Bedding product with age indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9773436-B2
Application number	US-201514982229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A mattress age indicating device includes an enclosure and an indicating assembly contained within the enclosure. The age indicating device may be configured to present an indication related to the mattress's age and may be coupled to the mattress or other bedding or seating product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a mattress and a mattress age indicating device, the combination comprising:
the mattress,
the mattress age indicating device coupled to the mattress and comprising an enclosure;
an indicating assembly contained within the enclosure, the indicating assembly including a visual indicator, a timer, a controller, a light sensor and a power source; and
wherein the visual indicator is at least one light emitting diode configured to present a visual indication related to the mattress' age and wherein the timer is initially activated by the light sensor.

2. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure includes a back and a cover, and the indicating assembly is positioned between the back and the cover.

3. The combination of claim 1 , wherein after the timer is initially activated, the visual indicator is activated by the controller at any time by a user pushing a test button.

4. The combination of claim 1 , further comprising a label providing information used in conjunction with the indication.

5. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the device is attached to a surface of a mattress.

6. The combination of claim 5 , wherein the device is attached to a side surface of a mattress.

7. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure includes a frame portion, and the device is configured to be attached to the mattress by stitching.

8. The combination of claim 1 , further comprising a barcode.

9. The combination of claim 8 , wherein the barcode includes a QR code.

10. In combination, a mattress and a mattress age indicating device, the combination comprising:
the mattress,
the mattress age indicating device coupled to the mattress and comprising an enclosure;
an indicating assembly contained within the enclosure, the indicating assembly including a controller, a test button, a visual indicator, a timer and a light sensor, wherein upon the timer being initially activated by the light sensor, the controller initially activates the timer for the first time and upon the test button being pushed after the timer has been initially activated, the controller causes the visual indicator to undergo a sequence of activating and deactivating the visual indicator.

11. The combination of claim 10 , wherein the visual indicator comprises at least one LED.

12. The combination of claim 10 , wherein the visual indicator includes at least one LED, and the controller selectively activates the at least one LED to provide the single sequence.

13. The combination of claim 10 , wherein the enclosure includes a frame portion, the frame portion being sewn to the mattress.

14. The combination of claim 10 , wherein the mattress age indicating device is attached to a side surface of the mattress.

15. The combination of claim 10 , wherein the visual indicator includes color changing dyes.

16. The combination of claim 10 , wherein the visual indicator includes color changing materials.

17. In combination, a bedding product and an age indicating device, the combination comprising:
the bedding product,
the age indicating device comprising an indicating assembly including a a timer, a controller, a power source, a light sensor and a visual indicator comprising at least one light emitting diode;
an enclosure surrounding the indicating assembly;
wherein the timer, controller and visual indicator cooperate to present a visual indication related to the bedding product's age and the timer is initially activated by the light sensor.

18. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the timer may be activated by a user pressing a test button.

19. The combination of claim 17 , further comprising a label providing information used in conjunction with the indication.

20. The combination of claim 17 , further comprising a QR code.

21. In combination, a bedding product and an age indicating device, the combination comprising:
the bedding product,
the age indicating device coupled to the bedding product and comprising an indicating assembly including a light sensor, a timer, a controller, and an indicator;
an enclosure surrounding the indicating assembly;
wherein the timer, controller, and indicator cooperate to present an indication related to the bedding product's age, wherein the timer is initially activated by the light sensor.

22. The combination of claim 21 , wherein the indicator includes at least one LED.

23. The combination of claim 22 , wherein the indicator comprises multiple LEDs, each LED being a different color.

24. The combination of claim 21 , wherein the indicator includes at least one LED.

25. The combination of claim 21 , wherein the indicator comprises multiple LEDs, each LED being a different color.

Assignees

• L&P Property Man Co

Inventors

• Myers Terrance L
• Garrett John A

Classifications

• G09F3/201

  Enclosures enveloping completely the labels (G09F3/203 - G09F3/207 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47C21/00

  Attachments for beds, e.g. sheet holders or bed-cover holders (bed tables supported on the bedstead A47B23/02); Ventilating, cooling or heating means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses · CPC title

• G09F3/0297

  including a machine-readable marking, e.g. a bar code (digitally marked record carriers in general G06K19/00) · CPC title

• A47C27/00

  Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses {or cushions} specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas · CPC title

• G09F13/22

  electroluminescent (electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00) · CPC title