Patent Application
20150282631
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bedroom accessories. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an improved temperature control pad that is configured to be placed underneath a conventional mattress to heat, cool or scent the same.
Many parts of the world experience heat waves, and people have trouble sleeping when it is just too hot. Research has shown that there seems to be an ideal temperature for sleep and when this temperature is very high, it takes longer to fall asleep, and once sleep is achieved, it is broken up or fragmented and there is less dreaming. There are tricks to keep a bedroom cooler like using blinds to keep sunlight out or keeping windows closed if the temperature outside is much hotter than inside. People will also have their air conditioning on in their dwellings. However, it is often not enough nor cost effective to continuous run the air conditioning.
Additionally, there is a problem with multiple people sleeping in a house. People sleeping in the same circumstances may have a totally different night's sleep; one sleeper sweats through the night; the other one shivers through the night. Based on a plurality of factors such as perception and tolerance of cold, metabolism and body size, sleepers can be generally divided into two categories: warm sleepers and cold sleepers. Many people that usually sleep hot are often naturally warm sleepers or because they experience hot flashes or night sweats. Other people have the opposite problem of sleeping cold and complain about being cold despite sleeping in the same situation as a warm sleeper.
The present invention provides a temperature control pad that is designed to help a sleeper stay warm or cool at night while sleeping. The temperature c control pad includes a rectangular pad that is placed underneath a conventional mattress. The rectangular pad includes an interior volume having a plurality of tubes disposed within. The plurality of tubes have a plurality of apertures that are configured to disperse air therethrough and permeate through an upper surface of the rectangular pad. The rectangular pad is connected to a control unit through an air hose, wherein the control unit includes a control circuit and a blower assembly configured to direct air therethrough and to the rectangular pad. The control unit is electrically connected to a control panel that allows a user to control a fan speed, a temperature, and a release of fragrance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to heating and cooling mechanisms for mattresses. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. Some devices provide a device for heating, cooling, and emitting a fragrance into bedding, whereby the airflow is provided into a vented bladder that is positioned on the upper surface of a mattress. Other prior art devices provide a mattress with cooling airflow that is pumped through the mattress itself and cools an individual sleeping on the mattress. These devices, however, do not disclose a rectangular pad that is adapted for placement beneath an existing mattress, whereby fragranced, cooled or heated air circulate through the rectangular pad to heat, cool or provide fragrance to the mattress. The foregoing is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 8,353,069 to Miller is a device for heating, cooling and emitting fragrance into bedding on a mattress of a bed which provides a vented bladder placed upon the mattress under the bedding of the bed. An air hose extends between the vented bladder and the forced air producing mechanism, to carry hot, cool, or scented air from the forced air producing mechanism to the vented bladder into the bedding. The vented bladder comprises an inflatable tubular trunk having a plurality of perforated branches extending therefrom. A coupler on free end of the inflatable tubular trunk connects to a first end of the flexible air hose. However, the Miller device is configured to lay over the bed, while the current device is a rectangular pad placed underneath the mattress.
Similarly, U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2008/0028536 to Hadden-Cook is an air mattress pad that allows cooled airflow to be pumped therein and escapes through the air mattress upper surface. The air mattress pad is designed to be placed on top of an existing bed mattress such that a bed occupant would experience the cooling airflow as desired to reduce the effect of night sweats and hot flashes. The air mattress pad is embedded with a single spiral pattern air tube. However, the Hadden-Cook device does not describe a device that is placed underneath a mattress that has heated, cooled, or scented air forced therethrough.
U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2013/0031722 to Wong is an air-conditioning bed having a bed frame, a mattress placed and supported thereon, and a head panel located at one end of the bed frame. The mattress is associated with a first air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the body of the user of the bed, forming an air-conditioned space. The head panel is associated with a second air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the head of the user. The first and second air-conditioning systems include a thermoelectric module. The mattress body has air channels arranged in the mattress body to communicate with the thermoelectric modules. However, distinguishable from the current device, the Wong device does not disclose a rectangular pad that is configured to be placed underneath a bed to provide heated, cooled, or scented air.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,687 to Ward is a heating and cooling device for temperature condition an air supply for an air mattress. The Ward device comprises a first air passage for channeling a first air flow; a second air passage for channeling a second air flow; an inlet fan for drawing air into the first air passage; an exhaust fan for drawing air through second air passage; and a plurality of heat exchangers for exchanging heat between air in first air passage and air in second exhaust air passage. The first air passage comprises a tubular channel having an inlet at a first end and only one outlet. The inlet fan is positioned at the first end and the outlet is at a second end of the passage, such that said air flow is channeled through the inlet fan and entirety of air passage while encountering a plurality of heat exchangers and out of said outlet. The Ward device is a device for controlling temperature of airflow to an air mattress device, while the current invention is a device that is placed underneath an existing mattress to provide filtered and cooled or heated air.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,592 to Ichigaya provides a futon with cooling flow passages that are in a substantially parallel and planar configuration adjacent to the portion of the futon on an elastic member which contacts a body of a person. The Ichigaya device has an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; a plurality of electromotive fans; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages. The air flows through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the body, thereby cooling the body. However, the Ichigaya device does not disclose an external rectangular pad that is placed underneath an existing mattress.
The devices disclosed in the prior art have several known drawbacks. These devices are limited for disclosing heating or cooling devices that are designed to be placed on top of an existing air mattress or built into a mattress or futon. The present invention overcomes these limitations by disclosing a device that provides scented, heated, or cooled air dispersed through a rectangular pad that is placed underneath the existing mattress. The rectangular pad forms an interior volume that includes a plurality of tubes disposed within. The tubes have a plurality of apertures along its length, which are configured receive air from a control unit having a control circuit and a blower assembly. The plurality of apertures are also configured to disperse air therethrough, wherein air permeates through an upper surface of the rectangular pad to provide heated, cooled, or scented air to a mattress. It is therefore submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to heating and cooling mechanisms for mattresses. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of heating and cooling mechanisms for air mattresses now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new and improved temperature control pad wherein the same is adapted to be placed underneath an existing mattress and provide fragrance filtered and heated or cooled air.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and improved temperature control pad that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved temperature control pad for heating, cooling and releasing fragrance to a mattress.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved temperature control pad that comprises a rectangular pad placed underneath a mattress substantially the size of a conventional mattress.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved temperature control pad that is connected to an air hose, wherein air is forced through a blower assembly electrically connected to a control circuit before being forced through to the rectangular pad.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved temperature control pad, wherein the rectangular pad includes a plurality of tubes having a plurality of apertures along the length of each tube configured to disperse air therethrough.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved temperature control pad wherein the device may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the numeral annotations are provided throughout.
References are made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the temperature control pad. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used underneath a mattress to provide fragranced and cooled or heated air around the bed. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to
The first connecting end 24 may further comprise a flange having female threaded elements, wherein an air hose 43 having a first end 43A and a second end 43B is attached thereon on said first end 43A. The first end 43A may further comprise male threaded elements that align with female threaded elements of the flange configured to removably fasten said first end 43A to the flange of the first connecting end. The second end 43B of the air hose is attached to a second connecting end of a housing 60 having at least one side 61 forming a defined interior chamber. The defined interior chamber stores a control unit comprising a control circuit electrically connected to a blower assembly. The housing 60 also includes an air inlet port wherein air is first received therethrough to be directed through a blower assembly, and an air outlet port that is configured to force air to the air hose 43 and rectangular pad 21.
Preferably, the rectangular pad 21 includes at least four preferred embodiments that are substantially sized to match a conventional twin size, full size, queen, size, and king size mattress, respectively. The rectangular pad 21 is of relatively thin profile so as to not unduly increase the height a mattress sits above the floor surface. Preferably, the rectangular pad 21 is composed of polyvinyl chloride, however, other embodiments are alternatively composed of other durable and air impermeable material, such as textile reinforced urethane plastic. When air is dispersed through the plurality of apertures 23 along the length of each tube 22, the rectangular pad 21 may slightly inflate, however, due to the relatively thin profile, the height of the mattress off the floor surface is not significantly altered.
However, the upper surface 90 is composed of an air permeable material configured to allow air therethrough to cool, heat or scent a mattress thereover. Due to the differential pressure between the interior volume of the rectangular pad 21 and the ambient environment, air within the rectangular pad 21 is forced towards the upper surface 90 and permeate therethough.
Referring now to
The fan 28 forces air through a reversible heat pump 29 that comprises a means for heating or cooling air therethrough, wherein the control circuit 25 is also electrically connected to the reversible heat pump 29, thereby allowing the control circuit to activate and control the reversible heat pump 29. Preferably, reversible heat pump 29 is an air source reversible heat pump however, other appropriate and conventional reversible heat pumps are alternatively used.
In some embodiments, the blower assembly 70 further comprises a fragrance source stored in a fragrance container 62, a solenoid valve 31, and a scent venturi 33, wherein heated or cooled air is scented with the fragrance source. The control circuit 25 is electrically connected to the solenoid valve 31 that is configured to control allow the user to control the release and strength of a fragrance source through the scent venturi 33. The heated, cooled, or scented air is then directed through an air outlet port 34 and towards the second connecting end 41 to be dispersed through the air hose and the rectangular pad, wherein air is forced through the plurality of apertures along the length of each tube and dispersed therethrough. The air then permeates through the upper surface of the rectangular pad to provide heated, cooled, or fragranced air to the mattress thereover.
As previously stated, the control circuit 25 is electrically connected to the fan 28, the reversible heat pump 29, and the solenoid valve 31, thereby activating, deactivating and controlling the same elements. In addition, the control circuit 25 is electrically connected to a power source, preferably a conventional outlet, to activate and deactivate the temperature control pad 20. The control circuit 25 is further configured to be user-controlled by a remote control 35 and a control panel. The control circuit 25 further comprises a transceiver 65 that is configured to be in electric communication with a second transceiver 65 of a remote control 35.
Referring now to
The remote control 35 is also in electric communication with the control circuit, preferably in wireless communication with one another. The remote control 35 also comprises an array of buttons for adjusting various settings: an on/off button 37 for activating and deactivating the control circuit; a temperature control button 38 for increasing and decreasing the temperature of air passing through the reversible heat pump; a fan speed button 39 for controlling a speed of the fan; and a scent control button 40 for controlling the solenoid valve, thereby controlling the release of the fragrance source through the scent venturi. The depressible buttons are a preferably means for controlling the control circuit, however, other embodiments comprise other suitable means for controlling the control circuit.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above descriptions then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specifications are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/976,565 filed on Apr. 8, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61976565 | Apr 2014 | US |
