US2045036A

US2045036A - Ventilated body support

Info

Publication number: US2045036A
Application number: US726419A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Charles Edward Lenz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-05-18
Filing date: 1934-05-18
Publication date: 1936-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1953-06-23

Description

June 23, 1936. E. LENZ, JR 2,045,036

VENTILATED BODY SUPPORT Filed May 18, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheetwl.

I L M a LV June 23, 1936. Y

C. E. LENZ', .JR

vENTLATED BODY SUPPORT 3 Sheetsmshearl 2 Filed May 18, 1954 Jme 23, 1936. Q E, LENZ,JR 2,045,036

VENT ILATED BODY SUPPORT Patented June 23, 1936 UNI D STATE PATENT OFFICE 8, Claims.`

'IihisLi-nvention relates to new' and usefull improvementsirr. ventilated body supports, such as mattresses# and cushions ofthe inner spring type.

Among the several. objects of' my invention are to provide means contained; within themattress or other' body support for effecting a proper ventilation thereof' upon. downward pressure exacted: against: the mattress followed" by a release of such pressure;` toi provide a Ventilating arrangement fon al mattressl wherein one-or more bellbwsare'llocated' within the mattress and functioir toi drawy iinto the bellows a volume of screened' on! release of' pressure from the matttcess and to, discharge said air from the bellows intoftheinterior or the mattress upon pressure being exerted thereon; toA provide one or more bellows: which. can be readily mounted between the springsot the mattress without reducing the number or the springs. or Withoutv changing the usual arrangement thereof, and to provide such aV devicewh-i'clr is Vsimple in construction, positive in operation, and cheap: tol manufacture;

thesefa'ndl` other objects in View which will more fully* appear, the nature of the invention wilt be more clearly understood byr following the descriptiom the appended claims, and the sevf eral' views illustrated inthe accompanyingL drawings. l Inl the drawings;- V j Figure 1i isa plan viewfof a mattressconstructedilih vacc-:ord'ance withI my invention, a portion 'o'f the# covering being brokenl away tobetterY disclose my` invention; A V

Figurer 2) is a vertical Vlorig'itudinal sectional viewtaken ona the line 2"--2- of` Figure 1,

,Figure 3 isa vertical' cross'sectional view taken bn the ime-r 3-3 gfrisure ,1, Y

, Figure 4f isa plan View ofone of the bellows,

Figure is a plan View of a mattress showing a af modi'iied arrangement of the bellows, Y

Vligure 6L is' a similar View but showing a further modiication, i

' Fig-ure "lf a plan viewof a stillfurther modiftcation ofe a bellows;

'f Figure- 8f is an enlarged sectional view showing the airinl'etconstruction for the bellows,

` ,FigureV 9" is a detailed sectional view showing the* air/outlet construction for the bellows,

Figureis: an enlarged detail view showing the' bellows' being connected tothe top and bottom or a Spring',

Figure 1l is a plan view of a wire screen used in connection with the air inlet valve, and

Figure 1l2=`is a plan view showing a fabric screen associated with the air inlet valve.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my invention includes an inner coil body support A such as a mattress or cushion, which comprises the usual rectangular wire frame 5 which supports a plurality of coil springs 6 in the usual manner, said springs being arranged in the usual longitudinal and transverse rows. This spring unit is completely enclosed by a cover BL which comprises an intermediate layer Toi felt, hair, 0r sisal, or the like, and inner and outer layers 8 and lia of canvas or the like. Y p

By reference to Figures 1 to 4 particularly, I have positioned one or more bellows C between certain longitudinal rows of springs 6. As shown in Figures 1, 2` andi 3, there are three of these bellows, one being centrallyv disposed with respect to the frame and the other two bei-ng located adjacent the sides of the frame.V Each bellows is formed of a fabric which is impervious to the passage of air, 'Ihe bellows is relatively narrow and'extends substantially throughout `the length, of the frame A and has a depth substan'f tially equal to the height of the spring 6. At-V tached to the bellows is an` air inletV tube-,9 which communicates with the interior of the bellows and with the atmosphere ata point exteriorly of the mattress. Mounted in the tube 9 is an air inlet valve Ill of the spring ball type which permits air to, enter the bellows but prevents air from discharging therethrough. A tube 30 Il extends through the cover B and is secured thereto by any suitable means. The aini'nlet tube B projects outwardly into the tube ll.V The tube lll projects exteriorly of the cover B and is provided with a threaded end` for receiving a cap l2 having anair'inlet opening |53 and afresultant. inwardly extending flange IA.. A wire screen I5 and a fabric screen lli are placed against each' other and are located between the air opening l-3.A and the outer end of the tube lll, said screens I5V and` I-B being removably clamped in position between4 the flange` |4- and a; ring gasket I'lwhich bears against the outer end of the tube Il. Each bellows C is provided with one or moreA airoutlet` tubes I8 in which is mounted an air valve |19' of the spring. ball type Vwhereby air may bef forced outwardly from the bellows.- but will' be prevented from entering the same. Each bellows C is secured atits top; and bottom to the top andi bottomY portions` of the adjacent springs by tacking 2llfA andi 212 respectively or byany other suitable` means. Thus: when a spring is compressed the bellows will be correspondingly compressed! and when pressure islreiii' leased from the spring the bellows will return to its normal position.

From the foregoing it will be observed that whenever a person exerts a downward force against the mattress the springs 6 will be compressed as well as the adjacent bellows and as a result air which has been previously drawn into the bellows through the air valve I0 will be discharged from the bellows into the mattress through the air outlet valve I8, and when said pressure is released from the mattress the spring 6 and the bellows C will return to their normal positions thereby drawing into the bellows a new supply of screened air through the air inlet valve I0.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a modified arrangement of the bellows. In this form I have disclosed three bellows which are arranged between adjacent transverse rows of springs, one of the bellows being centrally located while the other two are located adjacent the ends of the mattress.

In Figure 6 I have disclosed a further modiiication of the bellows wherein a single bellows D is provided. This bellows is H-shaped in plan view and includes two

sections

22, 22 which extend longitudinally of the mattress and a transverse connecting portion 23 which is integral with the

sections

22, 22.

In Figure 7 I have disclosed a still further modification of a bellows. In this form the bellowsl comprises three

longitudinal sections

24, 25 and 26 which are integrally connected at their ends to

transverse sections

21, 28.

`It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Y

I claim:

1. In a ventilated spring body support, the combination with a frame having a plurality of coil springs, of a fabric cover enclosing the same, a bellows mounted'within the cover, said bellows being provided with a valved inlet for receiving air from the exterior of the cover upon expansion of the bellows and with an independent valved outlet for directing the air from the bellows into the interior of the support upon collapsing of the bellows, and means to cause the bellows to be collapsed and expanded concomitantly with the compression and expansion of said springs.

2. In a ventilated spring body support, the combination with a frame having a plurality of coil springs arranged in parallel rows, of a fabric cover enclosing the same, a bellows mounted within the cover and between a pair of rows of said springs, said bellows being provided with a valved inlet for receiving air from the exterior of the cover upon expansion of the bellows and with a valved outlet for directing the air from the bellows into the interior of the support upon collapsing of the bellows, and means to cause the bellows to be collapsed and expanded concomitantly with the compression and expansion of said springs.

3. In a ventilated spring body support, the combination with a frame having a plurality of coil springs arranged in transverse and longitudinal rows, of a fabric cover enclosing the same, a plurality `of` bellowsmounted within the cover and between certain of said rows of springs, each of said bellows being provided with a valved inlet for receiving air from the exterior of the cover upon expansion of the bellows and with a valved outlet for directing the air from the bellows into the interior of the support upon collapsing of the bellows, and means to cause the bellows to be collapsed and expanded concomitantly with the compression and expansion of said springs.

4. In a ventilated spring body support, the combination with a frame having a plurality of coil springs arranged in transverse and longitudinal rows, of a fabric cover enclosing the same, a plurality of bellows mounted within the cover and between certain of said rows of springs, each of said bellows being provided with a valved inlet for receiving air from the exterior of the cover upon expansion of the bellows and with a valved outlet for directing the air from the bellows into the interior of the support upon collapsing of the bellows, at least one of the bellows being located between a pair of longitudinal rows of springs and extending substantially throughout the length of the support, and at least another of the bellows being located between a pair of transverse rows of springs and extending substantially throughout the width of the support, and means to cause the bellows to be collapsed and expanded concomitantly with the compression and expansion of said springs.

' 5. In a ventilated spring body support, the combination with a frame having a plurality of coil springs, of a fabric cover enclosing the same, and a bellows mounted within the cover, said bellows being formed of fabric impervious to the passage of air and provided with a valved inlet for receiving air from the exterior of the cover upon release of pressure from the bellows and with a' valved outlet for directing the air from the bellows into the interior of the support upon 3 pressure exerted on the bellows, said bellows being anchored to the tops and bottoms of certain of said springs and so proportioned relatively to said spring as to be positively expanded and collapsed by movement of said springs.

v6. In a ventilated spring body support, the combination with a frame having a plurality of coil springs arranged in parallel rows, of a fabric cover enclosing the same, a bellows member positioned within the cover and extending longitudinally between rows of said springs, said bellows being provided with a valved inlet for receiving air from the exterior of the cover upon release of pressure from the bellows and with a valved outlet for directing the air from the bellows into the interior of the support when pressure is exerted on the bellows, and means other than natural resistance of the bellows to deforma- Ytion to positively cause the bellows to expand and collapse as said springs extend or are compressed by release or application of body pressure.

7. In a ventilated spring body support, the combination with a frame having a plurality of coil springs arranged in parallel rows, of a fabric cover enclosing the same, a bellows member posii tioned within the cover and extending longitudinally between rows of said springs, said bellows being provided with a valved inlet for receiving air from the exterior of the cover upon release of pressure`from the bellows and with a valved outlet for directing the air from the bellows into the interior of the support when pressure is exerted on the bellows, and means to anchor portions of the bellows to portions of said springs, vsaid bellows being so proportioned relatively to said springs that the anchoring of portions of the bellowswill cause it to expand and collapse as said springs extend or are compressed by release or application vof body pressure.

8. In a ventilated body support comprising a hollow collapsible padded body, means within the body to yieldably retain the shape of the body, a bellows within the hollow of the body and having back-cheek valve communication between the bellows interior and the exterior of the padded body and like independent communication between the interior of the bellows and the interior of the padded body, and means to cause the bellows to collapse and expand concomitantly with the compression and expansion of the padded body whereby to draw air into the bellows and to thereafter forcibly expel it into the interior of the padded body for ultimate egress only through the walls of the padded body.

CHARLES EDWARD LENZ, JR.