AIR MATTRESS SYSTEMS WITH ADJUSTABLE INCLINATION

Abstract

Air mattress systems and assemblies allowing adjustment between different portions to achieve a generally level sleeping surface. An air mattress may have a base chamber that, when inflated, has generally planar upper and lower boundaries. A lower angled chamber disposed above the base chamber may be formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the mattress and has an angled upper boundary. An upper angled chamber may be disposed above the lower angled chamber and formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the mattress and having a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber and a generally planar upper boundary. The upper and lower angled chambers may be variably inflated to result in a generally level planar upper surface, where the base chamber is in contact with a sloped surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to apparatus, systems and methods for air mattresses for camping with features for adjusting to inclined or sloped sites.

BACKGROUND

Typical air mattresses have either have one single, or a few parallel, inflation chambers which form a generally rectangular block shaped when inflated. While useful in providing a padded sleeping platform, such mattresses generally follow the slope of the surface on which they are placed. Since most campsites do not have a generally level surface, but include at least a slight slope, a user is often forced to sleep at least partially on a sloped platform. An air mattress that includes cooperating features that can be used to provide a level sleeping surface at a sloped campsite would be an improvement in the art.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure includes air mattress systems and assemblies allowing adjustment between different portions to achieve a generally level sleeping surface. In a first illustrative embodiment, an air mattress in accordance with the present disclosure may have three inflation chambers. A base or floor contacting support chamber that, when inflated has generally planar upper and lower boundaries defining a generally rectangular block. A lower angled chamber may be disposed above the base chamber. When inflated, the lower angled chamber may be formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the mattress and having a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary of the base chamber and an angled upper boundary beginning near the upper boundary of the base chamber at a first end and disposed atop a side wall extending to first distance above the upper boundary of the base chamber at a second end.

An upper angled chamber may be disposed above the lower angled chamber. When inflated, the upper angled chamber may be formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the mattress and having a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber and a generally planar upper boundary defining the upper sleeping surface.

In some embodiments, a strapping system, internal folding walls or other support and reinforcement members may be used to provide sufficient support to prevent undesirable side to side movement during use.

For use, the upper and lower angled chambers may be variably inflated to result in a generally level planar upper surface, where the base chamber is in contact with a sloped surface. A level may be formed on the mattress to allow a user to examine and adjust the inflation to achieve the desired level sleeping platform.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various drawings are for illustrative purposes only. The nature of the present disclosure, as well as other embodiments of the present invention, may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, to the appended claims, and to the several drawings.

FIG. 1 is perspective top view of a first illustrative embodiment of an inflated air mattress system in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, and 6 are top, side, first end, second end, longitudinal sectional, and latitudinal sectional views, respectively, of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a strapping system for reinforcing an air mattress in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a cutaway side perspective view a second illustrative embodiment in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to apparatus, systems and methods for air mattress systems and assemblies allowing adjustment between different portions to achieve a generally level sleeping surface. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments herein described, while illustrative, are not intended to so limit the disclosure or the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will also understand that various combinations or modifications of the embodiments presented herein can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. All such alternate embodiments are within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, a first illustrative embodiment of an air mattress system 10 in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. As depicted, air mattress 10 may have three vertically stacked inflation chambers. Upon inflation, the mattress 10 may be formed as a generally rectangularly shaped block extending from a first end 12 to a second end 14, with two opposite parallel sides.

A base or floor contacting support chamber 100, may be disposed at a lower end of the mattress 10, and when inflated may form a generally rectangular block defined by a generally planar upper boundary 104 and a generally planar lower boundary 102. It will be appreciated that a sidewall or end wall of the mattress 10 may be formed by a continuous piece of material that also forms a portion of the lower boundary 102, such that the transition between a horizontal and vertical portion of the material defines a rounded corner. It will be further appreciated that any transition may be defined by a seam or other joining of material.

A lower angled chamber 200 may be disposed above the base chamber 100. When inflated, the lower angled chamber 200 may be formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the mattress 10 and having a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary 104 of the base chamber and an angled upper boundary 204 beginning near the upper boundary 104 of the base chamber at a first end of the mattress. In the depicted, embodiment, this is at second end 14. At the opposite end (first end 12) the upper boundary 204 of lower angled chamber 200 is disposed a distance away from the upper boundary 104 of the base chamber 100. In the depicted embodiment, a lower angled chamber sidewall 207 may be formed as a piece of material defining an end wall 201 portion of the chamber 200 with a generally rectangular shape at first end 12, with opposite sidewall portions 203 formed in a generally triangular shape. In one illustrative embodiment, where the length of the mattress 10 may be about 86 inches, with a width of about 63 inches, the end wall 201 may have a height of about 6 inches above the upper boundary of the base chamber. In such an embodiment, the slope of the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber at full inflation would thus be about 6/86 or about 0.07. It will be appreciated that embodiments having other slopes may be utilized. Embodiments where the slope is from about 0.05 to about 0.09 are may be especially useful and embodiments where the slope is from about 0.06 to about 0.08 are currently preferred.

An upper angled chamber 300 may be disposed above the lower angled chamber 200. When inflated, the upper angled chamber may be formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the mattress and having a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber and a generally planar upper boundary defining the upper sleeping surface.

When inflated, the upper angled chamber 300 may be formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the mattress 10 and having a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary 204 of the lower angled chamber 200 and a generally planar upper boundary 304 defining the upper sleeping surface. In the depicted embodiment, the upper boundary 304 is disposed a first distance away from the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber at second end 14. At the opposite end (first end 12) the upper boundary 304 of upper angled chamber 300 is disposed a second distance away from upper boundary 204, which is less than the first distance. At either end, the upper angled chamber sidewall may be formed as a piece of material defining an end wall portion of the chamber with a generally rectangular shape at first end and two opposite tapered sidewall portions. In one illustrative embodiment, where the length of the mattress 10 may be about 86 inches, with a width of about 63 inches, the first distance may be a height of about 6 inches.

Valves 120, 220, and 320 may be respectively disposed in each of the chambers 100, 200, and 300 to allow for inflation of mattress 10. As depicted, the valves may all be disposed at one end, such as first end 12 of the mattress. Each valve may be formed as known in the art as suitable for an inflatable mattress, such as one-way valves that threadably screw into a port formed in the mattress sidewall. When disposed in the port, the valve seals the port and allows inflation through the one-way valve. The chamber may then be deflated by removing the valve from the port.

It will be appreciated that, as depicted in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, a surrounding rim 306 may be disposed at the upper end around sleeping platform surface 304. The use of a rim may help maintain bedding in the desired position. The upper surface may be textured or have a flocked surface for comfort.

For use, the upper angled chamber 300 and lower angled chamber 200 may be variably inflated to result in a generally level planar upper surface 304, where the base chamber is in contact with a sloped surface. A level 1100, such as a bubble level may be formed on the mattress to allow a user to examine and adjust the inflation to achieve the desired level sleeping platform.

In some embodiments, a strapping system, internal folding walls or other support and reinforcement members may be used to provide sufficient support to prevent undesirable side to side movement during use. As depicted in FIG. 7, this may be accomplished by placing suitable strapping adhered to upper and lower boundaries as a strip 700 with attached portions 702 and connection portions 703 formed as a detached portion of the strip 700. The attached portions 702 may correspond to tufted seams 352. Loops 704 of strapping may be disposed at the connection portions and extend from the lower boundary to the upper boundary. The strapping may be formed from a suitable flexible or elastic material to facilitate inflation, deflation and storage.

As depicted in FIG. 8, instead of strapping, baffling, such as baffle walls 800 may be formed in each chamber to provide the desired reinforcing connection between the upper and lower boundaries of each chamber. Similarly, as depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the baffle walls may be formed as a series of columns or pillars 502. It will be appreciated that where present, the baffle structures may be formed of the same material as the chamber walls. Suitable materials include those known in the art as useful for inflatable mattresses may be used.

It will be appreciated that in addition to being used to maintain a level upper surface, systems and mattresses in accordance with the present disclosure may be used to obtain an upper surface with another desired slope. For example, the level, where present, may be used to obtain a measured slope to provide an angled sleeping surface on level surface or on a surface with an undesired angle. In some such embodiments, the level may be mounted at an angle to the upper surface, such that it will show a “level” reading when the desired angle is obtained. Individuals with conditions such as sleep apnea, acid reflux, other medical conditions, or who require post treatment sleep positioning may use systems in accordance with the present disclosure to obtain the required angled sleeping surface. This may allow such individuals to be able to go camping or travel. It will be appreciated that these may be used in recreational settings or in a home or hospital setting.

While this disclosure has been described using certain embodiments, the present disclosure can be further modified while keeping within its spirit and scope. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practices in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air mattress allowing adjustable inflation to achieve a generally level sleeping surface on sloped ground, comprising: a base chamber, the base chamber having a generally planar upper boundary and a generally planar lower boundary to define a generally rectangular block when inflated;a lower angled chamber disposed above the base chamber, the lower angled chamber formed as a generally elongated wedge extending along a majority of a length of a long axis of the mattress and having a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary of the base chamber and an angled upper boundary beginning near the upper boundary of the base chamber nearer a first end of the mattress and disposed atop a side wall extending to a first distance above the upper boundary of the base chamber at a second end of the mattress when inflated; andan upper angled chamber disposed above the lower angled chamber, the upper angled chamber formed as a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the long axis of the mattress and having a lower boundary defined at least in part by the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber and a generally planar upper boundary defining the upper sleeping surface when inflated.

2. The air mattress of claim 1, wherein a slope of the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber at full inflation is from about 0.05 to about 0.09.

3. The air mattress of claim 2, wherein a slope of the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber at full inflation is from about 0.06 to about 0.08.

4. The air mattress of claim 1, wherein the lower angled chamber is formed as a generally elongated wedge extending along the entire length of long axis the mattress.

5. The air mattress of claim 1, further comprising internal reinforcement disposed in at least one chamber.

6. The air mattress of claim 5, wherein the internal reinforcement is disposed in the lower angled chamber and comprises a flexible structure joined to at least two boundaries of the lower angled chamber.

7. The air mattress of claim 6, wherein the internal reinforcement comprises a series of internal folding walls or a series of columnar reinforcement members.

8. The air mattress of claim 6, wherein the internal reinforcement comprises a loop of flexible material flexible joined to the upper and lower boundaries of the lower angled chamber.

9. The air mattress of claim 1, wherein the lower angled chamber is separately inflatable through at least a first air flow valve.

10. The air mattress of claim 9, wherein the base chamber is separately inflatable through at least a second air flow valve and the and the upper angled chamber is separately inflatable through at least a third air flow valve.

11. The air mattress of claim 1, further comprising an encircling ridge surrounding the generally planar upper boundary defining the sleeping surface when inflated.

12. A method of providing a level sleeping surface with an air mattress, the method comprising: providing an air mattress comprising an inflatable base chamber, that when inflated has a generally planar upper boundary and a generally planar lower boundary that define a generally rectangular block,a lower angled chamber disposed above the base chamber, that when inflated defines a generally elongated wedge extending along a majority of a length of a long axis of the mattress and has a lower boundary defined by the upper boundary of the base chamber and an angled upper boundary beginning near the upper boundary of the base chamber nearer a first end of the mattress and disposed atop a side wall extending to a first distance above the upper boundary of the base chamber at a second end of the mattress,an upper angled chamber disposed above the lower angled chamber, that when inflated defines a generally elongated wedge extending the length of the long axis of the mattress and having a lower boundary defined at least in part by the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber and a generally planar upper boundary defining the upper sleeping surface;placing the air mattress on a surface for use;inflating the base chamber;inflating the upper angled chamber; andselectively inflating the lower angled chamber to place the upper sleeping surface in a generally level position.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein selectively inflating the lower angled chamber to place the upper sleeping surface in a generally level position comprises fully inflating the lower angled chamber.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein selectively inflating the lower angled chamber to place the upper sleeping surface in a generally level position comprises leaving the lower angled chamber uninflated.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising selectively inflating the upper angled chamber to place the upper sleeping surface in a generally level position.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein placing the air mattress on a surface for use comprises placing the base chamber in contact with a sloped ground surface.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein providing an air mattress comprises providing an air mattress where a slope of the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber at full inflation is from about 0.05 to about 0.09.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein providing an air mattress comprises providing an air mattress where a slope of the upper boundary of the lower angled chamber at full inflation is from about 0.06 to about 0.08.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein providing an air mattress comprises providing an air mattress where the lower angled chamber is formed as a generally elongated wedge extending along the entire length of long axis the mattress.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising using a level disposed on the mattress to examine and adjust the inflation to achieve the desired level sleeping platform.