EP0257953A2 - Matelas à eau hybride ayant des bords latéraux moux et concaves - Google Patents

Matelas à eau hybride ayant des bords latéraux moux et concaves Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0257953A2
EP0257953A2 EP87307262A EP87307262A EP0257953A2 EP 0257953 A2 EP0257953 A2 EP 0257953A2 EP 87307262 A EP87307262 A EP 87307262A EP 87307262 A EP87307262 A EP 87307262A EP 0257953 A2 EP0257953 A2 EP 0257953A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bladder
sidewall
watermattress
particular shape
panel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP87307262A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0257953A3 (fr
Inventor
Clarke W. Goodale
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
American National Watermattress Corp
Original Assignee
American National Watermattress Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by American National Watermattress Corp filed Critical American National Watermattress Corp
Publication of EP0257953A2 publication Critical patent/EP0257953A2/fr
Publication of EP0257953A3 publication Critical patent/EP0257953A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
    • A47C27/00—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas
    • A47C27/08—Fluid mattresses
    • A47C27/085—Fluid mattresses of liquid type, e.g. filled with water or gel

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to hybrid waterbed mattresses including in a single envelope a bladder and foam softsides providing lateral support for the bladder.
  • Hybrid watermattresses typically include a waterbladder which is disposed centrally of the mattress, and a plurality of sidewalls typically formed of a resilient grade foam material surround the bladder at the lateral edges of the mattress. These sidewalls are commonly referred to as "softsides". It is the purpose of the softsides not only to provide lateral support for the bladder but also to provide a more conventional surface on which one can sit at the edge of the mattress.
  • a quilted ticking provides an envelope which encloses both the bladder and the softsides. This construction forms a hybrid watermattress having substantially the same appearance as the more conventional innerspring mattress, while affording the luxury of a flotation sleeping surface.
  • softsides have been constructed with generally flat surfaces facing the mattress bladder. These surfaces have been designed to compliment the manufactured shape of the bladder but have failed to appreciate that the shape of the bladder in normal use changes drastically.
  • the lateral surface of a bladder which is manufactured to be vertical achieves an arcuate shape when it is filled with water. In general, all flat shapes of the bladder will tend to balloon under the pressure of the water within the water cavity.
  • the normal shape of the waterbladder is taken into consideration in designing a complimentary supporting surface for the softsides.
  • the word "complimentary” as used herein refers to the softsides supporting surface which is substantially the reverse shape of the lateral bladder surface when the bladder is in normal use. This shape tends to equalize the supporting pressures upon the lateral bladder surface.
  • “Normal use” refers to the state of the bladder when filled with water to a depth recommended by the manufacturer.
  • the “shape” of the softside refers to its cross-sectional configuration in an uncompressed state.
  • a bladder is manufactured with a generally vertical lateral surface but under pressure this surface achieves a cross-sectional shape forming the arc of a circle.
  • the supporting surface of the softside is provided with a shape which in cross-section also forms the arc of a circle.
  • the convex shape of the bladder when supported by the complimentary concave shape of the softside reduces the pressure along the seams, particularly at the corners of the bladder.
  • This interface between the watermattresses and softside provides a further advantage to a person sitting on the edge of t he bed. Along a vertical plane at this interface, one will encounter some foam and some water support thereby creating a gradual transition between the foam support of the softside and the flotation support of the bladder.
  • a hybrid waterbed is illustrated and designated generally by the reference numeral 11. Included in this waterbed is a foundation 13 which can be of any conventional variety including those having metal innersprings (not shown).
  • a hybrid watermattress 15 is adapted to sit on the foundation 13 and provide a sleeping or sitting surface for one or more persons.
  • the watermattress 15 includes a waterbladder 17 which is disposed centrally of the watermattress 15 and adapted to be filled with water to provide a flotation sleeping surface.
  • the bladder 17 is typically formed of individual sheets of plastic material which are heat sealed together to form seams such as those illustrated in 19.
  • the bladder 17, for example, may include a top panel 21, a bottom panel 23, and a side panel 25 which extends between the top and bottom panels 21 and 23, respectively. It is the configuration of the bladder's side panel 25 which is of particular interest to the present invention.
  • the side panel 25 may be manufactured to have any configuration. For example, it might be manufactured to have a vertical configuration extending generally perpendicular between the peripheral edges of the top and bottom panels 21 and 23, respectively. It might also be configured to slant inwardly and/or outwardly with progressive positions from the top panel 21 to the bottom panel 23.
  • the bladder 17 is supported in a lateral direction by a sidewall 27 commonly referred to as a "softside".
  • This sidewall 27 extends around the four sides of the bladder 17 and keeps the bladder 17 from rolling or flowing off of the foundation 13.
  • the sidewall 27 includes a top surface 29, a bottom surface 31, an outer surface 33, and an inner surface 35 which faces the bladder 17.
  • the sidewall 27 is typically formed from a foam material which is glued along its bottom surface 31 to a foam panel which extends not only beneath the sidewall 27 but also beneath the entire bladder 17.
  • the sidewall 27 in combination with the foam panel 37 forms a cavity on top of the foundation 13 which is adapted to receive the bladder 17.
  • a safety liner 39 is commonly provided to line this cavity in case any leaks develop in the bladder 17.
  • the foam panel 37 with the sidewall 27 adhered thereto can be releasably held in place by a hook and loop strip 41 preferably positioned near the edge of the top surface of the foundation 13.
  • Figure 2 illustrates in greater detail the interface between the side pan el 25 of the bladder 17 and the inner surface 35 of the sidewall 27.
  • the side panel 25 of the bladder 17 which might be manufactured to have a vertical configuration represented by the dotted line 43, would tend toward a more arcuate configuration under the pressure of water. Of course this is the state of the mattress when in normal use.
  • the side panel 25 of the bladder 17 and supporting inner surface 35 of the sidewall 27, each define the arc of a circle.
  • the center of each of these circles is coincident at the point 45.
  • the panel 25 and the surface 35 might have similar shapes but different sizes.
  • the top panel 21 of the bladder 17 is generally an extension of the top surface 29 of the sidewall 27.
  • the bottom panel 23 is an extension of the bottom surface 31
  • the inner surface 35 of the sidewall 27 forms a line with the top surface 29 which appears as a top point 47 in the cross-section view of Figure 2. Similarly, this surface 35 forms a line with a bottom surface 31 which appears as a bottom point 49 in Figure 2.
  • a mid point designated by the reference numeral 51 In this cross-sectional view, the surface 35 extends inwardly from the point 47 with progressive positions to the mid point 51. From the point 51, the surface 35 extends outwardly of the sidewall 27 with progressive positions toward the point 49.
  • the midpoint 51 in this embodiment represents the innermost extension of the surface 35, a point which will hereinafter be referred to as the innermost point 53.
  • FIG. 3 is the same as that illustrated in Figure 2 but provide a better representation of a feature associated with several of the embodiments of the present invention.
  • This feature is characterized by a top point 47 and bottom point 49 which lie along a common vertical line which is substantially perpendicular to the top surface 29 and bottom surface 31 of the sidewall 27.
  • the embodiment of Figure 5 illustrates that the innermost position 53c can be disposed between the midpoint 51c and the bottom point 49c.
  • the surface 35c has a lesser degree of curvature between the top point 47c and the midpoint 51c than it has between the midpoint 51c and the bottom point 49c.
  • Figure 6 illustrates that any of these embodiments associated with the surface 35 of the sidewall 27 can be approximated with a plurality of straight lines 57.
  • Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment wherein the top point 47e and the bottom point 49e are not vertically aligned. This configuration would be particularly adapted to accommodate a bladder 17 having a side panel 25 which is manufactured to slant inwardly from top to bottom, for example along the dotted line 43e.
  • the embodiment of Figure 7 also illustrates that the sidewall 27 in any of these embodiments may include an upper portion 59 formed of high density foam and a lower portion 61 formed of low density foam.
  • the top point 47f is disposed vertically inwardly from the bottom point 49f.
  • This embodiment would be of particular advantage to a mattress wherein the side panel 25 slopes outwardly from top to bottom, for example along the dotted line 43f.
  • Figure 8 also illustrates that any of these sidewalls 27 may have an outer surface 33f which slants outwardly with progressive positions from the top surface 29f to the bottom surface 31f. With the force of the bladder 17 pressing against the sidewall 27, this feature would tend to leave the outer surface 33f with a vertical configuration under normal use.
  • Figure 9 illustrates an embodiment wherein the innermost point 53g is substantially coincident with the bottom point 49g.
  • the inner surface 35 is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface 31g at the point 49g.
  • Figure 10 illustrates a feature which can be applied to any of these embodiments, wherein the top surface 29h is manufactured to slant inwardly and downwardly so that in normal use, under the pressure of the bladder 17, this surface 29h would be pushed upwardly and outwardly to a horizontal configuration.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
  • Invalid Beds And Related Equipment (AREA)
EP87307262A 1986-08-25 1987-08-17 Matelas à eau hybride ayant des bords latéraux moux et concaves Withdrawn EP0257953A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US89984286A 1986-08-25 1986-08-25
US899842 1986-08-25

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0257953A2 true EP0257953A2 (fr) 1988-03-02
EP0257953A3 EP0257953A3 (fr) 1988-05-11

Family

ID=25411637

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87307262A Withdrawn EP0257953A3 (fr) 1986-08-25 1987-08-17 Matelas à eau hybride ayant des bords latéraux moux et concaves

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0257953A3 (fr)
JP (1) JPS6368116A (fr)
AU (1) AU600511B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA1278886C (fr)
NZ (1) NZ221532A (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2228671A (en) * 1989-03-03 1990-09-05 Richard Gibson Soper A waterbed
EP1410745A1 (fr) * 2002-10-07 2004-04-21 The Nautilus Group, Inc. Lit pneumatique ayant toujours la même forme

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3724008A (en) * 1971-08-26 1973-04-03 W Golden Waterbed bedstead
US3918110A (en) * 1974-05-17 1975-11-11 American Thermo Seal Inc Water beds and method of making the same
US4186455A (en) * 1978-02-08 1980-02-05 Fox Dana G Composite water bed mattress
US4245364A (en) * 1979-06-28 1981-01-20 Calleance David P Waterbed safety liner
US4354289A (en) * 1980-04-11 1982-10-19 Richards Quality Bedding Company, Inc. Waterbed
US4371998A (en) * 1980-12-31 1983-02-08 Simmons U.S.A. Corporation Hybrid flotation mattress having protecting, water proof liner
DE3104720A1 (de) * 1981-02-10 1982-08-26 G.F.B. Industries Ltd., Toronto, Ontario Wassermatratze bzw. wasserbett
US4571762A (en) * 1984-07-24 1986-02-25 Morgan Flotation Systems Hybrid waterbed cavity

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2228671A (en) * 1989-03-03 1990-09-05 Richard Gibson Soper A waterbed
GB2228671B (en) * 1989-03-03 1992-02-26 Richard Gibson Soper A water bed
EP1410745A1 (fr) * 2002-10-07 2004-04-21 The Nautilus Group, Inc. Lit pneumatique ayant toujours la même forme

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NZ221532A (en) 1990-07-26
EP0257953A3 (fr) 1988-05-11
AU600511B2 (en) 1990-08-16
CA1278886C (fr) 1991-01-08
AU7738187A (en) 1988-03-03
JPS6368116A (ja) 1988-03-28

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Inventor name: GOODALE, CLARKE W.