TWI859423B - Turn-over assist pads and turn-over assist mattresses - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is to provide a turning-over assisting device and a mattress, which can make a series of turning-over movements easier for consumers with low muscle strength and can support the realization of turning-over by themselves. The turning-over assisting pad is placed on a mattress, a mattress or something else for use, and the turning-over assisting pad at least includes: a first pad, arranged in the height direction, and placed on the upper body side of the consumer; and a second pad, at least placed on the waist and buttocks of the lower body side of the consumer. The first pad is formed of a cushioning material of a specified thickness and is configured to support at least a portion of the back of a consumer in a supine position. The second pad is formed of a cushioning material of a specified thickness. A second supporting surface having a width narrower than the pelvic width of the consumer is provided at the center of the width direction of the second pad. A pair of second inclined portions are provided at both ends of the width direction of the second pad. The second supporting surface is configured to support at least a portion of the waist and buttocks of a consumer in a supine position. The second inclined portion supports the greater rotator of the femur of the consumer when turning over.

Description

Turning-over assist pad and turning-over assist mattress

The present invention relates to a turning-over assisting pad and a turning-over assisting mattress, and in particular to a turning-over assisting pad and a turning-over assisting mattress for promoting the self-reliance of a person who needs care and for enabling a person who needs care to turn over by his or her own strength.

In recent years, as we have entered a super-aged society, self-support care that promotes the independence of those who need care has received attention. As a self-support program for those who need care, it is roughly divided into the movements of turning over from a supine position, sitting up and standing up (living movements), and the movements after getting out of bed (rehabilitation training, daily movements), and is implemented.

Among them, since getting up is the most important basic action and the beginning of independence, there are various proposals and studies on support methods and support tools for smooth getting up. For example, in the action of getting up from lying on your back to standing up, first of all, it is necessary to change the posture from lying on your back (supine position) to lying on your side (side position), that is, turning over.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes a mattress having a structure that facilitates turning over, and the mattress is based on the following knowledge: by selectively allowing the shoulders or upper arms in the turning direction to sink into the mattress, the shoulders sunk into the mattress become the rotation axis for turning over, thereby promoting turning over. The mattress includes: a central block arranged in the central part of the mattress in the width direction, supporting the back and waist of the consumer in the supine position, and end blocks arranged in the two ends of the mattress in the width direction, supporting the shoulders of the consumer in the supine position, the central block is formed to be softer than the outer edge of the end block, and the end blocks are provided with hardness adjustment means facing the direction of contact with the central block, and the apparent hardness thereof is adjusted to form a gradually lower hardness gradient, and at the same time, the apparent hardness of the position in contact with the shoulder of the consumer in the supine position is adjusted to be lower than the apparent hardness of the central block.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-57712

The turning action when changing from a supine position to a side-lying position is roughly divided into a bending rotation type formed by the action of head rotation → upper body rotation → pelvic rotation → lower limb rotation, and a stretching rotation type formed by the action of lower limb rotation → pelvic rotation → upper body rotation → head rotation at the same time or after the lower limb rotation. Among them, among the upper body rotations, the shoulder rotation action is the heaviest action in the turning action. Therefore, by setting a state that does not hinder the shoulder rotation action and is easy to rotate, it is easy to turn over in any rotation type. In the mattress of the above-mentioned patent document 1, by means of the hardness adjustment means provided at the end block, the shoulders and upper wrists of the consumer can be selectively sunk into the low-hardness portion of the end block, and the shoulders sunk into this portion become the rotation axis for turning over, thus promoting turning over.

However, the inventors of this application have found that, in general, the care-seeking persons who lack muscle strength in the lower body and abdomen mostly perform a bending and rotating type turning-over action with the upper body as the starting point of the action. Even if the upper body can be rotated, the pelvis tends to be difficult to rotate. Specifically, it has been found that when trying to turn over, grabbing the fence at the side of the bed with the hands can make the upper body turn sideways, but then the lower body cannot turn sideways, so the inventors give up and the upper body returns to the starting supine position, so the turning over cannot be completed. It can be seen that when a consumer with low muscle strength for rotating the lower body tries to turn over by himself, the rotation of the pelvis becomes a large cross-rail action. In this regard, the mattress of the above-mentioned patent document 1 only focuses on the rotation of the shoulders, and no research has been conducted to focus on the rotation of the pelvis to complete turning over.

On the other hand, in general, sleep is necessary for health recovery. In recent years, attention has been paid to improving "sleep quality", and natural turning during sleep has received attention as one of the elements to improve sleep quality. In this case, that is, during sleep, not only the bending and rotating type turning with the upper body as the starting point, but also the stretching and rotating type turning with the lower body as the starting point, and various types of turning movements not classified here are performed unconsciously, which is well known. Therefore, there is a need for a tool or mattress that can promote various types of turning movements and achieve smoother turning.

Therefore, the present invention is developed in view of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide a turning-over assisting device and a mattress, so that the pelvic rotation movement that is difficult for consumers with low muscle strength can be easily performed, and can support turning over by one's own strength.

Furthermore, a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a turning-over assisting device and a mattress, so that for users with low muscle strength, a series of turning-over movements are easy and can support the realization of turning over by themselves.

In addition, another purpose of the present invention is to provide a turning-over assisting device and a mattress to improve sleep quality, promote various types of turning-over movements, and enable turning-over to be performed more smoothly and naturally.

To solve the above problems, the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention is a turning-over assisting pad placed on a mattress, a quilt or something for use, and the turning-over assisting pad at least includes: a first pad arranged in the height direction and placed on the upper body side of the consumer, and a second pad placed on the waist and buttocks of at least the lower body side of the consumer, the first pad is formed of a cushioning material of a specified thickness, and is configured to support at least a part of the back of the consumer in a supine position, and the second pad is formed of a cushioning material of a specified thickness, and is configured to support at least a part of the back of the consumer in a supine position. A second supporting surface having a width narrower than the pelvic width of the consumer is provided in the central portion in the width direction, and a pair of second inclined portions are provided at both ends in the width direction of the second pad, which are inclined downward in an inclined plane or step-like manner from the end of the second supporting surface toward the outside, and are provided in at least a portion of the length direction of the second supporting surface. The second supporting surface supports at least a portion of the waist and buttocks of the consumer in a supine position, and the second inclined portion supports the greater gyrus of the femur of the consumer when turning over.

In the supine sleeping position, the first pad supports the upper body of the consumer, and the second pad supports the lower body. The first pad stably supports the back part centered on the head and spine, and the second supporting surface of the second pad stably supports the waist and hip part of the lower body centered on the sacrum. In addition, when performing a bending rotation type turn over with the upper body as the starting point, the pelvis is rotated after the upper body is rotated. When the pelvis is rotated, the second inclined part supports the greater trochanter of the femur and the ilium located nearby, which require the most strength in the turning direction rotation movement. The second inclined portion is inclined downward from the end of the second supporting surface, so the point where the pelvic periphery such as the greater trochanter of the femur located in the turning direction contacts the second inclined portion becomes closer to the consumer's body axis, and the force (torque) required for pelvic rotation becomes smaller, making it easier to rotate the lower body side linked to the rotation of the pelvis and the rotation of the lower limbs. As a result, the load of the lower body rotation is reduced, so even consumers with weak muscle strength related to the rotation of the lower body can easily turn over by themselves.

Furthermore, when performing a stretching rotation type rollover with the lower body as the starting point, when the lower body is rotated from the side, the second inclined portion supports the greater trochanter of the femur located in the rollover direction and the pelvic peripheral parts such as the ilium located nearby. The second inclined portion is inclined downward from the end of the second supporting surface, so the point where the pelvic peripheral parts such as the greater trochanter of the femur located in the rollover direction contact the second inclined portion becomes closer to the consumer's body axis, and the force (torque) required for pelvic rotation becomes smaller, making the rotation of the lower body side easier.

Furthermore, the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention may also be preferably configured as follows: a first supporting surface having a width less than the consumer's shoulder width is provided at the central portion of the width direction of the first pad, and a pair of first inclined portions are provided at both ends of the width direction of the first pad, which are inclined downward outward from the ends of the first supporting surface in an inclined plane or step-like manner and are provided at least a portion of the length direction of the first supporting surface. The first supporting surface supports at least a portion of the back of the consumer in a supine position, and the first inclined portion supports the shoulders of the consumer when turning over.

In the supine position, the first pad supports the side of the upper body of the consumer, and the second pad supports the side of the lower body. The first supporting surface stably supports the back part centered on the head and spine, and the second supporting surface stably supports the buttocks part of the lower body centered on the sacrum. In addition, when performing a bending rotation type turn over with the upper body as the starting point, when rotating the upper body, the first inclined portion supports the shoulder, which requires the most force in the rotation movement in the turning direction. The first inclined portion is inclined downward from the end of the first supporting surface, so the distance between the point where the shoulder contacts the first inclined portion and the body axis of the consumer becomes closer, and the force (torque) required for the upper body side rotation becomes smaller, which can make the upper body side rotation easier. Furthermore, after the rotation of the upper body, when the pelvis is rotated next, the second inclined portion supports the greater trochanter of the femur and the pelvic peripheral parts such as the ilium located nearby, which require the most force in the rotation movement in the turning direction. The second inclined portion is also tilted downward from the end of the second supporting surface, so the point where the pelvic peripheral parts such as the greater trochanter of the femur located in the turning direction contact the second inclined portion and the distance from the consumer's body axis becomes closer, and the force (torque) required for pelvic rotation becomes smaller, which can make the rotation of the lower body side linked from the rotation of the pelvis to the rotation of the lower limbs easier. As a result, the load of the rotation of not only the upper body but also the lower body is reduced, so it can make self-powered turning easier.

Furthermore, when performing a stretching rotation type turn with the lower body as the starting point of the movement, when the lower body starts to turn sideways, when the pelvis is rotated, the second inclined portion supports the greater trochanter of the femur located in the turning direction and the pelvic peripheral parts such as the ilium located nearby. The second inclined portion is inclined downward from the end of the second support surface, so the distance between the point where the pelvic peripheral parts such as the greater trochanter of the femur located in the turning direction and the second inclined portion and the consumer's body axis is closer, and the force (torque) required for pelvic rotation is reduced, making the rotation of the lower body side easier. In addition, if the rotation of the lower body side is linked to the rotation of the upper body, the first support portion supports the shoulder located in the turning direction, which requires the most force in the rotation movement. The first inclined portion is inclined downward from the end of the first support surface, so the distance between the point where the shoulder contacts the first inclined portion and the consumer's body axis becomes closer, and the force (torque) required for the upper body to rotate sideways becomes smaller, making it easier to rotate the upper body sideways. As a result, in the stretch-rotation type turning over, the load of not only the upper body but also the lower body rotation is reduced, so it can make self-powered turning over easier.

In addition, the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention preferably has a first inclined portion with a different inclination angle θ1 relative to the horizontal plane than a second inclined portion with a different inclination angle θ2 relative to the horizontal plane. By making the inclination angle θ of the first pad on the upper body side and the inclination angle θ of the second pad on the lower body side different, the rotation moment and load reduction effect related to turning over can be appropriately adjusted on the upper body side and the lower body side. Therefore, a turning-over assisting pad corresponding to the consumer's muscle strength or the desired turning type can be obtained.

Here, in the present invention, in the case where the first inclined portion is not formed by a plane but is formed in a step shape, the so-called inclination angle θ1 in this case refers to the angle obtained by taking the end of the first supporting surface in the cross-sectional view as the inclination starting point, connecting the inclination starting point and the top of the lowest step portion constituting the first inclined portion with the shortest straight line, and taking the plane containing the shortest straight line as the inclined plane, and the angle of the inclined plane relative to the horizontal surface. Similarly, in the present invention, the so-called inclination angle θ2 when the second inclined portion is formed in a step shape refers to the angle of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane, when the end of the second supporting surface in the cross-sectional view is taken as the inclination starting point, the inclination starting point and the top of the lowest step portion constituting the second inclined portion are connected by the shortest straight line, and the plane containing the shortest straight line is taken as the inclined surface. Furthermore, in the present invention, when the first inclined portion is not formed by a plane but is formed as a curved surface, the so-called inclination angle θ1 in this case refers to the angle obtained by connecting the inclination starting point of the end of the first supporting surface in the cross-sectional view and the inclination end point of the bottom surface end of the first pad (the bottom surface end of the first inclined portion) with the shortest straight line, and taking the plane containing the shortest straight line as the inclined surface, and the angle of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane. Similarly, the so-called inclination angle θ2 when the second inclined portion is formed into a curved surface refers to the angle of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane, with the plane containing the shortest straight line connecting the inclination starting point of the end of the second supporting surface in the cross-sectional view and the inclination end point of the bottom surface end of the second pad (bottom surface end of the second inclined portion) as the inclined surface.

In addition, the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention can also preferably have the first inclined portion with a tilt angle θ1 relative to the horizontal plane greater than the tilt angle θ2 of the second inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane (θ1>θ2). Thus, a turning-over assisting pad can be obtained that can enhance the effect of promoting the lateral rotation of the upper body while enabling the lower body to slowly rotate and turn over.

Furthermore, it is also preferred that the width W1 of the first supporting surface of the turning assist pad of the present invention is wider than the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2). As a result, the second pad on the lower body side has a tilted portion closer to the center in the width direction of the turning assist pad than the first pad on the upper body side. Therefore, when the pelvis is to be rotated, the peripheral portion of the pelvis in the turning direction quickly contacts the second tilted portion and is supported, and the moment to start rotating the pelvis with low torque is set in advance. Therefore, when the user performs a bending rotation type turning, the start of the pelvic rotation movement after the upper body side rotation is promoted. In addition, when performing a stretching rotation type of turning over, the pelvis starts to rotate smoothly, which is easy to link with the rotation of the upper body. In this way, the rotation of the lower body side formed by the combination of the rotation of the pelvis and the rotation of the lower limbs (hereinafter also referred to as the rotation of the lower body side) is linked with the rotation of the upper body with a lower torque, thus making it easier to turn over by yourself.

Furthermore, it is also preferred that the height H1 of the first support surface of the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention is higher than the height H2 of the second support surface (H1>H2). As a result, a height difference is generated between the first pad on the upper body side and the second pad on the lower body side, so that the height difference is supported along the body curve from the consumer's buttocks to the lumbar spine, thereby obtaining a natural sleeping posture. At the same time, when the consumer turns over, the height difference promotes the start of the pelvic rotation movement. Therefore, regardless of any turning-over movement of the bending rotation type and the stretching rotation type, the rotation movement of the upper body and the rotation movement of the lower body side are more naturally linked, so that turning over by oneself can be made easier.

In addition, it is also preferred that the width W1 of the first supporting surface of the turning assist pad of the present invention is wider than the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2), and the tilt angle θ1 of the first inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane is substantially equal to the tilt angle θ2 of the second inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane (θ1=θ2). As a result, the tilting portion of the second pad on the lower body side is closer to the center in the width direction of the turning assist pad than the first pad on the upper body side. Therefore, when the pelvis is to be rotated, the peripheral portion of the pelvis in the turning direction quickly contacts the second inclined portion and is supported. Therefore, when the user performs a bending rotation type turning, the start of the pelvic rotation movement after the upper body side rotation is promoted. On the other hand, when performing a stretch-rotation type turn over, the lower body side turns smoothly, and it is easy to link with the upper body side turns. In addition, by making the tilt angles of the two tilted parts roughly equal (θ1=θ2), the rotational forces of the upper body side and the lower body side can be set close. As a result, while the rotational movement of the upper body is linked with the rotational movement of the lower body side, the rotational torque of the upper body side and the lower body side can be kept in a good balance, making it easy to turn over by yourself.

In addition, it is also preferred that the width W1 of the first support surface of the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention is wider than the width W2 of the second support surface (W1>W2), the tilt angle θ1 of the first inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane and the tilt angle θ2 of the second inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane are substantially equal (θ1=θ2), and at the same time, the height H1 of the first support surface is higher than the height H2 of the second support surface (H1>H2). As a result, a height difference is generated between the first pad on the upper body side and the second pad on the lower body side, so that the height difference is supported along the body curve from the buttocks to the lumbar spine of the consumer, thereby obtaining a natural sleeping posture, and at the same time, when the consumer turns over, the height difference promotes the start of the pelvic rotation movement. Furthermore, by making the width W1 of the first support surface wider than the width W2 of the second support surface (W1>W2), when the user performs a bending rotation type turn over, the start of the pelvic rotation movement after the upper body side rotation is promoted, and when performing a stretching rotation type turn over, the pelvic rotation starts smoothly, making it easy to carry out the linkage of the rotation from the lower body side to the upper body side. Furthermore, by making the inclination angles of the two inclined parts approximately equal (θ1=θ2), the rotation force of the upper body side and the lower body side can be uniformly set. As a result, while the rotation movement of the upper body and the rotation movement of the lower body side are linked, the rotation torque of the upper body side and the lower body side can be kept in a good balance, making it easy to turn over by oneself.

In addition, it is also preferred that the width W1 of the first support surface of the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention is substantially equal to the width W2 of the second support surface (W1=W2), the tilt angle θ1 of the first inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane is substantially equal to the tilt angle θ2 of the second inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane (θ1=θ2), and the height H1 of the first support surface is higher than the height H2 of the second support surface (H1>H2). As a result, a height difference is generated between the first pad on the upper body side and the second pad on the lower body side, so that the height difference is along the body curve from the buttocks to the lumbar spine of the consumer and provides support. At the same time, when the user turns over, the height difference promotes the start of the pelvic rotation action. Therefore, the rotation of the upper body is linked with the rotation of the lower body, making it easy to turn over by yourself with a simple structure.

Furthermore, it is also preferred that the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention has at least a third pad formed of a cushioning material of a specified thickness disposed between the first pad and the second pad. Thus, the turning-over assisting pad can be adjusted in accordance with the consumer's physique, difficulty of physical activities, etc., to form a turning-over assisting pad.

In addition, it is also preferred that the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention is provided with a third pad formed of a cushioning material having a predetermined thickness at the foot side of the second pad, and the third pad has the same structure as the first pad. Thus, a turning-over assisting pad having a shape in which the first pad is provided on both sides of the second pad relative to the length direction of the turning-over assisting pad can be obtained, so that when using the turning-over assisting pad, consumers can obtain the effects of the present invention regardless of which direction they sleep.

Furthermore, the turning-over assisting mattress of the present invention is a mattress equipped with the above-mentioned turning-over assisting pad, and the turning-over assisting pad is arranged on the upper surface of the base layer formed by the cushioning material. Thus, a mattress assembled with the turning-over assisting pad can be obtained.

In addition, it is also preferred that the first pad and the second pad of the turning assisting mattress of the present invention are arranged on the base layer at intervals. Thus, the turning assisting pad can be arranged at a suitable position on the base layer.

In addition, it is also preferred that the width of the base layer of the turning-over assisting mattress of the present invention is wider than the width of the first and second mattresses, and an end block protruding in the height direction may be arranged at least at one end of the width direction of the base layer and at least at a part of the length direction of the base layer. By providing the end block, it is possible to prevent consumers from falling off the base layer when turning over, and turning over can be performed more safely on the mattress.

Furthermore, it is also preferred that the turning-over assisting mattress of the present invention has at least one upper layer formed of a cushioning material stacked on the turning-over assisting mattress, and the hardness of the cushioning material constituting the upper layer is lower than the hardness of the cushioning material constituting the first pad. By selecting a cushioning material with a lower hardness than the cushioning material of the first pad as the cushioning material of the upper layer, the function of the turning-over assisting mattress is maintained, and because the consumer's body is in contact with the soft upper layer, the sleeping comfort of the mattress can be improved.

The effects of the present invention are described below: According to the present invention, a turning-over assisting pad having the following excellent effects and a mattress including the turning-over assisting pad can be provided.

(1) The load related to the rotation of the lower body, especially the load related to the rotation of the pelvis, is reduced, so even for consumers with weak muscle strength related to lower body rotation, it can make it easier to turn over by themselves.

(2) The structure is such that the rotation of the upper body is linked to the rotation of the pelvis, so that it is easier for consumers with weak muscle strength to turn over by themselves.

(3) It can promote various types of turning over movements, thus promoting natural turning over during sleep and improving sleep quality.

(4) In the supine position, it opens the thoracic spine, thus making breathing smoother during sleep and improving sleep quality.

1.10: Turning-over assist mattress

2, 20, 21, 22, 23: Turnover assist pad

3, 30, 301, 302, 303: First pad

31, 310, 311, 312, 313: The first support

32, 320, 321, 322: first inclined part

4, 40, 401, 402, 403, 4: Second pad

41, 410, 411, 412, 413: The second support

42, 420, 421, 422, 423: Second inclined part

5: Upper level

6, 60: Base layer

60a: first base part

60b: Second base part

60c: height difference

7: End block

W1, W10, W11, W12, W13: Width of the first support surface

W2, W20, W21, W22, W23: Width of the second support surface

H1, H10, H11, H12, H13: Height of the first support surface

H2, H20, H21, H22, H23: Height of the second support surface

θ1, θ10, θ11, θ12: The tilt angle of the first tilted part

θ2, θ20, θ21, θ22, θ23: The tilt angle of the second tilted portion

B: Consumers

S: Consumers’ shoulders

SW: Shoulder width

SA: Shoulder edge

P: Anterior superior iliac spine of the consumer’s pelvis

PW: Pelvic width

PA: Pelvic area

F: Force acting in the tangent direction of the circle of rotation

L: Distance between contact point and rotation center

G: Contact point

X: Center of rotation (body axis)

FIG1 shows a first embodiment of a turning-over assisting pad, (a) is a three-dimensional view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG1(a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B' of FIG1(a).

FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the turning-over assist pad in FIG1 that contacts the shoulders and pelvis of a consumer in a supine position.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the torque (T=F×L) when the upper body rotates in a supine position, (a) showing the torque when the turning-over assisting pad of the first embodiment is used, and (b) showing the torque when a normal mattress is used as a comparative example.

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional diagram showing another example of a turning-over assisting pad related to the first embodiment.

FIG5 is a three-dimensional diagram showing another example of a turning-over assisting pad related to the first embodiment.

FIG6 is an explanatory diagram showing the use status of the turning-over assisting pad shown in FIG1.

FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the turning-over assisting pad according to the second embodiment.

FIG8 is a three-dimensional diagram showing another example of a turning-over assisting pad according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the turning-over assisting pad according to the third embodiment.

FIG10 shows a fourth embodiment of the turning-over assisting pad, (a) is a three-dimensional view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C' of FIG10(a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D of FIG10(a).

FIG11 shows another example of a turning-over assisting pad related to the fourth embodiment, (a) is a three-dimensional view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E' of FIG11(a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F' of FIG11(a).

FIG12 shows a fifth embodiment of the turning-over assisting pad, (a) is a three-dimensional view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the G-G' line of FIG12(a).

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of a turning-over assisting mattress assembled with a turning-over assisting pad, (a) is an exploded three-dimensional view, (b) is a side view of FIG. 13 (a) as seen from the head side of the first pad, and (c) is a side view of FIG. 13 (a) as seen from the foot side of the second pad.

FIG. 14 is a three-dimensional diagram showing another embodiment of a turning-assisting mattress.

FIG15 shows a method for quantifying the load of a turning motion, where (a) is a simulator and (b) is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the torque of a turning motion using the simulator.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the inclination angle of the inclined surface of the turning assist pad and the torque in Example 1.

FIG. 17 is a graph showing the relationship between the tilt structure of the turning assist pad and the torque in Example 2.

Figure 18 is a three-dimensional diagram showing five turning-over assist pads tested in Example 3.

Figure 19 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the four turning-over assist pads tested in Comparative Examples 1 to 4.

FIG. 20 is an exploded view showing the structure of three turning-over assisting mattresses tested in Example 4.

The following is an example of the present invention. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first embodiment of the present invention is related to a turning assist pad 2, which is composed of a first pad 3 for placing the upper body side of the consumer, and a second pad 4 for placing the lower body side of the consumer, and the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 are arranged in a row in the height direction. In this specification, up and down refers to the up and down direction when the turning assist pad 2 is set on a mattress or a mattress, that is, the up and down direction in Figure 1. In addition, the width direction in this specification refers to the width direction when the turning assist pad 2 is used, that is, the left and right direction in Figure 2; the so-called length direction refers to the length direction (height direction) when the turning assist pad 2 is used, that is, the up and down direction in Figure 2.

First, the first pad 3 for placing the upper body of the consumer is described. As shown in FIG1 , the first pad 3 includes: a first support surface 31 extending in the length direction (height direction) from the center of the width direction to form a roughly flat surface; and a first inclined portion 32, which is inclined downward outward from the end of the length direction of the first support surface 31 to form a pair of inclined surfaces.

The length W1 of the first support surface 31 in the first pad 3 in the width direction and the tilt angle θ1 of the first tilted portion 32 can be set so as to provide the desired effect on the first pad 3. By appropriately setting the length W1 of the first support surface 31 in the width direction, the rotation start moment or rotation start torque of the upper body side and the back support stability in the supine position can be adjusted, and by adjusting the torque during the rotation action in coordination with the tilt angle θ1 of the first tilted portion 32, the low-load rotation action of the upper body side as the target can be appropriately set. Specifically, the length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 in the width direction is within a range that can ensure the stability of the support of the upper body side of the consumer. Within this range, the smaller the length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 in the width direction is set, the smaller the force (torque) required for the rotation of the upper body side is, and the earlier the rotation action starts. In addition, the larger the tilt angle θ1 of the first tilting portion 32 is set, the smaller the torque required for the rotation of the upper body side is. Therefore, by combining various setting values of the length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 in the width direction and the tilt angle θ1 of the first tilting portion 32, the difficulty of the rotation of the upper body side can be adjusted according to the turning mode or the body shape of the consumer. Next, the first supporting surface 31 and the first inclined portion 32 are described in detail.

As shown in Fig. 2, the first support surface 31 of the first cushion 3 is configured to support at least a portion of the back of the body of the supinely lying consumer B. The first support surface 31 in this embodiment has a width W1 of 25 cm, a length (height direction) of 90 cm, and a height H1 (thickness of the cushioning material of the first support surface 31) of 3 cm, and is designed to support the back of the supinely lying consumer B centered around the head and spine. The length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 in the width direction needs to be configured as described below so that the shoulder S of the consumer B in the supine position is opposite to the first inclined portion 32 on the outside of the first supporting surface 31. Therefore, the length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 in the width direction is formed to be less than the shoulder width SW of the consumer B, preferably less than the length from the acromion on one side of the consumer B to the acromion on the other side (acromial width). The so-called shoulder S of the consumer B refers to the vicinity of the acromion, at least including the area from the acromion to the greater tuberosity of the upper arm bone. In addition, the so-called shoulder width SW of the consumer B refers to the length from one shoulder to the other shoulder, and more specifically, the maximum transverse diameter of the body measured perpendicular to the sagittal plane at the position where the contour of the deltoid muscle protrudes most outward. The length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 in the width direction is set to a width below the consumer's shoulder width, preferably below the acromion width. At the same time, from the perspective of being able to stably support the upper body of consumer B, it is best to set it to be longer than the length between the lower corners of the left and right shoulder blades of consumer B. More specifically, it is preferably 15cm~40cm, more preferably 15cm~35cm, and particularly preferably 20cm~30cm. As described below, when the length W1 of the first support surface 31 in the width direction is equal to the length W2 of the second support surface 41 in the width direction (W1=W2), the length W1 of the first support surface 31 in the width direction is set to the maximum setting value of the length W2 of the second support surface 41 in the width direction, which is less than the pelvic width PW of the consumer B. In addition, the length of the first support surface 31 in the length direction (height direction) is appropriately set to support the back of the consumer B from the head. In addition, in order to reduce the force required for the upper body rotation and perform appropriate turning over, the height H1 of the first support surface 31 is appropriately set in accordance with the tilt angle θ1 described below. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first support surface 31 is formed as a substantially flat surface, but it can be formed into any shape as long as it can support at least a portion of the back of the body of the consumer B in a supine position, and its shape is not limited to a flat surface.

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a pair of first inclined portions 32 of the first pad 3 in this embodiment are arranged to span the entire length direction of the first supporting surface 31, and are formed to support the entire shoulder and upper arm of the consumer B when turning over. When the back of the consumer B is supported by the first supporting surface 31 of the first pad 3, the area formed by the shoulder S and the back part connected to the shoulder S (hereinafter referred to as the shoulder peripheral portion SA) not supported by the first supporting surface 31 is located at a position opposite to the first inclined portion 32 inclined downward from the end of the first supporting surface 31. Therefore, when the consumer B rotates the upper body, the shoulder peripheral portion SA located in the turning direction is supported by the first inclined portion 32. As shown in FIG3(a), when the consumer B performs a turning motion, the distance between the shoulder peripheral portion SA including the consumer's shoulder S located in the turning direction and the contact point G of the first inclined portion 32 and the consumer's body axis X becomes closer, and the force required for the upper body rotation becomes smaller, thereby promoting the lateral rotation of the upper body. Here, the so-called shoulder peripheral portion SA refers to a portion including at least the shoulder S of the consumer B (the area from the acromion to the greater tubercle of the upper arm bone), which is the portion not supported by the first supporting surface 31. Therefore, by setting the length W1 in the width direction of the first supporting surface 31, it includes the area from the greater tubercle of the upper arm bone of the consumer B to the lower angle of the scapula on the back side. Furthermore, the first inclined portion 32 in the present embodiment is formed by a plane, but may also be a curved surface structure or a step-like structure as shown in the following embodiment. Here, in the case of a step-like structure, the inclined portion may also include a substantially vertical inclined surface, such as a step-like structure, or a structure in which the initial inclined surface continuous from the end of the first supporting surface 31 is formed vertically and then changes to a sharp-angled inclined surface. In this way, by making the first inclined portion 32 a step-like inclined surface, the difficulty of rotating the upper body side can be more finely adjusted according to the turning mode or the body shape of the consumer. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the first inclined portion 32 also includes a structure in which the inclination angle changes gradually (continuously or discontinuously) toward the length direction of the first pad 3. The first inclined portion 32 can be formed to at least support the shoulder periphery SA of the body of the consumer B in a supine position. Therefore, it may not be arranged to cross the length direction of the first supporting surface 31, and may be configured to only provide the first inclined portion on the shoulder periphery SA of the consumer B.

The function of the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 is described in more detail with reference to FIG3 . FIG3 is a diagram showing the torque (T=F×L) when the upper body of a consumer in a supine position rotates. FIG3(a) shows the torque when the turning over assist pad according to the present embodiment is used, and FIG3(b) shows the torque when an ordinary flat mattress is used. In the figure, the force required for turning over is expressed as the torque (torsion strength) of the rotation center (body axis) X. The torque T is expressed as the product of the force F acting in the tangential direction of the rotation circle and the distance L between the contact point G and the rotation center X (T=F×L). Therefore, by shortening the distance L between the contact point G and the rotation center X, the value of the torque T is reduced. FIG3(b) shows an example of a normal mattress (without a tilting portion), according to which the position G where the shoulder periphery SA of consumer B contacts the mattress is on the outer side of the shoulder S. On the other hand, as shown in FIG3(a), by providing the first tilting portion 32 on the first pad 3, the position G where the shoulder periphery SA of consumer B contacts the first pad 3 moves inward compared to FIG3(b), so that the contact point G approaches the rotation center X, the distance L between the contact point G and the rotation center X becomes shorter, and the torque T decreases. Therefore, the load of the rotation of the upper body side becomes smaller, so the upper body side can be rotated with a small force.

The first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 has an inclination angle θ1 relative to the horizontal plane. If the angle θ1 increases, the distance L between the contact point G of the shoulder peripheral portion SA and the rotation center X becomes shorter, so the force required for the rotation of the upper body side is reduced. However, on the other hand, if the rotation action is too easy, the body of the consumer B lying on his back will become unstable. Therefore, it is best to set the inclination angle θ1 so that both the stability of the lying back position and the ease of turning over (rotation) that contribute to the sleeping comfort can be achieved. Specifically, the inclination angle θ1 is preferably less than 40 degrees, more preferably less than 30 degrees, further preferably 5 to 20 degrees, and particularly preferably 10 to 15 degrees when the first inclined portion 32 is formed by a planar inclined surface as in the present embodiment. When the first inclined portion 32 is not formed by a plane as in the present embodiment, but is formed by a step-like structure, the inclination angle θ1 is set to the following angle: the end of the first supporting surface 31 in the cross-sectional view is taken as the inclination starting point, the inclination starting point and the top of the lowest step portion constituting the first inclined portion 32 are connected by the shortest straight line, the plane including the shortest straight line is taken as the inclined plane, and the angle of the inclined plane relative to the horizontal plane is set to the inclination angle θ1. Furthermore, when the first inclined portion 32 is formed by a curved surface structure, the tilt angle θ1 is set to the following angle: the end of the first supporting surface 31 in the cross-sectional view is taken as the tilt starting point, the tilt starting point and the bottom end of the first pad 3 (the bottom end of the first inclined portion 32) are connected by the shortest straight line as the tilt end point, the plane containing the shortest straight line is taken as the tilt surface, and the angle of the tilt surface relative to the horizontal plane is set to the tilt angle θ1. Furthermore, when the tilt angle of the first inclined portion 32 is formed as a structure that gradually (continuously or discontinuously) changes in the length direction of the first pad 3, the tilt angle θ1 is the angle of the tilt surface of the portion that supports the shoulder peripheral portion SA of the consumer B.

Next, the second pad 4 for placing the lower body of the consumer will be described. As shown in FIG1 , the second pad 4 includes: a second support surface 41, which is formed into a substantially flat surface extending in the length direction (height direction) at the center of the width direction; and a second inclined portion 42, which is formed into a pair of inclined surfaces that are inclined downward outward from the ends of the length direction of the second support surface 41.

The length W2 of the second support surface 41 in the second pad 4 in the width direction and the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42 can be set so as to provide the desired effect on the second pad 4. By appropriately setting the length W2 of the second support surface 41 in the width direction, the rotation start time or rotation start torque of the lower body side (pelvis) and the stability of the pelvic support in the supine position can be adjusted. By coordinating with the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42, the torque during the rotational movement can be adjusted, and the low-load rotational movement of the lower body side as the target can be appropriately set. Specifically, when the length W2 of the second supporting surface 41 in the width direction is set to a range that ensures the stability of the support of the side of the consumer's lower body, within this range, the smaller the length W2 of the second supporting surface 41 in the width direction is set, the smaller the force (torque) required for the rotation of the side of the lower body is, and the earlier the rotation movement starts. In addition, the larger the tilt angle θ2 is set, the smaller the torque required for the rotation of the side of the lower body is. Therefore, by combining various setting values of the length W2 of the width direction of the second supporting surface 41 and the tilt angle θ2 of the second tilting portion 42, the difficulty of the rotation of the side of the lower body can be adjusted according to the turning mode or the body shape of the consumer. Next, the second supporting surface 41 and the second inclined portion 42 are described in detail.

As shown in Fig. 2, the second support surface 41 of the second pad 4 is configured to support at least a portion of the waist and buttocks of the body of the consumer B in a supine position. The size of the second support surface 41 in this embodiment is: the length W2 in the width direction is 13 cm, the length in the length direction (height direction) is 90 cm, and the height H2 (the thickness of the cushioning material of the second support surface 41 part) is 3 cm, and is designed to support the waist and buttocks centered on the sacrum of the consumer B in a supine position. As described later, the length W2 of the second supporting surface 41 in the width direction needs to be configured so that the greater trochanter of the femur of the consumer B in the supine position is opposite to the second inclined portion 42 on the outside of the second supporting surface 41. Therefore, the length W2 of the second supporting surface 41 in the width direction is formed to be less than the pelvic width PW of the consumer B. Here, the pelvic width PW of the consumer B refers to the length from the anterior superior iliac spine P on one side to the anterior superior iliac spine P on the other side. The so-called anterior superior iliac spine P refers to the protrusion located at the front edge of the iliac ridge of the ilium constituting the pelvis. Specifically, the length W2 of the second support surface 41 in the width direction is set to a width less than the pelvic width PW of the consumer B. At the same time, from the perspective of being able to stably support the lower body of the consumer B, it is preferably set to be at least the width between the posterior superior iliac spines (the protrusions located at the rear edge of the iliac ridge of the pelvis) of the body of the consumer B. More specifically, it is preferably 5cm~30cm, more preferably 10cm~25cm, and further preferably 10cm~20cm. In addition, the length of the second support surface 41 in the length direction (height direction) is appropriately set to support the lower body of the consumer B. Furthermore, in order to reduce the force required for the rotation of the lower body, the height H2 of the second support surface 41 is appropriately set to be consistent with the tilt angle θ2 described later. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second supporting surface 41 is formed as a substantially flat surface, but it can be formed into any shape as long as it can support at least a portion of the back of the body of the consumer B in a supine position, and its shape is not limited to a flat surface.

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a pair of second inclined portions 42 of the second pad 4 in this embodiment are arranged to span the entire length direction of the second supporting surface 41, and are formed to at least support the greater trochanter of the femur of the consumer B when he/she turns over. When the second supporting surface 41 of the second pad 4 supports the waist and buttocks of the consumer B centered between the posterior superior iliac spines, the area formed by the greater trochanter of the femur and the anterior superior iliac spine P of the pelvis and the side part of the buttocks continuous with the anterior superior iliac spine P (hereinafter referred to as the pelvic peripheral portion PA) not supported by the second supporting surface 41 is located at a position opposite to the second inclined portion 42 inclined downward from the end of the second supporting surface 41. Therefore, when the consumer B rotates the lower body, the pelvic peripheral portion PA located in the turning direction is supported by the second inclined portion 42. Thus, when the consumer B performs a turning motion, the distance between the pelvic peripheral portion PA including the greater trochanter of the femur of the consumer located in the turning direction and the contact point G of the second inclined portion 42 and the user's body axis X becomes closer, and the force required for the pelvic rotation becomes smaller, thereby promoting the lateral rotation of the lower body. The effect of promoting the lateral rotation of the lower body is the same as the effect of the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 shown in FIG. 3 (a). Here, the so-called pelvic peripheral portion PA is a portion including at least the greater trochanter of the femur of the consumer B and the anterior superior iliac spine P of the pelvis, which is a portion not supported by the second supporting surface 41. Therefore, by setting the length W2 in the width direction of the second supporting surface 41, it includes the area from the anterior superior iliac spine P of the pelvis of the consumer B to the posterior superior iliac spine on the buttocks side. Furthermore, the second inclined portion 42 in the present embodiment is formed by a plane, but may also be a curved surface structure or a step-like structure as shown in the following embodiment. Here, in the case of a step-like structure, the inclined surface may also include a substantially vertical inclined surface, such as a step-like structure, or a structure in which the initial inclined surface continuous from the end of the second supporting surface 41 is formed vertically and then changes to a sharp-angled inclined surface. In this way, by making the second inclined portion 42 a step-like inclined surface, the difficulty of rotation of the lower body side can be more finely adjusted according to the turning mode or the body shape of the consumer. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the second inclined portion 42 also includes a structure that gradually (continuously or discontinuously) changes in the length direction of the second pad 4. The second inclined portion 42 can be formed to at least support the pelvic peripheral portion PA of the body of the consumer B in a supine position, and therefore, it may not be arranged to cross the length direction of the second supporting surface 41, and may be configured to only provide the second inclined portion on the pelvic peripheral portion PA of the consumer B.

The second inclined portion 42 of the second pad 4 has an inclination angle θ2 relative to the horizontal plane. If the angle θ2 becomes larger, the distance L between the contact point G of the pelvic peripheral portion PA and the rotation center X becomes shorter, so the pelvic rotation torque is reduced. As a result, the force required for the rotation of the lower body side is reduced. However, on the other hand, if the pelvic rotation movement is too easy, the body of the consumer B in the supine position will become unstable. Therefore, it is best to set the inclination angle θ2 so as to achieve both supine stability and ease of turning over (rotation). Specifically, the inclination angle θ2 is preferably less than 35 degrees, more preferably 5 to 20 degrees, and particularly preferably 10 to 15 degrees when the second inclined portion 42 is formed by a planar inclined surface as in the present embodiment. When the second inclined portion 42 is not formed by a plane as in the present embodiment but is formed by a step-like structure, the inclination angle θ2 is set to the following angle: the end of the second supporting surface 41 in the cross-sectional view is set as the inclination starting point, the inclination starting point and the top of the lowest step portion constituting the second inclined portion 42 are connected by the shortest straight line, the plane including the shortest straight line is set as the inclined surface, and the angle of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane is set to the inclination angle θ2. Furthermore, when the second inclined portion 42 is formed by a curved surface structure, the tilt angle θ2 is set to the following angle: the tilt start point of the end of the second supporting surface 41 in the cross-sectional view is connected with the tilt end point of the bottom surface end of the second pad 4 (bottom surface end of the second inclined portion 42) by the shortest straight line, and the plane containing the shortest straight line is taken as the inclined surface, and the angle of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane is set as the tilt angle θ2. Furthermore, when the tilt angle of the second inclined portion 42 is formed as a structure that gradually (continuously or discontinuously) changes in the length direction of the second pad 4, the tilt angle θ2 is the angle of the tilt surface of the portion that supports the pelvic peripheral portion PA of the consumer B.

The turning-over assisting pad 2 of this embodiment is designed to facilitate turning over according to the intended turning-over type by combining the widthwise length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 of the first pad 3 and the tilt angle θ1 of the first tilting portion 32, and the widthwise length W2 of the second supporting surface 41 of the second pad 4 and the tilt angle θ2 of the second tilting portion 42. Therefore, the following describes the relationship between the various components of the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 in the turning-over assisting pad 2 of this embodiment.

In the turning-over assisting pad 2 of the present embodiment, the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 has an inclination angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal plane different from the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42 of the second pad 4 with respect to the horizontal plane. By making the inclination angle θ of the inclined portions of each pad different, the turning-over load reduction effect can be appropriately adjusted on the upper body side and the lower body side, and the turning-over assisting pad 2 can be obtained according to the muscle strength or body shape, the turning-over type, etc. of the consumer B. Furthermore, mainly from the viewpoint of promoting the bending-rotation type turning-over, it is preferable that the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 is larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42 of the second pad 4 (θ1>θ2). Thus, the effect of promoting the rotation of the upper body as the starting point of the turning action is improved, and at the same time, the stability of the lower body in the supine position is improved, which can promote the turning action that causes the pelvic rotation to rotate slowly. Specifically, it is not particularly limited, and the turning assisting pad 2 shown in Figure 1 is formed so that the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion 32 is 15 degrees, and the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42 is 10 degrees.

In the turning-over assisting pad 2 of the present embodiment, the length W1 of the first supporting surface 31 of the first pad 3 in the width direction and the length W2 of the second supporting surface 41 of the second pad 4 in the width direction may be formed to be substantially the same length as the turning-over assisting pad 2 shown in FIG. 4 , but it is preferably formed such that the width W1 of the first supporting surface is wider than the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2). As a result, the inclined portion of the second pad 4 on the lower body side is closer to the central position in the width direction of the turning-over assisting pad 2 than the first pad 3 on the upper body side, and the rotation of the pelvis starts earlier. Therefore, the rotation of the upper body and the rotation of the lower body are linked with a lower torque, and turning over by oneself becomes easier. Specifically, there is no particular limitation, but the width W1 of the first support surface 31 of the turning assisting pad 2 shown in FIG. 1 is 25 cm, and the width W2 of the second support surface 41 is 13 cm. Depending on the type of turning to be promoted, the width W1 of the first support surface may be narrower than the width W2 of the second support surface (W1<W2).

FIG4 shows another example of the turning assist pad 2 of the present embodiment in which the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 is different from the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42 of the second pad 4 (θ1≠θ2). In the turning assist pad 2 shown in FIG4 , when the width W1 of the first support surface 31 of the first pad 3 and the width W2 of the second support surface 41 of the second pad 4 are formed to be substantially the same length (W1=W2), the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion 32 is different from the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42, and therefore, the height H1 of the first support surface 31 is formed to be higher than the height H2 of the second support surface 41 (H1>H2). As a result, the tilt angle θ1 of the first tilted portion 32 of the first pad 3 is larger than the tilt angle θ2 of the second tilted portion 42 of the second pad 4 (θ1>θ2). Thus, a height difference is generated between the first support surface 31 of the first pad 3 on the upper body side and the second support surface 41 of the second pad 4 on the lower body side. Therefore, the portion from the buttocks to the lumbar spine of the consumer B is supported along the height difference, so that it is easy to obtain a natural sleeping posture. At the same time, when the consumer B turns over, the height difference makes it easier to rotate the pelvis, which promotes the start of the rotation movement of the lower body. Therefore, the rotation movement of the upper body and the rotation movement of the lower body are easy to be linked, so it is easy to turn over by oneself. FIG. 4 shows an example where the width W1 of the first supporting surface 31 and the width W2 of the second supporting surface 41 are approximately the same length (W1=W2), but the present invention is not limited thereto. The width W1 of the first supporting surface may be wider than the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2), or vice versa (W1<W2).

The first pad 3 and the second pad 4 constituting the turning-over assisting pad 2 of the present invention are each formed of a cushioning material of the above-mentioned predetermined thickness (height). As the first cushioning material forming the first pad 3, a material having the following degree of hardness is appropriately selected: when the consumer sleeps in a supine position, the material is significantly deformed in the thickness direction, while the inclination of the first inclined portion 32 is not greatly deformed. Alternatively, the first supporting surface 31 and the first inclined portion 32 constituting the first pad 3 may be formed of cushioning materials of different hardness, respectively, and the first pad 3 may be obtained by combining them. In this case, as the cushioning material forming the first supporting surface 31, it is best to select a cushioning material that is softer than the cushioning material forming the first inclined portion 32. As a result, the first supporting surface 31 has good body pressure dispersion and can softly support the body of the consumer B in contact with the first supporting surface 31. At the same time, the first inclined portion 32 will not cause the consumer's shoulder S to sink too much, and the distance L between the contact point G and the rotation center X is kept short, thereby promoting the rotation movement of the upper body. Furthermore, with respect to either the first supporting surface 31 or the first inclined portion 32, it is also possible to combine multiple different buffer materials to obtain respective equivalent parts. For example, it is also possible to stack multiple buffer materials to obtain a portion equivalent to the first supporting surface 31, or it is also possible to obtain a portion equivalent to the first inclined portion 32 by combining different buffer materials in the shoulder peripheral portion SA and other portions. When the first supporting surface 31 and the first inclined portion 32 constituting the first pad 3 are formed with the same buffer material, it is also possible to perform slit processing on the first supporting surface 31 to reduce the apparent hardness and make it softer.

As the second cushioning material forming the second pad 4, a material having a hardness to the extent that the second pad 42 is not significantly deformed in the inclination direction while the user is sleeping in a supine position is appropriately selected. Alternatively, the second supporting surface 41 and the second inclined portion 42 constituting the second pad 4 may be formed of cushioning materials of different hardnesses, and the second pad 4 may be obtained by combining them. In this case, it is preferable to select a cushioning material softer than the cushioning material forming the second inclined portion 42 as the cushioning material forming the second supporting surface 41, so that the second supporting surface 41 has good body pressure dispersion and can softly support the body of the consumer B in contact with the second supporting surface 41. At the same time, when the pelvis rotates, the second inclined portion 42 will not make the part in contact with the pelvic peripheral portion PA of the consumer sink too much, and the distance L between the contact point G and the rotation center X is kept short, thereby promoting the rotation of the lower body. In addition, with respect to either the second supporting surface 41 or the second inclined portion 42, it is also possible to combine a plurality of different cushioning materials to obtain respective equivalent parts. For example, it is also possible to stack multiple cushioning materials to obtain a portion corresponding to the second supporting surface 41, or a portion corresponding to the second inclined portion 42, and to combine different cushioning materials in the pelvic peripheral portion PA and other portions. Furthermore, when the second supporting surface 41 and the second inclined portion 42 constituting the second pad 4 are formed with the same cushioning material, it is also possible to perform slit processing on the second supporting surface 41 to reduce the apparent hardness and make it softer.

As the first and second cushioning materials, as long as they have the above-mentioned hardness and cushioning properties, they are not particularly limited. Resin foam, three-dimensional mesh structure and cotton molded body can be appropriately used. From the perspective of the ease of handling and processing, resin foam is more preferred. As resin foam, specifically, foamed polyurethane, foamed polyolefin or foamed silicone can be listed. In addition, the first and second cushioning materials can be the same material or different materials.

In this embodiment, as described above, the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 are formed of different cushioning materials. Therefore, in order to ensure that the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 are arranged without offset, the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 can be fixed freely and detachably on the adjacent surfaces of the two by means of snapping means such as surface fasteners, or can be fixed by adhesives, etc. In addition, the mattress or mattress on which the turning auxiliary pad 2 is placed can also be fixed to the base layer 6 described below by snapping means or adhesives, and at this time, the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 can also be arranged with a predetermined gap at intervals. Furthermore, when the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 are formed of the same cushioning material, the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 can also be formed as a whole.

Furthermore, the turning-over assisting pad 2 in this embodiment is composed of a first pad 3 and a second pad 4, and at least one third pad formed of a cushioning material having a specified thickness may be provided between the first pad 3 and the second pad 4, or on the head side of the first pad 3 or the foot side of the second pad 4. Mainly by providing a third pad that additionally supports the head, waist or feet of consumer B, the cushioning material that supports the head, waist or feet can be additionally selected according to the sleep comfort preference or body shape of consumer B, thereby obtaining a turning-over assisting pad 2 that improves sleep comfort.

An example of another form of the turning assist pad 2 of this embodiment in which the third pad is arranged on the foot side of the second pad 4 is shown in FIG5 . When the third pad of the turning assist pad 2 arranged on the foot side of the second pad 4 supports the lower limbs, the third pad is formed into the same structure as the first pad 3 . That is, the third pad has the first supporting surface 31 and the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 . In this way, by making the first pad 3 and the third pad have the same structure, with respect to the length direction of the turning assist pad 2, consumers can obtain the effect of the present invention no matter which direction they sleep when using it.

Next, referring to FIG. 6 , the method of using the turning-over assisting pad 2 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), the consumer B takes a supine sleeping position on the turning-over assisting pad 2. At this time, the upper body of the consumer B is supported by the first pad 3, and the lower body is supported by the second pad 4, so that the shoulder peripheral portion SA including the shoulder S of the consumer B is located at a position opposite to the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3, and the pelvic peripheral portion PA including the greater trochanter of the femur of the consumer B is located at a position opposite to the second inclined portion 42 of the second pad 4, and the lying position of the consumer B is adjusted. In this state, the first support surface 31 stably supports the back part centered on the head and spine, and the second support surface 41 stably supports the buttocks part of the lower body centered on the sacrum.

Next, when performing a bending and rotating turn, as shown in FIG. 6( b) to FIG. 6( d ), when the consumer B attempts to rotate the upper body in the turning direction, the shoulder peripheral part SA is supported by the first inclined part 32. In this way, when the consumer B performs the turning action, the distance between the contact point G of the consumer's shoulder peripheral part SA in the turning direction and the first inclined part 32 and the consumer's body axis X becomes closer, so the force required for the rotation of the upper body becomes smaller, making the rotation of the upper body easier. Then, as shown in FIG. 6( c) to FIG. 6( e ), the rotation action of the lower body is linked to the rotation action of the upper body. In detail, the turning assist pad 2 of this embodiment is configured such that the width W2 of the second supporting surface 41 is narrower than the width W1 of the first supporting surface 31, so that the second inclined portion 42 of the second pad 4 on the lower body side is located near the center in the width direction of the turning assist pad 2, and the rotation of the pelvis starts at a low torque at an early moment. Therefore, as shown in FIG6(c), when the upper body side of the consumer B is turned, the rotation of the pelvis that contacts the second inclined portion 42 of the turning assist pad 2 starts, and the rotation on the second inclined portion 42 is performed. As a result, the rotation of the upper body is linked to the rotation of the lower body side, so that turning over by oneself becomes easy. Furthermore, as shown in FIG6(d), when consumer B rotates the pelvis in the direction of turning over, the pelvic peripheral part PA is supported by the second inclined part 42 toward the greater gyrus of the femur of consumer B, which requires the most force in the rotation. Therefore, the distance between the contact point G of the pelvic peripheral part PA of the consumer in the direction of turning over and the second inclined part 42 and the body axis X of the consumer becomes closer. As a result, the force required for pelvic rotation becomes smaller, and the rotation of the lower body side also becomes easier, as shown in FIG6(e), and the turning over is completed. In the case of the stretching rotation type turning over, the linkage order of the lower body and the upper body is opposite, but the effect of the first pad 3 on the rotation of the upper body and the effect of the second pad 4 on the rotation of the lower body are the same as those in the above-mentioned bending rotation type.

Next, the turning-over assisting pad 20 according to the second embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG7 , the turning-over assisting pad 20 according to the present embodiment is composed of a first pad 30 for placing the upper body of the consumer, and a second pad 40 for placing the lower body of the consumer, and the first pad 30 and the second pad 40 are arranged in a row in the height direction. The first pad 30 for placing the upper body of the consumer includes: a first supporting surface 310 extending in the length direction (height direction) from the center of the width direction to form a substantially flat surface; and a first inclined portion 320 inclined downwardly outwardly from the end of the length direction of the first supporting surface 310 to form a pair of inclined surfaces. Furthermore, the second pad 40 includes: a second supporting surface 410 extending in the length direction (height direction) from the center of the width direction to form a substantially flat surface; and a second inclined portion 420, which is inclined downward outward from the end of the length direction of the second supporting surface 410 to form a pair of inclined surfaces.

Next, regarding the turning-over assisting pad 20 of the present embodiment, the relationship between the various components of the first pad 30 and the second pad 40 will be described with reference to FIG7. In the turning-over assisting pad 20 of the present embodiment, the tilting angle θ10 of the first tilting portion 320 of the first pad 30 relative to the horizontal plane and the tilting angle θ20 of the second tilting portion 420 of the second pad 40 relative to the horizontal plane are configured to be substantially equal. Furthermore, the length W10 of the first supporting surface 310 of the first pad 30 in the width direction and the length W20 of the second supporting surface 410 of the second pad 40 in the width direction are configured so that the width W1 of the first supporting surface is wider than the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2). Thus, the inclined portion of the second pad 40 on the lower body side is closer to the center in the width direction of the turning assisting pad 20 than the first pad 30 on the upper body side. When the pelvis is to be rotated, the peripheral portion of the pelvis in the turning direction quickly contacts and is supported by the second inclined portion 420, and the moment when the lower body starts to rotate with low torque is set in advance. Therefore, when the consumer B performs a bending rotation type turning action, the start of the pelvic rotation action after the upper body side rotation is promoted. In addition, when the stretching rotation type turning action is performed, the rotation of the pelvis starts smoothly and is easy to be linked with the rotation of the upper body side. As a result, the rotation of the upper body and the rotation of the lower body are smoothly linked, and the torque of the rotation of the upper body and the lower body can be well balanced, making it easy to turn over by yourself.

In addition, examples of other forms of the turning assisting pad 20 of the present embodiment are shown in Fig. 8. In the turning assisting pad 20 shown in Fig. 7, when the height H10 of the first supporting surface 310 of the first pad 30 and the height H20 of the second supporting surface 410 of the second pad 40 are formed to be substantially the same height (H10=H20), in another example as shown in Fig. 8, the height H10 of the first supporting surface 310 is formed to be higher than the height H20 of the second supporting surface 410 (H1>H2). Thus, a height difference is generated between the first support surface 310 of the first pad 30 on the upper body side and the second support surface 410 of the second pad 40 on the lower body side. Therefore, the portion from the buttocks to the lumbar spine of the consumer B is supported along the height difference, so that a natural sleeping posture can be easily obtained. At the same time, when the consumer B turns over, after the upper body rotates sideways, the height difference and the height difference formed between the first inclined portion 320 of the first pad 30 and the second inclined portion 420 of the second pad 40 cooperate to further promote the start of the pelvic rotation movement. Therefore, the rotation movement of the upper body is linked with the rotation movement of the lower body side, so that it is easy to turn over by oneself.

Other descriptions about the first pad 30 and the second pad 40 constituting the turning assist pad 20 in this embodiment and other descriptions about the third pad and other components are the same as the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 of the first embodiment, and their effects are also the same.

Next, the turning-over assisting pad 21 according to the third embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG9 , the turning-over assisting pad 21 according to the present embodiment is composed of a first pad 301 for placing the upper body of the consumer and a second pad 401 for placing the lower body of the consumer, and the first pad 301 and the second pad 401 are arranged in a row in the height direction. The first pad 301 for placing the upper body of the consumer includes: a first supporting surface 311 extending in the length direction (height direction) from the center of the width direction thereof to form a substantially flat surface; and a first inclined portion 321, which is inclined downwardly outward from the end of the length direction of the first supporting surface 311 to form a pair of inclined surfaces. Furthermore, the second pad 401 includes: a second supporting surface 411 extending in the length direction (height direction) from the center of the width direction to form a substantially flat surface; and a second inclined portion 421, which is inclined downward outward from the end of the length direction of the second supporting surface 411 to form a pair of inclined surfaces.

Next, the relationship between the various components of the first pad 301 and the second pad 401 of the turning assisting pad 21 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG9. In the turning assisting pad 21 of the present embodiment, the tilt angle θ11 of the first tilting portion 321 of the first pad 301 relative to the horizontal plane and the tilt angle θ21 of the second tilting portion 421 of the second pad 401 relative to the horizontal plane are configured to be substantially equal. The width W11 of the first supporting surface 311 of the first pad 301 and the width W21 of the second supporting surface 411 of the second pad 401 are configured to be substantially the same width. Furthermore, regarding the height H11 of the first supporting surface 311 of the first pad 301 and the height H21 of the second supporting surface 411 of the second pad 401, the height H11 of the first supporting surface 311 is higher than the height H21 of the second supporting surface 411 (H1>H2). Thus, a height difference is generated between the first supporting surface 311 of the first pad 301 on the upper body side and the second supporting surface 411 of the second pad 401 on the lower body side, so that the portion from the buttocks to the lumbar spine of the consumer B is supported along the height difference, so that a natural sleeping posture can be easily obtained. At the same time, when the consumer B turns over, after the upper body rotates sideways, the height difference and the height difference formed between the first inclined portion 321 of the first pad 301 and the second inclined portion 421 of the second pad 401 cooperate to promote the start of the pelvic rotation movement. Therefore, the rotation movement of the upper body is linked with the rotation movement of the lower body side, so that it is easy to turn over by oneself.

The other descriptions related to the first pad 301 and the second pad 401 constituting the turning assist pad 21 in this embodiment and the descriptions on other structures are the same as the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 of the first embodiment mentioned above, and their effects are also the same.

Next, the turning-over assisting pad 22 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG10 , the turning-over assisting pad 22 according to the present embodiment is composed of two first pads 302 and one second pad 402, and is arranged in a row in the order of the first pad 302, the second pad 402, and the first pad 302 in the height direction. The first pad 302 on which the upper body side or the foot of the consumer is placed includes: a first supporting surface 312 extending in the length direction (height direction) from the center portion in the width direction thereof to form a substantially flat surface; and a first inclined portion 322, which is inclined downward in a step-like manner from the end portion in the length direction of the first supporting surface 312 toward the outside to form a pair of step portions. In addition, the second pad 402 for placing the waist and buttocks of the consumer includes: a second supporting surface 412, which extends in the length direction (height direction) from the center of the width direction to form a roughly flat surface; and a second inclined portion 422, which is inclined downward in a step-like manner from the end of the length direction of the second supporting surface 412 to the outside to form a pair of step portions.

The first support surface 312 of the first pad 302 of this embodiment is configured to support at least a portion of the back of the body of the consumer B in a supine position. The first support surface 312 in this embodiment is formed to have a width direction length W12 of 39 cm, a length in the length direction (height direction) of 65 cm, and a height H12 (thickness of the cushioning material of the first support surface 312 portion) of 4 cm, and is designed to support the back centered around the head and spine of the consumer B in a supine position. As described above, the length W12 of the first support surface 312 in the width direction needs to be configured so that the shoulder S of the consumer B in the supine position is opposite to the first inclined portion 322 on the outer side of the first support surface 312. Therefore, the length W12 of the first support surface 312 in the width direction is formed to be less than the shoulder width SW of the consumer B, preferably less than the width of the acromion. The first pad 302 of this embodiment is arranged on both sides of the length direction end of the second pad 402, so the consumer can use the turning assist pad 22 regardless of which direction the consumer faces. The first support surface 312 of the first pad 302 supports the head of the body of the consumer B, the back centered on the spine, and the feet of the consumer B.

As shown in FIG. 10 , a pair of first inclined portions 322 of the first pad 302 in this embodiment are designed to span the entire length direction of the first supporting surface 312, and are formed to support the entire shoulder and upper arm of the consumer B when turning over. The first inclined portion 322 in this embodiment is formed by one step portion, but it can also be a multi-step structure formed by two or more step portions, or it can be a structure in which the width or gradient of each step portion varies separately. By adjusting the width or gradient of these step portions, the number of step portions, etc., the inclination angle θ12 of the first inclined portion 322 described below can be adjusted to an appropriate angle, and at the same time, the difficulty of rotating the upper body side can be more finely adjusted according to the turning mode or the body shape of the consumer.

The tilt angle θ12 of the first tilted portion 322 of the first pad 302 relative to the horizontal plane in this embodiment refers to the following angle: as shown in FIG10(b), the plane including the shortest straight line connecting the tilt start point of the end of the first supporting surface 312 in the cross-sectional view and the top of the lowest step portion constituting the first tilted portion 322 is taken as the tilted plane, and the angle of the tilted plane relative to the horizontal plane is set as the tilt angle θ12. If the tilt angle θ12 becomes larger, the distance L between the contact point G of the shoulder peripheral portion SA of the consumer B and the rotation center X becomes shorter, so the force required for the rotation of the upper body side is reduced, but on the other hand, if the rotation action is too easy, the body of the consumer B lying on his back becomes unstable. Therefore, it is best to set the tilt angle θ12 to achieve both supine stability and easy turning (rotation) that contribute to sleeping comfort. Specifically, when the first tilt portion 322 is formed by a stepped tilt surface as in the present embodiment, the tilt angle θ12 is preferably less than 40 degrees, more preferably 5 to 30 degrees, and particularly preferably 10 to 20 degrees. Even if the height and width of each step forming the first inclined portion 322 are not constant, the tilt angle θ12 is set to the following angle: the tilt starting point of the end of the first supporting surface 312 in the cross-sectional view and the top of the lowest step forming the first inclined portion 322 are connected by the shortest straight line, and the plane containing the shortest straight line is used as the inclined surface, and the angle of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane is set to the tilt angle θ12.

The second support surface 412 of the second pad 402 of this embodiment is configured to support at least a portion of the waist and buttocks of the body of the consumer B in a supine position. The size of the second support surface 412 in this embodiment is: the length W22 in the width direction is 27 cm, the length in the length direction (height direction) is 55 cm, and the height H22 (the thickness of the cushioning material of the second support surface 412 part) is 4 cm, and is designed to support the waist and buttocks centered on the sacrum of the consumer B in a supine position. As described above, the length W22 of the second supporting surface 412 in the width direction needs to be configured so that the greater trochanter of the femur of the consumer B in the supine position is opposite to the second inclined portion 422 on the outer side of the second supporting surface 412. Therefore, the length W22 of the second supporting surface 412 in the width direction is formed to be less than the pelvic width PW of the consumer B.

As shown in FIG. 10 , a pair of second inclined portions 422 of the second pad 402 in this embodiment are designed to span the entire length direction of the second supporting surface 412, forming a large rotor that at least supports the femur of the consumer B when turning over. The second inclined portion 422 in this embodiment is formed by a step portion, but it can also be a multi-step structure formed by two or more step portions, or it can be a structure in which the width or gradient of each step portion varies separately. By adjusting the width or gradient of these step portions, the number of step portions, etc., the inclination angle θ22 of the second inclined portion 422 described below can be adjusted to an appropriate angle, and at the same time, the difficulty of the rotation of the lower body side can be more finely adjusted according to the turning mode or the body shape of the consumer.

The tilt angle θ22 of the second inclined portion 422 of the second pad 402 relative to the horizontal plane in this embodiment refers to the following angle: as shown in FIG10(c), the tilt starting point of the end of the second supporting surface 412 in the cross-sectional view and the top of the lowest step portion constituting the second inclined portion 422 are connected by the shortest straight line, and the plane containing the shortest straight line is taken as the inclined plane, and the angle of the inclined plane relative to the horizontal plane is set to the tilt angle θ22. If the tilt angle θ22 increases, the distance L between the contact point G of the pelvic peripheral portion PA and the rotation center X becomes shorter, so the rotation torque of the pelvis is reduced, and as a result, the force required for the rotation of the lower body side is reduced. However, on the other hand, if the rotation movement of the pelvis is too easy, the body of the consumer B in the supine position will become unstable. Therefore, it is best to set the tilt angle θ22 to have both supine stability and ease of turning over (rotation). Specifically, the tilt angle θ22 is preferably less than 30 degrees, more preferably 4 to 20 degrees, and particularly preferably 4 to 10 degrees, as in the present embodiment, when the second tilt portion 422 is formed by a stepped tilt surface. Even if the height and width of each step forming the second inclined portion 422 are not constant, the tilt angle θ22 is set to the following angle: the tilt starting point of the end of the second supporting surface 412 in the cross-sectional view and the top of the lowest step forming the second inclined portion 422 are connected by the shortest straight line, and the plane containing the shortest straight line is taken as the inclined surface, and the angle of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane is set to the tilt angle θ22.

In addition, FIG. 11 shows an example of a change in the structure of the second inclined portion 422 as an example of another form of the turning assist pad 22 of the present embodiment. In the turning assist pad 22 shown in FIG. 11, by shortening the length of the second inclined portion 422 in the width direction, the second inclined portion 422 is designed to have a larger inclination angle θ22 than the embodiment of the turning assist pad 22 shown in FIG. 10. By making such an adjustment, a turning assist pad 22 that further improves the difficulty of turning over on the side of the lower body can be obtained.

The turning-over assisting pad 22 of this embodiment is mainly designed from the viewpoint of promoting the bending-rotation type turning-over, and the inclination angle θ12 of the first inclined portion 322 of the first pad 302 is larger than the inclination angle θ22 of the second inclined portion 422 of the second pad 402 (θ12>θ22). Thus, the effect of promoting the rotation of the upper body as the starting point of the turning-over action is improved, and at the same time, the stability of the lower body in the supine position is improved, which can promote the turning-over action that slowly links the pelvic rotation. Specifically, there is no particular limitation. Regarding the turning assist pad 22 shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the first inclined portion 322 has an inclination angle θ12 of 10 to 20 degrees, and the second inclined portion 422 has an inclination angle θ22 of 5 to 15 degrees.

In addition, the turning-over assisting pad 22 of this embodiment is formed such that the width W12 of the first supporting surface is wider than the width W22 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2) as shown in FIG10. Thus, compared with the first pad 302 on the upper body side, the inclined portion of the second pad 402 on the waist and hip side is closer to the central position in the width direction of the turning-over assisting pad 22, and the rotation of the pelvis starts earlier. Therefore, the rotation of the upper body and the rotation of the lower body side are linked with a lower torque, and turning over by oneself becomes easier. Specifically, there is no particular limitation. Regarding the turning-over assisting pad 22 shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the width W12 of the first supporting surface 312 is 39 cm, and the width W22 of the second supporting surface 412 is 27 cm.

The first pad 302 and the second pad 402 constituting the turning-over assist pad 22 of the present invention are formed of a cushioning material having a predetermined thickness (height). The first supporting surface 312 and the first inclined portion 322 constituting the first pad 302 may be formed of the same cushioning material, but are preferably formed of cushioning materials of different hardnesses, respectively, and the first pad 302 is obtained by combining them. FIG. 10 shows an example in which the first supporting surface 312 and the first inclined portion 322 constituting the first pad 302 are integrally formed of the same cushioning material, and FIG. 11 shows an example in which the first supporting surface 312 and the first inclined portion 322 constituting the first pad 302 are formed of different cushioning materials. Furthermore, even with respect to either the first supporting surface 312 or the first inclined portion 322, it is possible to combine a plurality of different buffer materials to obtain respective equivalent portions. For example, it is also possible to stack a plurality of buffer materials to obtain a portion equivalent to the first supporting surface 312, or it is also possible to stack a plurality of buffer materials in layers to form the first inclined portion 322. FIG. 11 shows an example of stacking a plurality of buffer materials to form the first supporting surface 312.

As for the second pad 402, similarly to the first pad 302, the second supporting surface 412 and the second inclined portion 422 may be formed of the same buffer material, or may be formed of buffer materials of different hardnesses, and the second pad 402 may be obtained by combining them. FIG10 shows an example in which the second supporting surface 412 and the second inclined portion 422 constituting the second pad 402 are integrally formed of the same buffer material, and FIG11 shows an example in which the second supporting surface 412 and the second inclined portion 422 constituting the second pad 402 are formed of different buffer materials. Furthermore, as for either the second supporting surface 412 or the second inclined portion 422, a plurality of different buffer materials may be combined to obtain respective equivalent portions. For example, it is also possible to stack multiple buffer materials to obtain a portion equivalent to the second supporting surface 412, or it is also possible to stack multiple buffer materials in a step-like manner to form the second inclined portion 422. FIG. 11 shows an example of stacking multiple buffer materials to obtain the second supporting surface 412.

The first pad 302 and the second pad 402 can be formed of the same cushioning material or different cushioning materials according to the required physical properties such as the difficulty of the rotation operation or the body pressure dispersion. FIG. 10 shows an example in which the first pad 302 and the second pad 402 are formed of different cushioning materials as heterogeneous bodies. FIG. 11 shows an example in which the first pad 302 and the second pad 402 are formed in one piece using the same plurality of cushioning materials. Specifically, the turning assist pad 22 is formed in one piece by stacking two cushioning materials in a predetermined shape.

Other descriptions related to the first pad 302 and the second pad 402 constituting the turning assist pad 22 in this embodiment, and other descriptions about the third pad, etc., are the same as the first pad 3 and the second pad 4, etc. of the first embodiment described above, and their effects are also the same.

Next, the turning-over assisting pad 23 related to the fifth embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG12 , the turning-over assisting pad 23 related to the present embodiment is composed of two first pads 303 and one second pad 403, and is arranged in a row in the order of the first pad 303, the second pad 403, and the first pad 303 in the height direction. The first pad 303 on which the upper body and feet of the consumer are placed includes a first supporting surface 313, which extends in the length direction (height direction) at the center of the width direction, forming a substantially flat surface. Furthermore, the second pad 403 for placing the waist and buttocks of the consumer includes: a second supporting surface 413, which extends in the length direction (height direction) from the center of the width direction to form a roughly flat surface; and a second inclined portion 423, which is inclined downward in a step-like manner from the end of the length direction of the second supporting surface 413 to the outside to form a pair of step portions. In this embodiment, there are two first pads 303, but it is also possible to make it consist of a first pad 303 for the upper body and a second pad 403 for the lower body.

The first support surface 313 of the first cushion 303 of this embodiment is configured to support at least a portion of the back of the body of the consumer B in a supine position. The size of the first support surface 313 in this embodiment is formed as follows: the length W13 in the width direction is 39 cm, the length in the length direction (height direction) is 65 cm, and the height H13 (the thickness of the cushioning material of the first support surface 313 part) is 3 cm, and is designed to support the head of the consumer B in a supine position and the back centered on the spine. The first support surface 313 is formed as a roughly flat surface in this embodiment, but can be formed into any shape as long as it can support at least a portion of the back of the body of the consumer B in a supine position, and its shape is not limited to a flat surface.

The second support surface 413 of the second pad 403 of this embodiment is configured to support at least a portion of the waist and buttocks of the body of the consumer B in a supine position. The size of the second support surface 413 in this embodiment is formed as follows: the length W23 in the width direction is 27 cm, the length in the length direction (height direction) is 55 cm, and the height H23 (the thickness of the cushioning material of the second support surface 413 part) is 3 cm, and is designed to support the waist and buttocks of the consumer B in a supine position with the sacrum as the center. The length W23 of the second supporting surface 413 in the width direction needs to be configured so that the greater trochanter of the femur of the consumer B in the supine position is opposite to the second inclined portion 423 on the outer side of the second supporting surface 413, so the length W23 of the second supporting surface 413 in the width direction is formed to be less than the pelvic width PW of the consumer B.

As shown in FIG. 12 , a pair of second inclined portions 423 of the second pad 403 in this embodiment are designed to span the entire length direction of the second supporting surface 413, forming a large rotor that at least supports the femur of the consumer B when turning over. The second inclined portion 423 in this embodiment is formed by one step portion, but it can also be a multi-step structure formed by two or more step portions, or it can also be a structure in which the width or gradient of each step portion varies separately. By adjusting the width or gradient of these step portions, the number of step portions, etc., the inclination angle θ23 of the second inclined portion 423 described below can be adjusted to an appropriate angle, and at the same time, the difficulty of the rotation of the lower body side can be more finely adjusted according to the turning over mode or the body shape of the consumer. Furthermore, the second inclined portion 423 is not limited to a stepped structure, but may also be an inclined surface structure such as a plane or a curved surface as described in the above embodiments.

The inclination angle θ23 of the second inclined portion 423 of the second pad 403 in the present embodiment relative to the horizontal plane refers to the following angle: as shown in FIG12(b), the inclination starting point of the end of the second supporting surface 413 in the cross-sectional view and the top of the lowest step portion constituting the second inclined portion 423 are connected by the shortest straight line, and the plane containing the shortest straight line is taken as the inclined plane, and the angle of the inclined plane relative to the horizontal plane is set to the inclination angle θ23. If the tilt angle θ23 increases, the distance L between the contact point G of the pelvic peripheral part PA and the rotation center X becomes shorter, so the rotation torque of the pelvis is reduced, and as a result, the force required for the rotation of the lower body side is reduced. However, on the other hand, if the rotation of the pelvis is too easy, the body of the consumer B in the supine position will become unstable. Therefore, it is best to set a tilt angle θ23 that can achieve both supine stability and easy turning (rotation). Specifically, the tilt angle θ23 is preferably less than 30 degrees, more preferably 5 to 25 degrees, and particularly preferably 10 to 20 degrees when the second tilt portion 423 is formed by a stepped tilt surface as in the present embodiment.

To explain the functions related to the use of the turning-over assisting pad 23 in the present embodiment, when the consumer B is in a supine sleeping position, the first pad 303 stably supports the head and the back part centered on the spine of the consumer B, and the second supporting surface 413 of the second pad stably supports the waist and hip part centered on the sacrum of the lower body. In addition, when performing a bending rotation type turning over with the upper body as the starting point of the action, after rotating the upper body, the pelvis is rotated. When rotating the pelvis, the second inclined portion 423 supports the greater trochanter of the femur and the pelvic peripheral part PA such as the ilium located nearby, which requires the most strength in the turning-over direction rotation action. The second inclined portion 423 is inclined downward from the end of the second supporting surface 413, so that the point where the pelvic peripheral part PA such as the greater trochanter of the femur located in the turning direction contacts the second inclined portion is closer to the body axis of the consumer, and the force required for pelvic rotation is reduced, which can make the rotation of the lower body side linked from the rotation of the pelvis to the rotation of the lower limbs easier. As a result, the load of the lower body rotation is reduced, making it easier to turn over. In addition, when performing a stretching rotation type turning over with the lower body as the starting point of the action, when the rotation starts from the side of the lower body, when the pelvis is rotated, the second inclined portion 423 supports the pelvic peripheral part PA such as the greater trochanter of the femur located in the turning direction and the ilium located nearby. The second inclined portion 423 is inclined downward from the end of the second supporting surface 413, so the point where the pelvic periphery such as the greater trochanter of the femur in the turning direction contacts the second inclined portion 423 becomes closer to the consumer's body axis, and the force required for pelvic rotation becomes smaller, making it easier to rotate the lower body to the side.

The first pad 303 and the second pad 403 constituting the turning-over assisting pad 23 of the present invention are formed of a cushioning material having a predetermined thickness (height). The second supporting surface 413 and the second inclined portion 423 constituting the second pad 403 may be formed of the same cushioning material, or may be formed of cushioning materials of different hardnesses, and the second pad 403 may be obtained by combining them. Furthermore, with respect to either the second supporting surface 413 or the second inclined portion 423, it is also possible to combine a plurality of different cushioning materials to obtain respective equivalent portions. For example, it is also possible to stack a plurality of cushioning materials to obtain a portion equivalent to the second supporting surface 413, or it is also possible to stack a plurality of cushioning materials in a stepped manner to form the second inclined portion 423. Furthermore, the first pad 303 and the second pad 403 can be formed of the same cushioning material or different cushioning materials according to the required physical properties such as the difficulty of the rotation operation or the body pressure dispersion. FIG. 12 shows an example in which the first pad 303 and the second pad 403 are formed of different cushioning materials. The first pad 303 and the second pad 403 can also be formed of the same plurality of cushioning materials in one piece. As an example, the turning assist pad 23 can also be formed by stacking two sheet-shaped cushioning materials in a predetermined shape.

Other descriptions related to the first pad 303 and the second pad 403 constituting the turning assist pad 23 in this embodiment, and other descriptions about the third pad, etc., are the same as the first pad 3 and the second pad 4, etc. of the first embodiment, and the first pad 302 and the second pad 402, etc. of the fifth embodiment, and their effects are also the same.

Next, referring to FIG. 13 , the turning assisting mattress 1 of the present invention assembled with the turning assisting pad 2 will be described. The turning assisting mattress 1 of the present invention is generally composed of a base layer 6, a turning assisting pad 2, an end block 7, and an upper layer 5 stacked in order from the lower side to the upper side. The turning assisting pad 2 is placed in the center of the base layer 6 in the width direction, and the end blocks 7 are placed at both ends of the base layer 6 in the width direction, with a predetermined interval between them and the turning assisting pad 2, and straddling the base layer 6 in the length direction. In order to ensure that each configuration is not offset, the base layer 6, the turning assisting pad 2, the end block 7, and the upper layer 5, which constitute the turning assisting mattress 1, can also be fixed by means of snap-fitting or adhesives at the surfaces where the components meet.

First, the base layer 6 is described. The base layer 6 of the turning-over assisting mattress 1 is formed of a relatively hard cushioning material that can stably support the body of the consumer. The base layer 6 in this embodiment, as an example, is formed to have a length of 91 cm in the width direction, a length of 195 cm in the length direction, and a height of 2 cm. The cushioning material of the base layer 6 is preferably equal to or higher in hardness than the cushioning material constituting the first pad 31 and the second pad 41. As the cushioning material of the base layer 6, it is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-mentioned hardness and cushioning properties. Resin foam, three-dimensional network structure and cotton molded body can be appropriately used. From the perspective of the ease of handling and processing, resin foam is more preferred. As the resin foam, specifically, foamed polyurethane, foamed polyolefin or foamed silicone can be listed.

Next, the turning assisting pad 2 is described. The turning assisting pad 2 assembled in the turning assisting mattress 1 of the present invention is not limited to the turning assisting pad 2 of the first embodiment, but also includes the second to fifth embodiments. In addition, the turning assisting pads of all the above embodiments can be used.

Next, the end block 7 is described. By providing the end block 7, the consumer B can be prevented from rolling over the turning-over assisting pad 2 and falling off the base layer 6 when turning over, and can turn over safely on the mattress. The end block 7 in this embodiment, as an example, is formed to have a size of 10 cm in width, 195 cm in length, and 3 cm in height. Furthermore, by making the end block 7 of a relatively hard cushioning material, when the consumer grasps the end block 7, he can effectively grasp it with force. When sitting on the end block 7, the buttocks are supported by the inclined portions 32 and 42 of each pad and the concave portion formed by the end block 7. At the same time, the end block 7 supports the vicinity of the inner side of the thigh, so that the seat is easy to maintain balance and has sitting stability and standing stability. Specifically, as the cushioning material of the end block 7, a material with a hardness of 180 to 440N measured according to JIS K6401 "Soft polyurethane foam plastic for load resistance" is preferably selected, a material with a hardness of 200 to 300N is more preferably selected, and a material with a hardness of 210 to 250N is particularly preferably selected. As the cushioning material of the end block 7, it is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-mentioned hardness and cushioning properties. Resin foam, three-dimensional mesh structure and cotton molded body can be appropriately used. From the perspective of the ease of handling and processing, resin foam is more preferred. As the resin foam, specifically, foamed polyurethane, foamed polyolefin or foamed silicone can be listed.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the end block 7 is arranged in a state of being placed on the base layer 6, but the end block 7 may also be arranged in a state of being connected to the end of the base layer 6 in the length direction instead of being arranged on the base layer 6. In this case, the top of the end block 7 needs to protrude from the top of the base layer 6, so the height (thickness) of the end block 7 is formed to be at least higher than the height of the base layer 6.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the end block 7 is disposed at both ends of the base layer 6 in the width direction, but it can also be disposed only at the end of any one side. Also, in the present embodiment, the end block 7 is disposed across the length direction of the base layer 6, but it can also be disposed at a portion of the length direction of the base layer 6, for example, only at the central periphery in the length direction. Furthermore, for the purpose of improving the shape retention of the turning auxiliary mattress 1, the end block 7 can also be disposed at the end of the width direction of the base layer 6.

Next, the upper layer 5 will be described. As shown in FIG13 , the upper layer 5 is a layer covering the above-mentioned turning-over assisting pad 2, the end block 7 and the upper surface of the base layer 6, and is formed of a cushioning material that is softer than the turning-over assisting pad 2, the end block 7 and the base layer 6. The upper layer 5 in this embodiment is formed to have a length of 91 cm in the width direction, a length of 195 cm in the length direction, and a height of 6 cm from the upper surface of the turning-over assisting pad 2. As the cushioning material of the upper layer 5, from the viewpoint of maintaining the effect of the turning-over assisting pad 2 and improving the sleeping comfort and body pressure distribution of the consumer B, a material having a hardness of 50 to 160 N measured according to JIS K6401 "Soft polyurethane foam for load resistance" is preferred, a material having a hardness of 70 to 150 N is more preferred, and a material having a hardness of 90 to 140 N is particularly preferred. As the cushioning material of the upper layer 5, as long as it has the above-mentioned hardness and cushioning properties, it is not particularly limited, and resin foam, three-dimensional network structure and cotton molded body can be appropriately used. From the viewpoint of the ease of handling and processing, resin foam is more preferred. Specifically, the resin foam may include foamed polyurethane, foamed polyolefin, or foamed silicone.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13( b) and FIG. 13( c), the upper layer 5 is formed in a flat sheet shape with a certain thickness, and a space surrounded by the end block 7 and the first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42 of the turning assisting pad 2 is formed between the upper layer 5 and the base layer 6. By forming this space, the rotational force of the upper body side and the lower body side of the first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42 can be adjusted. In this case, the upper layer 5 is preferably formed of a stretchable and deformable material so as not to significantly hinder the rotational movement of the shoulder periphery SA or the pelvic periphery PA of the consumer B. The upper layer 5 may be shaped so that its lower side roughly fits into the above-mentioned space, that is, the space surrounded by the base layer 6, the end block 7, the first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42 of the turning assist pad 2. Furthermore, the space surrounded by the base layer 6, the end block 7, the first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42 of the turning assist pad 2 may be shaped so that only a part of the space is left. In addition, a cushioning material different from the upper layer 5 can be arranged in the space (space surrounded by the base layer 6, the end block 7, the first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42 of the turning assisting pad 2). In this case, a cushioning material that is the same as or softer than the cushioning material of the upper layer 5 is preferably used. The cushioning material stacked on the upper layer 5 or arranged in the above space covers the inclined portions 32 and 42 of the turning assisting pad 2. In the case where the effect of the inclined portions 32 and 42 is low, the inclination angles of the first inclined portion 32 of the first pad 3 or the second inclined portion 42 of the second pad 4 can be greatly adjusted.

In addition, in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 13 , the upper layer 5 covers the top of the turning assist pad 2, the end block 7, and the base layer 6, but it can also be configured not to cover the first supporting surface 31 and the second supporting surface 41 of the turning assist pad 2, and these supporting surfaces are exposed to cover the first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42. In this case, the upper layer 5 is configured to be divided into at least two. In addition, as another form, the upper layer 5 can also be configured to cover only the first supporting surface 31 and/or the second supporting surface 41.

The turning-over assisting mattress 1 in this embodiment is configured by stacking the turning-over assisting pad 2, the end block 7, and then the upper layer 5 on the base layer 6, but it can also be configured by omitting the end block 7 or the upper layer 5. In addition, it can also be configured by omitting the end block 7 and the upper layer 5, and only stacking the turning-over assisting pad 2 on the base layer 6.

FIG. 14 shows a turning-over assisting mattress 10 according to another embodiment. The turning-over assisting mattress 10 according to the present embodiment is generally configured by stacking a turning-over assisting mattress 2 on a base layer 60. As shown in FIG. 14, the base layer 60 in the present embodiment is composed of a first base portion 60a on which a first pad 3 is arranged and a second base portion 60b on which a second pad 4 is arranged, and the thicknesses (heights) of the two base portions are different. Specifically, the first base portion 60a is thick (high) and the second base portion 60b is thin (low), so that a height difference 60c is generated at the boundary between the first pad 3 and the second pad 4. The second pad 4 disposed at the lower part of the height difference increases only by the height difference to the second supporting surface 41 of the second pad 4, so that the descending length of the second inclined portion 42 becomes longer, which can make it easier for the consumer B to turn the lower body to the side. However, if the height difference 60c is too high, the turning force is too large, which is not suitable. Therefore, it is preferable to set the size of the height difference 60c according to the conditions such as the tilt angle θ2 of the second pad 4. In FIG. 14, the base layer 60 is configured so that the second base portion 60b where the second pad 4 is disposed is lower than the first base portion 60a, but it can also be configured so that the first base portion 60a where the first pad 3 is disposed is lower than the second base portion 60b, and a large height difference can be set according to the conditions such as the tilt angle θ1. Furthermore, this embodiment can also be applied when the width or height of the first support surface 31 of the first pad 3 and the second support surface 41 of the second pad 4 are changed. The turning assisting mattress 10 in this embodiment is only configured by stacking the turning assisting pad 2 on the base layer 60, and of course, it can also be configured by further stacking the above-mentioned end block 7 and/or upper layer 5.

Below, the present invention is further described in detail through embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

Example 1

1. Research on the tilt angle and torque value of the tilted part of the turning assist pad

As shown in FIG3 , the inventor regards the turning action as a rotational movement and attempts to quantify the force required for the turning action with torque T. Torque T is represented by the product of the force F acting in the tangential direction of the rotation circle and the distance L between the contact point G and the rotation center X (T=F×L). Therefore, a simulator analogous to the human body as shown in FIG15(a) is made. The simulator consists of a waist with a rotation axis connecting the upper body part analogous to the shoulders and chest and the lower body part analogous to the hips. The rotation axis of the waist only rotates the upper body part relative to the static lower body part until the rotation angle is 40 degrees. If the rotation angle exceeds 40 degrees, the rotation of the lower body is linked to the rotation of the upper body. Weights of 11kg and 16kg were placed on the shoulders and hips respectively, and a torque meter (manufactured by Wisretec, model: WRG3-135) was installed at the front end of the rotation center X. First, in order to confirm the effectiveness of the simulator, the simulator was placed on a flat surface, and a ratchet handle was inserted at one end of the torque meter. When the torque was measured by rotating it, the graph until the turning over was completed generated by the torque of the simulator and the graph until the turning over was completed generated by the myoelectric potential as biological data showed a similar shape. From this result, the effectiveness of the simulator can be confirmed, so the simulator was placed at a specified position of the turning over assisting pad of the measured object, as shown in Figure 15(b), simulating the supine state of a consumer, and a ratchet handle was inserted at one end of the torque meter. The torque was measured by rotating it. The simulator's motion was investigated while measuring the torque required for the upper and lower body parts of the simulator to lie on their side, that is, until the body is turned over. The width W1 of the first support surface 31 of the first pad 3 and the width W2 of the second support surface 41 of the second pad 4 of the turning assist pad of the measured object are set to 25 cm respectively, the height H1 of the first support surface 31 of the first pad 3 (the thickness of the cushioning material of the first support surface 31) and the height H2 of the second support surface 41 of the second pad 4 (the thickness of the cushioning material of the second support surface 41) are set to 3 cm respectively, and only the inclination angles of the first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42 are changed, and the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion 32 and the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion 42 are set to the same angle (θ1=θ2). The first inclined portion 32 and the second inclined portion 42 are formed into an inclined surface formed by a plane. The inclination angles of the inclined surfaces of the first pad 3 and the second pad 4 are set to 0° (flat surface), 5°, 10°, and 15°. The results are shown in the graph of Figure 16.

In Figure 16, the vertical axis is the value of torque (Nm) measured by the torque meter, and the horizontal axis is the elapsed time. The hollow circular mark indicates a tilt angle of 0°, the triangular mark indicates a tilt angle of 5°, the hollow quadrilateral mark indicates a tilt angle of 10°, and the circular mark indicates a tilt angle of 15°. In addition, the illustration shown on the lower side of the horizontal axis of the figure schematically shows the turning state of consumer B corresponding to the action of the simulator at each time. According to the graph, by setting the tilt angle in the direction that causes the simulator to rotate, the torque value when the simulator rotates (when turning over) is reduced, and by setting the tilt angle to more than 10°, it is clear that there is a significant effect of reducing torque.

Example 2

2. Research on the tilt structure and torque value of the turning-over assist pad

The simulator used in the above-mentioned embodiment 1 is used to measure the torque related to the turning over action of the turning over assisting pad 2 (compound tilting structure) shown in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the turning over assisting pad (simple tilting structure) formed by the first pad and the second pad, and the width of each supporting surface and the tilting angle of each tilting portion are respectively consistent. Either the first tilting portion 32 and the second tilting portion 42, each tilting portion is formed as an inclined surface formed by a plane. The turning over assisting pad 2 shown in the first embodiment is composed of the first pad 3 and the second pad 4, and the width of each supporting surface and the tilting angle θ of each tilting portion are respectively different (compound tilting structure). For comparison, the torque related to the turning action of a flat turning assist pad (no tilt) without the first tilting portion 32 and the second tilting portion 42 was also measured. The cushioning material constituting each turning assist pad is the same, using polyurethane foam plastic (product number M3200) of Toyo Jiajia (Ningbo) Sponge Products Co., Ltd. The results are shown in the graph of Figure 17.

In FIG. 17 , the vertical axis is the value of torque (Nm) measured by a torque meter, and the horizontal axis is the elapsed time. The circular mark represents a compound tilting structure, the hollow circular mark represents a simple tilting structure, and the hollow square mark represents a comparison example (no tilt). In addition, the illustration shown on the lower side of the horizontal axis of the figure schematically represents the turning state of consumer B corresponding to the action of the simulator at each time. According to the graph, the turning assist pad of the present invention shows a significant reduction in the maximum value of the torque during the turning action compared to the flat turning assist pad of the comparison example without a tilting surface. Furthermore, by setting the turning assist pad to a structure (compound tilt structure) that individually adjusts the rotation of the upper body and the rotation of the lower body to make them linked, that is, by setting it so that the width W1 of the first support surface is greater than the width W2 of the second support surface, and the tilt angle θ1 of the first tilt part is greater than the tilt angle θ2 of the second tilt part, not only the rotation of the upper body side, but also the rotation of the lower body side, the torque value in the turning action is further greatly reduced as a whole, and turning over becomes easier.

Example 3

3. Evaluation of the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention

Five types of turning-over assisting pads, Examples 3a to 3e, were manufactured using the specifications shown in Table 2 and Figures 18(a) to (e) below, and sensory tests were conducted on the turning-over assisting pads, such as the turning-over assisting pad of Example 3a shown in Figure 18(a) , which is the turning-over assisting pad 2 of the composite tilting structure (first embodiment) tested in Example 2 above, and the turning-over assisting pad of Example 3b shown in Figure 18(b) , which is the same as the turning-over assisting pad of the simple tilting structure tested in Example 2 above. Furthermore, the turning-over assisting pad of embodiment 3c shown in FIG. 18(c) corresponds to the turning-over assisting pad 21 described in detail as the third embodiment, the turning-over assisting pad of embodiment 3d shown in FIG. 18(d) corresponds to the turning-over assisting pad 22 described in detail as the fourth embodiment, and the turning-over assisting pad of embodiment 3e shown in FIG. 18(e) corresponds to the turning-over assisting pad 23 described in detail as the fifth embodiment. The cushioning materials constituting each turning-over assisting pad of embodiments 3a to 3e are all the same, using polyurethane foam plastic (product number M3200) of Toyo Jiajia (Ningbo) Sponge Products Co., Ltd.

The prepared mat was placed on the ground, and five males aged 40 to 50 years old as shown in Table 3 were used as subjects to conduct tests related to the following items. The test method and evaluation method are as follows.

(1) Turning over

The center of the width direction of the turning-over assisting pad is aligned with the spine position, and the subject is turned over by bending and rotating (head rotation → upper body rotation → pelvic rotation → lower limb rotation) from a supine position (surface facing up) with the upper body supported by the first pad and the lower body supported by the second pad, and the difficulty of turning over is evaluated. In the above-mentioned Example 2, the difficulty of turning over of a flat pad without a tilted portion (the same as the following Comparative Example 1) used as a comparison example is used as a reference, and each subject is evaluated in comparison with the flat pad, and the case where turning over is very easy is evaluated as "◎", the case where turning over is easy is evaluated as "○", the case where turning over is slightly easy is evaluated as "△", and the case where the degree of turning over is the same is evaluated as "×". Among the evaluations of the 5 test subjects, the one with the most evaluations was used as the evaluation result of turning over. In the case of multiple evaluations with the most evaluations, the evaluation of the superior party was used as the evaluation result. Similarly, the stretching rotation action (lower limb rotation → lower limb rotation at the same time or after pelvic rotation → upper body rotation → head rotation) was also performed to turn over, and the turning over difficulty was also evaluated.

(2) Sleep comfort

The center of the width direction of the turning-over assist pad is aligned with the spine position, and the stability of the subject's supine sleeping posture (surface) is evaluated, with the upper body supported by the first pad and the lower body supported by the second pad. Each subject is evaluated, and the stable sleeping posture is evaluated as "○", the slightly unstable is evaluated as "△", and the unstable is evaluated as "×". Among the evaluations of the 5 subjects, the evaluation with the largest number is used as the evaluation result of sleep comfort. In the case of multiple evaluations with the largest number, the evaluation of the superior party is used as the evaluation result.

The evaluation results of the turning pads 3a~3e of this embodiment are shown in Figure 2.

Table 2

According to the evaluation results of Example 3, the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention improves turning-over performance while maintaining stable sleeping comfort. Furthermore, according to the evaluation results of Examples 3a and 3d, turning-over performance can be improved regardless of whether the inclined portion is in the form of an inclined plane or a step, and there is no difference in the stability of sleeping comfort. Furthermore, the comparison between Example 3b and Examples 3a, 3c, and 3d shows that turning-over performance is improved by the inclination angle θ1 of the first pad> the inclination angle θ2 of the second pad, or the support surface height H1 of the first pad> the support surface height H2 of the second pad.

Comparison example

4. Reviews of other turning-over assist pads

Four types of pads of Comparative Examples 1 to 4 were prepared using the specifications shown in Table 4 and Figures 19(a) to (d) below, and a sensory test related to the ease of turning over and the sleeping comfort when used as a turning-over assisting pad was conducted. The five subjects and the test method and evaluation method were the same as those of Example 3 described above. Here, the pad of Comparative Example 1 shown in Figure 19(a) is the same as the flat pad without an inclined portion used as a comparison example in Example 2 described above, and is a flat mattress of an existing product. The pad of Comparative Example 2 shown in Figure 19(b) is a flat pad in which the first pad 3 has an inclined portion and the second pad has no inclined portion, and the width of the second pad is longer than the width of the pelvis. In addition, none of the pads of Comparative Examples 3 and 4 shown in Figures 19(c) and 19(d) have any tilted parts. The cushioning materials constituting the pads of Comparative Examples 1 to 4 are all the same, using polyurethane foam (product number M3200) from Toyo Jiajia (Ningbo) Sponge Products Co., Ltd. The evaluation results of Comparative Examples 1 to 4 are shown in Figure 4.

The evaluation results of Example 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 show that by having the structure of the present invention, stable sleeping comfort is maintained while the turning over is improved. In addition, by comparing the results of Example 3 and Comparative Example 2, it can be seen that even if the first pad that acts on the rotation movement of the upper body side has a tilted portion, if the second pad that acts on the rotation movement of the lower body side does not have a tilted portion, the turning over is reduced. In addition, as can be seen from Comparative Example 3 or Comparative Example 4, the pad without a tilted portion has a reduced stability in maintaining the body from the end of the support surface of each pad and the end to the outside, and the sleeping comfort is deteriorated.

Example 4

5. Evaluation of the invention regarding the turning-over assisting mattress

Using the specifications shown in Table 5 and Figure 20 (a) to (c), three types of turning-assisting mattresses, Examples 4a to 4c, were manufactured respectively. The manufactured mattresses were placed on the ground and sensory tests related to the ease of turning over and sleeping comfort when used as turning-assisting mattresses were conducted. The five subjects, the test method, and the evaluation method were the same as those in Example 3 above.

The turning over assisting mattress of embodiment 4a shown in FIG20(a) is used as the turning over assisting mattress manufactured in the above-mentioned embodiment 3a, the turning over assisting mattress of embodiment 4b shown in FIG20(b) is used as the turning over assisting mattress manufactured in the above-mentioned embodiment 3d, and the turning over assisting mattress of embodiment 4c shown in FIG20(c) is used as the turning over assisting mattress manufactured in the above-mentioned embodiment 3e. Any turning assisting mattress is manufactured by stacking a base layer 6, each turning assisting pad and end blocks 7, and an upper layer 5 in order from the lower side to the upper side. The turning assisting pad 2 is placed in the center of the base layer 6 in the width direction, and the end blocks 7 are placed at both ends of the base layer 6 in the width direction, with a predetermined interval between them and the turning assisting pad 2, and across the length direction of the base layer 6. As the cushioning material constituting the upper layer 5, a polyurethane foam (product number MF-20, manufactured by INOAC) with a width of 91 cm, a length of 185 cm in the height direction, and a thickness of 7 cm is used. As the cushioning material constituting the base layer 6, a polyurethane foam (product number MF-50, manufactured by INOAC) with a width of 91 cm, a length of 185 cm in the height direction, and a thickness of 2 cm is used. In addition, as the buffer material constituting the end block 7, for Example 4a, a polyurethane foam (product number MF-55, manufactured by INO AC) with a width of 10 cm, a length of 185 cm in the height direction, and a thickness of 3 cm was used, and for Examples 4b and 4c, a polyurethane foam (product number MF-55, manufactured by INOAC) with a width of 10 cm, a length of 185 cm in the height direction, and a thickness of 4 cm was used. The evaluation results of Examples 4a to 4c are shown in Table 5.

From the evaluation results of Examples 4a to 4c, it can be seen that the mattress to which the turning-over assisting pad of the present invention is applied has stable sleeping comfort and excellent turning-over performance. In this way, even when a relatively thick upper layer 5 is stacked on the upper surface of the turning-over assisting pad, the effect of improving turning-over performance will not be lost.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementation forms, and various forms of design changes within the scope of the invention described in the scope of the patent application are also included in the technical scope.

2: Turning over assist pad

3: First pad

31: The first facial support

32: First inclined part

4: Second pad

41: The second support

42: Second inclined part

W1: The width of the first support surface

W2: The width of the second support surface

H1: Height of the first support surface

H2: Height of the second support surface

θ1: The tilt angle of the first tilted portion

θ2: The tilt angle of the second tilted portion

B: Consumers

Claims (15)

A turning-over assisting pad is placed on a mattress, a quilt or a blanket for use. The turning-over assisting pad comprises at least: a first pad arranged in the height direction and placed on the upper body side of a consumer; and a second pad placed on at least the waist and buttocks of the lower body side of the consumer. The first pad is formed of a cushioning material of a specified thickness and is used to support at least a part of the back of the consumer in a supine position. The second pad is formed of a cushioning material of a specified thickness and is provided with a cushioning material of a specified thickness in the middle of the width direction of the second pad. The second support surface formed by the narrow width of the consumer's pelvis has a pair of second inclined parts at both ends of the width direction of the second pad, which are inclined downward from the ends of the second support surface to the outside in a slope or step shape and are arranged on at least a part of the length direction of the second support surface. The second support surface is configured to support at least a part of the waist and buttocks of the consumer in a supine position, and the second inclined parts support the greater gyrus of the femur of the consumer when turning over. According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 1, a first supporting surface having a width less than the shoulder width of the consumer is provided in the central portion in the width direction of the first pad; a pair of first inclined portions are provided at both ends in the width direction of the first pad, which are inclined downward from the ends of the first supporting surface toward the outside in a slope or step-like manner and are provided in at least a portion of the length direction of the first supporting surface; the first supporting surface supports at least a portion of the back of the consumer in a supine position, and the first inclined portions support the shoulders of the consumer when turning over. According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 2, the tilting angle θ1 of the first tilting portion relative to the horizontal plane is different from the tilting angle θ2 of the second tilting portion relative to the horizontal plane. According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 3, the tilting angle θ1 of the first tilting portion relative to the horizontal plane is greater than the tilting angle θ2 of the second tilting portion relative to the horizontal plane (θ1>θ2). According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 3 or 4, the width W1 of the first supporting surface is wider than the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2). According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 3 or 4, the height H1 of the first supporting surface is higher than the height H2 of the second supporting surface (H1>H2). According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 2, wherein: the width W1 of the first supporting surface is wider than the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1>W2); the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane is substantially equal to the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane (θ1=θ2). According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 7, the height H1 of the first supporting surface is higher than the height H2 of the second supporting surface (H1>H2). According to the turning-over assisting pad described in claim 2, wherein: the width W1 of the first supporting surface is substantially equal to the width W2 of the second supporting surface (W1=W2); the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane is substantially equal to the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined portion relative to the horizontal plane (θ1=θ2); the height H1 of the first supporting surface is higher than the height H2 of the second supporting surface (H1>H2). According to any one of claims 1 to 4, 7 to 9, the turning-over assisting pad comprises at least a third pad made of a buffer material having a predetermined thickness disposed between the first pad and the second pad. According to any one of claim items 1 to 4, 7 to 9, the turning-over assisting pad, wherein: a third pad made of a cushioning material having a specified thickness is arranged on the foot side of the second pad, and the third pad has the same structure as the first pad. A turning-over assisting mattress, wherein: the turning-over assisting mattress is provided with a turning-over assisting pad as described in any one of claim items 1 to 4, 7 to 9; the turning-over assisting pad is arranged on the base layer formed by the cushioning material. According to the turning-over assisting mattress described in claim 12, the first mattress and the second mattress are arranged at intervals on the base layer. According to the turning-over assisting mattress described in claim 12, the width of the base layer is wider than the width of the first mattress and the second mattress; at least one end of the base layer in the width direction, an end block protruding in the height direction is arranged at least a part of the length direction of the base layer. According to the turning-over assisting mattress described in claim 12, wherein: on the turning-over assisting mattress, at least one upper layer formed by the cushioning material is stacked; the hardness of the cushioning material constituting the upper layer is lower than the hardness of the cushioning material constituting the first mattress.