Abstract:
Inflatable objects such as (but not necessarily) chairs are disclosed. The objects may have enhanced stability for use in bodies of calm water such as swimming pools, including either or both of outrigger-style floats or pontoons and roll-up mattresses. Fittings, when present, may allow attachment and detachment of the pontoons and roll-up mattresses and connection of one inflatable object to one or more others.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to structures for supporting humans either seated, reclining, or otherwise not standing upright and more particularly to inflatable chairs and similar furniture adapted for recreational use in pools or other bodies of calm water. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,111 to Klimenko, incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, illustrates and describes bodies of furniture typically referred to as chairs and sofas. As detailed in the Klimenko patent, these bodies are inflatable, with valves provided for filling enclosed inner spaces within the bodies with air. The bodies additionally may include internal support beams (made usually of plastic material) and contain one or more plastic containers in their armrest portions or otherwise. 
     Although adapted for myriad uses, certain commercial versions of the inflatable structures of the Klimenko patent are not optimized for use in bodies of water such as swimming pools. For example, the commercial versions lack low-riding ballast and accordingly have relatively high centers of gravity. This in turn contributes to likely instability should the structures be used in pools, as users would have difficulty maintaining the balance of the structures when they are seated. The assignee of the Klimenko patent thus does not market commercial versions for use in bodies of water (whether calm, like pools, or otherwise). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention, by contrast, provides inflatable structures with greater stability for use in bodies of generally-calm water such as swimming pools. Examples of stability-enhancing components of the structures are outrigger-style pontoons (floats) and roll-up (and foldable) mattresses, each of which may be inflated if appropriate to do so. These components additionally need not inhibit use of the structures in other circumstances, such as on beaches and by poolsides. Some or all of the components may be detachable, moreover, if necessary or desired. Likewise, the structures may contain fittings (connectors) allowing them to be linked one to the others, typically (but not necessarily) side-by-side. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, the inflatable structures are chairs having seat and back portions as well as armrests. Incorporated into one or more armrests may be cupholders of the type illustrated in the Klimenko patent, although other cupholders may be used instead if desired or such cupholders alternatively may be omitted. Made primarily of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), these embodiments of the chairs are formed into more than one internal compartment. As a consequence, the compartments may be inflated (with air) separately or, preferably, one may be filled with water to create ballast. In the latter case, the ballast-containing compartment typically is intended to be underneath the seat portions of the chairs. 
     Fittings may be included on any or all of the front, back, and sides of the chairs. Certain embodiments containing fittings have them on each of the front, back, and sides, with those on the back designed to permit attachment of an inflatable outrigger pontoon for improved balance on water. If a mattress is attached to a chair (preferably—although not necessarily—permanently), front fittings may be used to help retain the mattress in a rolled-up position, while side fittings permit one chair to be connected to another chair (or other object) on either or both of its sides. Those skilled in the art will, of course, recognize that fittings need not necessarily be included anywhere on structures of the present invention and that, if included, may be of any type suitable for the purposes for which the structures are to be used. 
     Pontoons attachable to structures of the invention may themselves be inflated with air or, if desired, filled otherwise with liquid, solid, or gaseous substances. Appropriate inflation or filling of the pontoons can enhance stability of the structures to which they are attached, especially when the structures are used to support seated persons in swimming pools. As well, the pontoons typically may be detached from the chairs of the invention, facilitating deflation and storage of both the chairs and the pontoons. 
     Attachable mattresses of the present invention likewise are usually inflated with air. Designed to function in at least three positions, the mattresses may in many cases improve the balance and consequent stability of the inflatable chairs when used in swimming pools. When rolled up, for example, a mattress forms an outrigger adjacent the front of its corresponding chair, assisting the pontoon to maintain the balance of the chair in water. The mattress can also be unrolled to receive and support human legs above the water line, again facilitating balancing of the chair as the user stretches his or her legs. In a third position, the mattress may be folded underneath and attached to the bottom of a chair as, for example, when the chair is to be used poolside or stored. Embodiments of the structures of the present invention may further include braided cords or other suitable means permitting the structures to be tied down in windy or other adverse conditions. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide inflatable recreational structures with enhanced stability in bodies of water such as swimming pools. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide inflatable chairs and other objects to which one or more pontoons may be attached as outriggers. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to provide inflatable structures to which inflatable mattresses may be attached. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide inflatable structures having ballast compartments and in which the mattresses may be utilized in multiple positions, including as rolled-up, unrolled, or folded underneath the structures. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide inflatable structures which may include fittings on one or more sides, such fittings facilitating attachment of each structure to other like structures and objects including pontoons and mattresses. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide inflatable structures having armrests incorporating cupholders. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the remainder of the text and the drawings of this application. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inflatable chair consistent with the present invention showing an attached mattress in its rolled-up position. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair of FIG. 1 illustrating the attached mattress in an unrolled position. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the chair of FIG. 1 showing an attached outrigger pontoon extending from its back. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1-3 detail an inflatable structure of the present invention in the exemplary form of chair  10 . Chair  10  typically comprises seat  14 , back  18 , and one or more armrests  22 , although it may be configured otherwise without deviating from the purposes of the invention. If desired, cupholders  26 , either similar to or differing from those of the Klimenko patent, may be included in any of armrests  22  or elsewhere as part of chair  10 . 
     Any or all of chair  10  may be made of plastic material such as PVC. The PVC initially may exist in sheet form, with various sheets being connected to each other typically using conventional radio-frequency (RF) welding techniques to form one or more air-impervious chambers or compartments. Those skilled in the art will, of course, recognize that materials other than PVC may be used to create chair  10  and numerous methods of forming those materials into a structure such as chair  10  exist. Nevertheless, in certain preferred embodiments of chair  10 , each of seat  14 , back  18 , and armrests  22  is made of PVC. 
     In these embodiments, moreover, the sheets of PVC are connected so as to form two distinct, non-communicating internal compartments. One internal compartment, effectively comprising the interior regions of back  18 , armrests  22 , and part of seat  14 , is designed to be inflated with air through valve  34 . The other internal compartment, by contrast, includes the remainder of the interior region of seat  14  and is intended usually to be filled with water (through an unshown valve, plug, drain, or other component in the bottom of chair  10 ) for ballast. Again, however, those skilled in the art will understand that chair  10  may have fewer or greater numbers of internal compartments than as detailed for these particular preferred embodiments. 
     Additionally shown in FIGS. 1-3 are fittings  38 , one or more of which may be incorporated into chair  10  in any suitable location. FIGS. 1-3, for example, illustrate an exemplary pair of fittings  38  present in side  42  of armrest  22 . Often, although not necessarily, complementary (e.g. male and female) fittings  44  will be present in the opposite side  46  of chair  10 , if so, two identical chairs  10  may be linked together side-by-side by connecting fittings  38  from one chair  10  with fittings  44  from another. 
     Fittings  38  also may be placed on front  48  and rear  50  of chair  10 . Fittings  38  on rear  50  may be adapted to receive and retain complementary fittings on outrigger-style float or pontoon  54 , effectively securing pontoon  54  to the rear  50  of chair  10 . Embodiments of pontoon  54  may be adapted to be inflated (typically with air) or otherwise filled through any valve or other component suitable for that purpose, enabling the pontoon  54  to assist in stabilizing an inflated chair  10  when placed in water. Various embodiments of chair  10  may include more than one pontoon  54  connected to any of its front  48 , rear  50 , or sides  42  or  46 . Preferably, however, pontoons  54  are connected solely to rear  50 , with mattress  58  instead being connected by RF welding (or otherwise) to front  48 . 
     FIGS. 1 and 3 show mattress  58  as rolled-up, with FIG. 3 especially illustrating its positioning opposite chair  10  from pontoon  54 . As positioned, mattress  58 , together with pontoon  54  (and any ballast contained within chair  10 ), reduces the possibility of chair  10  rolling forward or backward in water when a person sits on seat  14 . Mattress  58  thus can function at least to some extent as an outrigger like pontoon  54 . Components such as (but not limited to) cord  60  and fittings or hooks  61 , together with fittings  38 , may be used to retain mattress  58  in the rolled-up position. 
     FIG. 2, by contrast, details unrolled mattress  58 . When unrolled and inflated with air (through a valve or other suitable mechanism), mattress  58  is adapted to support the legs of a person seated in chair  10 . In this position mattress  58  again assists in stabilizing chair  10  in water, as supporting the stretched-out legs of a seated person helps retain the overall balance of chair  10  in the pool or other body of water. Although not illustrated in FIG. 2, mattress  58  additionally may be folded in the area of its midsection  62  back under chair  10 , so that end  66  of mattress  58  is proximate rear  50 . This third position of mattress  58  is particularly useful should chair  10  be used on land (e.g. poolside) or stored for an extended period. Moreover, if mattress  58  contains fittings near end  66 , they may be attached to any complementary fittings present on the bottom of chair  10  to retain the mattress  58  in this folded position. 
     The foregoing has been provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.