US5035016A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air-mat apparatus
Assignee: Nitto Kohki Co Ltd
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Filing: 1990-11-26
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Granted: 1991-07-30
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Expires: 2010-11-26
Abstract
Abstract In an air-mat apparatus, air mat has four air bags, two of which have a plurality of air-jetting holes and two others of which have no holes. In a preferred embodiment, the bags having the air-jetting holes are arranged in a zigzag pattern while the remaining two bags are arranged in a comb-shaped pattern. Air ports for the bags having air-jetting holes are connected through flowrate-adjusting valves to an air-distributing valve, while the air ports of the bags having no holes are also connected to the air-distributing valve but not through the flowrate-adjusting valves. The arrangement permits two of the air bags to be inflated and deflated to a specific degree, and the other two air bags to be inflated and deflated to a different degree.
Inventors
- 👤 Tamotsu Mori
- 👤 Katsuji Kikuchi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 01:58
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61G; A61G7/00; A61G7/05; A61G7/057; A61G7/05769; A61G7/05776
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
An air-mat apparatus comprising; a substantially rectangular air mat comprising first to fourth air bags closely arranged and air supply ports through which pressurized air is supplied to the air bags, the first bag having no holes and the second bag having air-jetting holes, the third bag having air-jetting holes and the fourth bag having no holes, wherein the first and second bags comprise a first group, and the third and fourth bags comprise a second group; pressurized air supplying means for supplying air to the air supply ports of said air mat; means for maintaining the supplying air at a predetermined pressure; air-distributing means connected to said pressurized air-supplying means, for periodically distributing the pressurized air to be supplied to the first and second groups of bags; air flow paths connected between said air-distributing means and said air mat; and user accessible flow-rate adjusting means connected to said air flow path which is connected to the second and third bags of the first and second groups, respectively, having holes, for individually adjusting the flow rate of the pressurized air flowing through said air flow path toward the second and third bags.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
An air-mat apparatus comprising; a substantially rectangular air mat comprising first to fourth air bags closely arranged and air supply ports through which pressurized air is supplied to the air bags, the first bag having no holes and the second bag having air-jetting holes, the third bag having air-jetting holes and the fourth bag having no holes, wherein the first and second bags comprise a first group, and the third and fourth bags comprise a second group; pressurized air supplying means for supplying air to the air supply ports of said air mat; means for maintaining the supplying air at a predetermined pressure; air-distributing means connected to said pressurized air-supplying means, for periodically distributing the pressurized air to be supplied to the first and second groups of bags; air flow paths connected between said air-distributing means and said air mat; and user accessible flow-rate adjusting means connected to said air flow path which is connected to the second and third bags of the first and second groups, respectively, having holes, for individually adjusting the flow rate of the pressurized air flowing through said air flow path toward the second and third bags.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressurized air-supplying means includes a pump for generating pressurized air, and a pressure-controlling valve for maintaining the pressurized air at the predetermined pressure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air-distributing means includes an air-discharging path open to the atmosphere, and at least one air flow path which is connected, at one end, to either said pressurized air-supplying means or said air-discharging path such that when said one end is connected to said air supplying means, the pressurized air is supplied into the air bag connected to the other end of the air flow path, thereby to inflate this air bag.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said air-distributing means connects said air flow path alternately to said pressurized air-supplying means and said air-discharging path, for predetermined period of time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two of said four air bags are arranged zigzag in mutual contact.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two of said air bags are in mutual contact and are arranged in a zigzag pattern, and two other of said air bags are separated from each other by said two bags in said zigzag pattern and are generally comb-shaped.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air bags having air-jetting holes have a width smaller than that of said air bags having no holes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said two bags arranged zigzag are said second and third bags.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The air-mat apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said two bags arranged in a zigzag pattern are said second and third bags.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-29 | 1995-01-28 | 1995-07-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-29 | 1999-01-28 | 1999-07-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-07-29 | 2003-01-28 | 2003-07-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |