Air bubbling mat for use in bathtubs for producing bubbling and full-foam baths

摘要

The mat is arranged to be connected to an air distribution device and a blower, and comprises a substantially rectangular, flat, and relatively elongated hollow body of a suitable material, such as plastic or rubber, with upper and lower walls forming, respectively, upper and lower support surfaces for a patient's body, and interconnected by side and end walls. The body has an upper portion, including the upper wall, formed with a plurality of air chambers and with air passages, and a lower portion, including the lower wall, having ribs or elevations extending therefrom. The upper wall is pressure-formed to define a plurality of channels or grooves extending longitudinally and centrally of the body and a plurality of channels or grooves extending laterally outwardly from the central grooves or channels. The bases of these grooves are formed with perforations opening through the upper wall. An air distributing manifold is incorporated in the body and the air passages establish at least partial communication between the air chambers and further establish electrically controllable communication between individual air chambers and the manifold. Further elongated chambers extend along each longer peripheral edge of the body, and have perforations directed through the side walls closely adjacent to the lower wall of the body. In one embodiment, respective coupling sleeves are provided on the upper and lower walls at the manifold, with one coupling sleeve communicating with the central and laterally extending chambers and the other coupling sleeve communicating with the chambers extending along the longer edge of the body. In another embodiment of the invention, two coupling sleeves are provided on the upper wall of the body, one communicating with the centrally and laterally extending air chambers and the other communicating with the air chambers extending along the longer peripheral edges of the body. If the body is made of fully flexible material, supports may be provided extending from the upper wall to engage the lower wall, and these supports are tapered in a downward direction.