Mattress which conforms to body profile

• US 4,688,283 A
• Filed: 12/23/1985
• Issued: 08/25/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stearns Manufacturing Co.
• Original Assignee: Charles P. Hall, Theodore L. Jacobson
• Inventors: Jacobson, Theodore L., Hall, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Gary L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luong, Vinh
• Application Number:
  US06/810,850
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 5/441, 5/449, 5/450, 5/455, 5/417, 5/420, 297/DIG. 3, 297/114, 297/118
• US Class Current: 5/710
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/081 of pneumatic type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/084 self inflating
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/18 in combination with inflatable bodies

Abstract

A mattress or pad that contours and conforms to the body profile of a reclining individual. The preferred embodiments contain flexible, airtight chambers, at least two of which are interconnected to allow the transfer of air or liquid. Interconnected chambers are positioned and dimensioned to conform to and support the natural curves of a reclining body. The volume of fluid, e.g., air or liquid, within all of the chambers can be easily adjusted to allow comfortable resistance and conformity to a wide range of body lengths, weights, and shapes. Preferred embodiments have insulative, self inflating elements, comprising low-density, open-celled, flexible foam in a rectangular configuration, in a thin-walled cylindrical configuration, and in an arced configuration determined by an adhered heat-reflective plastic film.

Claims

1. A mattress for camping or the like, comprising:

an elongated body having opposed upper and lower major surfaces, the length of said body being at least twice its width, said body having opposed longitudinal ends, one end being a head end and the opposite end being a foot end,

said upper and lower major surfaces of said mattress being separated by means which render said mattress springably deformable,

said upper major surface of said mattress having a plurality of separate raised portions which each project upwardly from the remainder of said upper major surface, the remainder of said upper major surface thereby constituting a plurality of portions which are recessed with respect to and which separate said separate raised portions such that said separate raised portions and said recessed portions are disposed in an alternating sequence from said head end to said foot end of said mattress,

said raised portions each being elongated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said mattress, the length of each of said raised portions being at least twice its width, the widths of all of said raised portions being substantially equal,

the width of each of said raised portions being greater than the thickness of said mattress, as measured between the remainder of said upper surface and said lower major surface of said mattress,

a first of said raised portions being adjacent said head end of said mattress,

a first of said recessed portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said first raised portion and being recessed with respect to said first raised portion, the width of said first recessed portion being greater than the width of said first raised portion,

a second of said raised portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said first recessed portion and being elevated with respect to said first recessed portion, the width of said second raised portion being less than the width of said first recessed portion,

a second of said recessed portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said second raised portion and being recessed with respect to said second raised portion,

a third of said raised portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said second recessed portion and being elevated with respect to said second recessed portion, the width of said third raised portion being less than the width of said first recessed portion, and

a third of said recessed portions extending to said foot end of said mattress from said third raised portion and being recessed with respect to said third raised portion, the width of said third recessed portion being greater than the width of said first recessed portion.

2. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said separated raised portions are inflatable and intercommunicate with each other so that the pressure in all of said separated raised portions will always be equal, and wherein the portions of said mattress between said separated raised portions are hermetically sealed from and are separately inflatable from said separated raised portions so that the pressure therein can be made different from that within said separated raised portions.

3. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower surfaces provide a single hermetically-sealed enclosure, and further including means for filling said enclosure with a fluid.

4. The mattress of claim 3 wherein said means for filling said enclosure with a fluid comprises an air valve.

5. The mattress of claim 3, further including means for interconnecting said separated raised portions so that fluid flow can occur between said separated raised portions.

6. The mattress of claim 1 wherein the volume enclosed by said upper and lower surfaces is filled with a resilient solid material.

7. The mattress of claim 6 wherein said resilient material is a foam material.

8. The mattress of claim 7 wherein said upper and lower surfaces form a hermetically-sealed enclosure which is adhered to substantially the entire surface of said foam material.

9. The mattress of claim 6 wherein said separated raised portions each contain a cylindrical element having an open central core.

10. The mattress claim 6 wherein said separated raised portions each contain a semi-cylindrical resilient element comprising a semi-cylindrical body of resilient material and a flat, flexible member joining the edges of said resilient body so as to form a chord across said semi-cylindrical body.

11. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower surfaces of said mattress form a hermetically-sealed enclosure, and further including inflation means for inflating said enclosure.

12. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said mattress is filled with a solid resilient material.

13. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said separated raised portions each comprise upper and lower layers of resilient material having a predetermined thickness and a fluid-filled enclosure separating said upper and lower layers.

14. The mattress of claim 13 wherein said enclosure is filled entirely with a fluid and said upper and lower surfaces are joined together partially around said separated raised portions so as to define said raised portions while allowing fluid to flow between said separated raised portions.

15. The mattress of claim 13 wherein said enclosure is filled entirely with a fluid and said upper and lower surfaces are joined together partially around said separated raised portions so as to define and hermetically isolate said raised portions.

16. The mattress of claim 15 wherein said separated raised portions each have a respective fluid filling means.

17. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said separated raised portions of said mattress and said recessed portions therebetween comprise respective bodies of resilient material, said respective bodies of resilient material being joined together in a serial chain.

18. The mattress of claim 17 wherein said bodies of resilient material are covered by upper and lower layers of flexible sheet material which are joined together between said respective bodies of resilient material.

19. The mattress of claim 1 wherein said separated raised portions of said mattress and said portions of said mattress between said separated raised portions comprise a single, contoured body of resilient material.

20. A mattress for camping or the like, comprising:

an elongated body having opposed upper and lower major surfaces, the length of said body being at least twice its width, said body having opposed longitudinal ends, one end being a head end and the opposite end being a foot end,

said upper and lower major surfaces comprising respective sheets of a flexible, fluid-impermeable material,

said upper and lower sheets of fluid-impermeable material being joined together at their edges to form the perimeter of said mattress,

said upper and lower major surfaces of said mattress being separated by means which render said mattress springably deformable,

said upper major surface of said mattress having a plurality of separate raised portions which each project upwardly from the remainder of said upper major surface, the remainder of said upper major surface thereby constituting a plurality of portions which are recessed with respect to and which separate said separate raised portions such that said separate raised portions and said recessed portions are disposed in an alternating sequence from said head end to said foot end of said mattress,

said separated raised portions being inflatable and intercommunicating with each other so that the pressure in all of said separated raised portions will always be equal, said recessed portions of said mattress between said separated raised portions being hermetically sealed from and separately inflatable from said separated raised portions so that the pressure in said recessed pprtions can be made different from the within said separated raised portions,

said raised portions each being elongated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said mattress, the length of each of said raised portions being at least twice its width, the widths of all of said raised portions being substantially equal,

the width of each of said raised portions being greater than the thickness of said mattress, as measured between the remainder of said upper surface and said lower major surface of said mattress,

a first of said raised portions extending from and being adjacent said head end of said mattress,

a first of said recessed portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said first raised portion and being recessed with respect to said first raised portion, the width of said first recessed portion being greater than the width of said first raised portion,

a second of said raised portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said first recessed portion and being elevated with respect to said first recessed portion, the width of said second raised portion being less than the width of said first recessed portion,

a second of said recessed portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said second raised portion and being recessed with respect to said second raised portion,

a third of said raised portions extending toward said foot end of said mattress from said second recessed portion and being elevated with respect to said second recessed portion, the width of said third raised portion being less than the width of said first recessed portion, and

a third of said recessed portions extending to said foot end of said mattress from said third raised portion and being recessed with respect to said third raised portion, the width of said third recessed portion being greater than the width of said first recessed portion.