METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING PRESSURE IN AN INFLATABLE DEVICE

• US 20070227594A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Chaffee
• Original Assignee: Robert Chaffee
• Inventors: Chaffee, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/224
• 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 31/008 Use of remote controls
• 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 137/36 With pressure-responsive pressure-control means

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention provides a method for a user to adjust a pressure in an inflatable device. The method includes acts of adjusting the pressure in the inflatable device with a control device to a pressure preferred by the user, where the pressure preferred by the user has a first value, and establishing a first setting corresponding to the pressure preferred by the user with the control device, and automatically establishing a second setting corresponding to a second pressure having a second value once the first setting is established, where the second value differs from the first value by a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. A method by which a user may establish a plurality of pressure settings to adjust a pressure in an inflatable device, the method comprising acts of:

adjusting the pressure in the inflatable device with a control device to a pressure preferred by the user, wherein the pressure preferred by the user has a first value;

establishing a first setting corresponding to the pressure preferred by the user with the control device; and

automatically establishing a second setting corresponding to a second pressure having a second value once the first setting is established, wherein the second value differs from the first value by a predetermined amount.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of automatically establishing a third setting corresponding to a third pressure having a third value once the first setting is established, wherein the third value differs from the first value by a second predetermined amount.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second predetermined amount substantially equals the first predetermined amount.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second value is greater than the first value and wherein the third value is less than the first value.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the control device includes a first control element, a second control element and a third control element, and wherein the method further comprises acts of:

selecting the first control element to establish the first setting;

selecting the second control element to reach the second setting, once established; and

selecting the third control element to reach the third setting, once established.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the first control element, the second control element, and the third control element do not include any indicia that identifies a function of the respective control element.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first control element is substantially centrally located in a face of the control device, wherein the second control element is located in the face of the control device in a first direction radially outward from a center of the face, and wherein the third control element is located in the face of the control device radially outward from the center and in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of returning to the pressure preferred by the user from another pressure by selecting the first setting.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of establishing the first setting includes an act of establishing the first setting without knowledge of the pressure in the inflatable device, and without knowledge of the location of the first setting within a range of control settings corresponding to a range of pressures.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflatable device is an inflatable comfort device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflatable device is a mattress.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising an act of wirelessly transmitting the first setting from the control device to a pressure controller adapted to adjust the pressure in the inflatable device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

controlling a level of inflation in the inflatable device with a pressure controller that includes a memory; and

storing the first setting in the memory.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising an act of storing the pre-determined amount in the memory.

15. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising an act of automatically establishing the second setting using the pressure controller.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflatable device includes a plurality of chambers, the method further comprising acts of selecting a chamber from among the plurality of chambers using the control device, and adjusting the pressure in the selected chamber with the control device.

17. A system adapted to control a pressure in an inflatable device, the system comprising:

a pressure controller fluidly coupled to the inflatable device and configured to adjust the pressure in the inflatable device by adding and removing fluid from the inflatable device;

a control device including a plurality of control elements, the control device configured to allow a user to adjust the pressure in the inflatable device using the pressure controller, and a first control element configured to establish a first setting corresponding to a first pressure which is a preferred pressure; and

a microcontroller configured to receive information concerning the first setting and automatically establish at least one additional setting corresponding to a second pressure, once the first setting is established.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first pressure has a first value, wherein the second pressure has a second value, and wherein a difference between the first value and the second value is determined before the first setting is established.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a memory configured to store the first setting.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of control elements are unmarked.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control device includes a user interface, wherein the plurality of control elements are located in the user interface, wherein a location of each of the plurality of control elements is identified in the user interface, and wherein the control elements are otherwise unmarked.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first control element is located substantially centrally in the user interface, and wherein others of the plurality of control elements are located radially outward of the first control element.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the system is adapted to allow the user to return the pressure in the inflatable device to the preferred pressure from another pressure when the first control element is selected subsequent to the first setting being established.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the control device is adapted to allow the user to establish the setting corresponding to the preferred pressure when the first control element is selected for a minimum amount of time.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the control device is adapted to allow the user to return the pressure in the inflatable device to the preferred pressure from another pressure when the control element is selected for an amount of time less than the minimum amount of time.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the control device is configured to wirelessly communicate the first setting from the control device to the pressure controller.

27. The system of claim 17, further comprising a pump adapted to add fluid to the inflatable device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the pump is fluidly coupled to the pressure controller.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the inflatable device includes a plurality of chambers, and wherein the control device includes a selector adapted to allow the user to select a chamber from among the plurality of chambers.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the control device further includes a plurality of indicating lights associated with the plurality of chambers, wherein a first indicating light is illuminated when the first chamber is selected, and wherein a second indicating light is illuminated when the second chamber is selected.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the pressure controller includes a pump, a valve and electronic circuitry.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the pressure controller is included in the inflatable device.

33. The system of claim 17, wherein the inflatable device includes a lower chamber and an upper chamber located above and proximate to the lower chamber, wherein the pressure controller is fluidly coupled to the upper chamber and the upper chamber is fluidly coupled to the lower chamber.

34. The system of claim 17, wherein the pressure controller includes electronic circuitry including a memory, wherein the setting is communicated from the control device to the electronic circuitry, and wherein the first setting is stored in the memory.

35. The system of claim 17, wherein the control device includes a memory, and wherein the setting is stored in the memory.

36. A hand held control device adapted to control a pressure in an inflatable device, the control device comprising:

a first control element adapted to allow the user, in a first operation, to establish a first setting corresponding to a pressure preferred by a user, and in a second operation, to allow the user to adjust the pressure in the inflatable device to the pressure preferred by the user from another pressure;

a second control element adapted to allow a user to increase the pressure in the inflatable device from the pressure preferred by the user to a pressure corresponding to a second setting which is automatically established once the first setting is established; and

a third control element adapted to allow the user to decrease the pressure in the inflatable device from the pressure preferred by the user to a pressure corresponding to a third setting which is automatically established once the first setting is established.

37. The hand held control device of claim 36, further comprising a user interface wherein a location of the first control element, a location of the second control element, and a location of the third control element are identified, and wherein the first control element, the second control element and the third control element are otherwise unmarked.

38. The hand held control device of claim 37, wherein the user interface is adapted to allow the user to select one of the first control element, the second control element and the third control element by applying pressure to a location in the user interface corresponding to the selected control element.

39. The hand held control device of claim 38, wherein the inflatable device includes a pressure controller, the hand held control device further comprising a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is adapted to communicate to the pressure controller information corresponding to a user-selected control element.

40. The hand held control device of claim 39, wherein the first control element is located substantially centrally in a user interface of the control device.

41. The hand held control device of claim 40, wherein the second and third control elements are located radially outward in the user interface relative to the first control element.

42. The hand held control device of claim 36, further comprising a light source that illuminates a region of the user interface.

43. The hand held control device of claim 42, wherein the light source is configured to periodically vary in intensity.