US 6,397,419 · Granted 2002-06-04
The Sleep Number Patent That Let Couples Stop Fighting Over Firmness
Imagine a bed where each side can be as soft or firm as you want independently—one person gets cloud-like comfort while their partner gets rock-solid support, all from the same mattress. This patent describes the mechanics of a bed with separate air chambers under each side that you can adjust individually to your liking.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a dual-chamber sleep system where two independent fluid chambers sit beneath the sleep surface, each with its own adjustable pressure control. What's protected here is the specific arrangement: a topper pad sitting on top of the chambers and extending across both sides, a base pad positioned below at least one chamber to raise it to height, and the ability to adjust the pressure in each chamber separately without affecting the other side of the bed.
Why it matters
This patent became the foundation of Sleep Number's core business model—the adjustable air bed market. By locking down the independent dual-chamber design, Select Comfort created a defensible product category that differentiated their beds from traditional foam mattresses. The ability to market customizable firmness per sleeper became their signature competitive advantage in the mattress industry.
Real-world use
Every time someone on a Sleep Number bed turns a dial or uses an app to make their side firmer while their partner keeps theirs soft, they're using the exact technology this patent protects.
Original USPTO abstract
A system for sleep surface adjustment is described. The sleep surface is provided by a sleep support system that is configured for at least two users. The sleep surface of the sleep support system is supported by at least two fluid chambers whose pressure is independently adjustable. The fluid chambers are surrounded by an upper wall, a lower wall, and a pair of side walls; each wall has in interior and exterior surface. The system for sleep surface adjustment generally comprises a topper pad and a base pad. The topper pad is positioned above the fluid chambers and extends between the exterior surfaces of the side walls. The base pad is positioned below at least one of the fluid chambers and is used to raise that fluid chamber to a desired height if necessary.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,397,419
- Filing date
- 2000-03-10
- Grant date
- 2002-06-04
- Assignee
- Select Comfort Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- MECHACHE SUSAN
- CPC class
- A47C27/18
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