Feedback system for load bearing surface

• US 5,283,735 A
• Filed: 12/04/1992
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Biomechanics Corporation of America (CellMetrix, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomechanics Corporation of America (CellMetrix, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nair, Chandra, Goonetilleke, Ravi, Banaag, Jose, Gross, Clifford M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US07/986,094
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 364/413.02, 364/551.01, 364/550, 364/554, 364/558, 364/578, 297/283, 297/284 A, 297/284 B, 297/284 E, 297/284 R, 297/284.1, 297/284.2, 297/284.3, 297/284.6, 297/284.7, 5/600, 5/611-616, 5/621, 5/449, 5/453, 5/455, 5/935, 128/774, 128/33, 128/34, 128/44
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/083 with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/18 in combination with inflatable bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/123 for beds or mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 4/54 Inflatable chairs connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/00 Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/935 with adjustable firmness

Abstract

An electronic system for adjusting a load bearing surface such as a chair or bed to provide a desired level of comfort includes an array of pressure sensors located within the load bearing surface. The pressure sensors generate data indicating the actual distribution of pressure exerted by a user on the load bearing surface. An electronic processor processes the data generated by the array of pressure senors. The processor compares the fraction of total load exerted on each of a plurality of regions of the load bearing surface with a desired range for each region. If the fraction of total load for any region is not within the desired range, a servo-mechanism is activated to change the shape of the load bearing surface so that the fraction of total load on each region is within the desired range, so as to provide a desired level of comfort to the user.

Claims

1. An electronic system for adjusting a load bearing surface to provide a desired level of comfort for an individual user comprising

pressure sensing means for generating data indicating the actual distribution of pressure exerted by said individual user on said surface,

electronic processing means for processing said data generated by said pressure sensing means for determining from said data a time average actual comfort level of said individual user, and for determining if said actual comfort level is a desired comfort level

servo-means responsive to said processing means for reconfiguring said load bearing surface until said actual level of comfort is a desired level of comfort for the individual user,

said actual comfort level of the individual user being a time average for preventing the load bearing surface from being reconfigured for every small change in position of the individual user.