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US 7,596,823 B2Granted
Lying-down means
OwnerArno Friedrichsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a bed comprising a mattress with a plurality of air chambers arranged in a grid, each chamber being equipped with at least one air connection. The bed is also equipped with a plurality of controllable valves, each valve being assigned to one of the air chambers and several sensors. A control unit is connected to the sensors and controls the valves individually in accordance with the output signals of the sensors. In addition, the inventive bed comprises an air source that is connected to the valves.
Claims19
Lying-down means comprising
- a mattress (1) with a plurality of air chambers (2) in grid arrangement and each having at least one air connecting means (6)
- a plurality of controllable valves (3) each associated with a respective one of the air chambers for pumping in air into the air chamber and letting out air from the air chamber,
- a plurality of sensors, one of said sensors being a pressure sensor,
- a control unit (4) connected with the sensors and individually controlling the valves (3) in dependence on output signals of the sensors and
- an air source (7) connected with the valves,
- wherein the air source (7) comprises a piston (15) driven by a linear motor (14) and reciprocatingly movable in a piston housing (16) having a pump chamber,
- wherein the control unit (4) controls the valves (3) in such a way that a valve for pumping in or letting out air is open during the upward or downward movement of the piston only if the pressure in the respective air chamber corresponds with the air pressure prevailing in the pump chamber, and
- wherein the piston housing has the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor having an output signal supplied to the control unit for enabling the control unit to ensure that the valve for pumping in or letting out air is open during the upward or downward movement of the piston only if the pressure in the respective air chamber corresponds with the pressure prevailing in the pump chamber of the piston housing.
5 more elements
Lying-down means comprising
- a mattress (1) with a plurality of air chambers (2) in grid arrangement and each having at least one air connecting means (6),
- a plurality of controllable valves (3) each associated with a respective one of the air chambers,
- a plurality of sensors, one of said sensors being a height sensor,
- a control unit (4) connected with the sensors and individually controlling the valves (3) in dependence on output signals of the sensors and
- an air source (7) connected with the valves,
- wherein the control unit (4) comprises a processor (11) providing control signals for the valves in dependence on the supplied sensor signals, and
- wherein the height sensor has an image recording element (27), an inner surface of an upper side of an air chamber is provided with a plurality of marking points and the control unit determines the height of the air chamber in dependence on the number of detached marking points.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.