Patent ID: 7219380

Claim:
An inflatable mattress system comprising: a first plurality of inflatable chambers each of which has an at least one wall member forming an interior volume, said wall member being made from a flexible material selected to retain fluid, each of said first plurality of inflatable chambers having a chamber connector for fluid communication with said interior volume, said at least one wall member being deflectable between a first inflated position and a second inflated position different from said first inflated position; a second plurality of deflectable resistors each of which predictably varies its electrical resistance upon deflection from a first configuration to a second configuration when an electrical signal is applied thereto, each of said second plurality of deflectable resistors being attached to a wall member of an inflatable chamber of said first plurality of inflatable chambers to deflect therewith upon movement of said at least one wall member between said first inflated position and said second inflated position for generating a deflection signal reflective of said movement; a fluid source for supplying a fluid under pressure into each interior volume of said first plurality of inflatable chambers; a first conduit means connected to said chamber connector for communicating fluid to and from said interior volume; a second conduit means connected to said fluid source for communicating fluid to and from said fluid source; a discharge means for communicating fluid away from said inflatable mattress system from said interior volume; a valve connected to said first conduit means, said second conduit means and said discharge means, said valve being operable among a first position in which said valve places said first conduit means in communication with said second conduit means for supplying fluid from said fluid source to said interior volume, a second position in which said valve places said first conduit means in fluid communication with said discharge means, and a third position in which said first conduit means is inhibited from communicating fluid to and from said interior volume; and a controller connected to each of said second plurality of deflectable resistors for supplying an electrical signal thereto and for receiving said deflection signal therefrom, said controller being configured to generate operating commands for operating said valve among said first position, said second position and said third position, said controller being connected to said valve to supply said operating commands to said valve.