Mattress with adjustable firmness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10959535-B2
Application number	US-201916595991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A mattress can include one or more layers of foam material, an adjustable air layer including an air bladder, and a valve. The valve can be fluidically connected to the air bladder and configured to regulate pressure of the air bladder in response to actuation. Some embodiments can include a foam material positioned inside the air bladder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress sized to support a first sleeper and a second sleeper, the mattress comprising:
one or more layers of foam material;
a first adjustable air layer configured to support the first sleeper, the first adjustable air layer positioned adjacent at least one of the one or more layers of foam material, the first adjustable air layer comprising:
a first air bladder; and
a first open-cell foam element positioned inside the first air bladder and configured to bias the first air bladder to an inflated position when the first open-cell foam element is exposed to atmospheric pressure;

a second adjustable air layer configured to support the second sleeper while the first adjustable air layer supports the first sleeper, the second adjustable air layer positioned adjacent at least one of the one or more layers of foam material, the second adjustable air layer comprising:
a second air bladder; and
a second open-cell foam element positioned inside the second air bladder and configured to bias the second air bladder to an inflated position when the second open-cell foam element is exposed to atmospheric pressure;

a valve system fluidically connected to i) the first air bladder and ii) the second air bladder, the valve system configured to regulate i) the first air bladder and ii) the second air bladder.

2. The mattress of claim 1 , wherein the valve system comprises an enclosure that encloses:
a first valve configured to selectively expose the first open-cell foam element to atmospheric pressure; and
a second valve configured to selectively expose the second open-cell foam element to atmospheric pressure.

3. The mattress of claim 2 , wherein the first valve comprises a first solenoid and the second valve comprises a second solenoid, wherein the valve system further comprises:
a first solenoid controller coupled to the first valve and configured to engage the first valve; and
a second solenoid controller coupled to the second valve and configured to engage the second valve.

4. The mattress of claim 3 , wherein the enclosure further encloses the first solenoid controller and the second solenoid controller.

5. The mattress of claim 3 , wherein the first solenoid and the second solenoid are enclosed in a second enclosure.

6. The mattress of claim 2 further comprising:
a processing unit; and
a computer memory storing instructions that are executable by the processing unit.

7. The mattress of claim 6 , wherein at least some of the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to issue commands to engage at least one of the first valve and the second valve.

8. The mattress of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to issue commands to engage at least one of the first valve and the second valve such that a firmness of the first adjustable air layer is different from a firmness of the second adjustable air layer at the same time.

9. The mattress of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to issue commands to engage at least one of the first valve and the second valve such that a firmness of the first adjustable air layer is the same as a firmness of the second adjustable air layer at the same time.

10. The mattress of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to issue commands to engage at least one of the first valve and the second valve such that a firmness of the first adjustable air layer is adjusted based on a first parameter of the first sleeper and a firmness of the second adjustable air layer is adjusted based on a second parameter of the second sleeper.

11. The mattress of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to issue commands to engage at least one of the first valve and the second valve such that a firmness of the first adjustable air layer is adjusted based on a first user input to a phone device and a firmness of the second adjustable air layer is adjusted based on a second user input to a phone device.

12. The mattress of claim 6 , wherein at least some of the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to simultaneously:
detect presence of the first sleeper on the first adjustable air layer; and
detect presence of the second sleeper on the second adjustable air layer.

13. The mattress of claim 1 , wherein the mattress further comprises:
a single pressure sensing chamber i) fluidically coupled to the first adjustable air layer and ii) fluidically coupled to the second pressure sensing chamber; and
a pressure sensor fluidically connected to the pressure sensing chamber and configured to sense pressure changes within the pressure sensing chamber.

14. The mattress of claim 1 , wherein the mattress further comprises:
a first pressure sensing chamber fluidically coupled to the first adjustable air layer; and
a second pressure sensing chamber fluidically coupled to the second adjustable air layer.

15. The mattress of claim 14 , wherein the mattress further comprises a pressure sensor fluidically connected to i) the first pressure sensing chamber for sensing pressure changes within the first pressure sensing chamber and ii) the second pressure sensing chamber for sensing pressure changes within the second pressure sensing chamber.

16. The mattress of claim 14 , wherein the mattress further comprises:
a first pressure sensor fluidically connected to the first pressure sensing chamber for sensing pressure changes within the first pressure sensing chamber; and
a second pressure sensor fluidically connected to the second pressure sensing chamber for sensing pressure changes within the second pressure sensing chamber.

17. The mattress of claim 1 , wherein the mattress is further configured to:
while the first sleeper is on the first adjustable air layer, sense a first biometric parameter of the first sleeper while adjusting a pressure of the first adjustable air layer; and
while the second sleeper is on the second adjustable air layer, sense a second biometric parameter of the second sleeper while adjusting a pressure of the second adjustable air layer.

18. The mattress of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a mattress cover enclosing the one or more layers of foam material, the first adjustable air layer, and the second adjustable air layer;
a controller comprising one or more processors and memory, wherein the controller is operably connected to the valve system to control the valve system, wherein the controller is positioned within the mattress cover;
first and second hoses fluidically connecting the controller to the first and second air bladders, respectively.

19. The mattress of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a third air bladder forming a first dedicated pressure sensing chamber, wherein the third air bladder is positioned inside the first air bladder and is substantially fluidically isolated from the first air bladder, wherein the third air bladder is fluidically connected to one or more pressure sensors.

Assignees

• Sleep Number Corp

Inventors

• Karschnik Kody Lee
• Palashewski Wade Daniel
• Nunn Rob
• Rose Eric
• Hellfeld Samuel
• Boyer Jerry
• Young Steven Jay
• Hewitt Carl

Classifications

• A47C27/084 Primary

  self inflating · CPC title

• A47C27/082

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

• A47C27/083

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

• A47C27/088

  incorporating elastic bodies, e.g. foam · CPC title