Abstract: The present invention provides a method of optimizing a pressure contour of a pressure adjustable platform system by (a) measuring pressure in a plurality of bladders in the pressure adjustable platform system; (b) assessing whether a change in pressure in one or more of the plurality of bladders occurs; (c) determining whether a subject on the pressure adjustable platform system has adjusted position, moved or tossed; (d) generating an adaptive sleep algorithm; and (e) adjusting the pressure in one or more bladders.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of optimizing a pressure contour of a pressure adjustable platform system by (a) measuring pressure in a plurality of bladders in the pressure adjustable platform system; (b) assessing whether a change in pressure in one or more of the plurality of bladders occurs; (c) determining whether a subject on the pressure adjustable platform system has adjusted position, moved or tossed; (d) generating an adaptive sleep algorithm; and (e) adjusting the pressure in one or more bladders.

Abstract: A fluid sensing and distributing apparatus having a distribution plate and an indexing plate is provided. The distribution plate may include a first distribution face and a second distribution face and a plurality of ports extending between the first distribution face and the second distribution face. The first distribution face may further contain a plurality of arc grooves. The indexing plate may have a first indexing face, a first group of ports in fluid communication with the distribution plate arc grooves, a second group of ports in fluid communication with the distribution plate ports, and a first group of ports in fluid communication with a second group of ports. The apparatus has a means for driving rotational movement between the indexing and distribution plates. The apparatus may further contain a plurality of ports on the distribution plate in direct fluid contact with an external apparatus matching plurality of ports.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pressure adjustable platform system including a plurality of bladders, a base plate, and a connection plate, such as, for instance, a gasket plate. A plurality of fluid channels are incorporated into the base plate, and the fluid channels interconnect the bladders to a sensor such as a pressure or force sensor that may be present in the pressure adjustable platform system or present in an external fluid sensing and distributing apparatus. The pressure adjustable platform system may be operably connected to a fluid sensing and distributing apparatus. The base plate may contain one or more channels, tubes or conduits transmitting a fluid into or removing a fluid from a bladder. The connection plate such as a gasket plate may operably connect the fluid sensing and distributing apparatus to the pressure adjustable platform system.

Abstract: An apparatus (30, 40, 50) and a method of ink jet printing are disclosed that use a system for feeding a substrate longitudinally relative to a support area and a system for moving a printhead parallel to the direction of substrate feed. Indexing between transverse scan rows of a printhead (20) is carried out initially by the substrate feed system (16) and the actual feed distance is measured using an encoder or other substrate position measurement device (26). A controller (25) determines the amount of any error that occurs between the actual and the desired feed distances. The controller (25) then sends signals to move the printhead (20) to compensate for any error in the feed system feed. Compensating adjustments are then made to the next subsequent substrate indexing step so that the printhead tends to move back toward its home or zeroed position with its next correction and does not walk away from this home position as a result of cumulative movements.

Abstract: Printhead-to-panel spacing is controllable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied. Each of a plurality of printheads may be independently moveable to control the spacing of the printheads from the substrate surface. Sensors on the printhead carriage measure the shape, or vertical position of, the printhead's distance from the printhead carriage to the surface of the substrate being printed. The position or focal length of the UV light curing head may be varied to maintain focus of the UV light on the ink on a contoured surface of the substrate. UV curing heads may be located on the printhead carriage, one on each side of the printheads, and activated alternately as the carriage reciprocates, to spot cure ink immediately after being deposited on the substrate.

Abstract: Printhead-to-panel spacing is controllable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied. Each of a plurality of printheads may be independently moveable to control the spacing of the printheads from the substrate surface. Sensors on the printhead carriage measure the shape, or vertical position of, the printhead's distance from the printhead carriage to the surface of the substrate being printed. The position or focal length of the UV light curing head may be varied to maintain focus of the UV light on the ink on a contoured surface of the substrate. UV curing heads may be located on the printhead carriage, one on each side of the printheads, and activated alternately as the carriage reciprocates, to spot cure and freeze the dots of ink immediately after being deposited on the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus (30, 40, 50) and a method of ink jet printing arc disclosed that use a system for feeding a substrate longitudinally relative to a support area and a system for moving a printhead parallel to the direction of substrate feed. Indexing between transverse scan rows of a printhead (20) is carried out initially by the substrate feed system (16) and the actual feed distance is measured using an encoder or other substrate position measurement device (26). A controller (25) determines the amount of any error that occurs between the actual and the desired feed distances. The controller (25) then sends signals to move the printhead (20) to compensate for any error in the feed system feed. Compensating adjustments are then made to the next subsequent substrate indexing step so that the printhead tends to move back toward its home or zeroed position with its next correction and does not walk away from this home position as a result of cumulative movements.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided onto rigid panels such as foamboard and contoured material using ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink, which is first at least partially cured with UV light and then may be subjected to heating. Printhead-to-panel spacing is controllable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied. Each of a plurality of printheads may be independently moveable to control the spacing of the printheads from the substrate surface. Sensors on the printhead carriage measure the shape, or vertical position of, the printhead's distance from the printhead carriage to the surface of the substrate being printed. The position or focal length of the UV light curing head may be varied to maintain focus of the UV light on the ink on a contoured surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An ink jet printing is provided on large area such as wide textile webs, having such pores or other opening therethrough such that, when ink is jetted from a print head onto the web, some of the ink jets through the opening to a side of the web opposite the print head. At the printing station, maintaining a space between the web and the surface such that the web is out of contact with the surface at the printing station so that when ink jetted through the web and onto the surface it does not contaminate the web.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming flanged quilted panels from an infed web of quilted material (18) has a panel cutter (14) which receives the web of quilted material (18) and severs it into discrete quilted panels (16). A flanger (34) integrated with the panel cutter (14) has a table (40) which supports individual panels in a fixed position while a trimming and sewing head (60) is moved around the perimeter of the panel to trim the panel to a desired size and to stitch a flange near the trimmed edge. Because the panel is trimmed prior to stitching, precise alignment of the panel on the table is not required. The flanger (34) may further include a cutting head (72) which is movable relative to the table (40) and enables the flanger (34) to cut very thick quilted material without the need for precise holding and guiding of the material.

Abstract: A quilting machine (10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) is provided with a printing station (20, 125, 225, 325, 425, 525, 611, 626, 631) and a quilting station (44, 127, 227, 327, 427, 527, 627, 632), either on the same or a different production line. Ticking is preprinted with a plurality of different patterns, organized and coordinated by the computer so that a print head can scan the material and print different patterns of different panels (32). Identifying data (40) for matching the panels of a mattress product can be provided in data files and codes can be printed on the fabric. Panels can be matched and assembled into products based on the codes, and quilting, cutting, slitting and other operations can be controlled by printed codes and other data. The quilting and combining of the panels for assembly of a mattress product can be carried out manually or automatically using the data.

Abstract: A quilting machine (10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) is provided with a printing station (20, 125, 225, 325, 425, 525, 611, 626, 631) and a quilting station (44, 127, 227, 327, 427, 527, 627, 632). The printing station is located either in line and preferably upstream of the quilting station, with a conveyor (520) extending through each of the stations to convey a web of quilting material through the machine, or is off of the quilting line such that the material with a pre-applied pattern thereon is transferred, preferably in web form, to the line of the second station for the application of a pattern in registration with the first applied pattern. At the quilting station, registration longitudinal and transverse registration is measured and skewing or rotation of the material is determined. Opposite transverse sides of the material are differently adjusted to orient and register the material.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided onto rigid panels such as foamboard and contoured material using ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink, which is first at least partially cured with UV light and then may be subjected to heating. Printhead-to-panel spacing is controllable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied. Each of a plurality of printheads may be independently moveable to control the spacing of the printheads from the substrate surface. Sensors on the printhead carriage measure the shape, or vertical position of, the printhead's distance from the printhead carriage to the surface of the substrate being printed. The position or focal length of the UV light curing head may be varied to maintain focus of the UV light on the ink on a contoured surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided onto rigid panels such as office partitions, which have surfaces that are contoured, textured or made of a fabric or other three-dimensional material, or are otherwise differently spaced from the plane of the panel such that the distance between a printing element and the point on the surface on which ink is to be deposited is not always the same or exactly predictable. Preferably, fabric covered panels are printed using ink jet printing, preferably using ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink, which is first, at least partially cured with UV light and then subjected to heating to more completely cure and dry the ink to remove, by evaporation or otherwise, the uncured monomers. The panel surface may be contoured by quilting or molding processes. Print head to panel spacing is adjustable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided using ultraviolet (UV) light or other curable composition or stable or other printable substance having a dye-component therein. The ink is jetted onto a substrate, the composition is cured, then heated to set the dye. Sublimation dye-based UV ink printing onto polyester is preferred.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided on large area substrates such as wide width textile webs. The printheads are driven by linear servo motors across a bridge that extends across the substrate. The timing of the jetting of the ink is coordinated with the motion of the printheads, so that the heads can be rapidly moved and the ink can be jetted while the printheads are accelerating or decelerating as they move on the bridge. Preferably, ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink is jetted and first partially cured with UV light and then subjected to heating to more completely reduce uncured monomers of the ink on the substrate.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided onto rigid panels such as foamboard and contoured material using ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink, which is first at least partially cured with UV light and then may be subjected to heating. Printhead-to-panel spacing is controllable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied. Each of a plurality of printheads may be independently moveable to control the spacing of the printheads from the substrate surface. Sensors on the printhead carriage measure the shape, or vertical position of, the printhead's distance from the printhead carriage to the surface of the substrate being printed. The position or focal length of the UV light curing head may be varied to maintain focus of the UV light on the ink on a contoured surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided onto rigid panels such as office partitions, which have surfaces that are contoured, textured or made of another three-dimensional material, or are otherwise differently spaced from the plane of the panel such that the distance between a printing element and the point on the surface on which ink is to be deposited is not always the same or exactly predictable. Preferably, three dimensional covered panels are printed using ink jet printing, preferably using ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink, which is first, at least partially cured with UV light and then subjected to heating to more completely cure and dry the ink to remove, by evaporation, further curing or otherwise, the uncured monomers. The panel surface may be contoured by quilting or molding processes. Print head to panel spacing is adjustable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied.

Abstract: A quilting machine (10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) is provided with a printing station (20, 125, 225, 325, 425, 525, 611, 626, 631) and a quilting station (44, 127, 227, 327, 427, 527, 627, 632). The printing station is located either in line and preferably upstream of the quilting station, with a conveyor (520) extending through each of the stations to convey a web of quilting material through the machine, or is off of the quilting line such that the material with a pre-applied pattern thereon is transferred, preferably in web form, to the line of the second station for the application of a pattern in registration with the first applied pattern. At the quilting station, registration longitudinal and transverse registration is measured and skewing or rotation of the material is determined. Opposite transverse sides of the material are differently adjusted to orient and register the material.