Inflatable mattress

Abstract

An inflatable mattress ( 10 ) comprising an upper sheet of material ( 14 ), a lower sheet of material ( 16 ) and at least one layer of insulating material ( 26 ) positioned between the upper sheet ( 14 ) and lower sheet ( 16 ). The at least one layer of insulating material ( 26 ) has preformed apertures provided ( 30 ) therein. The upper sheet ( 14 ) is connected to the lower sheet ( 16 ) of material at at least one position corresponding with a preformed aperture ( 30 ). The connections ( 22 ) operating to define a plurality of inflatable cells ( 18 ) and retain a portion of the insulating material ( 26 ) in each inflatable cell ( 18 ).

1 . An inflatable mattress comprising:
 an upper sheet of material;   a lower sheet of material; and   at least one layer of insulating material positioned between the upper sheet and lower sheet having preformed apertures provided therein;   where, the upper sheet is connected to the lower sheet of material at at least one position corresponding with a preformed aperture, the connections operating to define a plurality of inflatable cells and retain a portion of the insulating material in each inflatable cell.   
     
     
         2 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 1 , further comprising a layer of heat reflective material, the layer of heat reflective material being positioned between the upper sheet and the at least one layer of insulating material. 
     
     
         3 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 1 , where the insulating cells are arranged in rows, the insulating cells of a first row being offset relative to the insulating cells of its adjacent rows. 
     
     
         4 . An inflatable mattress comprising:
 a first inflatable layer comprising the area defined by a first sheet of material and an intermediate sheet of material;   a second inflatable layer comprising the area defined by the intermediate sheet of material and a second sheet of material; and   at least one layer of insulating material provided in the first inflatable layer, the layer of insulating material having preformed apertures provided therein;   where, the first sheet is connected to the intermediate sheet of material at at least one position corresponding with a preformed aperture, so as to define a plurality of inflatable cells in the first inflatable layer and the second sheet is connected to the intermediate sheet of material to define a plurality of inflatable cells in the second inflatable layer, such that a portion of the insulating material is retained in each inflatable cell of the first layer.   
     
     
         5 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 4 , further comprising a layer of heat reflective material provided in the first inflatable layer, the layer of heat reflective material being positioned between the intermediate sheet of material and the at least one layer of insulating material. 
     
     
         6 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 4 , where the second inflatable layer also includes at least one layer of insulating material. 
     
     
         7 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 4 , where the insulating cells in each inflatable layer are arranged in rows, the insulating cells of a first row being offset relative to the insulating cells of its adjacent rows. 
     
     
         8 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 7 , where the insulating cells in the first inflatable layer are further offset relative to its adjacent insulating cells in the second inflatable layer. 
     
     
         9 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 4 , further comprising a pair of air inlet valves such that air passing through one air inlet valve operates to inflate the inflatable cells of the first inflatable layer while air that passes through the other air inlet valve operates to inflate the inflatable cells of the second inflatable layer. 
     
     
         10 . An inflatable mattress comprising:
 a first and third portion constructed in accordance with  claim 1 ;   a second portion, interposed between the first and third portion, comprising:   a first inflatable layer comprising the area defined by a first sheet of material and an intermediate sheet of material;   a second inflatable layer comprising the area defined by the intermediate sheet of material and a second sheet of material; and   at least one layer of insulating material provided in the first inflatable layer, the layer of insulating material having preformed apertures provided therein;   where, the first sheet is connected to the intermediate sheet of material at at least one position corresponding with a preformed aperture, so as to define a plurality of inflatable cells in the first inflatable layer and the second sheet is connected to the intermediate sheet of material to define a plurality of inflatable cells in the second inflatable layer, such that a portion of the insulating material is retained in each inflatable cell of the first layer; and   
       where inflation of the inflatable cells of the first portion causes inflation of the inflatable cells in the second portion and inflation of the inflatable cells in the third portion causes inflation of the inflatable cells in the second portion. 
     
     
         11 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 10 , where the first portion represents the area where an average user's head would be positioned when the user lies upon the mattress, the second portion represents the area where the user's torso would be positioned when the user lies upon the mattress and the third portion represents the area where an average user's legs would be positioned when the user lies upon the mattress. 
     
     
         12 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 1 , where inflation of each inflatable cell also causes lofting in the portion of insulating material retained in that inflatable cell. 
     
     
         13 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 1 , where the at least one layer of insulating material is made from a material is able to compress under force and expand when the force is removed. 
     
     
         14 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 13 , where the at least one layer of insulating material is made from a latticed material. 
     
     
         15 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 1 , where the connection between sheets of material, or inflatable layers, as appropriate, is a press connection. 
     
     
         16 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 15 , where the press connection is one of the following: a dot weld; a detachable press stud. 
     
     
         17 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 1 , where the connection between sheets of material, or inflatable layers, as appropriate, is a spacer element. 
     
     
         18 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 17 , where the spacer element is a vertical tube or baffle wall. 
     
     
         19 . An inflatable mattress according to  claim 1 , where the inflatable cells are diamond shaped.