Abstract:
A seating/sleeping system includes: a lower support layer; a cushion that is located above the support layer and that is supported by the support layer, the cushion being configured to support buttocks of a person sitting on the seating/sleeping system; a back support layer that is located above the lower support layer, the back support layer being configured to support a back of a person sitting on the seating/sleeping system; and an air mattress that is connected to the seating/sleeping system and that is located within the seating/sleeping system, the air mattress configured to be inflated while remaining connected to the seating/sleeping system.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     Some existing seating/sleeping systems (e.g., sleeper sofas) include built-in beds. However, such seating/sleeping systems are typically uncomfortable, heavy, expensive and/or difficult to convert into beds. Therefore there exists a need for systems and methods that address these and/or problems associated with existing seating/sleeping systems.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0002]     Seating/sleeping systems and methods are disclosed. An embodiment of a seating/sleeping system includes: a lower support layer; a cushion that is located above the support layer and that is supported by the support layer, said cushion being configured to support buttocks of a person sitting on the seating/sleeping system; a back support layer that is located above the lower support layer, the back support layer being configured to support a back of a person sitting on the seating/sleeping system; and an air mattress that is connected to said seating/sleeping system and that is located within said seating/sleeping system, said air mattress configured to be inflated while remaining connected to said seating/sleeping system.  
         [0003]     An embodiment for using a seating/sleeping system includes: removing at least a portion of an air mattress that is connected to a seating/sleeping system from within said seating/sleeping system; and inflating said at least a portion of said mattress while it remain connected to said seating/sleeping system.  
         [0004]     Another embodiment for using a seating/sleeping system includes: deflating an air mattress that is connected to a seating/sleeping system; and placing said mattress inside said seating/sleeping system while it remains connected to said seating/sleeping system.  
         [0005]     These and other embodiments are described in more detail below.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of a seating device.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2A-2F  depict respective views of respective embodiments of seating devices.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  depicts a side view of an embodiment of a seating device with an air mattress having been inflated.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  depicts a side view of an alternate embodiment of a seating device with air mattresses having been inflated.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  depicts example locations on a seating device for an air mattress(es) to exit from the base.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6A  depicts a side view of an embodiment of a seating device with an internal air pump.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6B  depicts a side view of an embodiment of a seating device with an external air pump.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7A  depicts a non-limiting example of a seating device comprising two seating devices each with an air mattress.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7B  depicts a non-limiting example of a seating device.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8A  depicts a method for deploying an air mattress(es).  
         [0017]      FIG. 8B  depicts a method for retracting an air mattress(es).  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  depicts a method for manually deploying the air mattress(es).  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     As will be described in greater detail herein, an embodiment of the present invention comprises one or more air mattress(es) located inside a seating device (e.g., couch, sofa, love seat, etc.). The seating device may be configured to seat one or more people (e.g., may have one or more cushions) and may have a seat-back and/or one or more arm-supports. The seating device may comprise one or more of the following components, among others: a frame (e.g., wood frame), padding (e.g., polyester padding), springs (e.g., metal springs), and/or a shell (e.g., cloth, leather, and/or vinyl), for example.  
         [0020]     The air mattress(es) may be deployed automatically (e.g., responsive to the press of one or more buttons) or manually. Preferably, this is accomplished by locating an air mattress inside a base of the seating device along with an air pump. The user may then inflate the air mattress by activating an air pump (located inside or outside the seating device) to deploy the air mattress(es). The air pump may include a battery (e.g., rechargeable battery) that enables the air mattress to be inflated without having the air pump connected to an external power supply (e.g., electric wall socket).  
         [0021]     The air mattress may comprise one or more air chambers. Furthermore, the air mattress may comprise one or more materials including, for example, plastic, vinyl, and/or rubber, among others. The air mattress may be attached to the seating device either directly or indirectly (e.g., via a mattress cover that covers the air mattress and that is attached to the seating device). When uninflated, the air mattress may be rolled and/or folded. As the air mattress is inflated it may unroll and/or unfold due to air pressure.  
         [0022]     Note that an embodiment of the invention may incorporate one or more of the following elements (where feasible), depending on a desired implementation  
         [0023]     a single-seat seating device  
         [0024]     a multi-seat seating device.  
         [0025]     a plurality of seating devices.  
         [0026]     a single air mattress located in a seating device.  
         [0027]     a plurality of air mattresses located in a seating device.  
         [0028]     a single pump located in a seating device.  
         [0029]     a plurality of pumps located in a seating device.  
         [0030]     a single pump located outside a seating device.  
         [0031]     a plurality of pumps located outside in a seating device.  
         [0032]     one or more pumps that are pre-connected to respective air mattresses.  
         [0033]     one or more pumps that are connected to respective air mattresses by a user.  
         [0034]     a user interface (e.g., button or switch) located on a seating device.  
         [0035]     a user interface located on a remote control device.  
         [0036]     a plurality of air mattresses that exit simultaneously from a seating device.  
         [0037]     a plurality of air mattresses that exit sequentially from a seating device.  
         [0038]     a plurality of air mattresses in a seating device that are independently inflated.  
         [0039]     a plurality of air mattresses that retract simultaneously from a seating device.  
         [0040]     a plurality of air mattresses that retract sequentially from a seating device.  
         [0041]     a plurality of air mattresses in a seating device that are independently deflated.  
         [0042]     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10 . The seating/sleeping system  10  comprises a seating device  11  (e.g., sofa, love seat, couch, chair, etc.), an air mattress(es)  12 , and an air pump  13 . The seating device  11  contains the one or more air mattresses  12 . The air pump  13  is connected to the air mattress(es)  12  and may be located inside and/or outside the seating device  11 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 2A  depicts a side view of one embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10  comprising a seating device  11  and an air mattress  12 . The seating device  11  comprises a base  22 , a back  23 , and a cushion  21 . The base  22  supports the seating device  11  on the floor and may contain one or more air mattress(es)  12 . The back  23  attaches to the base  22 . The cushion  21  is located on the base  22  and may be removed to deploy the air mattress(es)  12 .  
         [0044]      FIG. 2B  depicts a front view of an example embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 1 . The seating/sleeping system  10 - 1  is a single seating device  11 - 1  (e.g., chair, etc.). The seating/sleeping system  10 - 1  comprises a base  22  containing one or more air mattress(es)  12 , a back  23  attached to the base  22 , and a cushion  21  located on the base  22 . The cushion  21  may be removed from the seating device  11 - 1 .  
         [0045]      FIG. 2C  depicts a front view of another example embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 2 . The seating/sleeping system  10 - 2  is a multi-seat seating device  11 - 2  (e.g., couch, love seat, etc.). The seating/sleeping system  10 - 2  comprises a base  22  containing one or more air mattress(es)  12 , a back  23  attached to the base  22 , and a cushion  21  located on the base  22 . The cushion  21  may be removed from the seating device  11 - 1 .  
         [0046]      FIGS. 2D and 2E  depict respective views of a seating/sleeping system  10  wherein a seating device  11  includes arm-rests  24 . Note that in one embodiment, an air pump for inflating an air mattress  12  may be located within an arm-rest  24 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 2F  depicts a front view of a seating/sleeping system  10  wherein a seating device  11  includes a plurality of air mattresses  12 . Note that the plurality of air mattresses  12  may be configured to exit simultaneously or sequentially from a seating device  11  (e.g., upon inflation). Furthermore, the plurality of air mattresses  12  that be configured to retract simultaneously or sequentially into the seating device  11 . In addition, the plurality of air mattresses  12  may be configured to inflate and/or deflate independently of each other.  
         [0048]      FIG. 3  depicts a side view of an embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 1  with an air mattress  12  having been inflated. The air mattress  12  is inflated, for example as described in method  80  ( FIG. 8 ) or method  90  ( FIG. 9 ). The air mattress  12  is connected to the base  22  by connection  31 . In a non-limiting example, the air mattress  12  is covered with a cover (e.g. cotton/polyester bed sheet) such that the air mattress  12  deploys ready to use. In such an embodiment, the connection  31  may be connected to the cover of the mattress  12 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 4  depicts a side view of an alternate embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 1  with air mattresses  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  having been inflated. The air mattress  12  is inflated, for example as described in method  80  ( FIG. 8 ) or method  90  ( FIG. 9 ). The air mattress  12  is connected to the base by connection  31 . In this example, the air mattress  12 - 1  is shown level with the base of the seating device  11  and may be used in lieu of a box-spring or a lower air mattress to support the air mattress  12 - 1 . The air mattress  12 - 2  is also inflated and is connected to the base  22  by connection  41 . In this example, the air mattress  12 - 2  is located across the top of the base  22  and the air mattress  12 - 1  to form a top air mattress of the seating/sleeping system  10 - 1 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 5  depicts example locations on a seating device  11  for an air mattress(es)  12  to exit from the base  22 . A storage lid  51  is connected on a top of the base  22  via a hinge  52 . The storage lid  51  may be lifted manually or to allow one or more air mattress(es)  12  to exit. Alternatively or in addition to storage lid  51 , a storage lid  53  may be connected to the front of the base  22  via a hinge  54 . The storage lid  53  may be lifted manually or to allow one or more air mattress(es)  12  to exit. The storage lid  51  and the storage lid  53  may be used together or separately depending on the quantity of air mattress(es)  12  included in the seating/sleeping system  10 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 6A  depicts a side view of an embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 3  with an internal air pump  13 - 1 . The air pump  13 - 1  is located inside the seating device  11  (e.g., in the base or any other suitable location). The air pump  13 - 1  is connected to the air mattress(es)  12 . The air pump  61  may be operated electrically or manually. In a non-limiting example, the air pump  13 - 1  may operate via electricity and may turn on via a button. The button may be located on either the base  22  or the back  23  of the seating device  11 .  
         [0052]      FIG. 6B  depicts a side view of an embodiment of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 4  with an external air pump  13 - 2 . The air pump  13 - 2  is connected to the air mattress(es)  12  when required for inflation and the air pump  13 - 2  may be operated electrically or manually.  
         [0053]      FIG. 7A  depicts a non-limiting example of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 5  comprising two seating devices  11 - 3  and  11 - 4  each with an air mattress  12 . The seating device  11 - 3  is equipped with an air mattress  12  on the ground and is level with the base  22  similar to  FIG. 3 . The seating device  11 - 4  is equipped with an air mattress  12 . In this example, the seating device  11 - 4  is positioned opposite the seating device  11 - 3  and the air mattress  12  which is attached to the seating device  11 - 4  is positioned on top of the air mattress  12  which is attached to the seating device  11 - 3 .  
         [0054]      FIG. 7B  depicts a non-limiting example of a seating/sleeping system  10 - 6  comprising two seating devices  11 - 3  and  11 - 4  and an air mattress  12 . The seating device  11 - 3  is equipped with the air mattress  12  and is shown with the air mattress  12  having been inflated. In this example, the seating device  11 - 4  is shown similar to the seating device  11 - 3  (i.e., a chair), however the seating device  11 - 4  may be any type of seat (e.g., couch, love seat, etc.). The seating device  11 - 4  is positioned next to the seating device  11 - 3 . Both the seating device  11 - 4  and the seating device  11 - 3  support the air mattress  12 .  
         [0055]      FIG. 8A  depicts a method  80  for deploying air mattress(es) from a seating device. Method  80  comprises pressing a button to activate the air pump (e.g., button may be located on a base, a back, or a hand-rest of the seating device, or may even be located on a remote control) (step  81 ); inflating the air mattress(es) by the air pump (step  82 ); and exiting of the air mattress(es) from the interior of the seating device to form a bed (step  83 ) (see for example  FIGS. 3 and 4 ).  
         [0056]      FIG. 8B  depicts a method  85  for retracting air mattress(es) into a seating device. Method  85  comprises pressing a button to activate an air pump (step  86 ); deflating the air mattress(es) by the air pump (step  87 ); and retracting of the air mattress(es) into the seating device (step  88 ). The air mattress(es) may be retracted via, for example, one or more springs or elastic bands attached to the air mattress(es) on one end and to the seating device on another end.  
         [0057]      FIG. 9  depicts a method  90  for manually deploying the air mattress(es). Method  90  comprises removing the cushion(s) from the seating device (step  91 ); lifting the storage lid(s) from the seating device (step  92 ), connecting the air pump to the air mattress(es) (step  93 ); activating the air pump (step  94 ), inflating the air mattress(es) by the air pump (step  95 ); and the exiting of the air mattress(es) from the interior of the seating device to form a bed (step  96 ) (see for example  FIGS. 3 and 4 ).  
         [0058]     In one or more of the above embodiments, an air mattress may be covered with a air mattress cover (e.g., made of cloth) while the air mattress is deflated and stored within the seating device. As the air mattress is inflated, the air mattress covers remains on the air mattress to provide a suitable sleeping surface.  
         [0059]     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely possible examples, among others, of the implementations, setting forth a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the principles of the invention. For example, elements of one of above embodiments may be combined with suitable elements of another embodiment. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the disclosure and present invention.