Air mattress

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6611981
  • Patent Number
    6,611,981
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, September 18, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 2, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
An improved air mattress includes an inflation air pouch located on one side of the air mattress for pumping air into the air mattress. The inflation air pouch is made from an air impermeable upper layer and an air impermeable lower layer bonded together on the periphery by high frequency fusion. There is a sponge layer located inside the inflation air pouch. A one way first check valve is located between the upper layer and the sponge layer. An one way second check valve is located on one side of the inflation air pouch. The second check valve has another end located in the air mattress. When to inflate the air mattress, an user compresses the inflation air pouch with hands on the first check valve. Air in the inflation air pouch is squeezed and flows towards the second check valve and through the air passage to enter the air mattress for inflation. By contrast, when user's hands release from the first check valve. External air flows into the inflation air pouch through the first check valve via the unfused portions. Thus air intake and pumping effect may be accomplished.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The invention relates to an improved air mattress and particularly an inflatable air mattress or air bag equipped with an inflation air pouch for pumping air.




2. Description of the Prior Art




Air inflation articles such as air mattresses and air bags generally have a sizable volume when inflated. In order to facilitate carrying, especially the air mattresses or air bags for mountaineers, they usually are deflated and folded, and are inflated on the destinations such as at the camping sites or on the maintains. As the camping sites or maintains usually do not have air pumping equipment, the air mattresses generally have automatic an inflation design (with a sponge layer located in the air mattress for sucking air to inflate). Such a design usually can only inflate the air mattress to a limited degree. I.e. inflation stops when the pressure inside the air mattress equals to the atmospheric pressure. Because the ground surface on the camping sites or mountains are not always flat, the air mattress without sufficient stiffness (inflated air) does not provide comfortable cushion for people when laid on the uneven ground surface. Users generally have to inject more air into the air mattress by blowing air with mouths. It creates not only hygienic concern, the task of inflating the air mattress with mouth is also difficult and cumbersome.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In view of the aforesaid disadvantages, the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved air mattress that equips with an inflation air pouch to enable users to inflate the air mattress easily.











The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the invention.





FIG. 2

is a fragmentary perspective of the invention.





FIG. 3

is an exploded view of the invention.





FIG. 4

is a sectional view of the invention during pumping air.





FIG. 5

is a cross section of the first check valve during pumping air.





FIG. 6

is a sectional view of the invention when not pumping air.





FIG. 7

is a cross section of the first check valve when not pumping air.





FIG. 8

is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 9

is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 10

is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Referring to

FIGS. 1

,


2


and


3


, the invention mainly includes an air mattress A with an inflation air pouch


1


located on one side thereof. The inflation air pouch


1


is made from an air impermeable upper layer


11


and an impermeable lower layer


12


bonded together on the periphery by high frequency fusion. There is a sponge layer


13


located inside the inflation air pouch


1


. An one way first check valve


2


is located between the upper layer


11


and the sponge layer


13


. The first check valve


2


corresponds to an air inlet


111


formed on the upper layer


11


. In addition, the first check valve


2


is fixed on the upper layer


11


by fusing a plurality of anchor spots


21


on the periphery thereof to the inner side of the upper layer


11


. The rest unfused areas of the periphery form a plurality of air vents


22


. On another side of the inflation air pouch


1


, there is an one way second check valve


3


. The second check valve


3


has a body


31


with one end sealed in an aperture


321


of a bushing


32


and another end located in the air mattress A. The bushing


32


is fixedly mounted between the air mattress A and the inflation air pouch


1


by high frequency fusion. The body


31


has an air passage


311


and a housing chamber


312


. The housing chamber


312


contains an air valve set


33


which is sealed in the housing chamber


312


by means of a coupling element


313


. The air valve set


33


consists of a piston


331


, a pliable sealing pad


332


located in front of the piston and a spring


333


located on the rear end of the piston.




Referring to

FIGS. 4 and 5

, when to inflate the air mattress, an user compresses the inflation air pouch


1


with hands on the first check valve


2


. The first check valve


2


and the upper layer


11


are contacted and become, air tight (as shown in

FIG. 5

by broken lines). Air in the sponge


13


is squeezed, but cannot escape through the first check valve


2


, thus flows towards the second check valve


3


, and through the air passage


311


of the body


31


, enters into the air mattress A. Meanwhile, the internal pressure of the inflation air pouch


1


is greater than the air pressure in the air mattress A due to the compression, thus when air is flowing into the air mattress A, the piston


331


of the air valve set


33


in the body


31


will be pushed rearwards, and the air passage


311


is open and enables air in the inflation air pouch


1


to flow into the air mattress A to accomplish the inflation effect.




By contrast, referring to

FIGS. 6 and 7

, when user's hands release from the inflation air pouch


1


, the external force applied on the air passage


311


of the body


31


of the second check valve


3


resulting from the inflation air pouch


1


is absent. The internal pressure of the air mattress A is greater than the inflation air pouch


1


. The piston


331


is pulled back by the elastic force of the spring


333


, and the sealing pad


332


closes and seals the air passage


311


. Air cannot flow from the air mattress to the inflation air pouch


1


. In the mean time, the atmospheric pressure is greater than the internal pressure of the inflation air pouch


1


(due to air in the air pouch has been squeezed into the air mattress). Atmosphere air will flow through the air vents


22


into the inflation air pouch


1


until the sponge layer


13


pushes the first check valve


2


to contact the upper layer


11


to form a closed condition. Thus by pumping the inflation air pouch


1


repeatedly, the air mattress A may be inflated until reaching a desired degree.




When the air mattress A is not longer used, open the nozzle


4


on the air mattress


4


and squeeze the air mattress A, air contained in the air mattress A will be discharged out through the nozzle


4


.




Refer to

FIG. 8

for an embodiment of the invention. The inflation air pouch


1


is located at one side of an air mattress


5


which has a nozzle


4


.




Refer to

FIGS. 9 and 10

for another embodiment of the invention. The inflation air pouch


1


is separated from the air mattress A. The second check valve


3


has one end embedded on one side of the air mattress A and another end extended outside the air mattress A. The inflation air pouch


1


has a valve


14


located on one side to couple with the second check valve


3


for pumping air into the air mattress. The valve


14


is fixedly mounted onto the inflation air pouch


1


by means of an anchor element


15


. The valve


14


has a plug


141


. For pumping air, couple the valve


14


with the second check valve


3


and compress the inflation air pouch


1


. After inflation is done, remove the valve


14


. The second check valve


3


stops air in the air mattress A from escaping. Users may inflate the inflation air pouch


1


by blowing air into the inflation air pouch


1


through the valve


14


and insert the plug


141


in the valve


14


to seal the inflation air pouch


1


. As the first check valve


2


is closed, the air tight inflation air pouch


1


may be used as a pillow.




By means of the constructions set forth above, the invention effectively overcomes the disadvantages of conventional air mattresses that are bulky after inflation and difficult to carry.




While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. An improved air mattress, comprising:an air mattress; and an inflation air pouch located on one side of the air mattress, the inflation air pouch including an air impermeable upper layer, an air impermeable lower layer, a sponge layer located between the upper layer and the lower layer, an one way first check valve located between the upper layer and the sponge layer and an one way second check valve located on one side of the inflation air pouch, the first check valve being corresponded to an air inlet located on the upper layer and having a periphery bonded to the upper layer on a plurality of anchor spots by fusion to form a plurality of air vents on the unfused portions, the second check valve having a body which has one end sealed in an aperture of a bushing, an air passage and a housing chamber, the housing chamber containing an air valve set which is sealed in the housing chamber by means of a coupling element.
  • 2. The improved air mattress of claim 1, wherein the anchor spots for the first check valve are more than two.
  • 3. The improved air mattress of claim 1, wherein the air valve set includes a piston, a pliable sealing pad located on a front end of the piston and a spring located on a rear end of the piston.
  • 4. The improved air mattress of claim 1, wherein the bushing is located and sealed between the air mattress and the inflation air pouch by fusion.
  • 5. The improved air mattress of claim 1, wherein the inflation air pouch is separated from the air mattress, the second check valve having one end embedded on one side of the air mattress and another end extended outside the air mattress, the inflation air pouch having a valve located on one side to couple with the second check valve for pumping air into the air mattress, the valve being anchored on the inflation air pouch by means of an anchor element and having a plug.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Number Name Date Kind
388037 Hargin Aug 1888 A
3042941 Marcus Jul 1962 A
3068494 Pinkwater Dec 1962 A
3133696 Mirando May 1964 A
3583008 Edwards Jun 1971 A
4930174 Hunter Jun 1990 A
5632055 Graf May 1997 A
5711041 Chen Jan 1998 A
5746873 Graf May 1998 A
6151735 Koby et al. Nov 2000 A
6185770 Wang Feb 2001 B1
6219868 Wang Apr 2001 B1
6287095 Saputo et al. Sep 2001 B1