Responsive three-dimensional surface controller

Abstract

A system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface may include a surface supported by a plurality of actuating units, a control center, and a common media tank. The control center may include a movement control assembly that has a plurality of movement control unit, and each movement control unit is configured to control the movement of a corresponding actuating unit. In one embodiment, a predetermined amount of medium, such as air or liquid, is arranged in each actuating unit. The surface can be actually considered an array of small pieces divided from the surface, and supported and actuated by the actuating units. Since the control of the surface is through the control of every single piece thereof, the control of the surface would be more precise if the surface can be divided into more pieces.

Claims

1. A system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface comprising: a surface; a plurality of actuating units used to support and control at least a portion of the surface; a control center; and a common media tank, wherein the control center includes a reciprocal movement slab and a movement control assembly that has a plurality of movement control units, and each movement control unit is configured to control movement of a corresponding actuating unit, and the reciprocal movement slab is configured to drive each of the movement control units to actuate the corresponding actuating units to further control movement of the surface, wherein the movement control unit includes a driving unit, a first media container, and a second media container, and the first media container is connected with the corresponding actuating unit, while the second media container is connected with the control center, and a plurality of control vales are used to control medium flow, wherein when the reciprocal movement slab moves towards the second media container, a suction force is created to pull at least a portion of the medium out from the corresponding actuating unit to further lower down the portion of the surface through the control of one or more control valves.

2. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 1, wherein a predetermined amount of medium, such as air or liquid, is arranged in each of said actuating units.

3. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 1, wherein when the reciprocal movement slab moves toward the first media container, the driving unit is driven to push out the medium in the first media container to the corresponding actuating unit to push up a portion of the surface located on top of the actuating unit through the control of one or more control valves.

4. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 1, wherein common media tank is configured to receive the medium in either the actuating units, the first media container or the second media container when the reciprocal movement slab moves.

5. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 1, wherein the control center further includes an pressure control device; a reciprocal moving slab (RMS) control device and a valve control device.

6. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 5, wherein the pressure control device includes a pressure sensing unit and a pressure control unit disposed in each of the actuating unit and near the control valves to monitor the pressure when the medium is transported.

7. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 5, wherein the RMS control device is configured to control the movement of the reciprocal moving slab.

8. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 5, wherein the valve control device is configured to control the control valves to either allow the medium pass through the valve to the actuating units or direct the medium to the common medium tank.

9. The system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface of claim 5, wherein the control center further includes a central processor, which is operatively communicate with the pressure control device, the RMB control device, the valve control device and a data receiving device to manage and control the movement of at least a portion of the surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art of a method and apparatus for supporting a body element.

(2) FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art of an apparatus used for supporting a patient.

(3) FIG. 2a illustrates an exploded view of a portion of FIG. 2, showing a configuration of the pressure control assembly.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a reciprocal three-dimensional surface controller in the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 depicts one embodiment of the reciprocal three-dimensional surface controller in the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram of the control center in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

(8) Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.

(9) All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

(10) As previously discussed, the fluid power system has been widely used and developed in the field of medical devices, including the body supporting equipment that can not only support the body weight, but also generate responsive changes according to the body posture. Even though the control of the fluid power system has been developed in the body supporting equipment, the control thereof is not precise. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved system and apparatus to overcome the control problem of the body supporting equipment. Namely, an improved system and apparatus to precisely control a three-dimensional (3D) surface is needed.

(11) In one aspect shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a system to generate and control a three-dimensional (3D) surface may include a surface 300 supported by a plurality of actuating units (311, 312, 313 . . . 317, etc.), a control center 400, and a common media tank 500. The control center 400 may include a movement control assembly 410 that has a plurality of movement control unit 411, 412, 413 . . . 417, etc., and each movement control unit is configured to control the movement of a corresponding actuating unit. Details of the control center 400 will be further introduced in FIG. 5. In one embodiment, a predetermined amount of medium, such as air or liquid, is arranged in each actuating unit.

(12) More specifically, taking the movement control unit 411 as an example, the movement control unit 411 may include a driving unit 4111, a first media container 411a and a second media container 411b. In one embodiment, the first media container 411a is connected with the actuating unit 311, while the second media container 411b is connected with the control center 400. A reciprocal moving slab (RMS) 450 is disposed nearly at the center of the driving unit 4111 to control the movement thereof and further control the movement of at least a portion of the surface 300 by controlling the medium movement in the actuating unit 311.

(13) In an exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, the control center 400 may further include a plurality of control vales 420, 430 and 440 to control the medium flow. When the RMS 450 moves toward the first media container 411a, the driving unit 4111 is driven to push the medium in the first media container 411a to the control valve 430. The medium can be either pushed up to the control valve 420, or to the common media tank 500. For example, when the control valve 430 is at position 430a, the medium from the first media container 411a can be pushed up to the control valve 420. Meanwhile, if the control valve 420 is at position 420b, the movement of the RMS 450 can drive a predetermined amount of medium from the first media container 411a all the way to the actuating unit 311 to push up a portion (300′) of the surface 300 located on top of the actuating unit 311. It is noted that a conventional system may have to consume a lot of power to control a huge number of actuating units as illustrated in the present invention. However, the power consumption can be significantly reduced by using the RMS 450. Furthermore, the liquid or medium is circulating in the whole closed system, which is very accurate, safe and quiet.

(14) If the first media container 411a has been emptied but the portion (300′) of the surface 300 still needs to be further pushed up, the RMS 450 can then moves towards the second media container 411b. When the control valve 440 is at position 440a and the control valve 420 is switched to 420a, the medium in the second media container 411b can be pushed into the actuating unit 311 to further push up the portion 300′ of the surface 300.

(15) In a further embodiment, at least a portion of the surface 300 can be lowered down through the control of the movement of the RMS 450 and the control valves 420 to 440. Still referring to the actuating unit 311 and the portion (300′) of the surface 300, when the RMS 450 moves towards the second media container 411b (assuming control valve 440 is at position 440b), a suction force is created to pull at least a portion of the medium out from the actuating unit 311 to further bring the portion (300′) of the surface 300 down. More specifically, when the control valve 420 is at position 420b and control valve 430 is at position 430a, and the RMS 450 moves towards the second media container 411b, the suction force is generated to suck at least a portion of the medium out of the actuating unit 311 through control valves 420b and 430a to the first media container 411a to lower down the portion (300′) of the surface 300.

(16) In another aspect shown in FIG. 5, the control center 400 may include an pressure control device 610; a reciprocal moving slab (RMS) control device 620 and a valve control device 630. The pressure control device 610 may also include a pressure sensing unit 611 and a pressure control unit 612 in each of the actuating unit. In one embodiment, the pressure sensing unit 611 and pressure control unit 612 can also be arranged and disposed near the control valves (420, 430, 440) to monitor the pressure when the medium is transported. The RMS control device 620 is configured to control the movement of the reciprocal moving slab 450, for example, towards either the first media container 411a or the second media container 411b. Whether the reciprocal moving slab 450 should move towards the first or second media container can be determined mostly by the desired movement of the surface 300. The amount of the medium in the actuating units, the pressure in the actuating units, the control valves, etc. can also be the factors to affect the movement of the reciprocal moving slab 450.

(17) The valve control device 630 is configured to control the valves such as 420, 430 and 440. The valve control device 630 can receive a command from a central processor 670 regarding the movement of at least a portion of the surface 300, and the valve control device 630 is used to adjust the valve position of each control valve as discussed above to either allow the medium pass through the valve to the actuating unit or direct the medium to the common medium tank 500.

(18) The control center 400 may also include a data storage device 64, a memory 650, a data receiving device 660 and a central processor 670, which may be operatively communicate with the pressure control device 610, the RMB control device 620, the valve control device 630 and the data receiving device 660 to manage and control the movement of at least a portion of the surface 300.

(19) It is important to note that the surface can be controlled and supported by a plurality of actuating units as shown in FIG. 3, and each actuating unit is corresponding to a movement control unit, such as the example of actuating unit 311 and the movement control unit 411 discussed above. Therefore, the control center 400 is configured to control every single piece of the surface 300 that is supported and actuated by each actuating unit, and the movement of surface 300 is contributed by every single small piece thereof through the movement of every single actuating unit that is control by the control center 400. The surface 300 can be actually considered an array of small pieces divided from the surface 300, and supported and actuated by the actuating units. Since the control of the surface 300 is through the control of every single piece thereof, the control of the surface 300 would be more precise if the surface 300 can be divided into more pieces. It is also noted that the system in the present invention can not only be used in “soft” surfaces, such as patient supporting surfaces and air bed surfaces, but also can be used in “hard” surfaces, Namely, the system in the present invention can be used in cast a mold, a bed or a chair with a contour to fit the body.

(20) Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalents.