Mattresses and how to order mattresses

Abstract

To provide a mattress in which vibration is hard to be transmitted among different cushion bodies.SOLUTION: Provided is a mattress including a cushion for a mattress. A plurality of persons can be laid on the cushion for the mattress in a horizontal direction. The cushion for the mattress includes a plurality of cushion bodies that can be separated in the horizontal direction. Each of the cushion bodies is formed of a filament three-dimensional connected body including a plurality of filaments, and has a contact surface that contacts the adjacent other cushion body. An end portion of the filament of each of the plurality of cushion bodies does not extend to the inside of the adjacent other cushion body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mattress formed using a cushion body and a method for receiving an order for a mattress. [Background technology]

[0002] High-resilience mattresses made from a composite (filament three-dimensional composite) obtained by three-dimensionally fusing and bonding filaments made of thermoplastic resin have been attracting attention in recent years because of their high resilience, ease of turning over, and excellent breathability.

[0003] In addition, because the 3D filament bonded body has a high porosity (generally around 95%), it can be quickly drained and dried even after washing with water, making it easy to clean.

[0004] A known method for producing such a three-dimensionally bound filament structure is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. According to this method, molten thermoplastic resin is extruded vertically downward from multiple horizontally arranged nozzles, and molten filaments approximately 1 mm in diameter are then dropped into cooling water. The buoyancy of the water causes loops to form, and the looped molten filaments are simultaneously fused and bonded three-dimensionally. The resulting molten filaments are then cooled and solidified to produce a three-dimensionally bound filament structure. By controlling the thickness of the molten filaments using rollers or metal plates at the timing of three-dimensionally fusion-bonding the molten filaments, a three-dimensionally bound filament structure of a desired thickness can be obtained. Immediately after production, the three-dimensionally bound filaments form a continuous structure with a thickness corresponding to the spacing between the rollers or metal plates. This structure can be cut to the desired size in the length direction (the direction of travel of the molten filaments) and width direction (the direction perpendicular to the thickness and length directions) to produce a mattress cushion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4966438 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2018 / 150815 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, because mattresses using three-dimensional filament composites have a high resilience, when two people sleep on a typical double bed mattress 5 (consisting of one cushion body 51 and a mattress cover 50) as shown in Figure 30, when one user turns over, the vibrations (up and down vibrations) caused by the turning over are easily transmitted to the other user, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 30, which is a problem.

[0007] On the other hand, if a mattress 6 as shown in Fig. 31, for example a six-section type mattress as shown in Fig. 12 of Patent Document 2, is used, two users can sleep on different cushion bodies 61, 62. The cushion bodies 61, 62 are covered with a mattress cover 60.

[0008] However, since the three-dimensional filament bonded body has a high void ratio of 90% to 98%, there are many gaps, and at the contact surfaces 61F, 62F of the cushion bodies 61, 62 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, part of the filament of one cushion body (especially the cut end of the filament or the loop convex portion of the filament) penetrates into the filament of the other cushion body, and they become engaged.

[0009] As a result, a large frictional force (engagement force) is generated at the contact surface, and so when one cushion body is deformed by the load W, the other cushion body is likely to deform in conjunction, as shown in Fig. 32, and it is not possible to sufficiently prevent vibrations caused by one user turning over in bed from being transmitted to the other user. In Fig. 32, the right side shows the state when the load W is applied to the cushion body 61, and the left side shows the state when the load W is not applied.

[0010] Furthermore, if the cushion bodies are compressed and contained within the mattress cover 60 to prevent the gaps between adjacent cushion bodies in the left-right direction from widening and causing limbs to fall in, the frictional force (engagement force) at the contact surfaces of the multiple cushion bodies 61, 62 increases further, which creates the problem that vibrations when turning over in bed are more easily transmitted.

[0011] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a mattress in which vibrations are less likely to be transmitted between different cushion bodies, and a method for accepting orders for such a mattress. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The mattress of the present invention has a mattress cushion on which multiple people can lie in a left-right direction, and the mattress cushion includes multiple cushion bodies that can be separated in a left-right direction, and each of the multiple cushion bodies is formed from a filament three-dimensional bonded body made up of multiple filaments and has a contact surface that comes into contact with adjacent cushion bodies, and the ends of the filaments of each of the multiple cushion bodies are configured so that they do not extend into adjacent cushion bodies.

[0013] According to this configuration, the contact friction force generated when the end of the filament (cut end of the filament or the convex loop portion of the filament) of one cushion body enters the inside of the filament of the other cushion body at the contact surface of adjacent cushion bodies in the left-right direction can be reduced, thereby suppressing the transmission of vibrations when one user turns over in sleep to the other user. More specifically, this configuration may be configured so that the end of the filament does not protrude outward from the contact surface across the entire area of ​​the contact surface of each of the multiple cushion bodies.

[0014] In the above configuration, the repulsive force of each of the plurality of cushion bodies may be 100 N or more and 200 N or less, and the contact friction force at the contact surface between adjacent cushion bodies may be more than 0 N and less than 50 N. With this configuration, the contact friction force is less than 50 N, and by using cushion bodies with a repulsive force of 100 N or more and 200 N or less, the amplitude of vibration at the contact surface is significantly attenuated. This further reduces the transmission of vibrations to the other user when one user turns over in bed.

[0015] The repulsive force in the present invention can be measured by the following method. First, the sample to be measured is placed on a horizontal table, and the uncompressed thickness of the sample is measured and defined as L1 (mm). Next, a rod-shaped pressure member (loading element) with a horizontally mounted circular plate with a diameter of 150 mm at its tip is brought into vertical contact with the center of the top surface of the sample, and a load is applied to the loading element to compress the sample in the thickness direction. The distance L2 (mm) between the bottom surface of the sample (top surface of the horizontal table) and the tip of the loading element (circular plate) is measured as the thickness of the compressed sample. The load when L2 is 7.5 mm shorter than the uncompressed sample thickness L1 (mm) (L2 = L1 - 7.5) is measured, including the weight of the loading element, and this value (N) is defined as the repulsive force.

[0016] The contact friction force in the present invention can be measured by the following method. First, two adjacent cushion bodies are cut into rectangular parallelepipeds with a horizontal plane of 20 cm square, leaving the contact surface, as samples to be measured. The two cut cushion bodies are sandwiched between two 20 cm square plates in the thickness direction (vertical direction), and each cushion body is fixed by applying a pressure of 1000 Pa to the metal plate. At this time, to prevent the contact surface from being hidden by the metal plate, a 2 cm gap is left between one side of the metal plate and the contact surface of the cushion body. The two cushion bodies are brought into contact with each other at their contact surfaces, and pressure is applied from both sides to the two cushion bodies so that a pressure of 200 Pa is applied perpendicular to the contact surface. With the contact surfaces in contact with each other at a pressure of 200 Pa, a force is applied from the center of the metal plate in a direction parallel to the contact surface so that a shear force is applied in the thickness direction of each cushion body, and the cushion bodies are slid 5 cm in the thickness direction. The maximum force (N) applied at this time is defined as the contact friction force.

[0017] In the above configuration, each of the plurality of cushion bodies may have a smooth surface layer on the contact surface. With this configuration, since there are no cut ends (cut edges) of the filaments on the contact surface, not only static contact friction but also dynamic contact friction can be reduced, making it difficult for vibrations of large amplitude to be transmitted across the contact surface. The smooth surface layer here refers to a layer extending to a depth of 2 mm from the surface of the cushion body, having a higher bulk density than the inner layer, and in which the cut ends (cut edges) of the filaments do not protrude outward from the surface.

[0018] The mattress of the present invention also includes a mattress cushion consisting of a plurality of cushion bodies, and a mattress cover that houses the mattress cushion, wherein the mattress cushion includes a plurality of separable cushion bodies, at least one of the plurality of cushion bodies includes an electronic component with communication functionality, each of the plurality of cushion bodies is formed from a filament three-dimensional bonded body consisting of a plurality of filaments, and has a contact surface that comes into contact with adjacent cushion bodies, and the ends of the filaments of each of the plurality of cushion bodies do not extend into the adjacent cushion bodies.

[0019] Although the installation location of a cushion body containing an electronic component with communication capabilities can be determined according to the user's preference, a separable cushion body made of a three-dimensional filament assembly has a problem in that the cushion body takes time to fit into the desired position due to the large contact friction, or the cushion body cannot be fitted completely, resulting in a step. In this regard, according to the present configuration, the contact friction of the cushion body containing an electronic component with communication capabilities can be reduced, making it easier for the user to fit the cushion body into the desired position. More specifically, each of the multiple cushion bodies may be configured so that the end of the filament does not protrude beyond the contact surface across the entire area of ​​the contact surface.

[0020] The present invention also provides a method for accepting orders for mattresses having the above-described configuration in which multiple cushion bodies are housed in a mattress cover, the method comprising the following steps: a cushion information input acceptance step of accepting, at a first communication terminal on the part of the orderer, input of cushion information relating to the cushion bodies for each compartment in which the multiple cushion bodies are arranged; a cushion information transmission step of transmitting the input and acceptance of the cushion information to a second communication terminal on the part of the orderee; a cushion information reception step of receiving the transmitted cushion information at the second communication terminal; and a mattress cover model number determination step of determining a model number of the mattress cover based on the received cushion information, wherein the cushion information includes information on the shape of the cushion bodies for at least each compartment. This method can prevent ordering errors such as incorrectly fitting mattress covers, even when ordering mattresses containing cushion bodies of different shapes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The mattress according to the present invention reduces the transmission of vibrations between different cushion bodies, and the mattress order acceptance method according to the present invention improves convenience when ordering a mattress having the above-mentioned effects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a mattress according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the mattress cover in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a mattress cushion accommodated in the mattress shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a cut surface smoothing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an external view of a cut surface FL1 before being smoothed. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an external view of the cut surface FL1 after smoothing. [Figure 7]10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a processing method for smoothing the cut surface of a cushion body. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the state when the mattress according to the first embodiment is used. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing how vibrations are blocked when the mattress according to the first embodiment is used. [Figure 10] 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a processing method for smoothing the cut surface of a cushion body. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a state when the cushion body according to the second embodiment is used. [Figure 12] 10 is a conceptual diagram showing how vibrations are blocked when the cushion body according to the second embodiment is used. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a mattress according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a mattress according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mattress according to a modified example of the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the shape of a cushion body that can be used as an application example of the mattress according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a specific application example of the mattress according to the third embodiment, as viewed from the front (head direction). [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a conceptual diagram of the specific application example of the mattress shown in FIG. 17 as viewed from the right side (right direction). [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a cushion body that houses electronic components having a communication function. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mattress system. [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an order receiving system. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart showing a mattress providing process. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a section location number used when ordering a mattress according to the third embodiment. [Figure 24]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a mattress order form used when ordering a mattress according to the third embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of each section when the section shape is mainly diamond-shaped. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of each section when the section shape is mainly an equilateral triangle. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of each section when the section shape is mainly an equilateral triangle. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of each section when the section shape is mainly a regular hexagon. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of each section when the section shape is mainly a regular hexagon. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a conventional mattress is used. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a conventional mattress is used. [Figure 32] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating transmission of vibration in a conventional mattress. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] 1. First embodiment First, the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mattress 1 according to the first embodiment. The up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions of the mattress 1 are as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, the approximate positions of the cushion bodies 21 to 26 are indicated by dashed lines to facilitate understanding of the internal configuration of the mattress 1.

[0025] The mattress 1 includes a mattress cover 10 that covers the entire outer surface of the mattress, and a mattress cushion 20 housed therein. Overall, the mattress 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with sides in the front-to-back direction (length direction), left-to-right direction, and up-to-down direction (thickness direction), with the left-to-right dimension being slightly smaller than the front-to-back dimension, and the up-to-down dimension being sufficiently smaller than the left-to-right dimension.

[0026] The mattress cushion 20 is composed of cushion bodies 21 to 26 formed of a total of six three-dimensionally bonded filaments, which are divided into two in the left-right direction and three in the length direction.

[0027] The mattress 1 according to the first embodiment is usually placed on a level floor or bed, and is used with two users lying side by side on top of the mattress 1. When used in this manner, the up-down direction of the mattress 1 coincides with the vertical direction. The mattress 1 can be used optimally when its front-to-back size is adjusted to roughly match the height of the user, but the front-to-back and left-to-right sizes can be freely changed according to preference.

[0028] The mattress cover 10 has a top cover 11, a bottom cover 12, and a fastener 13. With a mattress cushion 20 placed inside the top cover 11 and the bottom cover 12, the top cover 11 and the bottom cover 12 are joined together by the fastener 13.

[0029] The fastener 13 is configured to be less stretchable than other parts of the mattress cover 10, and serves to prevent stretching of the perimeter of the mattress cover 10 (serves as a stretch-preventing member). The fastener 13 is provided at a substantially constant vertical position (height) and goes all the way around the outer periphery of the mattress cover 10 when viewed from above.

[0030] In this embodiment, a zipper using a fabric tape is used as the stretch prevention member, and this zipper is arranged so as to cover the entire joining portion of the top cover 11 and the bottom cover 12. By opening the zipper 13, the top cover 11 and the bottom cover 12 can be completely separated.

[0031] The stretch-preventing member, an example of which is the fastener 13, prevents the mattress cover 10 from stretching in the longitudinal direction and prevents the gaps between the cushion bodies 21-26 from widening due to the stretching of the mattress cover 10. Note that the stretch-preventing member is not limited to one that completely prevents stretching. The stretch-preventing member needs to be a member that stretches no more than 2 cm per meter when pulled with a force of 100 N, and preferably a member that stretches no more than 1 cm per meter.

[0032] In particular, it is preferable that the stretching of the sides (left-facing and right-facing sides) parallel to the length direction (usually corresponding to the user's height) be 0.5 cm or less per meter when pulled with a force of 100 N. Examples of materials that can be used as stretch-preventing members include woven tapes made of synthetic fibers.

[0033] The stretch-preventing members are preferably attached at positions that are 50 to 99% of the height from the bottom surface 12a to the top surface 11a (FIG. 2, described later) (positions closer to the top surface 11a than the center), and are provided continuously in the circumferential direction when viewed from above. In this case, the stretch-preventing members are preferably arranged so as to continuously surround the circumferential surface 10A of the mattress cover 10, including the two side surfaces (the left-facing and right-facing sides) that are parallel to the longitudinal direction.

[0034] Although this embodiment employs a belt-shaped stretch-preventing member, other than this, for example, the entire peripheral portion 10A may be designed to function as a stretch-preventing member by using canvas fabric, etc. Furthermore, to improve breathability, it is desirable to provide multiple ventilation holes or a mesh fabric with excellent breathability in the peripheral portion 10A.

[0035] The shapes of the top surface portion 11a and the bottom surface portion 12a are not limited to the rectangular shape of this embodiment, and may be, for example, a rectangular shape with rounded corners. In this case, the boundary portions (upper and lower sides) between the front, rear, left, and right side surfaces of the peripheral surface portion 10A may also be rounded in the same manner.

[0036] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the mattress cover 10 in Figure 1. More specifically, Figure 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the mattress cover 10 disassembled into a top cover 11 and a bottom cover 12. The covers 11 and 12 can be fastened together by a fastener 13. As described above, the fastener 13 functions as an anti-stretch member.

[0037] 2(A), the upper cover 11 has a rectangular upper surface 11a that contacts the user when sleeping, and a peripheral surface 11b that is made up of four rectangular side surfaces connected to the upper surface 11a, and as a whole, it has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with an internal space. An upper fastener member 13a is provided on the peripheral surface 11b.

[0038] The bottom cover 12 shown in Figure 2(B) has a rectangular bottom surface 12a that contacts a horizontal floor, bed, etc., and a peripheral surface 12b consisting of four rectangular side surfaces connected to the bottom surface 12a, and as a whole has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with an internal space. A lower fastener member 13b is provided on the peripheral surface 12b. When the upper fastener member 13a and the lower fastener member 13b engage with each other, it becomes the fastener 13 shown in Figure 1.

[0039] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the mattress cushion 20 housed within the mattress 1 shown in Figure 1. The mattress cushion 20 can be divided into six cushion bodies 21 to 26 in the left-right and length directions. From another perspective, the mattress cushion 20 is formed by lining up three cushion bodies 21 to 23 in order in the length direction and three cushion bodies 24 to 26 in order in the length direction, lined up in the left-right direction.

[0040] The six cushion bodies 21-26 are formed of three-dimensionally bound filaments made of resin. A three-dimensionally bound filament is an elastic member obtained by three-dimensionally fusing and bonding molten filaments of a thermoplastic resin. In the manufacturing process of a three-dimensionally bound filament, molten thermoplastic resin is extruded vertically downward from multiple horizontally arranged nozzles. As a result, molten filaments with a cross-sectional diameter of approximately 1 mm are dropped into cooling water, where the buoyancy of the water causes loops to form. At the same time, the looped molten filaments are three-dimensionally fusing and bonded to each other, thereby obtaining a three-dimensionally bound filament. By controlling the thickness and width of the molten filaments extruded from the multiple nozzles using a chute (metal plate) and a take-up machine (roller or conveyor), a smooth surface layer with a higher filament density at both ends in the thickness direction and at both ends in the width direction than at the center in the thickness direction can be formed. Examples of methods for manufacturing such three-dimensionally bound filaments include the method disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0041] The thickness (vertical dimension) of the three-dimensionally bound filaments is preferably within a range of 10 to 25 cm. In addition, the filament diameter (cross-sectional diameter) of the three-dimensionally bound filaments is preferably within a range of 0.5 to 2 mm, and the bulk density is preferably 30 to 150 kg / m 3 It is preferable that the range is within the range of

[0042] If the filament diameter of the three-dimensionally bound filaments is less than 0.5 mm, the drainage after washing and the drying time will be longer. Conversely, if the filament diameter exceeds 2 mm, the three-dimensionally bound filaments will likely lose their soft feel. If the bulk density of the three-dimensionally bound filaments is 30 kg / m 3 If the bulk density is less than 150 kg / m, the three-dimensional filament bond itself will be easily deformed in the longitudinal direction, and oval grooves or depressions will be easily formed on the surface of the mattress. 3 If the weight exceeds this limit, the three-dimensional filament bond becomes heavy and difficult to transport.

[0043] The bulk density of the filament three-dimensional assembly can be measured, for example, by a measurement method using a rectangular parallelepiped measurement sample. In this measurement method, first, the mass W (kg) of the measurement sample and the size (m) of the measurement sample in each direction (vertical, horizontal, and height directions) are measured. In addition, the volume V (m) of the measurement sample is calculated by multiplying the size (m) of the measurement sample in each direction (vertical, horizontal, and height directions). 3 ) is calculated. Bulk density (kg / m 3 ) is the mass W (kg) of the measurement sample and the volume V (m 3 ) is calculated by dividing by

[0044] The six cushion bodies 21 to 26 have smooth surface layers formed on the contact surfaces between adjacent cushion bodies in the left-right direction, i.e., contact surfaces 21f and 24f between cushion body 21 and cushion body 24, contact surfaces 22f and 25f between cushion body 22 and cushion body 25, and contact surfaces 23f and 26f between cushion body 23 and cushion body 26. This smooth surface layer extends to a depth of 2 mm from the surface of the cushion body, has a higher bulk density than the inner side, and the cut ends (cut edges) of the filaments do not protrude outward from the surface. Note that each of the contact surfaces 21f to 26f is a surface that is parallel to the up-down direction (thickness direction) and perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0045] The smooth surface layer is formed at the contact surface between adjacent cushion bodies to prevent the ends of the filaments (cut ends of the filaments or convex loop portions of the filaments) of one cushion body from penetrating into the filaments of the other cushion body, and it is preferable that the filaments are fused (bonded) to each other at a high density so that no free filaments form protrusions.

[0046] Methods for forming a smooth surface layer include, for example, a method in which a three-dimensional filament bond (network structure) is produced using a chute as described in Patent Document 1 and a smooth surface layer is simultaneously formed on the surface layer (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "first method"), and a method in which a three-dimensional filament bond is formed, cut to a predetermined size, and then pressed while heating and melting the cut surface to form a smooth surface layer (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "second method").

[0047] If the density (porosity) of the smooth surface layer is too low, the breathability (air permeability) of the three-dimensional filament bonded body will be impaired and the resilience will increase significantly, so the porosity (volume of air per unit volume) of the smooth surface layer is preferably 30% or more and 85% or less. If the porosity is less than 30%, there are concerns that the breathability will decrease and the resilience will become too high. On the other hand, if the porosity is more than 85%, there will be many free (single) filaments, and there is concern that the frictional force with the adjacent cushion body will become too high.

[0048] The smoothness should be such that the ends of the filaments of one cushion body at the contact surface of adjacent cushion bodies can be prevented from penetrating into the filaments of the other cushion body, and the smoothness should be such that the surface layer of the filament three-dimensional bonded body is melted and pressed with a plate or roller so that the porosity of the smooth surface layer is in the range of 30% or more and 85% or less.

[0049] In the present embodiment, an embodiment has been exemplified in which a smooth surface layer is formed only on the contact surfaces 21f-26f between laterally adjacent cushion bodies among all the surfaces of the cushion bodies 21-26, but a smooth surface layer may also be formed on all the surfaces of the cushion bodies 21-26. By smoothing the entire surface, the upper surface of the mattress cushion 20 becomes smooth, improving sleeping comfort and also allowing the mattress cushion 20 to be inserted and removed more smoothly from the mattress cover 10.

[0050] According to the first method described above, it is possible to form a smooth surface layer on the surface layer at the same time as producing a three-dimensional filament assembly, whereas it is possible to form a smooth surface layer on the cut surface resulting from cutting the produced three-dimensional filament assembly by the second method.

[0051] An example of an apparatus that enables the formation of a smooth surface layer by the second method is the cut surface smoothing apparatus Xa shown in Fig. 4. The cut surface smoothing apparatus Xa is an apparatus that performs processing to smooth the cut surface FL1 of the filament three-dimensional assembly FL that has been cut to a predetermined size in a previous process.

[0052] As shown in the figure, the rollers R are provided on both the left and right sides of the conveyor C, facing each other, and are rotatable about their central axes extending vertically. The outer surface of one of the left and right rollers R is arranged to contact one cut surface FL1 of the filament 3D combined body FL conveyed by the conveyor C, and the outer surface of the other roller R is arranged to contact the other cut surface FL1. The distance between the outer surfaces of the rollers R is set to be slightly smaller than the distance between the cut surfaces FL1 of the filament 3D combined body FL.

[0053] A heater H is disposed inside each roller R to heat the roller R. The heater H is, for example, a halogen heater, and heats the roller R so that the temperature of at least the outer surface of the roller R is equal to or higher than the melting point of the three-dimensional filament assembly FL. Note that the specific form of the heater H is not particularly limited within the scope of the present invention, and may be, for example, one that outputs hot air or one that uses induction heating (IH). The heater H may also be one that heats the roller R from outside the roller R.

[0054] When the 3D filament assembly FL conveyed by the conveyor C passes the position sandwiched between the rollers R, each roller R rotates in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 5 due to the force it receives from the cut surface FL1. That is, each roller R rotates in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyor C while contacting the cut surface FL1 (i.e., so that the direction of travel at the contact point is the same). Note that a driving device such as a motor that rotates the rollers R may be provided, and the driving device may rotate the rollers R in accordance with the conveying speed of the 3D filament assembly FL.

[0055] Because the distance between the outer surfaces of the rollers R is slightly smaller than the distance between the two cut surfaces FL1 of the three-dimensional filament combined body FL, each cut surface FL1 advances in the conveying direction while being slightly pressed by each roller R. At this time, because the outer surfaces of the rollers R are at a temperature higher than the melting point of the three-dimensional filament combined body FL, each cut surface FL1 is smoothed. Once the entire three-dimensional filament combined body FL has passed the position where it is sandwiched between the rollers R, each cut surface FL1 is smoothed in its entirety. In this way, it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional filament combined body FL in which the cut surfaces FL1 on both the left and right sides are smoothed.

[0056] Here, Fig. 5 shows an example of an external view (photograph) of the cut surface FL1 before smoothing, and Fig. 6 shows an example of an external view (photograph) of the cut surface FL1 after smoothing. Note that Fig. 5 shows a view from a direction roughly perpendicular to the cut surface FL1. Fig. 6 also shows views from slightly different directions on the left and right.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, the cut surface FL1 before smoothing is noticeably uneven, and in particular, the filament loops that form the filament 3D bonded assembly FL are cut with a cutter, resulting in the exposed ends of the filaments. On the other hand, in the cut surface FL1 shown in Figure 6, the exposed filament ends are melted and pressed by the roller R, fusing them to nearby filaments and deforming in the pressing direction, resulting in a smoother surface than the cut surface FL1 shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, in the cut surface FL1, the entire filament is pressed by the roller R while heated and melted, resulting in a smoother surface. This achieves the formation of a smooth surface layer using the second method.

[0058] The specific method for forming a smooth surface layer by the second method is not limited to the method using a roller as described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a heated flat plate 30 may be pressed against the cut surface (e.g., contact surface 21f, 24f) of a three-dimensional filament assembly (e.g., cushion body 21, 24) in a direction perpendicular to the cut surface to form a smooth surface on the cut surface. As a heating means for the flat plate 30, a halogen heater may be used, or high-frequency induction heating (IH) that uses electromagnetic induction to heat, or an ultrasonic plastic welder (manufactured by Ultrasonic Industrial Co., Ltd.) that applies ultrasonic vibrations to thermoplastic resin to generate heat at the interface, may be used. While the second method has been exemplified as a method for reducing the contact frictional force on the cut surface, any method that can reduce the contact frictional force on the cut surface may be used.

[0059] Note that cutting devices for cutting 3D filament-bound structures with blades include high-speed cutting machines such as circular saws. However, because 3D filament-bound structures have a high porosity (80-95%) and individual filaments are flexible with a diameter of approximately 1 mm, when the filaments are subjected to compressive or impact forces from the rotating teeth during cutting, they easily deform in a direction that escapes from the rotating teeth, and are cut in this state.

[0060] When the compressive and impact forces of the rotating teeth are removed, the cut filaments in their deformed state attempt to return to their pre-deformed state, but the distance each filament returns varies, resulting in an uneven cut surface. As a result, if the imaginary plane formed by connecting the cut points of the filaments is viewed as the cut surface of the 3D filament bond, the cut surface will have irregularities of approximately 5 to 10 mm. If the irregularities exceed 5 mm, the cut ends of some of the filaments on the cut surface of the 3D filament bond will penetrate into adjacent 3D filament bonds, generating an engagement force and increasing the contact friction force.

[0061] In view of the above-mentioned problems, other methods (third method) for reducing the unevenness of the cut surface (contact friction force) include, for example, cutting the three-dimensional filament assembly using a circular saw after cooling it to a temperature at which its elasticity is no longer reduced, or cutting the three-dimensional filament assembly using a circular saw while compressing it in the thickness direction (making it difficult for the filaments to move when cutting). Another method involves increasing the peripheral speed of the rotating blades when cutting with a circular saw. In this case, the peripheral speed of the rotating blades is preferably 50 m / sec or higher. Another method involves reducing the compressive force applied to the three-dimensional filament assembly from the rotating blades when cutting with a circular saw, thereby reducing the amount of deformation of the three-dimensional filament assembly.

[0062] When using a three-dimensional filament assembly with a repulsive force of 100 N or more and 200 N or less, the force applied to the three-dimensional filament assembly from the tooth tip is preferably 100 N or less, and the pressure applied to the three-dimensional filament assembly from the rotary tooth is preferably 5,000,000 Pascals or less. This reduces the amplitude of vibration generated at one of the adjacent three-dimensional filament assembly at the contact surface, making it difficult for the vibration to be transmitted to the other three-dimensional filament assembly. Furthermore, the smoothness index of the cut surface is preferably 0 mm or more and 3 mm or less, and more preferably 0 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0063] In the present invention, the smoothness index of the cut surface of a cushion body can be measured using the following method. First, two metal plates α, each with a plurality of 5 mm long metal needles fixed to its surface at 5 cm intervals, are used to sandwich and fix the cushion body in the thickness direction (parallel to the cut surface) (with the metal needles of each metal plate α piercing the cushion body). In this state, a metal plate β having a pressing surface with the same shape and area as the cut surface is placed so that the pressing surface faces the cut surface, and this metal plate β is moved parallel to the cut surface. In this way, the movement distance of the metal plate β is measured from the point when the cut surface is pressed against the cut surface so that a pressure of 100 Pa is applied in the perpendicular direction to the cut surface to the point when a pressure of 500 Pa is applied in the same direction. This measured movement distance is taken as the smoothness index. Note that the fewer the number of filaments protruding outward from the cut surface and the shorter the length of the filaments, the smaller the smoothness index of the cut surface tends to be, and the cut surface can be said to be smoother. A cover may be provided to cover the cutting surface in order to reduce the contact friction of the cutting surface, which makes it easier to insert and remove the mattress cover.

[0064] Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the state when the mattress 1 according to the first embodiment is used. Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the state when vibrations are blocked when the mattress 1 according to the first embodiment is used. In Fig. 9, the cushion body 21 and the cushion body 24 are adjacent to each other, and the state when a load W is applied to the cushion body 21 is shown on the right side, and the state when no load W is applied is shown on the left side.

[0065] When the user on the left side of Fig. 8 turns over in his sleep, up and down movement (vibration) occurs in the cushion body 21, but because the contact surface 21f of the cushion body 21 and the contact surface 24f of the cushion body 24 are smoothed and the frictional force (engagement force) is low, the transmission of the up and down movement (vibration) to the cushion body 24 is suppressed. As a result, the effect is obtained that the vibration is less likely to be transmitted to the user on the right side. Similarly, the vibration caused by the user on the right side turning over is less likely to be transmitted to the user on the left side.

[0066] As described above, the mattress 1 has a mattress cushion 20 on which multiple people can lie in a lateral direction, and the mattress cushion 20 includes multiple cushion bodies 21-26 that can be separated in a lateral direction. In the mattress 1, each of the multiple cushion bodies 21-26 is formed from a three-dimensional filament assembly made up of multiple filaments, and has contact surfaces 21f-26f that come into contact with adjacent cushion bodies. Furthermore, in the mattress 1, the ends of the filaments (cut ends of the filaments and convex loop portions of the filaments) of each of the multiple cushion bodies 21-26 do not extend into the adjacent cushion bodies (i.e., inside the contact surfaces of the adjacent cushion bodies).

[0067] Therefore, with the mattress 1, the contact friction force that occurs when the ends of the filaments of one cushion body penetrate into the filaments of the other cushion body at the contact surfaces 21f-26f of laterally adjacent cushion bodies can be reduced, thereby preventing vibrations caused by one user turning over in bed from being transmitted to the other user. In the mattress 1, the ends of the filaments of each of the multiple cushion bodies 21-26 are designed not to protrude beyond the contact surface across the entire area of ​​the contact surfaces 21f-26f. This reliably prevents the ends of the filaments from penetrating into adjacent cushion bodies.

[0068] Furthermore, in the mattress 1, it is preferable that the repulsive force of each of the cushion bodies 21-26 is 100N or more and 200N or less, and the contact friction force at the contact surfaces 21f-26f between adjacent cushion bodies is more than 0N and less than 50N. In this way, since the contact friction force is less than 50N, the amplitude of vibration at the contact surfaces is significantly attenuated by using cushion bodies with a repulsive force of 100N or more and 200N or less. This further reduces the transmission of vibrations to the other user when one user turns over in sleep.

[0069] Furthermore, each of the cushion bodies 21 to 26 has a smooth surface layer on the contact surfaces 21f to 26f. Therefore, there are no cut ends (cut edges) of the filaments on the contact surfaces 21f to 26f, and therefore not only static contact friction but also dynamic contact friction can be reduced, so that even if large-amplitude vibrations occur, the vibrations are less likely to be transmitted to the contact surfaces 21f to 26f.

[0070] 2. Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment, except that recesses, which will be described later, are formed on the contact surfaces 21f to 26f of the cushion bodies 21 to 26. In the second embodiment, the cushion body 21 of the first embodiment corresponds to a cushion body 121, and the cushion body 24 of the first embodiment corresponds to a cushion body 124.

[0071] Fig. 10 shows one method for forming a smooth surface layer by the second method, which is an example of the method employed in the second embodiment. Fig. 10 shows the processing of two cushion bodies 121 and 124, but the remaining four cushion bodies (cushion bodies corresponding to cushion bodies 22, 23, 25, and 26 in the first embodiment) are also processed in the same manner.

[0072] 10, the cut surfaces (contact surfaces 121f, 123f) of the cushion bodies 121, 124 are pressed by the heated roller 130. As a result, the cut surfaces are pressed by the roller 130 in a state in which the entire filament is heated and melted, and as a result, the cut surfaces are smoothed and densified, and a smooth surface layer is formed.

[0073] The roller 130 has a crown formed on the roller surface that comes into contact with the cut surface. That is, the diameter of the roller 130 relative to the rotation axis increases from both ends in the direction of the rotation axis toward the inside. The method for heating the roller 130 may be the same as the method for heating the flat plate 30 described above. By pressing the cut surface with a roller surface having such a crown, a recess that is recessed inward can be formed on the cut surface.

[0074] Fig. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing the state when cushion bodies 121 and 124 according to the second embodiment are used, and Fig. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing the state when vibrations are blocked when cushion bodies 121 and 122 according to the second embodiment are used. In Fig. 12, cushion body 121 and cushion body 124 are adjacent to each other, and the state when a load W is applied to cushion body 121 is shown on the right side, and the state when no load W is applied is shown on the left side.

[0075] 11, as the user on the left side turns over, up and down movement (vibration) occurs in cushion body 121, but because contact surface 121f of cushion body 121 and contact surface 124f of cushion body 124 are smoothed in a concave shape and frictional force (engagement force) is almost eliminated, transmission of up and down movement (vibration) to cushion body 124 is minimized. As a result, the effect is achieved in which the vibration is less likely to be transmitted to the user on the right side. Similarly, vibrations caused by the user on the right side turning over are less likely to be transmitted to the user on the left side.

[0076] 3. Third embodiment Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a mattress 200 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 14 is a plan view of the mattress 200. The up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions of the mattress 200 are as shown in Fig. 13. In Figs. 13 and 14, the approximate positions of the cushion bodies Q11 to Q66 are indicated by dashed lines to facilitate understanding of the internal configuration of the mattress 200.

[0077] Mattress 200 includes a mattress cover 210 that covers the entire outer surface thereof, and a mattress cushion 220 formed of a three-dimensional filament bond housed therein. Overall, mattress 200 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with sides in the front-to-back direction (length direction), left-to-right direction, and up-to-down direction (thickness direction), with the left-to-right dimension being slightly smaller than the front-to-back dimension, and the up-to-down dimension being sufficiently smaller than the left-to-right dimension.

[0078] The mattress cushion 220 is divided into six sections in the left-right direction and six sections in the length direction, and is made up of a total of 36 cushion bodies Q11 to Q66. The mattress cushion 220 is sized so that multiple people can lie down side by side, but it can also be used by one person to lie down on it.

[0079] Each of the 36 cushions Q11 to Q66 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a smooth surface layer is formed on the entire outer surface of each cushion Q11 to Q66. This allows for smooth insertion and removal of each cushion into the mattress cover 210, and reduces the effect of friction with adjacent cushions, allowing for independent up and down movement. Note that each cushion Q11 to Q66 may have a smooth surface layer formed only on the surface that comes into contact with adjacent cushions.

[0080] The mattress cover 210 has an upper cover 210a, a bottom cover 210b, and a fastener 213. With a mattress cushion 220 placed inside the upper cover 210a and the bottom cover 210b, the upper cover 210a and the bottom cover 210b are joined together by the fastener 213.

[0081] The fastener 213 is configured to be less likely to stretch than other parts of the mattress cover 210, and serves to prevent stretching of the perimeter of the mattress cover 210 (serves as a stretch-preventing member). The fastener 213 is provided at a substantially constant vertical position (height) and goes around the outer periphery of the mattress cover 210 when viewed from above.

[0082] In mattress 200, rectangular parallelepiped cushions Q11 to Q66 of the same shape are housed within mattress cover 210. However, as an application example of mattress 200, two or more cushions with different resilience or shapes can be used. This allows the cushions of the mattress to be easily changed depending on the bed position, the environment in which it is used, the user's physical condition, or the functions the user desires to use, thereby providing a comfortable sleeping environment under a variety of changing conditions. Details of such application examples will be described later.

[0083] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a mattress 290 according to a modified example of the third embodiment. The mattress 290 has a structure in which an overlay mattress 270 is placed on the upper surface of the mattress 200 shown in Fig. 13. The overlay mattress 270 includes a mattress cover 210C that covers the entire outer surface of the mattress, and a mattress cushion 280 formed from a single sheet of three-dimensionally bound filaments that is housed therein.

[0084] By placing the overlay mattress 270, it is possible to prevent parts of the body from falling into the gaps between adjacent cushion bodies. The thickness of the mattress cushion 280 is preferably 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less. If the thickness is less than 10 mm, it is difficult to obtain the effect of preventing falling, and if it exceeds 50 mm, it is difficult to obtain the effect of dividing the cushion bodies of the mattress 200.

[0085] Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the shape of a cushion body that can be used as an application example of the mattress 200 according to the third embodiment. The various cushion bodies shown in Fig. 16 can be arbitrarily selected and used as each of the cushion bodies Q11 to Q66 in the mattress 200.

[0086] 16(a) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion Da. By preparing a variety of cushions Da with different resilience in advance, it is possible to select a cushion with the most suitable resilience for each part of the body.

[0087] Figure 16(b) shows a two-layered rectangular parallelepiped cushion Db. The cushion Db is configured with a high-resilience upper cushion Dba and an ultra-high-resilience lower cushion Dbb arranged one above the other, making it possible to use it as a cushion for sitting on the edge of the bed with extremely high resilience that does not sink in even when sitting on the mattress, without compromising body pressure distribution.

[0088] 16(c) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Dc with one end higher in the front-to-back direction. Even if the bed does not have a headboard, by placing the cushion body Dc at the front end in the front-to-back direction of the mattress cushion 220, it is possible to prevent the pillow from slipping down.

[0089] 16(d) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Dd with one end higher in the left-right direction. Even if there are no handrails or walls on the sides of the bed, by placing the cushion body Dd at the left and right ends of the mattress cushion 220, it is possible to prevent the comforter from slipping off.

[0090] Figure 16(e) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion De (a variation of cushion Dd) with one end elevated on the left and right. The elevated portion of cushion De is inclined at a 90-degree angle relative to the other portions, and the corners of the elevated portion are rounded. This not only prevents the comforter from slipping down, but also makes it easy to pull up the comforter if it does slip down.

[0091] 16(f) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Df with one end higher in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. By placing the cushion body Df at a corner on the head side of the mattress (the front end of the mattress cushion 220), it can be used as a place to store small items needed while sleeping, such as a smartphone, medicine, or a watch. Note that not only cushion body Df but also other cushion bodies may have a recess (holder) formed on the top surface of the cushion body to store a smartphone or a plastic bottle of drink to prevent it from falling or tipping over.

[0092] Fig. 17 shows a specific application example of the mattress 200 according to the third embodiment, and is a conceptual diagram viewed from the front (head direction), and Fig. 18 is a conceptual diagram viewed from the right side (right direction) of the specific application example of the mattress 200 shown in Fig. 17. Note that in the mattress shown in Figs. 17 and 18, the installation of the overlay mattress 270 is omitted, and a mattress cover 210 that fits the shape of the mattress cushion 220 is used.

[0093] In the mattress shown in Figures 17 and 18, the four cushion bodies Q21, Q31, Q41, and Q51 shown in Figure 13 have been replaced from rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Da to rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Dc (Figure 16(c)), which has one higher end in the front-to-back direction; three cushion bodies Q62 to Q64 and three cushion bodies Q12 to Q14 have been replaced from rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Da to rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Db (Figure 16(b)), which has a two-layer structure; and two cushion bodies Q65 and Q66 and two cushion bodies Q15 and Q16 have been replaced from rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Da to rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Dd (Figure 16(d)), which has one higher end in the left-to-right direction.

[0094] Fig. 19 is a conceptual diagram of a cushion body formed of a three-dimensional filament assembly that houses an electronic component with a communication function (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an IoT module), which can be used as another application example of the mattress 200 according to the third embodiment. The various cushion bodies shown in Fig. 19 can be arbitrarily selected and used as each of the cushion bodies Q11 to Q66 in the mattress 200. The cushion body shown in Fig. 19 may be appropriately combined with the cushion body configuration shown in Fig. 16 described above.

[0095] The IoT module housed in the cushion includes a communication device, an electronic device connected to the communication device, and an internal battery. The IoT module may also be provided with electrical wiring for supplying power from an external source as needed.

[0096] Examples of communication devices included in IoT modules include short-range wireless communication devices such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC. The short-range wireless communication device connects to a host communication device such as a smartphone (hereinafter simply referred to as a host device), and necessary data is sent and received. Figure 20 shows an example configuration of a mattress system consisting of an IoT module and a host device 300.

[0097] The electronic devices included in the IoT module may be, for example, information collection devices such as a temperature and humidity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a touch sensor, a switch, a microphone, etc. An IoT module 301 having such information collection devices transmits collected information to a host device 300, as shown in FIG.

[0098] Furthermore, examples of electronic devices included in the IoT module include function-providing devices such as LED lighting, fans, speakers, heaters, humidifiers, heat-retaining shutters, sterilizing ion generators, aroma generators, massage vibrators, body pillow airbags, calf-lifting airbags, airbags for bedsore patients, position-changing airbags for preventing bedsores, and up-and-down movement airbags for alarms. As shown in Figure 20, an IoT module 302 having such function-providing devices receives data from the host device 300 via a communication device and drives the function-providing devices based on the received data. In other words, the function-providing devices can also be considered as driving devices that are driven based on the data received by the communication device.

[0099] Air mattresses for bedsore patients, consisting of multiple air bags (sometimes called air cells) with individually controllable pressure, have traditionally been used. The cause of bedsore development and exacerbation is poor circulation caused by prolonged pressure on specific protruding areas, such as bones, of patients with bedsores who are unable to turn over in bed. To relieve prolonged pressure, the pressure of each air bag is changed every 10 minutes or so to prevent high pressure from being applied to specific areas for long periods of time.

[0100] However, in conventional air mattresses for bedsore patients, due to the tendency for airbags to deform, when the internal pressure of one airbag becomes lower than that of an adjacent airbag, the contact area between the airbag with the lower internal pressure and the bedsore patient becomes smaller, while the contact area between the adjacent airbag with the higher internal pressure and the bedsore patient becomes larger. As a result, there is a problem of high pressure areas always being generated near the boundaries of the airbags. In response to this problem, by providing a three-dimensional filament bonded structure on the top of the airbag, as in the present invention, the contact area with the bedsore patient remains constant, resulting in a more defined pressure distribution.

[0101] Note that a single cushion body may contain multiple electronic devices, or may contain both an IoT module 301 having an information collection device and an IoT module 302 having a function provision device. Also, as shown in Fig. 20, an external IoT module 303 such as an indoor air conditioner and indoor lighting is provided outside the mattress 200, and the external IoT module 303 is controlled by the host device 300.

[0102] 19(a) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Ua equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor Ma (IoT module 301) with a communication function inside. The temperature and humidity sensor Ma measures the temperature and humidity inside the mattress and transmits the data to a host device 300 such as a smartphone. The host device 300 can send data to an external IoT module 303 such as an indoor air conditioner according to a preset procedure, and control the external IoT module 303.

[0103] 19(b) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion Ub equipped with a touch sensor Mb (IoT module 301) with communication capabilities inside. The touch sensor Mb can transmit data (indicating the user's intention) to the host device 300 simply by being touched by the user, even in a pitch-black bedroom. The host device 300 receives the data and sends it to an IoT module 302 with a function of providing a blower fan function or an external IoT module 303 such as an indoor lighting lamp, according to a preset procedure, thereby activating the IoT module 302 or the external IoT module 303.

[0104] 19(c) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Uc equipped with a blower fan Mc (IoT module 302) with a communication function inside. The rotation speed of the blower fan Mc is controlled according to data sent from the host device 300.

[0105] 19(d) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion Ud with a higher end in the front-to-rear direction and an internal acceleration sensor Md (IoT module 301) with communication capabilities. By using a blower fan Mc, a user can transmit data (indicating the user's intention) to the host device 300 simply by pressing the acceleration sensor Md, even in a pitch-black bedroom. The host device 300 receives this data and sends it to an IoT module 302 with a function providing a blower fan or an external IoT module 303 such as an indoor lamp, according to a preset procedure, thereby operating the indoor lamp, blower fan, etc.

[0106] FIG. 19(e) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion Ue with one end elevated in the front-to-rear direction, which includes a microphone Me1 (IoT module 301) with communication capabilities and an LED lighting device Me2 (IoT module 302) with communication capabilities. By using the cushion Ue, even in a pitch-black bedroom, a user can transmit data (indicating the user's intentions) to the host device 300 simply by speaking into the microphone Me1. The host device 300, upon receiving the data, can activate the LED lighting device Me2 and other devices according to a preset procedure. Furthermore, if the host device 300 is a device with a telephone function, such as a smartphone, the user may be able to speak into the microphone Me1 and receive a call (converse on the phone) using the user's voice.

[0107] 19(f) shows a rectangular parallelepiped cushion body Uf equipped with multiple cylindrical airbags Mf (IoT modules 302) with internal communication capabilities. By using the cushion body Uf, the resilience (ease of deformation) of the cushion body Uf can be changed by changing the internal pressure of the cylindrical airbags Mf without changing the height of the cushion body's upper surface. The multiple cylindrical airbags Mf are equipped with air pumps Mfa that can pump air into and exhaust air from the airbags Mf, allowing the internal pressure of the airbags Mf to be changed according to data sent from the host device 300.

[0108] FIG. 19(g) shows a rectangular parallelepiped, two-layered cushion body Ug with an airbag Mg (IoT module 302) with communication capabilities at the bottom of the cushion body. By using the cushion body Ug, the height of the upper surface of the cushion body can be changed by changing the volume of the airbag Mg. The airbag Mg is provided with an air pump Mga that can pump air into the airbag Mg and exhaust air from the airbag Mg, so that the height of the airbag Mg can be changed according to data sent from the host device 300. Note that in FIG. 19(g), the right side shows the airbag Mg with air pumped into it, and the left side shows the airbag Mg without air pumped into it.

[0109] The mattress using the cushion body illustrated in FIG. 19 includes a mattress cushion consisting of multiple cushion bodies and a mattress cover that houses the mattress cushion. The mattress cushion includes multiple separable cushion bodies, and at least one of the multiple cushion bodies includes an electronic component with communication capabilities. In the mattress using the cushion body illustrated in FIG. 19, each of the multiple cushion bodies is formed of a three-dimensional filament assembly consisting of multiple filaments and has a contact surface that contacts adjacent cushion bodies. Furthermore, in the mattress, the ends of the filaments of each of the multiple cushion bodies (cut ends of the filaments and convex loop portions of the filaments) do not extend into adjacent cushion bodies (i.e., inside the contact surfaces of the adjacent cushion bodies).

[0110] Therefore, with this mattress, the contact friction of the cushion body including the electronic components with communication functions can be reduced, making it easier for the user to fit the cushion body into the desired position. In the mattress using the cushion body illustrated in Fig. 19, the ends of the filaments of each of the multiple cushion bodies are designed not to protrude beyond the contact surface across the entire area of ​​the contact surface. Therefore, the ends of the filaments are reliably prevented from getting into adjacent cushion bodies.

[0111] Next, an order receiving system that can be used to receive an order from an orderer for the mattress 200 according to the third embodiment will be described. Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an order receiving system. The order receiving system 40 shown in Fig. 21 has a mobile terminal 41 as an example of a communication terminal on the orderer side, and a server 42 as an example of a communication terminal on the order recipient side. 21, the mobile terminal 41 is a smartphone as an example, but may also be a tablet, a mobile phone, etc. Furthermore, the communication terminal on the orderer side is not limited to a mobile terminal, and may also be a PC (personal computer), etc.

[0112] As shown in Fig. 21, the mobile terminal 41 has a touch panel operation unit 41A, a communication module unit 41B, a control unit 41C, and a storage unit 41D. The touch panel operation unit 41A is included in the liquid crystal display unit, and the mobile terminal 41 can be operated by being touched. The communication module unit 41B performs, for example, 4G communication (WiMAX2, LTE-Advanced, etc.). The control unit 41C is, for example, a CPU, and controls the entire mobile terminal 41. The storage unit 41D includes a ROM in which programs are stored, a RAM in which data is stored, and the like.

[0113] 21, the server 42 has an Ethernet unit 42A, a control unit 42B, and a storage unit 42C. The Ethernet unit 42A is an Ethernet interface provided for IP communication with other devices (such as the mobile terminal 41). The control unit 42B is, for example, a CPU, and controls the entire server 42. The storage unit 42C includes, for example, an HDD (hard disk drive) and RAM.

[0114] A method for receiving an order for the mattress 200 using the order receiving system 40 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0115] First, a cushion information input reception step (step S1) is executed. In this step, the orderer operates the touch panel operation unit 41A to input cushion information. Here, the orderer performs input operations in accordance with the web screen displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal 41 based on data transmitted from the Ethernet unit 42A of the server 42 and received by the communication module unit 41B.

[0116] FIG. 23 shows an example of a section position number (a number assigned to each different section position) used when ordering mattress 200. Note that "section" here refers to a section (block) in which one cushion body is placed when viewed from above. The outer edge of the rectangle in FIG. 23 corresponds to the outer edge of mattress 200 when viewed from above, and each position inside the rectangle corresponds to each position when mattress 200 is viewed from above. In FIG. 23 (as well as in FIGS. 25 to 29 described below), the approximate positions of the user and pillow when lying alone on the mattress are indicated by dashed lines.

[0117] As shown in Fig. 23, the mattress cushion 220 is divided into six sections in the lengthwise direction and six sections in the left-right direction, for a total of 36 sections, and cushion bodies are arranged in these sections. The cushion body corresponding to section position number Bx (x is a number) shown in Fig. 23 corresponds to cushion body Qx in the examples shown in Figs. 13 and 14. For example, the cushion body corresponding to section position number B11 shown in Fig. 23 corresponds to cushion body Q11 in the examples shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

[0118] 24 shows an example of a mattress order form used when ordering mattress 200. As shown in FIG. 24, when ordering, the user can specify the resilience level of the cushion, the shape of the cushion, and the presence and type of IoT module to be installed in the cushion for each cushion in a different section. In the example shown in FIG. 24, for example, for the cushion corresponding to section position number B11, a cushion with a resilience of "high," a shape of "rectangular prism," and an IoT module of "none" (i.e., no IoT module is installed) is specified.

[0119] In this way, the cushion information input receiving step is a process of receiving input of cushion information, which is information about the cushion bodies for each section in which each of the multiple cushion bodies Q11 to Q66 is arranged, at the communication terminal (mobile terminal 41) on the orderer's side. The cushion information also includes information about the repulsive force of the cushion body for each section, information about its shape, and information about the electronic components with communication functions to be installed (information about the presence and type of IoT module). The input cushion information is stored in memory unit 41D in mobile terminal 41, and the input cushion information is received.

[0120] Next, a cushion information transmission step (step S2) is executed. In this step, the cushion information stored in the storage unit 41D of the mobile terminal 41 is transmitted to the server 42 by the communication module unit 41B.

[0121] Next, a cushion information receiving step (step S3) is executed. In this step, the cushion information transmitted from the communication module unit 41B is received by the Ethernet unit 42A in the server 42. The received cushion information is stored in the storage unit 42C.

[0122] Next, a mattress cover model number determination step (step S4) is executed. In this step, the control unit 42B of the server 42 automatically determines the model number of the most suitable mattress cover based on the cushion information stored in the memory unit 42C. More specifically, a unique model number is assigned in advance to each of multiple types of mattress covers with different shapes, etc. Then, taking into consideration the shape of each cushion body determined from the cushion information, the function of the IoT module, or the position where each cushion body is placed, the most suitable mattress cover is selected from the multiple types of mattress cover, and the model number of this selected mattress cover is determined as the model number of the most suitable mattress cover.

[0123] In the process of selecting the most suitable mattress cover from among multiple types, consideration is given to whether the mattress cover has a shape and dimensions that are compatible with the mattress cushion 220, taking into account, for example, the shape of the cushion body to be used and whether or not an airbag function is provided by an IoT module. Also, consideration is given to whether or not the mattress cover can effectively utilize functions such as a microphone, LED lighting, and a blower fan provided by an IoT module.

[0124] Next, a mattress information output step (step S5) is executed. In this step, the server 42 outputs information (mattress information) including cushion information and the model number of the determined mattress cover.

[0125] The mattress information is output, for example, by being sent from the Ethernet unit 42A to an external manufacturing device. In this case, the manufacturing device can manufacture a mattress based on the received mattress information. The mattress information may also be output, for example, by being displayed on a display unit (not shown) included in the server 42. In this case, a worker can manufacture a mattress according to the displayed mattress information. The manufactured mattress is provided to the client, allowing the client to use the ordered mattress.

[0126] In the third embodiment, the compartments in which the cushion bodies are disposed are rectangular, but the shape of the compartments is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figures 25 to 29, the compartments in which the cushion bodies are disposed may be diamond-shaped, triangular, hexagonal, or other shapes. The cushion bodies disposed in each compartment are cylindrical, with their bottom surfaces generally congruent with the compartment.

[0127] 25 to 29, the outer edge of the rectangle corresponds to the outer edge of mattress 200 when viewed from above, and the solid lines inside the rectangle represent the boundaries between adjacent compartments. Fig. 25 illustrates an example of an arrangement of the compartments when the compartments are primarily rhombic in shape, Figs. 26 and 27 illustrate an example of an arrangement of the compartments when the compartments are primarily equilateral triangular in shape, and Figs. 28 and 29 illustrate an example of an arrangement of the compartments when the compartments are primarily regular hexagonal in shape.

[0128] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. In other words, the above embodiments are illustrative in all respects and should be considered not to be limiting. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and should be understood to include all modifications that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0129] The present invention can be used in mattresses for a variety of purposes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1 mattress 5 Mattresses 6 Mattresses 10. Mattress Covers 11 Top cover 12 Bottom cover 13 Zipper 20 Mattress cushions 21~26 Cushion body 21f~26f contact surface 30 flat plate 40 Order Reception System 41 Mobile devices 42 servers 50 mattress covers 51 Cushion body 60 mattress covers 61,62 Cushion body 121, 124 cushion body 130 Roller 200 mattresses 210 Mattress Cover 213 Zipper 220 Mattress cushion 270 Overlay Mattress 280 Mattress Cushion 290 Mattress 300 host devices 301 IoT module with information gathering device 302 IoT module with function providing device 303 External IoT Module 320, 420, 520, 620, 720 Mattress cushion C Conveyor Da~Df Cushion body FL filament 3D assembly FL1 cutting surface H heater Ma temperature and humidity sensor Mb Touch Sensor Mc Blower Fan Md Accelerometer Me1 Microphone Me2 LED lighting equipment Mf cylindrical airbag MFA Air Pump Mg airbag Mga Air Pump Q11~Q66 Cushion body R roller Ua~Ug cushion body Xa Cut surface smoothing device

Claims

1. A mattress having a mattress cushion, The mattress cushion includes a plurality of cushion bodies that are separable in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, Each of the plurality of cushion bodies is It is formed by a three-dimensional filament bond consisting of a plurality of filaments, This mattress is characterized in that a recessed portion recessed inward is formed on the contact surface that comes into contact with another adjacent cushion body.

2. A mattress as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the recess becomes deeper as it moves inward from both ends of the contact surface in the thickness direction.

3. A mattress as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has a smooth surface layer on the contact surface.

4. A mattress on which multiple people can lie in the left-right direction on the mattress cushion, The plurality of cushion bodies are separable in the left-right direction, 2. The mattress according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface is a surface that comes into contact with another cushion body adjacent in the left-right direction.

5. A method for manufacturing each of the plurality of cushion bodies in the mattress according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a pressing step of pressing the contact surface of each of the plurality of cushion bodies with a heated roller, A manufacturing method characterized in that the recesses are formed by the pressing step because the diameter dimension of the roller relative to the rotation axis changes in the direction of the rotation axis.

6. A manufacturing method as described in Claim 5, characterized in that the diameter dimension of the roller relative to the rotation axis increases as it moves inward from both ends in the direction of the rotation axis.

7. The pressing step comprises:

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of forming the recesses and forming a smooth surface layer on the contact surface.

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