Air sleep system with dual elevating air posturizing sleep surfaces

• US 7,389,554 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
• Original Assignee: Comfortaire Corporation (Sleep Number Corporation)
• Inventors: Rose, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/173,543
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 570/6, 571/0, 571/3, 561/7
• US Class Current: 5/710
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/144 inside the mattress or cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/18 in combination with inflatable bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/105 for mattresses

Abstract

A high-profile air sleep system having a pair of air posturizing sleep surfaces which may be individually inclined and air adjusted comprises an air posturing module having an outer module mattress case. A first case section extends medially along a length of said mattress case to define a first movable posturing section, and a second case section extends along a length of said mattress case to define a second movable posturing section. A third fixed module case section is included in said mattress case below the first and second posturing sections. A first air chamber is carried in the first and third case sections, and a second air chamber is carried in the second and third module sections to provide first and second posturizing module sections with individually elevatable posturizing sleep surfaces.

Claims

1. An air sleep system having an upper air posturizing sleep surface comprising:

(a) an upper mattress air posturizing module having a pair of adjustable air posturizing sleep surfaces, said module including;

first and second individually adjustable air chambers arranged side-by-side,

a first moveable posturizing section which includes said first air chamber,

a second moveable posturizing section which includes said second air chamber,

a first mattress case encasing said air first and second air chambers,

(b) a split mattress base module supporting said air posturizing module including;

first and second individually moveable base sections supporting and corresponding to said first and second posturing sections,

a split second mattress case encasing said first and second base sections, and

(c) an operator for raising and lowering said first and second posturing sections and said first and second base sections individually to desired inclined positions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said posturizing module includes a split resilient overlay disposed on top of said air chambers generally coextending with said air chambers, said resilient overlay having a first overlay section and a second overlay section individually moveable, said first overlay section corresponding to said first moveable posturizing section, and said second overlay section corresponding to said second moveable posturizing section.

3. The system of claim 1 including a releasable fastener for securing said first and second mattress cases together so that said air posturizing module and said base module provide an overall mattress design with a pair of upper adjustable air posturizing sleep surfaces.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said mattress base module has a height profile greater than a height profile of said air posturizing module to provide a high-profile design with a low-profile air posturizing module having mattress stability.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said first split mattress case includes a medial split defining first and second case sections in which said first and second air chambers are received.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said second mattress case includes a medial split defining first and second case sections in which foam supports are received.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said first split mattress case includes an access opening providing access to an interior of said mattress case for installation and removal of said air chambers and for servicing said air chambers, and a first releasable closure for said access opening for opening and closing said access opening.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first mattress case includes a peripheral sidewall, an upper posturizing cover and a posturizing bottom cover integral with said sidewall so that said air chambers and overlay are compactly encased to provide structural mattress stability to said air posturizing module whereby sidewall sagging is eliminated.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said second mattress case includes a peripheral sidewall, an upper cover and a bottom cover integral with said sidewall so that said foundation assembly is encased to provide structural mattress stability to said base module whereby sidewall sagging is eliminated.

10. The system of claim 9 including a releasable fastener securing said air posturizing module and said base module together.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said releasable fastener includes a first fastener part carried by said posturizing module and a second fastener part carried by said base module, said releasable fastener constructed and arranged such that said posturizing modules can shift relative to one another while secured together during elevation to reduce bunching.

12. The system of claim 9 including a second releasable closure for said base module having a first closure part affixed around a periphery of said upper cover of said second mattress case and a second closure part affixed around a periphery of said sidewall of said second mattress case.

13. The system of claim 1 including a foundation assembly having a plurality of individual resilient foam blocks positioned edge-to-edge and encased in said second mattress case.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said foam blocks include individual fabric covers reducing sticking between contacting edges of said blocks in edge-to-edge relationship to maintain a uniform cushioned support surface.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said foundation assembly includes resilient generally rectangular bolsters surrounding an outside periphery of said foundation blocks to provide foundation support around at least side edges of said mattress base module.

16. An air sleep system having an upper air posturizing module, and a lower base module supporting said posturizing module, said posturizing module comprising:

a pair of adjustable air posturizing sleep surfaces;

first and second individually adjustable air chambers arranged side-by-side in said air posturizing module;

a first individually elevatable posturing section which includes a length of said first air chamber;

a second individually elevatable posturing section which includes a length of said second air chamber;

a third non-elevatable posturing section including a length of each said first and second air chambers;

an operator for moving said first and second posturizing sections individually to a desired inclined position;

whereby individual air posturizing sleep surfaces are provided by first and second upper individually incline adjustable and air adjustable posturizing sections, and a stationary, air adjustable lower posturizing surface.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said posturizing module includes a resilient overlay disposed on top of said air chambers generally coextending with said air chambers, said resilient overlay having a first overlay section and a second overlay section individually moveable, said first overlay section corresponding to said first moveable posturing section, and said second overlay section corresponding to said second moveable posturing section.

18. The system of claim 16 including a mattress base module supporting said air posturizing module which includes a resilient foam foundation assembly for providing mattress cushioning.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said mattress base module includes a medial split along a length thereof defining individually elevatable first and second base module sections supporting said first and second module sections of said posturizing module, respectively.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said operator raises and lowers said first and second moveable sections of said posturizing and base modules individually.

21. The system of claim 20 including a releasable fastener for securing said posturizing and base modules together in use, said fastener including a first fastener part carried by said posturizing module and a second fastener part carried by said base module, said releasable fastener constructed and arranged such that said posturizing and base modules can shift relative to one another while secured together during elevation to reduce bunching.

22. A high-profile air sleep system having a pair of air posturizing sleep surfaces comprising:

an air posturizing module having an outer module mattress case;

a first case section extending medially along a length of said mattress case to define a movable first posturing section;

a second case section extending along a length of said mattress case to define a movable second posturing section,

a third case section included in said mattress case defining a third posturing section;

a first air chamber carried in said first and third posuturing sections to provide a first individually elevatable posturizing sleep surface; and

a second air chamber carried in said second and third module sections to provide a second individually elevatable posturizing sleep surface.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said posturizing module includes a resilient overlay disposed on top of said air chambers generally coextending with said air chambers, said resilient overlay having a first overlay section and a second overlay section moveable relative to each other, said first overlay section corresponding to said first posturing section, and said second overlay section corresponding to said second posturing section.

24. The system of claim 23 including a mattress base module having a medial split along a length thereof defining individually elevatable first and second base sections supporting said first and second posturing sections, respectively.

25. The system of claim 24 including a releasable fastener securing said air posturizing module and said base module together, said releasable fastener including a first fastener part carried by said posturizing module and a second fastener part carried by said base module, said releasable fastener constructed and arranged such that said posturizing and base modules can shift relative to one another while secured together during elevation.

26. A high-profile air sleep system having an upper air posturizing sleep surface comprising:

(a) an upper mattress air posturizing module having an adjustable air posturizing sleep surface, said module including;

an air posturizing assembly having first and second individual adjustable air chambers arranged generally side-by-side providing individual adjustable air posturizing sleep surfaces, and a first mattress case encasing said air posturizing assembly;

(b) a mattress base module supporting said air posturizing module which includes;

a resilient foam foundation assembly for providing mattress cushioning, and a second mattress case encasing said foam foundation assembly; and

(c) a fastener securing said first and second mattress cases together so that said mattress posturizing module and said mattress base module form and integral mattress structure;

whereby said mattress air posturizing module and said mattress base module provide an overall high-profile mattress design with an upper adjustable air posturizing sleep surface.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said air posturizing assembly includes a resilient overlay disposed on top of said air chambers generally coextending with said air chambers.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said first mattress case includes a pair of spaced sidewalls integral with a pair of end walls, an upper posturizing cover layer and a posturizing bottom cover layer integral and coextending with said sidewalls and said end walls so that said air chambers and overlay are compactly encased to provide structural mattress stability to said air posturizing whereby sidewall sagging is eliminated.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said second mattress case includes a pair of spaced sidewalls and integral end walls, an upper base cover layer and a bottom base cover layer integral and coextending with said side walls and end walls so that said foundation assembly is encased to provide structural mattress stability to said base module whereby sidewall sagging is eliminated.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein said fastener includes a releasable fastener securing said first mattress case and said second mattress case together.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein said foundation assembly includes a plurality of individual resilient foam blocks positioned edge-to-edge and encased in said first mattress case.

32. The system of claim 26 including a closable access opening in said first mattress case providing access to an interior of said mattress case and said air chamber.