Bedsore-preventing air mattress controller

• US 4,825,486 A
• Filed: 12/24/1987
• Issued: 05/02/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Satoshi, Naruse, Haruhiko, Kimura, Rokusaburo, Watari, Yoshie
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Gary L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILANO, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US07/137,584
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 5/453, 5/455, 5/456
• US Class Current: 5/713
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05776 with at least two groups of alternately inflated chambers

Abstract

A bedsore-preventing air mattress controller provided with an air pump for generating a magnetomotive force in a plurality of stages proportional to the feed air amount of the pump, and with an electric switch for changing over the magnetomotive force of the pump and integrally assembled with an air shut-off valve for discharging and halting air, whereby the controller arrangement is simplified to effectively reduce the required number of parts for lowering manufacturing costs.

Claims

1. A controller for a bedsore preventing air mattress including first and second groups of air cells inflatable and deflatable and a plurality of air discharging cells disposed between respective said air cells of said first and second groups, the controller comprising an air pump including coils for generating megnetomotive forces proportional to feed air amount of said pump in a plurality of stages, an air-flow change-over valve receiving fed air from said pump and communicating with said first and second groups of air cells for alternately inflating and deflating the groups, and an air shut-off valve communicating with said air discharging air cells for discharging said fed air thereout and halting said discharging and including an electric switch for changing over said generation of said megnetomotive forces of said air pump, said shut-off valve having means for actuating said electric switch for simultaneous operation therewith.

2. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said coils in said air pump are provided in a pair, an actuation of which is changed over by said electric switch, and said pair of the coils are different in ampere turn.

3. A controller according to claim 2, wherein said electric switch is provided for changing over electric power feeding to said pair of coils.

4. A controller according to claim 2, wherein said electric switch is provided for changing over an electric power feeding to each of said coils and a simultaneous power feeding to both of the coils.

5. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said coils in said air pump are provided in a pair, an actuation of which is changed over by said electric switch, and said pair of the coils are identical in ampere turn.

6. A controller according to claim 5, wherein said electric switch is provided for changing over an electric power feeding to said pair of coils.

7. A controller according to claim 5, wherein said electric switch is provided for changing over an electric power feeding to each of said coils and a simultaneous power feeding to both of the coils.

8. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said air shut-off valve comprises a housing in which said electric switch is integrally assembled, and an operating means operatably housed within said housing for carrying out said air discharging and halting thereof with respect to said air discharging cells as well as said magnetomotive force generation through said electric switch.

9. A controller according to claim 8, wherein said operating means is rotatably supported within said housing and including shiftable balls for opening and closing ports made in the housing for an air flow to said air discharging cells, and said electric switch is also provided rotatably.

10. A controller according to claim 9, wherein said operating means further comprises recesses for receiving therein said balls under a spring load and a shaft part for pivoting the operating means in said housing, and said rotatable electric switch comprises a movable contactor mounted to said operating means.

11. A controller according to claim 10, wherein said electric switch comprises a terminal plate having a plurality of pairs of terminals respectively connected to said coils of said air pump and connectable to an electric power source, said terminals of said pairs being arranged on said terminal plate at positions for contact therewith of said movable contactor on said operating means and for non-contact therewith of the movable contactor depending on a rotating position of the operating means.

12. A controller according to claim 11, wherein said coils in said air pump are provided in .a pair, and said electric switch includes two pairs of said terminals on said terminal plate and two contacting parts in said movable contactor for changing over electric power supply to said pair of coils.

13. A controller according to claim 11, wherein said coils in said air pump are provided in a pair, and said electric switch includes two pairs of said terminals on said terminal plate and three contacting parts in said movable contactor which are contactable with three of said terminals so as to simultaneously connect said pair of coils to said electric power source at one of the rotary positions of said rotatable operating means, for changing over electric power feeding to one of the coils and simultaneously to both of the coils.

14. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said air flow change-over valve comprises a body including three connecting ports for communication with said air pump and said first and second groups of said air cells and one discharge port, a rotary member disposed in said body for rotation therein by an associated driving source, and means provided in said rotary member for communication between one of said connecting ports connected to said air pump and either one of remaining two of the connecting ports connected to said first and second groups of air cells and between said discharge port and said one of remaining two of the connecting ports.

15. A controller according to claim 14, wherein said communication means comprises a pair of recesses made in a surface of said rotary member respectively extending arcuately substantially by 90 degrees in rotary angle in circumferential direction, and said three connecting ports and said discharge port of said body are disposed respectively at intervals of 90 degrees in the rotary angle.

16. A controller according to claim 15, wherein said communicating recesses of said rotary member are provided for taking one of communicating states in one of which the connecting port to said air pump communicates with one of remaining two of the connecting ports and in the other of which the discharge port communicates with said one of said remaining connecting ports, as well as a non-communicating state in which each of said communicating recesses is not communicating with two adjacent ports.

17. A controller according to claim 14, wherein said air flow change-over valve further comprises a reduction gear means integrally provided together with said driving source, said reduction gear means having an output shaft linked with said rotary member.