Patent Application
20250090399
The disclosed subject matter relates generally to airbed systems and more particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, to airbed systems with an alternate pressure mattress.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system including: an air mattress including a plurality of alternating air cells; wherein the plurality of alternating air cells include: a plurality of first air cells; and a plurality of second air cells adjacent to the plurality of first air cells; and a control housing configured to alternate inflation and deflation of the plurality of first air cells and the plurality of second air cells based on a selectable firmness level.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the selectable firmness level corresponds to a desired immersion pressure, a desired high pressure, and a desired low pressure.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the desired immersion pressure is between about 7 to 42 mm Hg.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the desired high pressure is between about 13 to 48 mm Hg.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the desired low pressure is between about 4 to 34 mm Hg.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the control housing is configured to exhaust the plurality of alternating air cells for a predetermined period of equalization time, deflate the plurality of first air cells for a first predetermined period of time, inflate the plurality of second air cells to the desired high pressure, deflate the plurality of first air cells to the desired low pressure, and hold the desired high pressure and the desired low pressure for a second predetermined period of time.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the predetermined period of equalization time is between about 45 to 50 seconds.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the first predetermined period of time is less than about 10 seconds.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the second predetermined period of time is between about 5 to 60 seconds.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the control housing is further configured to deflate the plurality of second air cells for a first predetermined period of time, inflate the plurality of first air cells to the desired high pressure, and deflate the plurality of second air cells to the desired low pressure.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the control housing includes a pump connected to the plurality of first air cells and the plurality of second air cells.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the control housing includes a pressure sensor to monitor a pressure status within the plurality of alternating air cells.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the control housing includes a control unit configured to control the pump.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, further includes a user remote configured to control the inflation and deflation of the air mattress.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system including: an air mattress including a plurality of alternating air cells; wherein the plurality of alternating air cells include: a plurality of first air cells; and a plurality of second air cells adjacent to the plurality of first air cells; a pump connected to the plurality of first air cells and the plurality of second air cells; and a control housing configured to exhaust the plurality of alternating air cells for a predetermined period of equalization time, deflate the plurality of first air cells for a first predetermined period of time, inflate the plurality of second air cells to a desired high pressure, deflate the plurality of first air cells to a desired low pressure, and hold the desired high pressure and the desired low pressure for a second predetermined period of time.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to an alternate pressure mattress system, wherein the control housing is further configured to deflate the plurality of second air cells for the first predetermined period of time, inflate the plurality of first air cells to the desired high pressure, and deflate the plurality of second air cells to the desired low pressure.
In some aspects of the disclosed subject matter described herein relate to a method of alternating a pressure within an air mattress including the steps of: providing an air mattress including a plurality of first air cells and a plurality of second air cells adjacent to the plurality of first air cells; exhausting the plurality of first air cells and the plurality of second air cells to a manifold for a predetermined period of equalization time; deflating the plurality of first air cells for a first predetermined period of time; inflating the plurality of second air cells to a desired high pressure; deflating the plurality of first air cells to a desired low pressure; holding the desired high pressure and the desired low pressure for a second predetermined period of time; exhausting the plurality of first air cells and the plurality of second air cells to the manifold for the predetermined period of equalization time; deflating the plurality of second air cells for the first predetermined period of time; inflating the plurality of first air cells to the desired high pressure; deflating the plurality of second air cells to the desired low pressure; and holding the desired high pressure and the desired low pressure for the second predetermined period of time.
In some aspects of the above-referenced method, the predetermined period of equalization time is between about 45 to 50 seconds.
In some aspects of the above-referenced method, the first predetermined period of time is less than about 10 seconds.
In some aspects of the above-referenced method, the second predetermined period of time is between about 5 to 60 seconds.
The present disclosed subject matter is described herein with reference to the following drawing figures, with greater emphasis placed on clarity rather than scale:
As required, detailed aspects of the disclosed subject matter are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed aspects are merely exemplary of the disclosed subject matter, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to variously employ the disclosed technology in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
Although the disclosed subject matter has been disclosed with reference to various particular embodiments, it is understood that equivalents may be employed, and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter as recited in the claims.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description, and are shown in the drawings, and will not be limiting. For example, up, down, front, back, right and left refer to the disclosed subject matter as orientated in the view being referred to. The words, “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the aspect being described and designated parts thereof. Forwardly and rearwardly are generally in reference to the direction of travel, if appropriate. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar meaning.
The disclosed subject matter will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present disclosed subject matter, proportional relationships of the elements have not been maintained in the figures. In some cases, the sizes of certain small components have been exaggerated for illustration.
Referring to the drawings,
Referring to the drawings,
An exemplary airbed system with which embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be used are depicted by
In
In an exemplary implementation of the airbed system 200, the valves may be provided at the connection between the manifold 210 and the tubes (122, 126, 208), and the valves may be in fluid communication with the control unit 204 such that the control unit is configured to open and close the valves. Solenoid plunger style valves may be used due to their electromechanical control capabilities and relatively low cost, but it will be appreciated that other types of control valves may be used depending on the application. The tubes (122, 126, 208) may be constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or silicone rubber and may comprise of other appropriate connections for transferring a gas, such as air, from a pump outlet to the plurality of alternating air cells 108. The manifold 210 may be constructed of thermoplastic or any other suitable material with sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the amount of pressure required for the application. For example, for applications requiring about 1 psi of air, materials such as Nylon PA6, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polypropylene (PP), Polycarbonate (PC), or Polyphenylene Ether (PPE), may be used. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the type of material used may vary depending on the pressure requirements of the particular application (e.g., a properly designed PPE manifold may withstand up to several hundred pounds per square inch of pressure).
A pressure sensor 212 (or multiple pressure sensors) are incorporated in the control unit 204 and may be exposed to the manifold 210 (or the plurality of first air cells 118 or the plurality of second air cells 120 directly) via pressure taps to monitor the pressure status of the plurality of alternating air cells 108. The pressure sensor 212 provides the control unit 204 with pressure information corresponding to the manifold 210, the plurality of first air cells 118, and/or the plurality of second air cells 120. In
The control unit 204 may include a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) with a tangible, computer-readable medium having electronically executable instructions stored thereon (e.g. RAM, ROM, PROM, volatile, nonvolatile, or other electronic memory mechanism), and a corresponding processor for executing those instructions. The control unit 204 may control the pump 206 and the flow of fluid (e.g., gas) in the airbed environment through the tubes 122, 126, and 208 by opening and closing the appropriate valves. The control unit 204 may further send and receive data to and from a user remote 216, allowing a user of the airbed system 200 to control the inflation/deflation of the air mattress 106 through the control unit 204, as well as displaying information related to the airbed system 200 to the user.
An exemplary control unit may include a selectable firmness level correlating to desired pressures within the plurality of alternating air cells 108. For example, a selectable firmness level may correlate to a desired immersion pressure (PIMMERSION), a desired high pressure (PHIGH), and a desired low pressure (PLOW) in accordance with Table 1 below.
The user remote 216 may include a display that may indicates a current pressure status of the plurality of first air cells 118 and the plurality of second air cells 120, the current selectable firmness level (e.g., levels 1-8), the current time of alternation, the current time of immersion, and the current mode of operation (immersion, alternation, etc.) and may also include input buttons that allow the user to communicate the user's desired selectable firmness level, time of alternation, and time of immersion to the control unit 204. The user remote 216 may be connected to the control unit 204 through a wired connection or may communicate with the control unit 204 wirelessly through appropriate communications hardware. The user remote 216 comprise a mobile computing device running an application that wirelessly provides instructions to the control unit 204.
It will be appreciated that the airbed system 200 is merely exemplary and that the principles described herein are not limited to the airbed system 200 depicted. For example, it will be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment the manifold 210 may be connected directly to the pump outlet without the use of the tube 208.
In an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, the control unit 204 may operate in an alternation mode wherein the control unit 204 is configured to, during an equalization operation, place the plurality of first air cells 118 in fluid communication with the plurality of second air cells 120 for a predetermined period of equalization time (TEQUALIZATION), whereby, after TEQUALIZATION, the pressure in the plurality of first air cells 118 is approximately equal to the pressure in plurality of second air cells 120. In an embodiment, TEQUALIZATION is between about 40 to 50 seconds, and preferably about 45 seconds. For example, if the pressure in the plurality of first air cells 118 is initially greater than the pressure in the plurality of second air cells 120, during TEQUALIZATION, the pressure in the plurality of first air cells 118 decreases, while the pressure in the plurality of second air cells 120 increases until the pressure in both the plurality of first air cells 118 and the plurality of second air cells 120 equalize to approximately the same pressure.
In an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, after the equalization operation, the control unit 204 is further configured to isolate the plurality of first air cells 118 from the plurality of second air cells 120 and independently connect both the plurality of first air cells 118 and the plurality of second air cells 120 to the manifold 210 so that both the plurality of first air cells 118 and the plurality of second air cells 120 may be inflated and/or deflated independent of each other. Deflation may be accomplished by independently exhausting the plurality of first air cells 118 and/or the plurality of second air cells 120 to atmosphere through the manifold 210 via tubes 122, 126.
In an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, the control unit 204 is further configured to deflate the plurality of first air cells 118 for a first predetermined period of time (T1). In an embodiment, T1 may be less than about 10 seconds, and preferably about 5 seconds. After the control unit 204 deflates the plurality of first air cells 118 for T1, the control unit 204 is further configured to inflate the plurality of second air cells 120 to the desired high pressure (PHIGH). In an embodiment, PHIGH may correlate with the selectable firmness level as set forth in Table 1. The control unit 204 is then further configured to deflate the plurality of first air cells 118 to the desired low pressure (PLOW). In an embodiment, PLOW may correlate with the selectable firmness level as set forth in Table 1. After deflation of the plurality of first air cells 118 to PLOW, the control unit 204 is configured to hold each of the desired high pressure (PHIGH) within the plurality of first air cells 118 and the desired low pressure (PLOW) within the plurality of second air cells 120 for a second predetermined period of time (T2). In a preferred embodiment, T2 may be between about 5 to 60 seconds, and preferably one of about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 seconds.
In an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, after the control unit 204 holds PHIGH and PLOW for T2, the control unit 204 is configured to alternate PHIGH and PLOW between the plurality of first air cells 118 and the plurality of second air cells 120 by repeating the steps above starting with the equalization operation discussed above. In an embodiment, the alternation mode may run for a predetermined period of alternation time or a predetermined number of alternation cycles.
In an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, an airbed system, connectable to an air mattress, may comprise an air mattress comprising a plurality of first air cells alternately arranged between a plurality of second air cells, the plurality of first air cells having a first air pressure, the plurality of second air chambers having a second air pressure; a pressure sensor configured to obtain pressure measurements corresponding to the plurality first air cells and the plurality of second air cells; a control unit, comprising a processor, configured to operate a pump and valves of the airbed system to inflate and deflate the plurality of first air cells and the plurality of second air cells and to determine the first air pressure within the plurality of first air cells and the second air pressure within the plurality of second air cells; and wherein the control unit is further configured to, during an alteration process: (1) equalize the first air pressure and the second air pressure; (2) deflate the plurality of first air cells for a first predetermined period of time; (3) inflate the plurality of second air cells to a desired high pressure corresponding to a selectable firmness level; (4) deflate the plurality of first cells to a desired low pressure corresponding to the selectable firmness level; (5) hold the desired high pressure and the desired low pressure for a second predetermined period of time; (6) equalize the first air pressure and the second air pressure; (7) deflate the plurality of second air cells for the first predetermined period of time; (8) inflate the plurality of first air cells to the desired high pressure; (9) deflate the plurality of second cells to the desired low pressure; and (10) hold the desired high pressure and the desired low pressure for the second predetermined period of time. In an embodiment, the control unit 212 may be configured to repeat the alternation process for a predetermined period of alternation time or a predetermined number of alternation cycles.
In an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, the control unit 204 may be further configured to, during an immersion process, inflate and/or deflate the plurality of alternating air cells 108 to the desired immersion pressure (PIMMERSION) as set forth in Table 1 in accordance with the selectable firmness level. During the immersion process, a patient's body is enveloped upon the support surface 107. In an embodiment, the immersion process may run for a third predetermined period of time (T3).
In an embodiment, after step 620, at least one of steps 602-620 may be repeated for a predetermined period of alternation time or a predetermined number of alternation cycles.
It is to be understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects.
This U.S. non-provisional application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/583,355, filed Sep. 18, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63583355 | Sep 2023 | US |
