Inflatable mattress systems and method of manufacture thereof

1. A method of manufacturing an inflatable air cushion, said method comprising the steps of:

forming a generally longitudinally continuous cushion precursor stock of a substantially airtight material, said stock including a series of longitudinally spaced laterally extending support tubes each having two lateral ends and an interior, a pair of longitudinally extending side tubes each adjacent to a respective set of said lateral ends of said support tubes, and each being generally co-planar with said support tubes;

cutting said precursor stock at a location suitable for the length of the inflatable cushion;

sealing longitudinal ends of the said side tubes so that air does not escape therefrom when the cushion is inflated; and

wherein said precursor stock is formed to include a first passage structure defining a first continuous longitudinally extending passage in the stock communicating with an interior of some of said support tubes, and a second passage structure defining a second continuous longitudinally extending passage in the stock communicating with others of said support tubes.

2. The method of claim 1 , and

sealing said first and second passages closed to permit inflation therewith.

3. The method of claim 1 , and

inserting into said first and second passages fixtures adapted to connect with hoses supplying air to said passages for inflating the cushion.

4. The method of claim 1 , and

said forming of said precursor stock including bonding first and second sheets of airtight material together with laterally extending seals to form said support tubes.

5. The method of claim 4 , and

said passage structures defining said longitudinally extending passages to extend through said seals without interruption.

6. The method of claim 5 , and

said longitudinally extending passages being kept open through said seals by an insert placed therein during forming of the seals or by coating a surface of the structure defining the passage with a substance, such as ink, to prevent bonding therein during the forming of the seals.

7. The method of claim 1 , and

said forming of the stock including applying a fill sheet over said support tubes and a top sheet extending thereabove, said top sheet being bonded to at least a portion of a perimeter of the air cushion, and being of a water vapor permeable, and liquid water impermeable sheet material.

8. The method of claim 1 , and

one of said passages communicating with a first subset of said support tubes and the other of said passages communicating with a second subset of said support tubes.

9. The method of claim 1 , and

wherein said cushion comprises a mattress.

10. A method of manufacturing an inflatable air cushion, said method comprising the steps of:

forming a generally longitudinally continuous cushion precursor stock of a substantially airtight material, said stock including a series of longitudinally spaced laterally extending support tubes each having two lateral ends and an interior and a plurality of pleats or gussets folded into said precursor stock so as to allow each of the support tubes to swell into a generally cylindrical shape, a pair of longitudinally extending side tubes each adjacent to a respective set of said lateral ends of said support tubes, and each being generally co-planar with said support tubes;

cutting said precursor stock at a location suitable for the length of the inflatable cushion; and

sealing longitudinal ends of the said side tubes so that air does not escape therefrom when the cushion is inflated.

11. The method of claim 10 , and

wherein said precursor stock is formed to include a first passage structure defining a first continuous longitudinally extending passage in the stock communicating with an interior of some of said support tubes, and a second passage structure defining a second continuous longitudinally extending passage in the stock communicating with others of said support tubes; and

said method further comprising sealing said first and second passages closed to permit inflation therewith.

12. The method of claim 11 , and

inserting into said first and second passages fixtures adapted to connect with hoses supplying air to said passages for inflating the cushion.

13. The method of claim 11 , and

said forming of said precursor stock including bonding first and second sheets of airtight material together with laterally extending seals to form said support tubes.

14. The method of claim 13 , and

said passage structures defining said longitudinally extending passages to extend through said seals without interruption.

15. The method of claim 14 , and

said longitudinally extending passages being kept open through said seals by an insert placed therein during forming of the seals or by coating a surface of the structure defining the passage with a substance, such as ink, to prevent bonding therein during the forming of the seals.

16. The method of claim 10 , and

said forming of the stock including applying a fill sheet over said support tubes and a top sheet extending thereabove, said top sheet being bonded to at least a portion of a perimeter of the air cushion, and being of a water vapor permeable, and liquid water impermeable sheet material.

17. The method of claim 11 , and

one of said passages communicating with a first subset of said support tubes and the other of said passages communicating with a second subset of said support tubes.

18. The method of claim 10 , and

wherein said cushion comprises a mattress.