US 5,652,484 · Granted 1997-07-29
The Remote Control That Made Air Beds Actually Comfortable
Imagine an air mattress where you can adjust how firm or soft it is using a remote control, and your partner can adjust their side of the bed independently. This patent describes the automatic pump system and wireless remote that made that possible, with special noise-reduction engineering so the motor doesn't keep you awake.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers an automated system for controlling air mattress firmness through a motorized pump, a wireless handheld remote transmitter, and a receiver unit that can independently adjust the air pressure in two separate mattress bladders. What's protected here is the combination of the pump design that minimizes motor noise, the radio transceiver communication between the remote and the mattress control unit, and the ability for two users to set different firmness levels on each side of the same bed without affecting the other side.
Why it matters
This patent represents a major leap in consumer comfort technology. Before wireless remote controls on air mattresses, users had to manually pump or adjust valves—a clumsy, noisy process. By automating the system and adding dual-zone control, Select Comfort created a product that could compete in the premium bedding market and gave customers the convenience of adjusting their sleep surface on the fly, which became a major selling point for the emerging air mattress industry in the 1990s and beyond.
Real-world use
When you lie in bed and press a button on your remote to make your side firmer while your partner keeps theirs soft, you're using the wireless control system and dual-bladder technology this patent protects.
Original USPTO abstract
An automatic control system for controlling the firmness of a fluid supported mattress of a bed assembly. The control system includes a motorized fluid pump, a control unit for operating the pump to adjust the firmness of the air mattress, a hand held remote control unit for actuating the control unit, and a transceiver system for transmitting information signals between the hand held unit and the control unit. The air control system provides for independent control of both bladders in a two bladder air mattress from a single unit, and allows a user to consistently set the firmness of each mattress air bladder to a desired value. The air control system includes an air pump specially designed to minimize transmission of motor noise into the environment.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,652,484
- Filing date
- 1995-09-29
- Grant date
- 1997-07-29
- Assignee
- Select Comfort Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- SHAFER; DAVID C., DUVAL; EUGENE P.
- CPC class
- A47C27/083
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