Articulable bed with a translatable and orientation adjustable deck section and volumetrically adjustable compensatory element

1. A bed comprising:

a deck having at least one section that is orientation adjustable about a laterally extending, longitudinally translatable axis that translates a prescribed distance in response to a change in orientation of the deck section;

a mattress assembly including at least one volumetrically adjustable element associated with the orientation adjustable deck section, the element comprised of a set of N inflated and deflatable bladders adapted to change the thickness of a portion of the mattress assembly adjacent to the deck section in a direction nonparallel to the orientation of the section; and

a controller adapted to command bladder inflation as a function of occupant characteristics and the orientation of the orientation adjustable deck section as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below.

Inflated

Inflated

bladder

bladder

quantity at

quantity at

maximum

minimum

orientation

orientation

of the deck

of the deck

section

section

Minimum

N

0

Occupant (0th

percentile)

Maximum

M where M < N

0

Occupant (100th

percentile).

2. The bed of claim 1 including a blower for pressurizing the volumetrically adjustable element.

3. The bed of claim 1 comprising multiple inflatable bladders each capable of effecting only part of a maximum attainable change in the thickness of the mattress assembly.

4. The bed of claim 1 in which the mattress assembly includes a substantially constant thickness base between the volumetrically adjustable element and the orientation adjustable deck section.

5. The bed of claim 1 in which the axis translates headwardly in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a maximum bed occupant and by a greater amount for a less than maximum occupant.

6. The bed of claim 5 in which the baseline amount is zero at a maximum positive orientation of the deck section.

7. The bed of claim 1 in which the axis translates headwardly a prescribed distance in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a design point occupant who is less than a maximum occupant and more than a minimum occupant and by a greater amount for an occupant smaller than the design point occupant.

8. The bed of claim 7 in which the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by less than the baseline amount for an occupant who is larger than the design point occupant.

9. The bed of claim 7 in which the design point occupant is a 50th percentile member of a population.

10. The bed of claim 1 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between maximum and minimum occupant characteristics.

11. The bed of claim 10 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

12. The bed of claim 11 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

13. The bed of claim 1 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of P inflatable bladders and the controller is adapted to command bladder inflation as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder

bladder

quantity at

quantity at

maximum

minimum

orientation

orientation

of the deck

of the deck

section

section

Occupant

R where R < P

P

greater than

Design Occupant

Occupant

P

P

equivalent to

Design Occupant

(Design

Occupant <100th

percentile)

Occupant Less

Q where Q > P

P

than Design

Occupant and >0th

percentile).

14. The bed of claim 13 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

15. The bed of claim 14 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

16. The bed of claim 13 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between the characteristics of a design point occupant and the characteristics of occupants smaller or larger than the design point occupant.

17. The bed of claim 1 in which the controller commands bladder inflation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder count

bladder count

at maximum

at minimum

Occupant

deck section

deck section

characteristics

orientation

orientation

Minimum

N

0

Occupant ≦

occupant < 20th

percentile

20th percentile ≦

N − 1

0

occupant <

40th percentile

40th percentile ≦

N − 2

0

occupant <

60th percentile

60th percentile ≦

N − 3

0

occupant <

80th percentile

80th percentile ≦

N − 4

0

occupant <

Maximum

Occupant.

18. The bed of claim 17 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

19. The bed of claim 18 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

20. The bed of claim 17 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

21. The bed of claim 1 in which the controller commands bladder inflation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below where lower percentile range numbers correspond to larger occupants

Occupant

Inflated

Inflated

characteristics

bladder count

bladder count

(i.e.

at maximum

at minimum

percentile

deck section

deck section

range)

orientation

orientation

n + 1

n

0

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

4

3

0

3

2

0

2

1

0

1

0

0.

22. The bed of claim 21 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

23. The bed of claim 1 wherein the deck section is also slidable in a direction parallel to the existing orientation of the deck section.

24. A bed comprising:

a deck having at least one section that is orientation adjustable about a laterally extending, longitudinally translatable axis that translates a prescribed distance in response to a change in orientation of the deck section;

a mattress assembly including a volumetrically adjustable element comprised of multiple inflatable bladders associated with the orientation adjustable deck section and distributed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the deck section, the bladders adapted to change the thickness of a portion of the mattress assembly adjacent to the deck section in a direction nonparallel to the orientation of the section; and

a controller for commanding inflation of a selected quantity of the bladders in response to the change in orientation of the deck section thereby regulating the change of thickness.

25. The bed of claim 24 wherein each bladder is capable of effecting only part of a maximum attainable change in the thickness of the mattress assembly.

26. The bed of claim 24 in which the axis translates headwardly in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a maximum bed occupant and by a greater amount for a less than maximum occupant.

27. The bed of claim 26 in which the baseline amount is zero at a maximum positive orientation of the deck section.

28. The bed of claim 24 in which the axis translates headwardly a prescribed distance in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a design point occupant who is less than a maximum occupant and more than a minimum occupant and by a greater amount for an occupant smaller than the design point occupant.

29. The bed of claim 28 in which the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by less than the baseline amount for an occupant who is larger than the design point occupant.

30. The bed of claim 28 in which the design point occupant is a 50th percentile member of a population.

31. The bed of claim 24 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of N inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below.

Inflated

Inflated

bladder

bladder

quantity at

quantity at

maximum

minimum

orientation

orientation

of the deck

of the deck

section

section

Minimum

N

0

Occupant (0th

percentile)

Maximum

M where M < N

0

Occupant (100th

percentile).

32. The bed of claim 31 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations.

33. The bed of claim 31 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

34. The bed of claim 33 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

35. The bed of claim 24 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of P inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder

bladder

quantity at

quantity at

maximum

minimum

orientation

orientation

of the deck

of the deck

section

section

Occupant

R where R < P

P

greater than

Design Occupant

Occupant

P

P

equivalent to

Design Occupant

(Design

Occupant <100th

percentile)

Occupant Less

Q where Q > P

P

than Design

Occupant and >0th

percentile).

36. The bed of claim 35 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between the characteristics of a design point occupant and the characteristics of occupants smaller or larger than the design point occupant.

37. The bed of claim 35 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

38. The bed of claim 37 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

39. The bed of claim 24 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of N inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder count

bladder count

at maximum

at minimum

Occupant

deck section

deck section

characteristics

orientation

orientation

Minimum

N

0

Occupant ≦

occupant < 20th

percentile

20th percentile ≦

N − 1

0

occupant <

40th percentile

40th percentile ≦

N − 2

0

occupant <

60th percentile

60th percentile ≦

N − 3

0

occupant <

80th percentile

80th percentile ≦

N − 4

0

occupant <

Maximum

Occupant.

40. The bed of claim 39 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

41. The bed of claim 39 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

42. The bed of claim 41 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

43. The bed of claim 24 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of n inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below where lower percentile range numbers correspond to larger occupants

Occupant

Inflated

Inflated

characteristics

bladder count

bladder count

(i.e.

at maximum

at minimum

percentile

deck section

deck section

range)

orientation

orientation

n + 1

n

0

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

4

3

0

3

2

0

2

1

0

1

0

0.

44. The bed of claim 43 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

45. The bed of claim 24 wherein the deck section is also slidable in a direction parallel to the existing orientation of the deck section.

46. A bed comprising:

a deck having an upper body section which is orientation adjustable about a laterally extending, longitudinally translatable axis that translates a prescribed distance in response to a change in orientation of the upper body deck section; and

a mattress assembly including at least one volumetrically adjustable element comprised of multiple inflatable bladders associated with the upper body deck section, the element adapted to change the thickness of a portion of the mattress assembly adjacent to the deck section in a direction nonparallel to the orientation of the section and;

a controller for regulating the change of thickness by commanding inflation of a selected quantity of the bladders in response to the change in orientation of the deck upper body section.

47. The bed of claim 46 wherein each bladder is capable of effecting only part of a maximum attainable change in the thickness of the mattress assembly.

48. The bed of claim 46 in which the axis translates headwardly in concert with a positive change in upper body deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a maximum bed occupant and by a greater amount for a less than maximum occupant.

49. The bed of claim 48 in which the baseline amount is zero at a maximum positive orientation of the deck upper body section.

50. The bed of claim 46 in which the axis translates headwardly a prescribed distance in concert with a positive change in upper body deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a design point occupant who is less than a maximum occupant and more than a minimum occupant and by a greater amount for an occupant smaller than the design point occupant.

51. The bed of claim 50 in which the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by less than the baseline amount for an occupant who is larger than the design point occupant.

52. The bed of claim 46 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of N inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder

bladder

quantity at

quantity at

maximum

minimum

orientation

orientation

of the deck

of the deck

section

section

Minimum

N

0

Occupant (0th

percentile)

Maximum

M where M < N

0

Occupant (100th

percentile).

53. The bed of claim 52 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between maximum and minimum occupant characteristics.

54. The bed of claim 52 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

55. The bed of claim 54 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

56. The bed of claim 46 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of P inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder

bladder

quantity at

quantity at

maximum

minimum

orientation

orientation

of the deck

of the deck

section

section

Occupant

R where R < P

P

greater than

Design Occupant

Occupant

P

P

equivalent to

Design Occupant

(Design

Occupant <100th

percentile)

Occupant Less

Q where Q > P

P

than Design

Occupant and >0th

percentile).

57. The bed of claim 56 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for upper body deck section orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between the characteristics of a design point occupant and the characteristics of occupants smaller or larger than the design point occupant.

58. The bed of claim 56 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

59. The bed of claim 58 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

60. The bed of claim 46 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of N inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder count

bladder count

at maximum

at minimum

Occupant

deck section

deck section

characteristics

orientation

orientation

Minimum

N

0

Occupant ≦

occupant < 20th

percentile

20th percentile ≦

N − 1

0

occupant <

40th percentile

40th percentile ≦

N − 2

0

occupant <

60th percentile

60th percentile ≦

N − 3

0

occupant <

80th percentile

80th percentile ≦

N − 4

0

occupant <

Maximum

Occupant.

61. The bed of claim 60 and with inflated bladder quantity being interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

62. The bed of claim 60 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

63. The bed of claim 62 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

64. The bed of claim 46 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of n inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below where lower percentile range numbers correspond to larger occupants

Occupant

Inflated

Inflated

characteristics

bladder count

bladder count

(i.e.

at maximum

at minimum

percentile

deck section

deck section

range)

orientation

orientation

n + 1

n

0

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

4

3

0

3

2

0

2

1

0

1

0

0.

65. the bed of claim 64 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

66. The bed of claim 46 wherein the deck section is also slidable in a direction parallel to the existing orientation of the deck section.

67. A bed comprising:

a deck having at least one section that is orientation adjustable about a laterally extending, longitudinally translatable axis that translates a prescribed distance in response to a change in orientation of the deck section; and

a mattress assembly including at least one volumetrically adjustable element associated with the orientation adjustable deck section, the volumetrically adjustable element comprised of at least two inflatable bladders and adapted to change the thickness of a portion of the mattress assembly adjacent to the deck section in a direction nonparallel to the orientation of the section; and

a controller for regulating the change of thickness by commanding inflation of a selected quantity of the bladders in response to the change in orientation of the deck section and the characteristics of the occupant.

68. The bed of claim 67 wherein each bladder is capable of effecting only part of a maximum attainable change in the thickness of the mattress assembly.

69. The bed of claim 67 in which the axis translates headwardly in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a maximum bed occupant and by a greater amount for a less than maximum occupant.

70. The bed of claim 69 in which the baseline amount is zero at a maximum positive orientation of the deck section.

71. The bed of claim 67 in which the axis translates headwardly a prescribed distance in concert with a positive change in deck section orientation, and the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by a baseline amount for a design point occupant who is less than a maximum occupant and more than a minimum occupant and by a greater amount for an occupant smaller than the design point occupant.

72. The bed of claim 71 in which the adjustable element changes the thickness of the portion of the mattress assembly by less than the baseline amount for an occupant who is larger than the design point occupant.

73. The bed of claim 67 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of P inflatable bladders and in which the controller commands inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder

bladder

quantity at

quantity at

maximum

minimum

orientation

orientation

of the deck

of the deck

section

section

Occupant

R where R < P

P

greater than

Design Occupant

Occupant

P

P

equivalent to

Design Occupant

(Design

Occupant <100th

percentile)

Occupant Less

Q where Q > P

P

than Design

Occupant and >0th

percentile).

74. The bed of claim 73 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between maximum and minimum orientations and for occupant characteristics between the characteristics of a design point occupant and the characteristics of occupants smaller or larger than the design point occupant.

75. The bed of claim 73 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

76. The bed of claim 75 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

77. The bed of claim 67 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of N inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below

Inflated

Inflated

bladder count

bladder count

at maximum

at minimum

Occupant

deck section

deck section

characteristics

orientation

orientation

Minimum

N

0

Occupant ≦

occupant < 20th

percentile

20th percentile ≦

N − 1

0

occupant <

40th percentile

40th percentile ≦

N − 2

0

occupant <

60th percentile

60th percentile ≦

N − 3

0

occupant <

80th percentile

80th percentile ≦

N − 4

0

occupant <

Maximum

Occupant.

78. The bed of claim 77 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

79. The bed of claim 77 wherein in the event that the inflation schedule calls for a nonintegral quantity of bladders to be inflated, the controller commands full inflation of a quantity of bladders equal to the integral portion of the nonintegral quantity and commands partial inflation of an additional bladder.

80. The bed of claim 79 in which the additional bladder is inflated to a pressure approximately equal to a full inflation pressure multiplied by the fractional part of the nonintegral quantity.

81. The bed of claim 67 in which the volumetrically adjustable element is a set of n inflatable bladders and in which the controller is adapted to command inflation of the bladders as a function of occupant characteristics and deck section orientation as specified in an inflation schedule set forth below where lower percentile range numbers correspond to larger occupants

Occupant

Inflated

Inflated

characteristics

bladder count

bladder count

(i.e.

at maximum

at minimum

percentile

deck section

deck section

range)

orientation

orientation

n + 1

n

0

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

4

3

0

3

2

0

2

1

0

1

0

0.

82. the bed of claim 81 wherein the inflated bladder quantity is interpolated for deck orientations between the maximum and minimum orientations.

83. The bed of claim 67 wherein the deck section is also slidable in a direction parallel to the existing orientation of the deck section.