Traveling Wave Air Mattresses And Method And Apparatus For Generating Traveling Waves Thereon

摘要

A traveling wave air mattress apparatus includes an air mattress comprised of a array of laterally disposed, longitudinally spaced air bladder cells that are individually inflatable to quiescent pressure levels which provide comfortable support for a human body, and an air pressure-pulse generator controlled by a wave sequence generator for periodically introducing into a sequence of the air bladder cells a time sequence of air pressure pulses which vary pressures in the cells from quiescent pressures, the air pressure variations resulting in a soliton-like traveling wave of body support force variation which travels longitudinally over the surfaces of the pulsed air bladder cells, thus inhibiting formation of bedsores. The wave pattern may optionally simulate water waves and/or rocking motions of a boat to produce relaxing effects.

主权项

1. A method for decreasing the magnitude and duration of reaction support force concentrations exerted on a body by an array of individually inflatable and deflatable air bladder cells of an air mattress, said method comprising introducing pulses of air into selected bladder cells of an inflatable air mattress in a sequence which causes a traveling wave of inflation pressure variation to travel over a selectable path of said air bladder cells and a corresponding traveling wave of body support force variations to travel over said path.