Outdoor mattress

Abstract

The invention relates to a mattress (1) for outdoor use with an air chamber area (10) comprising at least one air-fillable air chamber (11) and with a comfort lying area (20) comprising at least one foam core chamber (21) filled with a foam core (22), wherein the at least one air chamber (11) and the at least one foam core chamber (21) are enclosed by a common, gas-tight outer shell (30), and wherein a mechanically actuated air pump (40) is arranged in the air chamber area (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a mattress for outdoor use with the features of claim 1.

[0002] In practice, a variety of mattresses for outdoor use are known that can be folded or rolled up to a small size for transport. Most of these mattresses have one or more air chambers that are filled with air to provide good insulation. The air chambers are enclosed by an outer cover, preferably airtight. To increase insulation and / or improve sleeping comfort, mattresses are also known in which the outer cover encloses a foam core chamber instead of an air chamber, with the foam core chamber being filled with a foam core. These mattresses are usually self-inflating and offer improved insulation and greater sleeping comfort.However, a disadvantage of these mattresses is that their packed size cannot fall below a certain minimum size, as the foam core requires a minimum amount of space.

[0003] With regard to mattresses known from the prior art, especially for outdoor use, for example an inflatable mattress or mat is known from DE 10 2015 002 679 A1 which has an outer cover which defines an air chamber.

[0004] The outer shell is made of a textile material that completely encloses the air chamber. This outer shell, which defines the air chamber, is additionally encased in a loose inner cover. To enhance sleeping comfort or insulation, an insulating layer is placed between this loose inner cover and the outer shell of the air chamber.

[0005] The popular mat is manufactured with minimal use of adhesives, thus saving weight. The main focus of this well-known outdoor mat is therefore to provide the most compact and lightweight mattress possible. However, this comes at the cost of some sleeping comfort.

[0006] A general difficulty with mattresses primarily equipped with air chambers is that different parts of a person's body require different levels of support while lying down to achieve comfortable sleep. With known mattresses, particularly the mattress according to DE 10 2015 002 679 A1, the problem is that body parts with greater mass, especially the upper body, sink deeper into the mattress than body parts with less mass, such as the legs. In the area that requires particularly good insulation from the floor, namely the upper body, the weight of the upper body reduces the air insulation layer of the mattress. Furthermore, there is a risk that the upper body will sink so deeply into the mattress that it makes contact with the floor, meaning the air in the air chamber in the upper body area is completely displaced.This reduces sleeping comfort, especially because the insulating effect of the mattress is significantly reduced in this area.

[0007] Against the background of this state of the art, the object of the invention is therefore to provide a mattress for outdoor use which is characterized on the one hand by increased sleeping comfort and on the other hand by a small pack size.

[0008] According to the invention, this problem is solved by the subject matter of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0009] The invention is specifically based on the idea of ​​providing a mattress for outdoor use that has an air chamber area and a comfort lying area. The air chamber area comprises at least one air chamber, preferably one without internal components. The comfort lying area comprises at least one foam core chamber filled with a foam core. The at least one air chamber and the at least one foam core chamber are enclosed by a common, gas-tight outer cover. According to the invention, a mechanically operated air pump is arranged in the air chamber area.

[0010] Generally, the outer shell can form the outer boundary of the air chamber. However, in the context of the present application, the air chamber itself has no physical boundary. Rather, the outer shell forms the physical boundary of the air chamber. The term "air chamber" thus refers to the free space within the outer shell that can be filled with air, and in particular, exclusively with air. The outer shell simultaneously encloses the foam core chamber. The foam core chamber is also to be understood as a space within the outer shell that essentially has no further boundary. However, the foam core chamber is filled by the foam core, and air may also be present within the foam core chamber. To allow air to be introduced into the outer shell, it has the aforementioned opening.

[0011] The invention combines the advantages of a foam-core mattress, which offers improved insulation and support for a person, with the advantages of an air-chamber mattress for minimal pack size. Simultaneously, the invention incorporates a mechanically operated air pump to comfortably inflate the mattress with sufficient air pressure, thus providing overall improved support and insulation. In particular, the foam core chamber in the comfort sleeping area is completely filled with a foam core. Unlike the prior art, which may only include an insulating layer surrounding an air chamber area, the invention features a section of the mattress completely filled with a foam core. This does not preclude the possibility of further filling the foam core with air.It has partially self-inflating properties. Increased air pressure within the mattress can be achieved using the mechanically operated air pump. This allows the support provided by the mattress to be adjusted to the body mass of the individual user.

[0012] It is particularly advantageous if the air pump is located inside the outer cover. In this respect, the air pump can be integrated into the mattress, especially the outer cover. This contributes to a smaller packed size and also facilitates the use of the mattress, which can then be stored as a single, unified package.

[0013] It is particularly advantageous if the air pump is positioned in an outer corner of the mattress, especially in an outer corner of the air chamber area. This ensures that the mattress can be inflated evenly and makes operating the air pump easier. At the same time, this simplifies the mattress manufacturing process.

[0014] The outer cover can have an opening for supplying ambient air into the air chamber. In a preferred embodiment of the mattress according to the invention, the opening in the outer cover leads to an air inlet of the air pump. Specifically, it can be provided that a connection between the outside environment and the air chamber is established exclusively via the air pump. Alternatively, it is possible that a valve is arranged between the opening in the outer cover and the air inlet of the air pump, which directs air for inflation exclusively via the air pump, whereas for deflating the mattress, a direct connection is provided between the air chamber and the opening in the outer cover.

[0015] Generally, it is advantageous if the opening of the outer cover and / or the air inlet has a non-return valve. The non-return valve preferably allows air to flow into the air chamber while preventing air from flowing back out of the mattress. However, the non-return valve can be manually bypassed, so that its blocking effect can be interrupted to release air from the mattress or the air chamber. The non-return valve can, in particular, be a diaphragm valve. The diaphragm of the diaphragm valve can be manually actuated, for example, by means of an outwardly protruding pin, so that the sealing effect of the diaphragm can be bypassed to release air from the mattress. In this way, a person can open the non-return valve to reduce the mattress to its packed size, in particular by folding or rolling it.

[0016] A particularly simple, robust, and cost-effective design for the mattress according to the invention is achieved when the air pump is formed by an air bellows integrated into the outer cover. Such an air bellows can achieve a pumping effect by incorporating one or more corresponding check valves. The air bellows preferably has an outer wall that is elastically deformable, so that the air bellows automatically assumes an expanded state. During this automatic expansion, air can flow into the air bellows through the air inlet. The air bellows can then be manually compressed, for example, by foot pedal operation. The check valve prevents air from escaping from the air bellows. Another check valve, which connects the air pump to the air chamber, can open when the air bellows is compressed, thus releasing the air contained in the air bellows into the air chamber of the mattress.Once the air bellows expands automatically, the check valve facing the air chamber closes, while the check valve facing the environment opens, allowing ambient air to flow into the air bellows. This process can be repeated several times to sufficiently inflate the mattress.

[0017] If the air pump, and especially the air bellows, is located in an outer corner of the mattress, operation is particularly easy, as a person operating the bellows with their foot has several options for safely positioning themselves next to the mattress. This is especially useful when using the mattress outdoors, i.e., on uneven ground.

[0018] To stabilize the shape of the mattress when inflated, the outer cover may be designed with several transverse grooves in the air chamber area. These grooves primarily prevent the mattress from bulging excessively when inflated, resulting in a relatively dimensionally stable structure.

[0019] In the air chamber area, the outer cover can be made of a non-stretchable material to increase stability and, in particular, to prevent bulging. In contrast, the outer cover in the comfort sleeping area may be made of a stretchable material. This allows the outer cover material to conform to the foam core, which is primarily responsible for the mattress's shape stability in the comfort sleeping area.

[0020] In general, the foam core offers improved insulation, especially thermal insulation, and also provides better support for the person lying on the mattress. While the comfort sleeping area can only be reduced to a certain minimum pack size, the air chamber area offers significantly better pack size reduction. Therefore, combining the comfort sleeping area and the air chamber area creates a compromise to achieve both a small pack size and a high level of sleeping comfort.

[0021] Without further compromising comfort and yet still reducing the comfort sleeping area to a smaller packed size, a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the foam core has several tubular passage channels running parallel to a sleeping surface and transversely to a sleeping direction. In particular, the tubular passage channels can be arranged parallel to the transverse grooves in the air chamber area. The tubular passage channels provide a space into which the foam can flow when the mattress is packed, especially when folded or rolled, thus further reducing the packed size of the comfort sleeping area. Overall, this results in a mattress that has a particularly compact packed size and simultaneously ensures a high level of comfort when inflated.

[0022] It is therefore preferably provided that the air chamber area and the comfort lying area merge directly into one another. In particular, the outer shell can form a single enclosed space, with part of this space filled by the foam core and thus forming the comfort lying area, and another part of the space forming the air chamber area. The foam core can be bonded to the outer shell in the air chamber area. This allows the position of the foam core to be determined.

[0023] In one embodiment of the mattress according to the invention, the mattress is divided into two sections by the air chamber area and the comfort sleeping area. In particular, the sections can be of equal size. Thus, the mattress can have one section formed by the air chamber area and encompassing the air chamber, whereas a second section is provided that forms the comfort sleeping area and encompasses the foam core. The two sections can merge directly into one another. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the comfort sleeping area forms a section of the mattress that comprises approximately one-third of the mattress's length, while the air chamber area comprises a section that comprises two-thirds of the mattress's length. Other proportions are also possible.

[0024] In particular, it is also conceivable that the mattress has several air chamber zones. For example, there could be an air chamber in a head section, i.e., an upper section of the mattress designed to support the head of a person lying down. Similarly, there could be an air chamber in a leg section, i.e., a lower section of the mattress designed to support the legs of a person lying down. A section between the head and leg sections, specifically an upper body section, could, however, be formed by the comfort sleeping area.

[0025] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer cover of the mattress has a top, a bottom, and four edges, wherein the top and bottom are each made of identical material webs, and the edges are formed by a continuous material web. The material webs can be gas-tightly joined together, in particular welded, to form the outer cover. Such a design of the outer cover is particularly cost-effective from a production perspective. By forming the top and bottom from identical material webs, storage and production capacities can be used efficiently. Furthermore, the continuous material web forming the edges reduces the number of gas-tight connections required, which on the one hand results in a high degree of airtightness of the outer cover and on the other hand eliminates additional joining processes. This ensures cost-efficient production of the mattress.

[0026] In general, the invention provides that the inflated mattress has a length between 180 cm and 220 cm, preferably 200 cm, a width between 65 cm and 100 cm, particularly between 70 cm and 90 cm, preferably 80 cm, and a height between 5 cm and 10 cm, particularly between 6 cm and 9 cm, preferably 8 cm. Such dimensions offer good sleeping comfort for people of different heights. The mattress height of between 5 cm and 10 cm provides good conditions for a comparatively high level of sleeping comfort.

[0027] Simultaneously, the mattress can be rolled up to a compact size, the packed size being determined by its length and circumference. The length can be between 35 cm and 42 cm, and the circumference between 75 cm and 85 cm. Specifically, the mattress can be rolled up to a length between 35 cm and 42 cm, in particular between 37 cm and 40 cm, preferably 38 cm, and a circumference between 75 cm and 85 cm, in particular between 77 cm and 81 cm, preferably 79 cm.

[0028] To achieve such a compact size when packed, the foam core can be made in multiple sections, or two or three foam cores can be arranged within the foam core chamber. For example, a central foam core can be provided in the foam core chamber, bordered on both sides by two lateral foam cores. The foam cores can be in direct contact with each other. When inflated, a person lying on their back can therefore rest their upper body directly on the central foam core, while their arms rest on the lateral foam cores. To pack the mattress, the lateral foam cores, along with the outer cover (which preferably has an elastic material in this area), can be folded onto the central foam core before the entire mattress is rolled up to its compact size.Folding can be made particularly easier if the outer cover in the comfort lying area has an elastic material, so that the outer cover stretches accordingly in the area of ​​the folding points when the side foam cores are folded over.

[0029] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying schematic drawings. These show Fig. 1 a perspective view of a mattress according to the invention in a preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 a top view of the mattress according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 a longitudinal section view through the mattress according to Fig. 1 ; and Fig. 4 a perspective view of the mattress according to Fig. 1 in a packed, especially rolled-up, state.

[0030] In Fig. 1Figure 1 shows a mattress 1 according to the invention in its inflated state. The mattress comprises an air chamber area 10 and a comfort lying area 20. The air chamber area 10 preferably forms a lower section of the mattress 1. The term "lower" designates a section intended, in particular, to accommodate the legs of a person lying down or to provide support for the legs of a person lying down. The term "upper" designates, with respect to the mattress 1, a section in which the upper body of a person lying down is intended to rest. In the embodiment shown here, the comfort lying area 20 is provided in the upper section.

[0031] In general, mattress 1 can be divided into several sections. A lower section, or leg section, serves as a support for the legs of a person lying down. The upper section can support the upper body and head of the person lying down. Therefore, the upper section can be subdivided into an upper body section and a head section. In contrast to the embodiment shown here, the head section can also be formed by an air chamber.

[0032] The mattress 1 is formed in particular by an outer cover 30, which essentially encloses an interior space of the mattress 1. Within this interior space, an air chamber 11 is formed, which is preferably filled exclusively with air. The air chamber 11 is located in the air chamber area 10. In the comfort sleeping area 20, a foam core chamber 21 is provided, which can transition directly and immediately into the air chamber 11. The foam core chamber 21 contains a foam core 22, with a side of the foam core 22 bordering the air chamber 11 simultaneously defining the end of the foam core chamber 21. Preferably, the comfort sleeping area 20 occupies the entire upper half of the mattress 1, with the lower half of the mattress 1 being formed by the air chamber area 10.

[0033] In Fig. 1It is also apparent that the outer shell 30 has a top surface 33 formed by a uniform sheet of material. In the air chamber area 10, several transverse grooves 12 are formed in the top surface 33, which stabilize the air chamber area 10. In the comfort lying area 20, the top surface 33 of the outer shell 33 can essentially have a corrugated structure. The corrugated structure can be determined, in particular, by the shape of the foam core, to which an elastic material of the outer shell 30 conforms.

[0034] Furthermore, it is indicated in Fig. 1 that the foam core preferably has several tubular passage channels 23 extending parallel to the transverse grooves 12. The passage channels 23 essentially enable the mattress 1 to be rolled up to a small pack size even in the comfort lying area 20.

[0035] The upper surface 33 is gas-tight and firmly connected to a circumferential material web that forms the sides, in particular the edge sides 35, of the mattress 1. In the comfort lying area, the edge sides 35 are made of an elastic material and have a substantially smooth outer structure. In the air chamber area 10, the edge sides 35 are preferably provided with grooves or form an outer structure with multiple bulges that support the air chamber area 10 with respect to the height of the mattress 1.

[0036] An air pump 40 is integrated into the outer shell 30 at an outer corner 31, particularly in the air chamber area 10. The air pump 40 can be designed, in particular, as an air bellows embedded in the outer shell 30. The air bellows preferably has an air inlet 41, which is accessible via an opening 32 in the outer shell 30. The opening 32 is preferably gas-tight, in particular welded, to the air inlet 41.

[0037] The air inlet 41 can have a check valve that allows air to enter the air pump 40, in particular the air bellows, but automatically prevents air from escaping.

[0038] The mattress 1 can have an additional outlet valve 24 that opens into the air chamber 11 or the foam core chamber 21. In the embodiment shown here, the outlet valve 24 is located in the comfort lying area 20. The outlet valve 24 can be designed as a further check valve, in particular structurally identical to the check valve of the opening 32. The outlet valve 24 is preferably designed such that air can flow out of the mattress when the outlet valve 24 is open. The outlet valve 24 can be manually operated or designed as a check valve that automatically prevents air from entering the mattress 1, but can be manually bypassed by a person. For example, the outlet valve 24 can have a closure that, after manual opening, immediately results in an outflow of air from the mattress 1.The closure can also be combined with a non-return valve, in particular a diaphragm valve, so that after opening the closure, manual operation is additionally required to release air from the mattress. The outlet valve 24 can also prevent air from flowing into the mattress, especially as a non-return valve or diaphragm valve. It is also possible for the mattress 1 to be manually inflated via the outlet valve 24. The outlet valve 24 can be adapted to allow air to flow in, at least from a pre-set minimum inlet pressure. Manually inflating the mattress 1 is particularly easy if the outlet valve 24 is designed as a non-return valve and thus prevents the injected air from flowing back out.

[0039] In plan view according to Fig. 2The transverse grooves 12 in the air chamber area 10 are clearly visible. It is also evident that the transverse grooves 12 are shortened in the area of ​​the outer corner 31 or at the level of the outer corner 31 to make room for the air pump 40. The air pump 40 is preferably designed as a purely manual air pump 40 and is fully integrated into the mattress 1.

[0040] In the longitudinal section view of mattress 1 according to Fig. 3It is clearly evident that the mattress is formed by the outer cover 30, which completely encloses the interior of the mattress 1, in particular in a gas-tight manner. The outer cover 30 defines, on the one hand, the air chamber 11 in the air chamber area, which in the illustrated embodiment is designed without any internal components. On the other hand, the outer cover 30 encloses the foam core chamber 21 in the comfort lying area 20. A foam core 22 is arranged in the foam core chamber 21. The foam core 22 is provided with several passage channels 23, which are essentially tubular and straight. The passage channels 23 extend essentially transversely to a person's lying direction LR and parallel to a lying surface LF of the mattress 1. The lying surface LF is preferably formed by the upper surface 33 of the outer cover 30. The lying direction LR preferably runs from the comfort lying area 20 to the air chamber area 10.

[0041] Fig. 3Figure 1 shows that the mattress 1 has a substantially uniform height. For this purpose, the air chamber area 11 is reinforced accordingly, in particular by the transverse grooves. Additionally, the material of the outer cover 30 in the air chamber area 10 can be a non-stretchable or inelastic material, in particular a plastic film. In the comfort lying area 20, however, the outer cover can comprise a stretchable material, so that the material conforms to the foam core 22. The stretchable material can be a stretchable plastic film or a rubber compound. Due to the stretchable material, which preferably conforms to the foam core, the shape of the comfort lying area 20 mainly follows the shape of the foam core 22.

[0042] The outer shell 30 has a top surface 33, which essentially also forms the lying surface LF. Opposite the top surface 33 is a bottom surface 34. The top surface 33 and the bottom surface 34 can be formed from identical material webs. This allows for efficient use of production capacity. Furthermore, the outer shell 33 forms four edge sides 35 that connect the top surface 33 and the bottom surface 34. The four edge sides 35 are preferably formed by a circumferential material web that is gas-tightly connected to both the top surface 33 and the bottom surface 34. The gas-tight connection can be produced, for example, by plastic welding.

[0043] In Fig. 4Mattress 1 is shown in a schematic perspective view in its packed state. In particular, mattress 1 can be rolled up to a compact size. This compact size is defined by a packed length PL and a packed circumference PU. The construction of mattress 1, consisting of an air chamber area and a comfort sleeping area—a hybrid design—allows for a particularly small packed size. Specifically, the packed length PL can be between 35 cm and 42 cm, preferably 38 cm, and the packed circumference PU between 75 cm and 85 cm, preferably 79 cm.

[0044] The mattress 1 described here is characterized by its very small pack size and high level of sleeping comfort. This high level of comfort is achieved in particular by the fact that one section of the mattress 1 consists of a comfort sleeping area with a foam core 22, which is complemented by an air chamber section 11. While this air chamber section offers slightly less comfort, it improves packability. The combination of these two elements thus forms a hybrid inflatable mattress for outdoor use, especially for camping, trekking, or similar outdoor activities. The mattress 1 is both lightweight and easily transportable. The outer cover 30 is preferably made of a gas-tight and, in particular, water-repellent material. Specifically, the outer cover 30 can be made of a plastic material that is easy to clean. This makes the mattress 1 easy to maintain.

[0045] The mattress 1 can have anti-slip elements on its upper surface 33 or on the sleeping surface LF. In particular, a rubber coating can be provided, which can also be in the form of stripes or dots. The rubber coating advantageously serves to prevent a sleeping bag positioned on the sleeping surface LF from slipping.

[0046] It may also be provided that the opening 32 in the outer casing 30 and / or the air inlet 41 of the air pump 40 have a reusable closure. In particular, a cover may be provided with which the opening 32 or the air inlet 41 can be closed. The cover may be firmly connected to the outer casing 30 by means of a plastic hinge or a flexible connection.

[0047] In further embodiments of the mattress 1, the comfort lying area can be arranged between two air chamber areas. The mattress 1 can thus have three sections: an air chamber area in the head section, a comfort lying area in the shoulder and pelvic section, and another air chamber area in the leg or foot section. The air pump 40 is preferably located in the leg or foot section.

[0048] As in Fig. 2As can be seen, the mattress 1 preferably has a substantially rectangular shape. Other shapes are also possible. For example, the mattress 1 can be narrower in the head section. Similarly, the mattress 1 can be trapezoidal in the leg or foot section. In this respect, the mattress 1 can take on a shape that closely approximates the shape of a person. This saves material and therefore weight. Reference symbol list

[0049] 1 mattress 10 Air chamber area 11 Air chamber 12 Transverse groove 20 Comfort lying area 21 Foam core chamber 22 Foam core 23 Through channel 24 Outlet valve 30 Outer shell 31 Outer corner 32 Opening 33 Top 34 Bottom 35 Edge 40 Air pump 41 Air inlet

Claims

1. Mattress (1) for outdoor use with an air chamber area (10) comprising at least one air-fillable air chamber (11) and with a comfort lying area (20) comprising at least one foam core chamber (21) filled with a foam core (22), wherein the at least one air chamber (11) and the at least one foam core chamber (21) are enclosed by a common, gas-tight outer shell (30), and wherein a mechanically actuated air pump (40) is arranged in the air chamber area (10).

2. Mattress (1) according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the air pump (40) is arranged inside the outer shell (30).

3. Mattress (1) according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by the fact that the air pump (40) is arranged in an outer corner (31) of the mattress (1), in particular of the air chamber area (10).

4. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact thatthe outer shell (30) has an opening (32) for supplying ambient air into the air chamber (11).

5. Mattress (1) according to claim 4 characterized by the fact that the opening (32) leads into an air inlet (41) of the air pump (40).

6. Mattress (1) according to claim 4 or 5 characterized by the fact that The opening (32) and / or the air inlet (41) shall include a check valve.

7. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the air pump (40) is formed by an air bellows integrated into the outer casing (30).

8. Mattress (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the outer shell (30) has several transverse grooves (12) in the air chamber area (10) for stabilizing the air chamber area (10) in an inflated state.

9. Mattress (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the outer shell (30) in the air chamber area (10) has a non-stretchable material.

10. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the outer shell (30) in the comfort lying area (20) has a stretchable material.

11. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the foam core (22) has several tubular passage channels (23) running parallel to a lying surface (LF) and perpendicular to a lying direction (LR).

12. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the air chamber area (10) and the comfort lying area (20) merge directly into one another.

13. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the mattress (1) is divided into two sections, in particular of equal size, by the air chamber area (10) and the comfort lying area (20).

14. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact thatthe outer shell (30) has a top (33), a bottom (34) and four edge sides (35), wherein the top (33) and the bottom (34) are each made of identical material webs and the edge sides (35) are formed by a circumferential material web, and wherein the material webs are connected to each other gas-tight, in particular welded, to form the outer shell (30).

15. Mattress (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact thatthe mattress (1) in the inflated state has - a length between 180 cm and 220 cm, preferably 200 cm, - a width between 65 cm and 100 cm, in particular between 70 cm and 90 cm, preferably 80 cm, and - a height between 5 cm and 10 cm, in particular between 6 cm and 9 cm, preferably 8 cm, and can be rolled up to - a packing length between 35 cm and 42 cm, in particular between 37 cm and 40 cm, preferably 38 cm, and - a packing circumference between 75 cm and 85 cm, in particular between 77 cm and 81 cm, preferably 79 cm.

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