Patent ID: 7475440

Claim:
An inflatable device, comprising: (A) a compartment; (B) an inflatable bladder fluidly coupled to the compartment; and (C) a fluid controller comprising: (i) a pump configured to provide pressurized fluid to the compartment; (ii) a valve coupled to the inflatable bladder, the valve including a valve body that provides a fluid passage that couples the compartment to the inflatable bladder, and a diaphragm configured both to close the fluid passage under a bias of pressurized fluid in the inflatable bladder to prevent fluid flow through the fluid passage and to at least partially open to allow fluid flow through the fluid passage when the diaphragm is exposed to a pressure of the pressurized fluid from the pump that is greater than a pressure in the inflatable bladder; (iii) a cover configured to isolate the diaphragm of the valve from the compartment such that, with the cover in a closed position, the diaphragm is not exposed to the pressurized fluid received in the compartment; and (iv) a mechanical device operable to bias open the cover to expose the diaphragm to the compartment and to allow pressurized fluid to be delivered from the compartment to the inflatable bladder via the fluid passage.