Integrated-Pump Air Mattress with Elastic Cells for Deflation Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional alternating pressure air mattresses have exposed air delivery lines that cause organizational difficulties and tripping hazards, and when air cells deflate or leak, they fail to provide adequate support, leading to discomfort and potential bedsores.
Innovation Solution
The air mattress design integrates the air delivery controller and pump within a cover, featuring a movement-limiting mechanism to secure the pump and elastic members in air cells to prevent contact with a hard bed frame, ensuring continuous support and aesthetic appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the air delivery controller and air delivery lines are located outside the air mattress, then the pump can easily access and control the air cells, but the exposed lines cause organizational difficulties and tripping hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the air delivery controller and pump into the air mattress cover, merging previously separate components (controller, pump, and air mattress) into a single unified structure. This eliminates exposed air delivery lines while maintaining functional connectivity between the pump and air cells through internal routing of air input and release lines.
2Shape
If the air delivery controller is integrated inside the air mattress cover, then the appearance is more aesthetic and space is reduced, but the pump needs to be confined within a limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The air mattress cover is segmented into distinct receiving zones: a first receiving zone for the pump and a second receiving zone for the air mattress. This spatial segmentation allows the pump to be properly accommodated with adequate space for its operation while maintaining the integrated aesthetic appearance of the overall device.
3Reliability
If elastic members are added to the air cells, then patient comfort is maintained when air cells are deflated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Elastic members are pre-installed within the air cells to provide backup support functionality. When the air cells are properly inflated, the elastic members remain compressed and inactive. However, when air cells deflate or leak, the elastic members automatically expand to maintain patient comfort and prevent direct contact with the hard bed frame, providing beforehand cushioning for failure conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances user comfort by maintaining support even when air cells are deflated, reduces tripping hazards, and provides an aesthetically pleasing, space-efficient solution by housing all components within the mattress cover.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member (415) provided in a lower air chamber (411)
Data Source
AI summary
An inflatable air mattress device includes a cover internally defining a first and a second receiving zone for receiving a pump and an air mattress therein, respectively. The air mattress includes a plurality of parallelly arranged air cells, each of which internally includes a first air chamber located below a second air chamber and having an elastic member provided therein. The pump is held in the first receiving zone via a movement-limiting mechanism and is provided with an air input and an air release line for communicably connecting to each of the air cells. Since the air cells, the pump and the air input and release lines all are arranged inside the cover, the inflatable air mattress device has an esthetic appearance and occupies less space. The elastic members in the first air chambers prevent a user from contacting with a hard bed frame when the air cells are deflated.