Air manifold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10575654-B2
Application number	US-201615337552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

An air system for use in an air bed system can include a manifold and one or more valves. The manifold can define an inlet, an outlet, and a vent fluidically connected to atmosphere. A method of operating an air bed system can include deflating an air chamber through the vent in a first valve configuration and through the vent and an exhaust port in a second valve configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air bed system comprising:
a mattress comprising a first inflatable air chamber;
an air pump; and
an air system comprising:
a manifold defining a pump inlet fluidly connected to the air pump, a first vent fluidly connected to atmosphere, and a first outlet fluidly connected to the first inflatable air chamber;
a first valve operably connected to the manifold to selectively open and close the first outlet,
wherein when the first valve is open, the air pump is fluidly connected to both the first vent and the first outlet such that air pumped from the air pump into the manifold can flow out of the manifold through both the first vent and the first outlet when the pump is operating and air can flow from the first inflatable air chamber through the first vent to the atmosphere when the pump is not operating.

2. The air bed system of claim 1 , wherein the mattress comprises a second inflatable air chamber, wherein the manifold defines a second outlet fluidly connected to the second inflatable air chamber, and wherein the air system comprises a second valve operably connected to the manifold to selectively open and close the second outlet.

3. The air bed system of claim 2 , wherein when the second valve is open, the air pump is fluidly connected to both the first vent and the second outlet such that air pumped from the air pump into the manifold can flow out of the manifold through the first vent and the second outlet when the pump is operating and air can flow from the second inflatable air chamber through the first vent to the atmosphere when the pump is not operating.

4. The air bed system of claim 2 , wherein the manifold further defines an exhaust port fluidly connected to atmosphere and wherein the air system comprises a third valve operably connected to the manifold to selectively open and close the exhaust port.

5. The air bed system of claim 4 , wherein the pump is a positive displacement pump and the first vent is non-valved and remains open during substantially all operating conditions regardless of the position of the first, second, and third valves.

6. The air bed system of claim 1 , wherein the manifold further defines an exhaust port fluidly connected to atmosphere and wherein the air system comprises an exhaust valve operably connected to the manifold to selectively open and close the exhaust port.

7. The air bed system of claim 6 , wherein the air system is operable to slowly deflate the first inflatable air chamber via the first vent when the first valve is open and the exhaust valve is close and is operable to quickly deflate the first inflatable air chamber via both the first vent and the exhaust port when the first valve and the exhaust valve are open.

8. The air bed of claim 6 , and further comprising:
a controller in communication with the first valve and configured to send a first signal to open the first valve without opening the exhaust valve to allow for slower deflation of the first inflatable air chamber and to send a second signal to open the first and exhaust valves to allow for faster deflation of the first inflatable air chamber.

9. The air bed system of claim 1 , wherein when the first valve is closed, the first inflatable air chamber is substantially sealed from the manifold and the pump inlet is in fluid communication with the first vent.

10. A method of operating an air bed system, the method comprising:
pumping air from a pump into a first inflatable air chamber of the air bed system and through a vent to atmosphere when the air bed system has a first valve configuration and the pump is operating;
flowing air from the first inflatable air chamber through the vent to atmosphere to slowly deflate the first inflatable air chamber when the air bed system has the first valve configuration and the pump is not operating; and
flowing air from the first inflatable air chamber through both the vent and a valved exhaust port to atmosphere to quickly deflate the first inflatable air chamber when the air bed system has a second valve configuration.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a first air chamber valve is open and an exhaust port valve is closed in the first valve configuration and wherein both of the first air chamber valve and the exhaust port valve are open in the second configuration.

12. The method of claim 10 , the method further comprising:
pumping air from the pump into a second inflatable air chamber of the air bed system and through the first vent to atmosphere when the air bed system has a third valve configuration and the pump is operating;
flowing air from the second inflatable air chamber through the first vent to atmosphere to slowly deflate the second inflatable air chamber when the air bed system has the third valve configuration and the pump is not operating; and
flowing air from the second inflatable air chamber through both the first vent and the valved exhaust port to atmosphere to quickly deflate the inflatable air chamber when the air bed system has a fourth valve configuration.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a second air chamber valve is closed in the first valve configuration and the second valve configuration, wherein the second air chamber valve is open and both of the first air chamber valve and the exhaust port valve are closed in the third valve configuration, and wherein the second air chamber valve and the exhaust port valve are open and the first air chamber valve is closed in the fourth valve configuration.

14. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
automatically deflating the first inflatable air chamber in the first valve configuration in response to sensing user presence on the air bed system and determining that pressure of the first inflatable air chamber should be reduced; and
deflating the first inflatable air chamber in the second valve configuration in response to receiving a user input to deflate the first inflatable air chamber.

15. An air system for use in an air bed system, the air system comprising:
a manifold defining a manifold interior, a first vent fluidly connecting the manifold interior to atmosphere, an exhaust port fluidly connecting the manifold interior to atmosphere, a pump inlet configured for fluidly connecting a pump to the manifold interior, and first and second chamber outlets configured for fluidly connecting the manifold interior to first and second inflatable air chambers;
a first valve operably connected to the manifold for selectively opening and closing the first chamber outlet;
a second valve operably connected to the manifold for selectively opening and closing the second chamber outlet; and
a third valve operably connected to the manifold for selectively opening and closing the exhaust port.

16. The air system of claim 15 , wherein the first vent is non-valved and remains open during substantially all operating conditions regardless of the position of the first, second, and third valves.

17. The air system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to send a first signal to open the first valve without opening the second and third valves to allow for slower deflation of the first inflatable air chamber and wherein the controller is configured to send a second signal to open the first and third valves without opening the second valve to allow for faster deflation of the first inflatable air chamber.

18. The air system of claim 15 , wherein the first vent has a diameter of between 0.005 inch and 0.04 inch and the exhaust port has a diameter of between 0.2 inch and 0.6 inch.

Assignees

• Sleep Number Corp

Inventors

• Shakal Anthony John

Classifications

• A47C27/10

  with two or more independently-fillable chambers · CPC title

• G05D7/0652

  the plurality of throttling means being arranged in parallel · CPC title

• A47C31/008

  Use of remote controls · CPC title

• A47C27/083 Primary

  with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors · CPC title

• A47C27/082

  with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps · CPC title