IE902327L

IE902327L - Self-inflating cushion

Info

Publication number: IE902327L
Application number: IE902327A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Helmut Pfriender; Gunter Geisler
Original assignee: Metzeker Schaum Gmbh
Priority date: 1989-06-28
Filing date: 1990-06-27
Publication date: 1990-12-28
Also published as: DE8909741U1; DE59005667D1; EP0405515B1; EP0405515A1; IE902327A1; FI903199A0; CA2020005A1; IE63916B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-inflating cushion, in particular a mattress, having a foam panel (1) of open-cell polyurethane soft foam, which is bonded on both sides and at the edge to airtight covering webs (2, 3), and having an air valve on one side edge. It is claimed as novel to provide the foam panel (1) with holes (6, 7) which at least partially penetrate said panel and are covered by the continuous covering webs (2, 3). <IMAGE> [EP0405515A1]

Description

IE 902327 - la- MS 217 G SELF-INFLATING CUSHION The invention relates to a self-inflating cushion, in particular a mattress, with a foam panel of open-celled soft polyurethane foam, which is taped on both sides and at the edges with airtight cover strips, and with an air valve at one lateral edge.

Such cushions, mostly used in the form of mattresses, have a size of 190x60 cm, for example, and a thickness of 20 to 50 mm. Because they can be tightly rolled when not in use, they are particularly suitable for hikers and mountain climbers because of their compact size.

To use them, the valve, which usually is disposed on a side, is simply opened; because of the tendency of the enclosed foam material to expand, the mattress unrolls itself and air is drawn into the mattress, so that it is automatically smoothed out and assumes a shape and a size corresponding to the expanded foam material. After it is filled with air and, if desired after additional air has been blown in, the valve is closed. Thus the air can no longer escape; the cushion or mattress are ready for use and provide particularly satisfactory heat insulation and cushioning with respect to the ground on which they have been placed.

IE 902327 It is important with such a cushion not only that it have satisfactory use and insulating properties, but that it is as light as possible and can be rolled up into a thin roll. Generally a compromise is made between sufficient insulating and cushioning effects in regard to the person lying on it and the thickness of the reguired foam material panel.

It is an object of the invention to design a cushion and particularly a mattress of the type described above in such a way that an additional reduction of weight is made possible while at least maintaining the level of comfort already provided, so that handling is further improved.

To attain this object it is provided by the invention for the foam material panel to have openings which at least partially extend through it and which are covered by continuous cover strips.

By means of such openings it is possible to reduce the weight of the cushion or mattress considerably, without diminishing the usefulness in any way. The openings can vertically extend through the foam material panel.

The openings are practically disposed in rows offset from each other, have a diameter of 10 to 50 mm, and their edges are 10 to 12 0 mm apart from each other. -2- IE 902327 However, it is also possible for the openings to extend horizontally through the cushion, in the form of approximately continuous channels.

These openings can extend crosswise to the longitudinal direction or in the longitudinal direction of the cushion or at an angle to the longitudinal direction.

It is also possible for the openings to extend in the longitudinal and lateral directions of the cushion and intersect each other.

These openings usefully extend at approximately halfway up the thickness of the cushion.

A further possibility is to divide the foam material panel at the center into two layers located on top of each other, so that their at least one contact surface have a profile resulting in a continuous openings.

However, it is also possible for each of the two contact surfaces located on top of each other to have such a profile.

This profile is usefully in the approximate form of a corrugation with flutes extending over the entire length and/or width of the contact surfaces. -3- IE 902327 The profiles of the top and bottom layer can extend parallel to each other in such a way that the crests of both profiles lie on top of each other.

However, it is also possible for the profiles of the top and bottom layers to extend at an angle to each other and form intersecting openings.

The profiles of the top and bottom layers can each have different shapes and/or sizes.

For additional improvement of such a design, it is also possible for the top and bottom layers to be made from materials of different hardness.

In this way is not only a weight reduction achieved, but an adaptation to individual comfort is also possible.

The structure and mode of operation of exemplary embodiments of a mattress in accordance with the invention will be described in detail below by means of schematic drawings. Shown are: Fig. 1, a top view of a mattress with the upper cover strip left off, Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of such a mattress along the line II - II of Fig. 1 with upper cover strip, -4- IE 902327 Fig. 3, a perspective view of a foam material panel with horizontally extending openings, and Fig. 4, a perspective side view of a foam material panel made from two layers with profiles for such a mattress.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, such a mattress has a rectangular foam material panel 1 disposed in its interior, made of of open-celled, highly flexible soft polyurethane foam, to the top and bottom surfaces of which are glued airtight, rubber-coated cover strips 2 and 3. The laterally extending edges 4 of these cover strips 2 and 3 are also glued together in an airtight manner. A valve 5, extending through the two cover strips 2 and 3, is inserted at one corner of such a mattress for filling the mattress with air or to squeeze the air out of the mattress.

The foam material panel 1 is provided with punched holes 6 or 7, fully extending through the foam material layer 1, which are, however, covered by both cover strips 2 and 3.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, punched holes 6 and 7 of different diameters and at different distances are shown in each partial panel so as to illustrate the possibilities for variation more clearly. These punched holes 6 or 7 usefully have diameters of approximately 10 to 50 mm and can be disposed at distances of 10 to 120 mm from each other. As shown in Fig. 1, the punched holes 6 or 7 are -5- IE 902327 disposed in a plurality of rows next to each other, the punched holes of one row being offset by one-half the distance of the punched holes of the other row. This results in a very even distribution of the punched holes 6 or 7 over the entire surface.

Depending on their size and number, these punched holes 6 or 7 can cause a total reduction in the weight of the mattress of up to 20 percent. Furthermore, when air beyond the normal amount automatically aspirated is also blown in, there is the additional effect that the cover strip areas 9 of the cover strips 2 and 3 bulge outward above and below the punched holes 6 and 7, because they are not held from below by the foam material. These bulges result in two additional advantages; first, the non-skid properties of the mattress are increased, and second, the nap pattern which has been attained for all practical purposes has the effect of massaging the body of the person lying on it.

However, because of the reduction of the mass of the foam material by means of the punched holes, the mattress can be rolled up more tightly after use, since it is no longer necessary to compress as much foam material.

Punched holes fully extending through the foam material panel are shown in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. However, it is also possible for these punched holes not to extend completely through the foam material panel, but only to a -6- IE 902327 certain depth, so that the indicated bulges 9 then only form on one side.

A further possibility of reducing the material in such a foam material panel is illustrated in Fig. 3, where the foam material panel 10 is provided with horizontal openings in the shape of continuous channels 11 or 12. These openings can extend crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the foam material panel in the form of the channels 11 indicated in dashed lines or, as shown by the channels 12, in the longitudinal direction of the foam material panel 10. If furthermore channels 11 and 12 are provided in both directions and crossing each other, a greater reduction in material and thus weight becomes possible.

These channels 11 or 12 are usefully provided at about the center of the height of the foam material panel 10. Their diameter should not be more than approximately a third of the foam material panel. Besides a disposition where these channels 11 and 12 extend exactly longitudinally and laterally, an extent at an angle to the longitudinal direction, either in one direction or in crossing directions, is also possible.

A further possibility for reducing weight results from a design of the mattress as shown in Fig. 4. The foam material panel 20 is divided in the center and thus consists of the two layers 21 and 22, which lie on top of each other and -7- IE 902327 which each have approximately the same thickness. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment shown, the contact surfaces of the two foam material layers 21 and 22 are provided with profiles 23 and 24. In the present case these profiles 23 and 24 are made in the form of corrugations approximately corresponding to a sinusoidal line, the profiles 23 and 24 extending at right angles to each other, so that crests and troughs are formed that intersect each other.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, a savings in material of approximately 25% results with the profiling provided, i.e. the mattress is approximately 25% lighter while having the same strength as a mattress without profiles.

With a foam material panel 20 having a total thickness of at least 15 to 20 mm, the width of the profiles, i.e. the distance between two crests of flutes, should be no less than 5 mm. In general, the desired comfort provided by this mattress is also decisive for the size and type of profiling, i.e. the profiles should not be so large that a reduction of comfort or bending of the mattress results from this.

However, other than an approximately sinusoidal extent of the profiles 23 and 24, any other wave-shaped or even a wedge-shaped design is conceivable. The profiles can be disposed at any angle to each other, i.e. even obliquely to each other, for example, up to the extreme case where they run parallel. If the profiles of the two layers 21 and 22 extend -8- IE 902327 in the same direction, they should have the same height and configuration, so that the crests of flutes of the top and bottom layers are lying on top of each other.

To further increase comfort, the top layer 21 and the bottom layer 22 can be made from materials of different consistency, i.e. in particular of different hardness, so that softer or firmer cushioning is obtained, depending on which layer is on top.

Of course, it is also possible to provide only one of the two layers 21 or 22 with a profile and for the contact surface of the other layer to be smooth.

On the whole, the result is a cushion in the form of a seat cushion or a mattress which inflates automatically and has considerably lower weight and thus in its rolled-up state has less bulk than mattresses of conventional design without loss of comfort. -9- 902327

Claims

Claims:

1. A self-inflating cushion, in particular a mattress, having a foam panel of open-celled soft polyurethane foam, which is taped on both sides and at the edges with airtight cover strips, and having an air valve at one lateral edge, characterized in that the foam material panel (1; 10; 20) has openings (6, 7; 11, 12; 23, 24) which at least partially extend through it and which are covered by continuous cover strips (2, 3).

2. The cushion in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the openings (6, 7) extend vertically through the foam material panel (1).

3. The cushion in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the openings (6, 7) are disposed in rows offset in relation to each other.

4. The cushion in accordance with claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the openings (6, 7) have a diameter of 10 to 50 mm.

5. The cushion in accordance with claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the openings (6, 7) are located at a distance of 10 to 12 0 mm from each other. -10- IE 902327

6. The cushion in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the openings (11, 12) extend horizontally through the foam material panel (10).

7. The cushion in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the openings (11) extend crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the foam material panel (10).

8. The cushion in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the openings (12) extend in the direction of the longitudinal direction of the foam material panel (10).

9. The cushion in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the openings (11, 12) extend in the longitudinal and lateral direction of the foam material panel (10).

10. The cushion in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the openings (11, 12) extend at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the cushion.

11. The cushion in accordance with one or several of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the openings (11, 12) extend approximately at the center of the height of the thickness of the foam material panel (10).

12. The cushion in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the foam material panel (20) is divided at the center into two layers (21, 22) lying on top of each other, the at -11- » IE 902327 least one contact surface of which has profiles (23, 24) forming continuous openings.

13. The cushion in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that both contact surfaces of the foam material layers (21, 22) lying on top of each other have a profile (23, 24).

14. The cushion in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that the profiles (23, 24) are approximately corrugated with corrugations extending over the entire length and/or width of the contact surfaces.

15. The cushion in accordance with claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the profiles (23, 24) of the top and bottom layer (21, 22) extend parallel to each other in such a way,that the crests of the flutes of both profiles (23 , 24) lie on top of each other.

16. The cushion in accordance with claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the profiles (23, 24) of the top and bottom layer (21, 22) extend at an angle to each other and form openings intersecting each other.

17. The cushion in accordance with one of claims 12to 16, characterized in that the profiles (23, 24) of the top and bottom layers (21, 22) each have different shapes and/or sizes. -12- IE 902327

18. The cushion in accordance with one or several of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that the top and bottom layers (21, 22) of the foam material panel (20) are made of materials of different hardness. Dated this the 27th day of June, 1990 F. R. KELLY & CO. BY: /J _ EXECUTIVE [, Balls 27 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANT -13-