Patents Examined by Fred Conley
  • Patent number: 6763541
    Abstract: An air bed having a pump and a relief valve is operably connected with a control box. The control box is capable of being programmed or receiving scripted information from a media file such that timed pressure changes may be made in the air bed by operation of the pump and the relief valve. These changes are synchronized with a message being played by a media player. Thus the air bed interacts with a person lying on the bed. This interaction is used, preferably in a sales setting, to convey information to the person about the operation and features of the air bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Select Comfort Corporation
    Inventors: Paul J. Mahoney, Peter S. Bils, Troy C. Lanz, Sr., Robert Ostman
  • Patent number: 6233761
    Abstract: A system for inexpensively placing an active fall-protection system in a floor is described. The floor is tessellated with large octagonal tiles and smaller square tiles. Each large octagonal tile contains a sodium azide-loaded airbag that expands, upon detonation, to 18 cm tall. Each square tile contains an infrared proximity detector and a differentiation. Upon accelerating approach of a large enough infrared-emitting object (such as a falling human body) the square tile detonates the four adjacent octagonal tiles. In this manner, the airbag tiles are deployed over the area of the floor destined to be impacted. Since the detectors respond to accelerating, large infrared-emitting objects, the floor tiles will not deploy during normal activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventor: Samuel R. Neff
  • Patent number: 5963998
    Abstract: A mattress with permanently attached bumper side walls which form a recess for protecting children at risk of falling off the bed. Also provided is an inset which transforms the mattress to a common flat sleeping surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Racing Strollers, Inc.
    Inventors: James M Carew, Joann Williams Carew