Inflatable mattress

Abstract

An inflatable mattress includes upper and lower air-impermeable layers, upper and lower linings that are respectively attached to the upper and lower air-impermeable layers, and a plurality of threads each of which has two ends respectively stitched to the upper and lower linings so as to permit each of the upper and lower air-impermeable layers to provide a substantially flat surface for supporting a user' s body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inflatable mattress comprising:
 upper and lower air-impermeable layers which are sealed to each other along peripheries thereof so as to cooperatively define an inflatable chamber therebetween;   an upper lining attached to said upper air-impermeable layer, and having an upper central portion which has a plurality of stitched upper points that are evenly distributed in said upper central portion;   a lower lining attached to said lower air-impermeable layer, and having a lower central portion that has a plurality of stitched lower points which are arranged such that when said inflatable chamber is in an inflated state, each of said stitched lower points is in register with a corresponding one of said stitched upper points; and   a plurality of threads each having two ends respectively stitched to corresponding ones of said stitched upper and lower points, and a thread length defined between said two ends such that when said inflatable chamber is in the inflated state, said threads are tensed and each of said stitched lower points is spaced apart from the corresponding one of said stitched upper points by a predetermined distance substantially equal to the thread length, so as to permit each of said upper and lower air-impermeable layers to provide a substantially flat surface for supporting a user's body.   
     
     
         2 . The inflatable mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the thread length is greater than 2 cm. 
     
     
         3 . The inflatable mattress of  claim 1 , wherein said stitched upper points are grouped into a plurality of sets displaced from one another in a transverse direction, said stitched upper points in each of said sets being arranged in a longitudinal direction to form a straight stitched line. 
     
     
         4 . The inflatable mattress of  claim 1 , wherein said stitched upper points are grouped into a plurality of sets displaced from one another in a transverse direction, said stitched upper points in each of said sets being displaced from one another in a longitudinal direction to form a zigzag stitched line. 
     
     
         5 . The inflatable mattress of  claim 1 , wherein each of said upper and lower air-impermeable layers is made from a polyurethane-based material. 
     
     
         6 . The inflatable mattress of  claim 1 , wherein each of said upper and lower linings is made from a polyurethane-based material. 
     
     
         7 . The inflatable mattress of  claim 1 , wherein said threads are made from a polyurethane-based material. 
     
     
         8 . A method for forming an inflatable mattress, comprising:
 (a) providing upper and lower linings respectively having upper and lower central portions, the upper central portion having a plurality of upper points to be stitched, the lower central portion having a plurality of lower points to be stitched, the upper and lower linings being superimposable upon each other such that the upper points are in register with the lower points, respectively;   (b) forming a plurality of threads by thread stitching, such that each of the threads has two ends respectively stitched to corresponding ones of the upper and lower points, and a predetermined thread length defined between the two ends thereof;   (c) attaching the upper and lower linings respectively to upper and lower air-impermeable layers; and   (d) sealing the upper and lower air-impermeable layers to each other along respective peripheries thereof so as to define an inflatable chamber between the upper and lower air-impermeable layers such that when the inflatable chamber is in an inflated state, each of the stitched upper points is spaced apart from a corresponding one of the stitched lower points by a distance substantially equal to the predetermined thread length, so as to permit each of the upper and lower air-impermeable layers to provide a substantially flat surface for supporting a user's body.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein steps (a) and (b) are implemented at the same time. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined thread length is greater than 2 cm. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the stitched upper points are grouped into a plurality of sets displaced from one another in a transverse direction, the stitched upper points in each of the sets being arranged in a longitudinal direction to form a straight stitched line. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the stitched upper points are grouped into a plurality of sets displaced from one another in a transverse direction, the stitched upper points in each of the sets being displaced from one another in a longitudinal direction to form a zigzag stitched line.