NZ212303A - Air mattress: inflatable tubes with transverse spacers - Google Patents

Description

2 12303 Priority Date(s): . . S. * S f-f ;Complete Specification Fiied: ;Ciass: . (1Q ;Publication Date; • ...12 FEB.1988 P.O. Journal, Mc: ., I ;" A \ ;It. ;% 5# ;<£l ;A, ;%4# ;V ;Patents Form No. 5 ;PATENTS ACT 1 953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "AN IMPROVED BODY SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT" ;I, GORDON DOUGLAS GRIFFIN, a citizen of Australia, of 78 York Street, Devonport,Tasmania 7310, Australia, ;hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;(i) (followed by page la) ;la ;This invention relates to a support arrangement for mattresses or cushions in beds, chairs, sofas, settees, stretchers and other body support appliances. Such support arrangements will be referred to hereinafter as "of the kind defined". ;The invention is particularly applicable to support arrangements of the kind defined in which a mattress or cushion rests on slats extending between supporting air springs. Reference is made to my New Zealand Patent No. 202931 dated 24 November 1983 for an 'AIR SPRING". The object of the present invention is to enable more economical manufacture of the support arrangment to be achieved. ;The present invention consists of a support arrangement of the type defined comprising, a pair of flexible elongate tubes forming air springs located in spaced parallel relationship by stabilizer members which effect the required spacing and impart lateral stability to said tubes, and a body support surface formed by a series of body support members extending parallel to each other and transversely of said tubes, said body support members being fixedly attached to the underside of a sheet of ;212303 ;2 ;flexible resilient material and resting on said tubes. ;In the accompanying drawings ;Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in cut-away 5 section, of a body support arrangement according to the present invention, ;Figure 2 is a perspective view of a spacer and lateral stabiliser used in the arrangement shown in Figure 1. and ;Figure 3 is a modification of the arrangement shown in iq Figure 1. ;Referring now to Figure 1, of the drawings, a body support arrangement 10 comprises a pair of elongate flexible tubes 12 forming air springs which are spaced apart in parallel with one another, a required is predetermined distance by spacer members 14 positioned longitudinally along the tubes 12. As will be hereinafter described, ;12, the spacer members stability of the tubes 2c displacement. ;Each tube 12 is formed in addition to spacing the tubes 14 also maintain lateral whilst allowing vertical of heat welded sheet plastics f/1 ;-'•YV' " ■•••••1*1' 1 2 1230 3 material and the end of each tube is closed by heat welds 16 with an air pressure control valve 18 in the upper portion thereof.

A series of independant, transversely extending mattress 5 or body support members or slats 20 are fixed in closely spaced parallel relationship to the underside of a flexible foam or other sheet 22 by, for example, an adhesive or Velcro (RTM) material. The end portions of the slats 20 lie on the spaced tubes 12. preferably with io a vinyl strip 24 interposed therebetween. Conveniently the vinyl strips 24 are attached by adhesive to the slats 20 after the latter have been fixed to the sheet 22. It will be apprecited that the showing of the slas 20 in the forward portion of Figure 1 have been omitted IS for the sake of clarity.

The ends and sides of the assembly are formed respectively by elongated blocks of material 26 having a higher impact load resistance i.e. they have a higher resistance to compressibility than the plastics foam 2o material 22. The assembly is encapsulated in a cover 28 provided with an opening which extends along one side and both end blocks 28 and 26 respectively, the opening being closed by a sliding clasp fastener.

As shown in Figure 2, each spacer member 14 comprises a 2 1230 4 single membrane 30 of sheet plastics material. The member 30 is of a length slightly greater than the overall spacing between the tubular bladders 12 and is provided with spaced apertures 32 whose axes correspond. 5 respectively, with the axes of the tubes 12. The diameter of the apertures 32 is slightly less than the diameter of the tubes 12 to provide a gripping action when the spacer member is mounted thereon. The upper and lower edges of the membrane 30 are formed. io respectively, with a chamber 34 each accommodating a rod 36 which extends from one end of the membrane 30 to the other.

It will be readily appreciated that the spacer members 14 may take other forms. For example, it may be formed is by an open-ended flattened tubular member of sheet plastics material with the rods 36 replaced by slats similar to the slats forming the support surface. With this arrangement, when positioned on the tubes 12, the spacer member cross-section is of rectangular io configuration.

The use of the members 14 as described above enables the tubes 12 to be maintained at the required spacing even though the members 14 are deformed vertically due to a load being applied on the slats 20 and, additionally. 2.5 the rods 36 ensure lateral stability of the assembly. 2 1230 Any desired number of members 14 may be used but. in general, up to five or six single membrane units are sufficient to ensure lateral stability of the tubes 12 depending on the use and manufacturing design.

In an alternative construction, the slats 20. instead of being fixedly connected to the foam material 22, may have their respective end portions releasably secured in pairs of aligned slits 40 formed in flexible strips of material 42, the latter being in contact with the vinyl io strip 24 or fixed to the tube 12 by adhesive.

Claims (13)

^VHAT WE/I CLAIM IS.v

1. A support arrangement of the type defined comprising, a pair of flexible elongate tubes forming air springs located in spaced parallel relationship by stabilizer members which effect the required spacing and impart lateral stability to said tubes, and a body support surface formed by a series of body support members extending parallel to each other and transversely of said tubes, said body support members being fixedly attached to the underside of a sheet of flexible resilient material and resting on said tubes.

2. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizer members extend parallel to the body support members and each comprises a member having spaced apertures accommodating respectively, without clearance, one of said tubes .

3. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein each stabilizer member comprises a single membrane having rods extending lengthwise, respectively, along its upper and lower portions.

4. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein each stabilizer member is a flattened tubular member and has slats extending lengthwise, respectively, along its upper and lower portions so that, in use, the member is of rectangular configuration.

5. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet of resilient support material is formed from foam material.

6. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body support members rest without connection to, said tubes. -7 * iff 218 DEC 1987 212303 7

7. A support arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the end portions of the series of body support members are retained in flexible strip material resting on said tubes.

8. A support arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said strip material is connected to said tubes.

9. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a strip of wear-resistant material is interposed between said body support members and said tubes.

10. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ends and sides of the arrangement are provided with material having a high impact load resistance which limits movement of the body support members and flexible material on the spaced tubes.

11. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly is encapsulated in a cover provided with an opening.

12. A support arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tubes and stabilizer members are formed of plastics material.

13. A support arrangement of the type defined, substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in, Figures 1 and 2. or Fiqure 3 of the accompanying drawings. GORDON DOUGLAS GRIFFIN By His Authorised Attorneys JOHN A. REMMINGTON & ASSOCIATES