Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure in an inflatable device

• US 8,413,278 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert B. Chaffee
• Original Assignee: Robert B. Chaffee
• Inventors: Chaffee, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US12/404,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20090314354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 141/10, 141 66- 68, 141/83, 141/94, 141/95, 141/114, 571/0, 571/3, 571/4
• US Class Current: 5/713
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/083 with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/208 using a combination of controlling means as defined in G05D16/2013 and G05D16/2066 G05D16/2073 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/36 With pressure-responsive pressure-control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8326 Fluid pressure responsive indicator, recorder or alarm

Abstract

A system includes a fluid controller coupled to an inflatable bladder and configured to add fluid to and remove fluid from the inflatable bladder, a control unit configured to provide information used by the fluid controller to adjust the pressurization of the inflatable bladder, the control unit including a user interface configured to constantly display a plurality of indicia corresponding to a range of pressure levels in which the inflatable bladder is employed by a user, where each of the plurality of indicia is associated with a different level of pressure of the inflatable bladder, respectively. In one embodiment, the fluid controller is configured to adjust the pressurization, in response to a user input at the user interface, to a pressure level selected by the user based on a current pressure level of the inflatable bladder, the pressure level selected by the user and an operating time of the fluid controller. In a further embodiment, a first indicia included in the plurality of indicia is associated with the current pressure level and a second indicia included in the plurality of indicia is associated with the pressure level selected by the user.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a pressurization of an inflatable bladder, the system comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a fluid controller coupled to the inflatable bladder and configured to add fluid to and remove fluid from the inflatable bladder; and

a control unit configured to provide information used by the fluid controller to adjust the pressurization of the inflatable bladder, the control unit including a user interface configured to constantly display a plurality of indicia corresponding to a range of pressure levels in which the inflatable bladder is employed by a user, wherein each of the plurality of indicia is associated with a different level of pressure of the inflatable bladder, respectively,

wherein the fluid controller is configured to adjust the pressurization of the inflatable bladder, in response to a user input at the user interface, from the current pressure level to a pressure level selected by the user based on a current pressure level of the inflatable bladder, the pressure level selected by the user and an operating time of the fluid controller without employing any pressure sensing device to determine a pressure level in the inflatable bladder, and

wherein a first indicia included in the plurality of indicia is associated with the current pressure level and a second indicia included in the plurality of indicia is associated with the pressure level selected by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid controller is configured to determine the current pressure level based solely on a level of pressure reached when the inflatable bladder is filled in an auto-inflation operation, the operating time of the fluid controller to increase the pressurization subsequent to a completion of the auto-inflation operation and the operating time of the fluid controller to decrease the pressurization of the inflatable bladder subsequent to the auto-inflation operation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first indicia is activated to indicate the current pressure level.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second indicia included in the plurality of indicia is activated to indicate that the pressure level selected by the user when the pressure level is selected, and wherein the first indicia is deactivated when the pressure level selected by the user is reached.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of indicia includes a plurality of illumination elements, and wherein activation of an indicia selected from the plurality of indicia includes illumination of the indicia selected from the plurality of indicia.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the illuminating elements include light emitting diodes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a handheld device in electrical communication with the fluid controller, wherein the user interface includes a control element configured to receive the user input to adjust the level of pressure in the inflatable bladder.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control element is selected by pressing on a surface of the user interface included in the control unit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control element is presented in two dimensions on the surface of the user interface, and wherein the control element includes a switch located beneath the surface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to communicate information concerning the pressure level selected by the user to the fluid controller.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control unit includes a wireless transmitter configured to communicate the information wirelessly.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid controller includes a processor configured to employ the current pressure level and the pressure level selected by the user to determine the operating time of the fluid controller.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the fluid controller includes a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including a lookup table concerning a plurality of time intervals for operation of the fluid controller to reach each of the levels of pressure associated with the plurality of indicia.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor employs at least one time interval of the plurality of time intervals to determine the operating time of the fluid controller.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure level selected by the user is less than the current pressure level, wherein the fluid controller includes at least one valve and at least one corresponding valve operator, and wherein the operating time is an amount of time that the valve operator is activated to move the valve to an open position to allow fluid to exhaust from the inflatable bladder.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure level selected by the user is greater than the current pressure level, wherein the fluid controller includes at least one fluid moving device, and wherein the operating time is an amount of time that the fluid moving device operates to move fluid into the inflatable bladder.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid controller includes a fluid moving device and at least one valve fluidly coupled to the fluid moving device and configured to selectively isolate the fluid moving device from the inflatable bladder.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the fluid controller includes at least one electromechanical device configured to operate the at least one valve during at least one of inflation and deflation of the inflatable bladder.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the fluid controller is configured to activate the at least one electromechanical device in combination with the pump to add fluid to the inflatable bladder.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one electromechanical device includes an electrically-operated valve operator and a cam.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the fluid controller includes a plurality of valves including the at least one valve, wherein the inflatable bladder includes a plurality of chambers fluidly coupled to the pump via a different one of the plurality of valves, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of valves is configured to selectively isolate the pump from a chamber included in the plurality of chambers with which it is associated, and wherein the fluid controller is configured to add fluid to and remove fluid from each of the plurality of chambers.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the fluid controller is configured to add fluid to and remove fluid from each of the plurality of chambers independent of changes in pressure of others of the plurality of chambers.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein a numerical magnitude of the pressure level associated with each of the plurality of indicia, respectively, is not provided in the user interface.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bladder is included in an air mattress.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the fluid controller is located at least partially within a profile of the air mattress.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the fluid controller is located at least partially within a profile of the inflatable bladder.