Load sensor assembly for bed leg and bed with load sensor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12123763-B2
Application number	US-202217876229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2022
Priority date	Feb 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A bed comprises substrate support members, each including a load bearing and a base configured to provide contact with a floor. The load bearing member is configured to move vertically relative to the base, while the base and the load bearing member are configured to fit together to maintain lateral alignment of the base and the load bearing member. A load sensor is positioned between the base and the load bearing member, the load bearing member configured to transmit a load from the substrate to the load sensor. A printed circuit board is in communication with the load sensor. A controller is in communication with the printed circuit board of each substrate support member and is configured to receive and process data output by the printed circuit boards.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load sensor assembly for a substrate that supports a subject, the load sensor assembly comprising:
at least four substrate support members, wherein each of the four substrate support members comprises:
a bed leg configured to be attached to the substrate at a first end of the bed leg;
a base configured to support the bed leg and to provide contact with a floor, wherein the base and the bed leg are configured to fit together to maintain lateral alignment of the base and the bed leg while the bed leg is configured to move vertically relative to the base;
a load sensor between the bed leg and the base, wherein the bed leg is configured to transmit a load from the substrate to the load sensor; and
a printed circuit board positioned in a cavity defined by the bed leg, the printed circuit board in communication with the load sensor, wherein the printed circuit board is configured to receive and process data from the load sensor.

2. The load sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the load sensor is attached to at least one of the bed leg or the base, and wherein at least one of the bed leg or the base includes a recess configured to receive the load sensor.

3. The load sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bed leg defines the cavity and includes a cap at a second end of the bed leg, and wherein the cap is configured to hold the printed circuit board within the cavity.

4. The load sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a sleeve disposed around the bed leg.

5. The load sensor assembly of claim 1 , comprising a controller in communication with the printed circuit board, wherein the controller is configured to output power to the printed circuit board and the load sensor, to process data output by the printed circuit board, and to transmit the processed data to an external device.

6. The load sensor assembly of claim 1 , comprising eight support members, wherein the substrate is configured to support two subjects.

7. The load sensor assembly of claim 1 , comprising nine support members, wherein the substrate is configured to support two subjects.

8. A sensor cartridge for use with a bed, the cartridge comprising:
a base having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, wherein the base is configured to provide contact with a floor at the first end portion; a bed leg engaged with the second end portion of the base, wherein the base and the bed leg are configured to fit together to maintain lateral alignment of the bed leg to the base while allowing vertical movement of the bed leg with respect to the base;
a load sensor between the bed leg and the base, wherein the bed leg is configured to transmit the load from a substrate to the load sensor; and
a printed circuit board positioned within a cavity defined by the bed leg, the printed circuit board in communication with the load sensor and configured to receive and process data from the load sensor, wherein the sensor cartridge is configured to insert into an element of the bed that is at least partially hollow.

9. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the load sensor is attached to at least one of the bed leg or the base, and wherein at least one of the second end portion of the base or a bottom surface of the bed leg includes a recess to receive the load sensor.

10. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the printed circuit board is in communication with a controller configured to do one or more of output power to the printed circuit board and the load sensor, receive and process data output by the printed circuit board, and transmit the processed data to an external device.

11. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the bed leg comprising a wall positioned between the load sensor and the cavity and having a means of retaining the printed circuit board opposite the load sensor.

12. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the first end portion of the base is configured to be in contact with the floor while the bed leg is not in contact with the floor.

13. Abed having a frame supporting a substrate configured to support a subject, the bed comprising:
substrate support members, each substrate support member comprising:
a load bearing member having a first end portion and a second end portion;
a base configured to provide contact with a floor, wherein the load bearing member is configured to move vertically relative to the base
and the base and the load bearing member are configured to fit together to maintain lateral alignment of the base and the load bearing member;
a load sensor between the load bearing member and the base, wherein the load bearing member is configured to transmit a load from the substrate to the load sensor; and
a printed circuit board in communication with the load sensor, wherein the printed circuit board is configured to receive and process data from the load sensor; and
a controller in communication with the printed circuit board of each substrate support member, wherein the controller is configured to receive and process data output by the printed circuit boards, the bed further comprising at least four legs, wherein:

each substrate support member is a cartridge configured to be inserted into a leg that is at least partially hollow such that a first end portion of the load bearing member contacts a horizontal surface of the leg.

14. The bed of claim 13 , wherein the cartridge is configured to be inserted into the leg such that the base is in contact with the floor while the leg is not in contact with the floor.

Assignees

• Sleep Number Corp

Inventors

• Young Steven Jay
• Hewitt Carl
• Olson Jonathan M
• Luckow Alan

Classifications

• A61B5/7415

  Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation (A61B5/741 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/7282

  Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition (cough events A61B5/0823; seizures A61B5/4094; sleep apnoea A61B5/4818) · CPC title

• A61B5/7278

  Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesizing signals from measured signals · CPC title

• A61B5/7267

  involving training the classification device · CPC title

• A61B5/725

  using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters (specific diagnostics methods using using bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/316) · CPC title