Furniture

Abstract

A furniture such as a bed comprising a plurality of rods 22 for supporting a person’s body, a frame 24 comprising a plurality of through-holes, and a base of resilient material 28, wherein each rod is

Description

The invention relates to a furniture, particularly but not exclusively a bed. It is known to use adjustable folding beds to provide a user with additional comfort and reduce the risk of bedsores. According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a furniture comprising: a plurality of rods for supporting a person's body; a frame comprising a plurality of through-holes, each of the plurality of rods arranged to be slidably movable in a respective one of the plurality of through-holes; and a base of resilient material arranged underneath the frame so that each rod rests on the resilient material, wherein each rod is slidable within the respective through-hole to push against the resilient material. The configuration of the rods, frame and base of resilient material in accordance with the invention enables the furniture to support a person's body that corresponds to the shape and movement of the person's body. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the furniture is a bed. In other embodiments, the furniture may be any type of furniture that supports a person's body. In embodiments of the invention, a sliding movement of each rod within the respective through-hole may be independent of a sliding movement of each other rod within the respective through-hole. Configuring the sliding movements of the rods to be independent of each other enables free independent movement of the rods so that the rods can more accurately conform to the shape and movement of the person's body so as to avoid placing undue pressure on any part of the body. The material of each rod may vary. Each rod may be made from a single material or a composite material. Preferably the material is chosen so that each rod is rigid. For example, each rod may be a wooden rod. Each rod may be made of any type of wood, such as hardwood. The type of resilient material used in the base of material may vary. For example, the resilient material may be or may include foam. The base of resilient material may include a single layer of resilient material. Alternatively, the base of resilient material may include a plurality of layers of resilient material. The layers of resilient materials may be made of different materials, such as different foam materials. The layers of resilient materials may have different densities and / or have different thicknesses. In further embodiments of the invention, the frame may include an air-filled space in which the plurality of rods is located. The provision of an air-filled space allows air to flow through the space between the rods to not only facilitate a breathable environment but also provide a cooling effect, which can improve the person's comfort. The furniture may include a heater configured to heat the air-filled space. The heater may be or may include one or more heating elements, which may be added to or built into the frame and / or rods. The heater may be configured to, in use, blow hot air into the air-filled space. For example, the heater may be a fan blower. The heater may be located inside the air-filled space. For example, the heater may be or may include one or more heating elements, which may be arranged in or on into the frame and / or rods or may be built into the frame and / or rods. The furniture may include a flexible cover arranged over the plurality of rods. The flexible cover may be in the form of a textile or fabric cover. The flexible cover material may include a breathable material. The flexible cover material may include a ventilation port, which may include a meshed grid (e.g. a copper grid). The flexible cover material may be permanently attached to the plurality of rods, or may be removable from the plurality of rods. The flexible cover material may include a fastener that is operable to move part of the flexible cover material to provide access to the plurality rods. The plurality of rods may be configured to be removable from the frame, or may be permanently installed in the frame. In embodiments of the invention, the furniture may include a housing configured to house the base of resilient material. The base of resilient material may be permanently housed inside the housing, or may be removable from the housing. Preferably the housing is configured to be closeable to prevent access to the base of resilient material and to be openable to permit access to the base of resilient material. For example, the housing may include one or more panels that are selectively openable and closeable to control access to the base of resilient material. The frame may be stacked on the housing. The frame may be permanently fixed to the housing, or may be separable from the housing. Under certain circumstances, there may be a need to lock the position of one or more rods to prevent sliding movement of the one or more rods. The furniture may include a securing mechanism operable to lock a position of each rod so as to prevent its sliding movement. The securing mechanism may take any form that enables locking of the position of each rod. The securing mechanism may include a locking member for locking the position of all of the rods, or may include a plurality of locking members, each of which is configured to lock one or more of the rods. In some embodiments, the securing mechanism may be operable to lock a position of one or some of the plurality of rods while permitting a sliding movement of the or each other of the plurality of rods. In further embodiments of the invention, the furniture may include at least one sensor configured to, in use, detect a position of each rod. The or each sensor may take any form that permits detection of the position of each rod. For example, the or each sensor may be a contact sensor or a non-contact sensor (e.g. an optical sensor). In such embodiments, the furniture may include a processor programmed to, in use, generate a body imprint map based on the detected positions of the plurality of rods. The processor may be programmed to, in use, generate a time-varying body imprint map from the detected positions of the plurality of rods. Additionally or alternatively, the processor may be programmed to generate a still body imprint map from the detected positions of the plurality of rods. The furniture may include a memory including computer program code. The memory and computer program code may be configured to, with the processor, enable the performance of various processing functions. The processor and memory may form part of one or more of an electronic device, a portable electronic device, a portable telecommunications device, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a phablet, a laptop computer, a server, a cloud computing network, a smartphone, a smartwatch, smart eyewear, and a module for one or more of the same. It will be appreciated that references to a memory or a processor may encompass a plurality of memories or processors. In embodiments of the invention, the furniture may include an actuator configured to, in use, vibrate at least one of the plurality of rods. In such embodiments, the actuator may be configured to, in use, vary a vibration at least one of the plurality of rods with time. The actuator may be, for example, a piezoelectric actuator or may be a motor-driven actuator. The furniture may include a controller programmed to, in use, control the actuator to vibrate at least one of the plurality of rods, preferably in response to the detected position of each rod. The controller may be programmed to, in use, control the actuator to vibrate at least one of the plurality of rods in response to the generated body imprint map based on the detected positions of the plurality of rods. The controller may be in the form of a user-operable controller or may be an electronic device with a software application for controlling the actuator. The controller may be programmed to, in use, control the actuator in multiple vibration modes to vibrate the plurality of rods in different ways. It will be appreciated that the use of the terms "first" and "second", and the like in this patent specification may be used to help distinguish between similar features, and is not intended to indicate the relative importance of one feature over another feature, unless otherwise specified. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, and the claims and / or the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and all features of any embodiments can be combined in any way and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a bed according to an embodiment of an invention; Figure 2 shows a person resting on the bed of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a view of the bed with a fabric cover according to an embodiment of an invention; Figure 4 shows a view of the bed with a panel opened to expose a base of resilient material according to an embodiment of an invention; and Figure 5 shows a view of the bed with the fabric cover concealing the plurality of rods and a cross-sectional view of the bed according to an embodiment of an invention. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic form in the interests of clarity and conciseness. The following embodiments of the invention are described with reference to a bed, but it will be appreciated that such embodiments and their features apply mutatis mutandis to other types of furniture that support a person's body, such as chairs and benches. A bed 20 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1 and is designated generally by the reference numeral 20. The bed 20 comprises a plurality of rods 22, a frame 24, a housing 26 and a base of resilient material 28. In this exemplary embodiment, the rods 22 are wooden and the resilient material is foam. Other materials may be used for the rods 22 and resilient material. It will be appreciated that components of the bed 20 may be made of natural materials. In this embodiment, the base of resilient material 28 includes a single layer of foam. In other embodiments, the base of resilient material 28 may include a plurality of layers of different types of foam. The layers of resilient materials may have different densities and / or have different thicknesses. The density and thickness of each foam layer may be selected to configure the base of resilient material 28 to have a desired elasticity curve. The or each foam layer may be configured as a composite foam layer made of different foams. The frame 24 comprises a plurality of through-holes. Each of the plurality of rods 22 is inserted through a respective one of the through-holes so that each rod 22 is arranged to be slidably movable in a respective one of the plurality of through-holes. The plurality of rods 22 is arranged to form an "punctiform" array of rods 22 on which a person's body 32 may rest. The number of rods 22 may vary and, in an exemplary embodiment, may number in the hundreds. The rods 22 are removable from the frame 24, for example for repair or replacement, but may be configured to be permanently installed in the frame 24. It is envisaged that the frame 24 may form part of a box containing the rods 22. The housing 26 is configured to house the base of resilient material 28. More particularly, the housing 26 is in the form of a box that houses the base of resilient material 28. The box may be made of wood, plastic or a composite material. The box includes at least one panel that can be opened to provide access to the base of resilient material 28 and also closed to restrict access to the base of resilient material 28. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, an openable panel 36 is located at one end of the bed 20, but it will be appreciated that the panel may be alternatively located at the other end or the side of the bed 20, or on top of the housing 26. The base of resilient material 28 may be removable from the housing 26, non-limiting examples of which are described later in this specification. There are different ways of removing the base of resilient material 28 from the housing 26. The base of resilient material 28 may be loaded or removed through the top of the housing 26, preferably by opening a panel on top of the housing 26. This is particularly beneficial when the base of resilient material 28 is configured as a plurality of layers of resilient materials, since loading or removing the different layers through the top of the housing 26 reduces the risk of breakage. Alternatively, the base of resilient material 28 may be loaded or removed through the side of the housing 26, preferably by opening a panel on the side of the housing 26. In other embodiments, the base of resilient material 28 may be permanently housed inside the housing 26. The frame 24 may be permanently fixed to the housing 26, or may be separable from the housing 26. The frame 24 is stacked on the housing 26 so that the base of resilient material 28 is arranged underneath the frame 24 so that each rod 22 rests on the resilient material. For example, the frame 24 (preferably configured as a box) may be stacked on top of the housing 26 (preferably configured as a box). The housing 26 may be removed from the frame 24, as necessary for maintenance, repair or reconfiguration purposes. This stacking configuration enables the rods 22 to rest on the foam material. As a result, when the rods 22 slide within the through-holes of the frame 24, each rod 22 pushes against the foam. The sliding movement of the rods 22 to push against the foam in combination with the elasticity of the foam provides the desired springiness that is provided by springs in a conventional mattress. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the frame 24 and housing 26 may be placed on top of a conventional bed frame or base. This allows the invention to be used with a standard or bespoke conventional bed frame or base, which can be designed or decorated in accordance with a user's preferences. Furthermore, in the event of damage to the conventional bed frame or base, the invention can be then moved to a new conventional bed frame or base. The rods 22 in combination provide a surface for supporting a person's body 32, as shown in Figure 2. When the person rests on the rods 22, the rods 22 are pushed downwards against the foam which provides a degree of resistance depending on the elasticity of the foam. This allows the array of rods 22 to, as a whole, effectively flex in a way to conform to the shape of the person's body 32 and also adapt to any movement of the person during rest, while the foam provides the required firmness or softness for the person's comfort. This is in contrast with a folding bed 20 that is more restricted in its adaptability, thereby limiting its ability to support a person's body 32. When the person leaves the bed 20, the rods 22 return to their original positions due to the elasticity of the foam. Preferably the rods 22 are not attached to the foam and not attached to each other. As a result, the rods 22 are configured so that a sliding movement of each rod 22 within the respective through-hole is independent of a sliding movement of each other rod 22 within the respective through-hole. Such configuration of the rods 22 enhances the ability of the rods 22 to support a person's body 32 that corresponds to the shape and movement of the person's body 32. This is in contrast to a conventional mattress in which the springs are fixed to the top and bottom mattress layers, which means that the compression of one spring causes the compression of adjacent springs even when the body 32 is not being supported by the adjacent springs. The bed 20 includes a flexible fabric cover 34 that is arranged over the frame 24 and over the plurality of rods 22, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The fabric cover 34 surrounds the rods 22 so as to conceal them. A person would rest on top of the fabric cover 34 when resting on the rods 22. In the embodiment shown, the frame 24 has a zipper 38 that can be operated to unzip part of the fabric cover 34 in order to expose the plurality of rods 22. The frame 24 is preferably not attached to the rods 22 in order to maintain the independent sliding movements of the rods 22. The frame 24 and fabric cover 34 define an air-filled space in which the plurality of rods 22 is located. Air is allowed to circulate through the air-filled space to provide breathability through the fabric and also provide cooling to the person resting on the rods 22. In addition, the fabric cover 34 may include a ventilation port 40 (such as a meshed wireframe, preferably made out of copper) to allow air to move into and out of the air-filled space. The provision of the air-filled space in combination with a breathable fabric cover 34 allows circulation of air (preferably at ambient temperature) underneath the resting person's body 32 to keep the body 32 aerated, which is particularly comforting if the person suffers from pressure sores. Additional layers or blocks of foam 42 may be arranged around the plurality of rods 22 so that the fabric cover 34 is wrapped around the additional layers or blocks of foam to help define the air-filled space. Optionally the bed 20 may include a heater configured to heat the air-filled space. The heater may take the form of one or more heating elements that are added to or built into the frame 24 and / or rods 22. Additionally or alternatively the heater may be configured as a fan blower to, in use, blow hot air into the air-filled space. The ventilation port may be adapted to accommodate the fan blower or a tubing connected to the fan blower. The inclusion of the heater provides the bed 20 with a heating function to enhance the comfort level of the person resting on the bed 20. Under certain circumstances, there may be a need to lock the position of one or more rods 22 to prevent sliding movement of the one or more rods 22. Optionally the bed 20 may include a securing mechanism 30, which is operable to lock a position of each rod 22 so as to prevent its sliding movement. The securing mechanism 30 may take any form that enables locking of the position of each rod 22. The securing mechanism 30 may include a locking member for locking the position of all of the rods 22, or may include a plurality of locking members, each of which is configured to lock one or more of the rods 22. In some embodiments, the securing mechanism 30 may be operable to lock a position of one or some of the plurality of rods 22 while permitting a sliding movement of the or each other of the plurality of rods 22. Such locking of the position of each rod 22 may be carried out by the securing mechanism 30 gripping or blocking the rods 22 to prevent their sliding movement. In the embodiment shown, the securing mechanism 30 includes a locking member in the form of a panel (e.g. a wooden or plastic panel) arranged between the frame 24 and the base of resilient material 28. The panel includes a plurality of through-holes. Each rod 22 extends through a respective one of the through-holes of the panel. During use of the bed 20 by a person, the rods 22 are permitted to freely slide through the respective through-holes of the panel. When the rods 22 are required to be locked, the panel can be moved laterally so that the through-holes are no longer aligned with the rods 22, which then prevents the rods 22 from freely sliding through the through-holes of the panel. Instead, the rods 22 rest on top of the panel. Alternatively each through-hole of the panel may be designed to have two hole sections. The first hole sections are larger in diameter than the rods 22 to permit free sliding movement of the rods 22 through the first hole sections. The second hole sections are similar in diameter to the rods 22 so that the second hole sections can grip the rods 22 to prevent free sliding movement of the rods 22 through the second hole sections. The panel may be configured to be slideable to move each rod 22 between the first and second hole sections of the corresponding through-hole. Blocking the sliding movement of the rods 22 enables the base of resilient material 28 to be removed from the housing 26 or enables the housing 26 to be separated from the frame 24, without the rods 22 falling through. That is to say, locking the positions of the rods 22 facilitates removal of the base of resilient material 28 or the housing 26 from the frame 24. This permits repair of the base of resilient material 28 or replacement of the base of resilient material 28 by a different base of resilient material 28. The latter is particularly beneficial in permitting reconfiguration of the bed's support characteristics to suit different people. For example, a higher density foam may be used to provide greater resistance against the rods 22 to increase the bed's firmness, while a lower density foam may be used to provide a higher degree of slack to increase the bed's softness. The configuration of the bed 20 of the invention results in a bed 20 with orthopaedic and curative characteristics that are beneficial for a wide range of people, particularly patients that suffer from pressure sores. Furthermore, the components of the bed 20 can be readily disassembled and reassembled to permit cleaning and drying of the bed 20, which is difficult to achieve in a conventional mattress. Optionally the bed 20 may include at least one sensor configured to, in use, detect a position of each rod 22. The or each sensor may take any form that permits detection of the position of each rod 22. For example, the or each sensor may be a contact sensor or a non-contact sensor (e.g. an optical sensor). The positions of the rods 22 may be locked using the securing mechanism 30 before using the sensors to detect the positions of the rods 22. For example, a person may rest on the bed 20, and the securing mechanism 30 is used to lock the positions of the rods 22 before the person leaves the bed 20. In this way, a person does not have to stay resting on the bed 20 while the sensors detect the positions of the rods 22. The detected positions of the rods 22 can then be processed by a processor that is programmed to generate a body imprint map based on the detected positions of the plurality of rods 22. The body imprint map may be in the form of a still three-dimensional graphic composed of the different height positions of the rods 22. Furthermore, the positions of the rods 22 may be detected over a time period in order to generate sensor data for use by the processor to generate a time-varying body imprint map from the detected positions of the plurality of rods 22. This allows the body imprint map to include information about the movement of the person resting of the bed 20. The body imprint map can be used to identify areas of discomfort for the person because abnormalities in sleeping posture and position can be identified from the body imprint map compared to a body imprint map of a well-rested and healthy person. Additionally the bed 20 may include an actuator (or a plurality of actuators) configured to, in use, vibrate one or more of the plurality of rods 22. All of the rods 22 may be vibrated at the same time, or isolated groups of the plurality of rods 22 may be vibrated while other groups of the plurality of rods 22 are not vibrated. The actuator may be, for example, a piezoelectric actuator or a motor-driven actuator. The vibration may be a constant vibration, or a time-varying vibration in which the frequency and / or amplitude of the vibration varies. The vibration of the actuator may be controlled by a controller in response to the detected position of each rod 22, for example the generated body imprint map based on the detected positions of the plurality of rods 22. This may be used to provide responsive massages to the person depending on where they are located on the bed 20 at any given time. Furthermore, using the body imprint map, the controller may selectively control the vibration of the actuators to target and massage certain parts of the body, such as a part of the body that is experiencing pain or soreness. The vibration may be performed constantly, intermittently or on demand. The controller may be in the form of a user-operable controller or may be an electronic device with a software application (such as a smartphone or tablet) for controlling the actuator. The controller may be programmed to, in use, control the actuator in multiple vibration modes to vibrate the plurality of rods 22 in different ways. The bed 20 may include a memory including computer program code. The memory and computer program code may be configured to, with the processor, enable the performance of various processing functions. The processor and memory may form part of one or more of an electronic device, a portable electronic device, a portable 5 telecommunications device, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a phablet, a laptop computer, a server, a cloud computing network, a smartphone, a smartwatch, smart eyewear, and a module for one or more of the same. It will be appreciated that references to a memory or a processor may encompass a plurality of memories or processors. 10 Preferences and options for a given aspect, feature or parameter of the invention should, unless the context indicates otherwise, be regarded as having been disclosed in combination with any and all preferences and options for all other aspects, features and parameters of the invention. 15 The listing or discussion of an apparently prior published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge.

Claims

1. A furniture comprising:a plurality of rods for supporting a person's body;a frame comprising a plurality of through-holes, each of the plurality of rods arranged to be slidably movable in a respective one of the plurality of through-holes; anda base of resilient material arranged underneath the frame so that each rod rests on the resilient material, wherein each rod is slidable within the respective through-hole to push against the resilient material.

2. A furniture according to Claim 1 wherein the furniture is a bed.

3. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a slidingmovement of each rod within the respective through-hole is independent of a sliding movement of each other rod within the respective through-hole.

4. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each rod is a wooden rod.

5. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the resilient material is or includes foam.

6. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base of resilient material includes a plurality of layers of resilient material.

7. A furniture according to Claim 6 wherein the layers of resilient materials aremade of different materials and / or have different densities and / or have different thicknesses.

8. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame includes an air-filled space in which the plurality of rods is located.

9. A furniture according to Claim 8 including a heater configured to heat the airfilled space.

10. A furniture according to Claim 9 wherein the heater is configured to, in use, blow hot air into the air-filled space and / or wherein the heater is located inside the airfilled space.

11. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims including a flexible cover arranged over the plurality of rods.

12. A furniture according to Claim 11 wherein the flexible cover material is a breathable material and / or wherein the flexible cover material includes a ventilation port and / or wherein the flexible cover material is removable from the plurality of rods.

13. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the plurality of rods are removable from the frame.

14. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims including a housing configured to house the base of resilient material, and wherein the base of resilient material is removable from the housing.

15. A furniture according to Claim 14 wherein the housing is configured to be closeable to prevent access to the base of resilient material and to be openable to permit access to the base of resilient material.

16. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the frame is stacked on the housing.

17. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims including a securing mechanism operable to lock a position of each rod so as to prevent its sliding movement.

18. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing mechanism is operable to lock a position of one or some of the plurality of rods while permitting a sliding movement of the or each other of the plurality of rods.

19. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims including at least one sensor configured to, in use, detect a position of each rod.

20. A furniture according to Claim 19 including a processor programmed to, in use, generate a body imprint map based on the detected positions of the plurality of rods.

21. A furniture according to Claim 20 wherein the processor is programmed to, in use, generate a time-varying body imprint map from the detected positions of the plurality of rods.5 22. A furniture according to any one of the preceding claims including an actuatorconfigured to, in use, vibrate at least one of the plurality of rods.

23. A furniture according to Claim 22 wherein the actuator is configured to, in use, vary a vibration at least one of the plurality of rods with time.1024. A furniture according to Claim 23 or Claim 24 when dependent from any one of Claims 19 to 21 including a controller programmed to, in use, control the actuator to vibrate at least one of the plurality of rods in response to the detected position of each rod.1525. A furniture according to Claim 24 when dependent from Claim 20 or Claim 21 wherein the controller is programmed to, in use, control the actuator to vibrate at least one of the plurality of rods in response to the generated body imprint map based on the detected positions of the plurality of rods.