Multi-zone coil construction airbed
An inflatable support system comprising at least one inflatable chamber having an external surface, and electrically powered pump configured to inflate the inflatable chamber, at least one first size coil defined within the inflatable chamber and at least one second size coil defined within the inflatable chamber.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/715,646 entitled “Multi-Zone Coil Construction Airbed” filed on Sep. 9, 2005. U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/715,646 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of inflatable support systems, particularly to an inflatable support system having coils that provide multiple zones of firmness.
2. Related Art
Inflatable mattresses have been available for many years. The design of inflatable mattresses has been constantly evolving to provide a more conventional mattress feel for the end user, while maintaining the convenience of an inflatable mattress. Some conventional mattresses incorporate different “comfort” zones that provide varying levels of support for different areas of a user's body. These comfort zones are designed such that the mattresses have different levels of firmness in different areas.
Normally, for a user lying on his or her back, the principal pressure points are located under the head, shoulder, buttocks and heels. For a user lying on his or her side, the principal pressure points are located over the shoulder, hip/thigh and ankle/foot areas. In order to increase comfort, it is beneficial to adjust the manner in which weight is distributed in these areas. Furthermore, users often prefer different a different feel in different areas of a mattress. Conventional mattresses provide varying firmness in different areas through a variety of methods, including utilizing different types of springs, foam densities or supplemental padding.
In the field of inflatable mattresses, it is undesirable to add material such as foam or springs because of the excess bulk of such materials. An inflatable mattress incorporating springs would be difficult to roll up into a compact, easily storable configuration. Indeed, compactability and portability are the main advantages inflatable mattresses have over conventional mattresses. Weight would also be increased with excess padding or springs, thereby also limiting portability. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide an inflatable mattress having multiple comfort zones without additional springs or other bulk-increasing materials.
BRIEF SUMMARYAn inflatable support system is provided. The inflatable support system comprises at least one inflatable chamber having an external surface, and electrically powered pump configured to inflate the inflatable chamber, at least one first size coil defined within the inflatable chamber and at least one second size coil defined within the inflatable chamber.
In an alternate embodiment, an inflatable support system is provided comprising an inflatable chamber with an external surface and at least a top and a bottom layer. An electrically powered pump is configured to inflate the inflatable chamber, and first and second types of internal structures are defined within the inflatable chamber. The first type of internal structure is comprised of at least one substantially flat layer of material formed in a loop, and the loop has open ends. The second type of internal structure is comprised of at least one substantially flat layer of material formed in a loop, and the loop has open ends.
In a second alternate embodiment, an inflatable support system is provided comprising an inflatable chamber having an outer surface and an electrically powered pump configured to inflate the inflatable chamber. The inflatable chamber has at least one first zone of firmness comprised of a first pattern of coils and at least one second zone of firmness comprised of a second pattern of coils.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the field of inflatable mattresses, the structures utilized to prevent the surfaces of the inflatable chamber from “bowing” or expanding too far outwards have become known as “coils,” due to the fact that the weld lines used to connect them to the interior of the inflatable chamber creates a surface that resembles the surface created by springs or coils of conventional mattresses. The term “coil” has been adopted in the inflatable mattress field because of this similar look, although their function is entirely different than conventional mattress coils. However, it has been discovered that the arrangement and design of these coils in inflatable mattresses can provide varying firmness in different areas.
The inflatable mattress of the present invention also incorporates an electrically powered pump 17 configured to inflate the inflatable support chamber 10. The pump can be any type of pump known in the art for inflating inflatable mattresses. An exemplary pump 17 is pictured in the figures and disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/084,219 and the entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/084,219 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The pump 17 shown in the Figures can be used to both inflate and deflate the inflatable chamber 10, and should be able to provide enough inflation power to quickly inflate the inflatable chamber 10. Preferably, the pump 17 can inflate the inflatable chamber 10 in less than five minutes. The pump 17 can also be used to rapidly deflate the inflatable mattress. Alternatively an inflation-only pump can be used in conjunction with a release valve (not shown).
As shown in the Figures, the present invention also incorporates at least two different internal structures, or two coils, a first size 18 and a second size 20. The “size” of the coils 18, 20 can refer either to the welding pattern present on the outer surface 21 of the inflatable chamber 10, or the actual size of the substantially flat layer of material 25 that forms the coils when viewed from the interior of the inflatable mattress, as shown in
The arrangement of these coils 18, 20 forms different zones of firmness. Each coil 18, 20 is formed from a substantially flat layer of material 25 formed into loop, as shown in
As previously mentioned, the size of the coils 18, 20 can refer to one of two features. In one embodiment of the instant invention, the first size coils 18 are formed from pieces of the substantially flat material 25 such that the weld lines 27 extend nearly to the ends of the material 25, as illustrated in
By way of illustration, in
In order to form different firmness, or “comfort” zones, at least two different sizes of coils 18, 20 are used in the embodiments shown in
The divisions between the zones are shown as dashed lines in
A second zone 24 is formed by utilizing second size coils 20. The weld lines 27 that are visible in the Figures extend nearly to the ends of the coils 20. The second zones 24 can be made up of just one second size coil 20 interspersed between the first zones 22, or they can be parallel groups of second size coils 20 as shown in the Figures. For example,
A third size coil 26 can create a third zone 28.
It should be noted that a wide range of changes could be made to the present embodiments without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. More than three different sizes or shapes of coils can be used, and the zones could be interspersed in different patterns. Different patterns and combinations of coils could be used to create combination zones made up of different-sized coils. The coils within the zones could be spaced differently as well. For example, rather than forming columns of first size coils 18 in each of the first zones 22, the coils 18 could have an alternating pattern where each row is offset from the adjacent rows. Vertical zones could also be formed using different size coils to allow for two or more users to lie side by side on different zones. As noted, the welding pattern could create different shapes on the surface of the inflatable chamber 10. Furthermore, the zones could be interspersed with channels formed from strips of material 25 that are attached to the top 12 and bottom 14 layers. To form a channel, two strips are attached parallel to each other.
The entire inflatable mattress could also be constructed in any number of shapes and sizes. Moreover, other methods known in the art can be used to attach the coils to the top 12 and bottom 14 layers of the inflatable chamber 10. Different types of material could be used to form the structures of the present invention, such as PVC or thermoplastic polyurethane. The inflatable support system could also incorporate more than one inflatable chamber 10. Furthermore, the electrically powered pump 17 could be removable or non-removably mounted to the inflatable chamber 10.
It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.
Claims
1. An inflatable support system comprising:
- at least one inflatable chamber having an external surface;
- an electrically powered pump configured to inflate said inflatable chamber;
- at least one first size coil defined within said inflatable chamber; and
- at least one second size coil defined within said inflatable chamber.
2. The inflatable support system of claim 1, wherein air can freely flow between the interior of said coils and said inflatable chamber.
3. The inflatable support system of claim 1, wherein said inflatable chamber is defined by at least a top and a bottom layer of material.
4. The inflatable support system of claim 3, wherein said first and said second size coils are attached to said top layer of material and said bottom layer of material.
5. The inflatable support system of claim 4, wherein at least one of said first size coils at least partially defines at least one first zone, and at least one of said second size coils at least partially defines at least one second zone.
6. The inflatable support system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of said first zones and a plurality of said second zones.
7. The inflatable support system of claim 6, wherein said first zones and said second zones alternate in placement on said external surface of said inflatable support system.
8. The inflatable support system of claim 5, further comprising at least one third size of coil defined within said inflatable chamber.
9. The inflatable support system of claim 7, wherein at least one of said third size coils at least partially defines at least one third zone.
10. The inflatable support system of claim 8, wherein at least two of said coil sizes at least partially define said first zone.
11. The inflatable support system of claim 9, wherein at least two of said coil sizes at least partially define said second zone.
12. The inflatable support system of claim 10, wherein at least two of said coil sizes at least partially define said third zone.
13. The inflatable support system of claim 1, wherein said electrically powered pump is non-removably mounted to said inflatable chamber.
14. An inflatable support system comprising:
- an inflatable chamber comprised of an external surface and at least a top layer and a bottom layer;
- an electrically powered pump configured to inflate said inflatable chamber;
- a first type of internal structure defined within said inflatable chamber, said first type of internal structure comprised of at least one substantially flat layer of material formed in a loop, said loop having open ends; and a second type of internal structure defined within said inflatable chamber, said second type of internal structure comprised of at least one substantially flat layer of material formed in a loop, said loop having open ends.
15. The inflatable support system of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said first internal structure is attached to said top layer of said inflatable chamber, and at least a portion of said first internal structure is attached to said bottom layer of said inflatable chamber.
16. The inflatable support system of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of said second internal structure is attached to said top layer of said inflatable chamber, and at least a portion of said second internal structure is attached to said bottom layer of said inflatable chamber.
17. The inflatable support system of claim 16, wherein said first type of internal structure is attached by a first weld size to said top layer of said inflatable chamber; and
- said second type of internal structure is attached by a second weld size to said top layer of said inflatable chamber.
18. The inflatable support system of claim 17, wherein said first type of internal structure is attached by a first weld size to said bottom layer of said inflatable chamber; and
- said second type of internal structure is attached by a second weld size to said bottom layer of said inflatable chamber.
19. The inflatable support system of claim 16, wherein said first type of internal structure is attached to said top layer of said inflatable chamber at a first weld forming a first shape on said external surface of said inflatable chamber; and
- said second type of internal structure is attached to said top layer of said inflatable chamber at a second weld forming a second shape on said external surface of said inflatable chamber.
20. The inflatable support system of claim 19, wherein said first type of internal structure is attached to said bottom layer of said inflatable chamber at a first weld forming a first shape on said external surface of said inflatable chamber; and
- said second type of internal structure is attached to said bottom layer of said inflatable chamber at a second weld forming a second shape on said external surface of said inflatable chamber.
21. An inflatable support system comprising:
- an inflatable chamber having an outer surface;
- and electrically powered pump configured to inflate said inflatable chamber;
- said inflatable chamber having at least one zone of firmness comprised of a first pattern of coils and
- said inflatable chamber having at least one zone of firmness comprised of a second pattern of coils.
22. The inflatable support system of claim 21, wherein said coils are all of the same size.
23. The inflatable support system of claim 21, wherein at least one coil of a first size at least partially defines said at least one first zone and at least one coil of a second size at least partially defines said at least one second zone.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 7, 2006
Publication Date: Mar 15, 2007
Inventor: Corey Lewison (Buffalo Grove, IL)
Application Number: 11/516,901
International Classification: A47C 27/08 (20060101);