Air Mattress Perimeter Construction to Increase Usable Surface Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air mattresses have severely rounded perimeter edges due to seam bonding, resulting in reduced usable surface area and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A method of constructing air mattresses with vertically oriented perimeter fabric panels and a bonded seam, using a fabric ribbon around a foam block, a rigid rubber surround, and additional fabric panels to create a more planar surface and increased usable area, while allowing for inflation and deflation through pneumatic valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If seam bonding is used to bond top and bottom fabric panels along perimeters, then structural integrity is maintained, but usable surface area is reduced due to severely rounded perimeter edges
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress construction is divided into separate components: top and bottom fabric panels are bonded to the foam core independently, rather than being bonded to each other along the perimeter. This segmentation allows each panel to maintain its full surface area without being compromised by seam bonding, thereby increasing the usable surface area while preserving structural integrity through the foam core connection.
2Area of stationary object
If vertically oriented perimeter fabric panels are used, then usable surface area is increased, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Perimeter fabric panels are pre-attached to the edges of the foam core before final assembly, creating vertically oriented edges that extend the usable surface area. This preliminary action simplifies the overall construction process by establishing the perimeter structure early, allowing top and bottom panels to be bonded directly to the foam core without requiring complex seam bonding operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of constructing a mattress includes placing a first ribbon about a perimeter surface of a foam member. The first ribbon includes a top lip and a bottom lip. A second ribbon is placed about a perimeter surface of the first ribbon. A third ribbon is placed about a perimeter surface of the second ribbon. The top lip of the first ribbon is folded over the top surface of the second ribbon. The bottom lip of the first ribbon is folded over the bottom surface of the second ribbon. A first fabric panel is bonded to the top surface of the first foam member and to the top lip of the first ribbon. A second fabric panel is bonded to the bottom surface of the first foam member and to the bottom lip of the first ribbon.