Automatic mattress surface contour and support changing apparatus with wave sensors

Abstract

An automatic mattress surface contour and support changing apparatus includes a wave-emitter assembly which emits waves and is worn by a person lying in bed. A wave-responsive mattress/control assembly responds to the waves of the wave-emitter assembly for adjusting top surface support characteristics of the wave-responsive mattress/control assembly. The wave-responsive mattress/control assembly includes a plurality of signal-responsive, adjustable-height support assemblies and a top layer covering and supported by the plurality of signal-responsive, adjustable-height support assemblies. The top layer provides a top support surface for supporting the person in bed. A plurality of wave sensor assemblies are ready to sense waves from a wave-emitter assembly when the wave-emitter assembly moves substantially close to one or more of the wave sensor assemblies. With one embodiment, each wave sensor assembly is connected to an associated signal-responsive, adjustable-height support assembly. Each wave sensor assembly sends a height-reduction control signal to an associated signal-responsive, adjustable-height support assembly when waves are sensed by the wave sensor assembly. The height-reduction control signal causes the signal-responsive, adjustable-height support assembly to reduce its height, whereby the top surface support of the wave-responsive mattress/control assembly is retracted away from the wave-emitter assembly. With another embodiment, each wave sensor assembly is connected to a common control unit which controls a plurality of the signal-responsive, adjustable-height support assemblies in a variety of selectable predetermined patterns.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.