Air control system for an air bed

• US 5,652,484 A
• Filed: 09/29/1995
• Issued: 07/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
• Original Assignee: Select Comfort Corporation
• Inventors: Shafer, David C., Duval, Eugene P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US08/536,330
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 318/16, 5/448, 5/449, 5/453, 5/455, 5/456, 5/461, 5/464, 5/480, 5/935
• US Class Current: 318/16
• 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 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/084 hand fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/935 with adjustable firmness

Abstract

An automatic control system for controlling the firmness of a fluid supported mattress of a bed assembly. The control system includes a motorized fluid pump, a control unit for operating the pump to adjust the firmness of the air mattress, a hand held remote control unit for actuating the control unit, and a transceiver system for transmitting information signals between the hand held unit and the control unit. The air control system provides for independent control of both bladders in a two bladder air mattress from a single unit, and allows a user to consistently set the firmness of each mattress air bladder to a desired value. The air control system includes an air pump specially designed to minimize transmission of motor noise into the environment.

Claims

1. An improved control system for controlling the firmness of a fluid supported mattress adapted for use with a bed assembly, the mattress having a plurality of separate fluid chambers, the control system having a fluid pump operably coupled to said fluid supported mattress, the fluid pump being in fluid communication therewith and having an external fluid pump housing substantially enclosing a fan unit, having control means operably coupled to said fluid pump and a fluid conduit for controlling the operation of said fluid pump to adjust the firmness of said mattress, having a hand held, remotely operated actuation means for actuating said control means;

and having transceiver means for communicating information signals between said actuation means and said control means, whereby said firmness of said mattress is remotely adjusted through the use of said hand held actuation means, the improvement comprising;

the fluid pump having a plurality of selectable fluid outlets, each one of said plurality of fluid outlets being in fluid communication with a selected one of the plurality of separate fluid chambers of the mattress.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan unit is mounted in the external fluid pump housing by means of vibration dampening mounts, the fan unit vibration dampening mounts including a plurality of mounting grommets, the mounting grommets being held in compressive engagement between the fan unit and a portion of the pump housing.

3. A control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting grommets are formed of a rubber material.

4. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan unit has a fan unit housing substantially enclosing a fan, the fan unit housing defining a first impeller chamber and a second impeller chamber, the first impeller chamber and the second impeller chamber being fluidly coupled by a fluid passageway.

5. A control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fan has a first impeller being rotatably disposed within the first impeller chamber and a second impeller being rotatably disposed within the second impeller chamber.

6. A control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fan is mounted spaced apart from fan unit housing by means of vibration dampening mounts.

7. A control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the vibration dampening mounts are a plurality of O-rings held in compressive engagement between the fan and the fan unit housing.

8. A control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fan has a fan motor and a fan body, the fan body having a motor enclosure defined therein, the motor enclosure substantially enclosing the fan motor and having at least one cooling air inlet and at least one exhaust port defined therein, the at least one exhaust port being fluidly coupled to a selected impeller chamber, the fan motor having an axial rotatable drive shaft and a cooling impeller fixedly coupled to the drive shaft, whereby rotation of the cooling impeller draws air in through the at least one cooling air inlet, forcing said air through the motor enclosure around the fan motor and exhausting said air through the at least one exhaust port into the selected one of the impeller chambers.

9. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan unit has a fan, the fan being two stage and adapted for compressing a fluid, the fan having a first impeller and a second impeller, the second impeller being disposed such that the exhaust fluid from the first impeller is an intake fluid to the second impeller.

10. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external fluid pump housing is comprised of a first portion operably coupled to a second portion and having a flexible mount disposed therebetween, the second portion being spaced apart from the fan unit.

11. A control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first portion of the external housing of the fluid pump has a first portion of a helical fluid intake passageway defined therein.

12. A control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a portion of the flexible mount is operably coupled to the first portion of the helical fluid intake passageway to define a second portion of the helical fluid intake passageway.

13. A control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the flexible mount has a cushion operably coupled thereto, said cushion being in compressive engagement with the fan unit disposed within the external fluid pump housing.

14. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means includes a display for selectively displaying information regarding the firmness of the mattress, further including said information presenting a numeric scale, the numeric scale being selectable between a display related to the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress and a display related to the desired fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress.

15. A control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the numeric scale displayed on the display has a non-linear relationship to the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress.

16. A control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the numeric scale represents an incremental fluid pressure range from zero to a predetermined upper limit, the higher increments of the numeric scale relating to greater increments of fluid pressure change than the lower increments of the numeric scale.

17. A control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the numeric scale displayed on the display has a linear relationship to the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress.

18. A control system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the numeric scale represents a fluid pressure range from zero to sixty five one hundredths of a pound per square inch gage.

19. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means includes overheat protective means for protecting the fluid pump from overheating.

20. A control system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the overheat protective means includes means for predicting future fluid pump temperature based on present fluid pump parameters.

21. A control system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the overheat protective means is proactive, taking steps to cool the fluid pump based on a predicted future overheat condition.

22. A control system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the overheat protective means acts to disable adjustment of the firmness of the fluid supported mattress and to operate the fluid at a reduced speed for effecting cooling of the fluid pump.

23. A method of controlling the firmness of a fluid supported mattress adapted for use with a bed assembly by means of a control system, the control system having:

a fluid pump operably coupled to said fluid supported mattress and being in fluid communication therewith and having a motor for selectively inflating and deflating the mattress and a valve for selectively sealing the mattress;

control means operably coupled to said fluid pump and a fluid conduit for controlling the operation of said pump to adjust the firmness of said mattress;

a hand held, remotely operated actuation means for actuating said control means; and

transceiver means for communicating information signals between said actuation means and said control means, comprising the steps of;

(a) selecting a numeric valve representative of a selected target fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress;

(b) transmitting the selected numeric value to the control means;

(c) measuring the current fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress;

(d) determining the need for adjustment of the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress by comparing the selected target fluid pressure to the current fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress;

(e) activating the fluid pump as necessary to adjust the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress;

(f) opening the valve; and

(g) providing feedback to the actuation means representative of the status of the adjustment of the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress.

24. The method of claim 23, further including the steps of:

(a) determining the need for an adjusting of the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress by inflation thereof;

(b) calculating the necessary motor speed;

(c) calculating the time necessary to effect the selected inflation of the fluid supported mattress; and

(d) activating the fluid pump.

25. The method of claim 23, further including the steps of:

(a) determining the need for an adjustment of the fluid pressure in the fluid supported mattress by deflation thereof;

(b) calculating the necessary motor speed;

(c) calculating the time necessary to effect the selected deflation of the fluid supported mattress; and

(d) activating the fluid pump if the calculated necessary motor speed was greater than zero.

26. The method of claim 23, further including the steps of:

(a) comparing the difference between the selected target fluid pressure and the current fluid pressure to a known pressure differential; and

(b) making no adjustment in the fluid pressure of the fluid when the pressure difference is less than the known pressure differential.