GB2296431A - Water bed with improved stability - Google Patents

Abstract

A water bed providing superior stability in use which mainly includes a water mattress 1 consisting of a plurality of pipe-like water chambers 11, and intermediate curved adjustment air cushion 2, and a peripheral protective air cushion 3. The water chambers 11 each is provided therein along its length with a diagonally extended diaphragm member 111 serving as a leaf spring. A plurality of figure-8-shaped through holes 112 are alternately formed on the side walls of the water chambers and the diaphragm members to communicate water flow in the water mattress. The curved adjustment air cushion 2 is disposed around the water mattress and has a curved configuration to increase its compression strength. The water mattress is divided into two independent halves by a middle partition air cushion 12, so that each half of the water mattress is not affected by the vibration produced by the other half. <IMAGE>

Description

A WATER BED PROVIDING SUPERIOR STABILITY IN USE The present invention relates to a water bed, and more particularly to a water bed having two air cushions connected to the outer periphery of a water mattress thereof. The first or inner air cushion has four curved sides and serves as a buffer to adjust the water pressure inside the water mattress. The second or outer air cushion serves as a means to protect the periphery of the water bed.

A conventional water bed mainly includes a water mattress and a peripheral protective air cushion. Due to the higher specific heat of water, the water mattress, when comparing with a conventional mattress filled with other materials, may advantageously provide the users with more comfortable temperature either in summer or in winter. The peripheral protective air cushion is mainly used to support the water mattress and for the user to lie or sit thereon. The user may release the whole or a part of air from the peripheral protective air cushion according to his/her preference. The deflated peripheral protective air cushion shall become too soft to be used and the bedspread on the mattress shall become loose and ungraceful. When the air cushion is inflated, the water mattress also becomes hardened.

However, the air cushion tends to lose its resiliency and flexibility and become deformed due to fatigue under long period of strong pressure and expansion, and therefore loses its functions of being a buffer and a supporter of the water mattress.

Water inside the water mattress shall flow when the latter is under pressure, such as having a user lying on the mattress, and therefore has close relation to the comfort of user when using the water bed. Any vibration of the water mattress or any flow of water inside the water mattress caused by a user tends to easily affect another user who is sleeping on the water mattress.

It is therefore desirable to develop a water bed which may provide users with superior stability in use, so as to eliminate the shortcomings existed in the conventional water bed.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a water bed providing superior stability in use which mainly includes a water mattress consisting of a plurality of pipe-like water chambers, a curved adjustment air cushion, and a peripheral protective air cushion. Each water chamber is provided therein along its length with a diagonally extended diaphragm member serving as a leaf spring. A plurality of figure-8-shaped through holes are alternately formed on the side walls of the water chambers and the diaphragm members to communicate water flow in the water mattress and at the same time to prevent water from directly impacting upon the side walls of the water chambers and the diaphragm members when the water is directed to every corners of the water mattress. The water mattress shall be less easily vibrated and thereby increases its comfortableness in use.The curved adjustment air cushion is disposed around the water mattress and has four inward convexed sides to increase its compression strength. The adjustment air cushion can be inflated to different extents and thereby changes the water density in the water mattress and accordingly regulates the hardness of the water mattress. When the inflated adjustment air cushion is outward pushed and straightened by the water pressure in the water mattress, the peripheral protective air cushion disposed therearound to support the water mattress and the adjustment air cushion may also maintain the water bed in a beautiful appearance.The peripheral protective air cushion has independent air in/out switch means to regulate its hardness without being changed by the different hardness of the water mattress and the adjustment air cushion, and thereby the water bed may have edges which always maintain adequate hardness and strength for users to sit or lie thereon and for a bedspread thereon to maintain smooth and neat appearance. Furthermore, the water mattress is divided into two independent halves by a middle partition air cushion, so that each half of the water mattress is not affected by the vibration produced by the other half. And, each of the two halves of the water mattress is also provided with a water temperature regulating means for the users lying on each half of the water mattress to adjust the water temperature thereof according to their preference.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the water bed according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 with a part of the water bed being cut out to better show the structure thereof; and Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 1, showing the curved adjustment air cushion disposed between the water mattress and the peripheral protective air cushion being straightened under the water pressure from the water mattress.

Please refer to Fig. 1. The present invention is a water bed providing superior stability in use. The water bed mainly consists of a water mattress 1, an intermediate curved adjustment air cushion 2, and a peripheral protective air cushion 3.

Please further refer to Figs. 1 and 2. The water mattress 1 consists of a plurality of pipe-like water chambers 11 and a pipe-like partition air cushion 12. The curved adjustment air cushion 2 is connected to and around the periphery of the water mattress 1 to bear, buffer, and adjust the water pressure coming from the water mattress 1. The peripheral protective air cushion 3 is connected to and around the intermediate curved air cushion 2 to support the water mattress 1 and the air cushion 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, each of the pipe-like water chambers 11 is provided therein along its length with a substantially diagonally extended diaphragm member 111 functioning as a leaf spring to disperse water flowing and rushing against inner side walls of the water chamber 11. A plurality of figure-8-shaped through holes 112 are formed on the side walls of the water chambers 11 and on the leaf spring diaphragms member 111 so that the water chambers 11 communicate with one another. What is to be noted is the through holes 112 are alternately disposed on the side walls of water chambers 11 and on the diaphragms member 111 to avoid direct rush of water against the same spots on the side walls of water chambers 11. By this arrangement, water flowing into the water chambers 11 can be evenly directed to all corners of the water mattress 1 without causing fierce vibration of the water bed.The water bed is, therefore, more comfortable for the users.

The water mattress 1 is so constructed that the partition air cushion 12 and the multiple water chambers 11 are equally spaced in their longitudinal direction and are fixed in place by fixedly sandwiching them between two unitary sheets of mattress covers which can be made of, for example, elastic plastic material, by means of heat sealing, for example. The spaces between each two adjacent water chambers 11 and/or between the water chamber 11 and the partition air cushion 12 each again forms a pipe-like water passage 14.

The water chambers 11 are structurally different from the water passages 14 in their top and bottom surfaces. The water chambers 11 have double-layer top and bottom surfaces while the water passages 14 have single-layer top and bottom surfaces. After the water mattress 1 is filled with water, the two-layer top and bottom surfaces of the water chambers 11 provide higher hardness and strength than the singlelayer surfaces of the water passages 14. This alternate arrangement of harder and softer structures of the water mattress 1 may effectively massage the muscle of users lying on the water bed.

The partition air cushion 12 is used to buffer the water pressure inside the water bed and is disposed in the middle of the water mattress 1 to divide the same into two independent halves so that any half of the water mattress would not be affected by the use of the other half. That is, the vibration of any half of the water mattress would not be transferred to the other half thereof A plurality of water in/out switch means 13 are provided at one transverse end of the water matt-ress 1 to communicate with the water mattress 1 so that water can be filled into or discharged from the water mattress 1 via these water in/out switch means 13.

A water temperature regulation means (not shown) can be provided at any side of the water mattress 1 so that the water temperature of the water mattress 1 can be adjusted according to the user's preference. The partition air cushion 12 may be made of heat insulation material, allowing the two halves of the water mattress 1 to have different water temperatures.

The intermediate curved adjustment air cushion 2 may be inflated to different extents to produce different prssure against the water mattress 1 and thereby changes the density of water inside the water mattress 1 to regulate the hardness of the water bed. The curved configuration of the intermediate air cushion 2 may advantageously enhance the compression strength thereof and to endure the direct water pressure from the water flowing into the water mattress 1.

The intermediate air cushion 2 is so curved that it has inwardly convex inner side walls adjacent to the periphery of the water mattress 1 and inwardly concave outer side walls adjacent to the inner periphery of the protective air cushion 3. When the water chambers 11 adjacent to the intermediate air cushion 2 are filled with water and produces pressure against the latter, the inner convex side walls of the intermediate air cushion 2 are pushed outward and become straightened. At this point, air surrounding the convex side walls shall be forced to flow toward the outer concave side walls and pushes the latter outward and straightens the same, as shown in Fig. 3.The straightened intermediate air cushion 2 helps the peripheral protective air cushion 3 to maintain a squared configuration and thereby gives the water bed an integral and beautiful appearance, especially when a bedspread is covered on the bed.

The intermediate curved air cushion 2 is divided into two independent parts corresponding to the two halves of the water mattress 1. A plurality of air in/out switch means 21 communicating with the air cushion 2 are provided at each part of the air cushion 2 so that air may be filled into or discharged from the air cushion 2 via the air in/out switch means 21 to indirectly regulate the hardness of the water mattress 1.

To enhance the compression strength of the air cushion 2 against the water mattress 1, and to prolong the useable life of the water bed, a two-layer structure 22 is provided between the air cushion 2 and the water mattress 1 to serve as two water banks. The two independent parts of the air cushion 2 each has a quick air in/out switch means 23 communicating with the air cushion 2 to quickly fill or discharge air into or from the air cushion 2, especially when the water mattress 1 is found seriously leaked. The quick discharge of air from the air cushion 2 can rapidly relieve the pressure of the air cushion 2 against the water mattress 1 and thereby slows down the leaking.

The peripheral protective air cushion 3 is mainly used to support the water mattress 1 and the adjustment air cushion 2 and is independent of the hardness of the water mattress 1 and the air cushion 2. In addition, the peripheral protective air cushion 3 can be freely used by the users to either sit or lie thereon. An air in/out switch means 31 is provided on the air cushion 3 communicating with the latter and thereby allows air to be filled into or discharged from the air cushion 3 via the air in/out switch means 31.

The above embodiment is only used for illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Many modifications of the embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims (11)

1. A water bed comprising a water mattress having a plurality of pipe-like water chambers, the periphery of the water mattress being surrounded by an inner air cushion the air pressure of which is adjustable for influencing the appearance of the water bed, and an outer air cushion for providing support to the water mattress.

2. A water bed according to Claim 1, wherein the water mattress is divided into two portions by an air cushion for resisting the transmission of vibrations from one part of the water mattress to the other.

3. A water bed according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein at least some of the pipe-like water chambers are provided with a resilient member for stiffening the water chambers and for limiting sideways flow of water within the chambers.

4. A water bed according to Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein through holes are provided in the pipe-like water chambers for allowing water to flow between the chambers.

5. A water bed according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the inner air cushion surrounding the periphery of the water mattress has a curved configuration for increasing its compression strength.

6. A water bed providing superior stability in use, comprising a water mattress, an intermediate curved adjustment air cushion, and a peripheral protective air cushion; said water mattress consisting of a plurality of parallelly disposed and equally spaced water chambers and a partition air cushion disposed in the middle of said water mattress to divide said water mattress into two independent halves, each of said water chambers being provided thereinside along its length with a substantially diagonally extended diaphragm member to serve as a leaf spring to disperse water flow impacting and compressing against inner side walls of said water chambers, through holes being alternately provided on said side walls of said water chambers and said diaphragm members so that said water chambers communicate with one another to allow water to flow therebetween and toward every corners of said water bed, giving said water bed higher stability and comfortableness in use; said two independent halves of said water mattress divided by said partition air cushion having moderate water pressure and being independent of any vibration produced at the other half; a water in/out switch means being provided at each of said two halves for filling or discharging water into or from said water mattress via said water in/out switch means; said curved adjustment air cushion being disposed around said water mattress and being allowed to be inflated to different extents to produce different pressure against said water mattress and thereby changes the density of water inside said water mattress to regulate the hardness of said water bed, said intermediate adjustment air cushion having a curved configuration which may advantageously enhance a compression strength of said adjustment air cushion and enables the same to endure a direct water pressure from the water flowing into said water mattress, said intermediate air cushion 2 being so curved that it has inwardly convex inner side walls adjacent to the periphery of the water mattress and inwardly concave outer side walls adjacent to the inner periphery of said protective air cushion, such that when said water chambers adjacent to said intermediate air cushion are filled with water and produces pressure against the latter, said inner convex side walls of said intermediate air cushion are pushed outward and become straightened, causing air surrounding said convex side walls to flow toward said outer concave side walls and pushes the latter outward and straightens the same; said adjustment air cushion further being divided into two independent parts corresponding to said two halves of said water mattress, each of said two parts being formed with a plurality of air in/out switch means communicating with said adjustment air cushion so that air may be filled into or discharged from said adjustment air cushion via said air in/out switch means to indirectly regulate the hardness of said water mattress; and said peripheral protective air cushion being used to support said water mattress and said adjustment air cushion and being provided with an air in/out switch means communicating with said protective air cushion so that air can be filled into or discharged from said protective air cushion by way of said air in/out switch means.

7. A water bed providing superior stability in use as claimed in claim 6, wherein said water mattresss is so constructed that said partition air cushion and said multiple water chambers are equally spaced in their longitudinal direction and are fixed in place by fixedly sandwiching them between two unitary sheets of mattress covers, enabling spaces between each two adjacent said water chambers and/or between said water chamber and said partition air cushion to form another water passages, said water chambers being structurally different from said water passages in their top and bottom surfaces, said water chambers each having a double-layer top and a double-layer bottom surfaces while said water passages each having a single-layer top and a single-layer bottom surfaces, and said water chambers and said water passages alternately providing a higher and a lower hardness and may thereby together functionally massage a user's muscle when said user is lying on said water bed.

8. A water bed providing superior stability in use as claimed in claim 6, wherein a two-layer structure is provided between said water mattress and said curved adjustment air cushion to serve as two water banks to increase a compression strength of said adjustment air cushion against said water mattress and to prolong a useable life of said water bed.

9. A water bed providing superior stability in use as claimed in claim 6, wherein said curved adjustment air cushion is provided with at least a quick air in/out switch means communicating with said adjustment air cushion to quickly fill or discharge air into or from said adjustment air cushion; said quick discharge of air from said adjustment air cushion being able to rapidly relieve a pressure of said air cushion against said water mattress to slow down any leakage found on said water mattress.

10. A water bed providing superior stability in use as claimed in claim 6, wherein a water temperature regulation means is provided at each half of said water mattress so as to control the water temperature of said water mattress, and wherein said partition air cushion is made of heat insulation material, allowing said two halves of said water mattress to have different water temperatures.

11. A water bed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.