Sleeping bag with air pockets

Abstract

A sleeping bag includes a shell defining an enclosed heat insulation space, a sleeping bag filler filling the heat insulation space, and air bags that are provided inside the heat insulation space. The heat insulation space includes a bottom portion and a non-bottom portion. The bottom portion is adapted to support the weight of a user of the sleeping bag. The air bags are positioned in the bottom portion. The air bag includes an elongated air tube, an air communication conduit, and an air plug. The air bags are spaced from one another by a predetermined interval. The sleeping bag filler fills the heat insulation space between the air bags. The air bag may further include an air bag filler that is provided inside the air tube. The air bags may be connected to form a single sealed air space.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a sleeping bag. More particularly, the invention is related to a sleeping bag that includes air pockets in order to maximize heat insulation effects.

A sleeping bag is mainly used for situations where there are little or no heating. Essential requirements for a sleeping bag are that it should retain heat and provide thermal insulation, and should still be light and small for easy packing and transportation.

Sleeping bags by prior art include a fabric shell filled with synthetic fibers or down. One disadvantage of sleeping bags by prior art is that their insulation property is not uniform but differs along the direction. Heat insulation property of a sleeping bag is provided mainly by air contained in gaps between the synthetic fibers or down feathers. The gaps are reduced in the bottom portion of the sleeping bag since the bottom portion is compressed by the weight of a user and becomes thin. For this reason, a sleeping pad is usually used to provide extra insulation between a user and the ground on which the user lies.

The insulation property is more important in the bottom portion of a sleeping bag since heat loss may occur mostly through heat transfer between the bottom portion of the sleeping bag and the ground.

Therefore, there has been a need for a sleeping bag, which has uniform insulation property in all directions, and even strengthened insulation property for the bottom portion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contrives to solve the disadvantages of the prior art.

An objective of the invention is to provide a sleeping bag that has uniform thermal insulation property in all directions.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a sleeping bag that has strengthened thermal insulation property in a bottom portion thereof.

In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sleeping bag that includes a shell defining an enclosed heat insulation space, a sleeping bag filler that is provided inside the heat insulation space, and one or more air bags that are provided inside the heat insulation space.

Each of the air bags includes a sealed air space that contains air.

The heat insulation space includes a bottom portion and a non-bottom portion. The bottom portion is adapted to support the weight of a user of the sleeping bag. The air bags are positioned in the bottom portion.

Each of the air bags includes an elongated air tube.

The sleeping bag may include a pump that inflates the air bags.

Each of the air bags includes an air communication conduit, and an air plug that plugs the air communication conduit.

The air bags are spaced from one another by a predetermined interval. The sleeping bag filler fills the heat insulation space between the air bags.

The sleeping bag filler is made of synthetic fiber, down, cotton or wool.

In another aspect of the invention, each of the air bags further includes an air bag filler that is provide in the sealed air space. The air bag filler is made of synthetic fiber, down, cotton or wool.

In still another aspect of the invention, the air bags are connected with one another so that the air bags forms a single sealed air space that contains air.

The advantages of the present invention are: (1) the sleeping bag has excellent heat insulation property in the bottom portion since the bottom portion is not compressed by the weight of a user; (2) the series of air bags structurally support the weight of a user, and therefore the filler material does not collapse and keep its insulation property thereby keeping the user warm; (3) the air bags pre-filled with the filler provides more warmth; and (4) a separate sleeping pad is not necessary.

Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sleeping bag according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sleeping bag taken along line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and shows a bottom portion and a nonbottom portion of the sleeping bag;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an air bag;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and shows an air bag filler; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a sleeping bag having connected air bags.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a sleeping bag 10 includes a shell 12 defining an enclosed heat insulation space 14, a sleeping bag filler 16 that is provided inside the heat insulation space 14, and one or more air bags 18 that are provided inside the heat insulation space 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, the heat insulation space 14 includes a bottom portion 22 and a non-bottom portion 24. The bottom portion 22 is adapted to support the weight of a user of the sleeping bag 10. The bottom portion 22 is the portion that the weight of a user of the sleeping bag 10 presses the sleeping bag filler 16. The air bags 18 are positioned in the bottom portion 22. The air bags 18 resist the pressure applied by the weight of a user so that the sleeping bag filler 16 filling the bottom portion is not compressed. A zipper 32 is provided in the nonbottom portion 24 to facilitate use and storage of the sleeping bag 10.

FIG. 4 shows that the air bag 18 includes a sealed air space 20 that contains air. The air bag 18 includes an elongated air tube 24. The air bag 18 includes an air communication conduit 30, and an air plug 31 that plugs the air communication conduit 30.

Referring bag to FIG. 1, the sleeping bag 10 includes a pump 28 that inflates the air bags.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the air bags 18 are spaced from one another by a predetermined interval a. The sleeping bag filler 16 fills the heat insulation space 14 between the air bags 18.

The sleeping bag filler 16 is made of synthetic fiber, down, cotton or wool.

FIG. 5 shows another aspect of the present invention. In this aspect, each of the air bags 18 further includes an air bag filler 34 that is provided in the sealed air space 20. The air bag filler 34 is made of synthetic fiber, down, cotton or wool.

FIG. 6 shows still another aspect of the invention. In this aspect, a sleeping bag 36 includes a plurality of air bags 38 that are connected with one another so that the air bags 38 form a single sealed air space 40 that contains air. The sleeping bag 36 is shown without the sleeping bag filler 16 for ease of illustration.

The air in the air bags 38 is communicated through connecting pipes 42 that connect the air bags 38. Only one air communication conduit 30 and only one air plug 31 is required for the entire air bags 38.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with regard to the preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the appended claims should not be limited to the descriptions of the preferred versions contained herein.

Claims

1. A sleeping bag comprising:

a) a shell comprising an enclosed heat insulation space;

b) a sleeping bag filler that is provided inside the heat insulation space;

c) one or more air bags that are provided inside the heat insulation space;

wherein each of the air bags comprises a sealed air space that contains air.

2. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein the heat insulation space comprises a bottom portion and a non-bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion is adapted to support the weight of a user of the sleeping bag, wherein the air bags are positioned in the bottom portion.

3. The sleeping bag of claim 2, wherein each of the air bags comprises an elongated air tube.

4. The sleeping bag of claim 3, further comprising a pump, wherein the pump inflates the air bags.

5. The sleeping bag of claim 3, wherein each of the air bags comprises an air communication conduit, and an air plug that plugs the air communication conduit.

6. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein the air bags are spaced from one another by a predetermined interval, wherein the sleeping bag filler fills the heat insulation space between the air bags.

7. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein the sleeping bag filler is made of synthetic fiber, down, cotton or wool.

8. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein each of the air bags further comprises an air bag filler that is provided in the sealed air space.

9. The sleeping bag of claim 8, wherein the air bag filler is made of synthetic fiber, down, cotton or wool.

10. A sleeping bag comprising:

a) a shell comprising an enclosed heat insulation space;

b) a sleeping bag filler that is provided inside the heat insulation space;

c) one or more air bags that are provided inside the heat insulation space;

wherein the air bags are connected whereby the air bags forms a single sealed air space that contains air.

11. The sleeping bag of claim 10, wherein the heat insulation space comprises a bottom portion and a non-bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion is adapted to support the weight of a user of the sleeping bag, wherein the air bags are positioned in the bottom portion.

12. The sleeping bag of claim 10, wherein each of the air bags comprises an elongated air tube.

13. The sleeping bag of claim 10, further comprising a pump, wherein the pump inflates the air bags.

14. The sleeping bag of claim 10, wherein the air space comprises an air communication conduit, and an air plug that plugs the air communication conduit.

15. The sleeping bag of claim 10, wherein the air bags are spaced from one another by a predetermined interval, wherein the sleeping bag filler fills the heat insulation space between the air bags.

16. The sleeping bag of claim 10, wherein each of the air bags further comprises an air bag filler that is provided in the sealed air space.