INFLATABLE CUSHION

Abstract

A portable cushion has a first chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed. There is a second chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed. The second chamber is connected to one of the three edges of the first chamber along one of the three edges of the second chamber, to form a two-part cushion having a hinge between the two chambers. The cushion can be filled with air by waving each chamber through the air while the respective fourth edge is in an open position, and then sealing the respective closure element when air has entered the chamber.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/357,334 filed Jun. 30, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to an inflatable cushion. In particular, the invention relates to seat cushion that is comprised of an outer covering that can be filled with air, either by an inflation valve or by waiving the open end of the covering through the air, and then sealing the open end. The cushion has two parts separated by a seam, so that the two parts form a seat part and a backrest part.

2. The Prior Art

Inflatable seat cushions have been in use for a long time. For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,956 to Schick et al. discloses an inflatable seat cushion having an attached backrest. The cushions are formed from heat sealed cells that are connected so that they fill evenly when inflated via an air inlet. The problem with this device is that it can take a lot of effort and time to inflate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an inflatable seat cushion that is simple and quick to inflate and deflate. It is another object of the invention to provide an inflatable seat cushion that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to transport.

These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a portable cushion comprising a first chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed. There is a second chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed. The second chamber is connected to one of the three edges of the first chamber along one of the three edges of the second chamber, to form a two-part cushion having a hinge between the two chambers.

Preferably the upper and lower sheets are formed from plastic. The upper sheet of the first and second chambers can be formed from a single sheet that has a heat-sealed seam between the two chambers. The same goes for the second sheet, so that the two sheets need only be connected along their outer edges. Preferably, the fourth edges of the two chambers are disposed on opposite sides of the cushion, but other arrangements could be used as well.

Preferably, the resealable closure is in the form of a snap fit closure extending along the entire fourth edge. Such a snap-fit closure is common among resealable plastic bags, such as those marketed under the Ziploc® trademark. In another embodiment, the resealable closure can have the form of an actual zipper closure that seals the snap-fit components together. In yet another embodiment, the closure element can be a resealable adhesive. Finally, in another embodiment, the closure element is formed from a hook-and-loop type closure system that engages when the fourth edge is rolled around itself at least once.

The cushion according to the invention is easily portable since it can be deflated and folded or rolled up into a very small package. To inflate the chambers, one needs only to wave each chamber through the air until a small amount of air is captured in the chamber, and then seal the chamber with the resealable closure element. The second chamber is inflated in the same manner. This inflation method is effective because only a small amount of air is required to make the cushion effective. There is no need to completely fill the chambers, as over-filling would make the cushion uncomfortable and prone to breakage. Alternatively, an inflation valve can also be provided if the user wants to inflate the chambers via blowing.

The cushion according to the invention could also be filled with cold or warm water and used as a compress for injuries.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the cushion according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the method of inflation of the cushion;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the cushion in an inflated state; and

FIG. 4 shows the cushion in use in an automobile seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the cushion 10 according to the invention. Cushion 10 comprises a top sheet 11 connected to a bottom sheet 12 along side edges 13, 14, and along seam 15 to create two chambers 16, 17. A fourth edge 18, 19 of each chamber 16, 17 is closeable with a resealable closure element in the form of a snap-fit closure 20, 21. As shown in FIG. 2, chambers 16, 17 are inflatable with air simply by waving them through the air with fourth edge 18, 19 fully opened, and then sealing edge 18, 19 via closure 20, 21. An inflated cushion 10 is shown in FIG. 3. The two chambers 16, 17 can be used to form a seat cushion and a back cushion for a user when traveling or sitting in uncomfortable seating arrangements. Use of cushion 10 by a user 30 sitting in an automobile seat having a seat section 26 and a backrest section 25 is shown in FIG. 4.

The cushion according to the invention is inexpensive, easily portable, and simple to inflate. It can be used in many different environments, such as stadiums, airplane seats, car seats, doctor's offices, etc. It can also be used in the medical field as a quick hot or cold compress if the chambers are filled with warm or cold water instead of air.

Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A portable cushion comprising:

a first chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed; and

a second chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed, the second chamber being connected to one of the three edges of the first chamber along one of the three edges of the second chamber.

2. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower sheets are formed from plastic.

3. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the resealable closure is in the form of a snap fit closure extending along the entire fourth edge.

4. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the resealable closure is in the form of a zipper closure.

5. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is formed from resealable adhesive.

6. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is formed from a hook-and-loop type closure system that engages when the fourth edge is rolled around itself at least once.

7. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the upper sheet of the first chamber and the upper sheet of the second chamber are formed in one piece, and wherein the lower sheet of the first chamber and the lower sheet of the second chamber are formed in one piece.

8. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the fourth edge of the second chamber is disposed on an opposite side of the cushion from the fourth edge of the first chamber.