Description

The present invention relates to an air bag, such as but not limited to an inflatable lounger. At the time of the present invention, Roomox offers for sale an inflatable air bag as a lounger which is called "Air Lounge". This lounger has a holder with a wall which is made from air-tight fabric which wall surrounds an interior space. The wall is provided with an air-inlet opening by means of which air can be trapped in the interior space by a person moving the air-inlet opening through the air. The lounger is provided with sealing means to seal the air-inlet opening after air has been trapped in the interior space. The sealing means comprise two slats which can be arranged against each other and, in the unloaded state, have a curved shape, with the two opposite ends of each of the two slats enclosing an angle of approximately 45 degrees. It was found not to be convenient to open and close the air-inlet opening by moving the two slats away from each other and towards each other, respectively. In use, a person will rotate the two slats after they have been arranged against each other, so that the adjacent material of the fabric is wound around the two slats arranged against each other. In this case, the fabric tends to accumulate at the centre of the length of the slats, while less fabric is wound around the ends of the slats, thus increasing the risk of air escaping from the interior space of the lounger due to the wound fabric.

It is an object of the invention, optionaMy in preferred embodiments of the invention, to offer an improvement for the abovementioned drawbacks of the known lounger, which improvement is also usable with air bags of different types than a lounger. To this end, the invention provides an air bag, such as a lounger, comprising a holder with a wall which is made from an air-tight fabric, and with an interior space which is enclosed by the wall and, in use, filled with air, which holder is provided with an air-inlet opening which is defined by at least a part of a free edge of the fabric for allowing air to enter the interior space via the air-inlet opening as a result of a person moving the air-inlet opening through the air, the holder furthermore comprising sealing means for sealing the air-inlet opening in an air-tight manner after air has been trapped in the interior space, which sealing means comprise two flexible slats which are connected to the fabric at the periphery of the air-inlet opening and can be arranged against each other, the sealing means furthermore comprising a first coupling member on first ends of the slats which are situated close together and a second coupling member on second ends of the slats which are situated close together and opposite the first ends, which first coupling member and second coupling member are configured to cooperate with each other or other coupling members in a coupling manner so that, if the slats are arranged against each other and have been bent together to form a curved position, the slats are held in the curved position, wherein the slats are so resilient that they have a straight profile in an unloaded state and can be bent through 180 degrees, counter to spring action, by the external application of force on the slats and the slats will bend back on account of the spring action when the external force is removed, so that the slats have a straight or at least substantially straight profile again. The above expression "straight or at least substantially straight" should be understood to refer to the situation where opposite ends of the two slats enclose an angle of at most 10 degrees. Due to the fact that the slats are so resilient that, in the unloaded state, they have a straight or at least substantially straight profile, despite the fact that they can be bent through 180 degrees, opening and closing of the air-inlet opening by respectively moving the slats apart or towards each other can be performed much more easily by a person. In addition, winding the fabric around two slats which are situated against each other and have a straight profile or at least tend to have a straight profile is more likely to take place in such a way that the material of the fabric is distributed relatively uniformly over the length of the slats, thus benefitting the air-sealing action of the closure.

Preferably, the slats are made of fibre-reinforced plastic. Such slats may be relatively thin and light and may, in addition, have the required or at least desired bending stiffness and resilience.

The plastic is preferably a copolymer, such as more preferably a copolymer comprising vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate.

The fibres are preferably glass fibres, although other types of fibres, such as for example aramide fibres or carbon fibres are also possible within the scope of the invention.

A suitable material for the slats may be obtained if the material of the slats comprises 40 to 80 % by weight of fibres, 20 to 60 % by weight of copolymer and 0 to 20 % by weight of remaining components. With a view to savings in weight and material, it is preferred if the slats have a thickness of at most 1 .8 mm, preferably at most 1 .5 mm. A practical embodiment of the invention may be obtained if the slats are accommodated in at least one folded strip, in which case the folded strip may ensure an at least substantially air-tight connection between the fabric and the slats.

In order to reduce the risk of air leaking from the interior space, it may be advantageous if the folded strip extends along the entire periphery of the air- inlet opening, in particular if the folded strip adjoins the entire periphery of the air- inlet opening.

The folded strip may be stitched to the fabric at the air-inlet opening.

The risk of air leaking from the interior space can also be reduced if the air bag, near at least one of the two slats, comprises a sealing strip which extends parallel to the respective at least one slat. In use, such a sealing strip may adjoin a slat and form a seal for air which has a tendency to escape from the interior space through the layers of the fabric wound around the two slats arranged against each other.

The air-sealing action of such a sealing strip may be produced in particular if the sealing strip extends along the entire periphery of the air-inlet opening, wherein it is furthermore possible for the sealing strip to adjoin the entire periphery of the air-inlet opening.

The air-sealing action of the sealing strip may be assisted further if the sealing strip is made of an elastic material.

The material of the sealing strip may comprise rubber in order to provide elasticity to the material of the sealing strip.

An advantageous embodiment can furthermore be obtained if the sealing strip is folded.

If the slats are accommodated in a folded strip, it may furthermore be preferable for the folded sealing strip to extend around at least one, preferably both, longitudinal edges of the at least one folded strip. Thus, the risk of leakage can be reduced further.

In a practical embodiment, the sealing strip is provided on a longitudinal side of the two slats.

In this case, it may be advantageous if the sealing strip can be folded against an outer side of two opposite slats. The use of the sealing strip, optionally in the possible embodiments described above, also offers advantages with prior-art air bags. In such a case, it involves an air bag, such as a lounger, comprising a holder with a wall which is made from an air-tight fabric, and with an interior space which is enclosed by the wall and, in use, filled with air, which holder is provided with an air-inlet opening which is defined by at least a part of a free edge of the fabric for allowing air to enter the interior space via the air-inlet opening as a result of a person moving the air-inlet opening through the air, the holder furthermore comprising sealing means for sealing the air-inlet opening in an air-tight manner after air has been trapped in the interior space, which sealing means comprise two flexible slats which are connected to the fabric at the periphery of the air-inlet opening and can be arranged against each other, the sealing means furthermore comprising a first coupling member on first ends of the slats which are situated close together and a second coupling member on second ends of the slats which are situated close together and opposite the first ends, which first coupling member and second coupling member are configured to cooperate with each other or other coupling members in a coupling manner so that, if the slats are arranged against each other and have been bent together to form a curved position, the slats are held in the curved position, wherein the air bag, near at least one of the two slats, comprises a sealing strip which extends parallel to the respective at least one slat.

The invention will be explained in more detail by means of the description of a possible embodiment of the invention with reference to the attached figures, in which:

Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a cross section of the vicinity of the air-inlet opening of an air bag according to the invention during production thereof, more specifically while fitting the sealing means;

Figs. 2 to 4 diagrammatically show a cross section of the vicinity from Fig. 1 in successive stages taking place after Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5 shows the air-inlet opening in an open position;

Fig. 6 shows the air-inlet opening as sealed by the sealing means of the air bag.

Fig. 1 only shows a partial air bag 2. This air bag 2 has a holder with a wall which is made from an air-tight fabric, for example of nylon, which is coated, on the eventual inner side of the air bag, with thermoplastic polyurethane. In the position of use, the wall surrounds an interior space 3 (Figs. 4 and 5) which can be filled with air. In Fig. 1 , two opposite wall portions 4, 5 of the wall with free edges 6, 7 from.

On the sides of the wall portions 4, 5 facing each other in Fig. 1 , a folded strip 8 is stitched to the fabric of the wall of the holder via circumferential stitched seam 9 at the location of the free edges 6, 7, which in fact form a continuous free edge, which continuous free edge will be denoted below by reference numeral "6/7". In this case, the longitudinal edges 8a, 8b are situated on the continuous free edge 6/7 and the folded edge extends in the direction of the interior space 3, parallel to the wall portions 4, 5. Two slats 10, 1 1 are provided in the folded edge. These slats 10, 1 1 are made of fibre-reinforced plastic material. More specifically, the slats 10, 1 1 are made of a material comprising a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate which has been reinforced with glass fibres and which material also comprises a few other components. The weight ratio between the copolymer, the glass fibres and the other components is 65%, 30% and 5%. The slats 10, 1 1 each have a length of 81 .5 cm, a width of 4 cm and a thickness of 1 .23 mm. The slats are flexible and resilient and in such a way that, in the unloaded state, the slats have a straight profile, but, when arranged in pairs against each other, the slats can be loaded manually in order to bend them at least through 180 degrees.

In the next stage, shown in Fig. 2, a sealing strip 13 is wound around the free edges 6/7, 8a and 8b and attached to both the wall portions 4, 5 and the folded strip 8 via circumferential stitched seam 12. The sealing strip is made of or at least comprises rubber, for example a non-slip polyurethane, as a result of which the material of the sealing strip 13 is elastically compressible.

Subsequently, the folded strips 8 are moved towards each other through the air-inlet opening 1 , according to arrows 14a, 14b, resulting in the situation according to Fig. 3.

Next, the air bag is turned inside out, resulting in the situation according to Fig. 4. The air bag 2 is then in effect ready for use. In this position, an air-inlet opening has been produced which extends on the inner side of the circumferential free edge 6/7 of the wall portions 4, 5.

Before using air bag 2, a person may open the air-inlet opening 1 by moving the slats 10, 1 1 apart, counter to their resilience, during which movement the slats 10, 1 1 will bend away from each other, as is shown in Fig. 5. After air has flowed into the interior space 3 via the air-inlet opening 1 by moving the air-inlet opening through the air, this air can be trapped in the interior space 3 by arranging the slats 10, 1 1 against each other, as is illustrated in Fig. 4. In this case, opposite sides of the sealing strip 13 will also come to lie against each other. In this case, the slats 10, 1 1 will assume, or at least tend to assume, a straight profile. The person then turns the slats according to arrow 15, as a result of which, firstly, the sealing strip 13 comes to lie against slat 1 1 , more specifically against the part of the folded strip 8 which is wound around slat 1 1 . Upon further rotation, the fabric winds itself around the two slats 10, 1 1 arranged against each other. The material of the fabric will in this case be distributed relatively evenly along the length of the slats 10, 1 1 . Due to the air bag being rolled up, the volume of the interior space is reduced and the pressure is increased, as a result of which the air bag will assume its form of use.

The slats 10, 1 1 are then bent, together with the fabric wound around them, counter to the spring action of the slats 10, 1 1 , as is indicated by reference numeral 16 in Fig. 6. Next, clasp parts 17, 18, which are provided on opposite ends of the slats 10, 1 1 and are connected to the outer side of the folded strip 8 there, are connected to each other, as a result of which the curved position is secured. The wound fabric helps to prevent air from escaping from the interior space 3 and this effect is increased by the use of the elastic sealing strip 13.