US3128480A - Inflatable mattress or the like - Google Patents

Description

April 14, 1964 J, LINEBACK 3,128,480

INFLATABLE MATTRESS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 9, 1962 la 22 2a 27 INVENTOR THOMAS J. LINEBACK ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,128,480 INFLATABLE MATTRESS OR THE LIKE Thomas J. Lineback, 7042 Ethel Ave., St. Louis 17, Mo- Filed Nov. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 236,494 9 Claims. (Cl. -348) This invention relates to a mattress, cushion or similar article and more particularly to improvements in such articles of the pneumatic type in which enclosed supplies the necessary yielding quality to provide comfort to the user.

Heretofore many kinds of pneumatic mattresses and cushions have been designed for use under various conditions such as in homes, hospitals, camping or the like. However, in the past the compression of air in inflatable articles has been depended upon to provide the cushioning eflect and, in order to provide comfort to the user, partial inflation has been required inasmuch as the weight of the user on the cushion increases the internal pressure to such an extent that a :fully inflated article would become uncomfortably rigid. Such prior art articles also required that the partial inflation be a sufiicient degree to resist complete collapse when a substantial concentration of weight was placed on a relatively small area of the surface, and the degree of inflation of any of these prior art articles for any individual has been largely a trial and error operation. Partial inflation for the purpose of comfort has also produced an undesired physical appearance Of the article when not in use.

-In short, desirable characteristics of an inflatable article include y-ieldability that will resiliently support a person during use and a firm filled out appearance similar to that of conventional felt or inner spring constructions when not in use.

The principal object of the present invention is to pro vide an inflatable article that overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and which will fulfill the desired characteristics of an inafltable article. A further main object of the invention is to overcome the rigid effect produced by compression of in suppoting a person by providing auxiliary yielding means to compensate for the compression in the article and thus increase its resilience.

It is also an object to provide an inflatable mattress which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple and sturdy in construction, light in weight and providing the comfort in use and the appearance when not in use of conventional mattress constructions.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter.

Briefly, the invention comprises an inflatable article having a main compartment and an end compartment, the end compartment having distensible means therein in communication with the main compartment and being filled with resilient packing means normally collapsing the distensible means and being yieldable when pressure is exerted on the main compartment to displace air into the distensible means.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafiter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and in which like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inflatable mattress embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken alongline 22 of 'FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the operation of the mattress when a force is exerted thereon.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that aninflatable mattress 10 embodying the present invention comprises amain body portion 11 andsimilar end portions 12, one of which will function as a pillow in use. Thebody portion 11 of themattress 10 includes upper and lower opposedwalls 13 and 14 andexterior side walls 15 defining amain compartment 16, which is divided into a plurality ofsmaller compartments 16" byvertical partitions 17 secured to the upper andlower walls 13 and 14. Theend portions 12 of themattress 10 are construction and, therefore, only one will be described in detail. Theend portion 12 has upper andlower wall portions 18 and 19 extending on substantially the same planes as the upper andlower walls 13 and 14 of themain body portion 11,side walls 20 extending conterminously with theside walls 15 of themain body portion 11, and afree end wall 21. The end portion walls define anend compartment 22 which is in communication with the atmosphere through a plurality ofperforations 22 iiormed in thefree end wall 21.

Themattress 10 is formed of an air impervious, flexible material such .as'rubber or plastic capable of being sealed to like material by vulcanizing, heat sealing or with adhesives as desired. Thevertical partitions 17 are sealed as at 23 along horizontal lines to the upper andlower walls 13 and 14 in a manner to provide a quilted or tufted appearance, and the ends of eachpartition 17 have a relief or cut-out 24 to provide free air flow communication between the individual compartments 16' and throughout themain compartment 16. Themain body portion 11 also is provided with horizontal partition-s 25 extending between theexterior walls 15 and the next adjacent vertical partition '17 and being sealed thereto, as at 26, intermediate the upper andlower walls 13 and 14. As will become apparent, thehorizontal partitions 25 resist distortion'of theside walls 15 when themain oompartment 16 is filled with air in order to provide asubst-antially straight side wall appearance.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, it be seen that themain body portion 11 is defined at the ends by aninterior end wall 27 secured to a similar interior end wall 28hr theend portion 12. A flexibletubular element 29 defining an auxiliary expand-able o-rdistensible chamber 30 is positioned in theend compartment 22 of theend section 12 and is secured to theinterior end wall 28 of theend section 12. An inlet opening orport 31 is formed through the walls 27 :and28 to provide air flow communication at times between theauxiliary chamber 30 of the expansion tube ortubular element 29 and themain compartment 16 of themain body portion 11.

Theend compartment 22 of theend section 12 is filled with a suitableyieldable material 32, such as a polyurethane foam or the like, having suificient volume and inherent resilience or spring-back to exert a force on thetubular element 29 that will oppose and overcome the normal air pressure in the main compartment 16- and normally maintain thetubular element 29 in a substantially collapsed condition. In other words, the air pressure in themain compartment 16 completely fills out the walls of the main.body section 11, but is not alone sufficient to overcome the inherent force exerted by theyieldable material 32 on thetubular element 29. It will also be understood that thematerial 29 is of the type through which or firom which air can pass during compression of the material.

When themattress 10 is filled with air to a predetermined pressure through asuitable valve 33, themain compartment 16 is filled out and presents a firm appearance and feel to the touch. Theyieldable material 32 keeps the walls of theend section 12 distended to the normal shape and appearance thereof and maintains theexpandable tube 29 in a collapsed state. When a force, such as the Weight of a person, is applied to theupper surface 13 of the main section 1-1, air is displaced from the main compartments 16' through theopening 31 into the auxiliary chamber 3d to distend or expand thetubular element 29 and exert a compressive force on theyieldable material 32 to displace .air therefrom through theperforations 22 in theend wall 12 to atmosphere. However, due to the fact that the opening 31 dorms a restriction in air passage to thetubular element 29 and due to the rate of air displacement from thematerial 32 in theend chamber 22, immediate displacement from themain compartment 16 is resisted and a gradual yielding or settling eifect is produced by the compression of themain section 11 by the weight of a user.

When the mattress it} is not under compression, the shape and appearance of theside walls 15 of themain section 11 is also maintained by the strengtheningpieces 25.

It will be apparent that a rounded condition of theend section 12 will occur when thetubular element 29 is fully expanded, but this will be satisfactory as theend section 12 will function as a pillow during use.

lit will also be apparent that either one or twoend sections 12 may be used in carrying out the present invention, but that two sections :12 increase the air displacement potential of the mattress 1t Modifications and changes in the foregoing disclosure will be apparent to all skilled in the ant and are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. An inflatable article comprising a main body section defining a main compartment, an end section defining an end compartment, distensible means in said end compartment in air flow communication with said main compartment, and yieldable means in the end compartment normally maintaining said distensible means in a substantially collapsed condition.

2. The inflatable article according to claim 1 including a plurality of partitions subdividing said main compartment into smaller compartments in communication at one end, and transverse partition means connecting at least one of said first mentioned partitions with an exterior wall of said main section.

3. The inflatable article according toclaim 2 in which said main section includes top, bottom and side walls, and said plurality otf partitions extend between said top and bottom walls and said transverse partition extends between a side wall and the first-mentioned partition adjacent thereto substantially equi-distant from said top and bottom walls.

4. The inflatable article according to claim 1 in which said main and end sections are divided by interior end wall means, and said distensible means comprises .a flexible closed tubular element defining :an auxiliary expansion chamber and being connected to said interior end wall means, and a restricted air port extending through said interior end wall means between said main compartment and said auxiliary expansion chamber to provide said air flow communication therebetween.

5. The inflatable article according to claim 4 in which said yie-ldable means comprises foam packing material normally distending said end section to a predetermined shape, and a plurality of perforations in said end section to vent said end compartment to atmosphere.

6. An inflatable article comprising a main body section defining a main compartment, an end section defining an end compartment, means forming a common well between said main body and end sections, first air passage means through said common wall means between said main and end compartments, second air passage means between said end section and atmosphere, yieldable means within said end section normally distending said end section, and other means for preventing loss of air pressure rom said main compartment to atmosphere through said second lair passage means.

7. The inflatable article according to claim 6 in which said other means is constructed and arranged in association with said first air passage and together with said main compartment normally forming an airtight structure for resilient support purposes.

8. A11 inflatable article comprising a main body section defining a main compartment, an end section defining an end compartment, wall means between said main body and end sections, expansible means positioned in said end compartment and being connected internally with said main compantment through said wall means, means for inflating said main body section to provide an internal pressure therein, and yieldable means in said end compartment externally of said expansible means and normally maintaining said expansible means in a substantially collapsed condition against the internal pressure in said main compartment.

9. The inflatable article according to claim 8 including a plurality of perforations in said end section for venting to atmosphere said end compartment externally of said expansible means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,042,941 Marcus July 10. 1962

Claims (1)

1. AN INFLATABLE ARTICLE COMPRISING A MAIN BODY SECTION DEFINING A MAIN COMPARTMENT, AN END SECTION DEFINING AN END COMPARTMENT, DISTENSIBLE MEANS IN SAID END COMPARTMENT IN AIR FLOW COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MAIN COMPARTMENT, AND YIELDABLE MEANS IN THE END COMPARTMENT NORMALLY MAINTAINING SAID DISTENSIBLE MEANS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY COLLAPSED CONDITION.

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