Patent Application
20160128487
The present invention relates to support cushions and methods for controlling the surface temperature of support cushions. In particular, the present invention relates to support cushions, such as mattress assemblies, that make use of thermoelectric elements and internal air conduits to selectively heat or cool the surfaces of the support cushions.
An aspect of successful and restful sleep is individual sleep comfort. Medical research suggests that sleep deprivation (“sleep debt”) can have significant negative impacts on longevity, productivity, and overall mental, emotional, and physical health. Chronic sleep debt has been linked to weight gain and, more specifically, has been observed to not only affect the way the body processes and stores carbohydrates, but has also been observed to alter hormone levels that affect appetite. Moreover, sleep debt may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness, which has led some researchers to suggest a link between sleep debt and worksite accidents, traffic incidents, and general afternoon inattentiveness. Furthermore, sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat, and additional research has recently suggested that a lack of sleep can affect immune function, resulting in increased susceptibility to illness and disease, e.g., cancer. In all, researchers have now suggested that sleep debt costs the United States $63 billion annually in lost productivity due to these various effects. Accordingly, a support cushion that improves sleep comfort and lowers individual sleep debt would be both highly desirable and beneficial.
The present invention includes support cushions and methods for controlling the surface temperature of support cushions. In particular, the present invention includes support cushions, such as mattress assemblies, that make use of thermoelectric elements and internal air conduits to selectively heat or cool the surfaces of the support cushions. Thus, the support cushions of the present invention allow a user to individualize their level of comfort, including sleep comfort, by controlling the temperature of the surface of the support cushions.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a support cushion is provided in the form of a mattress assembly that includes a body supporting layer having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface. The mattress assembly further includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements that are positioned and configured to selectively provide heating or cooling at the first surface of the body supporting layer. The mattress assembly also includes a heat transfer layer and a base layer. The heat transfer layer is positioned adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting layer and is operably connected to the thermoelectric elements, while the base layer is positioned adjacent to the heat transfer layer opposite the body supporting layer.
In addition to being positioned adjacent to the heat transfer layer, the base layer defines an inlet conduit that is in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer, and an outlet conduit that is also in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer, but is spaced at a predetermined distance from the inlet conduit. Further included in the mattress assembly is a fan that is operatively connected to the outlet conduit and, as described in further detail below, acts to draw an amount of air from the inlet conduit, through the heat transfer layer, and into the outlet conduit before dissipating the air away from the mattress assembly.
With respect to the body supporting layer of the mattress assembly, the body supporting layer is generally comprised of a flexible foam capable of suitably distributing pressure from a user's body, or portion thereof, across the body supporting layer. In some embodiments, the flexible foam is a visco-elastic foam that has a desired density and hardness, and allows pressure to be absorbed uniformly and distributed evenly across the body supporting layer of the mattress assembly. In this regard, in certain embodiments, the body supporting layer can be further covered by a comfort layer that is positioned atop the first surface of the body supporting layer to provide an additional level of comfort to the body of a user, or a portion thereof, resting on the mattress assembly. Such a comfort layer, in certain embodiments, is also comprised of a visco-elastic foam or other foam, but typically has a density less than that of the body supporting layer of the mattress assembly so as to provide a softer surface on which to rest and to also provide a sufficiently soft barrier between the body of a user and the thermoelectric elements of a mattress assembly, the position of which are described in further detail below.
With respect to the thermoelectric elements of the mattress assembly, the thermoelectric elements are positioned in the mattress assembly and are configured to allow a user to control the temperature of the first (or upper) surface of the body supporting layer of the mattress assembly. For example, in certain embodiments, the thermoelectric elements are comprised of a plurality of Peltier elements that, upon flowing an amount of electrical current in a first direction through the Peltier elements, cool the first surface of the body supporting layer by drawing heat away from the first surface and toward the second surface of the body supporting layer. Similarly, in certain embodiments, upon flowing an amount of electrical current in a second (e.g., opposite) direction through the Peltier elements, the Peltier elements heat the first surface of the body supporting layer by drawing heat away from the second surface of the body supporting layer and toward the first surface of the body supporting portion.
To further take advantage of the heating and cooling capabilities of the Peltier elements, in certain embodiments, the Peltier elements are arranged in a series, such that the Peltier elements are arranged one after another and are capable of providing heating or cooling across the entire surface of the body supporting layer or a desired portion thereof. In other embodiments, the Peltier elements are arranged in an array, such that a group of Peltier elements can be positioned on a desired area of the body supporting portion and used to selectively heat or cool an area of the body supporting portion that would be in contact with a particular portion of the body of a user that is prone to excessive heating or cooling (e.g., the torso or feet of a user, respectively). In some embodiments, to provide a mattress assembly wherein the Peltier elements can be easily removed from the mattress assembly, the mattress assembly can include one or more removable portions that are comprised of an area of the body supporting layer and a corresponding area of the heat transfer layer, and that each house an array of Peltier elements. In some embodiments, to provide a greater amount of control over the selective heating and cooling of the first surface of the body supporting layer, the Peltier elements are comprised of discrete Peltier elements, are individually addressable, or both.
To facilitate the heating and cooling of the first surface of body supporting layer, each Peltier element typically spans the width of the body supporting layer of the mattress assembly, such that a first side of each Peltier element is positioned above or adjacent to the first surface of the body supporting portion and the opposite side of each Peltier element is positioned below or adjacent to the second surface of the body supporting portion. In these embodiments, the body supporting layer typically defines a plurality of slots that each include a portion of the Peltier elements that are transmitting heat from one surface of the body supporting surface to the other. In other words, in certain embodiments, the Peltier elements are positioned adjacent to the body supporting layer and are directly transferring heat from one surface of the body supporting layer, through the interior of the body supporting layer, and to the other surface of the body supporting layer.
In addition to being configured to selectively heat or cool the first surface of the body supporting portion, the thermoelectric elements are also operably connected to a heat transfer layer that is typically comprised of a porous flexible foam. In some embodiments, the heat transfer layer of the mattress assembly is comprised of a porous visco-elastic foam that encases at least a portion of the Peltier elements adjacent to or near the second surface of the body supporting layer. By operably connecting the Peltier elements to the heat transfer layer, the heat transfer layer, in addition to providing structural support for the Peltier elements and overlying body supporting layer, provides an open environment into which the heat generated by the Peltier elements can be transferred, such as by diffusion of heat from the Peltier elements into the porous flexible foam of the heat transfer layer. Upon transferring the heat from the Peltier elements into the porous flexible foam of the heat transfer layer, the heat can then by transferred out of the heat transfer layer by conveying an amount of air through the porous flexible foam of the heat transfer layer.
Turning now to the base layer of the mattress assembly, as noted, the base layer defines an inlet conduit in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer and an outlet conduit that is also in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer and is operably connected to a fan. The base layer is generally also comprised of a flexible foam. In some embodiments, however, the base layer is comprised of a flexible foam having a porosity that is less than that of the flexible foam comprising the heat transfer layer positioned above the base layer. In this regard, when the fan operably connected to the outlet conduit is activated, the fan does not directly draw air into the inlet conduit, through the base layer, and then into the outlet conduit and away from the mattress assembly. Instead, by including a base layer in the mattress assembly that is comprised of a flexible foam having has a porosity less than that of the flexible foam comprising the heat transfer layer, the fan acts to create an air flow route whereby air enters the inlet conduit through an inlet, meets the less porous base layer, travels into the more porous heat transfer layer, picks up any heat generated by the Peltier elements, and then travels from the heat transfer layer into the outlet conduit before being dissipated away from the mattress assembly.
With further respect to the mattress assemblies of the present invention that make use of a base layer having a porosity less than that of an adjacent heat transfer layer, in some embodiments, a mattress assembly is provided that includes: a base layer having a head portion and a foot portion; one or more inlet conduits that extend longitudinally through the base layer from the head portion; and one or more outlet conduits that extend longitudinally through the base layer from the foot portion and that are each operably connected to a fan. For instance, in some embodiments of the mattress assemblies of the present invention, a mattress assembly is provided that includes a base layer having three inlet conduits extending longitudinally through the base layer from inlets positioned on the head end of the base layer, and two outlet conduits extending longitudinally through the base layer from outlets positioned on a foot end of the base layer. More specifically, in those embodiments, a first inlet conduit is positioned on a first side of the base layer, a second inlet conduit is positioned in a central portion of the base layer, and a third inlet conduit positioned in a second side of the base layer opposite the first inlet conduit. A first outlet conduit is then positioned between the first inlet conduit and the second inlet conduit, and a second outlet conduit is positioned between the second inlet conduit and the third inlet conduit. In this regard, when the fan attached to each outlet conduit is activated, air is drawn into each of the inlet conduits, into a portion of the heat transfer layer positioned between a particular inlet conduit and the outlet conduit that is in closest proximity to that particular inlet conduit, and then into the outlet conduit before it is dissipated away from the mattress assembly.
In some embodiments of the mattress assemblies of the present invention, the inlet conduits and the outlet conduits included in an exemplary base layer are in the form of evacuated or hollow channels that extend longitudinally through the base layer and allow a maximum amount of air to flow through the channels and the heat transfer layer of each mattress assembly. In other embodiments of the mattress assemblies of the present invention, a flexible foam insert having a porosity greater than that of the base layer can be included each inlet conduit and each outlet conduit of a base layer. By including the flexible foam inserts in each inlet and outlet conduit, a base layer is provided where the inlet and outlet conduits are essentially filled with a flexible foam that provides an increased amount of support to the heat transfer layer, but yet still also allows for a sufficient amount of air to flow into the inlet conduits, into the heat transfer layer, and then into the outlet conduits to dissipate heat away from the thermoelectric elements and away from the mattress assembly.
For example, in some embodiments of the mattress assemblies of the present invention that make use of flexible foam inserts positioned in each of the inlet and outlet conduits of a base layer, a mattress assembly is provided having: a first inlet conduit extending longitudinally through a first side of the base layer and including a flexible foam insert; a second inlet conduit extending longitudinally through a second side of the base layer opposite the first side and including a flexible foam insert; and an outlet conduit extending longitudinally through the base layer between the first inlet conduit and the second inlet conduit and including a flexible foam insert. In such an embodiment, upon activation of a fan operably connected to the outlet conduit, air is thus first drawn into the flexible foam inserts in each of the inlet conduits. The air then travels from the inlet conduits in the first side and second side of the mattress assembly, through the heat transfer layer, and then into the flexible foam insert in the outlet conduit positioned in the central portion of the mattress assembly, where it is then dissipated away from the mattress assembly.
As another example of a mattress assembly that makes use of flexible foam inserts in the inlet conduits and outlet conduits of a base layer, in some embodiments, each of the one or more inlet conduits and outlet conduits are substantially rectangular areas that are positioned at the head end and the foot end of an exemplary mattress assembly, respectively, and that each include a flexible foam insert having a porosity greater than that of the base layer. In this regard, in these embodiments and upon activation of a fan operatively connected to the outlet conduit, air enters the flexible foam insert positioned in the inlet conduit, and then enters and travels along the length of the heat transfer layer before it enters and subsequently exits through the flexible foam insert positioned in the outlet conduit at the foot end of the mattress assembly.
In yet further embodiments of the present invention, the base layers of the mattress assemblies include inlet and outlet conduits that do not extend from a first end or second end of the base layer (e.g., from the head end or foot end of the mattress assembly). Instead, in such embodiments, the base layer defines one or more inlet conduits that extend from the bottom surface of the base layer to the heat transfer layer, and one or more outlet conduits that extend from the bottom surface of the base layer to the heat transfer layer and that are spaced at a predetermined distance from each of the one or more inlet conduits. For example, in one such embodiment, a mattress assembly is provided that comprises a first inlet conduit extending longitudinally through a first side of the base layer, a second inlet conduit extending longitudinally through a second side of the base layer opposite the first side, and an outlet conduit positioned between the first inlet conduit and the second inlet conduit. In that embodiment, neither the first inlet conduit, the second inlet conduit, nor the outlet conduit extend from or contact the head end or the foot end of the base layer. Instead, because the first inlet conduit, the second inlet conduit, and the outlet conduit each extend from the bottom surface of the base layer to the heat transfer layer, air flows from below the base layer, into the inlet conduits, and upwardly into and through the heat transfer layer before being drawn back down into the outlet conduit and away from the mattress assembly by virtue of a fan operatively connected to the outlet conduit.
In other embodiments of the mattress assemblies of the present invention that include inlet and outlet conduits extending from the bottom surface of the base layer to the heat transfer layer, the inlet conduits, the outlet conduits, or both the inlet and inlet conduits do not extend longitudinally through the base layer, but are instead in the form of columnar voids. In some embodiments, a mattress assembly is provided that includes at least two columnar voids as inlet conduits on a first side of the base layer, at least two columnar voids as inlet conduits on a second side of the base layer opposite the first side, and an elongated channel as an outlet conduit that extends longitudinally through the base layer between the inlet conduits on the first side and the inlet conduits on the second side of the base layer. In another embodiment, a mattress assembly is provided that includes at least two columnar voids as outlet conduits positioned on a first side of the base layer, a second side of the base layer, or both, and an elongated channel as an inlet conduit that extends longitudinally through the base layer (e.g., through a central portion of the base layer). In yet further embodiments, a mattress assembly is provided that includes at least two columnar voids as outlet conduits positioned on a first side of the base layer, at least two columnar voids as outlet conduits positioned on a second side of the base layer opposite the first side, and at least two columnar voids as inlet conduits positioned in a central portion of the base layer.
With further respect to the mattress assemblies of the present invention that make use of a base layer having inlet conduits and outlet conduits that extend from the bottom surface of the base layer to the heat transfer layer, in some of those embodiments, a flexible foam insert is positioned in each of the inlet and outlet conduits and has a porosity greater than that of the base layer. In such embodiments, and similar to the embodiments described above, air is drawn into the flexible foam insert positioned in each of the inlet conduits, into and through the heat transfer layer, and into the flexible foam insert positioned in each of the outlet conduits upon activation of a fan operatively connected to each of the outlet conduits. In other embodiments of the mattress assemblies, however, the porosity of the flexible foam inserts positioned in the inlet or outlet conduits is the same as or is at least comparable to the base layer. In those embodiments, to draw air into each inlet conduit, into the heat transfer layer, and then into each outlet conduit, a barrier layer is used to cover one or more portions of the base layer including, in some embodiments, a continuous side panel of the base layer, as well as top and/or bottom surface of the base layer.
Regardless of the particular arrangement and configuration of the base layer of the mattress assembly, each mattress assembly of the present invention further includes a power supply for supplying electrical current to the plurality of thermoelectric elements and the fan attached to each outlet conduit, and a controller for controlling the electrical current that is supplied to the plurality of thermoelectric elements and each fan. By including a controller in the mattress assemblies, the amount of electrical current supplied to each fan can not only be controlled to control the amount of air being drawn through the mattress assembly, but the amount of electrical current being supplied to the thermoelectric elements can also be controlled to provide a desired amount of heating or cooling at the first surface of the body supporting layer. For example, in certain embodiments, the controller is configured to automatically control the electrical current supplied to Peltier elements, such that the electrical current can be supplied to the Peltier elements in a particular direction to heat or cool the first surface of the body supporting portion when the first surface of the body supporting portion reaches a particular temperature. As another example, the controller, in some embodiments, is configured to allow the electrical current to be supplied to the Peltier elements for a predetermined time period, such as for an 8-hour sleeping period or for a length of time that corresponds to the time a user usually spends in a specific stage of the sleep cycle (e.g., REM sleep).
To provide an additional level of control over the thermoelectric elements included in the mattress assemblies of the present invention, in certain embodiments, the mattress assemblies further include one or more features that are operably connected to the body supporting layer, the heat dissipating layer, or both of the mattress assembly and provide input to the controller. Such features include, in some embodiments, pressure sensors that provide pressure feedback to the controller and allow the controller to automatically begin heating or cooling the mattress assembly when a user lies on the mattress or otherwise places an amount of pressure on the mattress assembly. In other embodiments, temperature sensors are included in an exemplary mattress assembly and provide temperature feedback to the controller to allow the controller to selectively heat or cool the first surface of the body supporting portion in response to received temperature feedback and to maintain a desired temperature. Such desired temperature or pressure feedback settings are, in certain embodiments, directly inputted or adjusted at the controller itself or, in other embodiments, can be transmitted to the controller from a remote control that is also operably connected to the controller and allows a user to remotely adjust the first surface of the body supporting layer to a desired temperature.
As an additional refinement to the mattress assemblies of the present invention, in some embodiments, mattress assemblies are provided that include additional features to further increase the comfort and convenience of the user of the mattress assembly. For example, as described above, each of the mattress assemblies of the present invention generally includes at least three layers, namely a body supporting layer, a heat transfer layer, and a base layer. In some embodiments, however, additional layers are incorporated into the mattress assemblies to provide an increased level of comfort, to provide additional support for the mattress assemblies, or both. For instance, in certain embodiments, a foundation is included in the mattress assembly to provide support to the body supporting layer, the heat transfer layer, and/or the base layer. In some embodiments, the foundation can be used as a housing for the fans that are operatively connected to the outlet conduits of the mattress assemblies.
With further regard to the support cushions of the present invention, an exemplary support cushion can also be used as part of a method of controlling a surface temperature of a support cushion. In some implementations, a method of controlling the surface temperature of a support cushion includes first providing a support cushion having a body supporting layer, a heat transfer layer, and a base layer positioned adjacent to the heat transfer layer opposite the body supporting layer and having a porosity less than that of the heat transfer layer. The base layer further defines one or more inlet conduits in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer, and one or more outlet conduits in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer and spaced at a predetermined distance from each of the one or more inlet conduits. A fan is also included in the mattress assembly utilized as part of the method and is operably connected to each of the one or more outlet conduits. In this regard, in some implementations of the method of controlling the surface temperature of the support cushion, an electrical current is then supplied to each fan, such that each fan draws an amount of air into each of the inlet conduits, from the inlet conduits and through the heat transfer layer, and then into the outlet conduits to thereby control the surface temperature of the support cushion. In some implementations of the method, the support cushion further comprises a plurality of Peltier elements that are positioned and configured to selectively provide heating or cooling at the first surface of the body supporting layer. In such implementations, an electrical current can also be supplied to the plurality of Peltier elements, such that when electrical current is supplied in a first direction, the surface temperature of the body supporting portion decreases, and such that when electrical current is supplied in a second direction, the surface temperature of the body supporting portion increases.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the description, figures, and non-limiting examples in this document.
The present invention includes support cushions and methods for controlling the surface temperature of support cushions. In particular, the present invention includes support cushions, such as mattress assemblies, that make use of thermoelectric elements and internal air conduits to selectively heat or cool the surfaces of the support cushions. Thus, the support cushions of the present invention allow a user to individualize their level of comfort, including sleep comfort, by controlling the temperature of the surface of the support cushions.
Referring first to
In addition to being positioned adjacent to the heat transfer layer 40, the base layer 50 defines three inlet conduits 52a, 52b, 52c, each of which extend longitudinally from respective inlets 53a, 53b, 53c positioned on the head end 56 of the base layer 50. Each of the inlet conduits 52a, 52b, 52c are in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer 40. The base layer 50 further defines a first outlet conduit 54a and a second outlet conduit 54b, each of which extend longitudinally from respective outlets 55a, 55b positioned on the foot end 58 of the base layer 50. Each of the outlet conduits 54a, 54b are also in fluid communication with the heat transfer layer 40, but are spaced at a predetermined distance from each of the inlet conduits 52a, 52b, 52c. Further included in the mattress assembly 10 is a first fan 60a that is operatively connected to the first outlet conduit 54a, and a second fan 60b that is operatively connected to the second outlet conduit 54b. As described in further detail below, each of the fans 60a, 60b act to draw an amount of air from the inlet conduits 52a, 52b, 52c, through the heat transfer layer 40, and into the respective outlet conduits 54a, 54b before dissipating the air away from the mattress assembly 10.
The body supporting layer 20 of the mattress assembly 10 is generally comprised of a continuous layer of flexible foam for suitably distributing pressure from a user's body or portion thereof across the body supporting layer 20. Such flexible foams include, but are not limited to, latex foam, reticulated or non-reticulated visco-elastic foam (sometimes referred to as memory foam or low-resilience foam), reticulated or non-reticulated non-visco-elastic foam, polyurethane high-resilience foam, expanded polymer foams (e.g., expanded ethylene vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene, or polyethylene), and the like. In the embodiment shown in
The visco-elastic foam described herein for use in the mattress assembly 10 can also have a density that assists in providing a desired degree of comfort and body-conforming qualities, as well as an increased degree of material durability. In some embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam used in the body supporting layer 20 has a density of no less than about 30 kg/m3 to no greater than about 150 kg/m3. In some embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam used in the body supporting layer 20 of the mattress assembly 10 is about 30 kg/m3, about 40 kg/m3, about 50 kg/m3, about 60 kg/m3, about 70 kg/m3, about 80 kg/m3, about 90 kg/m3, about 100 kg/m3, about 110 kg/m3, about 120 kg/m3, about 130 kg/m3, about 140 kg/m3, or about 150 kg/m3. Of course, the selection of a visco-elastic foam having a particular density will affect other characteristics of the foam, including its hardness, the manner in which the foam responds to pressure, and the overall feel of the foam, but it is appreciated that a visco-elastic foam having a desired density and hardness can readily be selected for a particular application or mattress assembly as desired. Additionally, it is appreciated that the body supporting layers of the mattress assemblies need not be comprised of a continuous layer of flexible foam at all, but can also take the form of more traditional mattresses, including spring-based mattresses, without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.
Referring still to
With further regard to the body supporting layer 20 shown in
Turning now to the thermoelectric elements included in the support cushions of the present invention, various thermoelectric elements can be incorporated into a support cushion and used to heat or cool a surface of an exemplary support cushion, including resistive heaters that convert electrical energy to heat, as well as other thermoelectric elements. In the exemplary mattress assembly 10 shown in
In the Peltier elements 30 shown in
As shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
With further respect to the porous visco-elastic foam included in the heat transfer layer 40 of the mattress assembly, it of course contemplated that the heat transfer layer need not be comprised of a visco-elastic foam, but that any number of porous flexible foams can be used to produce a heat transfer layer having a porosity sufficient to allow for the heat generated by the Peltier elements to dissipate within. In this regard, the term “porous flexible foam” (visco-elastic or otherwise) is used herein to generally refer to flexible foam having a cellular foam structure in which at least a portion of the cells of the foam are essentially skeletal. In other words, at least a portion of the cells of the foam are each defined by a plurality of apertured windows surrounded by cell struts, where the cell windows of the porous foam can be entirely absent (leaving only the cell struts) or substantially missing. In some embodiments, the foam is considered “porous” if at least 50% of the windows of the cells are missing (i.e., windows having apertures therethrough, or windows that are completely missing and therefore leaving only the cell struts). Such structures can be created by destruction or other removal of cell window material, by chemical or mechanical means, or by preventing the complete formation of cell windows during the manufacturing process of the foam. In some embodiments of the present invention, the term “porous” can thus be used interchangeably with the term “reticulated” when referring to flexible foam.
Regardless of the manufacturing process used to produce the porous foam, porous foam, by virtue of its open cellular structure, has characteristics that are well suited for use in the heat transfer layer 40 of the mattress assembly 10, including the enhanced ability to permit fluid movement through the porous foam and, consequently, the ability to provide enhanced air movement into, through, and away from the heat transfer layer 40 of the mattress assembly 10. In this regard, by encasing the metallic interconnects 33 of the Peltier elements 30 in the porous visco-elastic foam of the heat transfer layer 40, the heat that is transferred to the heat transfer layer 40 by the Peltier elements 30 as part of the cooling of the first surface 22 of the body supporting layer 20 is allowed to easily disperse throughout the porous visco-elastic foam of the heat transfer layer 40. Upon transferring heat into the open environment of the heat transfer layer 40, the heat can then easily be transferred out of the heat transfer layer 40 by conveying an amount of air through the porous visco-elastic foam of the heat transfer layer 40. In the mattress assembly 10, the heat transfer layer 40 and, in particular, the porous visco-elastic foam of the heat transfer layer 40, has a pore size of about 10 pores per inch (ppi) to allow a sufficient amount of air to move into, through, and away from the heat transfer layer 40. It is of course contemplated, however, that the size of the pores present in the foam of an exemplary heat transfer layer can readily be adjusted as needed to convey a particular amount of air through an exemplary heat transfer layer and/or through a particular mattress assembly without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.
Turning now to the base layer 50 of the mattress assembly 10, and referring again to
The base layer 50 is also generally comprised of a flexible foam. In the embodiments shown in
To further facilitate the flow of air through the inlet conduits 52a, 52b, 52c, into the heat transfer layer 40, and then into the outlet conduits 54a, 54b, and to also prevent the various layers of the mattress assembly 10 from moving relative to one another during use, the base layer 50 and the heat transfer layer 40, as well as the body supporting layer 20 and the comfort layer 72, are generally secured to one another. Various means of securing one layer of material to another can be used in this regard, including tape, hook and loop fasteners, conventional fasteners, stitches, and the like. In one particular embodiment, the base layer 50, the heat transfer layer 40, the body supporting layer 20, and the comfort layer 72 are bonded together by an adhesive or cohesive bonding material to create a substantially continuous assembly where the comfort layer 72 and the body supporting layer 20 and are fully adhered to one another, the body supporting layer 20 and the heat transfer layer 40 are fully adhered to one another, and the heat transfer layer 40 and the base layer 50 are fully adhered to one another. Such adhesive bonding materials include, for example, environmentally-friendly, water based adhesives, like SABA AQUABOND RSD, a two-component water-based adhesive product produced by SABA DINXPERLO BV, B-7090 AA, Dinxperlo, Belgium.
Regardless of the particular means for adhering the various layers to one another, and referring now to
As yet another example, the controller 92 can further be configured to supply electrical current to the Peltier elements 30 in a manner that corresponds to a user's sleep rhythms. For instance, it is appreciated that during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, a user generally loses at least some of their ability to control the temperature of his or her body. As such, in certain embodiments, the controller 92 can be configured to begin cooling the first surface 22 of the body supporting layer 20 at a time during the course of a night's sleep when a user would generally be in REM sleep. Alternatively, the controller 92 can further be operably connected to a device that monitors sleep rhythms, such as, for example, the ZEO SLEEP MANAGER™ manufactured by ZEO, Newton, Mass., such that the controller 92 can be configured to provide electrical current to the Peltier elements 30 upon receiving input that the user lying on the mattress assembly 10 has entered a particular stage of the sleep cycle (e.g., REM sleep).
In addition to providing control over the amount of current that is being supplied to the Peltier elements 30, the controller 92 of the mattress assembly 10 further allows the direction of the electrical current being supplied to the Peltier elements 30 to be controlled. In this regard, the controller 92 can be used to not only alter the direction of the electrical current being supplied to the Peltier elements 30 in order to either selectively heat or cool the first surface 22 of the body supporting layer 20 of the mattress assembly 10, but can further be configured to dissipate heat away from the heat transfer layer 40 of the mattress assembly 10 after an extended period of cooling the first surface 22 of the body supporting layer 20. For instance, after an overnight period of cooling the first surface 22 of the body supporting layer 20, a significant amount of heat will have been transferred to the heat transfer layer 40 of the mattress assembly 10. As such, and in addition to or as an alternative to activating the fans 60a, 60b to dissipate such heat and move it away from the heat transfer layer 40, the direction of the electrical current being supplied to the Peltier elements 30 can be reversed, and the heat in the heat transfer layer 40 can be transferred from the heat transfer layer 40 to the first surface 22 of the body supporting layer 20 and released into the surrounding atmosphere.
To provide an additional level of control over the Peltier elements included in the mattress assemblies of the present invention, exemplary mattress assemblies can further include one or more features that are operably connected to the body supporting layers, the heat transfer layers, or both and provide input to the controllers. For example, and referring now to
With further regard to the fans 60a, 60b of the mattress assembly 10, and referring again to
Upon activation of the first fan 60a and the second fan 60b in the mattress assembly 10 shown in
As an additional refinement, in the mattress assembly 110, to ensure that fresh air is entering the base layer 150 and, more specifically, the inlet conduit 153, the base layer 150 also includes a filter 195 that covers the inlet 153, such that only filtered air is allowed to pass into the inlet conduit 152 through the inlet 153 and the inlet conduit 152 is kept free of particulates such as smoke, dust, dirt, pollen, mold, bacteria, hair, or insects that may otherwise collect in the interior of the mattress 10 and limit air flow. Of course, it is contemplated that various types of filters including, but not limited to, charcoal filters for removing chemicals and/or unpleasant odors can be readily incorporated into an exemplary mattress of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.
As another refinement to the mattress assemblies of the present invention that make use of inlet and outlet conduits in a base layer to provide for a sufficient amount of air flow through an exemplary mattress assembly, and referring now to
As an alternative to including hollow inlet and outlet conduits in the mattress assembly 210, however, the mattress assembly 210 includes a porous foam insert 280a, 280b, 280c positioned in each of the inlet conduits 252a, 252b, 252c and a porous foam insert 282a, 282b positioned in each of the outlet conduits 254; 254b. Each of the porous foam inserts 280; 280b, 280c positioned in the inlet conduits 252a, 252b, 252c and each of the porous foam inserts 282a, 282b positioned in the outlet conduits 254a, 254b have a porosity greater than that of the flexible foam comprising the base layer 250. In this regard, by positioning the porous foam inserts 280a, 280b, 280c in the inlet conduits 252a, 252b, 252c and the porous foam inserts 282a, 282b in the outlet conduits 254a, 254b, the porous foam inserts 280a, 280b, 280c, 282a, 282b allow a greater amount of support to be provided to the heat transfer layer 240, but yet still allow for a sufficient amount of air to be drawn into the inlet conduits 252a, 252b, 252c, into the heat transfer layer 240, and then into the outlet conduits 254a, 254b to dissipate heat away from the Peltier elements 230 in the heat transfer layer 240 and away from the mattress assembly 210. In particular, when the fans 260a, 260b are activated via a power supply 290 and a controller 292 connected to the fans 260a, 260b and Peltier elements 230, the fans 260a, 260b draw air through the porous foam inserts 280a, 280b, 280c in the inlet conduits 252a, 252b, 252c, through the heat transfer layer 240, and then into the porous foam inserts 282a, 282b in the outlet conduits 254a, 254b before exiting the mattress assembly 210 through the outlets 255a, 255b at the foot end 258 of the base layer 250.
As a further refinement to the use of inlet and outlet conduits in accordance with the present invention and, more particularly, to the use of porous foam inserts in such inlet and outlet conduits, in some embodiments, the inlet and outlet conduits can be positioned in discrete areas of a base layer of an exemplary mattress assembly rather than extending longitudinally through a substantial portion of the base layer. Referring now to
As yet another refinement to the use of inlet and outlet conduits in accordance with the present invention, in some embodiments, the base layers of the mattress assemblies can include inlet and outlet conduits that do not extend from a head end or foot end of the base layer, but instead extend only from a bottom surface of the base layer. Referring now to
In the embodiment shown in
Referring now to
In particular, the base layer 550 includes a first row of three inlet conduits 552a in the form of columnar voids that are spaced apart from one another in a first side 562 of the base layer 550, a second row of three inlet conduits 552b in the form of columnar voids that are spaced apart from one another in a central portion 566 of the base layer 550, a third row of three inlet conduits 552c in the form of columnar voids that are spaced apart from one another and from the second row of inlet conduits 552b in the central portion 566 of the base layer 550, and a fourth row of three inlet conduits 552d in the form of columnar voids that are spaced apart from one another in a second side 564 of the base layer 550. In the mattress assembly 510, a first outlet conduit 554a then extends longitudinally though the base layer 550 between the first row of inlet conduits 552a and the second row of inlet conduits 552b, and a second outlet conduit 554b extends longitudinally though the base layer 550 between the third row of inlet conduits 552c and the fourth row of inlet conduits 552d. Porous foam inserts 580a, 580b, 580c, 580d are further positioned in each of the inlet conduits 552a, 552b, 552c, 552d, respectively. Additionally, a porous foam insert 582a is positioned in the first outlet conduit 554a and a porous foam insert 582b is positioned in the second outlet conduit 554b. Thus, when the first fan 560a and the second fan 560b are activated via a controller 592 and power supply 590 connected to the mattress assembly 510, air is drawn from below the base layer 550, into porous foam inserts 580a, 580b, 580c, 580d positioned in the inlet conduits 552a, 552b, 552c, 552d, and then upwardly into and through the heat transfer layer 540 before being drawn back down into the porous foam insert 582a positioned in the first outlet conduit 554a and the porous foam insert positioned in the second outlet conduit 554b and away from the mattress assembly 510, as indicated by the arrows in
As an additional refinement to the base layer 550 of the mattress assembly 510, the base layer 550 of the mattress 510 is not comprised of a flexible foam having a porosity greater than that of the heat transfer layer 540, so as to direct an amount of air through the row of inlet conduits 452a, 452b, 452c, 452d and into the heat transfer layer 540. Rather, in the mattress assembly 510, the base layer 550 is also comprised of a porous foam. In this regard, the mattress assembly 510 further includes a barrier layer 584 that is positioned over the exposed exterior surfaces of the base layer 550 and the heat transfer layer 540 (i.e., the continuous side walls of the base layer 550 and the heat transfer layer 540, and the bottom surface 559 of the base layer 550), as well as between the base layer 550 and the heat transfer layer 540. The barrier layer 584 can be comprised of a number of different materials, such as plastics, textiles, and the like, but, in all cases, functions as an substantially air tight layer that directs air being drawn through the base layer 550 and the heat transfer layer 540 by the fans 560a, 560b through the rows of inlet conduits 552a, 552b, 552c, 552d, into the heat transfer layer 540, and then into the first outlet conduit 554a and the second outlet conduit 554b.
Referring now to
Porous foam inserts 680 are also included in each of the inlet conduits 652 and porous foam inserts 682a, 682b are also included in each of the outlet conduits 654a, 654b, respectively, of the mattress assembly 610. In the mattress assembly 610, however, the inlet conduits 652 are included in a central portion 666 of the base layer 650, and a first row of the outlet conduits 654a is included on a first side 662 of the base layer 650 and a second row of outlet conduits 654b are included on a second side 664 of the mattress assembly 610. In this regard, when air is drawn into the mattress assembly 610, the air first enters the porous foam inserts 680 positioned in the inlet conduits 652 in the central portion 666 of the mattress assembly 610, then flows through the heat layer transfer layer 640 to both the first side 662 of the base layer 650 and the second side 664 of the base layer 650 before exiting through the porous foam inserts 682a, 682b in the outlet conduits 682a, 682b, as shown best in
As yet another example of a mattress assembly made in accordance with the present invention, in another embodiment and referring now to
Referring now to
As an additional refinement to the present invention, although each of the mattress assemblies 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 shown in
As an even further refinement to the mattress assemblies of the present invention, one or more covers can also be included and used to cover the mattress assemblies described herein. For example, in one embodiment, a cover in the form of a fire sock can be first used to initially surround an exemplary mattress assembly. Then, an outer fabric cover, such as a cover comprised of 100% cotton or another soft and breathable textile, can be used to cover the fire sock. As another example, and referring now to
The cover assembly 2010 further includes a second cover 2040 having a top surface 2042 and a bottom surface 2044, with the second cover 2040 also defining a perimeter 2046. The second cover 2040 of the cover assembly 2010 is generally positioned over the top panel 2022 of the first cover 2020 and is dimensionally-sized to cover at least the top panel 2022 of the first cover 2020, the area of which is indicated by the hatching that is shown in
As an even further refinement to the present invention, although the support cushions shown in
Each of the exemplary support cushions described herein can also be used as part of a method of controlling a surface temperature of a support cushion. In some implementations, a method of controlling the surface temperature of a support cushion includes first providing a support cushion of the present invention. Electrical current is then supplied to each fan such that each fan draws an amount of air into each inlet conduit, through the heat transfer layer, and into each outlet conduit. For implementations where the support the support cushions include a plurality of Peltier elements, electrical current can also be supplied to the plurality of Peltier elements, such that when the electrical current is supplied in a first direction, the surface temperature of the body supporting portion decreases, but when electrical current is supplied in a second direction, the surface temperature of the body supporting portion increases. In some implementations, to control an amount of heating or cooling of the support cushion, the amount of electrical current supplied to the Peltier elements can be controlled. In some implementations, the surface temperature of the support cushion is controlled by first receiving feedback from a temperature sensor or pressure sensor positioned in the body supporting portion of the support cushions, and then supplying electrical current to the fan, the plurality of Peltier elements, or both based on the feedback received from the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor, or both.
Throughout this document, various references are mentioned. All such references are incorporated herein by reference, including the references set forth in the following list:
One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional embodiments are also possible without departing from the teachings of the present invention or the scope of the claims which follow. This detailed description, and particularly the specific details of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, is given primarily for clarity of understanding, and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/836,268, filed Jun. 18, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/836,245, filed Jun. 18, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2014/042694 | 6/17/2014 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61836268 | Jun 2013 | US | |
| 61836245 | Jun 2013 | US |
