Regulation 3.2B AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT APPLICANT: CULLEN, John Prosper invention Title: MATTRESS LIFT SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 TITLE MATTRESS LIFTING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mattress lifting device for facilitating the fitting of bed sheets. 10 Discussion of the Background Art Fitting a bed sheet to a mattress usually requires iteratively lifting a portion of the mattress with one hand and fitting a portion of the bed sheet with another hand until 15 the bed sheet is fitted around the entire perimeter of the mattress. This process can be cumbersome for a user with limited strength. Repetition of such a process can lead to ailment of the shoulder or back. Several devices are known that lift a mattress up off the base of a bed, whether an 20 ensemble or slat configuration, and lower the mattress back down onto the base of the bed. Among these are inflatable bladders placed in between a mattress and the base of a bed. Such bladders are inflated enough to raise the mattress up off the base of the bed, and deflated in order to lower the mattress back down onto the base. 25 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Disclosure of the Invention 30 The present invention relates to a device for lifting a mattress up off the base of a bed and lowering the mattress back down onto the base of the bed, allowing a user to fit a bed sheet to the mattress without having to lift the mattress with one hand and fit the bed sheet with another hand.
2 An advantage of the present invention is that the structural integrity of the mattress lifting device is maintained independently of the loading of a mattress onto the mattress lifting device or the base of the bed. 5 Another advantage of the present invention is that a low volume of air is required for inflating the mattress lifting device in order to lift a mattress up off the base of a bed. In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inflatable bladder suitable for lifting the perimeter of a mattress up off a bed base. The inflatable bladder 10 comprises a perimeter section having a plurality of sides, and a plurality of bracing sections, wherein each of the plurality of bracing sections interconnects adjacent sides of the perimeter section. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the perimeter section of the 15 inflatable bladder is rectangularly-shaped and hence includes spaced longitudinal sides and spaced transverse sides. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, inflation of the bladder lifts the edges of a mattress higher than the centre of the mattress. 20 In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for lifting a mattress up off the base of a bed. The system comprises an inflatable bladder as described above and further comprises an air pump for inflating and deflating the bladder. 25 In the specification the term "comprising" shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to 30 variations on the term "comprising" such as "comprise" and "comprises." BRIEF DETAILS OF THE DRAWINGS 3 In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and wherein: 5 Figure 1 is a top view of the mattress lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the mattress lifting device positioned between a bed base and a mattress according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a top right perspective view of a mattress raised up off a bed base 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4A is side elevation view of a solenoid actuator of an air pump for use in the mattress lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 4B is a top view of the solenoid actuator of Figure 4A. 15 DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Mattresses can weigh up to 90 kilograms. Fitting bed sheets to a mattress can be cumbersome task for: 20 a) The elderly; b) Those with arthritis; c) Those with lower back pain; d) Pregnant women; e) Children; 25 f) Those in the hospitality industry (hotels, hospitals, etc); and g) Those simply unable to lift up a mattress. Inflatable mattress lifting devices comprising a relatively small surface area require a small volume of air intake, but lack stability upon installation and use. Such devices 30 become frustrating to use and often require installation or operation to be carried out by more than one user.
4 On the other hand, inflatable mattress lifting devices comprising a relatively large surface area may provide more stability, but suffer from requiring a large volume of air intake to inflate. These devices become frustrating to use because they take a long time to inflate. This is especially disadvantageous to users in the hospitality 5 industry having to fit bed sheets to a large number of mattresses every day. The present invention provides a mattress lifting device in the form of an inflatable bladder with a border section configured to raise the mattress inwardly of the perimeter of the mattress and a plurality of bracing sections each of which is 10 connected to at least two of the border sections. The volume of air required to inflate the mattress lifting device of the present invention is relatively small and therefore provides for very quick inflation and deflation. In use, the inflatable bladder of the present invention exposes the corners of a 15 mattress while the central portion of the mattress sags allowing the user to fit bed sheets and tuck them in under the mattress. The unique configuration of the border and bracing sections allow the mattress lifting device to maintain its shape and position independent of the loading of a mattress. 20 A user can install the mattress lifting device of the present invention without the inflatable bladder moving around or falling off the bed base while the mattress is placed in its position on top of the bed base. A user can then fit bed sheets to a mattress without the mattress lifting device, or the mattress, moving around and without having to handle or lift the weight of the mattress at all. 25 With reference to Fig. 1, mattress lifting device 100 of the present invention is illustrated as an inflatable bladder having a perimeter including four sides 110-1, 110 2, 110-3, and 110-4 and four bracing sections 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-4. Each of the bracing sections is connected to two sides proximate to corners 102-1, 102-2, 30 102-3, and 102-4 of the mattress lifting device. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, mattress lifting device 100 is configured as one solitary piece. Installation of the mattress lifting device does not 5 require the user to handle multiple pieces or to be concerned with whether one part of the mattress lifting device aligns with another. The unique shape of mattress lifting device 100 of the present invention enables the mattress lifting device to maintain the integrity of its shape irrespective of whether or not a mattress is resting on the 5 mattress lifting device. Furthermore, bracing sections 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120 4 enable the mattress lifting device to maintain its position on a bed base irrespective of whether or not a mattress is resting on the mattress lifting device. The positioning of bracing sections 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-4 not only provides 10 structural stability as described above, but also creates different lifting zones. More specifically, mattress lifting device 100 is designed to lift the perimeter of a mattress higher than the central portion of the mattress. This will be described in more detail with reference to subsequent drawings. The provision of different lifting zones enables easier fitting of bed sheets and leads to auto-tightening of the sheets upon 15 deflation of the mattress lifting device. The positioning of the bracing sections can be configured to not only lift the perimeter of the mattress higher than the central portion of the central portion of the mattress, but also to specifically lift the corners of the mattress higher than the central portion 20 of the mattress. Once a bed sheet is fitted to a mattress, deflation of the mattress lifting device allows the mattress to spread back in to its original shape, which in turn allows the bed sheet to fit snugly around the mattress. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mattress lifting device is 25 manufactured using a polymer thermoplastic sheeting which is ultrasonically welded together to form the unique shape shown in the accompanying diagrams. The sheeting is preferably double rib welded in a single pass process ameliorating the possibility of leaks in the bladder. 30 The mattress lifting device may be configured for any size bed, including cot-size mattress, single, king single, double, queen, king, or any custom size mattress.
6 With reference to Fig. 2, mattress lifting device 100 is shown in use in between mattress 10 and bed base 20. At installation, a user places mattress lifting device 100 on bed base 20 and places 5 mattress 10 on top of mattress lifting device 100. In use, lifting up and lowering down a mattress does not affect the integrity of the shape or position of the mattress lifting device. Mattress lifting device 100 works equally well on an ensemble bed base or a slat bed base. 10 It is important to note that mattress lifting device 100 is not configured to be the same length and width as the bed base 20 or mattress 10. Mattress lifting device 100 is preferably configured to be shorter in both dimensions such that a user can tuck the fitted sheet (or any other sheet or quilt) underneath the mattress without having to lift or handle the mattress at all. 15 Fig. 2 also shows air pump 140 in use with mattress lifting device 100 of the present invention. Air pump 140 is configured to be powered by 240 volt mains or 110 volt mains, depending on the country of operation, through plug 142, and operated through switch 144. In this exemplary embodiment, air pump 140 includes hose 150 20 for connection to air inlet 130 of the mattress lifting device. In this exemplary embodiment, air inlet 130 is shown to be positioned on a lateral edge of the mattress lifting device 100. However, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the air inlet can be positioned on a lower face of the mattress lifting device. 25 Having the air inlet on a lateral edge of the mattress lifting device allows for the mattress lifting device to be installed on the mattress's top face or bottom face. An air inlet on the lateral edge of the mattress lifting device also allows the mattress lifting device to be installed with the air inlet on the right-hand side or the left-hand side of the bed (depending on availability of a power point). This type of flexibility 30 allows for the mattress lifting device to be flipped over from time to time. This configuration is particularly useful for beds with an ensemble bed base.
7 Having the air inlet on a lower face 154 of the mattress lifting device allows for the hose to be completely hidden underneath the bed. This configuration is particularly useful for slat-type beds. 5 The unique shape of mattress lifting device 100 requires minimal volume of air for inflation. This enables a user to inflate and evacuate air from the mattress lifting device quickly. This feature is particularly important when using the mattress lifting device of the present invention in a hotel-type facility, where a worker may be responsible for changing the bed sheets of a large number of beds. 10 In this side exemplary view of the present invention, the lifting of the corners of the mattress, such that the corners of the mattress is higher than the central position of the mattress, is not emphasised. However, this feature of the present invention is illustrated and discussed with reference to Fig. 3. 15 Fig. 3 shows an elevated perspective view of mattress 10 in its lifted position relative to bed base 20. For clarity purposes, the mattress lifting device is not shown in this diagram. Lateral edges 12 and longitudinal edges 13 of mattress 10 are lifted up off bed base 20 higher than central portion 16. Corners 14-4, 14-2, 14-3, and 14-4 are 20 also positioned higher up off the bed base than central portion 16. Gap 30 is created between the mattress and the bed base without any interference from the mattress lifting device. Consequently, a user can fit bed sheets to the mattress without having to handle the mattress, the bed base or the mattress lifting device. 25 Air pump 140 referred to above, includes solenoid actuator 160 as shown in Fig. 4A, while air inlet 130 includes adaptor 170 as shown in Fig. 4B. Fig. 4A shows an exemplary embodiment of solenoid actuator 160 used in an air pump suitable for use in the mattress lifting device of the present invention. Solenoid 30 actuator 160 is fitted with bayonet coupling 162. The air inlet of a mattress is fitted with adaptor 170 as shown in Fig. 4B. In use, bayonet coupling 162 of solenoid actuator 160 is attached to adaptor 170 on the mattress. Adaptor 170 comprises diaphragm 172 which is spring loaded valve that seals against the air escaping from 8 the inflatable bladder. Activation of solenoid actuator 160 opens the valve and allows the air pump to act as a "sucker", and evacuate the air from the inflatable bladder. The electric wiring from air pump 140 to solenoid actuator 160 is fed internally 5 through hose 150 (shown in Fig. 2). When air pump 140 is set to the "inflate" mode, diaphragm 172 opens at air inlet 130, such that air is pumped into the inflatable bladder. When air pump 140 is set to the "hold" mode, diaphragm 172 is closed, such that air in the inflatable bladder is 10 trapped. When air pump 140 is set to the "deflate" mode, diaphragm 172 opens at air inlet 130, such that air is evacuated from the inflatable bladder. In a preferable embodiment of the invention, safety mechanisms are used to protect against the air pump being left running after the optimum inflation/evacuation 15 parameters are reached. For example, during inflation, once the air pressure reaches 4.5PSI, a pressure switch automatically stops the air pump. During evacuation, once the air pressure reaches -5PSI, a pressure switch automatically stops the air pump. 20 It is to be understood that the above embodiments have been provided only by way of exemplification of this invention, and that further modifications and improvements thereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the present invention described herein. 25