Multicell cushion

• US 4,541,136 A
• Filed: 09/01/1983
• Issued: 09/17/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert H. Graebe, Robert H Graebe Revocable Trust
• Original Assignee: Robert H. Graebe
• Inventors: Graebe, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US06/528,616
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 5/455, 5/456, 5/453, 5/454, 5/470, 5/471, 5/441, 5/490, 5/482, 297/DIG. 5
• US Class Current: 5/655.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/081 of pneumatic type

Abstract

An inflatable air cushion has a base and air cells arranged in rows upon and projecting away from the base, with the outer ends of the air cells forming a supporting surface. The base and air cells are formed from a flexible elastomeric material and are in communication through the base, so that when some of the air cells are deflected by a supported load, all the air cells nevertheless remain at the same internal pressure. Thus, those air cells that are against the load exert equal forces on the load, irrespective of the amount of deflection. Adjacent air cells when inflated are adapted to contact each other along their sides so as to provide a generally continuous supporting surface. To this end, each air cell when deflated has four fins arranged symmetrically about its axis, with each fin having spaced apart side walls. The side walls of adjacent fins are connected near the center of the air cell to provide depressions that open out of the air cells. Between each depression and the base is an inclined wall, and the four inclined walls serve to provide the air cell with a square pedestal. When the air cells are pressurized, the side walls of their fins and the inclined pedestal walls move outwardly and contact the opposite side walls and pedestal walls on adjacent air cells, so the load supporting surface is generally uniform. The air cells and connecting portions of the base are formed on a mandrel which is dipped in a latex solution.

Claims

1. An inflatable cushion comprising:

a flexible rectangular base formed from a flexible material and having corners;

air cells attached to and projecting outwardly from the base to form an array, with the air cells likewise being formed from a flexible material, the interiors of the air cells further being in communication through the base for equalizing the pressure within the air cells, each air cell when deflated having four laterally directed projections with each projection having closely spaced side walls, the side walls of adjacent projections being connected near the center of the air cell to form depressions in the sides of the air cell, the air cells being arranged on the base in an array with the depressions of adjacent air cells facing each other, the air cells when the pressure within them is increased being adapted to expand such that the side walls of their projections move outwardly away from their centers and thereby eliminate the depressions and such that the side walls along opposing depressions in adjacent air cells are adapted to come into contact; and

a cover including a retaining section that underlies the base and a covering section that is attached to the retaining section and extends over and around the array of air cells, the covering section being formed from an elastic fabric, the corners of the rectangular base being projected through the cover.

2. An inflatable cushion comprising:

a flexible base containing connecting channels; and

inflatable fluid cells attached to and projecting outwardly away from the base to form an array of fluid cells, the connecting channels of the base opening into the interiors of the fluid cells for generally equalizing the pressure within the fluid cells, each fluid cell having a center axis about which it is symmetrical and when deflated having a pedestal at which the fluid cell is connected to the base, with the pedestal being of rectangular shape and enclosing a generally, rectangular opening that leads from the base into the interior of the cell, each fluid cell when deflated further having four fins which project away from the base and also extend laterally away from the center of axis of the cell toward the corners of the pedestal, but do not extend beyond the pedestal so that the fluid cell is widest at its pedestal when deflated, each fin having a pair of closely spaced side walls which are connected along an edge that generally aligns with the corners of the pedestal, the side walls of adjacent fins being further connected to each other near the center axis of the fluid cells to form depressions in the sides of the fluid cell, the dimension of the fluid cell along its center axis being greater than the width of the fluid cell at its pedestal, the fluid cells being arranged in the array with the depressions of adjacent fluid cells facing each other, so that when the pressure within the fluid cells is increased the side walls of the fins on each fluid cell move outwardly away from the center axis for the cell to eliminate the depressions in the fluid cells and the side walls of adjacent fluid cells come into face-to-face contact.

3. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein each fluid cell when deflated has four pedestal walls that are located between the depressions and the base and are inclined with respect to the base to form the pedestal on the base, the pedestal walls also being adapted to move outwardly away from the center axis of the fluid cell when the pressure within the fluid cell is increased.

4. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein the edges of the fins for each fluid cell curve toward the center axis of the fluid cell remote from the base when the fluid cell is deflated.

5. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein each fluid cell includes an end wall and the curved edges of the fins merge into the end wall.

6. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein the fluid cells are arranged in the array on closely spaced rows, each fluid cell being in two rows with the one row being perpendicular to the other row.

7. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein the pedestals of the fluid cells form a square opening into the base.

8. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein the pedestals of each fluid cell have walls that are inclined with respect to the center axis of the cell such that the pedestal possesses a generally pyramidal configuration.

9. A cushion according to claim 8 wherein the inclined walls of the pedestal for each fluid cell lie between the depressions for that fluid cell and the base.

10. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein the fluid cells are arranged in horizontal and transverse rows, and the fluid cells are oriented such that the margins of the rectangular openings at the pedestals are parallel to the rows.

11. A cushion according to claim 2 wherein the depressions for each fluid cell are located beyond the pedestal for that fluid cell and the fins for the cell are attached to the pedestal.

12. An inflatable cushion comprising:

a first flexible sheet;

a second flexible sheet attached to the first sheets and having rectangular openings arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows with the margins of the openings being parallel to such rows, the first and second sheets being joined together along their peripheries such that an impervious seal exists in the region of the peripheries, the sheets also being joined together within the confines of the peripheries so that the sheets cannot be significantly separated in that region, yet such that the openings are connected by channels that are essentially between the two sheets, whereby the openings are in communication with each other; and

flexible fluid cells attached to the second sheet around the rectangular openings therein and projecting away from the second sheet, each fluid cell having a center axis and when deflated including four fins which extend outwardly away from the center axis toward the corners of the opening at which the cell is located, with each fin having a pair of closely spaced walls which merge at an edge, the edges of the fins aligning with the corners of the opening and extending away from the opening where the edges converge, so that the fins extend no further laterally than the opening for the fluid cell on which they are located, the dimension of each fluid cell along its center axis being greater than the width of the rectangular opening around which the fluid cell is attached to the second sheet, the side walls of adjacent fins on each fluid cell further being connected to each other near the center axis for the cell to form depression in the sides of the fluid cell, whereby the depressions of any fluid cell will open toward the depressions in cells that are adjacent to that cell, the fluid cells when the pressure within them is increased being adapted to expand such that the side walls of their fins move outwardly away from the center axes of the cells to eliminate the depressions in the cells, all such that the side walls at opposing depressions of adjacent fluid cells come into contact.

13. The cushion according to claim 12 wherein the fins of each fluid cell at their upper ends curve inwardly toward the axis of the fluid cell.

14. The cushion according to claim 12 wherein the fluid cells are formed integral with the second sheet.

15. The cushion according to claim 12 wherein when the fluid cells are inflated, the side walls of the fluid cells will expand outwardly between the fins so that the fins are less pronounced and the side walls of adjacent fluid cells will contact each other and the upper ends of the fluid cells will provide a supporting surface.

16. A cushion according to claim 12 wherein each fluid cell when deflated further includes a pedestal which is attached to the second sheet around the opening in the second sheet at which the fluid cell is located, and the fins for the fluid cell are attached to and extend away from the pedestal.

17. A cushion according to claim 16 wherein the pedestal has at the ends of the depressions in the sides of its fluid cell inclined walls that slope toward the second sheet such that the pedestal has a generally pyramidal configuration.

18. A cushion according to claim 12 wherein the outside edges of the fins for each deflated fluid cell converge to a dome on the deflated fluid cell.

19. A cushion according to claim 12 wherein the openings in the second sheet are square.