Air control system for an air bed

• US 6,483,264 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Select Comfort Corporation
• Original Assignee: Select Comfort Corporation
• Inventors: Duval, Eugene P., Shafer, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US09/685,927
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 318/16, 318/480, 318/481, 570/6, 571/3, 593/5
• 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. A control system useable to alter and maintain a pressure level in an inflatable bladder of an air bed comprising:

a fluid pump in fluid communication with said bladder and constructed and arranged to increase said pressure level therein when said fluid pump is energized;

a fluid relief valve in fluid communication with said bladder and constructed and arranged to allow fluid to escape from said bladder when said fluid relief valve is moved to an open position, thereby decreasing said pressure level in said bladder;

a pressure sensor positioned to measure said pressure level;

a hand held remote control capable of receiving input from a user representative of a preselected desired pressure level; and

a processing board electronically coupled to said fluid pump, said relief valve, said pressure sensor, and said hand held remote control whereby;

said processing board comprises a memory bank containing pressure values assigned to predetermine numerals;

said processing board is constructed and arranged to receive data from said pressure sensor representative of said measured pressure level;

said processing board is constructed and arranged to receive data from said hand held remote control representative of said preselected desired pressure level;

said processing board is capable of computing the difference between said measured pressure level and said desired pressure level;

said processing board is capable of monitoring an amount of time elapsed since a user has operated said remote control;

said processing board is capable of opening said relief valve in the event that said measured pressure level exceeds said desired pressure level by a predetermined value and said amount of elapsed time has not exceeded a predetermined amount;

said processing board is capable of closing said relief valve when said measured pressure level is within a predetermined range of said desired pressure level;

said processing board is capable of energizing said fluid pump when said measured pressure level is below said desired pressure level by a predetermined value and said amount of elapsed time has not exceeded a predetermined amount; and

said processing board is capable of stopping said fluid pump when said measured pressure level is within a predetermined range of said desired pressure level.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein said fluid pump comprises an impeller pump.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein said fluid pump comprises a positive displacement pump.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein said pressure sensor is positioned between said fluid relief valve and said bladder.

5. The control system of claim 1 wherein said pressure sensor comprises a pressure transducer.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein said hand held remote control is tethered to said fluid pump.

7. The control system of claim 1 wherein said hand held remote control comprises a wireless hand held remote control.

8. The control system of claim 1 wherein said hand held remote control comprises a transceiver.

9. The control system of claim 1 wherein said hand held remote control comprises a tether.

10. The control system of claim 1 wherein said hand held remote control comprises an analog display.

11. The control system of claim 1 wherein said hand held remote control comprises a digital display.