GB2495521A - Device for inflating an air chamber in a seat or bed - Google Patents

Abstract

A device 10, suitable inflating and deflating an air chamber in an aircraft seat 9 or hospital bed, comprises a pump (12, figure 2), at least one valve (13, figure 2) and a controller (14, figure 2) for controlling the pump and the state of the valve. The device is configured to pump air into one or more chambers 5 through one or more valves and one or more conduits 7. The controller may be configured to control the state of each valve 13 independently, thus producing a massaging effect by selectively inflating or deflating the air chambers. A pressure relief valve (15, figure 2) may also be included in the system. An occupancy sensor 20 may be fitted to allow the apparatus to operate only when the seat or bed is in use, and a timer to control the duration of the action.

Description

APPARATUS FOR INFLATING AND DEFLATING AN AIR CHAMBER

This invention relates to apparatus for inflating and deflating an air chamber, for example, in a massage chair or bed.

Comfort systems, including massage seats, are currently installed in many premium class and crew seating for aircraft. These operate on a number of different principles -typically either mechanical, pneumatic or vibration. Some systems may combine different functions, for example mechanical support with a vibration massage. A simple comfort system may be a single lumbar support, which may be adjusted manually (e.g. a chamber inflated by squeezing a bulb, or a mechanism adjusted by turning a knob). More advanced systems use an electric motor to inflate or deflate the lumbar support chamber, or to drive the mechanism, in response to a button press on the passenger's control panel.

A further enhancement of this is a comfort system that features more than one adjustable region -i.e. more than one inflatable chamber or support mechanism. Each of these can be adjusted by the passenger. Some systems allow the various supporting areas (bladders or mechanisms) to be controlled together to create a massage cycle. Furthermore, vibratory devices may be included as part of the massage system. All such systems currently operate either continuously or for a preset time period.

It is desirable to provide an improved apparatus for inflating and deflating an air chamber, for example, in a massage chair or bed.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus, for inflating and deflating an air chamber, for use in a massage chair or bed, comprising an air pump; a valve, arranged for communication of a volume of air between the air pump and the air chamber, wherein the valve has an open state and a closed state; and a controller, for controlling the volume of air pumped by the air pump and for controlling the state of the valve.

Therefore, the apparatus may selectively inflate or deflate an air chamber in, for example, an aircraft seat, to force a part of the seat adjacent the air chamber. Thus, the controller may be programmed to produce a massage cycle or to provide additional support at a part of the aircraft seat. The massage cycle may be operated for a period of time (e.g. 10 minutes) at regular intervals (e.g. every 45 to 60 minutes).

Thus, the apparatus can gently manipulate the body of the occupant at regular intervals.

This may help to reduce stiffness caused by long periods of immobility, such as may occur during a long-haul flight or during a period spent in hospital, by improving blood flow and circulation. Furthermore, this may help to reduce the risk or severity of other conditions such as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or bedsores.

The apparatus may therefore reduce the power consumption of a massage chair or bed compared to the continuously operating massage chair of the prior art. Furthermore, as the apparatus may operate periodically, it alleviates the risk of stiffness or other conditions that occur with the massage chair or bed that only operates for a preset time period when commanded by the occupant.

The apparatus may include an occupancy sensor, such as a pressure sensor. Therefore, the apparatus may determine whether a massage cycle is superfluous, for example, if a massage seat is not occupied. The occupancy sensor can, optionally, determine if the massage chair or bed has been continuously occupied for a period of time. Thus, only if necessary (e.g. the seat or bed has been occupied for a predetermined length of time) will the controller initiate a massage cycle. This reduces power consumption, which may improve battery life (if powered by batteries), as unnecessary operation is avoided.

The occupancy sensor may also be connected to other devices in the aircraft.

The apparatus may be for inflating or deflating a plurality of air chambers, and may further comprise a plurality of valves, each arranged for communication of the volume of air between the air pump and any one of the air chambers, and the controller is for controlling the state of each valve. Preferably, the controller is configured to control the state of each valve independently.

Therefore, the apparatus may provide a more dynamic massage cycle by inflating and deflating each air chamber in a particular sequence. This sequence may be programmed into the controller and may be updated by a data signal sent from an external device.

The apparatus may be embodied on a seat. The seat may be embodied on an aircraft.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an aircraft seat including an embodiment of a device of the present invention, showing a plurality of air chambers and an occupancy sensor; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a graph illustrating a massage cycle produced by the device of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a flow chart of a program performed by the device of Figure 1.

An aircraft seat 1 including a preferred embodiment of a device 10 of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The aircraft seat 1 has a back portion 3, including the device 10 and a plurality of air chambers 5a, Sb, Sc, 5d, and a middle portion including an occupancy sensor 20. The device 10 is configured to cause the air chambers Sa, 5b, 5c, 5d to increase or decrease in volume (by being inflated or deflated by a volume of air). Therefore, as each air chamber 5a, Sb, Sc, Sd changes in volume, the force exerted on an area of the back portion 3 adjacent to each air chamber 5a, Sb, 5c, Sd changes accordingly. A person sitting in the aircraft seat 1 may therefore experience a massaging effect as the air chambers 5a, Sb, Sc, Ed inflate and deflate.

The device 10 is shown in more detail in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the device 10 includes a housing 11, a bi-directional pump 12, a plurality of chamber valves 1 3a, 1 3b, 1 3c, 13d, a controller 14, a pressure-relief valve 15, a valve conduit 16, a power port 17, and a data port 18.

The bi-directional pump 12 is configured to pump a volume of air from the surrounding environment to the chamber valves 1 3a, 1 3b, 1 3c, 1 3d via the valve conduit 16. The volume of air may therefore pass through the chamber valves iSa, 13b, 13c, 13d when any one of the chamber valves 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d is in an open state. As shown in Figure 1, each air chamber 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d is in communication with a corresponding chamber valve 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d via a plurality of chamber conduits 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d. Therefore, any one of the air chambers Sa, 5b, Sc, Sd in communication with an open chamber valve 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d receives either a part or all of the volume of air and is caused to inflate.

Furthermore, the bi-directional pump 12 is also configured to pump a volume of air out of an inflated air chamber 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, via the chamber conduits 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, the open chamber valves 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, and the valve conduit 16, to the surrounding environment. Thus, the air chamber 5a, 5b, Sc, 5d is caused to deflate.

The pressure-relief valve 15 is a safety-feature, adapted to release part of the volume of air from the valve conduit 16 to the surrounding environment in the event that the pressure is too great.

The controller 14 will now be described in more detail. In this embodiment, the controller 14 receives DC power via the power port 17. The controller 14 is adapted to supply power to the bi-directional pump 12 in order to cause the bi-directional pump 12 to operate. The bi-directional pump 12 includes a motor (not shown), such that the controller 14 may cause the direction of the air to change by changing the rotational direction of the motor. Thus, the controller 14 may cause the air chambers to inflate or deflate by supplying power to the bi-directional pump 12 and setting its rotational direction accordingly. The controller 14 is also adapted to control the speed of the pump 12, and can shut-off the pump 12 altogether.

The controller 14 is also configured to cause the chamber valves 1 3a, 1 3b, 1 3c, 1 3d to move between the open state (wherein the volume of air may pass through the chamber valve 1 3a, 1 3b, 1 3c, 1 3d) and a closed state (wherein the volume of air may not pass through the chamber valve 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d). Therefore, the controller 14 may cause any one of the air chambers 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d to inflate or deflate by causing the chamber valves 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d to open or close accordingly as the bi-directional pump 12 is pumping a volume of air into or out of the air chambers 5a, 5b, 5c. Sd respectively. The controller 14 may also command the chamber valves 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d to close, sealing the air inside the chambers Sa, 5b, 5c, 5d, as may be used to provide a lumbar support feature.

The controller 14 may therefore control the volume of the air chambers 5a, 5b, Sc, 5d, and therefore the force exerted on each area of the back portion 3 of the aircraft seat 1 adjacent each air chamber 5a, 5b, Sc, 5d. The controller 14 may therefore be programmed to control the force exerted on each area of the back portion 3 in a particular sequence in order to produce a massage cycle for any user sat in the aircraft seat 1. For example, the graph in Figure 3 illustrates a massage cycle wherein a first and second air chamber 5a, Sb are sequentially inflated and deflated over a period of time. The period of time may be varied, such that a slow rate of inflation and deflation would be mostly unnoticed by the user whilst still massaging their body, whereas a fast rate of inflation and deflation would be used to provide a more invigorating massage. Such a massage cycle may have the effect of reducing the risk of a user developing DVT on long haul flights.

In this embodiment, the controller 14 is configured to set its massage cycle program on receipt of a data signal via the data port 18. Therefore, an external control panel may be provided (for example, on the aircraft seat 1), such that the user may choose a different program if he/she desires.

As shown in Figure 1, the aircraft seat 1 includes an occupancy sensor 20, configured to produce a positive or negative signal if the seat 1 is occupied or not occupied respectively.

The controller 14 is configured to receive these signals, via the data port 18.

Therefore, the controller 14 may be configured to automatically run a massage cycle (such as that shown in Figure 3) periodically only when it has received a positive signal from the occupancy sensor 20 indicating that a user is in the seat 1. Therefore, the device 10 does not waste power by starting a massage cycle when the seat 1 is not occupied.

The controller 14 may also comprise a timer, configured to run for a fixed time period (or number of cycles) wherein the controller 14 produces a massage cycle for a part of that time period. As shown in Figure 4, the controller 14 may be configured to run in a loop, such that it initially checks if the seat is occupied by checking if it is receiving a positive signal from the occupancy sensor 20. If it is receiving a positive signal, then the controller 14 increases the current time of the timer. Thus, if the current time is in the part of the time period wherein the controller 14 produces a massage cycle, then the controller 14 initiates the cycle, and vice versa. When the current time reaches the end of the time period, the time is reset to zero.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the chamber valves are 3-way valves. In this embodiment the pump inflates the air chambers when the valve is turned on by the controller. However, when the valve is turned off, the air is vented to the outside environment, allowing the air chambers to empty under the influence of a load placed upon them (e.g. the weight of the occupant). The advantage of this is that a lower-cost, single-direction pump can be used, and a number of chambers can be inflated at the same time as others are deflating. This embodiment does not allow the chambers to be sealed full, and there is less control over speed of deflation -problems which are overcome in the preferred embodiment.

The skilled reader will understand that the device may have a number of applications, and is not limited to use in an aircraft seat as described above. For example, the device may be fitted to a wheelchair or hospital bed (which may help reduce DVT or bedsores), to a medical theatre operating table (for applying pressure at certain points during surgery), or to seats in other forms of vehicle (e.g. lorries).

The skilled reader will understand that the device 10 is not limited to using DC power.

Rather, it may receive external power from any suitable power supply or from a distribution bus. Furthermore, the device 10 may be powered by an internal battery (either alone or in combination with an external power source).

In the above embodiment, the controller 14 receives data signals from a control panel to configure its program. The skilled person will understand that the present invention is not limited to this arrangement. Alternatively, the data signal may be from a data bus (as part of the aircraft's in flight entertainment system). Furthermore, the controller 14 may have a set program, and need not receive a data signal from any external device (thus, the data port 18 may be omitted) with the massage cycle I timer operating automatically whenever power is applied.

Furthermore, the skilled person will understand that the occupancy sensor is a non-essential feature. However, it has the effect of reducing the energy used by the device, as it may discern when a massaging effect is not necessary. This, in turn, improves battery life for those applications where the apparatus is not provided with a mains supply.

The skilled person will understand that the present invention is not limited to the use of four air chambers (and four corresponding chamber valves and chamber conduits). Rather, any number of air chambers (and a corresponding number of chamber valves and chamber conduits) may be used. However, having multiple air chambers allows for a more versatile massage cycle. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to air chambers exerting a force on back region of the user. Rather, the air chamber may exert a force on any region of the user.

The skilled person will also understand that the occupancy sensor may be a pressure sensor, or may work on other principles. For example, an occupant may be detected optically, by capacitance or by any other suitable means.

The skilled person will understand that the invention is not limited to using air. Rather other fluids (i.e. other liquids or gases) may be used as the working substance for inflating and deflating the chambers.

The skilled person will understand that any combination of features is possible without departing from the scope of the invention, as claimed.

Claims (1)

1. <claim-text>CLAIMS1. Apparatus, for inflating and deflating an air chamber, for use in a massage chair or bed, comprising an air pump; a valve, arranged for communication of a volume of air between the air pump and the air chamber, wherein the valve has an open state and a closed state; and a controller, for controlling the volume of air pumped by the air pump and for controlling the state of the valve.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, for inflating or deflating a plurality of air chambers, further comprising a plurality of valves, each arranged for communication of the volume of air between the air pump and any one of the air chambers, and the controller is for controlling the state of each valve.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the state of each valve independently.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising an occupancy sensor.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. Apparatus as herein described with reference to and as shown in any one of the accompanying drawings.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A seat, including the apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A seat as herein described with reference to and as shown in any one of the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>