Elements for supporting a waterbed

Abstract: The invention relates to elements for supporting a water mattress, characterised in that they consist of cylinders each formed by keeping a rectangular sheet of pliable material (1) clamped between two circular centre pieces (6).

Description: This invention relates to elements for supporting a water bed. In the technical jargon, a water bed usually means a mattress filled with water and resting on supports, due to its high weight, through the intermediary of an undeformable plate. When dispatching these inevitably voluminous supports or during their transport they represent a very disturbing volume and a not to be underestimated weight. The invention has now as object to design elements for supporting a water bed which do not show these objections and which can therefore be dispatched as an insignificant volume and weight. The object is indeed to make the cylindrical supporting elements when assembling the water bed on the spot. To enable this according to the invention, the elements according to the invention consist of cylinders each formed by keeping a rectangular sheet of pliable material clamped between two circular centre pieces. Still according to an embodiment of the invention, a locking piece having a length corresponding to the height of said cylinder, measured in the use position, links the short sides of said rectangular sheet of pliable material which are directed towards one another. In an advantageous embodiment, said locking piece shows continuous slots over its entire length, the short sides of the rectangular sheet of pliable material, which are directed towards one another in the use position, fitting in said slots. Other details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of elements for supporting a water bed according to the invention. This description is only given by way of example and does not limit the invention. The reference numerals relate to the figures annexed hereto. Figure 1 is a perspective view of an element with disassembled components. Figure 2 is a similar view in a next phase. Figure 3 is a perspective view of an element in the finished phase. Figure 4 shows a top plan view of an element. Figure 5 is a cross section according to a portion of line V-V from figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross section according to a portion of line VI-VI from figure 4. Figure 7 illustrates according to a side view how several elements can be nested into one another. The elements shown in these figures for supporting a water bed are formed starting from a sheet of pliable material 1 into very strong supports by bending each time a sheet until a cylinder is formed, which is kept clamped between two circular centre pieces. Since the sheet of pliable material 1 shows rectangular dimensions, the short sides 2 of a sheet 1 which are directed towards one another, can be received in a locking piece 3 with lateral continuous slots 4. The sheet 1 is kept clamped with its long sides 5 in centre pieces 6. The width of the gutter 7 of a centre piece is sufficiently large-sized to receive also the locking piece 3. The locking pieces 3 may show several spokes 8 and the gutter 7 has underneath a sufficiently wide supporting surface 7' to reduce the weight exerted by each element onto a floor, to an acceptable minimum. Internally, the gutter 7 shows a series of radially directed projections 9 which ensure a good clamping of the long sides 5 of the sheet 1. As a result thereof, it is actually possible to slide a thin to very thin sheet 1 of pliable material in a gutter 7 having a wide supporting surface 7'. Both metallic and synthetic materials may be suited as pliable material. Such sheets may be very thin without any risk of buckling of the formed cylinder. It is clear that a number of rectangular sheets 1 and centre pieces 6 which can be nested into one another, the volume of the supports converted in the use position into cylinders, can be dispatched under an extremely limited volume and weight. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described hereinabove and a lot of modifications could be applied thereto, without departing from the scope of the patent application as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: Elements for supporting a water mattress, characterised in that they consist of cylinders each formed by keeping a rectangular sheet of pliable material (1) clamped between two circular centre pieces (6). Elements according to claim 1, characterised in that , for forming said cylinder, a locking piece (3) having a length corresponding to the height of said cylinder, measured in the use position, mutually links the short sides (2) of said rectangular sheet of pliable material (1) which are directed towards one another. Elements according to either one of the claims 1 and 2, characterised in that said locking piece (3) shows continuous slots (4) over its entire length, the short sides (2) of rectangular pliable material (1), which are directed towards one another in the use position, fitting in said slots. Elements according to any one of the claims 1 - 3, characterised in that said circular centre pieces (6) show a continuous gutter (7) for receiving said sheet of pliable material (1). Elements according to claim 4, characterised in that radially directed projections (9) are provided in said gutter (7), which projections restrict the width of this gutter required for receiving the sheet of pliable material (1) to the required minimum.

Inventors: MONSECOUR AXEL, MONSECOUR, AXEL
Applicants: TILMANS TRADING INTERNAT T T I, TILMANS TRADING INTERNATIONAL "T.T.I."
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A47C27
IPC codes: A47C27