Abstract:
A mattress is disclosed having an overall size and shape that enable it to fit securely in the back of a pick-up truck, SUV, mini-SUV or some other vehicle. While the specifications and examples listed herein assume a full-size vehicle, a proportionally smaller mattress can be configured to accommodate mid-size or smaller vehicles.

Description:
[0001]     The present application is based on and claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/507,308, filed Sep. 30, 2003, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     It is known to place a mattress in the bed of a pick-up in order to accommodate comfortable sleeping or lounging. Typically, the mattress is placed between wheel well projections. This placement can cause several inconveniences. For example, when the width of the mattress is larger than the width between the wheel well projections, then the mattress must be somehow bent or contorted to fit between the wheel well projections. This leaves areas proximate to the wheel well projections where the mattress does not cover. In addition, configuring the mattress to fit between the wheel well projections can have a detrimental effect on the quality of comfort.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Embodiments of the present invention generally pertain to a mattress having an overall size and shape that enable it to fit securely in the back of a pick-up truck, SUV, mini-SUV or some other vehicle. While the specifications and examples listed herein assume a full-size vehicle, a proportionally smaller mattress can be configured to accommodate mid-size or smaller vehicles.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a truck-bed mattress.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the truck-bed mattress.  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the truck-bed mattress.  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a truck-bed up mattress.  
         [0008]      FIG. 5  is yet another embodiment of a truck-bed mattress. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0009]     Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a mattress that is configured to efficiently fit in the back of a vehicle so that the vehicle can be used as a comfortable and viable sleeping or resting location. The internal structure of the mattress is not critical to the present invention. In one embodiment, a stuffing or spring configuration is implemented. In a preferred embodiment, however, the mattress is an inflatable air mattress. In one embodiment, the mattress can be inflated utilizing an inflation mechanism that receives power from the vehicle (e.g., the device plugs into the cigarette lighter).  
         [0010]     Regardless of whether the mattress is a standard mattress (e.g., a spring mattress) or an air mattress, it is illustratively sized and shaped to fit into the back of specific vehicles having pick-up like characteristics. As has been mentioned, the vehicle might be anything from a full-sized truck with a long or short bed to smaller truck vehicles. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a range of mattresses are produced and provided to accommodate any pick-up-like vehicle (i.e., an El Camino). In addition, specialized units can be configured and customized to fit into sport utility vehicles and other vehicles.  
         [0011]     The mattress embodiments described herein can be utilized for many different purposes such as to accommodate sleeping in the back of a vehicle or providing a comfortable place to sit during outdoor sporting events. In one embodiment, specialized (e.g., heavy-duty) materials are utilized to construct a mattress that provides a cushion for transporting fragile items or pets in the back of a vehicle.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a truck-bed mattress  102  in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. Mattress  102  has indentations  104  that are configured to accommodate spacing for wheel well projections when the mattress is placed in the back of a pick-up truck or similar vehicle. A plurality of projections  106  are configured to extend on either side of the wheel well projections. Although four projections  106  have been illustrated, fewer could be included without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, while mattress  102  is illustrated as having a “I” configuration, a “T” configuration is within the scope of the present invention. One or three projection configurations are also within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are top and side views, respectively, of mattress  102 . Various dimensions are labeled in these figures and specific values will be provided as an example of one implementation for accommodation of a standard vehicle truck bed configuration. Again, mattress  102  can be sized and shaped to fit any of a variety of vehicle configurations. Length  206  is approximately 77 inches. Length  204  is approximately 57½ inches. Length  202  is approximately 21½ inches. Width  208  is approximately 64 inches. Width  210  is approximately 7½ inches. Thickness  212  is approximately 6 inches. Again, the measurements provided herein are exemplary only and can be modified to accommodate a particular vehicle configuration or preference (e.g., extra thickness). It should also be pointed out that indentations  104  can be provided with a particular shape to accommodate a particular vehicle configuration. For example, a shape more complex than the illustrated approximate rectangles can be implemented to accommodate a particular wheel well protrusion configuration.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a truck-bed mattress in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. Mattress  402  includes extensions  404  that are designed to provide a layer of padded protection over wheel well protrusions when mattress  402  is placed in a vehicle. In one embodiment, extensions  404  are foldable so that they can be collapsed into an efficient profile configuration. In one embodiment, extensions  404  are incorporate a padding material to provide protection from bumps against a wheel well protrusion. In one embodiment, extensions  404  are attached to mattress  402 . In another embodiment, extensions  404  are separate from mattress  402  and are simply slid into place such that a portion of the protrusion is slid between the wheel well protrusion and the mattress to secure extensions  404  over the wheel well protrusion.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a top view of another embodiment of a truck-bed mattress  502  in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. Mattress  502  is illustratively similar to mattress  102  ( FIG. 1 ) but includes only one indentation, namely, indentation  504 .  
         [0016]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.