Air cushion with independently adjustable resilient zones

• US 6,510,573 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kurtis F. Grabe
• Original Assignee: Kurtis F. Grabe
• Inventors: Grabe, Kurtis F.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRETTEL, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/653,293
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 562/6, 564/0, 564/4, 564/5, 565/53, 549/0, 570/6, 571/0, 571/3, 565/4
• US Class Current: 5/644
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2009/003 with inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/1027 Details of inflatable pillows

Abstract

An air cell pillow includes an air cushion and a cover. The air cushion is encased by a cover that has a top, bottom and four side panels arranged generally in a box shape. The top and bottom panels each have a first thickness and the side panels each have a second thickness. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness. The first thickness provides a smooth, continuous surface atop the independent air cells of the cushion and the second thickness allowing the pillow to readily collapse upon application of a load to the top and bottom panels. The air cushion has separate zones that may be independently adjusted to vary the resiliency in each zone. The cushion has a base sheet and a top sheet. The top sheet is molded in the form of a plurality of air cells that are secured to and extend outwardly from the base sheet. The plurality of air cells includes a portion of the air cells that form a first inflation zone adjacent a perimeter edge of the cushion and a remaining portion that form a second inflation zone. The first inflation zone is isolated from the remainder of the air cushion and is separately inflatable whereby the first inflation zone has a resiliency that may be adjusted independently from the remainder of the air cushion when the cushion is inflated.

Claims

1. An air cell pillow comprising:

an inflatable cushion having a plurality of perimeter edges and a plurality of inflation zones with one inflation zone of the plurality consisting of a single straight row of air cells arranged along a single perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion, each of the inflation zones of the plurality being isolated from each other and connected to an inflation pressure adjustment mechanism whereby each inflation zone has an inflation pressure that is independent from the inflation pressure in the other inflation zones and independently set when the cushion is inflated.

2. The pillow of claim 1 wherein:

each of the inflation zones has a plurality of air cells and the air cells in each inflation zone communicate with each other.

3. The pillow of claim 2 wherein:

the air cells in the at least one inflation zone are arranged in a row adjacent the perimeter edge.

4. The pillow of claim 3 where:

the plurality of air cells in each inflation zone is formed by a top sheet molded in the form of the plurality of air cells and secured to a base sheet, whereby the plurality of air cells extend outwardly and away from the base sheet.

10. The pillow of claim 1 wherein:

each of the inflation zones is inflated by a separate conduit.

5. An air cell pillow comprising:

an inflatable cushion having a perimeter edge and a plurality of inflation zones with at least one inflation zone being formed adjacent the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion, each of the inflation zones being isolated from each other and connected to an inflation pressure adjustment mechanism whereby each inflation zone has an inflation pressure that is independent from the inflation pressure in the other inflation zones and independently set when the cushion is inflated;

each of the inflation zones has a plurality of air cells and the air cells in each inflation zone communicate with each other;

the air cells in the at least one inflation zone are arranged in a row adjacent the perimeter edge;

the plurality of air cells in each inflation zone is formed by a top sheet molded in the form of the plurality of air cells and secured to a base sheet, whereby the plurality of air cells extend outwardly and away from the base sheet; and

the base sheet is one of a pair of base sheets that are positioned side-by-side and the top sheet is one of a pair of top sheets that are molded in the form of the plurality of air cells that extend outwardly from the pair of base sheets.

6. The pillow of claim 5 wherein:

the air cells formed by one of the pairs of base sheets and top sheets are in communication with the air cells formed by the other of the pairs of base sheets and top sheets.

7. The pillow of claim 5 wherein:

the inflatable cushion is folded to position the pair of base sheets in a side-by-side arrangement.

8. The pillow of claim 5 wherein:

the pair of base sheets is held in the side-by-side arrangement by releasable fasteners.

9. An air cell pillow comprising:

an inflatable cushion having a perimeter edge and a plurality of inflation zones with at least one inflation zone being formed adjacent the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion, each of the inflation zones being isolated from each other and connected to an inflation pressure adjustment mechanism whereby each inflation zone has an inflation pressure that is independent from the inflation pressure in the other inflation zones and independently set when the cushion is inflated; and

the inflatable cushion has a base and a fold line in the base and the inflatable cushion is folded over itself about the base at the fold line to form the first inflation zone on the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion.

11. A pillow comprising:

an inflatable cushion having perimeter edge and a base sheet and a top sheet, the top sheet being molded in the form of a plurality of air cells that are secured to the base sheet and extend outwardly from the base sheet, the plurality of air cells including a first group of the air cells that form a first inflation zone adjacent the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion and a second group of air cells that form a second inflation zone, the air cells of the first inflation zone being interconnected to permit air flow between the air cells in the first inflation zone, the air cells of the second inflation zone being interconnected to permit air flow between the air cells in the second inflation zone, the first inflation zone being isolated from the second inflation zone separately inflatable from the second inflation zone whereby the first inflation zone has a resiliency that is adjustable and set independently of the resiliency of the second inflation zone when the cushion is inflated.

12. A pillow comprising:

an inflatable cushion having a perimeter edge and a base sheet and a top sheet, the top sheet being molded in the form of a plurality of air cells that are secured to the base sheet and extend outwardly from the base sheet, the plurality of air cells including a first group of the air cells that form a first inflation zone adjacent the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion and a second group of air cells that form a second inflation zone, the air cells of the first inflation zone being interconnected to permit air flow between the air cells in the first inflation zone, the air cells of the second inflation zone being interconnected to permit air flow between the air cells in the second inflation zone, the first inflation zone being isolated from the second inflation zone and separately inflatable from the second inflation zone whereby the first inflation zone has a resiliency that is adjustable and set independently of the resiliency of the second inflation zone when the cushion is inflated; and

the base sheet is one of a pair of base sheets that are positioned side-by-side of each other and the top sheet is one of a pair of top sheets that are molded in the form of the plurality of air cells that extend outwardly from the pair of base sheets.

13. The pillow of claim 12 wherein:

the first inflation zone is one of a pair of first inflation zones formed in each base and top sheet and the pair of first inflation zones is interconnected by a conduit.

14. The pillow of claim 12 wherein:

the inflatable cushion is folded to position the pair of base sheets in a side-by-side arrangement.

15. The pillow of claim 12 wherein:

the first and second inflation zones are pressurized by separate tubes.

16. The pillow of claim 15 wherein:

the pair of base sheets is held in the side-by-side arrangement by releasable fasteners.

17. The pillow of claim 16 wherein:

the tubes are positioned in between the pair of base sheets when the base sheets are secured in the side-by-side arrangement.

18. The pillow of claim 12 wherein:

the inflatable cushion is folded to form the first inflation zone on the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion.

19. The pillow of claim 12 wherein:

the air cells formed adjacent the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion are arranged in a row adjacent the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion.

20. A pillow comprising:

an inflatable cushion having first and second base sheets and first and second top sheets, the first and second base sheets are positioned side-by-side of each other, the first and second top sheets are each molded in a form of a plurality of independent air cells that are secured to the respective first and second base sheets and extend outwardly in opposite directions from the first and second base sheets, the air cells being grouped into a plurality of sections with at least one section being formed along a perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion, each of the sections being separated from the other sections in a manner to prevent communication between the sections whereby each section has an associated firmness that is adjustable.

21. The pillow of claim 20 wherein:

the at least one section has a fold line and the inflatable cushion is folded about the fold line to configure the base sheets in the side-by-side arrangement with the at least one section positioned adjacent the perimeter edge of the inflatable cushion.

22. The pillow of claim 21 wherein:

the first and second base sheets are attached together by releasable fasteners.