INFLATABLE PRODUCT

Abstract

An inflatable product includes an inflatable body and a supplemental sheet. The supplemental sheet is connected to the inflatable body to form a space. When the inflatable body is inflated, the inflatable body is expanded due to increased air pressure therein and the space becomes reduced in size. Accordingly, when a portion of a sheet or a cover is put in the space and the inflatable body is inflated to reduce the space in size, the portion of the sheet or the cover is held by the supplemental sheet and the inflatable body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an inflatable product, and more particularly to an air mattress or inflatable pad which can hold a bed sheet or a fabric cover in place when the bed sheet or the fabric cover is laid on the air mattress or the inflatable pad.

Description of the Related Art

Air mattresses are a great solution when a user needs to offer guests a bed for the weekend or if the user's own bed is temporarily unavailable. When an air mattress is used, it is preferable that a bed sheet is laid on the air mattress to improve user's comfort.

However, people sleeping on air mattresses may toss and turn. An air mattress is generally made of plastic (for example Polyvinyl Chloride, PVC) and fails to provide sufficient frictions to keep the bed sheet in place.

Similarly, an inflatable pad, generally made of plastic, fails to provide sufficient frictions to keep a fabric cover in place when the fabric cover is laid on the inflatable pad to improve user's comfort.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an inflatable product (e.g. an air mattress, an inflatable pad or the like) to address the described problem. The air mattress in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes an inflatable body and a supplemental sheet. The supplemental sheet is connected to the inflatable body to form a space. The inflatable body is expanded due to increased air pressure therein and the space becomes reduced in size when the inflatable body is inflated. When a portion of a sheet or a cover is put in the space and the inflatable body is inflated to reduce the space in size, the portion of the sheet or the cover is held by the supplemental sheet and the inflatable body.

In another exemplary embodiment, the inflatable body includes a hole communicating with the space so that the portion of the sheet or the cover can be put in the space through the hole.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the inflatable product further includes a frame element which is fixed to the inflatable body, wherein the hole is defined by the frame element.

In another exemplary embodiment, the frame element includes a protrusion extending into the space.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the protrusion is a hook.

In another exemplary embodiment, the frame element is disposed outside the inflatable body and defines a groove.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the inflatable body is substantially rectangular, and the frame element is fixed to at least one corner of the inflatable body.

In another exemplary embodiment, the supplemental sheet is disposed in the inflatable body.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the supplemental sheet is disposed outside the inflatable body.

In another exemplary embodiment, the inflatable product is an air mattress, a seat cushion, a recliner, or a floating mattress.

The invention also provides a method of connecting a sheet or a cover to an inflatable product which includes an inflatable body and a supplemental sheet connected to the inflatable body. The method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes the steps of putting a portion of the sheet or a cover in a space formed by the inflatable body and the supplemental sheet; and inflating the inflatable body so that the inflatable body is expanded due to increased air pressure therein and the space is reduced in size, thereby holding the portion of the sheet or the cover by the supplemental sheet and the inflatable body.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the inflatable body includes a hole communicating with the space so that the portion of the sheet or the cover can be put in the space through the hole.

In another exemplary embodiment, the method further includes hooking a looped strip of the sheet or the cover to a frame element of the inflatable product.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the inflatable product is an air mattress, a seat cushion, a recliner, or a floating mattress.

In another exemplary embodiment, the sheet is a bed sheet.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the cover is a fabric cover.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air mattress in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a corner of the inflatable body of the air mattress of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a frame element of the air mattress in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, showing the front side of the frame element.

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of a frame element of the air mattress in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, showing the back side of the frame element.

FIG. 5 depicts that a looped strip of a bed sheet is passed through the frame element of FIG. 4 to be hooked.

FIG. 6 depicts that a corner portion of a bed sheet is put into an internal space of the air mattress through the frame element of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a corner of an inflatable body of an air mattress in accordance with a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a corner of an inflatable body of an air mattress in accordance with a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 depicts that a looped strip of a bed sheet is disposed around the frame element and a part of the looped strip is in the grooves of FIG. 8 to be hooked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air mattress in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, wherein the air mattress 2 includes an inflatable body 21. The inflatable body 21 is substantially rectangular and therefore has four corners. The air mattress 2 further includes four frame elements 23 attached to the four corners of the inflatable body 21.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a corner of the inflatable body of FIG. 1, wherein the frame element 23 in the first embodiment is a plastic element to be fused with the inflatable body 21. In FIG. 2, dots indicate where the fusion is. The air mattress 2 further includes a supplemental sheet 22 disposed in the inflatable body 21 at each corner. The supplemental sheet 22 is fused with the inflatable body 21 to form a space 25.

The frame element 23 defines a hole 24 that communicates with the space 25. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, FIG. 3 depicts the front side of the frame element 23, and FIG. 4 depicts the back side of the frame element 23. As sown, the frame element 23 has at least one protrusion 231 extending inward into the space 25. The protrusion 231 is a slide preventing device. In the first embodiment, the protrusion 231 is a hook.

As described, a bed sheet can be laid on the air mattress to improve user's comfort. In operation, a looped strip 31 disposed at a corner portion of a bed sheet 3 is passed through the hole 24 and hooked by the protrusion(s) 231 as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the corner portion of the bed sheet 3 is put into the space 25 through the hole 24 as shown in FIG. 6. During inflation, the inflatable body 21 is expanded due to increased air pressure therein and the space 25 becomes reduced in sized, so that the corner portion of a bed sheet is tightly held by the supplemental sheet 22 and the inflatable body 21. Also, the protrusion 231 is propped against the bed sheet 3 to strengthen the connection between the bed sheet 3 and the air mattress 2. By such operation at four corners of the air mattress 2, the bed sheet 3 can be well connected to the inflatable body 21 of the air mattress 2 by holding.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a corner of an inflatable body in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, wherein the parts same as those of the first embodiment are labeled with the same symbols. In the second embodiment, the supplemental sheet 22 is disposed outside the inflatable body 21. Specifically, the supplement sheet 22 is externally connected to the inflatable body 21 to form a space 25. During inflation, the inflatable body 21 is expanded due to increased air pressure therein and the space 25 is reduced in size so that the corner portion of a bed sheet is tightly held by the supplemental sheet and the inflatable body.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a corner of an inflatable body in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, wherein the parts same as those of the first embodiment are labeled with the same symbols and the descriptions thereof are omitted. In the third embodiment, the supplemental sheet 22 is disposed in the inflatable body 21 and the frame element 23′ is disposed outside the inflatable body 21. The frame element 23′ defines two grooves 232′ at both sides. As shown in FIG. 9, the grooves 232′ are configured to contain part of the looped strip 31 of the bed sheet 3 when the bed sheet 3 is connected to the air mattress by holding.

In the above embodiments, an air mattress having supplemental sheets to hold a bed sheet in place is introduced. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The invention is applicable to other inflatable products (e.g. an inflatable seat cushion, an inflatable recliner, a floating mattress or the like) that have supplemental sheets described above to hold a cover (e.g. a fabric cover) in place.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. An inflatable product, comprising: an inflatable body;a supplemental sheet connected to the inflatable body to form a space;wherein the inflatable body is expanded due to increased air pressure therein and the space becomes reduced in size when the inflatable body is inflated;wherein, when a portion of a sheet or a cover is put in the space and the inflatable body is inflated to reduce the space in size, the portion of the sheet or the cover is held by the supplemental sheet and the inflatable body.

2. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inflatable body comprises a hole communicating with the space so that the portion of the sheet or the cover can be put in the space through the hole.

3. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a frame element which is fixed to the inflatable body, wherein the hole is defined by the frame element.

4. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frame element comprises a protrusion extending into the space.

5. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 4, wherein the protrusion is a hook.

6. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frame element is disposed outside the inflatable body and defines a groove.

7. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inflatable body is substantially rectangular, and the frame element is fixed to at least one corner of the inflatable body.

8. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supplemental sheet is disposed in the inflatable body.

9. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supplemental sheet is disposed outside the inflatable body.

10. The inflatable product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inflatable product is an air mattress, a seat cushion, a recliner, or a floating mattress.

11. A method of connecting a sheet or a cover to an inflatable product which comprises an inflatable body and a supplemental sheet connected to the inflatable body, the method comprising: putting a portion of the sheet or a cover in a space formed by the inflatable body and the supplemental sheet;inflating the inflatable body so that the inflatable body is expanded due to increased air pressure therein and the space is reduced in size, thereby holding the portion of the sheet or the cover by the supplemental sheet and the inflatable body.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inflatable body comprises a hole communicating with the space so that the portion of the sheet or the cover can be put in the space through the hole.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising hooking a looped strip of the sheet or the cover to a frame element of the inflatable product.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inflatable product is an air mattress, a seat cushion, a recliner, or a floating mattress.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sheet is a bed sheet.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cover is a fabric cover.