Patent ID: 12239234

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to example embodiments which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In this regard, the example embodiments may have different forms and may not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein.

It will be understood that the terms “include,” “including”, “comprise, and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It will be further understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections may not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section.

Expressions of orientation, as used herein, such as “top”, “bottom”, “upper” and “lower” etc., are used for explaining structural positions of various components, and are not absolute but relative. Expressions of orientation are appropriate when the various components are arranged as shown in the figures, but should change accordingly when the positions of the various components in the figures change.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.

Various terms are used to refer to particular system components. Different companies may refer to a component by different names—this document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.

Matters of these example embodiments that are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which these exemplary embodiments pertain may not be described here in detail.

As shown inFIGS.1to6, a double-layer inflatable bed according to an example embodiment comprises a top piece1, a middle piece, a bottom piece3, an upper lateral piece4, a lower lateral piece5, and a tensioning structure. The middle piece comprises a middle master piece2and an oblique ring piece8. In the context of descriptions with respect to the figures, a number of elements are referred to as such, using the modifiers “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” and “lower,” herein, for ease of understanding. However, it should be noted that these elements may alternately be referred to by replacing any of the terms “upper,” “lower,” “top,” and “bottom” with either of the terms “first” and “second.”

The top piece1, the middle master piece2, and the bottom piece3are substantially parallel to each other, allowing for natural variations in orientation due to inflation, material, etc. The top piece1, the middle master piece2, and the bottom piece3are in sequence from top to bottom to form a double-layer structure. The oblique ring piece8is ring-shaped, and is connected to an upper surface of the middle master piece2, at a position2bspaced from an outer edge2aof the middle master piece2, and extends outward. The upper lateral piece4and the lower lateral piece5are each ring-shaped. An upper edge4aof the upper lateral piece4is connected to an outer edge1aof the top piece1, and a lower edge4bof the upper lateral piece4is connected to an outer edge8aof the oblique ring piece8. Thus, an upper-layer air chamber is defined by: the upper piece1, connected at its outer edge1ato the upper lateral piece; the upper lateral piece4, connected at its upper edge4ato the upper piece1and at its lower edge4bto the oblique ring piece8; the oblique ring piece8, connected at its outer edge8ato the upper lateral piece4and at its inner edge8bto the middle master piece; and the middle master piece2, connected at a position2bto the oblique ring piece8. An upper edge5aof the lower lateral piece5is connected to the outer edge2aof the middle master piece2, and a lower edge5bof the lower lateral piece5is connected to an outer edge3aof the bottom piece3to form a lower-layer air chamber. The middle master piece2is may have a plurality of vent holes21formed therein to enable the upper-layer air chamber and the lower-layer air chamber to be in communication with each other. The upper-layer air chamber and the lower-layer air chamber may be symmetrically or uniformly arranged, which arrangement may facilitate inflation and deflation operations of the double-layer inflatable bed.

Since the upper lateral piece4is connected to the middle master piece2by means of the oblique ring piece8at the position2b, which is inward by a certain distance as compared with the outer edge2aof the middle master piece2, the resulting connection between the upper-layer inflatable bed and the lower-layer inflatable bed is recessed inward once the bed is inflated, such that it may be convenient for a bed cover to be put on and kept on the upper-layer inflatable bed.

A tensioning structure may be provided within each of the upper-layer air chamber and the lower-layer air chamber for tensioning the respective air chamber and limit its excessive expansion. In the example embodiment as shown, the tensioning structure comprises a plurality of substantially parallel upper-layer straight tensioning members6which are each connected to the top piece1and to the middle master piece2, and a plurality of parallel lower-layer straight tensioning members7which are each connected to the middle master piece2and to the bottom piece3, wherein each of the upper-layer straight tensioning members6and the lower-layer straight tensioning members7are substantially I-shaped and are arranged in a staggered manner in a vertical direction, such that, for example, the lower edge of one of the upper—layer straight tensioning members6is connected to the middle master piece2between the connections of the upper edges of two adjacent lower-layer straight tensioning members7. Of course, this particular example of tensioning members is merely an example, and the upper-layer straight tensioning members s6and the lower-layer straight tensioning members7may comprise any of a number of other types of tensioning members suitable for an inflatable product, such as, but not limited to: ring-shaped tensioning members, X-shaped tensioning members, and Y-shaped tensioning members.

According to an example variation shown inFIG.11, the tensioning structure may comprise a plurality of parallel double-layer straight tensioning members6aconnecting the top piece1and the bottom piece3through the middle master piece2. That is to say, the middle master piece2may be provided with a plurality of orifices2a, the number and the position of the orifices2acorresponding to a number and position of double-layer straight tensioning members6a, thus these double-layer straight tensioning members6amay pass through corresponding orifices2ato connect the top piece1and the bottom piece3. Alternately, the double-layer straight tensioning members may comprise any of a number of other types of tensioning members suitable for an inflatable product, such as, but not limited to ring-shaped tensioning members, I-shaped tensioning members, X-shaped tensioning members, and or Y-shaped.

The tensioning structure may further comprise at least one ring-shaped upper-layer oblique ring piece (not shown) for connecting the top piece1to the upper lateral piece4, wherein the upper-layer oblique ring piece can have at least one vent hole formed therethrough. An arrangement of the upper-layer oblique ring piece may not only further optimize mechanical properties of the double-layer inflatable bed, but may also effectively increase a usable area of the double-layer inflatable bed by limiting excessive expansion of the outer edge of the top piece1.

The tensioning structure may further comprise at least one ring-shaped lower-layer oblique ring piece9connecting the bottom piece3and the lower lateral piece5, wherein the lower-layer oblique ring piece9may have at least one vent hole91formed thereon. This arrangement of the lower-layer oblique ring piece9may further optimize mechanical properties of the double-layer inflatable bed, and may also make the double-layer inflatable bed more stable by increasing the road holding of the outer edge of the bottom piece3during use such that the double-layer inflatable bed is not easy to roll over.

One or more of the components described above with respect to an example double-layer inflatable bed, including, but not limited to the top piece1, the middle master piece2, the bottom piece3, the upper lateral piece4, the lower lateral piece5, the upper-layer straight tensioning member tape6, the lower-layer straight tensioning member7, the middle ring piece8, the upper-layer oblique ring piece, and the lower-layer oblique ring piece9, may all be made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) sheets, for example, and any two or more components may be connected, for example by high-frequency welding (butt fusion), to ensure connection strength and sealing of the air chamber.

As shown inFIG.7andFIG.8, the integral construction of the double-layer inflatable bed according to embodiment II is similar to that of the double-layer inflatable bed according to embodiment I, so the similarities are not repeated. A difference between this example embodiment and the previously-described example embodiment is that the arrangement of the oblique ring piece8is different. According to this example embodiment, the oblique ring piece8is connected to the position2bon a lower surface of the middle master piece2, rather than on the upper surface of the middle master piece, and extends outward.

More particularly, the upper edge4aof the upper lateral piece4is connected to the outer edge1aof the top piece1, and the lower edge4bof the upper lateral piece4is connected to the outer edge2aof the middle master piece2to form the upper-layer air chamber. The upper edge5aof the lower lateral piece5is connected to the position2bof the middle master piece2by means of the oblique ring piece8. The lower edge5bof the lower lateral piece5is connected to the outer edge3aof the bottom piece3to form the lower-layer air chamber. The outer edge8aof the oblique ring piece8is connected to the position2bof the middle master piece2, and the inner edge8bof the oblique ring piece8is connected to the upper edge5aof the lower lateral piece5.

Due to the lower lateral piece5being connected to the middle master piece2by means of the oblique ring piece8at the position2b, which is inward by a certain distance compared with the outer edge2aof the middle master piece2, a connection portion between the upper-layer inflatable bed and the lower-layer inflatable bed is recessed inward once inflated, such that it is convenient for a bed cover to be put on and kept on the upper-layer inflatable bed.

As shown inFIG.9andFIG.10, the integral construction of a double-layer inflatable bed according to another example embodiment is similar to that of the double-layer inflatable bed according to the above-described example embodiments except that there are two oblique ring pieces, comprising an upper oblique ring piece81and a lower oblique ring piece82. The upper oblique ring piece81is connected to the outer edge2aof the upper surface of the middle master piece2. The lower oblique ring piece81is connected to the outer edge2aof the lower surface of the middle master piece2.

The upper edge4aof the upper lateral piece4is connected to the outer edge1aof the top piece1, and the lower edge4bof the upper lateral piece4is connected to the outer edge2aof the middle master piece2by means of the upper oblique ring piece81to form the upper-layer air chamber. More specifically, the outer edge81aof the upper oblique ring piece81is connected to the lower edge4bof the upper lateral piece4, and the inner edge81bof the upper oblique ring piece81is connected to the outer edge2aof the upper surface of the middle master piece2. The upper edge5aof the lower lateral piece5is connected to the outer edge2aof the middle master piece2by means of the lower oblique ring piece82, and the lower edge5bof the lower lateral piece5is connected to the outer edge3aof the bottom piece3to form the lower-layer air chamber. More particularly, the inner edge82aof the lower oblique ring piece82is connected to the outer edge2aof the lower surface of the middle master piece2, and the outer edge82bof the lower oblique ring piece82is connected to the upper edge5aof the lower lateral piece5.

Since the middle master piece2is indirectly connected to the upper lateral piece4and to the lower lateral piece5, respectively, by the upper oblique ring piece81and the lower oblique ring piece82, the connection between the upper-layer inflatable bed and the lower-layer inflatable bed may be recessed inward once inflated, such that it is convenient for a bed cover to be put on and kept on the upper-layer inflatable bed.

It may be understood that the exemplary embodiments described herein may be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each exemplary embodiment may be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other exemplary embodiments.

While exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims.