US20110252571A1

US20110252571A1 - Multiple air passages applied to air mattress

Info

Publication number: US20110252571A1
Application number: US12/760,944
Authority: US
Inventors: Tsung Hsi LIU
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-15
Filing date: 2010-04-15
Publication date: 2011-10-20

Abstract

A multiple air passages applied to air mattress includes a plurality of transverse bladders, in particular, the bladders are longitudinally compressed to define air passages, and cavities are formed between the air passages and some specific bladders for communicating the air passages with an interior of the aforementioned bladders. The air passages of the present invention can apply to an alternating air mattress or to one with multiple zones. By means of the air passages conducive to an air-crossing transmission and a designated distribution, the present invention preferably omits a complex distribution and attains a neat appearance, lower costs, and a mass production.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of an air transmission for used in air mattresses, in particular to one achieved via a manner without external-connected pipes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patients who have difficulty in freely ambulating as a result of illness are generally laid on the bed for a long-term time. Whereas, the part where the patient's body, like muscle and skin, keeps in touch with the bed is readily subjected to a poor circulation due to a long-term compression by the weight, with the result that the patient would gently contract a bedsore. The frequency of such symptom occurred to those who have to lie in bed for long time is a nature. In connection with patient having the bedsore, he or she inevitably becomes uncomfortable in view of the fester and sore impinging on the skin and even suffers from the possibility of septicemia and amputation. Accordingly, a precaution against the bedsore is a sorely significant issue for the long-term patient in bed. To prevent the bedsore, it is efficient to lay and prostrate the patients on an alternating air mattress. Such air mattress can be specialized in having bladders capable of mutually inflating and deflating so as to bring the patient an alternate pressure relief without temporary contacts with the bed and decrease the occurrence of bedsore.
Until now, various mattresses have been commonly developed to respectively use odd bladders in communication and redundant even bladders in communication for the purpose of alternately inflating and deflating. Generally, for ensuring the mutual connection of bladders in the same group, the present manufactures tend to connect a side of the bladder with an exposed inlet pipe, whereby the even bladders share one inlet pipe and the odd ones share the other inlet pipe. The aforementioned air mattress in such pipe-distributed manner may however have shortcomings as described below:

1. The pipe externally mounted at the side of the air mattress would result of a complex pipe distribution while in production, consume lots of working time and labors, and increase manufacturing costs.
2. The exposure of the pipes to the air mattress substantially gets a bad appearance and may drop the joint of the pipes off when users incautiously stumble on the pipes, which adversely affects the operation of the air mattress.

Thus, the applicant of the present invention dedicates himself to the improvement of the typical air mattresses and designs one with a newly invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a multiple air passages applied to air mattress which applies a series of unique air passages in the air mattress. The subject air passages are particularly embedded in the mattress during the producing process. Accordingly, the present invention keeps the subject air mattress from a complicate pipe distribution and adapts to a mass production for economically reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the air mattress without the exposure of the inlet pipes would facilitate a neat appearance and prevent the pipes from dropping off.
To obtain afore objects, a multiple air passages applied to air mattress in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of parallel and transverse bladders. Especially, the bladders are longitudinally compressed to define air passages and form cavities between the air passages and some specific bladders so as to communicate the air passages with an interior of the specific bladders for feeding air. When applying the arrangement of the above air passages to either an alternating or a multi-zone air mattress, the air passages could respectively proceed an effect of air-crossing transmission and a designated distribution. For example, the present invention preferably disposes two air passages and defines cavities between odd bladders of the air mattress and a first air passage, so that the first air passage supplies air to the odd bladders without pumping the even ones air. Similarly, the present invention also defines cavities between even bladders and a second air passage, so that the second air passage merely supplies air to the even bladders but omits inflating the odd ones.
From above, the present invention conduces to a manufacture without pipe distribution, a neat appearance, lower costs, and a mass production.
Preferably, the air mattress includes a first body superimposed on a second body by compressing borders thereof, and the first and second bodies are formed into a plurality of lateral bladders by dividing or supplementing a joint unit. The air passage as mentioned above is defined by the bladders longitudinally compressing the passage body, namely the passage body is squashed at an interior border of the second body so as to form the air passage therebetween.
Preferably, a quantity of the air passages could be varied in pursuant to the module or function of the air mattress. For example, should the air mattress has an arrangement of alternate odd and even bladders or of two changeable sets of bladders, two air passages are accordingly set. Similarly, in case of three changeable sets of bladders, three air passages are accordingly arranged. In addition, if the air mattress is performed in a manner that the bladders are formed into multiple action zones, the quantity of the air passages preferably equals to the quantity of the action zones.
Preferably, the compression of the borders of the first and the second bodies mainly adopts a high-frequency compression welding. Other sections of the air mattress required to be squashed can also be furnished by the high-frequency compression welding.
Preferably, the bladders are longitudinally proceeded by the high-frequency compression welding to dispose the passage body, and the air passage is further defined via disposing a release paper between the bladders and the passage body in advance. The release paper has a smaller surface area and a narrower width than the passage body. Therefore, a perimeter of the passage bodies is subjected to a squash unlike an interior thereof subjected to a non-squash condition for promoting a circulation of the air passage after proceeding the compression.
Preferably, either the air passages or any one of the bladders disposes an inlet and an inlet pipe connected thereto. The inlet pipe joints to an air pump. Each air passage should at least communicate with the inlet.
Preferably, a supporting portion is permissibly disposed in the air passage to keep the normality in the air circulation and prevent from unexpectedly blocking the cavities.
Preferably, the air mattress further includes a head bladder able to keep inflating for supporting the human head while lying in bed. Furthermore, the air mattress has a one-way valve disposed in the air passage. The one-way valve serves to avoid the countercurrent of the air after passing and has a supporting portion in appropriate length disposed inside the air passage. The supporting portion assists the air in entering by a single direction. The supporting portion is not arranged at the end of the one-way valve, so that the barometric pressure at the outer end thereof can be blocked by using a blocking unit to automatically shut the air passage off.
Preferably, a CPR deflation valve could be disposed at an edge of the head bladder. The operation of the emergent deflation valve would immediately deflate the interior of the air mattress so that medical personnel are allowed giving the patient a first aid and CPR.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the first bladder in inflation;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the second bladder in inflation;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing both the first and the second bladders in inflation;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the present invention applied to an alternating air mattress with three bladders;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the present invention applied to an air mattress with multiple action zones;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a circulation of the one-way valve; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the one-way valve in a blocking state.


DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

1	first body	2	second body
31	border	32	score line
41	first bladder	412	first inlet
42	second bladder	422	second inlet
43	third bladder	44	head bladder
51	first passage body	511	first cavity
52	second passage body	521	second cavity
531	third cavity	54	one-way valve
541	blocking unit	542	supporting portion
61	first air passage	62	second air passage
63	third air passage	71	A action zone
711	A air passage	712	A cavity
72	B action zone	721	B air passage
722	B cavity	73	C action zone
731	C air passage	732	C cavity
74	D action zone	741	D air passage
742	D cavity	8	joint unit
91	first inlet pipe	92	second inlet pipe
93	third inlet pipe	94	fourth inlet pipe
95	emergent deflation valve

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 present one preferred embodiment of a multiple air passages applied to air mattress of the present invention. The air mattress includes a first body 1 superimposed on a second body 2 by compressing borders 31 thereof; wherein, the air mattress is divided into a plurality of first bladders 41 and second bladders 42. In this preferred embodiment, the mattress is configured by two alternating bladders, and the first bladders 41 and the second bladders 42 are incessantly spaced. The joints of the adjacent first bladders 41 and the second bladders 42 are interrupted without communication by score lines 32. A plurality of head bladders 44 are disposed among the air mattress.
At an interior side surface of the second body 2, a first passage body 51 is longitudinally compressed. The first passage body 51 includes one or above first cavity 511 correspondingly located with respect to each of the first bladders 41. By means of a release paper (not shown in the figures), merely the perimeter of the first passage body 51 is squashed when compressing the first passage body 51 to the second body 2, with the result that the interior of the first passage body 51 is not squashed. Accordingly, a first air passage 61 is preferably defined between the first passage body 51 and the second body 2. The first air passage 61 cooperates with every first cavity 511 so that the interior of every first bladder 41 substantially communicates with the first air passage 61. In addition, any one of the first bladders 41 defines a first inlet 412 that further equips with a first inlet pipe 91.
Similarly, on a position of the second body 2 without overlapping the first passage body 51, a second passage body 52 is longitudinally compressed. The second passage body 52 includes one or above second cavity 521 correspondingly located with respect to each of the second bladders 42. The method in connection with the compression of the second passage body 52 to the second body 2 is identical to the aforementioned. Accordingly, a second air passage 62 is preferably defined between the second passage body 52 and the second body 2. The second air passage 62 cooperates with every second cavity 521 so that the interior of every second bladder 42 substantially communicates with the second air passage 62. In addition, any one of the second bladders 42 defines a second inlet 422 that further equips with a second inlet pipe 92.
The above first inlet pipe 91 and the second inlet pipe 92 provide the front sides thereof attached to an air pump (not shown) for controlling the inflation and deflation.
Referring to FIG. 3 presents that the present invention fills all the first bladders 41 with air but fails to inflate the second bladders 42 for sending the air from the first inlet pipe 91. The air travels through the first inlet 412, enters into the first bladder 41 at the edge, and diffuses the first air passage 61 through the first cavities 511 so as to fill the first bladders 41 with air. Concurrently, the present invention does not pump the air to the second inlet pipe 92, with the result that the second bladders 42 are not inflated.
Referring to FIG. 4 presents that the present invention fills all the second bladders 42 with air but fails to inflate the first bladders 41 for sending the air from the second inlet pipe 92. The air travels through the second inlet 422, enters into the second bladder 42 at the edge, and diffuses the second air passage 62 through the second cavities 521 so as to fill the second bladders 42 with air. Concurrently, the present invention does not send the air to the first inlet pipe 91, therefore the first bladders 41 are not inflated.
Concerning FIGS. 2 and 5, it presents that the present invention fills both the first bladders 41 and the second bladders 42 with air for sending the air from the first inlet pipe 91 and the second inlet pipe 92, respectively. In light to aforementioned operation, the air is permissively circulated among the first air passage 61 and the second air passage 62 through the first cavities 511 and the second cavities 521, so as to inflate both the first bladders 41 and the second bladders 42.
Should there is a need for separately deflating the first bladders 41 or the second bladders 42, the present invention can inversely furnish the air mattress with the deflation according to the aforementioned path of the air circulation.
From above, in addition to giving the deflation, the present invention also applies the embedded first air passage 61 and the second air passage 62 that cooperates with the first cavities 511 and the second cavities 521 to input the air to the required first bladders 41 or the second bladders 42. Such integral air passages adapted to the air mattress not only facilitates a designated transmission but also possesses an air-crossing property, which is not believed to be disclosed by the conventional inventions.
Referring to FIG. 6 shows a further preferred embodiment of the present invention adapted to another air mattress. The air mattress includes first bladders 41, second bladders 42 and third bladders 43. Concerning to the alternating mattress with three series of bladders, the manufacture merely needs to replenish a third inlet pipe 93, third cavities 531, and a third air passage 63 for satisfying requirements of respectively inflating the three bladders.
Referring to FIG. 7 shows a further preferred embodiment of the present invention adapted to another air mattress with multiple zones. The air mattress includes an A action zone 71, a B action zone 72, a C action zone 73, and a D action zone 74. Wherein, the A action zone 71 proceeds the inflation upon the aid of an A air passage 711 and A cavities 712. The B action zone 72 proceeds the inflation upon the aid of a B air passage 721 and B cavities 722. The C action zone 73 proceeds the inflation upon the aid of a C air passage 731 and C cavities 732. The D action zone 74 proceeds the inflation upon the aid of a D air passage 741 and D cavities 742.
The air mattress in use requires keeping an inflation of the head bladder 44 for supporting the human head while lying in bed. As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 8, and 9, a one-way valve 54 is disposed at a joint where the second air passage 62 meets the head bladder 44 and the second bladder 42. The one-way valve 54 only permits the air to pass by a single direction and behaves an anti-reflux of the air after the air passes. The one-way valve 54 has a supporting portion 542 in appropriate length disposed inside the second air passage 62. Preferably, the end of the supporting portion 542 does not extend to the end of the one-way valve 62 for cooperating with a blocking unit 541. As plainly shown in FIG. 8, the supporting portion 542 assists the air in smoothly entering the head bladder 44 by one-way direction. Further referring to FIG. 9, in view of the end of the one-way valve 54 lacks the structure of the supporting portion 542, the barometric pressure in the head bladder 44 renders the blocking unit 541 able to automatically shut the second air passage 62 off when the head bladder 44 is not inflated in the second air passage 62.
The air passages in the present invention can entirely dispose a supporting portion 542 in the interior thereof for satisfying users' demands, thereby expanding the air passages to maintain the normality in the air transmission and avoiding the specialized cavities to be unexpectedly closed.
As shown in FIG. 9, the air mattress of the present invention has a joint unit 8 disposed between the first body 1 and the second body 2.

Claims

1. A multiple air passages applied to air mattress comprising a plurality of transverse bladders; said bladders being divided at intervals by a plurality of score lines; said bladders being longitudinally compressed to define air passages, and cavities being formed between said air passages and some of said specific bladders for communicating said air passages with an interior of said specific bladders.

2. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air mattress includes a first body superimposed on a second body by compressing borders thereof, and said first and second bodies are formed into a plurality of lateral bladders by dividing or supplementing a joint unit.

3. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 2, wherein said air passage is defined by longitudinally compressing either said first body or said second body with passage bodies; said concavities are defined on each of said passage bodies.

4. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 3, wherein said air passages are formed by disposing a release paper between said bladders and said passage bodies in a processing step; said release paper has a smaller surface area and a narrower width than said passage bodies; a perimeter of said passage bodies is subjected to a squash unlike an interior thereof subjected to a non-squash condition after compressing.

5. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in either claims 1, wherein said compression adopts a high-frequency compression welding.

6. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein a quantity of said air passages of said air mattress is identical to an amount of alternating groups of said bladders.

7. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bladders can be formed into a plurality of action zones, and a quantity of said air passages equals to a quantity of said action zones.

8. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein either said air passage or any one of said communicated bladders disposes an inlet and an inlet pipe connected thereto; said inlet pipe joints to an air pump.

9. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air mattress further includes a head bladder and a one-way valve disposed at a place where said head bladder meets said bladders within said air passage.

10. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one-way valve includes a supporting portion and a blocking unit; said supporting portion is partially disposed among said air passage; a distal end of said supporting portion does not extend to said concavity of a head bladder; said blocking unit is disposed at an edge of said one-way valve.

11. The multiple air passages applied to air mattress as claimed in claim 9, wherein a CPR deflation valve is disposed at an edge of said head bladder.