Mattress suspension system

Claim 2

A mattress suspension system attachable to a horizontally oriented deck of a vehicle for substantially reducing the amplitude of fore-and-aft excursions and of up and down excursions which are transmitted by the vehicle to an individual reclining on a mattress positioned above said suspension system, said suspension system comprising in combination: (a) a lower rectangular frame positionable above the deck and having first and second ends; (b) an intermediate rectangular frame having first and second ends and including roller means on the first and second ends thereof, said roller means being coupled to said lower frame for permitting a limited amount of fore-and-aft travel but not tilting of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame in response to fore-and-aft excursions of the vehicle; (c) an upper rectangular frame positionable above said lower and said intermediate frames and below the mattress; and (d) damper means coupled to said upper and said intermediate frames for maintaining said upper frame above and in a fixed fore-and-aft position with respect to said intermediate frame and for permitting damped up and down excursions but not tilting of said upper frame with respect to said intermediate frame in response to up and down excursions of said vehicle.

Claim 3

The mattress suspension system according to claim 1 further including fore-and-aft biasing means coupled to said lower frame and to said intermediate frame for damping fore-and-aft excursions of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame for biasing said intermediate frame to a predetermined position with respect to said lower frame.

Claim 4

A mattress suspension system attachable to a horizontally oriented deck of a vehicle for substantially reducing the amplitude of fore-and-aft excursions and of up and down excursions which are transmitted by the vehicle to an individual reclining on a mattress positioned above said suspension system, said suspension system comprising in combination: (a) a lower frame positionable above the deck and having first and second ends; (b) an intermediate frame having first and second ends and including roller means on the first and second ends thereof, said roller means being coupled to said lower frame for permitting a limited amount of fore-and-aft travel of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame in response to fore-and-aft excursions of the vehicle, said intermediate frame including first and second sides; (c) an upper frame positionable above said lower and said intermediate frames and below the mattress; (d) damper means coupled to said upper and said intermediate frames for maintaining said upper frame above and in a fixed fore-and-aft position with respect to said intermediate frame and for permitting damped up and down excursions of said upper frame with respect to said intermediate frame in response to up and down excursions of said vehicle; and (e) fore-and-aft biasing means coupled to said lower frame and to said intermediate frame for damping fore-and-aft excursions of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame and bias said intermediate frame to a predetermined position with respect to said lower frame said fore-and-aft biasing means including: (i) a shaft means extending from the first end of said lower frame to the second end thereof; and (ii) spring means coupled between the first and second sides of said intermediate frame and said shaft means for exerting a biasing force on said intermediate frame.

Claim 5

A mattress suspension system attachable to a horizontally oriented deck of a vehicle for substantially reducing the amplitude of fore-and-aft excursions and of up and down excursions which are transmitted by the vehicle to an individual reclining on a mattress positioned above said suspension system, said suspension system comprising in combination: (a) a lower frame positionable above the deck and having first and second ends; (b) an intermediate frame having first and second ends and including roller means on the first and second ends thereof, said roller means being coupled to said lower frame for permitting a limited amount of fore-and-aft travel of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame in response to fore-and-aft excursions of the vehicle, said intermediate frame including first and second sides; (c) an upper frame positionable above said lower and said intermediate frames and below the mattress; (d) damper means coupled to said upper and said intermediate frames for maintaining said upper frame above and in a fixed fore-and-aft position with respect to said intermediate frame and for permitting damped up and down excursions of said upper frame with respect to said intermediate frame in response to up and down excursions of said vehicle; and (e) fore-and-aft biasing means coupled to said lower frame and to said intermediate frame for damping fore-and-aft excursions of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame and bias said intermediate frame to a predetermined position with respect to said lower frame said fore-and-aft biasing means including: (i) a shaft means extending from the first end of said lower frame to the second end thereof; and (ii) spring means coupled between the first and second sides of said intermediate frame and said shaft means for exerting a biasing force on said intermediate frame.

Claim 6

The mattress suspension system according to claim 1 wherein said roller means includes: (a) first guide means coupled to the first end of said lower frame; and (b) second guide means coupled to the second end of said lower frame.

Claim 7

The mattress suspension system according to claim 4 wherein said roller means includes: (a) a first plurality of rollers extending from the first end of said intermediate frame into said first guide means; and (b) a second plurality of rollers extending from the second end of said intermediate frame into said second guide means.

Claim 8

A mattress suspension system attachable to a horizontally oriented deck of a vehicle for substantially reducing the amplitude of fore-and-aft excursions and of up and down excursions which are transmitted by the vehicle to an individual reclining on a mattress positioned above said suspension system, said suspension system comprising in combination: (a) a lower frame positionable above the deck and having first and second ends; (b) an intermediate frame having first and second ends and including roller means on the first and second ends thereof, said roller means being coupled to said lower frame for permitting a limited amount of fore-and-aft travel of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame in response to fore-and-aft excursions of the vehicle; (c) an upper frame positionable above said lower and said intermediate frames and below the mattress, said upper frame including first and second sides; and (d) damper means coupled to said upper and said intermediate frames for maintaining said upper frame above and in a fixed fore-and-aft position with respect to said intermediate frame and for permitting damped up and down excursions of said upper frame with respect to said intermediate frame in response to up and down excursions of said vehicle, said damper means including: (i) a first lever arm having first and second ends and a central portion, said first end being pivotally coupled to said upper frame and the central portion being pivotally coupled to said intermediate frame; (ii) a second lever arm having first and second ends and a central portion, said first end being coupled to said upper frame and the central portion being pivotally coupled to said intermediate frame; (iii) shaft means coupled to the second end of said first lever arm and to the second end of said second lever arm; and (iv) shock absorber means having a first end coupled to said shaft and a second end coupled to said intermediate frame.

Claim 9

A mattress suspension system attachable to a horizontally oriented deck of a vehicle for substantially reducing the amplitude of fore-and-aft excursions and of up and down excursions which are transmitted by the vehicle to an individual reclining on a mattress positioned above said suspension system, said suspension system comprising in combination: (a) a lower frame positionable above the deck and having first and second ends; (b) an intermediate frame having first and second ends and including roller means on the first and second ends thereof, said roller means being coupled to said lower frame for permitting a limited amount of fore-and-aft travel of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame in response to fore-and-aft excursions of the vehicle; (c) an upper frame positionable above said lower and said intermediate frames and below the mattress, said upper frame including first and second sides; and (d) damper means coupled to said upper and said intermediate frames for maintaining said upper frame above and in a fixed fore-and-aft position with respect to said intermediate frame and for permitting damped up and down excursions of said upper frame with respect to said intermediate frame in response to up and down excursions of said vehicle, said damper means including: (i) a first lever arm having first and second ends and a central portion, said first end being pivotally coupled to said upper frame and the central portion being pivotally coupled to said intermediate frame; (ii) a second lever arm having first and second ends and a central portion, said first end being coupled to said upper frame and the central portion being pivotally coupled to said intermediate frame; (iii) shaft means coupled to the second end of said first lever arm and to the second end of said second lever arm; and (iv) shock absorber means having a first end coupled to said shaft and a second end coupled to said intermediate frame.

Claim 10

The mattress suspension system according to claim 1 wherein said damper means includes: (a) a first lever arm having a first end, a second end and a central portion, said first end being coupled to said upper frame and said central portion being coupled to said intermediate frame; and (b) shock absorber means having a first end coupled to the second end of said lever arm and a second end coupled to said intermediate frame.

Claim 11

The mattress suspension system according to claim 7 wherein said damper means further includes damper biasing means for adjusting the damping force provided by said shock abosorber means.

Claim 12

A mattress suspension system attachable to a horizontally oriented deck of a vehicle for substantially reducing the amplitude of fore-and-aft excursions and of up and down excursions which are transmitted by the vehicle to an individual reclining on a mattress positioned above said suspension system, said suspension system comprising in combination: (a) a lower frame positionable above the deck and having first and second ends; (b) an intermediate frame having first and second ends and including roller means on the first and second ends thereof, said roller means being coupled to said lower frame for permitting a limited amount of fore-and-aft travel of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame in response to fore-and-aft excursions of the vehicle; (c) an upper frame positionable above said lower and said intermediate frames and below the mattress; and (c) damper means coupled to said upper and said intermediate frames for maintaining said upper frame above and in a fixed fore-and-aft position with respect to said intermediate frame and for permitting damped up and down excursions of said upper frame with respect to said intermediate frame in response to up and down excursions of said vehicle, said damper means including: (i) a first lever arm having a first end, a second end and a central portion, said first end being coupled to said upper frame and said central portion being coupled to said intermediate frame at a point toward the first end thereof; and (ii) shock absorber means having a first end coupled to the second end of said lever arm and a second end coupled to said intermediate frame said damper means further including spacer means coupled between said upper frame and said intermediate frame for maintaining a relatively fixed distance between the second end of said upper frame and the second end of said intermediate frame.

Claim 13

A mattress suspension system attachable to a horizontally oriented deck of a vehicle for substantially reducing the amplitude of fore-and-aft excursions and of up and down excursions which are transmitted by the vehicle to an individual reclining on a mattress positioned above said suspension system, said suspension system comprising in combination: (a) a lower frame positionable above the deck and having first and second ends; (b) an intermediate frame having first and second ends and including roller means on the first and second ends thereof, said roller means being coupled to said lower frame for permitting a limited amount of fore-and-aft travel of said intermediate frame with respect to said lower frame in response to fore-and-aft excursions of the vehicle; (c) an upper frame positionable above said lower and said intermediate frames and below the mattress; and (c) damper means coupled to said upper and said intermediate frames for maintaining said upper frame above and in a fixed fore-and-aft position with respect to said intermediate frame and for permitting damped up and down excursions of said upper frame with respect to said intermediate frame in response to up and down excursions of said vehicle, said damper means including: (i) a first lever arm having a first end, a second end and a central portion, said first end being coupled to said upper frame and said central portion being coupled to said intermediate frame at a point toward the first end thereof; and (ii) shock absorber means having a first end coupled to the second end of said lever arm and a second end coupled to said intermediate frame said damper means further including spacer means coupled between said upper frame and said intermediate frame for maintaining a relatively fixed distance between the second end of said upper frame and the second end of said intermediate frame.

Claim 14

The mattress suspension system according to claim 9 wherein said spacer means further includes a link.