GB2327343A

GB2327343A - Alternately inflated/deflated air bed

Info

Publication number: GB2327343A
Application number: GB9714894A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Lee; Terry Tu
Original assignee: Apex Medical Corp; Shin Tai Plastics Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shin Tai Plastics Industrial Co Ltd; Wellell Inc
Priority date: 1997-07-15
Filing date: 1997-07-15
Publication date: 1999-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-15
Also published as: GB9714894D0; FR2767460B3; GB2327343B; FR2767460A1

Abstract

An air bed for use in the prevention of decubitus is produced by an arrangement of several air bag sets, each set comprising a first air bag 31 containing a second air bag 32. The first air bag is divided into two interconnected inflatable/deflatable air chambers 33,34 whilst the second air bag is kept constantly inflated. The air bag sets are arranged in series and, in use, odd or even members of the series are alternately inflated/deflated. The first air bags are of greater height than in the prior art providing larger ventilation gaps between the bed and a patient's body during use. If there is a power cut or a machine failure which causes the first air bags to deflate, the patient is still supported and kept off the support plate by the second air bags. The second air bags may also be liquid filled.

Description

TITLE: STRUCTURE OF ALTERNATELY INFLATED/DEFLATED AIR BED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is related to the improved structure of an alternately inflated/deflated air bed, and especially to the improvement that is applied on the clinical medicine to help a patient lying on a bed for a long period to get rid of obtaining decubitus by alternately changing contact points of his body with the bed to obtain adequate ventilation of the skin of his body, the air bed is made by arrangement of a plurality of bag sets which each is provided therein with a first air bag which is further provided therein wi= a second air bag, so that the first air bag is divided into two air chambers A, B, when the air chambers A, B are inflated or deflated simultaneously, the first air bag is inflated or deflated twice as much to increase ventilation effect, and when the first air bag is deflated automatically induced by a power cut or machine failure, the second air bag can keep the patient comfort.

2. Description of the Prior Art As shown in Fig. 1 and 2, conventionally, the body of the patient lying on a bed for a long period can obtain adequate ventilation for the skin of his body by alternately changing contact points of his body with an air bed to get rid of obtaining decubitus, in the convedtional air bed, a plurality of air bags 10 are arranged on a hard plate, wherein, the air bags 10 of the odd numbers and those of the even numbers have their intake (discharge) holes 11 mounted on an air pump, a switch is used to control simultaneous or alternate discharge or intake of the air bags 10 of the odd numbers and of the even numbers, by alternating of the contact points, the patient can get rid of obtaining decubitus.

However, once there is a power cut or machine failure air in the air bags wiil be released out gradually, so that the body of the patient will contact the hard plate directly, and the patient will feel uncomfortable.

Hence an "AIR BED WITH ALTERNATELY RAISED/LOWERED UNITED .AIR BAGS" (paten' application No. 84204580 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C.) as depicted in Fig. 1 was provided in the markets which is an improvement directing to the above stated defect, this air bed is similarly provided with a plurality of air bag sets 20, wherein, each air bag set 20 is divided with a transverse diaphragm 21 into an upper air chamber 22 and a lower air chamber 23, air in the lower air chamber 23 is kept in the saturated condition, while the upper air chamber 22 is alternately raised or lowered in pursuance of input and extraction of the air pump, once there is a power cut or machine failure, the saturated condition in the lower air chamber 23 can pre vent the patient lying on the air bed from direct contact with the hard plate.

However, only the upper air chamber 22 of the air bag set 20 has the function of air inflation/deflation, so that the vertical range that it is raised or lowered equals to the height of the upper air chamber 22; this means that, the improved air bed can still make the patient more comfort when there is a power cut or machine failure, while if it is in alternate inflation/deflation the space left for ventilation can only be provided in the area of the upper air chamber 22, effect of ventilation and heat sinking is much inferior to that of a conventional air bed, and is only llalf of the latter, a patient with inferior circulation of blood lying on the air bed, can still get decubitus induced thereby.

Moreover, when there is a power cut or machine failure, air in the upper air chamber 22 will be discharged automatically, and the surface of the air bed will be fla -ttened (as is shown in Fig. 4), the patient lying on the air bed will directly contact with the air bed to make bad ventilation, if the power cut or machine failure can not be eliminated, the patient may get decubitus.

Besides, the conventional air bed and the above stated improved air bed all have a common defect that, when the neighbouring air bags are alternately inflated/deflated, the air bags deflated are pressed by the two neigh bouring air bags in the state of inflation and thus can not be lowered, this results overly small ventilation space, therefore, effect of ventilation and heat sinking is inferior.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure of an alternately inflated/deflated air bed.

According to the present invention there is provided an air bed which is made by arrangement of a plurality of air bag sets which each is provided therein with a first air bag which is further provided therein with a second air bag, so that the first air bag is divided into two air chambers A, B, an air pipe is provided at a suitable position on the first air bag for intake and discharge of the first air bag, air in the second air bag is kept in the saturated condition. In the series of the air bag sets of the air bed, the air bag sets of the odd numbers and of the even numbers are alternately inflated/deflated, by simultaneous discharge or intake of the two air chambers A, B, the first air bags are inflated or deflated twice as much, so that a patient lying on the air bed can get adequate ventilation effect by alternately changing contact points of his body with the air bed.

In one preferred embodiment of ther present invention there is provided an improved structure of an alternately inflated/deflated air bed, wherein, when there is a power cut or machine failure which renders the first air bags to discharge automatically and gradually, by holding by the second air bags, the patient lying on the air bed can be prevented from direct contact with the hard members therein to get an uncomfortable feeling.

In another preferred iiodiemnt in accordance with the present invention there is provided an improved structure of an alternately inflated/deflated air bed, wherein, the second air bags each has a round or elltptical vertical section, when there is a power cut or machine failure which renders the first air bags to discharge automatically and gradually, the neighbouring second air bags can still have small gaps therebetween for ventilation.

Conveniently, a further ertodiment of the present invention is to provide an alternately inflated/ deflated air bed, wherein, the second air bags can be filled therein with liquid to give the second air bags suitable weight, when the air bag sets of the odd numbers and of the even numbers are alternately inflated/deflated the second air bags can press down the first air bags to increase discharging speed, and more, to increase spaces for ventilation and heat sinking, and thus to provide good ventilation and heat sinking effect.

The present invention will be apparent in its detailed structure and other objects thereof after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the conventional air bed; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional air bed; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an improved air bed of the prior art; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the improved air bed of Fig. 3 showing the state when there is a power cut or machine failure which renders the air chambers to discharge automatically; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional side view of an air bag set of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the present invention showing the function of inflation/deflation of the air bag sets.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the present invention showing the state after a power cut or machine failure which renders the first air bags to discharge automatically; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an air bag set of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a view showing the difference between one of the second air bags of the present invention constant -ly being kept in the inflated condition and one of the lower chambers of the improved air bed as shown in Fig.

3; Fig. 11 is a view showing the difference in height between one of the air bag sets of the present invention and one of the air bag sets of the improved air bed as shown in Fig. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Fig. 5 together with Fig. 6 and 9 of the drawings, the improved structure of an alternately inflated/defiated air bed of the present invention is made by arrangement of a plurality of air bag sets 30 which each is provided therein with a first air bag 31 which is further provided therein with a second air bag 32 connected therewith, the first air bag 31 is divided into an air chamber A which is numbered with 33 and an air chamber B which is numbered with 34, the first air bag 31 is not completely connected with the second air bag 32 (such as is shown in Fig. 6), the air chambers 33, 34 are communicated with each other, an air pipe 35 is provided at a suitable position on the first air bag 31 for the purpose of air intake and discharge of the first air bag 31, air in the second air bag 32 is constantly kept in the saturated state, an intake pipe 36 is provided at a suitable position on the second air bag 32 and is provided with a reverse stop valve 37 at a suitable position thereon in order that air can only be taken in but not discharged.

As shown in Fig. 7, the air bag'sets 30 of the present invention are arranged to connect the air pipes 35 of the air bag sets 30 of the odd numbers and of the even numbers to the intake or discharge port of the air pump to alternately intake or discharge air, when the air cham -bers 33, 34 are inflated or deflated simultaneously, the first air bags 31 are inflated or deflated twice as much to increase ventilation effect, so that a patient lying on the air bed can get adequate ventilation effect by alternately changing contact points of his body with the air bed.

As shown in Fig. 8, when the first air bags 31 are deflated automatically induced by a power cut or machine failure, the second air bags 32 can keep the patient comfortable, the second air bags 32 can have a round or elliptical section, small gaps can still be kept for ventilation even when there is a power cut or machine failure.

Moreover, the second air bags 32 can be filled therein with liquid to increase their weight, when the air bag sets 30 of the odd numbers and of the even numbers are alternately inflated/deflated, the second air bags 32 having appropriate weight can press down the first air bags 31 to increase discharging speed, and more, to increase spaces for ventilation and heat sinking, and thus to provide good ventilation and heat sinking effect.

And as shown in Fig. 10 and 11, the second air bag 32 is identical in the height of its section to the lower air chamber 23 of the improved air bed as shown in Fig. 3 constanly kept in the inflated condition, but when the first air bag 31 and the upper air chamber 22 are inflated, the total height of the air bag set 30 of the presen invention is about 1.5 folds of that of the air bag 20 of the improved air bed, this assures that the present invention can provide larger gaps for ventilation during alternate inflation/deflation, the effect of it is much larger than that of the prior arts and the conventional air beds as well.

Besides, when the reverse stop valve 37 provided on the second air bag 32 is removed, the air pipes 35 of the first air bags 31 and the intakes 36 of the second air bags 32 can be communicated mutually to function as the conventional air bags.

In conclusion, the structural feature of the present invention can certainly improve practical function of air beds.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An alternately inflatable/deflatable air bed comprising a plurality of air bag sets, wherein each of said air bag sets is provided therein with a first air bag which is further provided therein with a second air bag connected therewith, said first air bag is divided into two air chambers which are communicated with each other, an air pipe provided on said first air bag for the purpose of air intake and discharge of said first air bag, said second air bag is kept constantly inflated by retaining air in the second air bag whereupon, when there is a power cut or machine failure which renders all of said first air bags to discharge automatically and gradually, by holding all of said second air bags inflated, the patient lying on said air is be prevented from feeling uncomfortable from direct contact with any hard members therein by resting on the permanently inflated second air bags.

2. An air bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein intake pipe which is provided with a reverse stop valve thereon in order that air can only be taken in but not discharged.

3. An air bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second air bags are filled therein with liquid to increase their weight, when said air bag sets of the odd numbers and of the event numbers are alternately inflated/deflated, said second air bags having appropriate weight can press down said first air bags.

4. An air bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second air bags are round or elliptical.

5. An air bed as claimed in claim 2, wherein said air pipes of said first air bags and said intakes of said second air bags can be communicated mutually to function as the conventional air bags.

6. An alternately inflatable/deflatable air bag substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.