Flotation sleeping mattress constructions

Claim 1

In a flotation sleeping mattress of the fluid-inflatable type externally defined by six substantially rectangular flexible fluid-impervious resinous external panels including: two broad-panels including a top-panel overlying a dimensionally similar bottom-panel and both comprising four lineal edges including a pair of substantially parallel lengthier longitudinal-edges defining therebetween a finite lateral-width for the mattress top-panel and a pair of substantially parallel shorter lateral-edges defining therebetween a finite longitudinal-length for the mattress top-panel; two dimensionally similar and longitudinally extending side-panels and each having fluid-impervious connections of said finite longitudinal-length along respective longitudinal-edges of the broad-panels; and two dimensionally similar and laterally extending end-panels and each having lineal fluid-impervious connections of said finite lateral-width along respective lateral-edges of the broad panels, the improvement of: (A) a plurality of substantially parallel flexible rectangular baffle-panels of the fluid-impervious resinous type, each said baffle-panel being substantially parallel to a said side-panel and bearing a ratio within the range of 0.90 to 0.99 as compared to said finite longitudinal-length, and each such baffle-panel having linearly extending continuous fluid-impervious connections to the broad-panels, whereby said parallel baffle-panels provide a plurality of linearly extending and solely terminally communicating internal chambers within said fluid-inflatable mattress and wherein such baffle-panels partitions resist abrupt fluid displacements directionally normal thereto whenever the mattress occupant moves along a plane overlying the mattress top-panel, and the said baffle-panels being located at laterally consecutive regular-intervals of about four to eight inches and whereby said lateral-width bears a ratio of at least about eight as compared to the baffle-panels regular-intervals; and (B) a fluid filling spout equipped with a removable cap and said spout extending through the mattress into one internal chamber, and resinous air-relief valves in structurally continuously attached condition to the top-panel and each being relegated to communication with respective of the remaining internal chambers, each said resinous air-relief valve comprising a flexible valve tube with a lower flapper valve and an upper cap, said valve tube being connected to the top panel with a flexible extension and being vertically movable to assume positions above and below the top-panel whereby when a pinching pressure is exerted on the upper portion of the valve, tube a flapper valve gap is established permitting the purging of air bubbles.