FLOATING LOUNGE

Abstract

A floating lounge having a substantially planar body portion has a middle area and an end area on each side of the middle area. A plurality of apertures located in the middle area extend through the body portion substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body portion. Additional apertures smaller than those in the middle area of the body portion may be arrayed in the outer areas of the lounge. When a user reclines on the lounge, the weight of the user, being greatest in the area of the hips, in combination with the apertures cause the middle area to sink into the water while the outer areas of the lounge are more buoyant.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to recreational flotation devices, and particularly to floating mattresses or lounges. Floating mattress or lounges are among the most popular beach, ocean, lake, and pool recreational devices. They are often comprised of a relatively planar inflatable bladder that may have a raised portion, or pillow, at one end.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the instant invention, an inflatable mattress or lounge is constructed of a substantially planar, inflatable bladder that has an array of apertures or holes vertically therethrough, the apertures being relatively larger in the middle of the mattress or lounge and smaller toward the head and foot. When the mattress or lounge is on water and a user lies on the mattress or lounge, the weight of the user's body will deform or depress the middle area more than the head or foot portions, and the user will consequently recline in an ergonomically comfortable position, cooled by contact with the water.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component illustrated is typically represented by a single numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. In the figures:

FIG. 1 depicts a floating lounge according to one aspect of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the floating lunge of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the floating lounge of FIG. 1, as seen from the left end thereof.

FIG. 4 illustrates the location of the apertures extending through the body of the floating lounge of FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 illustrates in a side view the shape taken by the floating lounge when a user is reclining thereon.

FIG. 6 illustrates the shape taken by the floating lounge when a user is reclining thereon, as seen from the left end of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 provides possible dimensions for the floating lounge in one aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts one aspect of the invention, in which a lounge 10 includes a body portion 12 and a headrest or cushion 14. An array of holes or apertures 16A, 16B, and 16C are formed in and through body portion 12. The largest apertures 16A are located in the middle area 18 of body portion 12, the next largest apertures 116B are on each side of the array of apertures 16A, and the smallest apertures are closest to the ends of the body portion 12. The body portion 12 is here depicted as substantially rectangular, but other shapes for body portion 12 may be utilized: for example a circular or oval body with an array of apertures similarly arranged.

FIGS. 2 and 3 depict headrest or cushion 14 attached to body portion 12 by, for example, electron beam welding, but in this aspect of the invention headrest 14 is not in fluid communication with the portion 12. Inflation valves 20 and 22 allow inflation of body portion 12 and headrest 14, respectively. The body portion 12 of lounge 10 is preferably constructed from two sheets of PVC, with the top sheet welded to the bottom sheet so as to form holes or apertures 16A, 16B, and 16 C that extend vertically through the body portion 12.

FIG. 4 illustrates in dashed lines the location of the apertures 16A, 16B, and 16C extending through the body of the floating lounge of FIGS. 1-3.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the inflated lounge is placed on water and the user reclines on the lounge with his or her head on headrest 14, the weight of the user, being greatest in the area of the hips, in combination with the larger holes or apertures 16A, will cause the middle area 18 of body portion 12 to sink into the water to a greater depth than the remaining areas of body portion 12, which are more buoyant. In other words, the larger holes 16A allow the user's body weight to distort the shape of the lounge to conform with the contour of the user's body. Headrest 14 keeps the head in a more ergonomic and relaxing position while the immersion of a part of the user's body provides a welcome cooling effect.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, a view of the lounge from the foot end, a similar distortion of the shape of the lounge or mattress will occur from side-to-side, since the weight of the typical user will be focused more in the middle area of the lounge than at the right or left sides thereof.

In one aspect of the invention, the lounge or mattress may be dimensioned as shown in FIG. 7. For the formation of the holes or apertures, 5 mm electron beam welding is recommended.

It will be recognized that other configurations for the apertures may be utilized. For example, there could be more apertures of different sizes as long as the apertures in the middle area of the floating lounge are relatively larger than those away from the center, so that there is there is less buoyancy in the middle area of the lounge, and therefore the weight of the user will cause the middle area to sag lower than the outer portions of the lounge. For example, none of the apertures may be of the same size, as long as the buoyancy of the lounge in the middle area is less than that at the outer areas of the lounge.

From the description of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, various alternations, modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A floating lounge comprising: a buoyant, substantially planar body portion having a middle area and an outer area on each side of the middle area;a plurality of apertures located in said middle area and said outer areas and extending through said body portion substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body portion, the apertures being larger in the middle area of the body portion than in the outer areas.

2. The floating lounge of claim 1 in which the width of the apertures decrease, the farther the apertures are from the middle portion.

3. The floating lounge of claim 2 further comprising an inflatable headrest attached to the body portion.

4. A floating lounge comprising an elongated, substantially rectangular planar body portion having a plurality of apertures therethrough, the apertures being larger in the middle area of the body than in the outer areas of the body portion along the longer dimensions of the rectangle.

5. A floating lounge comprising an elongated, substantially rectangular planar body portion having a plurality of apertures therethrough in the middle area of the body portion along the longer dimensions of the rectangle so that the middle area has less buoyance that the other areas of the lounge.