Patent Publication Number: US-2007107134-A1

Title: Heated air mattress

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a heated air mattress that an attachable or built-in heating pad. The heated air mattress is particularly designed for use with a pickup truck, sports utility vehicle (SUV) or for home use, and includes recesses formed in the mattress air mattress for receiving the wheel well compartments of the vehicle.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Many vehicles, such as pickup trucks, include flatbeds, which are open containers formed within the structure of the vehicle for carrying cargo. Flatbeds often contain cumbersome protruding wheel well compartments, which reduce the volume available for cargo within the flatbed. Often, drivers who spend a great deal of time on the road, or who use their vehicles for camping and other outdoor-living related activities, attempt to sleep in the flatbeds of their vehicles. The intrusive wheel well compartments can make this difficult, even when a conventional mattress is provided for reception within the flatbed. It would be desirable to provide a mattress specifically shaped and designed for the vehicle flatbed, allowing the user to comfortably use the mattress, despite the presence of the uncomfortable and intrusive wheel well compartments.  
      My prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,755, issued Oct. 19, 1999, provided an inflatable mattress adapted to fit between the wheel wells of the bed of a pickup truck. However, sleeping space was still restricted laterally by the wheel wells, which protruded through the lateral recesses. Also, while fitted with an inflation valve, the mattress of the &#39;755 patent is not equipped with a compressor. Further, the mattress of the &#39;755 patent does not have provision for providing a heated sleeping surface. Thus, a heated air mattress solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The heated air mattress includes an inflatable air mattress, a cover and a heating pad. The cover is joined to a top surface of the inflatable air mattress to create a pocket for receiving the heating pad. The heating pad may be removably received within the pocket or, alternatively, the cover may be joined to the top surface of the inflatable air mattress along the entire periphery thereof, to permanently secure the heating pad between the cover and the top surface.  
      The air mattress includes a cavity for receiving a portable air pump, which may be carried with the air mattress for inflating or deflating the inflatable air mattress, and further includes an air valve for selective inflation and deflation of the inflatable air mattress. Both the portable air pump and the heating pad may be connected to the vehicle&#39;s battery or may be powered by an external power source, such as portable batteries, depending on the needs of the user.  
      The air mattress has lateral recesses for receiving a wheel well compartment of a vehicle flatbed, allowing the air mattress to be mounted in a vehicle flatbed, such as in the rear of a pickup truck, SUV or on a support surface in the home. The recesses do not extend completely from top to bottom, but define ledges above the recesses that sit atop the wheel wells so that the entire space defined by the sidewalls of the truck bed is available for sleeping. An optional filler member may be provided for selectively filling the recess, allowing the mattress to be mounted on a floor, on the ground, or on any other stable, flat support surface.  
      These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a heated air mattress according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the heated air mattress of the present invention, partially exploded to show details thereof.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a heated air mattress according to the present invention, the heating element and cover being omitted and the mattress being broken away and partly in section to show details thereof.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the heated air mattress of the present invention, showing a removable heating pad exploded therefrom.  
       FIG. 5  is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a heated air mattress according to the present invention. 
    
    
      Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention is a heated air mattress, designated generally as  10  in the drawings, which is adapted for mounting within the flatbed of a truck  12 . The heated air mattress  10  includes an inflatable air mattress  18  having lateral recesses  20  (only one shown in  FIG. 1 , the opposite side of the mattress being symmetrical). Recess  20  receives wheel well compartment  16 , which is disposed over wheel  14  of truck  12 . The recesses  20  allow the heated air mattress  10  to fit around and over the wheel wells formed in the flatbed of truck  12 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , lateral recesses to not extend completely from top to bottom of the mattress  18 , but define a ledge that sits atop the wheel wells  16  so that the entire space between the sidewalls of the bed of the truck is available for sleeping, instead of only the space between the wheel wells.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the heated air mattress  10  includes inflatable air mattress  18 , a cover  32 , and a heating pad  38 . When assembled, heating pad  38  is received between the top surface  34  of inflatable air mattress  18  and cover  32 . As shown, the cover  32  is joined to top surface  34  along at least one edge. Cover  32  may be releasably sealed to top surface  34  along a second edge, through the use of a zipper, a hook and loop fastening material, such as Velcro, or through the use of any other suitable releasable fastener, allowing heating pad  38  to be easily removed from the inflatable air mattress  18  and cover  32 . Alternatively, heating pad  38  may be permanently secured to inflatable air mattress  18 . Heating pad  38  may be thermostatically controlled, or may be selectively adjusted by the user to produce a desired heat output.  
      Inflatable air mattress  18  and cover  32  may be made of conventional vinyl material, nylon or any other suitable pliable durable plastic or other material forming an inflatable bladder, allowing for resilience and comfort when inflatable air mattress  18  is inflated. Further, heating pad  38  may be any conventional type of heating pad, such as, but not limited to, a standard 12-volt heating pad provided for home use.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , cover  32  may be joined to top surface  34  along three edges, thus forming an open pocket  44 . Heating pad  38  is removably received within pocket  44 , depending on the needs and desires of the user. Alternatively, cover  32  may be sealed to top surface  34  along the entire periphery thereof, in order to permanently hold heating pad  38  between cover  32  and top surface  34 . Cover  32  is sealed to top surface  34  through any suitable method, such as, but not limited to, heat sealing.  
      As further shown in  FIG. 2 , a cavity  22  is formed in a rear wall  50  of inflatable air mattress  18 . Though illustrated here as being formed in the rear wall, it should be understood that the positioning of cavity  22  is dependent upon the needs and desires of the user, and the purpose for which the mattress is to be used. The cavity  22  is sized and shaped to receive a portable air pump  24 , for inflating inflatable air mattress  18 . Air pump  24  may be any conventional portable air pump and may be powered by the vehicle&#39;s battery, a separate portable battery (as shown in the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 5 , to be described in further detail below), a standard outdoor 110-volt or 220-volt ac power supply, such as are often found in camping grounds and trailer parks, or by any other suitable power source, including any standard indoor or outdoor AC or DC electrical sources. Similarly, heating pad  38  may be powered by the vehicle&#39;s battery, by a separate portable battery or by any other suitable power source. Air pump  24  may be fixed within cavity  22 , or may be removable, allowing for separate storage and transport.  
      An air port  26  is formed in rear wall  50 , allowing for the selective passage of air in and out of inflatable air mattress  18 . An air valve  28  selectively seals port  26  and allows the user to selectively deflate or inflate the air mattress  18 . Valve  28  may be a standard Boston-type valve, or any other suitable, user-adjustable fluid valve. A cap  30  is provided for covering valve  28 , thus preventing accidental leakage of air through port  26  and valve  28 .  
      Although cavity  22  and port  26  are shown as being formed in rear wall  50  of air mattress  18 , it should be understood that cavity  22  and port  26  may be formed through any suitable portion of air mattress  18 , depending upon the needs and desires of the user. In the preferred embodiment, cavity  22  and port  26  are formed in rear wall  50  in order to provide easy access thereto when heated air mattress  10  is received in the flatbed of a pickup truck, such as that shown in  FIG. 1 . Preferably, air pump  24  and valve  28  are positioned adjacent one another, though the positioning of air pump  24  and valve  28  are dependent on the needs of the user. Port  26  may, alternatively, be formed within cavity  22 , allowing for direct connection between air pump  24  and valve  28 .  
      As shown in the cut-away view of  FIG. 3 , a plurality of collapsible columns  40  are disposed within inflatable air mattress  18  and form baffles. Each collapsible column has an upper end and a lower end, with the upper end of each column  40  being sealed to top surface  34 , and the lower end being sealed to lower surface  42 . Columns  40  provide additional support for the user and may be covered springs, air cylinders, inflatable cylinders, plastic coils or any other suitable deformable supports. Rings  36  may be formed where columns  40  are sealed to top surface  34  and lower surface  42 , thus providing a design or pattern in the outer surfaces of inflatable air mattress  18 . Columns  40  provide both additional support and additional stability to the mattress when the mattress supports a load, such as the weight of the user.  
      In the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , heated air mattress  100  includes inflatable air mattress  18  having lateral recesses  20 , as described above, formed therein, heating pad  38  and releasable cover  32 , similar to those shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Mattress  100 , however, includes a filler member  110 , selectively and releasably received within recess  20 . If the user chooses to use heated air mattress  100  in an environment other than in the flatbed of a vehicle, such as on the ground or on a floor, the filler member  110  can be used to cover, fill and seal recess  20 , providing additional support for the user and mattress  100 . Filler member  110  may be separately inflatable, in a similar manner to inflatable air mattress  18 .  
      In addition, in the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , a cavity  150  is formed in rear wall  50  for receiving an air pump module  120 . The air pump module  120  includes an air pump  140 , similar to the air pump  24  of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , but further includes an attached air valve  130 . A secondary air valve  160  is further provided in rear wall  50 , allowing for connection to a second source of pressurized air.  
      Further, user-selectable indicia  170  may be imprinted on the exterior of air mattress  18 , as shown. Heated air mattress  100  also includes a cavity  190  formed in sidewall  46 , which receives a removable and replaceable battery pack  180 . Battery pack  180  provides optional additional power to heating pad  38  and may further be used for powering air pump  140  of module  120 .  
      Heated air mattress  10  may be sized and contoured for reception in any suitable vehicle, with recesses  20  specifically being shaped to receive a particular type of wheel well compartment  16 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 5 , heated air mattress  100  may be used with any suitable support surface, such as a floor or on a box spring, rather than being placed in a vehicle. Recesses  20  may be contoured to receive any formation provided in a support surface, may be filled with filler members  110 , or may be removed altogether for the mattress to be used on the floor or ground. Filler members  110  may be manufactured together with the mattress in order to size and shape filler members  110  to match recesses  20 , providing a mattress that appears to be a conventional mattress to the observer. Similarly, the separate elements  24 ,  120  and  180  may all be manufactured together with the mattress in order to ensure matching between the separate components and the respective recesses.  
      It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.