the other hand, by increasing the contact area of the sliding surface, vertical forces (such as the weight of the bed or human body) applied to the oscillating part and support part can be stably supported.

In addition, as a means of reducing frictional resistance at the contact surface between the oscillating part and the support part, the oscillating part may be supported via multiple unidirectional rollers or ball rollers that function in all directions.

Alternatively, a stable support structure can be achieved by providing two or more guide rails extending left and right along the curved upper surface of the curved upper surface of the support part, and allowing the oscillating part to slide along the guide rails. In this case, by using a bearing on the sliding surface of the guide rail to support the oscillating part, the effects of friction can be minimized, allowing for smooth oscillation.

The driving means used in the rocking sleep induction bed of the present invention can be a linear servo motor (including a linear actuator, shaft motor, etc.), or a device equipped with a ball screw and a rotary motor that imparts rotational motion to the ball screw.

In the case of linear servo motors or ball screws, horizontal oscillation of the oscillating part can be achieved by linear reciprocating motion using a compact mechanism, and variable control of amplitude and frequency is also easy. Furthermore, when multiple linear servo motors or ball screws are installed, they can easily be synchronized and controlled.

These basically control linear reciprocating motion, but by combining them with a link mechanism, the oscillating unit can be oscillated left and right along the curved upper surface of the support unit. Alternatively, the servo motor's track itself can be made arc-shaped to match the curved upper surface of the support unit.

A winch mechanism may also be used as the driving means. For example, a winch device may be attached to the support part, and the tip of the winch wire may be attached to the swinging part via a direction-changing pulley. By driving the winch device, the swinging part may be swung along the curved upper surface of the support part.

In addition, the load on the drive means can be reduced by using a configuration in which the swinging part is suspended via a hanging means that supports it in a pendulum-like manner so that the pendulum's motion circle corresponds to the curved upper surface of the support part.

Alternatively, the oscillating part may be magnetically levitated from the support part using a magnetic levitation induction device, with the reciprocating motion controlled electromagnetically.

Unlike conventional beds that rotate left and right or front and back around the body of a user lying on the bed, or that stimulate the user with a vibration generator that applies high-frequency vibrator-like vibrations, the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention essentially rocks slowly, usually from side to side, in a slightly curved, nearly horizontal plane while the user is lying on the bed. This gentle rocking motion, with little stimulation and on the order of the frequency of a person's breathing or heartbeat, can naturally and efficiently induce sleep.

When the user lies in the center of the bed with their body stretched out before the bed begins to rock, the center of the bed's width is lowest and the sides are slightly higher. This means that the bed rocks side to side with gentle up and down movement along the curved upper surface, without the feeling of tipping over, allowing for a comfortable experience.

In the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention, the radius of curvature of the curved upper portion is set to 1.5 m≦r≦ 11 m, and the frequency f of the drive means is set to be variable within a specific range of 0.15 Hz<f≦0.5 Hz . Therefore, if the rocking portion is imagined as a pendulum weight rocking along the curved upper portion, the frequency of the forced rocking by the drive means and the frequency of the pendulum can be controlled to be synchronous or nearly synchronous, so that the rocking portion can be rocked along the curved upper portion with a slight drive force and can be rocked by a compact, low-output drive means.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the bed, illustrating the basic principle of the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention, taken along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the bed. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention, taken along a plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the bed. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a rocking sleep-inducing bed according to still another embodiment of the present invention, taken along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the bed. 10 is a plan view showing a part of a support portion when a ball roller is used as a support structure for the oscillating portion in the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a case in which a support member via a guide rail and a bearing is used as a support structure for a swinging part in the present invention. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a case where a linear servo motor and a link mechanism are used in combination as a driving means in the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a cylinder-type actuator is used as a driving means in the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a bed rocking device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an installation position of the bed rocking device of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the installation position of the bed rocking device of the present invention.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows the basic principle of the present invention. The rocking sleep-inducing bed 1 of the present invention comprises a support section 2 having a curved upper surface 2a whose cross section perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the bed is arc-shaped and convex downwards, a rocking section 3 that rocks in the left-right direction of the bed 1 along the curved upper surface 2a of the support section 2, and a drive means (omitted from Figure 1) that rocks the rocking section 3 in the left-right direction of the bed 1.

For simplicity's sake, Figure 1 assumes a bed width of W = 1000 mm, close to the width of a typical single bed, with a 90 mm thick mattress 4 placed on the rocking section 3. If we assume that the radius of curvature of the curved upper surface 2a of the support section 2 is 2178 mm and the single amplitude d = 50 mm, then when it moves 50 mm (single amplitude) horizontally, one end of the mattress 4 will lift upward by approximately 12 mm and the opposite end will lower by approximately 11 mm.

If we consider the swinging portion 3 to be a pendulum weight swinging along the curved upper surface portion 2, with the radius of curvature R being the length of the pendulum l, the frequency of the pendulum relative to the length l is f = 0.356 Hz. If a driving force from the driving means is applied at a frequency around this frequency, swinging can be achieved with a small driving force. However, in practice, factors such as frictional resistance in the curved upper surface portion 2 must also be taken into account.

When user S is lying on mattress 4 and the rocking unit 3 moves 50 mm horizontally to the left or right, user S also moves 50 mm horizontally to the left or right, and a gentle vertical movement occurs, although it is smaller than at the end of the mattress 4.

Unlike conventional beds that rotate left and right or front and back around the body of the user lying on the bed, or that stimulate the user with a vibration generator that applies high-frequency vibrator-like vibrations, the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention essentially rocks slowly, usually from side to side, around the body of the lying user S in a slightly curved, nearly horizontal plane while the user is lying on the bed. This gentle rocking motion, with little stimulation and on the order of the frequency of a person's breathing or heartbeat, is designed to naturally and efficiently induce sleep.

Figure 2 shows one embodiment of the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention. A low-friction material, such as a combination of stainless steel plate and fluororesin, is used on the contact surface between the upper curved portion 2a of the support portion 2 and the rocking portion 3 to form an arc-shaped sliding surface, allowing the rocking portion 3 to rock with low friction on the upper surface of the upper curved portion 2a, which forms the sliding surface.

The driving means is a linear servo motor 21 attached to the support part 2, which swings the swinging part 3 at a predetermined frequency f and a predetermined amplitude d via a link 22. One end of the link 22 is rotatable around a pin 22a on the movable part 21a side of the linear servo motor 21, and the other end is connected to the swinging part 3 side via a pin 22b. As the pin 22b moves within a guide groove 22c at the end of the link 22, the left-right swing of the movable part 21a of the linear servo motor 21 is converted into swing on an arc via the link 22.

The frequency f and amplitude d are as described in the section on means for solving the problem, but preferred ranges would be, for example, amplitude d to be adjustable in the range of 1.5 cm≦d≦8 cm, and frequency f to be adjustable in the range of 0.15 Hz≦f≦0.5 Hz or 0.2 Hz≦f≦0.4 Hz. These could be adjusted to suit the user S using a remote control, or could be combined with a timer function or other control mechanism.

In other words, the operation of the driving means of the rocking device or the associated power transmission mechanism can be adjusted by using a switch or dial within a specific range, depending on the user's physical characteristics, physical condition on that day, mood, etc. It is also possible to set a timer device to automatically stop the rocking device after a certain period of time has passed.

Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the mattress 4 is placed on the rocking unit 3, but in the embodiment of Figure 3, the rocking unit 3 and the mattress are integrated, such as by incorporating the mattress into the rocking unit 3. The drive mechanism is the same as in the embodiment of Figure 2, so its explanation will be omitted.

Figure 4 shows yet another embodiment of the rocking sleep-inducing bed of the present invention, in which a winch mechanism is used as the driving means. In this example, a winch device 31 is attached to the support part 2, and the tip of a winch wire 34 is attached to the rocking part 3 via direction-changing pulleys 32 and 33. By driving the winch device 31, the rocking part 3 is rocked along the upper curved part 2a of the support part 2.

In the embodiment of Figure 4, as in the embodiments of Figures 2 and 3, a low-friction material is used on the contact surface between the upper curved portion 2a of the support portion 2 and the oscillating portion 3 to form an arc-shaped sliding surface, allowing the oscillating portion 3 to oscillate with low friction on the upper surface of the upper curved portion 2a, which forms the sliding surface.

Furthermore, in this example, a hanging member 35 is also used, which is configured to bear part of the load of the swinging unit 3 and the mattress 4 placed on top of it, as well as the user and bedding. Although not shown in the figure, the top of the hanging member 35 is connected to a separately installed support frame or ceiling.

Figure 5 shows a portion of the support part 2 when ball rollers 41 are used on the upper curved surface 2a of the support part 2 as the support structure for the oscillating part in the present invention. The inclusion of ball rollers 41 reduces frictional resistance at the contact surface between the oscillating part and the support part 2, allowing the oscillating part, which is subjected to an upper load, to oscillate smoothly.

Figure 6 similarly shows an example of a structure for smooth oscillation of the oscillating part, in which an arc-shaped guide rail 51 that matches the upper curved surface 2a of the support part 2 is provided on the upper curved surface 2a, and multiple support panels 52 that slide along this guide rail 51 via bearings (not shown), with the oscillating part fixed to the support panels 52.

In Figure 6, the drive mechanism is omitted, but it is possible to use drive mechanisms such as those shown in Figures 7 and 8 described below, drive mechanisms using the winch device shown in Figure 4, or magnetic levitation induction drive mechanisms.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a case where a linear servo motor 21 and a link 22 are used in combination as the driving means; the embodiments of Figures 2 and 3 described above are of this type.

The linear servo motor 21 and link mechanism could be installed in two locations, for example, at the front end of the bed (near the user's head) and the rear end (near the user's feet), and controlled in sync. In this case, installing the drive mechanism is relatively easy, but since there are two drive mechanisms, synchronized control is required.

It is also possible to create a recess in the center of the support part 2, install the drive mechanism in that recess, and house the upper part of the link 22 within the oscillating part 3. In this case, it is possible to have only one drive mechanism, but the structures of the support part 2 and oscillating part 3 become more complex.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a case in which a fluid pressure cylinder type actuator 61 is used as the driving means. A rising portion 2b is provided on the support portion 2, and the actuator 61 is attached between the rising portion 2b and the oscillating portion 3 to cause oscillation.

The above Figures 1 to 8 explain the structure of the rocking sleep-inducing bed 1 as a whole, but as shown in Figure 9, the bed rocking device 1A can also be incorporated into an existing bed as a standalone unit.

The bed rocking device 11 in Figure 9 comprises a support device 12 with a curved upper surface 12a whose cross section perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the bed is arc-shaped and convex downwards; a rocking panel 13 that rocks left and right along the curved upper surface 12a of the support device 12; and a linear servo motor 21 and link 22 as drive means for rocking the rocking panel 13 left and right. The horizontal amplitude d of the rocking panel 13 caused by the drive means can be varied within a specific range of 0 cm < d ≦ 10 cm, and the frequency f can be varied within a specific range of 0.1 Hz < f ≦ 0.6 Hz.

Considered variations of the support structure for the swinging panel 13 include, as explained in Figures 1 to 8, a system using a sliding surface, a system using multiple rollers or ball rollers, and a combination of guide rails and bearings. Conceivable variations of the drive mechanism include a combination of a linear servo motor or cylinder-type actuator and a link mechanism, a system using a winch mechanism, and a system using a magnetic levitation and guidance device.

Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of a bed rocking device 11 installed between the bed body 1a and the mattress 4. In the example of Figure 10, legs 14 are provided below the bed body 1a.

Also, Figure 11 shows a case where the bed rocking device 11 is installed between the floor surface and the bed body 1a. In this example, legs 14 are provided on the underside of the bed rocking device 11, but in either case the legs 14 do not have to be provided.

S...user,
1... Rocking bed, 1a... Bed body, 2... Support part, 2a... Upper surface curved part, 2b... Rising part, 3... Rocking part, 4... Mattress,
11...bed rocking device, 12...support device, 12a upper curved portion, 13...rocking panel, 14...leg portion,
21... Linear servo motor (drive device), 21a... Moving part, 22... Link, 22a... Pin, 22b... Pin, 22c... Guide groove,
31...winch device, 32...pulley, 33...pulley, 34...winch wire, 35...hanging material,
41...ball roller,
51... guide rail, 52... support panel,
61...Actuator

Claims (8)

a support part having an upper curved part whose cross section perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the bed is arc-shaped and convex downward;
a swinging unit that swings in the left-right direction of the bed along the upper curved portion of the support unit;
a driving means for swinging the swinging portion in the left-right direction of the bed;
A rocking sleep induction bed comprising:
The radius of curvature of the upper curved portion is 1.5 m≦r≦ 11 m,
A rocking sleep induction bed characterized in that the horizontal amplitude d of the rocking part caused by the driving means is set to be variable within a specific range of 0 cm < d ≦ 10 cm, and the vibration frequency f is set to be variable within a specific range of 0.15 Hz < f ≦ 0.5 Hz . The rocking sleep-inducing bed according to claim 1, characterized in that a mattress is placed directly or indirectly on the rocking section. The rocking sleep-inducing bed according to claim 1, wherein the rocking section is supported on the support section via a sliding surface made of a low-friction material. A rocking sleep-inducing bed as described in claim 1, wherein the rocking portion is supported on the support portion via a plurality of rollers or ball rollers. A rocking sleep-inducing bed according to claim 1, wherein the rocking section is supported so as to slide on two or more guide rails extending laterally along the curved upper surface of the curved upper surface section. The rocking sleep induction bed according to claim 1, wherein the drive means is a combination of a linear servo motor and a link mechanism. A rocking sleep induction bed according to claim 1, wherein the drive means is equipped with a winch mechanism. 2. A rocking type sleep-inducing bed according to claim 1, further comprising a suspending means for supporting said rocking portion in a pendulum-like manner along said curved upper surface portion.