US20150342359A1

US20150342359A1 - Mattress lifter

Info

Publication number: US20150342359A1
Application number: US14/807,837
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard J. Molina
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-12
Filing date: 2015-07-23
Publication date: 2015-12-03

Abstract

A mattress lifter includes an air bladder sized to fit between a mattress and a mattress foundation, so that when inflated the air bladder lifts the mattress from the mattress foundation sufficiently to allow removal and replacement of bed linens and easy tucking of bedding under the mattress. Height-limiting material within the air bladder limits a height of the air bladder when the air bladder is inflated. An air pump inflates the air bladder by pumping air through a connection hose. When the air pump is turned on, air moves from the air pump to the air bladder inflating the air bladder. When the air pump is turned off, air moves from the air bladder to the air pump so that the air bladder automatically deflates when the air pump is turned off.

Description

BACKGROUND

Mattress technology improvements and improvement in bed technology in general has resulted in safer, healthier and more comfortable rest. Mattress technology improvements often times results in increasing the weight of mattresses. The lifting required to replace bed linens and tucking in bedding under a heavy mattress can be a significant challenge for some.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a mattress lifter placed on a mattress foundation in accordance an embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of an inflated mattress lifter located between a mattress foundation and a mattress in accordance an embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a mattress foundation and a mattress when the mattress lifter shown in FIG. 2 is deflated in accordance an embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a mattress foundation and a mattress when the mattress lifter shown in FIG. 2 is partially deflated in accordance an embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a mattress lifter 11 placed on a mattress foundation 10. FIG. 1 is for illustrative purposes and is not scaled to size. Mattress foundation 10 is a mattress foundation for a king bed, a California king bed, a queen bed, a full size bed, a twin bed or some other size bed. Mattress foundation 10 is, for example a box spring. Alternatively, mattress foundation 10 can be, for example, a wood slat support, a metal support, a floor or any surface that supports a mattress.
In the example given in FIG. 1, mattress foundation 10 matches in width and length a mattress 15 (shown in FIG. 2) which will be placed on mattress foundation 10. Mattress lifter 11 is placed on mattress foundation 10 and then mattress 15 is placed on mattress lifter 11. For example, mattress lifter 11 is both narrower and shorter than mattress 15 and mattress foundation 10. This allows a margin 17 between a front (head) of mattress foundation 10 and a front of mattress lifter 11, a margin 18 between a back (foot) of mattress foundation 10 and a back of mattress lifter 11, a margin 19 between a side of mattress foundation 10 and a side of mattress lifter 11, and a margin 20 between a side of mattress foundation 10 and a side of mattress lifter 11.
A typical size for margin 17, margin 18, margin 19 and margin 20 is five inches. This allows for efficient lifting of mattress 15 and for sufficient room to comfortably remove and replace bed linens and easy tucking of bedding under mattress 15.
For example, mattress lifter 11 is an air bladder composed of woven fabric laminate with an air tight surface. Alternatively, mattress lifter 11 could be composed of rubber, plastic, vinyl or another material selected as suitable for flexibility and for being air tight.
For example, mattress lifter is configured to lift mattress 15 between two and three inches. This configuration can include height-limiting material, such as straps or strips, placed along seams 16 of mattress lifter 11 or along other locations inside mattress liter 11. The height limiting material not only limits height but also adds rigidity and stability to mattress lifter 11 and to mattress 15 as mattress lifter 11 raises mattress 15. For example, these straps or strips are either heat or chemically welded to seams 16 of mattress lifter 11 or other locations within mattress lifter 11. Peripheral channels 22 in mattress lifter 11 allow for providing higher lift on the edges of mattress lifter 11. This tends to slightly bend up the ends of mattress 15 over locations of peripheral channels 22. This provides a deeper space to tuck in bedding. Height-limiting material may be included in peripheral channels 22. These height-limiting material can be selected to allow mattress lifter 11 to be inflated to a higher height around peripheral channels 22, that in the area of seams 16.
The height-limiting material prevents mattress lifter 11 from inflating to more than a height of about two or three inches. The straps or strips that compose the height-limiting material are placed close enough to each other, for example within two and one half to three inches of each other, so that lateral creeping in from out of perimeters is substantially avoided. When the height-limiting material is attached to seams 16 of mattress lifter 11 and the straps or strips that compose the height-limiting material are placed within two and one half to three inches of each other, this requires that seams 16 be separated from each other by no more than two and one half to three inches.
An air pump 12 is used to inflate mattress lifter 11. For example, air pump 12 is powerful enough to mattress lifter 11 and thereby raise mattress 15. For example, air pump 12 is low voltage and powered by a transformer suitable to convert an alternative current source to a direct current power source. The voltage and frequency of the current source will depend upon the standards of the country or region. A plug 14 is used to plug air pump 12 into an alternative current power source. Alternatively, air pump 12 may be configured to run on battery power.
A connection hose 13 is flexible and non-collapsing allowing unhindered airflow between air pump 12 and mattress lifter 11. FIG. 2 shows tubing 13 to head (front) of mattress lifter 11. This avoids the bulk of tubing 13 from being felt by a sleeper through mattress 15. Alternatively, tubing 13 can be connected to a foot (back) of mattress lifter 11 or another location.
For example, neither air pump 12 nor mattress lifter 11 have any valve that works to retain air in mattress lifter 11. Thus, mattress lifter 11 inflates when air pump 12 is turned on and automatically deflates when air pump 12 is turned off. The pressure provided by air pump 12 to mattress lifter 11 is carefully selected so that the air pressure supplied by air pump 12 is sufficient to inflate mattress lifter 11, but not sufficient to cause a leak or other failure of mattress lifter 11. For example, air pump 12 is designed to provide an amount of air pressure that is sufficient to inflate mattress lifter 11, but not sufficient to cause a leak or other failure of mattress lifter 11. In an alternative design, a pressure limiter can be included that prevents air pump 12 from supplying air pressure past a predetermined limit to mattress lifter 11. For example, air pump 12 is turned on and off by a switch on air pump 12 or by a remote switch hard wired between air pump 12 and a transformer for air pump 12.
FIG. 2 shows a cut away view of mattress lifter 11 in a fully inflated condition and residing between mattress foundation 10 and mattress 15. Mattress lifter 11 has lifted mattress 15 so that there is sufficient room to comfortably remove and replace bed linens and to easily tuck in bedding under mattress 15.
Height-limiting material 21 is shown to be preventing mattress lifter 11 from inflating to more than a height of about two or three inches. The straps or strips that compose height-limiting material 21 are placed close enough to each other, for example within two and one half to three inches of each other, so that lateral creeping in from out of perimeters is substantially avoided. Strips are, for example, evenly spaced and run in a direction from head to foot of mattress lifter 11. Optionally, additional height-limiting material may be included in peripheral channels 22.
A single flat perimeter seam 23 around the entire outer perimeter joins a top outer piece 24 of mattress lifter 11 to a bottom outer piece 25 of mattress lifter 11. Mattress lifter 11 includes only two outer pieces. That is, top outer piece 24 and bottom outer piece 25 are shown joined by single flat perimeter seam 23. The use of a single flat perimeter seam 23 to join top outer piece 24 of mattress lifter 11 to bottom outer piece 25 has a significant advantage when compared to an air mattress where an annular side bar is welded or otherwise attached to peripheries of upper material and lower material, such as disclosed in United States Patent Application 2013/0230671 where in FIG. 27 and at paragraph [0070] there is described that the annular side band 4 is fixedly connected or welded to the peripheries of the upper material 1 and the lower material 2 to form an inflatable chamber.
In FIG. 2 herein, single flat perimeter seam 23 is exaggerated to emphasize it is a single flat seam. What is meant by a single flat seam is that to form single flat perimeter seam 23, top outer piece 24 is flat against bottom outer piece 25 at the location of single flat outer seam. The seam may be formed, for example, by welding or stitching or any other way in which a seam may join two pieces of material and prevent or hinder air leakage.
Because a single flat perimeter seam 23 joins the entire outer perimeter of top outer piece 24 of mattress lifter 11 to bottom outer piece 25 of mattress lifter 11, rather than an annular side band, mattress lifter 11, when deflated, returns to its original outer peripheral dimensions. This means it will flatten across the entire area of tope outer piece 24 and bottom outer piece 25. This is not necessarily what would happen when an annular side band is used to join upper material and lower material.
That is, when an annular side band is used to join upper material and lower material, when deflating, the deflated area will tend to flatten within the area of the upper material and lower material, except that the annular side band will tend to bunch up under the upper material and lower material creating “bumps” or uneven areas where the annular side band bunches. This can lead to an uneven resting surface for the mattress, which might lead to an uneven sleeping area. Using a single flat perimeter seam 23 that joins the entire outer perimeter of top outer piece 24 of mattress lifter 11 to bottom outer piece 25 of mattress lifter 11, there is no bunching and thus a flat sleep area results.
FIG. 3 shows a side view of mattress foundation 10 and mattress 15 when mattress lifter 11 is deflated. As can be understood from FIG. 3, when mattress lifter 11 is deflated, mattress lifter 11 is completely flat and not visible from a side view. Mattress 15 and the bedding on mattress 15 conform their shape so that mattress lifter 11 is hidden from view.
FIG. 4 shows a side view of mattress foundation 10 and mattress 15 as mattress lifter 11 is partially deflated. As can be seen from FIG. 4, when mattress lifter 11 is partially deflated, mattress lifter 11 is flattening nicely with no bunching of material.
The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary methods and embodiments. As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the disclosed subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress lifter, comprising:

an air bladder, including height-limiting material within the air bladder that limits a height of the air bladder when the air bladder is inflated, the air bladder being sized to fit between a mattress and a mattress foundation, so that when inflated the air bladder lifts the mattress from the mattress foundation sufficiently to allow removal and replacement of bed linens and easy tucking of bedding under the mattress, wherein the air bladder includes

a top outer piece,

a bottom outer piece, and

a single flat seam on a periphery of the top outer piece and the bottom outer piece that joins the top outer piece to the bottom outer piece, wherein the seam is constructed so that when the air bladder is deflating between the mattress and the mattress foundation, there is no bunching of the top outer piece and the bottom outer piece;

a connection hose for attachment to the air bladder; and,

an air pump that inflates the air bladder by pumping air through the connection hose, wherein when the air pump is turned on air moves from the air pump to the air bladder inflating the air bladder and wherein when the air pump is turned off air moves from the air bladder to the air pump so that the air bladder automatically deflates when the air pump is turned off.

2. A mattress lifter as in claim 1, wherein the height-limiting material is straps welded to seams of the mattress lifter or to other locations within the mattress lifter.

3. A mattress lifter as in claim 1, wherein the height-limiting material is strips welded to seams of the mattress lifter or to other locations within the mattress lifter.

4. A mattress lifter as in claim 1 wherein the air pump is powered by a transformer suitable to convert an alternative current source to a direct current power source.

5. A mattress lifter as in claim 1 wherein maximum pressure provided by the air pump to the mattress lifter is selected so that air pressure supplied by the air pump is sufficient to inflate the mattress lifter, but not sufficient to cause a leak or other failure of the mattress lifter.

6. A mattress lifter as in claim 1 wherein the connection hose is flexible and non-collapsing allowing unhindered airflow between the air pump and the mattress lifter.

7. A mattress lifter as in claim 1 additionally comprising:

peripheral channels around an outer edge of the air bladder where the mattress lifter is inflated to a higher height that other areas of the air bladder.

8. A method for making up a bed, comprising,

placing an air bladder between a mattress and a mattress foundation, the air bladder including height-limiting material within the air bladder that limits a height of the air bladder when the air bladder is inflated, the air bladder being sized to fit between the mattress and the mattress foundation, so that when inflated the air bladder lifts the mattress from the mattress foundation sufficiently to allow removal and replacement of bed linens and easy tucking of bedding under the mattress, wherein the air bladder includes a top outer piece, a bottom outer piece, and a single flat seam on a periphery of the top outer piece and the bottom outer piece that joins the top outer piece to the bottom outer piece, wherein the seam is constructed so that when the air bladder is deflating between the mattress and the mattress foundation, there is no bunching of the top outer piece and the bottom outer piece;

using an air pump to inflate the air bladder, the air pump inflating the air bladder by pumping air through a connection hose, wherein when the air pump is turned on air moves from the air pump to the air bladder inflating the air bladder and wherein when the air pump is turned off air moves from the air bladder to the air pump so that the air bladder automatically deflates when the air pump is turned off; and,

making up the bed while the air bladder is inflated.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein including height-limiting material within the air bladder comprises welding straps to seams of the mattress lifter or to other locations within the mattress lifter.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein including height-limiting material within the air bladder comprises welding strips to seams of the mattress lifter or to other locations within the mattress lifter.

11. A method as in claim 8 additionally comprising:

powering the air pump by a transformer suitable to convert an alternative current source to a direct current power source.

12. A method as in claim 8 additionally comprising:

providing by the air pump a maximum pressure to the mattress lifter that is selected so that air pressure supplied by the air pump is sufficient to inflate the mattress lifter, but not sufficient to cause a leak or other failure of the mattress lifter.

13. A mattress lifter, comprising:

an air bladder sized to fit between a mattress and a mattress foundation, so that when inflated the air bladder lifts the mattress from the mattress foundation sufficiently to allow removal and replacement of bed linens and easy tucking of bedding under the mattress, wherein the air bladder includes

a top outer piece,

a bottom outer piece, and

height-limiting material within the air bladder that limits a height of the air bladder when the air bladder is inflated; and,

an air pump that inflates the air bladder by pumping air through a connection hose, wherein when the air pump is turned on, air moves from the air pump to the air bladder inflating the air bladder and wherein when the air pump is turned off, air moves from the air bladder to the air pump so that the air bladder automatically deflates when the air pump is turned off.

14. A mattress lifter as in claim 13, wherein the height-limiting material is straps welded to seams of the mattress lifter or to other locations within the mattress lifter.

15. A mattress lifter as in claim 13, wherein the height-limiting material is strips welded to seams of the mattress lifter or to other locations within the mattress lifter.

16. A mattress lifter as in claim 13 wherein the air pump is powered by a transformer suitable to convert an alternative current source to a direct current power source.

17. A mattress lifter as in claim 13 wherein maximum pressure provided by the air pump to the mattress lifter is selected so that air pressure supplied by the air pump is sufficient to inflate the mattress lifter, but not sufficient to cause a leak or other failure of the mattress lifter.

18. A mattress lifter as in claim 13 wherein the connection hose is flexible and non-collapsing allowing unhindered airflow between the air pump and the mattress lifter.

19. A mattress lifter as in claim 13 additionally comprising: