Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to inflatable pads and mattresses and in particular to a plastic air mattress having a storage compartment with a removable cover. 
     2. Description of Prior Developments 
     Inflatable pads and air mattresses are presently available in numerous sizes and shapes. Although these products generally function adequately, they do not have the ability to securely hold, store, protect, cover and conceal various items typically carried by outdoor enthusiasts such as campers, hikers and boaters. 
     A particular need exists for an inflatable mattress having a storage compartment for storing articles typically carried or used by a camper on an overnight trip. That is, when a camper turns in for the night, articles such as eyeglasses, wallets, purses, keys, flashlights, pocket change, clothing and the like are typically left unprotected and loosely lying about. It would be advantageous to be able to securely store such items such that their location is readily and easily accessible and such that the items are covered, protected from the environment and concealed so as to reduce the risk of damage, loss and theft. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been developed to meet the needs noted above and therefore has as an object the provision of an inflatable article having a preformed storage compartment for holding and securing items in a known location. 
     Another object of the invention is the provision of an inflatable air mattress having an integral storage compartment which is formed by and during inflation of the mattress. 
     Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an inflatable pad, mattress or similar article or support which includes a storage compartment and a cover for covering, protecting and concealing various personal items typically used by an outdoor enthusiast. 
     Still another object of the invention is the provision of an inflatable air mattress having a storage compartment and an inflatable pillow or pad which provides support to a user&#39;s head and also serves as a removable cover or lid for closing and concealing a recessed compartment formed adjacent an end portion of the mattress. 
     These and other objects are met in accordance with the present invention which is directed to an inflatable mattress, pad, support or similar inflatable article having a storage compartment formed by inflation with a gas, such as air. In one embodiment, an inflatable air mattress is formed with a recess or pocket located adjacent one longitudinal end portion of the mattress. 
     The recess or pocket may be positioned at a location corresponding to a user&#39;s head when a user is laying prone on the mattress. A cover, in the form of an inflatable pad or pillow is dimensioned and shaped to overlie, cover, protect and conceal the recess, and also serve as a pillow. 
     The cover may be removably attached or connected to the mattress so as to cover the recess. Any number of various connectors such as snap-fit connectors, plug and socket connectors, hook and loop connectors, zippers, buttons, tongue and groove connectors, ties such as cords, elastic loops and anchor posts, and any other suitable releasable connection can be used between the cover and mattress. The cover may also be tethered to the mattress with a flexible web of plastic material or tethered with straps, belts, cords and the like, or the cover may be completely detachable and free from the mattress. 
     While the mattress is primarily intended for use as a resting and sleeping support for overnight camping and other outdoor or away-from-home activities, the mattress may also serve as a flotation device for aquatic use. When the cover is positioned in place by the connectors, the presence of the storage compartment is hidden and concealed from normal view. 
     The aforementioned objects, features, and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity, and will, in part, become clear from the following more detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form an integral part thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inflatable mattress having a non-detachable tethered pillow constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 1 showing a detachable pillow fully detached from the mattress and showing the details of interconnection between the pillow and the mattress; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 wherein the pillow is shown pivotally tethered to the mattress with a living hinge formed of web of plastic material; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded partial perspective view of a plug and socket retainer assembly for securing the pillow to the mattress over the storage compartment; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded partial side elevation view, partly in section, showing the manner of insertion of the plug into the socket of the retainer assembly of FIGS. 3 and 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a view in section, taken through longitudinal section line  6 — 6  of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 7 is a view in section, taken through transverse section line  7 — 7  of FIG.  1 . 
     In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described in conjunction with the drawings, beginning with FIG. 1 which shows an inflatable mattress and pillow support assembly  10  constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention. Assembly  10  includes an inflatable pad or mattress support  12  having a generally rectangular parallelepiped configuration. 
     Mattress  12  includes a pair of upstanding or vertical longitudinally-extending side walls  14 ,  16  (FIG. 7) and a pair of upstanding or vertical transversely-extending end walls  18 ,  20  (FIG.  6 ). The sidewalls  14 ,  16  join the end walls  18 ,  20  at four rounded corners  22 . The mattress  12  further includes an upper or top support surface  24  and a lower or bottom support surface  26  (FIG.  6 ). Any one of several well-known plastic sheet materials may be used to fabricate mattress  12  in a generally known fashion. A layer of flocked plastic material or similar fabric  28  may be applied to the upper support surface  24  to provide a plush appearance and to increase surface friction and resist sliding over surface  24 . 
     Mattress  12  is preferably formed as an inflatable “air” mattress which can be inflated with a gas such as ambient air using a conventional air pump or other suitable means. A conventional valve  30  is provided in, for example, sidewall  14  for receiving the nozzle of an air pump or the like. An array of shallow embossed recesses or dimples  32  is formed on the upper surface  24  and lower surface  26  of mattress  12  by internal strips of plastic material which are bonded to and extend between these surfaces in a known manner to prevent the mattress from ballooning outwardly. 
     As seen in FIG. 2, mattress  12  is formed with a storage compartment  36 , preferably located adjacent one end wall  18 ,  20 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, compartment  36  is formed adjacent end wall  20  as a generally rectangular basin or pocket having a pair of opposed upstanding longitudinally-extending interior lateral walls  38 ,  40  (FIG. 7) and a pair of opposed upstanding transversely-extending interior transverse walls  42 ,  44  (FIG.  6 ). 
     The four internal compartment walls  38 - 44  extend from the lower support surface  26  upwardly to the upper support surface  24  and thereby define a deep pocket having a depth substantially equal to the inflated thickness of the mattress  12  as represented by arrow  46  in FIG.  6 . Although compartment  36  is shown having a rectangular section or shape, it can be formed with any perimeter form or shape, such as round, oval, polygonal or irregular. 
     The storage compartment  36  further includes a base or floor  48 . In the example shown, floor  48  is simply a rectangular portion of the lower surface  26  extending between the walls  38 - 44 . In this manner, a thin web or sheet of plastic material serves as floor  48 . The internal walls  38 - 44  are likewise formed of a thin sheet of plastic material. 
     By locating storage compartment  36  adjacent an end portion of mattress  12  near an end wall such as end wall  20 , three relatively small interconnected tubular air channel segments  50 ,  52 ,  54  are defined around three sides of the storage compartment  36  and a larger air chamber  58  is defined adjacent the innermost transverse wall  42  and the opposite end wall  18 . For reasons discussed below, it is preferable to locate storage compartment  36  within that interior portion of air mattress  12  that corresponds to the general location of one&#39;s head when one is lying prone on top of the mattress. 
     Mattress  12  further includes a pair of interior connector members  60  located adjacent the respective interior corners  62  of storage compartment  36 . Another connector member  64  is provided along the top edge  66  of end wall  20 . In the example shown in FIG. 2, connector member  64  is a detachable type of connector such as a half zipper strip or a strip of hook-and-loop fabric type connector. 
     The purpose of connector members  60 ,  64  is to detachably anchor and release pillow  70  to and from the mattress  12 . Pillow  70  is preferably formed as an inflatable pad, although it may be formed as a batting-stuffed head support or simply a sheet of plastic material. Preferably, pillow  70  includes a conventional air valve  30  (FIG. 3) for inflating the pillow in a known fashion. 
     Pillow  70  may take any form or shape. In the examples shown, pillow  70  is generally trapezoidal in top and bottom plan views, and generally longitudinally inwardly tapering or wedge-shaped in side elevation views as positioned on mattress  12 . Pillow  70  includes a corrugated or furrowed top surface  72  and a corrugated or furrowed bottom surface  74  (FIG.  6 ). 
     As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pillow  70  can be formed with a single internal cavity or air chamber  76 . The pillow  70  is dimensioned to completely cover and overlie the storage compartment  36  so as to form a closed storage compartment. Preferably, the pillow  70  substantially overlies all or a portion of air channel segment  56  and all or portions of air channel segments  52  and  54 , as well as a small portion of air chamber  58 . 
     In this manner, when the pillow  70  is placed over storage compartment  36 , the storage compartment is completely covered and concealed from normal view by the overlapping pillow. The correct positioning and alignment of the pillow  70  over the storage compartment  36  is ensured by connector members  80  and  82  (FIGS.  2  and  3 - 5 ). Connector member  80  detachably mates with complimentary connector member  64  and therefore may be respectively formed as a half zipper strip or a strip of hook and loop fabric fastener. 
     The connector members  82  are shown as rigid plastic pin members having a shaft  84  and an enlarged head  86 . Each connector member  82  also includes a planar base  88  which is bonded or otherwise fixed to the bottom surface  74  of pillow  70 . The connector members  60  are located on the mattress  12  so as to align with and freely receive the shaft and head of each respective connector member  82 . 
     As further seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, each connector member  60  is formed as a rigid plastic socket or cup having a floor  90 , a sidewall  92  and a roof  94 . Roof  94  is bonded or otherwise attached within chamber  58  to the upper support surface  24  of mattress  12 , and is accessible through an aperture  96  formed therein. 
     A contoured slot  98  is formed in roof  94  of connector member  60  for receiving the shaft and head of connector member  82 . A necked down region  100  of roof  94  defines a generally figure-eight shaped slot  98 . The head  86  of connector member  82  is dimensioned to pass freely into an enlarged opening  102  in slot  98  and the cylindrical shaft  84  is dimensioned to resiliently pass through the necked down region  100  with a snap-fit over-center action. 
     In this manner, the shaft of connector member  82  is held rigidly within a small opening  104  of slot  98 . The connector member  82  is axially held within connector member  60  by head  86  which is larger than the small opening  100 . The connector member  82  can be removed from the socket of connector member  60  with a reverse movement through the necked down region  100  and out through the enlarged opening  102 . 
     Instead of fully and freely detachably connecting the pillow  70  to the mattress  12 , it is possible to permanently connect the pillow  70  to the mattress  12  with a tethered connection such as shown in FIG. 3. A strip or web  106  of thin flexible plastic material is bonded at one longitudinal end portion to mattress  12  and at its other longitudinal end portion to the pillow  70  so as to form a flexible living hinge between the pillow  70  and mattress  12 . As further seen in FIG. 3, the pillow  70  can be pivoted over the storage compartment  36  along an arc defined by dashed lines  108 . 
     When the pillow  70  overlies and overlaps the storage compartment  36  in a symmetrical centered position over compartment  36 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the storage compartment  36  is completely concealed from normal view. Items stored in the compartment  36  are securely held therein by pillow  70 , which is properly positioned on mattress  12  so as to support one&#39;s head in a normal sleeping or resting position on mattress  12 . The connector members  60 ,  82  snugly and securely hold the pillow  70  against the mattress  12  so as to positively prevent items stored in the compartment from falling out. 
     There has been disclosed the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated. However, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. 
     For example, connectors  60  and  82  can be formed as complimentary hook and loop type fabric fasteners, circular snap connectors of the type used in clothing, or any other suitable connector. The same applies for connectors  64  and  80 .

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