US20070209119A1

US20070209119A1 - Air mattress system

Info

Publication number: US20070209119A1
Application number: US11/372,265
Authority: US
Inventors: Chen Chun-Chu
Original assignee: Apex Medical Corp
Current assignee: Wellell Inc
Priority date: 2006-03-10
Filing date: 2006-03-10
Publication date: 2007-09-13

Abstract

An air mattress system includes an inflatable mattress comprised of isolated cells that are filled with air of different pressures and a pumping device including an air pump controlled by a remote control pedant that is electrically coupled to the pump by a cable. The pumping device has an air inlet with an air filter arranged therein for drawing surrounding air into the pump and an air outlet through which pressurized air is supplied from the pump to a hose assembly that is connected to the cells for inflating the cells. The remote control pedant is removably received in a recess defined in a casing of the pumping device to selectively serve as a remote control or a fixed control panel for the pumping device. Control buttons and indicators are provided on the remote control pedant. A quick release valve is provided on the mattress to release air from the cells and thus deflating the mattress in a short period of time.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an air mattress, and in particular to an air mattress system specifically for bedridden patients or aged people who are not able to move his or her body during long term staying on the bed.
2. The Prior Arts
Bedridden people, who stay on the bed for very long term, often have skin problems if they are not constantly moved. For example decubitus ulcers often occur on skin areas of a person that are subjected to constant pressure for long periods of time. Most of these bedridden people are immobile and they cannot move their bodies by themselves. This makes the skin problem even more serious. Help from other persons, such as medical care persons, is often required for those bedridden people to maintain skin healthy.
Alternatively, air cushion or air mattress that comprises isolated portions differently pressurized and alternately depressurized is also helpful to solve the skin problems for bedridden people by constantly or randomly changing the pressures applied to different portions of the skin of a bedridden person.
The present invention is aimed to provide an air mattress that is improved over the conventional air cushion or air mattress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide an mattress system comprising a pumping device that charge isolated cells of an inflatable mattress with different pressures so as to apply different pressures to different skin area of a user lying one the mattress.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an air mattress system wherein the pumping device constantly changes the pressures of different cells of the inflatable mattress to apply different pressures to the same skin area of the person lying on the mattress at different periods of time.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an air mattress system wherein the inflatable mattress is provided with a quick release valve to immediate release air inside the mattress and thus deflate the mattress in a very short of period of time in order not to interfere with emergency medical operation on the person lying on the mattress.
In accordance with the present invention, to realize the above objectives, an air mattress system comprising an inflatable mattress comprising isolated cells that are filled with air of different pressures and a pumping device including an air pump controlled by a remote control pedant that is electrically coupled to the pump by a cable. The pumping device comprises an air inlet with an air filter arranged therein for drawing surrounding air into the pump and an air outlet through which pressurized air is supplied from the pump to a hose assembly that is connected to the cells for inflating the cells. The remote control pedant is removably received in a recess defined in a casing of the pumping device to selectively serve as a remote control or a fixed control panel for the pumping device. Control buttons and indicators are provided on the remote control pedant. A quick release valve is provided on the mattress to release air from the cells and thus deflating the mattress in a short period of time.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. In the drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air mattress system constructed in accordance with the present invention in a closed condition;
FIG. 2 is a perspective of a pumping device of the air mattress system of the present invention taken from front side of the pumping device;
FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a remote control pedant detached from the pumping device; and
FIG. 4 is another perspective of a pumping device of the air mattress system of the present invention taken from rear side of the pumping device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, an air mattress system constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally designated with reference numeral 100, comprises an inflatable mattress 102 and a pumping device 104 that is connected to the mattress 102 by hoses or flexible tubes 106. The mattress 102 is often positioned on a fixed surface, such as regular bed top, to support a user lying thereon.
The mattress 102 is made of air impermeable materials, such as plastics. The mattress 102 comprises a plurality of cells 108 that are isolated from each other, whereby the cells 108 can be inflated to different extents and interior pressures of different cells 108 can be different. This allows the mattress 102 to apply different pressures to different skin areas of a user (not shown) lying on the mattress 102. An example of the arrangement of the isolated cells 108 comprises a plurality of elongate cells 108 that line up in a longitudinal direction, while individual cell 108 extends in a transverse direction. In other words, the cells 108 themselves are oriented in the transverse direction, and are positioned one by one in the longitudinal direction. Adjacent cells 108 are separated from each other whereby interior pressures can be different.
The arrangement of the cells 108 can be different. For example, each elongate cell 108 can be further divided into two or more separated sub-cells spaced in the transverse direction.
The mattress 102 is also provided with a quick release valve 110, which, when opened, quickly discharge air from all or some of the cells 108 thereby releasing the interior pressures of the cells 108. This deflates, at least partly, the mattress 102 and allow the user's body to be supported in a non-floating manner by for example the bed top underneath the mattress 102. Emergency medical care, such as CPR, can then be performed on the user in an easier manner without interference caused by the floating of the user's body on the inflated mattress.
Each cell 108 has an air inlet (not shown) connected to an associated one of the hoses 106 to receive air pressure from the hose 106. The cells 108 are divided into groups each associated one of the hoses 106 whereby different hoses 106 supply different air pressures to different groups of the air cells 108. This allows different cells to be differently pressurized. Air pressure inside the cells 108 can also be changed by selectively depressurizing/re-pressurizing the hoses 106, which causes the interior pressure of each cell 108 to vary with time. Thus, the pressure applied to the user's skin varies with different skin areas of the user and the pressure applied to a particular skin area of the user can also be varied with time. In other words, the pressure applied to the user is both location-variable and time-variable.
Also referring to FIGS. 2-4, the pumping device 104 comprises a casing 112 inside which an air pump and a control circuit (both not shown) are arranged. The pump is electrically connected to and controlled by the control circuit. The pumping device 104 comprises a built-in power source, such as a battery pack 114 that is removably fixed in the casing 112 for powering the pump and the control circuit. An external power connection 116 is also provided for connection with an external power source, such a wall outlet of electric main (not shown). The pumping device 104 can be directly powered by the external power source. Alternatively, the built-in power source, namely the battery pack 114, may comprise secondary or rechargeable battery, which is charged by the external power source and in turn drives the pumping device 104. A power switch 118 can be provided on the casing 112 for controlling power supplied to the pumping device 104 either from the built-in power source 114 or through the external power connection 116.
The casing 112 forms an air outlet port 120 comprising a plurality of nozzles 121 each releasably connected to each hose 106 to supply air pressure into the hose 106. The air pressure is then transmitted to the associated cells 108. An air inlet port 122 is formed on a rear face 124 of the casing 112 for drawing surrounding air into the pump. An air filter 126 is received in the air inlet port 122 to block undesired foreign objects, such as dust and debris, from entering the pumping device 104.
The casing 112 has a front face 128 in which a recess 130 is defined for snugly receiving a remote control pedant 132, which is electrically connected to the control circuit by a cable 134. The remote control pedant 132 is removably received and releasably retained in the recess 130, whereby the control pedant 132 can serve as a remote control device or can function as a control panel that is fixed on the front face 128 of the pumping device 104.
A plurality of control buttons and indicators 135 are provided on the remote control pedant 132, including for example a power switch that turns the pumping device 104 on and off, an operation mode selection button that allows for switching between different operation modes previously set in the control circuit, a low pressure alarm that provides a warning in case that the mattress is not fully inflated, a battery indicator that shows the status of the battery pack 114, and an alarm disabling button that allows the user to selectively disable audible alarms generated by for example the lower pressure alarm and other audible warnings.
The remote control pedant 132 can be releasably retained in the recess 130 in any known manner. For example, two L-shaped hooks 136 are formed on a back surface of the remote control pedant 132 and two corresponding holes 138 are defined in the recess 130 and engageable by the hooks 136 to removably retain the pedant 132 in the recess 130. Other releasably securing means may also be employed, such as hook-and-loop fastener that is solid under the trademark Velcro.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made, for example replacing the bowl with a fork, without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air mattress system comprising:

an inflatable mattress comprising a plurality of cells that are isolated from each other and are filled with air of different pressures, each cell having an air passage, the mattress further comprising a quick release valve that is operable to release air from at least some of the cells in a short period for deflating the cells;

a pumping device comprising:

a casing adapted to encase an air pump, the casing having a surface defining a recess,

a control unit removably received in the recess and in electrical connection with the pump for controlling the pump,

an air inlet port in fluid communication with the pump, through which surrounding air is drawn into the casing by the pump, and

an air outlet port in fluid communication with the pump, through which air is pumped out of the casing by the pump; and

a hose assembly connecting the air outlet port to the air passages of the cells to supply air to the cells.

2. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an air filter arranged in the air inlet port of the casing.

3. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a built-in power source that powers the pump and the control unit.

4. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the built-in power source comprises a battery pack removably mounted in the casing.

5. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the battery pack comprises rechargeable battery.

6. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing comprises an external power connection adapted to selectively connect to an external power source.

7. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a built-in power source.

8. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the built-in power source comprises a rechargeable battery pack that is selectively charged by the external power source.

9. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises at least one hook releasably engageable with an opening defined in a bottom of the recess of the casing to retain the control unit in the recess.

10. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the hook comprises an L-shaped member.

11. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a power switch.

12. The air mattress system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the isolated cells are arranged in a line in longitudinal direction, each cell being elongated in transverse direction.