PCT
`WORLD INTELLECTIJAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION
`International Bureau
`INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT)
`(51) International Patent Classification 6:
`WO 96113947
`H04Q 7A06, A47C 27/10
`
`(43) International Publication Date:
`
`9 May 1996 (09.05.96)
`
`(11) International Publication Number:
`
`Al
`
`(81) Designated States: AL, AM, AT, AU, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA,
`CH, CN, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, Fl, GB, GE, HU, JP, KE,
`KG, KP, KR, KZ, LK, LR, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK,
`MN, MW, MX. NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SI, SK,
`TJ, TI', VA, US, UZ, VN, European parent (AT, BE, CH,
`DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, LE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE).
`
`Published
`With international search report.
`Before the expiration of the time limit for amending the
`claims and to be republished in the event of the receipt of
`amendments.
`
`(21) International Application Number:(cid:9)
`
`PCI'/US95/14386
`
`(22) International Filing Date:
`
`18 October 1995 (18.10.95)
`
`(30) Priority Data:
`08/332,833
`08/536,330
`
`1 November 1994 (01.11.94)
`US
`29 September 1995 (29.09.95) US
`
`(71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): SELECT
`COMFORT CORPORATION [US/US]; 6105 Trenton Lane
`North, Minneapolis, MN 55442 (US).
`
`(72) Inventors; and
`(75) InventorsIApplicants (for US only): SHAFER, David, C.
`[-/US]; 216 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (US).
`DUVAL, Eugene. F. [-/US]; 2141 Camino A los Cerros,
`Menlo Park, CA 94025 (US).
`
`(74) Agents: PATrERSON, James, H. et al.; Patterson & Keough,
`P.A., 1200 Rand Tower, 527 Marquette Avenue South,
`Minneapolis, MN 55402 (US).
`
`(54) Title: IMPROVED AIR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN AIR BED
`
`28
`
`12
`
`EXI-uBff
`
`(57) Abstract
`
`40
`
`An automatic control system for controlling the firmness of a fluid supported mattress (14) of a bed assembly (10). The control system
`includes a motorized fluid pump, a control unit (44) for operating the pump to adjust the firmness of the air mattress (14), a hand held
`remote control unit (42) for actuating the control unit (44), and a transceiver system for transmitting information signals between the hand
`held unit (42) and the control unit (44). The air control system provides for independent control of both bladders (30, 32) in a two bladder
`air mattress (14) from a single Unit (44), and allows a user to consistently set the firmness of each mattress air bladder (30, 32) to a desired
`value. The air control system includes an air pump specially designed to minimize transmission of motor noise into the environment.
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`FOR THE PURPOSES OF INFORMATION ONLY
`
`Codes used to identify States party to the PCT on the front pages of pamphlets publishing international
`applications under the PCI'.
`
`AT
`AU
`BB
`BE
`BF
`BG
`RJ
`BR
`BY
`CA
`CF
`CC
`CH
`Cl
`CM
`CN
`CS
`CZ
`DE
`OK
`ES
`F!
`FR
`GA
`
`Austria
`Australia
`Barbados
`Belgium
`Burkina Faso
`Bulgaria
`Benin
`Brazil
`Belants
`Canada
`Central African Republic
`Congo
`Switzerland
`Cate d'Ivoire
`Cameroon
`China
`Czechoslovakia
`Czech Republic
`Germany
`Denmark
`Spain
`Finland
`France
`Gabon
`
`GB
`GE
`GN
`CR
`Hi)
`CE
`IT
`JP
`KE
`KG
`KP
`
`KR
`1(2
`LI
`LK
`LU
`LV
`MC
`MD
`MG
`ML
`MN
`
`United Kingdom
`Georgia
`Guinea
`Greece
`Hungary
`Ireland
`Italy
`Japan
`Kenya
`Kyrgyntan
`Democratic Peoples Republic
`of Korea
`Republic of Korea
`Kazakhstan
`Liechtenstein
`Sri Lanka
`Luxembourg
`Latvia
`Monaco
`Republic of Moldova
`Madagascar
`Mali
`Mongolia
`
`MR
`MW
`NE
`NL
`NO
`NZ
`PL
`PT
`RO
`RU
`SD
`SE
`SI
`SE
`SN
`TD
`TG
`Ti
`TF
`(IA
`US
`liZ
`YN
`
`Mauritania
`Malawi
`Niger
`Netherlands
`Norway
`New Zealand
`Poland
`Portugal
`Romania
`Russian Federation
`Sudan
`Sweden
`Slovenia
`Slovakia
`Senegal
`Chad
`logo
`Tajikistan
`Trinidad and Tobago
`Ukraine
`United Stales of America
`Uzbekistan
`Viet Nato
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`WO 96/13947
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`PCT1US95/I4386
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`-1-
`
`IMPROVED AIR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN AIR BED
`
`11014 "Y1206"AMMI,
`
`This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for
`
`attaining and regulating the fluid pressure in one or more fluid accommodating
`
`structures. More particularly, the invention relates to improved air pumps,
`
`controllers, information processing and hand controls for measuring and
`
`5
`
`varying the air pressure in an air mattress.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Air supported mattresses are used with cots and beds to provide
`
`10
`
`yieldable body supports. The air mattresses can be inflated with hand operated
`
`pumps or bag pumps. Motor driven blowers and pumps have also been used
`
`more effectively to supply air under pressure to air mattresses. U.S. Patents
`
`4,908,895 and 4,644,597, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, describe
`
`possible constructions of air mattresses.
`
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`WO 96/13947
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`PCT1US95114386
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`The air mattresses will typically sit within a border which supports
`
`the mattress such as that described in U.S. Patent 4,991,244, also assigned to the
`
`assignee of the present invention. Double, queen or king size beds can involve
`
`two air mattresses or two air chambers with individually adjustable air pressures.
`
`5 These air chambers may be further divided internally with free fluid flow
`
`between these further divisions. The air mattresses can be equipped with a one-
`
`way air pressure relief valve operable to limit the air pressure in the air mattress
`
`to about 1 psig (pounds per square inch gauge, i.e., relative to ambient pressure)
`
`to prevent seam separation and blowout.
`
`10
`
`The biasing or firmness characteristics of an air mattress are
`
`determined by the pressure of the air in the air mattress. Control mechanisms
`
`have been used to adjust the inflation of air mattresses. Young et al. in U.S.
`
`Patent No. 4,224,706, for instance, disclose a mechanism for adjusting the amount
`
`of air in an air mattress. The mechanism disclosed in the '706 patent includes
`
`15 one or more receptacles connected to air mattresses for supplying air to and
`
`receiving air from the air mattresses. These receptacles are located in the frame
`
`below the mattress. The internal volumes of the receptacles are changed by the
`
`rotation of a hand crank. The variation of the volume in the receptacles adjusts
`
`the pressure of the air in the air mattresses.
`
`20
`
`Other control systems for air mattresses have allowed operators to
`
`vary the air pressure within the mattress at the touch of a button. The hand
`
`control units in these systems were either located on the air tube connecting the
`
`pump to the mattress or the hand control units made an electrical connection to
`
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`WO 96/13947
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`PCT/US95/14386
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`-3-
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`the pump and solenoid valves. See, for example, U.S. Patents 4,897,890, 4,829,616,
`
`4,890,344, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
`
`These hand control units typically allowed for the transmittance of
`
`two instructions to the pump/control unit. These instructions were either to
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`5
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`increase or to decrease the pressure. The users had to rely on their tactile senses
`
`in adjusting the air pressure because the units supplied no information to the
`
`user regarding the pressure in the mattress.
`
`One previous design of pressure control for an air mattress
`
`involved keeping the air pressure constant at all times whether the user was on
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`10
`
`the mattress or not. See U.S. Patent Nos. 5,142,717 and 4,995,124. A control unit
`
`allowed for a preset pressure to be set. One problem with this arrangement was
`
`the dramatic change in pressure at the time a user applied weight to the mattress.
`
`The air mattress had to have an internal structure to support much of the users
`
`weight in order to prevent the escape of large volumes of air while regulating the
`
`15 pressure at the previously set value. The internal structure interfered with the
`
`comfort advantages of having an air supported mattress.
`
`Another design of a pressure control unit provided a digital display
`
`of the internal pressure and push buttons. See U.S. Patent No. 5,020,176. The
`
`user could either use a constant pressure mode where the pressure could be set by
`
`20
`
`the user. The user also had the option of using a manual mode where the
`
`pressure was not kept constant but where the user directly controlled the flow of
`
`fluid into or out from the mattress.
`
`In these previous designs, if the bed contained two separate
`
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`WO 96/13947
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`PCT/US95/14386
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`-4-
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`mattresses or air bladders, two hand control units were supplied with each
`
`controlling its respective air bladder. Therefore, a person lying on one side of the
`
`bed could not assist their bed partner on the other side of the bed with an
`
`adjustment of the air pressure on the other side of the bed without physically
`
`5
`
`going to that side of the bed. The hand control units were physically attached to
`
`the control unit, thereby restricting the location of a particular unit.
`
`The processing involved in these earlier control systems for air beds
`
`was minimal. The constant pressure systems involved a periodic examination of
`
`the pressure and a comparison with the desired value. Air was then added or
`
`10
`
`removed as needed with several steps used if needed to obtain the desired
`
`pressure. In the manual control designs, the operator directly controlled the
`
`pump and the release valve to control the flow of fluid into or out of the
`
`mattress.
`
`Electric motor driven pumps have been used in the past to inflate
`
`15
`
`air mattresses. The operating noise of such pumps was a common source of
`
`consumer complaints. The pumps were most frequently utilized when the bed
`
`user was preparing to go to sleep. A noisy pump detracted from the restful
`
`atmosphere necessary to induce sleep. The most frequent cause of noisy
`
`operation of such pumps is the rigid mounting of the fan motor to the pump
`
`20
`
`housing. Such rigid mounting transmits vibrations and noises generated by the
`
`pump motor to the pump housing and to the environment around the pump.
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`Further avenues of noise transmission to the environment in air pumps are the
`
`supply air inlet and the cooling air inlet. Sound insulating and dampening
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`WO 96/13947
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`PCTIUS9S/14386
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`-5-
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`materials could be built into the pump motors and housings, but only at the risk
`
`of thermal insulation and resultant over heating of the pump motors.
`
`It would be an advantage in the industry to provide a quiet pump in
`
`which the noise and vibration of the fan motor is dampened with respect to the
`
`5 pump housing and wherein adequate cooling of the pump motor was provided
`
`for. Further, the air inlet and cooling air inlet should be designed to minimize
`
`the amount of fan noise transmitted therethrough. It would be an important
`
`advance to provide a multi-speed motor to provide for optimal pumping with
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`less noise and with a minimum of overheating problems. With respect to the
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`10
`
`control of the units, it would be a distinct advantage to have hand control units
`
`where the user of the unit was not tethered to the pump unit, and where the
`
`user could control both air bladders in the case where each side of the bed had its
`
`own independent bladder. It would also be a decided advance in the art to be able
`
`to accurately and consistently monitor and control the pressure of the air
`
`15 mattress to a desired setting.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The air control system of an air bed in accordance with the present
`
`invention in large part solves the problems outlined above. The air control
`
`system hereof includes a motorized pump specially designed to reduce noise, and
`
`20
`
`includes a remotely operated hand held control unit untethered from the air
`
`pump. The user of a bed assembly controlled by the air control system hereof can
`
`accurately and consistently adjust the firmness of the air mattress to a desired
`
`setting. The remote hand control unit in accordance with the air control system
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`WO 96/13947
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`PCT!US95/14386
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`of the present invention allows the user to set the firmness of both bladders in a
`
`double bladder air mattress independently of each other.
`
`The hand held control unit communicates with the base unit by
`
`way of a radio transceiver. The base unit monitors and transmits to the hand
`
`5 held unit a measure of the air mattress firmness, and responds to commands
`
`from the hand held unit to change the firmness of the mattress.
`
`The motorized pump is capable of operating at several speeds to
`
`minimize noise while optimizing pumping conditions. The motor speeds can be
`
`stepped through a pre-determined manner to obtain optical motor speed while at
`
`10
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`the same time monitoring motor temperature to prevent overheating. The base
`
`unit is specially designed to prevent transmission of undue motor noise from
`
`the base unit into the surrounding environment. Microprocessors in both the
`
`hand held control and the base unit allow for the optimization of pumping
`
`conditions without interaction of the user beyond selection of a desired firmness.
`
`15
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`Fig. I is a perspective view of an air bed, partly in section, depicted
`
`in conjunction with an air control system in accordance with the present
`
`20
`
`invention;
`
`system;
`
`Fig. 2A is a plan view of a hand control unit of the air control
`
`Fig. 2B is a plan view of a hand control unit of the air control
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`PCTIUS 95/14386
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`system;
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`-7-
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`Fig. 3 is an expanded view of one digit and the half digit of the
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`display of the hand control unit;
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`Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the inside of the hand control unit;
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`5
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`Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the base unit of the air control system;
`
`Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the base unit processor board with a
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`schematic representation of the base processor and the base receiver/ transmitter;
`
`Fig. 7 is a side view of a tube and hose fitting that is used to attach an
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`air mattress to the base unit;
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`10
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`Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the hose fitting that connects to a
`
`receptacle in the base unit;
`
`Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of a receptacle in the base unit which
`
`accepts the hose fitting of Fig. 8;
`
`Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the fan unit and air distribution
`
`15
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`unit mounted on the lower housing portion of the air pump housing;
`
`Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the fan unit and air distribution unit
`
`mounted on the lower housing portion of the air pump housing;
`
`Fig. 12 is an elevational view, taken from the right side as depicted
`
`in Fig. 4, of the fan unit and air distribution unit mounted on the lower housing
`
`20
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`portion of the air pump housing;
`
`Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of the fan unit;
`
`Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken from the perspective of line 14-14 of
`
`Fig. 13;
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`WO 96/13947
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`PCTIUS95/I4386
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`Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of the fan of the fan unit;
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`Fig. 16A is a top plan view with phantom lines depicting the power
`
`board beneath the impeller;
`
`Fig. 16B is a schematic partial section view of a re-oriented pump
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`5
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`housing and base;
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`Fig. 16C is a schematic partial section view of a re-oriented pump
`
`housing and base with improved air routing means;
`
`Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the air distribution unit with the right
`
`solenoid valve shown in phantom;
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`10
`
`Fig. 18A is a side elevational view of the air distribution unit with
`
`the right and left solenoid valves shown in phantom;
`
`Fig. 18B is a perspective view of the inner portion of a snap-fit air
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`distribution unit;
`
`Fig. 18C is a partial perspective view of the ou;ide of a snap-fit air
`
`15
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`distribution unit;
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`Fig. 18D is a partial top perspective view of the outside of a snap-fit
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`air distribution unit;
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`Figs. 19a-19c are flow diagrams depicting the processing steps of the
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`hand control processor upon pressing one or two buttons;
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`20
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`Fig. 20 is a flow diagram depicting the transmission sequence
`
`followed by the hand control processor;
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`Fig. 21 is a flow diagram depicting the overall operation of the base
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`processor;
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`WO 96113947
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`PCT1US95/14386
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`-9-
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`Fig. 22 is a flow diagram depicting the receiving and decoding of
`
`messages by the base processor; and
`
`Figs. 23a-23e are flow diagrams depicting the processing of time
`
`dependent actions by the base processor.
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`5
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
`
`Fig. 1 contains a view of a resilient support 10 in conjunction with
`
`an air control system in accordance with the present invention. Resilient
`
`support 10 is preferably a fluid filled bed and more preferably an air bed to
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`accommodate one or more persons. Resilient support 10 has a generally
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`10
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`rectangular base or box spring unit 12 adapted to be supported on a floor or a
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`frame engaging the floor. A mattress unit 14 is located on top of box spring unit
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`12. Mattress unit 14 has a generally panshaped resilient member 16 having
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`upright linear side edges 18 and 20 joined to a transverse front edge 22 and a
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`comparable transverse rear edge 24.
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`15
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`Side edges 18, 20, front edge 22 and the rear edge 24 are integral with
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`the peripheral portions of a generally flat bottom 26 to form therewith a generally
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`rectangular chamber 28. A pair of side by side longitudinal air bladders 30 and 32
`
`are located in rectangular chamber 28. The air bladders 30 and 32 comprise air
`
`mattresses or air bags that can include a plurality of transverse and/or
`
`20
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`longitudinal chambers adapted to accommodate air under pressure. The air
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`bladders 30 and 32 are of a size to fill rectangular chamber 28. Commercially
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`available air bladders vary in size from 23 to 34 inches wide and 67 to 84 inches
`
`long. Preferably, the air bladders 30, 32 have an inflated thickness of 5.5 inches.
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`Other types and sizes of air bladders as well as bladders designed to accept other
`
`fluids, e.g. water, can be used in mattress unit 14 for resilient support 10.
`
`A generally rectangular cover 38 fits over edges 18, 20, 22 and the
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`rear edge 24 to enclose the top of chamber 28. As shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the
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`5
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`cover 38 has been rolled back to illustrate the side-by-side placement of air
`
`bladders 30, 32 in rectangular chamber 28.
`
`The air control system 40, in accordance with the present invention,
`
`functions to provide air under pressure to air bladders 30, 32 and to control the
`
`pressure of the air bladders 30, 32. The air control system 40 includes a hand
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`10
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`control unit 42 and a base unit 44.
`
`Hand Control Unit Embodiments
`
`Hand control unit 42 shown in Fig. 2A is preferably a remote unit
`
`physically unconnected to the remainder of the air control system 40. Fig. 2B
`
`shows an alternate embodiment hand control unit 742, which comprises an
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`15
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`analog pressure gage indicator 804, and air control buttons 806, 808. Hand control
`
`unit 742 is preferably used with the alternate pump configuration described in
`
`relation to Fig. 16B, although it is useful with various pump configurations.
`
`The hand control unit 42 allows a user to control the air pressure
`
`within the air bladders 30, 32 while lying on the mattress unit 14 or in any other
`
`20
`
`position in the vicinity of the air control system 40. Hand control unit 42 is
`
`preferably used with pump 152 described later below, although it is useful with
`
`various pump configurations.
`
`The top surface 102 of hand control unit 42 contains a digital display
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`104, two buttons 106, 108, and a two position switch 110. Digital display 104
`
`presents information received from the base unit 44. Preferably, the digital
`
`display 104 is made up of a liquid crystal display (LCD). The LCD is made up of
`
`two digits 112 ranging from 0-9 and a half digit that can only be a 1 or
`
`5 unilluminated. In this preferred embodiment, each digit 112 is made up of 7
`
`segments 113, as shown in Fig. 3, and the half digit 114 is made up of two
`
`segments 115, the top and bottom of the 1. The liquid crystal display is backlit by
`
`two preferably amber light emitting diodes. Digital display 104 displays for the
`
`user a number related to the pressure within the air bladders 30, 32. Preferably,
`
`10(cid:9)
`
`the button (either 106 or 108) which is designed to increase the pressure in an air
`
`bladder has a protruding top portion as felt by the user, while that button
`
`designed for deflating or reducing air pressure in an air bladder is designed with a
`
`depressed top portion as felt by a user. This further optimizes the ergonomics of
`
`the hand control unit and facilitates use without even viewing the unit.
`
`15(cid:9)
`
`The two buttons 106, 108 and the switch 110 provide for the
`
`communication of a command from the user to the air control system 40. The
`
`two buttons 106, 108 are adapted to be used by the user to initiate an inflation or
`
`deflation cycle, request the display of the current pressure or to instruct the base
`
`unit 44 to recognize the hand control units 42.
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`20(cid:9)
`
`The position of two position switch 110 selects the air bladder 30, 32
`
`on which the operations of the hand control unit 42 will function. The top
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`surface 102 of the hand control unit 42 can include markings indicating left or
`
`right near the corresponding side of switch 110. The preferred convention for
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`PCTfUS9S/14386
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`- 12 -
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`determining the left/right side of mattress unit 14 is from the perspective of a
`
`person laying on their back with their head in the proximity to the front edge 22
`
`(hose side) of the mattress unit 14, although other conventions can be used. For
`
`a system having a single air bladder 30, either position of the switch 110 will
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`5
`
`allow adjustment of the pressure in the air bladder 30 if a Y-hose is used to attach
`
`the base unit 42 to the mattress unit 14, as described below.
`
`Referring to Fig. 4, the interior of the hand control unit 42 contains
`
`a portable power supply 116, a hand control processor 118 and a hand control
`
`receiver/ transmitter 120. The portable power supply 116 is made up of a
`
`10
`
`disposable battery or a rechargeable battery. The hand control processor 118
`
`receives input from buttons 106, 108 and base unit 44 through hand control
`
`receiver! transmitter 120 and sends output to digital display 104 and base unit 44.
`
`The hand control processor 118 is a digital processor, for example a Motorola
`
`MC68HC05P4 microcontroller with a little more than 4 Kbytes of ROM (program)
`
`15 memory, 176 bytes of RAM memory, 20 I/O port pins, 1 input-only port pin, 1
`
`timer output pin, and a 16-bit capture/compare timer. The software for the hand
`
`control processor 118 is stored in the ROM memory during fabrication. The hand
`
`control processor 118 is permanently encoded at manufacture with an eight bit
`
`unit ID code and a four bit revision code for the software version by the selection
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`20
`
`of appropriate resisters within the hand control unit 42. Hand control receiver!
`
`transmitter 120 is adjusted to a proper electromagnetic frequency to receive from
`
`and transmit to base unit 44. The hand control receiver/ transmitter 120 can
`
`receive radio signals or transmit radio signals, but it cannot transmit and receive
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`PCT1US95/14386
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`at the same time.
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`- 13 -
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`Base Unit Embodiments
`
`The base unit 44 of the present invention is depicted in Fig. 5. The
`
`base unit 44 contains a motorized pump 152, pressure sensors 156, 158 (Fig. 10),
`
`5
`
`and a base unit processing board 160 (Fig. ii). Referring to Fig. 6, the base
`
`processing board 160 contains the base processor 162 and the base
`
`receiver/ transmitter 164. The base unit 44 is connected to air bladders 30, 32 by
`
`way of flexible tubular lines or tubes 166, 168 through inlet receptacles 170, 172.
`
`Tubes 166, 168 allow the air control system 40 to place additional air or to remove
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`10
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`air from the air bladders 30, 32 to achieve a desired air pressure within the air
`
`bladders 30, 32. For a single air bladder 30 mattress unit 14, tubes 166, 168 can be
`
`replaced with a Y-shaped tube (not shown) so either the right or left side
`
`commands will effect the single air bladder 30 or, alternatively, the unused inlet
`
`receptacle 170, 172 can be plugged. An electrical plug 174 is designed to be
`
`15
`
`connected to a conventional ac power receptacle. An electrical power cord 176
`
`connects plug 174 to base unit 44.
`
`The base receiver/ transmitter 164 is tuned to an electromagnetic
`
`frequency that is preferably selected to be in the radio frequency range. The
`
`electromagnetic frequency is preferably within the range from 315 MHz (106 Hz)
`
`20
`
`to 350 MHz. The selection of the radio frequency part of the electromagnetic
`
`spectrum enables the clear transmission of the signal without the need for the
`
`user to point the hand control unit 42 at the base receiver/ transmitter 164. The
`
`signal is transmitted in digital form at the rate of 833 bits per second. The base
`
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`- 14 -
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`receiver /transmitter 164 can receive radio signals or transmit radio signals, but it
`
`cannot transmit and receive at the same time.
`
`The pressure sensors 156, 158 are standard piezoelectric pressure
`
`sensors such as those available from IC Sensors Inc. The cap on the pressure
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`5
`
`sensors 156, 158 contain a small hole to allow air under ambient pressure to
`
`enter. This allows the measurement of the variation from ambient pressure by
`
`the pressure sensors 156, 158. The circuitry to amplify the signal from the
`
`piezoelectric sensor and to perform the analog to digital conversion is also
`
`standard in the art.
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`10
`
`The processor 160 is a digital processor, for example Motorola
`
`MC68HC05176 microcontroller with a little more than 4 Kbytes of ROM (program)
`
`memory, 176 bytes of RAM memory, 20 1/0 port pins, 1 input-only port pin, 8-bit
`
`analog to digital converter, and a 16-bit capture/compare timer. The software for
`
`the 162 is stored in the ROM memory during fabrication.
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`15
`
`Referring to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, tube 166 is shown in conjunction with a
`
`tube fitting 180. Tube fitting 180 is selectively, detachably received within an inlet
`
`receptacle 170, 172, it being understood that the tube 168 is identical in
`
`construction with tube 166. Fitting 180 is preferably comprised of a one piece,
`
`synthetic resin, generally tubular body 182. The fitting body 182 includes a tube
`
`20
`
`receiving end 184, a body midportion 186, and male connector head 188.
`
`The male connector head 188 includes an enlarged sealing portion
`
`190. The sealing portion 190 carries a sealing 0-ring 192. Connector head 188 also
`
`includes connecting tip 194. Connecting tip 194 includes a pair of generally semi-
`
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`circular in cross section prongs 195, 196. The prongs 195, 196 are arranged on the
`
`tip 194 in mirror image fashion. Each of the prongs 195, 196 include an axial
`
`portion 197 extending outwardly from the enlarged portion 190 of the connector
`
`head 188, and a half-circumferential portion 198 arranged in generally L-shaped
`
`5
`
`fashion with the axial portion 197. Circumferential portion 198 includes beveled
`
`perimeter 199, and a projecting boss portion 200.
`
`Referring to Figure 9, each of the inlet receptacles 170, 172 include a
`
`generally tubular inner wall 201, and a boss receiving aperture 203. A connector
`
`head 188 of a respective hose fitting 180 is detachably received within a respective
`
`10
`
`receptacle 170, 172, with the sealing 0-ring 192 carried by the enlarged portion 190
`
`of the connector head 188 received in sealing contact with the receptacle internal
`
`side wall 201. A boss 200 of one of the two connecting head prongs 196, 197 is
`
`detachably received within the aperture 203.
`
`Pump 152 has three major subcomponents: pump outer housing
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`15
`
`202, fan unit 204, and air distribution unit 206.
`
`Pump outer housing 202 has three subcomponents: lower outer
`
`housing portion 208, upper outer housing portion 210, and flexible mount 212.
`
`Generally, the lower outer housing portion 208 provides the mounting base for
`
`the fan unit 204 and the upper outer housing portion 210. The upper outer
`
`20
`
`housing portion 210 is mated to the lower outer housing portion 208, enclosing
`
`the fan unit 204 without physical contact therewith. Since the upper outer
`
`housing portion 210 of pump outer housing 202 is not in contact with the motor
`
`unit 204, mechanical dampening of the fan unit 204 is required only between the
`
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`fan unit 204 and the lower outer housing portion 208 to which the fan unit 204 is
`
`mounted in order to minimize vibration and noise transmission.
`
`Referring to Figs. 5, 10 and 11, the lower outer housing portion 208
`
`is comprised of a base 213 and peripheral lip 214. Lower outer housing portion
`
`5
`
`208 is preferably made of a thermoplastic material. The base 213 is designed to be
`
`generally flat in order to facilitate being placed upon the floor proximate to the
`
`air bed. The peripheral lip 214 has an upper margin into which interlocking
`
`marginal grooves 215 are formed.
`
`Four upwardly directed support posts 216 for fan unit 204 are
`
`10
`
`formed integral with base 213. The support posts 216 project above the upper
`
`margin of the peripheral lip 214. The support posts 216 have a central bore 218
`
`defined therein to facilitate the passage of a connecting screw therethrough.
`
`Smaller connecting posts 219 are also formed integral to base 213. Connecting
`
`posts 219 are designed to facilitate the connection of the upper outer housing
`
`15
`
`portion 210 to lower outer housing portion 208. A central bore 220 is defined in
`
`connecting posts 219 in order to facilitate passage of a connecting screw
`
`therethrough.
`
`A helical wall 221 is formed integral with base 213. Helical wall 221
`
`defines a portion of helical air intake passageway 222. Helical air intake
`
`20
`
`passageway 222 extends from central chamber 223 outward to intake mouth 224.
`
`Helical air intake passageway 222 is defined by base 213, helical wall 221, and
`
`flexible mount 212.
`
`The intake mouth 224 has two adjacent intake openings 225a and
`
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`225b, separated by a central support 226. Support tabs 228 overlie supporting
`
`structure 229 formed in base 213. Screws 230 are threaded through bores formed
`
`in