Combined bed and seat device for an infant

A combined bed and seat device for an infant is made of plastic material and is formed with various separately inflatable elements, namely a base (1) upon which the child sits or lies, a cushion (2) that surrounds the base (1) on three sides, an outer wall connected thereto and formed of wedge-shaped configuration in side view, and a second inflatable cushion (6) of approximately same circumference and connected to the other border of the outer wall (4). The cushion (6) forms the body that supports and stabilizes the bed upon the ground. In order to angle the base (1) into the seating position, the cushion (2) is clampable approximately in the middle of its length by means of an eyelet connection (5) against the second cushion (6). The inclination of the base (1) is adjustable by inflating the outer wall (4) to a lesser or greater degree. By turning the bed and seat device upside down a sleeping unit is formed, with the inflated outer wall (4) acting as wind screen or sun protection and with the base (1) being in lowermost horizontal position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention refers to a combined bed and seat device. 
British Pat. No. 1,343,281 discloses a bed which includes a support base 
that forms a recumbent area and is surrounded by an inflatable cushion. An 
outer wall which is of wedge-shaped configuration in side view and 
exhibits individually inflatable vertical compartments provides the height 
for an inflatable head and neck support and the arm rests, respectively. 
The head and neck support and the arm rests are formed on three sides of 
the bed by inflatable cushions. This conventional bed is usable only in 
one position and cannot be adjusted for accommodating an infant in seated 
or recumbent positions, or in two positions turned by 180.degree.. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,975 discloses a mattress for children with inflatable 
annular cushion, whereby the support surface cannot be adjusted, so that 
the child can only lie thereon. 
British Pat. No. 646,908 discloses a pneumatic mattress with a 
wedge-shaped, cushioned backrest having an upwardly pointed wedged flank 
that forms a support surface. This is unsuitable for an infant because a 
child may slide off sideways and fall out. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In contrast thereto, it is an object of the invention to create a bed of 
the above-stated type for infants, which is can be utilized more versatile 
and can be adjusted in more ways than conventional devices. 
This object is attained according to the invention by providing a support 
base which forms a seat area or recumbent area for the child and is 
enclosed by a circumferential, inflatable first cushion, with the base 
being connected on three sides with an inflatable outer wall member of 
wedge-shaped configuration in side view, whereby the other border of the 
wall member is connected to a second inflatable cushion wherein the second 
cushion is approximately of same circumference as the first cushion that 
surrounds the support and is intended for use as a body to support the bed 
and seat device, and by clamping the cushion that surrounds the base by 
means of an eyelet connection approximately in the middle of its length 
against the second cushion for angling the base into a seating position. 
The eyelet connection effects the configuration of the seating area (in 
seating position), and is loosened for the recumbent position. The cushion 
surrounding the base protects the recumbent or sitting infant in order to 
prevent the child from falling out sideways. The side wall cushion 
provides stability for the child's bed. 
Through the configuration according to the invention, both cushions 
surround the circumference of the base and thus both are equally suitable 
to serve as footing of the bed so that the entire bed can be turned by 
180.degree. to effect a recumbent area, with the outer wall acting as wind 
screen or sun protection. 
Preferably, it is provided to form the inflatable outer wall with several 
superimposed chambers which extend in direction of the cushions and 
preferably are connected with one another. 
Through individual inflation, the required inclination of the seating area 
and recumbent area can be regulated, with the chambers being arranged 
horizontally in direction of the cushions and connected to one another so 
that through appropriate inflation the desired height is created. 
According to a preferred embodiment, it is further provided to secure in a 
manner known per se safety belts to the base. The safety belt as known per 
se from the British Pat. No. 1,344,438 for use with an inflatable child 
bed, prevents the child from standing up (two-belt system). According to 
the configuration of the invention, the belt prevents the child from 
sliding off sideways or, when occupying a seated position, from sliding 
off forwardly (three-belt system).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The infant bed and seat device according to the invention is inflatable and 
usable as seat or traveling bed, and is made of plastic material with four 
different elements which are separately inflatable, namely two cushions 2, 
6, an outer wall member 4 and a support base 1 that forms a seating area 
or recumbent area. 
The advantage thereof is the ability to take the (deflated) bed and seat 
device everywhere, without requiring much space, and to inflate and place 
the bed on the spot. 
The base 1 that serves as seating area or recumbent area is surrounded by 
the inflatable cushion 2 and connected on three sides with the inflatable 
outer wall 4 which is of wedge-shaped configuration in side view. The 
other border of the outer wall 4 is connected with the second, inflatable 
cushion 6 which is approximately of same circumference. The valves for 
inflating the individual elements are designated by reference numeral 7. 
In the position of the bed and seat device shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 6, the 
cushion 6 forms the body that supports and stabilizes the bed and seat 
device upon the ground. The inclination of the base 1 is adjustable by 
inflating the outer wall 4 to a lesser or greater degree. The cushion 2 
represents the upwardly directed (terminal) portion and serves for 
protecting the infant such that the child is prevented from falling out 
sideways. Moreover, a safety belt 3 (three-belt system) is secured to the 
support 1 for preventing the child from sliding off sideways or from 
sliding off forwards when occupying a seated position. In order to slant 
the base 1 into the seating position, the cushion 2 is clampable against 
the second cushion approximately in the middle of its length by an eyelet 
connection generally designated by reference numeral 5 and provided one 
each longitudinal side of the infant bed and seat device, as shown in FIG. 
5 against the second cushion 6. Each eyelet connection 5 is of 
conventional configuration and, as shown in FIG. 1, includes an eyelet 5a 
secured to the cushion 6 and an eyelet 5b secured to the cushion 2, with 
both eyelets 5a, 5b being so linked by an adjustable strap 5c that the 
cushions 2 and 6 are squeezed toward one another, to thereby allow an 
angled disposition of the rearward or back section of the cushion 2 
relative to a forward section thereof. 
FIG. 7 shows a separate illustration of the outer wall 4, with the air 
chambers 4a extending in direction of the cushions 2, 6 and preferably 
connected with each other. The air chambers of the outer wall 4 may also 
extend vertically without changing the gist of the invention. The various 
degrees of inclination of the recumbent position are effected by inflating 
the outer wall 4 to a lesser or greater degree. 
If required (sleeping position of the child), the eyelet connections 5 can 
be loosened, and air can be let out from the outer wall 4 to reduce the 
volume of the outer wall 4. The cushion 2 then sinks onto the cushion 6, 
and the infant occupies a horizontal resting position (see FIGS. 8 and 9). 
When turning the bed and seat device upside down, it is changed to a 
sleeping bed with wind screen. The base 1 (seating area and recumbent 
area) and the cushion 2 occupy their lowermost horizontal position. The 
inflated outer wall 4 then acts as wind protection and sun protection (see 
FIG. 10).