Infant Mattress Cavity Inserts for Adjustable Anti-SIDS Support

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mattresses designed to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and plagiocephaly are not adaptable for children beyond the critical age of 12 months, as they have irreversible cavities and unstable inclining mechanisms, and lack flexibility in usage as flat-lying mattresses.

Innovation Solution

A mattress system with a cavity in the upper face, filled by removable wedge-shaped segments that can adjust the mattress angle, providing stability and flexibility, with a netted cavity area to promote back sleeping and prevent stomach aspiration, allowing the mattress to transition from a wedge shape to a flat configuration as the child grows.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the mattress has an integrated cavity to reduce SIDS risk, then the anti-SIDS function is improved, but the mattress cannot be used after the child passes the critical age of 12 months

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanti-SIDS functionVSAvoidusage duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The mattress is divided into two functional parts: a permanent base mattress and a removable cavity insert. The cavity insert can be taken out when the child grows beyond 12 months, allowing the mattress to transition from an anti-SIDS configuration to a standard flat mattress, thus extending its usable life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mattress configuration is made dynamic through the removable cavity insert. The insert can be present during the critical age period to provide anti-SIDS functionality, and removed later to adapt to the child's growth needs, making the mattress adaptable to different developmental stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the mattress uses a wedge-shaped design to incline the mattress, then the anti-plagiocephaly function is improved, but the inclining mechanism is unstable as it rests on two aligned points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanti-plagiocephaly functionVSAvoidinclining mechanism stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The wedge-shaped inclining function is segmented into separate wedge blocks that can be independently positioned under the mattress. This distributes the inclining force across multiple contact points rather than relying on two aligned points, improving stability while maintaining the anti-plagiocephaly function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Stability of the object's composition

If the cavity is made irreversible to maintain its shape, then the structural integrity is improved, but the mattress lacks flexibility for different usage scenarios

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecavity shape maintenanceVSAvoidusage flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cavity structure is separated from the main mattress body as a removable insert. This allows the insert to maintain its cavity shape for anti-SIDS functionality when needed, while the entire insert can be removed to provide flexibility for different usage scenarios, resolving the conflict between structural integrity and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2725944B1mattress
Publication Date: 2018.09.19 OLE
  • EP2725944B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2725944B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2725944B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A mattress system (1) is disclosed comprising a mattress (2) with an upper face (3) and a lower face (4), said upper face comprising a cavity (5), which is enclosed by a side face, placed adjacent one end (6A) of the mattress and shaped to accommodate at least the head (7) of a child (35), where the mattress system further comprises a first mattress segment (9), which is arranged so that it can be placed in and fill out the cavity of the mattress, such that the upper face of the mattress appears intact and coherent, and where the mattress system also comprises additional mattress segments (10), which, with an upper face thereof, are arranged to abut parts of the lower face of the mattress.