Patent ID: 7849545
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: A61B,A61G

Abstract:
1. A mattress system comprising a mattress having at least one inflatable bladder, and a control unit comprising a main housing, a source of pneumatic pressure carried by the main housing and operable to inflate the at least one inflatable bladder via a pneumatic path, a bracket that extends away from a rear side of the main housing and that is configured to permit the control unit to be hung on a footboard of a bed, and a plurality of user interface modules that are interchangeably receivable at least in part within a recess provided in a front side of the main housing, each user interface module being programmed to control inflation of the at least one air bladder differently in at least one operational mode of each of the plurality of user interface modules, the control unit having a latch mounted to the main housing and movable relative to the main housing, the control unit having a first electrical connector within the recess and each user interface module having a second electrical connector, wherein movement of the latch relative to the housing by a user from a first position to a second position results in the selected user interface module received in the recess being mechanically locked to the main housing by the latch and results in the first and second electrical connectors being pulled together, wherein the recess and the plurality of user interface modules are sized such that only one interface module at a time is received within the recess and wherein the user interface module occupying the recess is excluded from the pneumatic path through which the at least one bladder is inflated.