Granted Patent B2

US 12,635,808 · App. 17/078,558 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventors: Paul James Mahoney (Stillwater, MN); Matthew Glen Hilden (Robbinsdale, MN); Matthew Wayne Tilstra (Rogers, MN)

Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation

A47C27/083A47C27/082A47C27/08A47C27/10

Abstract

Claims (62)

1 . A valve enclosure assembly comprising:

an enclosure defining a substantially fluidly sealed air chamber and having at least one air inlet to the air chamber configured to be fluidly coupled to a pump;

a port fluidly coupled to an interior of the enclosure that is designed to receive a tube;

a pressure sensor;

a tube connected to the port and the pressure sensor;

at least one valve operably coupled to the enclosure being in selective fluid communication with the air chamber of the enclosure; and

a controller comprising at least one microprocessor and memory, wherein the controller is in communication with the pressure sensor, the at least one valve and a pump to control the at least one valve and the pump, wherein the controller is configured to:

select a desired pressure setpoint, wherein the desired pressure setpoint is a value that corresponds to a desired pressure;

calculate an enclosure pressure target, wherein the enclosure pressure target is calculated based upon the desired pressure setpoint and a pressure adjustment factor, wherein the enclosure pressure target is calculated to approximate the desired pressure setpoint as modified by the pressure adjustment factor to account for differences between sensing pressure in the enclosure and sensing pressure in an object to be inflated;

sense pressure within the enclosure;

adjust pressure until the sensed enclosure pressure is inside of acceptable bounds of an acceptable pressure target error range of the enclosure pressure target;

determine an actual pressure within the object to be inflated;

compare the actual pressure of the object to be inflated to the desired pressure setpoint for the object to be inflated to determine an adjustment factor error;

modify the pressure adjustment factor based upon the adjustment factor error to create a modified pressure adjustment factor configured to more accurately account for differences between sensing pressure in the enclosure and sensing pressure in the object to be inflated; and

store the modified pressure adjustment factor in memory;

calculate a modified enclosure pressure target, wherein the modified enclosure pressure target is calculated based upon the desired pressure setpoint for the object to be inflated and the modified pressure adjustment factor; and

adjust pressure within the object to be inflated until pressure sensed within the enclosure is substantially equal to the modified enclosure pressure target.

2 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein the object to be inflated is a mattress air chamber.

3 . A bed system comprising:

a mattress having a mattress air chamber;

a pump system comprising:

a pump; and

the valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 .

4 . A pump system comprising:

a pump; and

the valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve enclosure assembly is fluidly connected to the pump and is configured to be fluidly connected to a mattress air chamber.

5 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein the desired pressure setpoint is between about 0 psi (pounds per square inch) to about 0.6 psi.

6 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein, if the enclosure pressure target is an inflation pressure target, then the pressure adjustment factor is an additive pressure adjustment factor.

7 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein, if the enclosure pressure target is an inflation pressure target, then the pressure adjustment factor is an additive pressure adjustment factor and wherein, if the enclosure pressure target is a deflation pressure target, then the pressure adjustment factor is a multiplicative pressure adjustment factor.

8 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises structure to position solenoids within the valve enclosure assembly.

9 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to continuously monitor pressure.

10 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 1 , wherein the controller is in data communication with a mobile device via an internet connection.

11 . A valve enclosure assembly comprising:

an enclosure defining a substantially fluidly sealed air chamber and having at least one air inlet to the air chamber configured to be fluidly coupled to a pump;

at least one valve operably coupled to the enclosure being in selective fluid communication with the air chamber of the enclosure and configured to be in fluid communication with at least one air bladder for selectively fluidly coupling the air chamber of the enclosure to the at least one air bladder;

a port fluidly coupled to an interior of the air chamber of the enclosure that is designed to receive a tube;

a pressure sensor;

a tube connected to the port and to the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor being operably coupled to a processor and being in fluid communication with the at least one valve for monitoring the pressure in the at least one air bladder; and

a controller comprising at least the processor and memory, wherein the controller is in communication with the pump and the at least one valve to control the pump and valve and is configured to:

receive a selection for a first desired pressure setpoint for a first air bladder, wherein the first desired pressure setpoint represents a desired pressure between about 0 psi (pounds per square inch) to about 0.6 psi;

receive a selection for a second desired pressure setpoint for a second air bladder, wherein the second desired pressure setpoint represents a desired pressure between about 0 psi to about 0.6 psi;

calculate a first pressure target for the enclosure, wherein the first pressure target for the enclosure is calculated based upon the first desired pressure setpoint for the first air bladder and a first pressure adjustment factor,

wherein, if the first pressure target is a first inflate pressure target, then the first pressure adjustment factor is a first additive pressure adjustment factor, and

calculate a second pressure target for the enclosure, wherein the second pressure target for the enclosure is calculated based upon the second desired pressure setpoint for the second air bladder and a second pressure adjustment factor,

wherein, if the second pressure target is a second inflate pressure target, then the second pressure adjustment factor is a second additive pressure adjustment factor, and

adjust pressure within the first air bladder until a pressure sensed within the enclosure is substantially equal to the first pressure target, wherein the pressure of the enclosure is sensed via the pressure sensor that is fluidly connected to the enclosure at the port via the tube;

adjust pressure within the second air bladder until a pressure sensed within the enclosure is substantially equal to the second pressure target, wherein the pressure of the enclosure is sensed via the pressure sensor that is fluidly connected to the enclosure at the port via the tube;

determine a first actual bladder pressure within the first air bladder;

determine a second actual bladder pressure within the second air bladder;

compare the first actual bladder pressure to the first desired pressure setpoint to determine a first adjustment factor error;

compare the second actual bladder pressure to the second desired pressure setpoint to determine a second adjustment factor error;

modify the first pressure adjustment factor based upon the first adjustment factor error; and

modify the second pressure adjustment factor based upon the second adjustment factor error.

12 . A bed system comprising:

a pump system comprising:

the valve enclosure assembly of claim 11 ; and

the pump; and

an air mattress comprising the first and second air bladders.

13 . The bed system of claim 12 , and further comprising:

means for centralized data storage and archival of air bed system information.

14 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 11 , wherein, if the first pressure target is a first deflation pressure target, then the first pressure adjustment factor is a first multiplicative pressure adjustment factor and wherein, if the second pressure target is a second deflation pressure target, then the second pressure adjustment factor is a second multiplicative pressure adjustment factor.

15 . The valve enclosure assembly of claim 11 , wherein the valve enclosure assembly comprises structure to position solenoids within the valve enclosure assembly.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (260)