Air mattress with pressure relief valve

• US 4,644,597 A
• Filed: 04/24/1985
• Issued: 02/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Bank National Association
• Original Assignee: Dynatech, Inc. (ValueCommerce Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Walker, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Gary L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRETTEL, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US06/726,608
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 5/449, 5/453-455, 5/468, 137/224, 137/511, 137/535
• US Class Current: 5/711
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/087 with means for connecting opposite sides, e.g. internal ties or strips

Abstract

An air mattress is equipped with a one-way air pressure relief valve operable to limit the air pressure in the air mattress to about 1 psi to prevent seam separation and blowout. The mattress has top and bottom walls joined to side and end walls with edge seams. The air pressure relief valve is located within the chamber of the air mattress so that external structures do not interfere with the functioning of the valve. In one arrangement, a boot secures the air pressure relief valve to the inside of an end wall. In a second arrangement, the air pressure relief valve is located within the seam.

Claims

1. An air mattress accommodating air under pressure for providing a body support comprising:

a top wall, a bottom wall spaced from and located below the top wall, side walls and end walls secured to said top and bottom walls, all of said walls comprising flexible air impervious sheet members sealed together along the edge portions thereof to form a chamber for accommodating gas under pressure, seam means securing adjacent portions of the sheet means together, a plurality of support means located in said chamber extended between said side walls and secured to said top and bottom walls providing transverse passages accommodating air and limiting outward expansion of the top and bottom walls when air under pressure is stored in said chamber, each of said support means having a web section and opposite end portions secured to said side walls to limit outward expansion of the side walls when air pressure is stored in said chamber, each of said end portions having at least one opening allowing air communication between said transverse passages, tube means mounted in the seam means to facilitate supplying air under pressure into said chamber, and air pressure relief valve means mounted in the seam means open to said chamber and atmosphere, said valve means having a cylindrical body secured to the seam means, said body having a passage open to said chamber and atmosphere, an annular plug having a center hole located within said passage in engagement with said body, valving means located in said passage engageable with said plug to close said passage, said valving means including a rod having an outer end extended through said center hole, a head joined to said outer end of the rod engageable with the plug to close said center hole and a member mounted on the rod; and

spring means engageable with said plug and member to bias said head in sealing engagement with said plug to maintain the pressure of air in said chamber, said spring means having a biasing force that allows the head to move away from the plug when the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds a selected maximum limit whereby air is vented from said chamber.

2. The air mattress of claim 1 wherein:

all of the walls and support means are combined fabric and plastic sheet members, said body being secured to said plastic sheet members in the seam means.

3. The air mattress of claim 1 including:

end webs located in said chamber secured to said end walls and a support means to limit outward expansion of the end walls.

4. The air mattress of claim 3 wherein:

said end webs are sheet members located between said top and bottom walls and extended generally parallel thereto.

5. The air mattress of claim 1 wherein:

said member mounted on the rod has a plurality of ears slidably engageable with said body.

6. The air mattress of claim 1 wherein:

said support means have a plurality of holes allowing said top and bottom walls to expand outwardly to form a plurality of outward convex curved portions therein.

7. The air mattress of claim 6 wherein:

adjacent support means have transverse offset holes.

8. An air mattress accommodating air under pressure for providing a body support comprising:

a first wall, a second wall spaced from the first wall, side walls and end walls secured to said first and second walls to form a chamber for accommodating air under pressure, all of said walls comprising flexible gas impervious sheet members, edge means securing said walls together to enclose said chamber, a plurality of support means located in said chamber extended between said side walls and secured to said first and second walls and side walls providing transverse passages accommodating gas and limiting outward expansion of the first and second walls and side walls when gas under pressure is stored in said chamber, tube means mounted in said edge means to facilitate supplying air under pressure into said chamber, and pressure relief valve means mounted within said edge means operable to limit the air pressure in said chamber, said valve means having a cylindrical body secured to said edge means, said body having a passage open to the said chamber and atmosphere, a plug having a center hole located within said passage and in engagement with said body, a valving member located in said passage and engageable with said plug to close said passage, said valving member including a rod having an outer end extended to said center hole, a head joined to said outer end of the rod, engageable with said plug to close the center hole, and a member mounted on the rod, and biasing means engageable with said plug and member to bias said head into sealing engagement with said plug to maintain the pressure of the air in said chamber, said biasing means having a biasing force that allows the head to move away from the plug when the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds a selective maximum limit whereby air is vented from said chamber.

9. The air mattress of claim 8 wherein:

all of said walls and support means are combined fabric and plastic sheet members, said edge means securing the walls together comprising seam means, said valve means being located within the seam means.

10. The air mattress of claim 8 wherein:

said member on the rod has a plurality of ears slidably engageable with said body.

11. The air mattress of claim 8 wherein:

the biasing means has a biasing force that allows the valving member to move to its open position where the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds about 1 psi.

12. The air mattress of claim 8 wherein:

said support means has a plurality of holes allowing said first and second walls to expand outwardly to form a plurality of outward convex curved portions therein.

13. The air mattress of claim 12 wherein:

adjacent support means have transverse offset holes.

14. An air mattress comprising:

a first wall, a second wall, said first and second walls having opposite side edges, side walls joined to adjacent opposite side edges of the first and second walls, end walls joined to adjacent opposite end edges of said first and second walls, seam means securing and sealing adjacent edges together to form an enclosed chamber for accommodating air under pressure, a plurality of webs located within said chamber forming a plurality of air accommodating passages, means securing said webs to said walls whereby said webs concurrently limit outward expansion of said first and second walls and said side walls, means mounted on one of said walls useable to supply fluid to said chamber, and air pressure relief valve means located within the seam means operable to limit the air pressure in said chamber, said valve means including a cylindrical body secured to the seam means, said body having a passage open to said chamber and atmosphere, an annular plug having a center hole located within said passage and in engagement with said body, valving means located in said passage engageable with said plugs and close said passage, said valving means including a rod having an outer end extended through said center hole, a head joined to said outer end of the rod engageable with said head to close the center hole, and a member mounted on the rod; and

biasing means engageable with said plug and member to bias said head in sealing engagement with said plug to maintain the pressure of the air in the chamber, said biasing means having a biasing force that allows the head to move away from the chamber when the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds a selected maximum limit whereby air is vented from said chamber.

15. The air mattress of claim 14 wherein:

each of said webs have a plurality of holes allowing said first and second walls to expand outwardly to form a plurality of outward convex curved portions therein.

16. The air mattress of claim 15 wherein:

adjacent webs have transverse offset holes.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

all of the walls are combined fabric and plastic sheet members.

18. The air mattress of claim 14 wherein:

each of said webs have opposite end portions, said opposite end portions having holes providing air communication between adjacent passages for accommodating air under pressure.

19. The air mattress of claim 14 wherein:

said member mounted on the rod has a plurality of ears slidably engageable with said body.

20. The air mattress of claim 14 wherein:

the biasing means has a biasing force that allows the valving member to move to its open position where the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds about 1 psi.