Importance

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Abstract

A damping structure is disclosed to float freely within the envelope of a waterbed mattress. The damping structure comprises a bottom panel of flexible sheet material with a number of tubular structure extending upwardly therefrom. Each tubular structure is coupled to the bottom panel with a portion of the bottom panel closing the bottom end of the tubular structure. The tubular structure has side walls and is closed at a top end by a top panel. The top panels are buoyant and float the tubular structures upwardly so as to suspend the bottom panel spaced above the bottom sheet of the waterbed envelope. Ports are provided through the top panels, side walls and bottom end of the tubular structures and serve to permit fluid flow into and out of the tubular structures to assist in facilitating fluid displacement within the mattress and dampen wave motion therein. The ports through the side walls are open to permit flow even when the mattress is compressed in use. The ports through the top panel are normally closed by engagement with the top sheet of the envelope and the ports through the bottom panel become closed upon compression of the mattress by engagement of the bottom panel with the bottom sheet of the envelope. The novel configuration of the bottom panel, tubular structures, and ports therethrough provides improved wave dampening.

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First Claim