Mattress for bed with step deck and bed therewith

Abstract

A mattress comprises a resilient layer having a lower portion and side walls shaped to generally mate with a recessed bed deck and one or more cells supported in relation to the resilient layer and generally within the recess. The cells have a low air permeability envelope and an inflation structure within the envelope. The inflation structure is configured to expand within the envelope when unloaded to cause the envelope to fill with air.

1 . A mattress for a bed having a deck comprising a recess at least a portion of which is defined at least in part by a lower deck and one or more side walls, the mattress comprising:
 a resilient layer having a lower portion and side walls shaped to generally mate with the recess; and   one or more cells supported in relation to the resilient layer and generally within the recess, the cells having a low air permeability envelope and an inflation structure within the envelope, the inflation structure being configured to expand within the envelope when unloaded to cause the envelope to fill with air.   
     
     
         2 . The mattress according to  claim 1  further comprising a check valve serving to permit air flow into the envelope while preventing air flow from the envelope, the inflation structure being configured to expand within the envelope when unloaded to cause the envelope to fill with air through the check valve. 
     
     
         3 . The mattress according to  claim 2 , wherein the inflation structure comprises a foam that is sufficiently resilient to inflate the envelope through the check valve while providing a low contribution to the compliance of the cell. 
     
     
         4 . The mattress according to  claim 1 , wherein the cells comprise a plurality of cells in a plurality of zones, each zone comprising at least one of the plurality of cells, the cells of each of the zones differing from the cells of each of the other zones by an inflation volume defined by the configuration of the inflation structure. 
     
     
         5 . The mattress according to  claim 4 , wherein each zone has at least one check valve serving to permit air flow into the cells therein while preventing air flow from the cells therein. 
     
     
         6 . The mattress according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of zones comprises at least three separate pressure zones corresponding to a head, knee and foot section of the bed. 
     
     
         7 . The mattress according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer is a foam layer and the cell is one of a plurality of cells disposed within the high density foam layer. 
     
     
         8 . The mattress according to  claim 1 , further comprising a topper situated above the one or more cells. 
     
     
         9 . The mattress according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cover over the mattress, the cover being configured to provide an environmental barrier. 
     
     
         10 . The mattress according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflation structure comprises a foam structure having sufficient resiliency to return the cell to a nominal state after compression of the cell and thereby draw in air through a check valve to inflate the cell, the foam structure being a foam cylinder, the cell volume being controlled by removing a portion the foam cylinder along a length thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The mattress according to  claim 1 , further comprising a bladder within the inflation structure, the bladder having an external port for selective inflation and deflation of the bladder via an external tool. 
     
     
         12 . The mattress according to  claim 11 , wherein the inflation structure comprises a hollow foam insert, the bladder being inserted within a hollow space of the foam insert, the hollow space being principally disposed within an upper portion of the foam insert close to a user support surface of the mattress. 
     
     
         13 . The mattress according to  claim 11 , further comprising an alternating pressure controller, the alternating pressure controller being operable to sequentially inflate and deflate the bladder. 
     
     
         14 . The mattress according to  claim 11 , wherein the bladder is formed integrally with the envelope. 
     
     
         15 . The mattress according to  claim 11 , wherein the inflation structure comprises a cylindrical foam structure having a portion removed along a surface of the cylindrical foam structure, the bladder being within a D-shaped hollow space of the cylindrical foam structure in an upper portion of the cylindrical foam structure. 
     
     
         16 . The mattress according to  claim 15 , wherein the one or more cells are one of a plurality of cells in a plurality of zones comprising at least three zones comprising head, seat and foot zones each comprising at least one cell of the plurality of cells, the cells being cylindrical and transversely disposed along a length of the mattress, the cylindrical foam structure in the cells in each of the zones differing in cross section to provide differential support for the head, seat and foot zones, and two alternating pressure zones each comprising the bladders of alternating ones of the cells along the length of the mattress. 
     
     
         17 . A bed comprising:
 a bed frame;   a bed deck supported in relation to the bed frame, the bed deck comprising a recess at least a portion of which is defined at least in part by a lower deck and one or more side walls;   a mattress having at least a portion in the recess extending across the lower bed deck, the mattress comprising:
 a resilient layer shaped to generally mate with the recess; and 
 a cell supported in relation to the recess, the cell having a low air permeability envelope and an inflation structure within the envelope, the inflation structure being configured to expand within the envelope when unloaded to cause the envelope to fill with air. 
   
     
     
         18 . The bed according to  claim 17  wherein the bed deck further comprises an upper deck, the side wall being between the lower deck and the upper deck, the layer having a portion resting on the upper bed deck. 
     
     
         19 . The bed according to  claim 17  wherein the bed deck is a generally V-shaped bed deck and the resilient layer is a generally V-shaped layer to generally mate with the V-shaped recess.