Water beds and method of making the same

Claim 2

A water bed for supporting a body thereon, said water bed comprising upper and lower walls, a first continuous peripheral wall extending between said upper and lower walls and forming a water chamber therebetween, a first projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a first water tight lap seal securing said upper wall to the first flange on the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the outer peripheral length thereof, a second projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a second water tight lap seal securing said lower wall to the second flange on the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, said first peripheral wall having an upstanding wall section which is permanently convex to the water chamber along its entire peripheral length, said upper and lower walls extending beyond said first continuous peripheral wall, a downwardly extending flap formed on said upper wall and an upwardly extending flap on said lower wall, and each of said flaps having continuous peripherally extending end portions, each of said end portions being lap sealed to each other along their entire peripheral lengths to form a second continuous peripheral wall and being spaced outwardly from said first continuous peripheral wall, thereby forming an air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber.

Claim 3

The water bed of claim 1 further characterized in that said upper and lower walls are formed of a flexible plastic material.

Claim 4

The water bed of claim 1 further characterized in that first valve means is provided for communication with said water chamber to fill and exhaust water therefrom and second valve means is provided for communication with said air chamber to fill and exhaust air therefrom.

Claim 5

The water bed of claim 1 further characterized in that said downwardly struck flap is a continuous peripheral flap surrounding the periphery of and integral with said upper wall, and the flap on said lower wall is an upwardly struck continuous peripheral flap surrounding the periphery of and integral with said lower wall.

Claim 6

The water bed of claim 1 further characterized in that the downwardly extending flap on said upper wall is sealed thereto and the upwardly extendinG flap on said lower wall is sealed thereto.

Claim 7

The water bed of claim 1 further characterized in that the flaps on said upper and lower walls are integral at said seal and have tabs respectively overlying said upper and lower walls and which tabs are sealed to said upper and lower walls.

Claim 8

A water bed for supporting a body thereon, said water bed comprising upper and lower walls, a first continuous peripheral wall extending between said upper and lower walls and forming a water chamber therebetween, a first water tight lap seal securing said upper wall to the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, a second water tight lap seal securing said lower wall to the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, said upper and lower walls extending beyond said first continuous peripheral wall, and a second continuous peripheral wall located outwardly of said first continuous wall and which is in spaced apart relationship therefrom, thereby forming an air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber, said first peripheral wall having an upstanding wall section which is permanently convex to said water chamber along its entire peripheral length and said upper and lower margins being permanently spaced outwardly from said water chamber along their entire peripheral lengths with respect to a midpoint of said upstanding wall section located between said upper and lower margins.

Claim 9

A water bed for supporting a body thereon, said water bed comprising upper and lower walls, a first continuous peripheral wall extending between said upper and lower walls and forming a water chamber therebetween, a first water tight lap seal securing said upper wall to the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, a second water tight lap seal securing said lower wall to the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, said upper and lower walls extending beyond said first continuous peripheral wall, and a second continuous peripheral wall located outwardly of said first continuous wall and which is in spaced apart relationship therefrom, thereby forming an air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber, said first peripheral wall having an upstanding wall section which is permanently convex to said water chamber along its entire peripheral length and said upper and lower margins being permanently spaced outwardly from said water chamber along their entire peripheral lengths with respect to a midpoint of said upstanding wall section located between said upper and lower margins.

Claim 10

The water bed of claim 7 further characterized in that said first peripheral wall comprises a plurality of upstanding wall sections and which wall sections are connected by arcuately shaped corner margins which are also permanently convex to said water chamber, and a reinforcing strip disposed over each of said corner margins and lap sealed to the wall sections connected at said corner margins.

Claim 11

The water bed of claim 7 further characterized in that said first peripheral wall has a first pair of spaced apart opposed upstanding wall sections and a second pair of spaced apart opposed upstanding wall sections, a first corner margin connects one of the first pairs of upstanding wall sections with one of the second pair of upstanding wall sections and a second corner margin connects another of the first pair of upstanding wall sections with another of the second pair of upstanding wall sections, each of said corner margins being arcuately shaped and convex to said water chamber and concave to said air chamber, and a reinforcing strip disposed over each of said corner margins and being lap sealed to the wall sections connected at said corner margins.

Claim 12

The water bed of claim 7 further characterized in that said upper and lower walls are formed of a flexible plastic material.

Claim 13

The water bed of claim 7 further characterized in that said second continuous peripheral wall comprises a downwardly extending flap formed on said upper wall and an upwardly extending flap on said lower wall, and being lap sealed to said downwardly extending flap to form said second continuous peripheral wall, said second continuous peripheral wall thereby forming said air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber.

Claim 14

The water bed of claim 11 further characterized in that said downwardly struck flap is a continuous peripheral flap surrounding the periphery of and integral with said upper wall, and the flap on said lower wall is an upwardly struck continuous peripheral flap surrounding the periphery of and integral with said lower wall.

Claim 15

A water bed for supporting a body thereon, said water bed comprising upper and lower walls, a first continuous peripheral wall extending between said upper and lower walls and forming a water chamber therebetween, a first projected flange extending continuously along thE entire peripheral length of the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a first water tight lap seal securing said upper wall to the first flange on the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the outer peripheral length thereof, a second projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a second wall tight lap seal securing said lower wall to the second flange on the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, said upper and lower walls extending beyond said first continuous peripheral wall, a downwardly extending flap formed on said upper wall and an upwardly extending flap on said lower wall, each of said flaps having continuous peripherally extending end portions, each of said end portions being lap sealed to each other along their entire peripheral lengths to form a second continuous peripheral wall and being spaced outwardly from said first continuous peripheral wall, thereby forming an air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber.

Claim 16

A water bed for supporting a body thereon, said water bed comprising upper and lower walls, a first continuous peripheral wall extending between said upper and lower walls and forming a water chamber therebetween, a first projected flange extending continuously along thE entire peripheral length of the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a first water tight lap seal securing said upper wall to the first flange on the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the outer peripheral length thereof, a second projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a second wall tight lap seal securing said lower wall to the second flange on the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, said upper and lower walls extending beyond said first continuous peripheral wall, a downwardly extending flap formed on said upper wall and an upwardly extending flap on said lower wall, each of said flaps having continuous peripherally extending end portions, each of said end portions being lap sealed to each other along their entire peripheral lengths to form a second continuous peripheral wall and being spaced outwardly from said first continuous peripheral wall, thereby forming an air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber.

Claim 17

A water bed for supporting a body thereon, said water bed comprising upper and lower walls, a first continuous peripheral wall extending between said upper and lower walls and forming a water chamber therebetween, a first projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a first water tight lap seal securing said upper wall to the first flange on the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the outer peripheral length thereof, a second projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a second water tight lap seal securing said lower wall to the second flange on the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, said upper and lower walls extending beyond said first continuous peripheral wall, a downwardly extending flap formed on said upper wall and an upwardly extending flap on said lower wall, each of said flaps having continuous peripherally extending end portions, each of said end portions being lap sealed to each other along their entire peripheral lengths to form a second continuous peripheral wall and being spaced outwardly from said first continuous peripheral wall, thereby forming an air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber, said first peripheral wall having a first pair of spaced apart opposed upstanding wall sections and a second pair of spaced apart opposed upstanding wall sections which are permanently convex to said water chamber along their entire peripheral length, said wall sections having upper and lower margins which are permanently spaced outwardly with respect to a midpoint of said wall sections located between said upper and lower margins, a first corner margin connecting one of the first pair of upstanding wall sections with one of the second pair of upstanding wall sections and a second corner margin connecting another of the first pair of upstanding wall sections, each of said corner margins being arcuately shaped and convex to said water chamber and concave to said air chamber, and a reinforcing strip disposed over each of said corner margins and being lap sealed to the wall sections connected at said corner margins.

Claim 18

A water bed for supporting a body thereon, said water bed comprising upper and lower walls, a first continuous peripheral wall extending between said upper and lower walls and forming a water chamber therebetween, a first projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a first water tight lap seal securing said upper wall to the first flange on the upper margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the outer peripheral length thereof, a second projected flange extending continuously along the entire peripheral length of the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall and being integral therewith, a second water tight lap seal securing said lower wall to the second flange on the lower margin of said first continuous peripheral wall continuously along the entire peripheral length thereof, said upper and lower walls extending beyond said first continuous peripheral wall, a downwardly extending flap formed on said upper wall and an upwardly extending flap on said lower wall, each of said flaps having continuous peripherally extending end portions, each of said end portions being lap sealed to each other along their entire peripheral lengths to form a second continuous peripheral wall and being spaced outwardly from said first continuous peripheral wall, thereby forming an air chamber between said upper and lower walls and said first and second continuous peripheral walls surrounding said water chamber, said first peripheral wall having a first pair of spaced apart opposed upstanding wall sections and a second pair of spaced apart opposed upstanding wall sections which are permanently convex to said water chamber along their entire peripheral length, said wall sections having upper and lower margins which are permanently spaced outwardly with respect to a midpoint of said wall sections located between said upper and lower margins, a first corner margin connecting one of the first pair of upstanding wall sections with one of the second pair of upstanding wall sections and a second corner margin connecting another of the first pair of upstanding wall sections, each of said corner margins being arcuately shaped and convex to said water chamber and concave to said air chamber, and a reinforcing strip disposed over each of said corner margins and being lap sealed to the wall sections connected at said corner margins.

Claim 19

The water bed of claim 14 further characterized in that first valve means is provided for communication with said water chamber to fill and exhaust water therefrom and second valve means is provided for communication with said air chamber to Fill and exhaust air therefrom.

Claim 20

The water bed of claim 14 further characterized in that said downwardly struck flap is a continuous peripheral flap surrounding the periphery of and integral with said upper wall, and the flap on said lower wall is an upwardly struck continuous peripheral flap surrounding the periphery of and integral with said lower wall.

Claim 21

The water bed of claim 14 further characterized in that the downwardly extending flap on said upper wall is sealed thereto and the upwardly extending flap on said lower wall is sealed thereto.

Claim 22

The water bed of claim 14 further characterized in that the flaps on said upper and lower walls are integral at said seal and have tabs respectively overlying said upper and lower walls and which tabs are sealed to said upper and lower walls.