Adjustable spring mattress

Abstract

Various systems and methods for adjusting the firmness of a spring mattress are described herein. Inflation elements having fingers may be coupled with a spring layer of a mattress to provide for inflating or deflating the fingers in the interstitial spaces defined by a group of springs of the mattress. Increasing the fluid pressure inside the fingers increases the lateral pressure on the springs. The increase in lateral pressure in turn increases the force required to compress the springs, ultimately resulting in increasing the firmness of the mattress. Conversely, decreasing the fluid pressure inside the fingers decreases the lateral pressure on the springs, which decreases the firmness of the mattress.

I/we claim: 
     
         1 . An adjustable spring mattress system comprising:
 (a) a mattress having a firmness, wherein the firmness is adjustable;   (b) a group of springs disposed in the mattress;   (c) an interstitial space defined by the group of springs;   (d) a finger disposed in the interstitial space, wherein the finger includes a pressure, wherein the pressure is adjustable; and   wherein the firmness of the mattress is based at least in part with the pressure of the finger.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 1 , further comprising an inflation element, wherein the inflation element includes a base tube, wherein the finger extends from the base tube. 
     
     
         3 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 2 , further comprising a first axis and a second axis, wherein the base tube is coaxial with the first axis, wherein the finger is coaxial with the second axis, wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis. 
     
     
         4 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 2 , further comprising a spring layer in the mattress, wherein the group of springs are disposed in the spring layer, wherein a first portion of the inflation element is disposed outside of the spring layer, wherein a second portion of the inflation element is disposed inside of the spring layer. 
     
     
         5 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 4 , wherein the inflation element comprises a nozzle, wherein the nozzle is disposed in the first portion. 
     
     
         6 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 2 , further comprising a cable coil disposed inside the inflation element. 
     
     
         7 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein each spring in the group of springs include a spring height, wherein the finger includes a finger height, wherein the spring height is greater than the finger height. 
     
     
         8 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to selectively adjust the pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the group of springs comprises four springs, wherein each of the four springs are encased in a fabric to form a pocketed spring. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 9 , wherein the finger is configured to abut each of the four pocketed springs when the finger is adjusted to a first pressure. 
     
     
         11 . An adjustable spring mattress system comprising:
 (a) a mattress comprising:
 (i) a spring layer, wherein the spring layer includes a group of springs compressible by a force, and 
 (ii) an interstitial space, wherein the interstitial space is defined by the group of springs, 
   (b) an adjustment system comprising:
 (i) a finger, wherein the finger is disposed in the interstitial space, wherein the finger includes a pressure, wherein the pressure is adjustable, wherein the force is based at least in part on the pressure, wherein the adjustment system is configured to adjust the pressure in response to receiving an adjustment command; and 
   (c) an interface system, wherein the interface system is configured to transmit the adjustment command to the adjustment system.   
     
     
         12 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 11 , wherein the adjustment system further comprises a pump, wherein the pump is in fluid communication with the finger, wherein the pump is configured to increase the pressure in the finger in response to the adjustment system receiving the adjustment command. 
     
     
         13 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 11 , wherein the mattress comprises an inflation element, wherein the inflation element includes a base tube, wherein the finger extends from the base tube. 
     
     
         14 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 13 , wherein the mattress comprises a first axis and a second axis, wherein the base tube is coaxial with the first axis, wherein the finger is coaxial with the second axis, wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis. 
     
     
         15 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 13 , wherein a first portion of the inflation element is disposed outside of the spring layer, wherein a second portion of the inflation element is disposed in the spring layer. 
     
     
         16 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 15 , wherein the inflation element comprises a nozzle, wherein the nozzle is disposed in the first portion. 
     
     
         17 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 13 , further comprising a cable coil disposed inside the inflation element. 
     
     
         18 . The adjustable spring mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein each spring in the group of springs include a spring height, wherein the finger includes a finger height, wherein the spring height is greater than the finger height. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 (a) receiving a first command signal by an adjustment system, wherein the adjustment system is associated with a spring mattress having an adjustable firmness, wherein the first command signal is associated with increasing the firmness;   (b) in response to receiving the first command signal, increasing a pressure within a finger disposed in the spring mattress, wherein the finger is disposed between a group of springs; and   (c) in response to increasing the pressure within the finger, increasing a force required to compress the group of springs and thereby increase the firmness of the spring mattress.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the group of springs comprises four springs, wherein the finger is disposed in an interstitial space defined between the four springs. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the four springs extend to a spring height, wherein the finger extends to a finger height, wherein the finger height is less than the spring height. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 (a) actuating an interface system; and   (b) in response to actuating the interface system, sending the first command signal to the adjustment system.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising sending the first command signal wirelessly to a wireless module of the adjustment system. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 (a) receiving a second command signal by the adjustment system, wherein the second command signal is associated with decreasing the firmness;   (b) in response to receiving the second command signal, decreasing the pressure within the finger; and   (c) in response to decreasing the pressure within the finger, decreasing the force required to compress the group of springs and thereby decrease the firmness of the spring mattress.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the finger is in fluid communication with a base tube. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising pumping fluid into the base tube to increase the pressure in the finger. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising disposing a cable coil in the base tube.