Mattress age indicator

• US 8,870,083 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: Myers, Terrance L., Garrett, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US13/406,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20130221114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/487, 235/494, 368/278, 403/20, 406/31
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/00 Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes on or in vehicles G09F21/00

Abstract

A mattress age indicating device includes an enclosure, and an indicating assembly contained within the enclosure. The age indicating device may be configured to present an indication related to the mattress'"'"'s age and may be coupled to the mattress or other bedding or seating product.

Claims

1. A mattress age indicating device, comprising:

an enclosure having a portion for coupling the device to a mattress, and

an indicating assembly contained within the enclosure, the indicating assembly including a test button, a visual indicator comprising multiple light emitting diodes of different colors, a timer, a controller, a light sensor, and a power source,

wherein the timer is initially activated by the test button being pushed multiple times without a time being specified and the controller controls the visual indicator and selectively activates and deactivates at least one of the light emitting diodes to create a colored indication related to the mattress'"'"'s age as determined by the timer, different colors indicating different ages of the mattress.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure includes a back and a cover, and the indicating assembly is positioned between the back and the cover.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator is activated by the controller when the test button is pressed.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller may perform a single sequence of activating and de-activating the visual indicator upon the test button being pressed by a user.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the controller selectively activates at least one LED to provide the single sequence.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises three LEDs.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a label providing information used in conjunction with the indication.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator may be activated by a user pushing the test button.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the timer may be initially activated upon three pushes of the test button.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator includes color changing dyes.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator includes color changing materials.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is attached to a surface of the mattress.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device is attached to a side surface of the mattress.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the enclosure, is configured to be attached to the mattress by stitching.

15. The device of claim 1, further comprising a barcode.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the barcode includes a QR code.

17. An age indicating device for a bedding or seating product, comprising:

an indicating assembly,

an enclosure surrounding the indicating assembly and having a portion for coupling the device to the bedding or seating product,

wherein the indicating assembly includes a test button, a light sensor, a timer, a controller, and an indicator, and

wherein the light sensor, timer, controller, and indicator cooperate to present a colored visual indication related to the bedding or seating product'"'"'s age, different colors indicating different ages of the product, which visual indication may be activated by the controller upon the light sensor sensing light and the timer is initially activated by the test button being pushed multiple times without a user inputting any time.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the indicator is a visual indicator and includes at least one LED.

19. The device of claim 17, further comprising a label providing information used in conjunction with the indication.

20. The device of claim 17, further comprising a QR code.

21. An age indicating device for use with an associated bedding or seating product, the age indicating device comprising:

an enclosure, and

an indicating assembly contained within the enclosure, the indicating assembly including a timer, a test button, a light sensor, a colored visual indicator, different colors indicating different ages of the product and a controller wherein the visual indicator is activated by the controller when the light sensor senses a predetermined amount of light and the visual indicator is deactivated by the controller when the light sensor senses that the age indicating device is no longer exposed to the predetermined amount of light and wherein the timer is initially activated by the test button being pushed multiple times without any time being specified.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the visual indicator includes LEDs of different colors.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one LED.

24. The device of claim 21, further comprising a QR code.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the visual indicator is activated by the controller when the test button is pressed.