Air mattress

• US 4,908,895 A
• Filed: 03/20/1989
• Issued: 03/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Bank National Association
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Walker
• Inventors: Walker, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRETTEL, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/325,937
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 5/449, 5/453, 5/455-457, 137/223, 441/41
• US Class Current: 5/711
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/081 of pneumatic type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/087 with means for connecting opposite sides, e.g. internal ties or strips

Abstract

An air mattress has top and bottom walls joined to side and end walls with edge seams. A longitudinal web located within the chamber of the air mattress extends between the end walls adjacent to each side wall to form a pair of longitudinal air passages. A plurality of transverse webs located within the chamber extends between the longitudinal webs to form transverse air accommodating passages. The bi-directional air passages and webs reduce uneven areas of the top wall and prevent seal failure and mattress collapse. The 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.

Claims

1. An air mattress accommodating air under pressure for providing support for a body 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 air under pressure, seam means securing adjacent portions of the sheet members together, a pair of longitudinal first support means located in said chamber extended between said end walls adjacent the side walls and secured to said top and bottom walls providing longitudinal passages accommodating air, a plurality of transverse second support means located in said chamber extended between said pair of first support means and secured to said top and bottom walls providing transverse passages for accommodating air, said first and second support means limiting outward expansion of the top and bottom walls when air under pressure is stored in said chamber;

each of said first and second support means having a continuous web section and opposite end portions, an opening adjacent each of said end portions allowing air communication between said transverse and longitudinal passages, the opposite end portions of said first support means longitudinally spaced from said end walls, and the opposite end portions of said second support means laterally spaced from the web sections of the first support means to provide said openings, first tube means mounted in the seam means in one end of the air mattress to facilitate supplying air under pressure to said chamber, an elongated flexible and elastic tube connected to the first tube means and adapted to be connected to a supply of air under pressure to selectively carry air under pressure to said chamber and retain air under pressure within said tube, and second tube means mounted in the seam means in a second end of the air mattress, and air pressure relief valve means connected to said second tube means in communication with said chamber and atmosphere whereby air is vented from said chamber through said valve means when the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds a selected maximum limit.

2. The air mattress of claim 1 wherein:

the first support means extend parallel and adjacent to the side walls.

3. The air mattress of claim 1 wherein:

the second support means extend normal to the first support means.

4. The air mattress of claim 1 including:

tubular elbow means having a first portion connected to the second tube means and a second portion connected to said air pressure relief valve means.

5. The air mattress of claim 1 wherein:

the second tube means is located within the seam means in one end wall of the air mattress, and tubular means connected to the second tube means and air pressure relief valve means to locate the air pressure relief valve means generally parallel to said one end wall.

6. The air mattress of claim 5 wherein:

the tubular means is an L-shaped elbow.

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

a first wall, a second wall spaced from the first wall, first and second 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 air impervious sheet members, edge means securing said walls together to enclose said chamber, first longitudinal support means located in said chamber extended between said end walls and located adjacent said first side wall, said first longitudinal support means being secured to said first and second walls providing a longitudinal passage accommodating air, second longitudinal support means located in said chamber extended between said end walls and located adjacent said second side wall, said second longitudinal support means being secured to said first and second walls providing with said second side wall a longitudinal passage accommodating air, a plurality of transverse third support means located in said chamber extended between said first and second support means and secured to said first and second walls providing transverse passages for accommodating air, said first, second, and third support means limiting outward expansion of the first and second walls when air under pressure is stored in said chamber thereby reducing uneven areas of the first and second walls, each first, second, and third support means having a continuous web section and opposite end portions, said opposite end portions having openings adjacent thereto providing air communication between adjacent passages for accommodating air under pressure, said opposite end portions of said first and second support means longitudinally spaced from said end walls, and said opposite end portions of said third support means laterally spaced from the web sections of the first and second support means to provide said openings, and means mounted on one of said walls to facilitate supplying air under pressure to said chamber.

8. The air mattress of claim 7 wherein:

the first and second support means extend parallel and adjacent to the first and second side walls.

9. The air mattress of claim 8 wherein:

the third support means extend normal to the first and second support means.

10. The air mattress of claim 7 including:

air pressure relief valve means operable to limit the air pressure in said chamber by venting air from said chamber when the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds a selected maximum limit, and tubular means connecting the valve means to one of said end walls.

11. The air mattress of claim 10 wherein:

said tubular means includes a tubular elbow connected to said one of said walls and said valve means to locate the valve means generally parallel to said one of said walls.

12. An air mattress comprising:

a first wall, a second wall, 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 and the side walls, all of the walls connected together to form an enclosed chamber for accommodating air under pressure, a plurality of continuous webs located within said chamber including first longitudinal webs located adjacent said side walls and second transverse webs extended between said first longitudinal webs forming a plurality of longitudinal and transverse air accommodating passages, means securing said webs to said first and second walls whereby said webs concurrently limit outward expansion and reduce uneven areas of said first and second walls when air under pressure is stored in said chamber, said first longitudinal webs extended parallel and adjacent to the side walls, said second transverse webs extended normal to the first longitudinal webs, each of said webs having opposite end portions having openings providing air communication between adjacent passages for accommodating air under pressure, the opposite end portions of the first longitudinal webs longitudinally spaced from said end walls, and the opposite end portions of the second transverse webs laterally spaced from the first longitudinal webs to provide said openings, and means mounted on one of said walls usable to supply air to said chamber.

13. The air mattress of claim 12 including:

air pressure relief valve means operable to limit the air pressure in said chamber by venting air from said chamber when the pressure of the air within the chamber exceeds a selected maximum limit, and tubular means connecting the valve means to one of said end walls.

14. The air mattress of claim 13 wherein:

said tubular means includes a tubular elbow connected to said one of said walls and said valve means to locate the valve means generally parallel to said one of said walls.