Pneumatic Structure
A pneumatic structure for sitting, lying and reclining cushions including a plurality of cells disposed together in rows and frictionally interconnected at a plurality of sides along a transversal web thereby forming a layer, the layer being charged with compressed gas through at least one valve and made from a membrane of flexible, gas-tight material. The structure displays a plurality of frictionally interconnected layers, the layers being interconnected such that a longitudinal web separating the layers is present. A casing made from flexible, elastic material is present and envelops the plurality of layers. The casing is frictionally connected partly or across a full length of a contact line to at least one cell.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a pneumatic structure for use, for example, as sitting, lying and reclining cushions.
2. History of Related Art
Pneumatic sitting and reclining cushions are known in the art. They usually comprise a plurality of communicating air tubes disposed alongside one another in a row, which can be inflated and deflated via a common valve and therefore resemble the airbed known in the art both in structure and form. A degree of scope for adaptation exists through the potential for giving individual tubes different air pressures or using different diameter tubes, whereby the shape and softness can be varied to a limited extent. For practical application, such cushions are also provided with a fabric cover. However, the basic structure of the tubes remains visible and, as is essential to a cushion, palpable too. An example of a pneumatic sitting cushion is disclosed in WO 94/07396.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe object of the invention is to create a pneumatic structure, in particular for sitting, lying and reclining cushions, which offers good malleability, is able to meet stringent requirements in relation to sitting comfort, can offer an appreciable weight saving compared with conventional foam cushions and can be effectively combined with rigid structures. In particular, despite the great scope offered in shape design possibilities, the structure should not become stiff or even hard, as invariably seems to be the case when using many structural webs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSA more complete understanding of the pneumatic structure of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:
Means exist for the pressurisation of the groups 12, such as, for example, compressors, pressure sensors, electronic controls, valves, pressure lines. Such means are known to the person skilled in the art and need not therefore be dealt with in further detail.
The schematic cross-section in
The cell 2′ is limited as an example of double-walled webs 7,8. A multi-layer structure for the webs 7,8 can be achieved with all the aforementioned exemplary embodiments, for example by gluing or heat-sealing the membrane 5. With the remaining webs 7,8, the chamber of the fluid muscle 14 is formed by a piece of membrane secured at its edges in a fluid-tight manner to the web 7,8 and by part of the web 7,8 itself.
Included in the concept of the invention is the possibility of combining the different features of the aforementioned exemplary embodiments arbitrarily, in order to obtain further exemplary embodiments according to the invention.
Claims
1. A pneumatic structure for sitting, lying and reclining cushions, comprising.
- a plurality of cells disposed together in rows, the plurality of cells being frictionally interconnected at the sides along a transversal web thereby forming a layer charged with compressed gas through at least one valve made from a membrane of flexible, gas-tight materials;
- wherein the structure displays a plurality of frictionally interconnected layers;
- wherein the frictionally interconnected layers are interconnected such that a longitudinal web separating the frictionally interconnected layers is present;
- a casing made from flexible, elastic material is present and envelops the frictionally interconnected layers; and
- wherein the casing is frictionally connected partly or across full length of a contact line to at least one cell of the plurality of cells.
2. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells and the casing are produced by gluing and/or heat-sealing plastic film.
3. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein the transversal webs of the frictionally interconnected layers each meet in pairs on line on the longitudinal web to form a transversal web that passes through the entire structure.
4. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one layer does not extend over an entire width and/or length of the structure.
5. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure comprises at least two groups of communicating cells, wherein the at least two groups of communicating cells can be charged with different pressures.
6. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein two edge membranes create a gas-tight seal at the ends of at least two cells of the plurality of cells, wherein the transversal webs of the at least two cells connected by the edge membranes are not connected to the edge membranes and consequently forming an opening for pressure equalisation between the at least two connected cells.
7. The pneumatic structure according to claim 6, wherein the pressure equalisation between the at least two connected cells of the same pressure is made possible by means of openings or ducts in the transversal webs and/or the longitudinal webs.
8. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells adjacent to the casing is frictionally connected to the casing either partly or along the full length of the contact line.
9. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein a size of the casing is selected such that when the structure is pressurised, the structure is stretched more than the membrane, wherein a peripheral length of the casing is smaller when it is not stretched than the peripheral length of pressurised layers without the casing.
10. The pneumatic structure according-to claim 1, wherein a gap between two adjacent contact lines is shorter when the structure is not pressurised, and the casing is not stretched, than the gap between the contact lines on the plurality of cells when the structure is pressurised without the casing.
11. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein the membrane and/or the casing have at least one fluid muscle and means of operating the fluid muscles.
12. The pneumatic structure according to claim 1, wherein the membrane is made from elastic material.
Type: Application
Filed: May 19, 2005
Publication Date: Nov 8, 2007
Inventors: Res Kammer (Mirchel), Laszlo Kerekes (Zurich), Fritz Fuchs (Uster)
Application Number: 11/628,121
International Classification: A47C 27/08 (20060101);