H. G. HARRIS ETI'AL
`April 17, 1951
`INFLATABLE MATTRESS FOR CRIBS AND THE LIKE
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`2,549,597
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`Filed March 10, 1948
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`IN VEN TORS .
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`INTEX EXHIBIT 2010, Pg. 1
`Bestway v. Intex; PGR2017-00003
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`Patented Apr. 17, 1951
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`7 2,549,597
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`UNlT’EDiSTATES PATENT OFFICE
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`INFLATABLE ‘MATTRESS FOR CRIBS
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`-
`~ AND THE LIKE -
`Herschel G. Harris, New York, and Edwin S.
`Davis, Hopewell Junction, N. Y., assignors to
`New York Rubber Corporation, New York, N. Y.,
`a corporation of New York
`,
`'
`Application March 10, 1948, Serial Nb. 13,988’ _'
`"
`3 Claims‘. (Cl. 5—348)
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`This invention relates to an in?atable mattress
`for cribs and the like, and has for an object to
`provide such an article which has substantially
`vertical sides and ends whereby there is imparted
`to the mattress a box-like formv with upper and
`lower edges, ‘as distinguished, for instance, from
`a form in which thetop and bottom members
`taper to a single edge or joint along the sides
`and ends.
`'
`.
`Another object is to provide ‘such an article in
`which the longitudinal side portions are, when
`inflated, thicker or higher than the intermediate
`portion, whereby the danger that the infant, or
`other occupant, may accidentally fall from the
`mattress is minimized.
`,
`Another object is to providesuch an article in
`which the greater height of the said longitudinal
`side portions is accentuated with respect to the
`upper surface of the mattress when the latter is
`placed upon a ?at support.
`'
`I
`Another object is to provide such an article
`.which may bevery quickly collapsed into small
`bulk for storage or transportation and readily
`in?ated, as with an ordinary tire pump, into con
`dition for use.
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`strong possibility, if not likelihood, that the oc
`cupant, especially in slumber, might move or roll
`off the mattress. This danger has been partic
`ularly acute in the case of infants, and its serious
`character has been emphasized in instances where
`the mattress has been laid or mounted on a sup
`port elevated from the floor. The usual bed, of
`; course, supplies no protective means at its sides
`to prevent such an ‘accident and, even in the case
`of cribs which are commonly provided with up
`standing sides as well as ends, it is highly de
`sirable to prevent the infant from moving or
`rolling against the sides. The present invention
`obviates to a very substantial extent these prior
`disadvantages, and supplies an in?atable mat
`tress which has a supporting form or shape com
`parable to a box spring or mattress while afford
`ing additional protection through side edge por
`tions that are elevated with respect to the inter
`mediate upper surface of the mattress, which
`relative elevation is increased by the effect of the
`bodily weight of the occupant.
`, Turning now to the embodiment of the in
`vention ‘shown in the accompanying drawing,
`the mattress comprises a top member denoted
`generally’ ‘by‘l and abottom member denoted
`‘generally by 2, which members are alike and
`preferably consist of sheets of textile fabric
`which have been suitably rubberized, as by im
`pregnation and/or coating,'to make them air
`tight, although it should be noted that any other
`appropriate sheet material that is impervious to
`air may be substituted, including sheet plastics
`and resinous substances, natural or synthetic,
`and fabrics treated with such substances. ’
`‘
`‘I‘Tfe mattress structure also includes sides
`marked 3,‘ 4, and ends marked 5, 6. While these
`parts have been indicated by separate reference
`numerals, we prefer to, and in practice do, form
`them from a single strip of material, which may
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`’ be either unitary from end to end or consist of
`a number of individual pieces suitably secured
`together. The‘material is desirably like or simi
`lar to that of which the top and bottom members
`I, 2, are composed although, as previously men
`tioned in connection with the latter, other suit
`able ?exible sheet material, impervious to air,
`may be adopted. The upper and lower edges of
`the material composing the said side and end
`portions are folded, as well shown at l and 8 in
`Fig. 4, so as to take substantially right angular
`positions with respect to the main body portion
`thereof, and the upper surface of the edge ‘I and
`lower surface of the edge 8 are coated or other
`wise treated with ‘awvulcanizabled rubber com
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`Another object is to provide such an article
`in which the top and bottom members are united
`by flexible stays so as to maintain the desired
`form of the mattress when in?ated.
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`‘
`Another object is to provide such an article
`which is composed of comparatively inexpensive '
`and readily obtainable materials'and which can
`be manufactured, either with or without the use '
`of a vulcanizing mold, by simple procedure-‘well
`known to those skilled in the rubber industry. I
`A further object is to provide certain improve
`ments in the form, construction and arrange
`ment of the parts whereby the ,abovenamed and
`other objects may be effectively attained.
`A practical embodiment of the invention is
`shown in the accompanying drawing in which
`Fig, 1 represents a top plan View, partly broken
`away, of the mattress when in?ated;
`_
`Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same;
`Fig. 3 represents an end elevation thereof; and V‘
`Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detail section
`taken in the plane of the line >IV-’-IV of Fig. 1,
`looking in the direction of the arrows.
`In the manufacture of inflatable mattresses it
`has been the previous practice to unite the top
`and bottom members at a single or common pe
`ripheral edge, and this has tended to the produc
`tion' of such articles which have been, so to
`speak, tapered or beveled along their outer edges
`with the concurrent disadvantage of offering the
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`pound while the under surface of the peripheral
`edge of the top member I and upper surface of
`the corresponding edge of the bottom member
`2 are similarly coated or treated, whereby the
`said parts may be caused to adhere and unite
`under the effect of vulcanizing heat and pres
`sure, as will be fully clear to informed operatives
`in the rubber industry without further descrip
`tion. This union of the top and bottom with
`the sides and ends may be accomplished by roll
`ing or stitching the said coated or treated edges
`followed by submission to open steam or other
`form of heat Of suitable temperature for an ap
`propriate time; or, on the other hand, the said
`edge portions may be united by pressure be
`tween properly designed mold members which
`are supplied with or subjected to vulcanizing“
`heat. In lieu of‘heat vulcanizable rubber com
`pounds resort may be had if desired to the so
`called self curing compounds which vulcanized
`at normal or substantially normal temperatures.
`A number of stays, each of which is denoted
`by 9, are positioned within the mattress prior
`to the uniting of the several parts ‘and are
`preferably longitudinally disposed therein as
`clearly shown in Fig. 1. ‘The said stays are de
`sirably composed of ?exible sheet material which
`is the‘ same, or substantially the same, as that
`of which the previously described parts of the
`mattress are composed, and the said stays, like
`the side and end members, have their upper and
`lower edges [0, ll, folded at right angles to the
`body portions thereof, as well shown in Fig. 4,
`while the ‘upper surfaces of the edges I0 and
`lower surfaces of the edges II are coated or
`treated with a vulcanizable rubber compound.
`The parts of the under surface of the top mem
`ber l and the upper surface of the bottom mem
`ber 2, which the stays are designed to contact,
`are similarly coated or treated with a vulcaniza
`ble compound, and the stays are ?rmly united
`with the top and bottom members in a manner
`the same as or similar to that hereinabove de
`scribed for the purpose of uniting the top and
`bottom members with the sides and ends of the
`mattress.
`‘
`It will be observed that the height of the said
`stays 9 is shown as substantially the same as the
`height of the sides and ends of the mattress so
`that the top and bottom members are restrained '
`by the stays from separating along the lines
`where the stays are united therewith a distance
`greater than the height of the sides and edges
`of the mattress. However, we purposely provide
`sufficient slack or increased material area in the I
`side edge portions of the top'and bottom mem
`bers I, 2, which extend from the sides 3, ll, to
`the ‘stays that are adjacent the said sides, to
`permit the said side edge portions of the top
`and bottom members to bulge away from each
`other when the mattress is in?ated to such an
`extent as to cause the longitudinal or side edge
`portions of the mattress to be of substantially
`greater height or thickness than the intermediate
`main body portion, as indicated atv l2 and I3.
`This is augmented by spacing the stays that are
`adjacent the sides further from the sides than
`the stays‘are spaced from each other, a shown
`in Figs. 1 and 4. It should also be remarked
`that, in order to provide a continuous air channel
`throughout the mattress for rapid in?ation
`thereof, the stays 9 do not extend for quite the
`entire length of the mattress but have their ex
`tremities slightly spaced from the ends of 'the
`mattress, as is well illustrated in Fig. 1. To per
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`mit in?ation a valve M, of any well known or
`approved form, is ?tted in a corner of the mat
`tress, as indicated in Fig. 1, the connection of
`the valve with the mattress being, of course,
`rendered airtight in any suitable manner as is
`well understood in the rubber industry. In
`?ation may be effected by hand tire pump or
`from any other source of compressed air and,
`indeed, the structure is so comparatively light
`and ?exible as to permit in?ation by the user
`without mechanical aid.
`When‘ in?ated the mattress will take substan
`tially the form represented in the drawing and
`it will be recognized that, when the inflated mat
`tress is laid upon a substantially ?at support,
`the relative height of the longitudinal edge por
`tions as compared with the intermediate body
`portion will be greater than shown in the draw
`ing because the bottoms of the said edge por
`tions will assume substantially the same level
`as the bottom of the intermediate portion of the
`mattress thereby, so to speak, bending said edge
`portionsrelatively upwardly. This effect is in
`creased by the bodily weight of the occupant upon
`the said intermediate portion of the mattress.
`Our‘ invention thus provides an in?atable
`mattress which accomplishes the objects herein
`above stated, as well as others inherent in its
`form and construction, while obviating previous
`disadvantages and dangers, without to any sub
`stantial extent increasing cost or complication in
`manufacture. While- we have hereinabove re
`ferred to this article as a crib mattress because
`of its particular adaptability to that use, it is
`however of general utility and may be employed
`with or without a supporting structure such as
`crib or bed.
`i
`It will be understood that various changes may
`be resorted to in the form, construction, arrange
`ment, material, shape and proportions of the sev
`eral parts without departing from the spirit or
`scope of the invention, and hence we do not in
`tend to be limited to details herein shown or
`described except as they may be included. in the
`claims or be required by disclosures of the prior
`art.
`‘ ‘What we claim is:
`1. An in?atable box-like mattress composed
`of ?exible material and comprising, a top mem
`ber, a bottom member, side members, end mem
`bers, and longitudinal internal stay members
`extending from the top member to the bottom
`member, said members being secured together in
`airtight union, said stay members being of sub
`stantially the same height as said side and end
`members, those portions of the top and bottom
`members extending from the side members to
`the adjacent stay members exceeding in area
`the space between each side member and its
`adjacent stay member whereby, when the mat
`tress is in?ated, its longitudinal side portions
`will be greater in vertical dimension than its
`intermediate portion, the perimetrical portion of
`the mattress, formed of the side and end mem
`bers, beingv of substantially uniform height
`throughout.
`2. An in?atable box-like mattress composed
`of ?exible material and comprising, a top mem
`ber, a bottom member, side members, end mem
`bers, and longitudinal internal stay members
`extending from the top member to the bottom
`member, said members being secured together in
`airtight union, said stay members being of sub
`stantially the same height as said side and end
`members, those portions of the top and bottom
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`INTEX EXHIBIT 2010, Pg. 3
`Bestway v. Intex; PGR2017-00003
`
`

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`2,549,597
`members extending from the side members to
`the adjacent stay members exceeding in area
`the space between each side member and its
`adjacent stay member, and said last named stay
`members being spaced further from their adja- “
`cent side members than the several stay members
`are spaced from each other whereby, when the
`mattress is in?ated, its longitudinal side por
`tions will be greater in vertical dimension than
`its intermediate portion, the perimetrical por
`tion of the mattress, formed of the side and end
`members, being of substantially uniform height
`throughout.
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`3. An in?atable box-like mattress composed of
`?exible material and comprising, a top member,
`a bottom member, side members, end members,
`and longitudinal internal stay members extend
`ing from the top member to the bottom mem
`ber, said members being secured together in air
`tight union, said stay members being of sub
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`stantially the same height as said side and end
`members, those portions of‘ the top and bottom
`members extending from the side members to
`the adjacent stay members exceeding in area
`the space between each side member and its
`adjacent stay member, and said last named stay
`members being spaced further from their adja
`cent side members than the several stay mem
`bers are spaced from each other whereby, when
`
`REFERENCES CITED
`The following references are of record in the
`file of this patent:
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`Name
`Date
`Somes __________ __ Oct. 12, 1869
`Laurila _________ __ May 17, 1910
`Rubin ___________ __ Jan. 23,1934
`Manson et al _____ __ Mar. 27, 1945
`Rogers et a1. ______ Mar. 22, 1949
`FOREIGN PATENTS
`Date
`Country
`Italy _____________ __ Nov. 5, 1935
`Great Britain ____ __ Dec. 10, 1934
`
`Number
`95,848
`957,892
`1,944,466
`2,372,218
`2,465,268
`
`Number
`331,378
`434,098
`
`6
`>
`the mattress is in?ated, its longitudinal side por
`tions will extend vertically above and below its
`intermediate portion and, when the mattress is
`laid on a substantially ?at support, the vertical
`extension of said longitudinal side portions above
`the top member will be increased by the bodily
`weight of an occupant, the perimetrical portion
`of the mattress, formed of the side and end mem
`bers,
`being of substantially uniform height
`throughout.
`'
`
`HERSCI-IEL G. HARRIS.
`EDWIN S. DAVIS.
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`10
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`25
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`INTEX EXHIBIT 2010, Pg. 4
`Bestway v. Intex; PGR2017-00003
`
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