Pneumatic Cushions with Reinforcing Members or Braces

Abstract

A pneumatic cushion having an inner pneumatic structure constructed from a casing and webs or a plurality of tubes. The webs produce a plurality of chambers. The inner pneumatic structure may be pressurised at a pressure p1. At least one reinforcing and stiffening means is present on or in the pneumatic structure and disposed in such a manner that the pneumatic cushion's dimensional stability is increased.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to pneumatic cushions, particularly for sitting, reclining and lying cushions.

2. History of Related Art

Many kinds of pneumatic cushions are known in the art. Efforts have already been made to incorporate these into the production of chairs and beds, or else flat structures.

The simplest way of achieving this is by installing tubes side by side, each of which is round in cross-section. An example of this that can be used here is the traditional airbed. The individual tubes are usually interconnected in such a manner as to form one or two continuous air chambers.

In U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,401 (Dl) the tubes are interconnected in such a manner that part of a tube wall is also part of the tube wall of a second tube. A quasi coming-together of the individual tubes can thereby be achieved. The individual tubes lie on one or two levels, depending on the configuration.

However, the disadvantage of Dl is that such a design only has a low inherent stability. These flat pneumatic structures quickly buckle when subjected to a load or have to be highly pressurised, which makes them hard and uncomfortable.

The object of the invention is to create cushions offering a high degree of comfort, in particular for sitting, lying or reclining on, which at the same time have a stable, sustainable form.

The object is solved as described in the characterising clause of patent claim 1, in relation to its essential features, and in the dependant claims, in relation to the other advantageous features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cushions in the invention have an inner pneumatic structure. This pneumatic structure creates at least one gas-tight chamber. The bars or webs are fitted or disposed on or in the pneumatic structure. Cushions constructed in this manner are particularly suitable as sitting, reclining and lying cushions. They may, in particular, be used in items of furniture such as seats, chairs and beds, but also in means of transport.

In a first embodiment of the inventive idea, bars are integrated in the pneumatic structure. In a second embodiment, pneumatic webs are used, which are likewise integrated in the pneumatic structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the pneumatic cushions of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 to 3 show different pneumatic structures with reinforcing bars,

FIG. 4 shows a pneumatic web,

FIG. 5 shows another pneumatic web,

FIGS. 6 to 8 show different pneumatic structures with different pneumatic webs.

FIG. 1 shows a pneumatic structure 1, which is made from a gas-tight casing and webs 3. The webs 3 run from the top to the bottom of the casing 2. The webs 3 may be made from the same material as the casing, but they may also be composed of a gas-permeable substance or a film. The webs produce chambers 4, which can be interconnected. When pressurised, board-like cushions, for example, can thereby be created. In FIG. 1, some of the webs 3 are provided with pockets 7. Bars 10 are disposed in the pockets 7. These bars 10 may be made from plastic, a metal such as aluminium, or wood, for example. When a weight is applied, the webs 3 with the bars 10 cannot loose their shape as easily as those without bars 10. This effect is reinforced when the webs 3 can be tightened or else subjected to tensile forces by means of the excess pressure p₁ in the pneumatic structure.

In a variant of the embodiment, the bars 10 or flexible bars 11 are disposed in pockets 7 in the casing 2. Likewise, the bars 10, 11 can also be adhered externally, for example, to the casing 2. Again, bars 10 or flexible bars 11, as depicted in FIG. 1, can be used for this. The flexible bars 11 have the property of being able to adopt a flat form like the bars 10 without external forces. If the pneumatic structure 1 is pressurised, the casing 2 adopts its characteristic convex form between the bars. This means that the flexible bars 11 are bent essentially crossways to their longitudinal axis. In this bent form, the flexible bars 11 are buckle-proof, like the bars 10, and are able to produce the same reinforcing effect. In FIG. 1 the flexible bars 11 are disposed by way of example on the bottom and on the edge of the pneumatic structure. So that the flexible bars 11 can even be bent at low pressures of below 50 kPa (500 mBar), it is advantageous for the inner layer of the casing 2 at the pockets 7 to be made from an airtight material. In this way, the pressure p₁ acts from within by means of the inner layer of the casing 2 on the flexible bars 11.

In order to prevent a bar 10 or a flexible bar 11 from being felt as unpleasant when sat upon, for example, it may be covered with padding 13 or the padding 13 is simply placed between the bar 10, 11 and the casing 2. In FIG. 2 the pneumatic structure 1 has, in addition, a central, horizontal web 3, which produces upper and lower chambers 4 in the pneumatic structure. To the left in FIG. 2, pockets are disposed in the horizontal web 3 between one upper and one lower chamber 4. The pockets 7 each contain a bar 10, one with a triangular and one with a square cross-section. On the right side of FIG. 2 is a pocket 7 at an intersection between a vertical and the horizontal web 3. Inserted in this pocket 7 is a pipe-shaped bar 10. Furthermore, inserted in the pockets 7 on the right side of FIG. 2 are gas-tight tubes 6 or generally gas-tight bladders. The advantage of this pneumatic structure design is that elastic materials can also be used for the gas-tight tubes 6. Materials with limited extensibility can now be used for the casing 2 and the shaping webs 3, which need not also be simultaneously gas-tight. A functional separation can thereby be achieved.

FIG. 2 further contains a schematic representation of a cover 9. This cover 9 satisfies purely aesthetic requirements, as it represents the only visible component of a cushion constructed in this way.

The pneumatic structure 1 in FIG. 3 is constructed solely from gas-tight and limited extensibility tubes 6. In this case, the tubes 6 are disposed by way of example in two layers. Bars 10 are disposed between the tubes 6, which are connected to the tubes 6 at the joints 8. Examples of suitable methods of connection are welding and gluing. The joints may, of course, also be made in segmented or point form.

Between the upper and lower layer of tubes 6 in FIG. 3, a bar 10 is inserted as a further variant, which runs essentially orthogonally to the tubes 6. The bar 10 can of course be aligned in any way. In order to save on weight, the bars 10, 11, may also be latticed or perforated.

FIG. 4 shows a pneumatic web 19. It is made from an essentially cigar-shaped hollow body 20 and a compression bar 22, which is attached to it or inserted between two layers in a pocket 7 in the hollow body 20. The compression bar 22 has a flat cross-section and is flexible, so that it lies arcuately along its longitudinal axis against the hollow body 20, if the latter is pressurised. In this functional, curved form, the compression bar 22 is significantly stiffer than in its flat, non-functional form. The compression bar 22 may be constituted in such a way that it is rollable in its non-functional form, so that it operates in a similar way to a roll-up tape measure. A structural element 19 designed in this manner is therefore able to strengthen a cushion and be folded or rolled away along with the pneumatic web 19 in the depressurised state.

FIG. 5 shows a variant of the pneumatic web 19. In addition to the hollow body 20 and the compression bar 22, tie bands 21 are disposed. They run to the left and right, turning helically around the hollow body 20 from one end of the compression bar 22 to the other or to nodal elements 23 attached to the ends of the hollow body 20. If the hollow body 20 is pressurised, the tie bands 21 become taut and push the compression bar 22 against the hollow body 20. The compression bar 22 itself absorbs the tensile forces of the tie bands 21 and is thereby pressurised along its longitudinal axis. Since in this case the compression bar 22 is additionally pressed in its functional form against the hollow body 20, the pneumatic web 19 is very rigid in this embodiment and can likewise be rolled up in its non-functional form.

Details of the pneumatic webs 19 can be obtained from WO 01/73245, PCT/CH2004/000111 and CH 01259/03 held by the same applicant.

The pneumatic webs 19 can of course also be constructed with two or more compression bars 22, with only one or a plurality of tie bands, or else one or more elements, which are suitable for absorbing tensile forces. Non-cylindrical forms of the hollow body 20 are also included in the basic idea underlying the invention. Furthermore, the tie bands 21 and the compression bar 22 may be interconnected in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of the pneumatic web 19 starts to bend under pressure. Likewise, the use of rigid, dimensionally stable compression bars 22 is conceivable and in accordance with the invention.

In order for the pneumatic webs 19 to adopt their functional form, they naturally have to be subjected to a pressure greater than their ambient pressure.

FIG. 6 shows a pneumatic structure essentially identical to that in FIG. 1. However, pneumatic webs 19 are inserted in a small number of chambers 4, which essentially fill these chambers 4. Likewise, one of the webs 3 is provided with a pocket 7, in which a pneumatic web 19 is inserted. The pneumatic webs 19 are subjected to a pressure p₂, p₂>p₁, which gives them their essentially round cross-section. The pneumatic webs 19 illustrated have flexible compression bars 22, which perform the same function as the flexible bars 11. Since a small number of chambers 4 are filled at a pressure p₂, p₂>p₁, it may be appropriate in the case of these chambers once again to insert padding 13 between the casing 2 and the pneumatic webs 19. It is, of course, also conceivable that pneumatic webs 19 with two or more flexible compression bars should be used and the pneumatic webs 19 turned in such a way, for example, that the compression bar 22 does not lie underneath, as depicted in FIG. 6, but on the top.

FIG. 7 shows a pneumatic structure 1 constructed in accordance with the right side of FIG. 2. Inserted in the pocket 7 at the intersection between the horizontal and a vertical web 3 is a pneumatic web 19 with two compression bars 22 and four tie bands 21. This hollow body 20 is also subjected to a pressure p₂, p₂>p₁. FIG. 8 shows a pneumatic structure 1 constructed in accordance with the right side of FIG. 2. This time, there is a pneumatic web 19 with only one compression bar 22 and two tie bands 21 inserted in the pocket 7 at an intersection point. Pneumatic webs 19 with one or two flexible compression bars 22 are disposed in lower chambers 4. The differently designed pneumatic webs 19 are naturally interchangeable.

The pneumatic webs 19, like the bars 10, 11, may also be attached outside the pneumatic structure 1. Furthermore, they can also be used to create latticework, which supports the pneumatic structure 1 internally or externally. For example, four pneumatic webs 19 can be added together to produce a framework, which surrounds a square pneumatic structure 1 or is inserted in it.

In generalised form, it is conceivable that not only a pressure p₁ and a pressure p₂ could be used. With different pressures p₁ in different chambers 4, for example, the pressures p₂ of the pneumatic webs 19 must be selected, such that they are greater than the pressures p₁ in the adjacent chambers 4.

In embodiments in which bars 10, 11 or compression bars 22 are disposed right under the casing 2, in other words, under the outermost skin of the pneumatic structure 1, it is conceivable for these bars 10, 11, 22 to be provided with mounting or connecting means. For example, in bars 10, 11, 22 threads can be added, so that the cushions can be screwed to a frame.

The embodiments described and illustrated in the preceding FIGS. 1 to 8 should be understood as mutually replaceable and combinable. It is conceivable for a pneumatic structure 1 to be equipped with only one type of reinforcing bar 10, 11 or pneumatic web 19 or different types combined together.

The pneumatic structures 1 may be used as cushions as they are or they may be provided with a cover 9. The cover may be removable and separately washable, for example.

At this point, reference is simply made to the means necessary in order to control and guarantee pressurisation in the various embodiments. The person skilled in the art will have an adequate knowledge of pressure vessels, valves, lines and control panels.

Claims

1. A pneumatic cushion comprising: an inner pneumatic structure constructed from a casing and webs or a plurality of tubes;

wherein the webs produce a plurality of chambers;

wherein the inner pneumatic structure may be pressurised at a pressure p1; and,

at least one reinforcing and stiffening means is present on or in the pneumatic structure and disposed in such a manner that the pneumatic cushion's dimensional stability is increased.

2. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing and stiffening means consists of a bar, a flexible bar, or a pneumatic web.

3. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 2, wherein the at least one reinforcing and stiffening means is disposed outside, inside or in the casing, on or in the webs or between two tubes of the plurality of tubes in the inner pneumatic structure.

4. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 3, wherein the at least one reinforcing and stiffening means is disposed in a chamber of the plurality of chambers and/or pocket formed by a double-walled area of the casing or the webs.

5. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 2, wherein the flexible bar is bent essentially crossways to its longitudinal axis and thereby becomes buckle-proof.

6. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 2, wherein the characterised in that the at least one pneumatic web consists of a gas-tight, essentially cigar-shaped hollow body and at least one compression bar lying against the hollow body and can be subjected to a pressure p2, p2>p1.

7. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 6, wherein the at least one compression bar is flexible and is bent during pressurisation of the hollow body essentially crossways to its longitudinal axis, lying against the hollow body.

8. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 2, wherein the pneumatic web is disposed in the pneumatic structure in such a manner that it fills a chamber of the plurality of chambers or a pocket in the pressurised state.

9. The pneumatic cushion according to claim 1, wherein a framework is created from reinforcing and stiffening means, which supports the pneumatic structure from inside or outside.