Patent ID: 8316491

Claim:
A mattress system, comprising: a mattress having a top surface and a bottom surface; a cavity arranged in the mattress, the cavity being open at the top surface and having a defined size; an expandable cushion arranged in the cavity; a mattress protector covering at least the top surface of the mattress, the protector including a first portion that extends into the cavity and a second portion that extends over the expandable cushion arranged in the cavity; and a control system operatively coupled with the cushion to control an expansion and contraction of the cushion in order to maintain a cushion pressure in accordance with a weight of a user in proportion to a firmness of the mattress, wherein the control system includes a fluidic pump arranged to pump fluid into the expandable cushion, a fluid relief mechanism arranged to allow fluid to escape the expandable cushion, and a fluid pressure switch operable to automatically maintain a defined pressure level in the expandable cushion.