Abstract:
An inflatable mattress. The inflatable mattress comprises a support system having upper and lower inflatable support chambers arranged in a substantially vertical manner and an inflatable headboard chamber arranged in a substantially perpendicular manner to the upper and lower inflatable chambers. Each inflatable support chamber comprises a top layer and a bottom layer. The inflatable mattress may further comprise an inflatable reinforcing chamber disposed between the upper and lower inflatable support chambers and attached to the lower inflatable support chamber.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims priority from a provisional application, U.S. Patent Application No. 60/925,468, filed Apr. 20, 2007 and entitled INFLATABLE TWO CHAMBER BED WITH RAISED HEADBOARD. 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of inflatable support systems, which may include air mattresses and inflation controls thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to an inflatable two-chamber air mattress with a raised inflatable headboard chamber. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     Background of the Invention 
       [0003]    Most everyone has faced the need for an extra bed or mattress at some time in their lives. Air mattresses, originally introduced many years ago, have allowed homeowners and others to provide their guests with a surface more comfortable than sleeping on the floor, while not imposing the same storage requirements of traditional, large mattresses. 
         [0004]    While air mattresses are a significant improvement over sleeping on the ground or curled up on a sofa, the mattresses still have some shortcomings. For example, air mattress designs were clunky and uncomfortable, the manufacturing techniques and materials used resulted in poor air retention, the inflation and deflation systems employed with such mattresses often required significant time and effort to completely inflate and deflate the mattresses, and the mattresses tended to provide only marginal support. 
         [0005]    Some issued patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,633, issued to Robert B. Chaffee on Dec. 18, 1990 (“the Chaffee patent”), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,495, issued to Yaw-Yuan Hsu, et al. on Oct. 5, 1999 (“the Hsu patent”), have attempted to address some of these shortcomings. By way of example, the Chaffee patent teaches the use of a large, manually operated pressure release valve to speed deflation. The Chaffee patent also teaches the inclusion of a small cylinder around which a deflated bed can be rolled, further simplifying deflation. This same arrangement also allows the bed to automatically unroll while being inflated, which also simplifies the inflation process. The Chaffee patent also illustrates the inclusion of an electric motor and pump, which speed the inflation process. 
         [0006]    The Hsu patent attempts to address some of the comfort problems typically associated with air mattresses. The Hsu patent utilizes tube beams inside a mattress to provide additional lateral load support. These tube beams are structures that are added to the inside of the mattress and are attached to the upper and lower mattress surfaces through a sinusoidal sealing pattern in an attempt to provide further rigidity to the mattress. 
         [0007]    A person sleeping on mattresses such as those described in the Chaffee and Hsu patents still may have the perception of sleeping on the floor. Furthermore, getting into and out of such a bed can be difficult, especially for an elderly or disabled person. 
         [0008]    A solution to this problem is to provide a mattress that approximates the dimensions of a traditional bed, such as height and width. But, such inflatable mattresses have a propensity to roll over. Rollovers are not only a problem with inflatable mattresses, but with all lightweight support surfaces, such as inflatable furniture. Some in the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,902, issued to Marvin S. Lieberman on Dec. 19, 2000 (the Lieberman patent) and the “Retro Air Chair” by Intex Recreation Corporation of Long Beach, Calif., have used multiple inflatable cylindrical tubes to improve the stability of inflatable chairs. 
         [0009]    While the stabilization methods employed in the prior art can improve overall chair stability, each has shortcomings, especially when applied to other support systems. For example, the Lieberman patent teaches the installation of a “U” shaped inflatable tube underneath the front of a chair and a small inflatable tube extending along and immovably attached to the rear base of the chair. Each of these tubes is also inflated separately from and to a higher pressure than the body of the chair. The increased pressure of these tubes strengthens the base of the chair, thus reducing the likelihood of rollover. While this approach has some merit, the introduction of separately inflatable tubes means added work for the consumer, who must move an inflation device from one valve to another until the chair is properly filled. 
         [0010]    The Retro Air Chair applies an alternative stabilization technique. Two small inflatable stabilizer bars are attached to the base of the chair to increase the surface area covered by the chair. These stabilizer bars are attached to the chair through narrow, short inflator tubes. The inflator tubes allow the stabilizer bars to be in fluid communication with the chair body and to fill with air as the chair is filled. The increased surface area created by the combination of the inflator tubes and the stabilizer bars provides more stability by distributing the weight over a larger area. 
         [0011]    As with the Lieberman patent, the shape and position of the stabilizer bars employed on this chair also strengthens the chair body where the stabilizer bars contact the chair. However, such strengthening is only provided to areas adjacent to the tubes. While this may be practical for inflatable support systems with smaller weight bearing surfaces, such as chairs, a few, relatively short stabilizer bars will not provide stability for larger inflatable support systems, such as inflatable mattresses. 
         [0012]    An additional problem faced by inflatable support systems of the prior art is structural stability of the sides of the support system. The shape of the sides tends to distort as weight is applied at or near the edge of the support system. Such distortion can cause instability in the top surface of the mattress near the edges. This problem becomes increasingly significant as the height of the support system is increased. A means of improving the structural stability of the side of the mattress is therefore preferable as height is increased. 
         [0013]    Additionally, it is desirable to create an inflatable support system that has all of the comforts and amenities of a traditional mattress and frame or boxspring structure. Therefore, means of improving the comfort and end user familiarity with the support structure is preferable. One such inflatable support structure may include features that allow the end user to apply traditional mattress covering materials to the inflatable raised structure while providing the end user with a familiar headboard design. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    An inflatable mattress is provided. The inflatable mattress comprises a support system having upper and lower inflatable support chambers arranged in a substantially vertical manner. Each inflatable support chamber comprises a top layer and a bottom layer. The inflatable mattress may further comprise an inflatable reinforcing chamber disposed between the upper and lower inflatable support chambers and attached to the lower inflatable support chamber. The inflatable mattress may also include an inflatable headboard chamber, disposed substantially perpendicularly to the upper and lower inflatable support chambers. 
         [0015]    In an alternative embodiment, an inflatable mattress is provided. The inflatable mattress comprises a support system comprising upper and lower inflatable support chambers arranged in a substantially vertical manner, each inflatable support chamber comprising a top layer, a bottom layer and an outer perimeter. An inflatable reinforcing chamber may be disposed between the upper and lower inflatable support chambers. At least a portion of said outer perimeter of the bottom layer of the upper inflatable support chamber and at least a portion of the outer perimeter of the top layer of the lower inflatable support chambers may be contact with the inflatable reinforcing chamber. The inflatable mattress may also include an inflatable headboard chamber, disposed substantially perpendicularly to the outer perimeter of the upper and lower inflatable support chambers. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The accompanying drawings which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
           [0017]    In the drawings: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a side planar view of one embodiment of a two-chamber mattress; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the mattress embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a front planar view of the mattress embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a close up view of the mattress embodiment of  FIG. 1  showing the upper chamber separated from the inflatable lower chamber; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a rear planar view of the mattress embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a two chamber mattress. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are side planar view and side perspective views of the structure of one embodiment of an inflatable two chamber mattress.  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an embodiment comprising an inflatable support system including two support chambers  20 ,  21 , stacked vertically, and an inflatable headboard chamber. In this embodiment the upper support chamber  20  may be constructed with side gussets  32  approximately ten inches high, which connect to top  34  and bottom  36  layers. The lower support chamber  21  may be constructed from a top layer  38 , a bottom layer  40  and a side gusset  42  that is approximately fifteen inches high. It should be clear to one skilled in the art that alternative support chamber constructions and optional side gusset heights and chamber arrangements could be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The upper support chamber  20  may rest on top of the lower support chamber  21 . The top layer  38  of the lower support chamber  21  may be in contact with the bottom layer  36  of the upper support chamber  20 . 
         [0026]    As  FIG. 3  illustrates, a motorized pump  10  is attached to upper support chamber  20 . The pump  10  should be powerful enough to fill the entire support system with a gas or fluid, such as air, such that the upper support chamber  20  can provide comfortable support to a user. Inflation of the support system can begin by pressing a button  23  on or near the pump  10 , as is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The pump  10  may automatically stop inflating the support system when the pressure within the support system reaches a limit selectable by a user. In addition, should a user desire to rapidly decrease the pressure within the support system, a user simply activates a dump valve  27 . The pump  10  may also monitor support system air pressure and automatically add additional air if the pressure falls below a level selected by a user. 
         [0027]    Air entering the upper support chamber  20  may flow into the lower support chamber  21  through a series of reinforced openings, as shown in  FIG. 1 . These openings  11  are defined in the top layer  38  of the lower support chamber  21  and the bottom layer  36  of the upper support chamber  20 . The openings  11  are substantially aligned such that air may flow between them. 
         [0028]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a reinforcing chamber  14  is included in the support system. This reinforcing chamber  14  runs circumferentially around the support system at the junction between the upper support chamber  20  and the lower support chamber  21 . The reinforcing chamber  14  may run around the entire circumference of the upper and lower support chambers  20  and  21 , or may be disposed only around the sides and proximal end of the chambers, in a U-shape. The reinforcing chamber  14  may be attached to the side gussets  32 ,  42  of the upper  20  and lower  21  inflatable support chambers, respectively. Alternatively, the reinforcing chamber  14 , may be attached to the mattress by the side gusset  42  and top layer  38  of the lower reinforcing chamber  21 , or, optionally, no reinforcing chamber may be used at all. 
         [0029]    Again referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the upper support chamber  20 , lower support chamber  21 , inflatable headboard chamber  60  (described below), and reinforcing chamber  14  are preferably made from heavy weight (preferably 18 gauge) polyvinylchloride (PVC) or other watertight and airtight material. PVC may be attached to PVC or other material by electronically “welding” the PVC to the other material, although other attachment means, such as through a chemical bond or by stitching edges of each sheet together, may also be used. Such an attachment means may be used, for example, to join the top of a chamber with the side of a chamber or to add a layer of fabric, padding, flocking, or other material (collectively “fabric”) to the PVC. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is a front planar view of a mattress embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 3 , within the upper support chamber  20  and the lower support chamber  21 , PVC strips  15  can be attached to the inner surface of the top layer  34 ,  38  and bottom layer  36 ,  40  of each chamber  20 ,  21 . Such PVC strips  15  create elongated parallel channels  44 , which help to shape and structurally reinforce the upper support chamber  20  and the lower support chamber  21 . It should be apparent to one skilled in the art that alternative chamber support architectures, such as the “coil construction” technique known in the art, may be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. One such alternative may include using a quadra coil design, known in the art ( FIG. 6 ), U.S. Pat. No. D513,145 incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0031]    Although alternative inflation methods are contemplated, one example includes inflating the mattress by causing air to enter the support system at the pump  10  and travel through the channels  44  created by PVC strips  15  within the upper support chamber  20 . The PVC strips  15  are preferably shaped such that air is able to flow past the ends of the PVC strips  15 , thereby allowing air to circulate within the upper support chamber  20  and the lower support chamber  21 . 
         [0032]    As the upper support chamber  20  inflates, air can enter the lower support chamber  21  through the openings  11 . The embodiment shown uses four such openings  11 , each of which is approximately three quarters of an inch in diameter. Each opening  11  is substantially centered within a circular weld four inches in diameter, where such a weld can also serve to attach the upper support chamber  20  to the lower support chamber  21 . It should be obvious to one skilled in the art that other opening arrangements, including, but not limited to, fewer openings of a larger size, or more openings of a smaller size, may also be used. 
         [0033]    The reinforcing chamber  14  may be in fluid communication with the lower support chamber  21  through any number of openings  16  and runs circumferentially around the support system, desirably in a U-shape. As described below, the distal ends of the reinforcing chamber  14  and the lower inflatable support chamber  21  may be directly attached to a front gusset of the inflatable headboard chamber, negating the necessity that the reinforcing chamber extend the entire perimeter of the upper and lower inflatable chambers. In an alternative embodiment, the reinforcing chamber  14  may receive air from the upper support chamber  20 . In still another embodiment, the reinforcing chamber  14  may be in fluid communication with both the upper support chamber  20  and the lower support chamber  21 . In yet another embodiment, the reinforcing chamber  14  may be separately inflatable, thereby allowing the reinforcing chamber  14  to be inflated to a pressure greater than the pressure in the remaining support system. 
         [0034]    As best illustrated in  FIG. 4 , when the chambers  14 ,  20 ,  21  are inflated, a space  50  is formed between the upper  20  and lower  21  inflatable support chambers in the middle section of the upper  20  and lower  21  inflatable support chambers. When a user sits or lies on the inflatable mattress, the middle sections of the upper  20  and lower  21  inflatable support chambers may come into substantial contact with each other. Furthermore, in such an embodiment, the upper inflatable support chamber  20  is movable relative to at least the lower inflatable support chamber  21  and the inflatable reinforcing chamber  14 .  FIG. 4  shows the inflatable reinforcing chamber  14  and the lower inflatable support chamber  21  separated from the upper inflatable support chamber  20 . 
         [0035]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the inflatable mattress may also include an inflatable raised headboard chamber  60 . The headboard may include a front  62 , back  64 , and opposite side gussets  66  and  68 . The headboard  60  may be attached to the two-chambered mattress structure by attaching the distal perimeter edges of the lower inflatable support chamber  21  and the inflatable reinforcing chamber  14  to the front gusset  62  of the headboard, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The distal perimeter edge may be defined by the distal leading edges of the side gussets  42 , the top gusset  38 , and the bottom gusset  40  of the lower inflatable chamber  21 . The distal perimeter may also include the distal leading edges of the reinforcing chamber  14 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The headboard chamber  60  may be attached substantially perpendicular to the inflatable support structure. 
         [0036]    The bottom of the headboard chamber  60  may be substantially in alignment with the bottom layer of the lower inflatable support chamber  21 . Moreover, the top of the headboard chamber  60  may extend above the top layer of the upper inflatable support chamber  20 . The headboard chamber  60  may be substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower inflatable support chambers  20  and  21 . 
         [0037]    As discussed above with regard to the upper and lower inflatable support chambers  20  and  21 , the headboard  60  may similarly also include PVC strips  70  ( FIG. 1 ) that support the shape of the headboard. It should be apparent to one skilled in the art that alternative chamber support architectures, such as the “coil construction” technique known in the art, may be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
         [0038]    In one embodiment, the side gussets  62 ,  64 ,  66 , and  68 , and the PVC strips  70  in the upper portion of the headboard  60  may be formed in a P-shape. This shape allows the headboard  60  to extend out over the top layer  34  of the upper inflatable support chamber. This embodiment increases the comfort to the user, allowing them to easily recline against the headboard. The headboard  60 , however, may be formed of any suitable shape. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  is a rear planar view of one embodiment of the inflatable mattress. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the headboard  60  may be in fluid communication with the lower inflatable support chamber by creating at least one, and desirably two, openings  72  in the front gusset of the headboard  60 . In this embodiment, the distal perimeter of the lower inflatable support chamber  21  and the reinforcing chamber  14  may be attached directly to the front gusset  62  of the headboard along the distal edges of side gussets  42 , top gusset  38  and bottom gusset  40 , eliminating the need for a corresponding rear gusset to contain the air within the mattress when inflated. Alternatively, the lower inflatable support chamber  21  and the reinforcing chamber may be constructed independently of the headboard, including rear gussets (not shown) and attached to the inflatable headboard chamber  60 . Attaching the lower inflatable support chamber  21  and the reinforcing chamber  14  to the inflatable headboard chamber  60  may increase the stability of the inflatable headboard chamber  60 . However, it is contemplated that the headboard  60  may be attached only to the lower inflatable support chamber  21 . 
         [0040]    It should be noted that, preferably in the present embodiment, the upper inflatable support chamber  20  is not directly attached to the headboard chamber  60 , allowing the user to use standard mattress covering material with the inflatable mattress. Of course, in other embodiments, other attachment means, including attachment to the upper inflatable support chamber  20 , may be used. 
         [0041]    In another embodiment of the two chambered mattress of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the top chamber  20  may include quadra coils  74 , as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D 513,145, formed in the top layer  34 . The quadra coil design provides added comfort and aesthetic features. 
         [0042]    It should be noted that there could be a wide range of changes made to the present embodiments without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. For example, more support chambers could be added, the size of the chambers could be changed, and other types of inflation methods could be utilized. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.