Hammock With An Integrated Insulation Section
A hammock is provided and includes a bed layer and an insulation section. The insulation section is connected to a bottom surface of the bed layer using a mechanical joint and includes a plurality of baffle boxes containing insulating material.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/261,184, claiming the benefit of the filing date under 35§ 103 filed Sep. 9, 2016.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a hammock system and, more particularly, to a hammock system having a hammock with an integrated insulation section.
BACKGROUNDEquipment for resting or sleeping comfortably without access to constructed shelters is a challenge faced by recreational campers as well as by professionals such as firefighters, scientific researchers, photographers, wildlife managers, and others who spend extended time in rural or wilderness areas.
Conventional pieces of equipment, specifically hammocks, are deficient in several regards. Foremost is the challenge for a user to retain body heat while suspended in a hammock. Even when ambient temperature of the air is not itself a bodily threat, the effect of wind on the lower surface of an inadequately insulated bed layer can reduce the comfort experienced by the user of a conventional hammock.
Secondly, the weight of any insulation must be balanced with the heat retaining value of that insulation. Furthermore, even where insulation is included, the weight of a user's body (particularly at pressure points such as hips) can compress the loft of insulation thereby reducing the heat-keeping capacity of the insulating element.
Conventional attempts to provide a desirable level of insulation to a hammock include a separate quilted pad. The separate quilted pad adds weight and is an additional item to manage and transport. The separate quilted pad requires some kind of manual attachment or repeated adjustment to the hammock to be functional. A particular attachment system may not complement a particular hammock configuration and may become disconnected or disarrayed in use. Furthermore, a conventional quilted pad is created by means of a line or other fiber stitched through the materials forming the pad.
This conventional technique breaks through the materials and allows heat to pass more readily through the pad, limiting the pad's insulating value.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a hammock equipped with an integrated insulation section that retains body heat over the heat retaining capacity of an uninsulated hammock, one that provides value to justify the addition of the weight of the insulating element, and one that uses a ‘quilting’ technique that is especially heat retaining.
SUMMARYAccordingly, the present invention has been devised in view of the technical problems described above. A hammock is provided and includes a bed layer and an insulation section. The insulation section is connected to a bottom surface of the bed layer using a mechanical joint and includes a plurality of baffle boxes containing insulating material.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:
Referring to
As shown, the hammock system 1 generally includes a hammock 10 having an integrated insulation section 12 according to the invention and tie materials 14 and hardware 15 to suspend the hammock from supports 13.
An exemplary embodiment of the hammock 10 includes the following major components: a bed layer 11 (hereinafter referred to as a “bed”) and an integrated insulation section 12 having a plurality of baffle boxes 17 containing insulating material (fill) 21. The baffle boxes 17 are formed between the bed layer 11 and the integrated insulation section 12 using mechanical joints 22 which secure the insulation section 12 to the bed layer 11.
First, with reference to
With reference to
With reference to
Referring now to
Alternatively, if the choice of insulating materials 21 permit, the upper and lower surfaces 12a, 12b of the insulation section may be cut and aligned to be of the same length and folded back upon themselves before being enclosed within the binding 18 (not shown). The binding 18 enclosing the folded upper surface 12a is secured to the bed layer 11 by mechanical joints 22, preferably to the bed's lower surface 10b, as will be explained in greater detail below.
Mechanical joints 22 using hot adhesive or sonic welding are preferred over a stitched (“quilted”) joint as the mechanical joint 22 does not penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the insulation section 12 and thus retains heat to a greater degree than a stitched joint. The particular mechanical joint 22 used to secure the insulation section 12 to the bed layer 11 as well as to form the baffle boxes 17 is selected by one of ordinary skill in the art from various welding techniques. The particular mechanical joint technique is selected following assessment of the materials to be joined and the conditions under which the mechanical joint is created. Use of the mechanical joints securely affixes the insulation section 12 to the bed layer 11. The non-removable construction eliminates the need to adjust or re-secure the insulation section in place during transport or use.
The baffle boxes 17 are packed with a sufficient quantity of insulating fill 21. The particular fill is selected on the basis of cost, weight, and how well the material retains the body heat of the user. One of ordinary skill in the art selects an insulating fill from those known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The fill may be down feathers, synthetic fibers, batting, layers of fabric, or other material that causes body heat from the user to be trapped and retained so that it will not be dissipated and lost. The characteristics of the various insulating fills and the purposes to which the insulating fills will be put are considered in making the choice of materials.
Down may be compressed to a high degree and yet the original loft volume may be maintained over many years. Down that becomes wet does not maintain optimal insulating performance or loft volume. Wet down clumps and balls up and the water adds undesirable weight. Techniques to avoid the negatives of wetted down include weatherproofing the materials forming the baffle boxes or applying a chemical waterproofing treatment to the down itself.
“Fill-power” and “fill-weight” of are elements often used in determining the warmth of a down filled item. The fill-power of various grades of down reflects the volume of cubic inches of one ounce of down that is compressed within a defined space by a standardized weight. The greater the fill-power, the greater is the insulating capacity per unit of down. The fill weight is the amount of down insulation used (often assessed by its thickness). The fill-power and fill weight, among other considerations known to one of ordinary skill in the art, are used to determine the degree of warmth and cost of a particular down-filled item.
Synthetic insulation is composed of plastic spun into fibers that is substituted in items for natural down. Synthetic insulation does not clump or ball up when exposed to water like natural down. The insulating properties of synthetic fibers are less affected by water than those of natural down and will dry out faster but are still diminished to a degree when wet. A disadvantage to synthetic fibers is that they lose loft and insulating capacity with repeated cycles of compression and expansion.
The bed layer 11 and the upper and lower surfaces 12a, 12b of the integrated insulation section 12 are composed of flexible materials known to one of skill in the art and suitable for the conditions under which the hammock will be used. Materials are selected for characteristics that withstand being subjected to water, heat, light, abrasion, and are desirable in light of weight, flexibility, and an ability to be packed easily. Materials suitable for use in the bed layer 11 and insulation section 12 include synthetic (polyester, rip-stop nylon, etc.) or natural fibers (wool, silk, rayon, cotton, etc.), but more preferably include those of light weight, those that are water-, abrasion-, and light-resistant, and those that are of sufficient strength to sustain the load and usage to which the hammock will be subjected to repeatedly.
The binding 18 that encloses the outer perimeter of the insulation section 12 is a material chosen to be compatible with the technique used to attach the insulation section 12 to the bed layer 11. The edging 19 or hemming of the bed layer 11 is a material chosen to be compatible with the stresses it will be subjected to. The joining material 24 is selected to be compatible with the particular mechanical joint 22 chosen for use.
In the third and fourth embodiments shown in
With regard to the various mechanical joints 22 shown in
The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.
Claims
1. A hammock comprising:
- a bed layer having an upper surface and a lower surface; and
- an insulation section containing insulating material and irremovably connected to the lower surface of the bed layer, the insulation section is coplanar with the lower surface of the bed layer; and the insulation section occupies less than a full area of the bed layer.
2. The hammock of claim 1, wherein the insulation section has a plurality of baffle boxes.
3. The hammock of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of partitions dividing the insulation section into separate baffle boxes from the plurality of baffle boxes and running longitudinally or laterally.
4. The hammock of claim 3, wherein each partition is an interior wall or barrier dividing the insulation section into separate areas and running longitudinally along the insulation section.
5. The hammock of claim 4, wherein the plurality of partitions is secured to an upper insulating section surface and to a lower insulating section surface.
6. A hammock comprising:
- a bed layer having an upper surface and a lower surface, an edging of the bed layer substantially tapering towards a central region of the bed layer; and
- an insulation section containing insulating material and fixed to the lower surface of the bed layer through a mechanical joint that does not penetrate the bed layer or the insulation section and forms a plurality of baffle boxes running diagonally across the bed layer.
7. The hammock of claim 6, wherein the insulation section shares a vertical wall of a binding with the upper surface and lower surface of the bed layer.
8. The hammock of claim 7, wherein the plurality of baffle boxes are positioned between an upper surface and a lower surface of the insulation section by the use of the mechanical joint.
9. The hammock of claim 8, wherein a lower surface of a first baffle box and a lower surface of a second baffle box abut.
10. The hammock of claim 9, wherein a closed gap is formed between the first baffle box and the second baffle box.
11. A hammock comprising:
- a bed layer having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- an insulation section containing insulating material and fixed to the bed layer, the insulation section occupies less than a full area of the bed layer, the insulation section having a plurality of baffle boxes formed between an upper surface and a lower surface of the insulation section, the lower surface of the insulation section having a length greater than the upper surface of the insulation section.
12. The hammock of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of partitions dividing the insulation section into individual baffle boxes from the plurality of baffle boxes and running longitudinally and diagonally across the bed layer.
13. The hammock of claim 12, wherein the bed layer is substantially rectilinear.
14. The hammock of claim 13, wherein the insulation section is substantially rectilinear and oriented longitudinally and is substantially in a proximal end of the bed layer and running towards a distal end of the bed layer.
15. The hammock of claim 14, wherein a mechanical joint is secured along a perimeter of the insulation section using hot adhesive or sonic welding.
16. The hammock of claim 15, wherein a first baffle box has a lower surface and an upper surface.
17. The hammock of claim 16, wherein a second baffle box has a lower surface and an upper surface.
18. The hammock of claim 17, wherein the lower surface of the first baffle box and the lower surface of the second baffle box are continuous.
19. The hammock of claim 18, wherein the lower surface of the first baffle box and the second baffle box is separated from the upper surface of the first baffle box and the second baffle box by a joining material.
20. The hammock of claim 19, wherein the upper surface of the first baffle box and the upper surface of the second baffle box are continuous.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 25, 2023
Publication Date: Aug 17, 2023
Applicant: Dutch Clips LLC (Lancaster, PA)
Inventor: Thomas Ressler (Reinholds, PA)
Application Number: 18/306,768