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

• US 9,289,073 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• 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:
  US13/859,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20130284274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 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: 1/1
• 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 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.

Claims

1. A method of employing a user interface to adjust a pressurization of an inflatable bladder using a fluid controller, the method comprising acts of:

displaying in the user interface 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 level of pressure of the inflatable bladder, respectively;

adjusting the pressurization of the inflatable bladder, 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, without performing any pressure sensing to determine a pressure level in the inflatable bladder; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of determining the pressure level of the inflatable bladder based on a pressure level achieved when the inflatable bladder is filled in a pre-set auto-inflation operation, and one of 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 method of claim 1, further comprising an act of activating the first indicia to indicate the current pressure level of the inflatable bladder prior to the act of adjusting.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the method further comprises an act of illuminating a lamp to activate the first indicia.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is included in a handheld device in electrical communication with the fluid controller, wherein the handheld device includes a control element configured to receive the user input, and wherein the method further comprises an act of receiving the user input with the control element to establish the pressure level selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of determining the current pressure level based on a known pressure level provided by a pre-set auto-inflation operation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising an act of reaching the current pressure level based at least partly on an elapsed time of operation of a pump included in the fluid controller.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising an act of performing a pre-set auto-inflation operation in response to any of a continuous selection of a control element included in the user interface for a predetermined minimum amount of time and a repeated selection of the control element occurring within a predetermined maximum amount of time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined minimum amount of time equals the predetermined maximum amount of time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of exhausting substantially all of the fluid from the inflatable bladder in response to a continuous selection of a control element included in the user interface for a predetermined minimum amount of time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the exhausting substantially all of the fluid from the inflatable bladder is based on the current pressure level of the inflatable bladder and an operating time of the fluid controller.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of activating the second indicia to indicate the pressure level selected by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising an act of determining a time interval for operation of a fluid moving device included in the fluid controller to reach the pressure level selected by the user from the current pressure level.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of disposing the fluid controller within a profile of an inflatable mattress.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of removing substantially all of the fluid from the inflatable bladder based on the current pressure level of the inflatable bladder and an operating time of the fluid controller.

16. A method of employing a user interface to adjust a pressurization of an inflatable bladder using a fluid controller, the method comprising acts of:

displaying in the user interface 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 level of pressure of the inflatable bladder, respectively;

adjusting the pressurization of the inflatable bladder, 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;

associating a first indicia included in the plurality of indicia with the current pressure level and a second indicia included in the plurality of indicia with the pressure level selected by the user; and

determining the pressure level based on a pressure level achieved when the inflatable bladder is filled in a pre-set auto-inflation operation, and at least one of 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.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising an act of adjusting the pressurization without employing pressure sensing.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising acts of:

activating the first indicia to indicate the current pressure level of the inflatable bladder prior to the act of adjusting; and

activating the second indicia to indicate the pressure level selected by the user.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising an act of determining a time interval for operation of a fluid moving device included in the fluid controller to reach the pressure level selected by the user from the current pressure level.

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

the 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 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, 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, wherein the fluid controller is configured to determine the current pressure level based on a level of pressure reached when the inflatable bladder is filled in an auto-inflation operation, and at least one of 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, 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.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control unit is configured to activate the first indicia to indicate the current pressure level, to activate the second indicia to indicate that the pressure level selected by the user when the pressure level is selected, and to deactivate the first indicia when the pressure level selected by the user is reached.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the control unit is configured to wirelessly communicate information concerning the pressure level selected by the user to the fluid controller.

23. The system of claim 20, 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, and

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.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the fluid controller includes a fluid moving device;

at least one valve fluidly coupled to the fluid moving device and configured to selectively isolate the fluid moving device from the inflatable bladder; and

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, wherein the fluid controller is configured to activate the at least one electromechanical device in combination with the fluid moving device to add fluid to the inflatable bladder.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the system is configured to adjust the pressurization without employing a pressure sensing device.