This application claims the benefit of and priority from U.S. Co-pending application Ser. No. 11/131,822, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.
This invention relates generally to warming mattresses and mattress pads. More particularly, the invention relates to warming mattresses and mattress pads including an arrangement of cooperating pairs of heating and/or sensor elements disposed in a predefined pattern at the interior of the mattress and mattress pad. Methods for forming the mattress and mattress pad and for arranging the heating and sensor elements are also provided. All patent documents referenced in this specification are hereby specifically incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.
This invention generally relates to mattress and mattress pads that generate heat from electricity. During the winter in cold climates, an unoccupied bed becomes relatively cold. Thus a person entering the bed is exposed to bedding surfaces which are considerably colder than human body temperature. It takes some time for the person's body heat to warm the bed. In addition, the elderly or people with poor circulation may rely upon electric blankets or other similar equipment to warm them during the wintertime.
Various devices have been created to take the chill off of bedding so that a person upon entering the bed is not be exposed to cold surfaces in the winter. One common approach is to turn-on an electric blanket prior to entry into the bed to warm the region in which the person will sleep. Other devices supplied heated air into a space between the bed coverings. It would be desirable to have a warming mattress and mattress pad with heating and temperature sensing and control.
The present invention provides advantages and/or alternatives over the known art by providing a warming mattress or mattress pad incorporating an insert layer or sheet structure incorporating a scrim structure having one or more pairs of heating and/or sensor sensor wires arranged such that at least one of the pair members is in a lateral switchback pattern running back and forth laterally across at least a portion of the insert layer. The pair members may be cut and operatively joined to establish a feedback loop circuit with a control element. The insert layer can thus be segmented at any position along its length while still permitting formation of a continuous feedback loop. The present invention thus provides a heating mattress or mattress pad system with an effective and efficient continuous pattern of heating and/or sensing wires that may be formed to virtually any length and with circuit-completing electrical connections between members of complementary pairs of wires at the interior of the mattress or mattress pad.
According to one aspect, it is contemplated that the heating and/or sensor wires may be arranged within the insert layer in a tri-directional angled pattern. In such a pattern, the wires run back and forth along pathways transverse to lateral boundary edges of the insert in angled relation relative to the lateral edges. The cooperating pairs of wires form a recurring pattern of substantially diamond shaped zones along the interior of the insert layer wherein the apex and base of the diamond shaped zones define cross-over points between the pairs. The pair members may be connected in the vicinity of crossing points or by an extended length electrical connector extending between remote positions thereby forming a complete circuit with a control element.
According to another aspect, it is contemplated that complementary pairs of heater and/or sensor wires may be arranged in a substantially bidirectional pattern extending in a straight line substantially parallel relation between lateral edges of the insert. The individual pair members may be arranged to cross one another at the lateral edges where they reverse direction thereby defining connection points to complete the circuit with a control element.
According to another aspect, it is contemplated that a complementary pair of heater and/or sensor wires may be arranged in a side-by-side stacked pattern wherein a first pair member extends back and forth in a switchback pattern extending along one side of the insert layer and a second pair member extends back and forth in a switchback pattern extending along an opposing adjacent side of the insert layer. The individual pair members may be joined by a splice connector or extended length electrical connector thereby forming a complete circuit with a control element.
According to another aspect, it is contemplated that a complementary pair of heater and/or sensor wires may be arranged with a first pair member extending back and forth in a switchback pattern extending across at least a portion of an insert layer in transverse orientation to lateral edges of the insert layer and in further transverse orientation to a second pair member in the form of an elongate conductor extending at least partially along the length of the insert layer. The individual pair members may be joined by a splice connector or extended length electrical connector thereby forming a complete circuit with a control element.
According to still another aspect, it is contemplated that any desired patterned arrangement of complementary wire pairs may be repeated multiple times across the width of the insert layer thereby providing independently controllable heating zones at different positions across the mattress or mattress pad.
The present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of the specification herein and in which:
Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein to the extent possible like elements are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various views. In
A fire retardant layer may be incorporated into the mattress and/or mattress pad. For the mattress and mattress pad, the flame retardant layer may be above or below the scrim insert layer 10. Fire retardant chemistries are well known and may be used as the flame retardant layer in the invention. A preferred fire barrier material is an aramid fiber which is made by E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. and sold as KEVLAR. Other known fire barrier materials which are known are preoxidized acrylic and fiberglass.
As will be described more fully hereinafter, the scrim insert layer 18 incorporates one or more pairs of elongate heating wire elements 20, 20a, and/or one or more pairs of elongate sensor wire elements 22, 22a. That is, the scrim insert layer preferably includes at least two complementary circuit forming heating wire elements 20, 20a, and/or at least two complementary circuit forming sensor wire elements 22 and 22a. The wire elements 20, 20a, and 22, 22a, are preferably arranged in a predefined switchback pattern running back and forth in unbroken relation transverse to lateral sides of the scrim insert layer 18. As illustrated, complementary heating wire elements 20, 20a, may be connected together at a heating wire junction 24. Likewise, complementary sensor wire elements 22, 22a, may be joined together at a sensor wire junction 26 within the scrim insert layer 18. Such junctions may be established by cutting the individual wires and electrically connecting them together by standard techniques. As best illustrated in
As indicated, the scrim insert layer 18 preferably utilizes a pattern of heating wire elements 20, 20a, and sensor wire elements 22, 22a, running in switchback patterns along pathways transverse to lateral sides of the scrim insert layer 18. As will be appreciated, by the term “switchback pattern” is meant any pattern in which a wire element advances along a path oriented transverse to lateral edges of the scrim insert layer and where the wire moves back and forth between predetermined boundary positions.
In actual practice, it is contemplated that the scrim insert layer 18 may be susceptible to a number of different constructions. By way of example only, and not limitation, in
In practice, the scrim structure 34 at the interior of the stabilizing mat 36 may be formed by techniques such as weft insertion or the like as will be well known to those of skill in the art of textile manufacture. By using such a technique, the wire elements may be placed in transverse orientation to a collection of warp yarn elements 38 such as relatively large denier multifilament or monofilament polymeric yarns or the like. While the warp yarn elements 38 are illustrated as being arranged in a geometry with substantially equal spacing between each of the yarns, it is likewise contemplated that the warp yarn elements may be clustered in pairs or groups across the scrim structure 34 so as to provide desired stability characteristics. By way of example only, and not limitation, scrim formation techniques and resultant patterns are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,779 to Curinier et al. the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Of course, other practices and equipment as will be known to those of skill in the art may likewise be utilized if desired.
In one embodiment of the scrim structure 34 using the equipment, techniques, and resulting patterns of the Curiner et al. patent, the warp yarns 38 include a first selvage yarn 38a and a second selvage yarn 38b. The warp yarns 38 can also include top warp yarns 38c, and bottom warp yarns 38d. The first selvage yarn 38a and the second selvage yarn 38b are disposed at opposite lateral sides of the scrim structure 34. Because the heating wire elements 20, 20a, and the sensing wire elements 22, 22a, are wrapped around the first selvage yarn 38a and the second selvage yarn 38b to form the scrim structure 34, the result will be that the heating wire elements 20, 20a, and the sensing elements 22, 22a, each pass alternatively over and under the first selvage yarn 38a, and also pass alternatively over and under the second selvage yarn 38b. The top warp yarns 38c and the bottom warp yarns 38d are placed on opposite sides of the scrim structure 34 after the heating elements 20, 20a, and the sensing elements 22, 22a, are placed on the first selvage yarn 38a and the second selvage yarn 38b, and therefore remain on one side or the other of the scrim structure 34 for the entire length. It is also contemplated that multiple yarns that are in close or near proximate relationship can be used in the location of each first selvage yarn 38a, second selvage yarn 38b, top warp yarns 38c, and/or bottom selvage yarns 38d.
It is contemplated that the heating element wires 20, 20a, the sensor wires 22, 22a, and the warp yarns 38 may be bonded in place to the warp yarn elements 38 by application of a suitable adhesive coating. Such adhesive may also be used for application of any desired stabilizing mat 36 as may be utilized. By way of example only and not limitation, one contemplated adhesive that may be used is a PVC adhesive that remains substantially pliable upon curing. Of course, other adhesive systems that provide bonding stability while remaining pliable may likewise be used if desired.
As shown, by running the heating wire elements 20, 20a, and the sensor wire elements 22, 22a, in transverse angled relation to the warp yarns 38 and the lateral sides of the scrim structure 34, a tri-directional pattern of generally diamond-shaped zones is established along the length of the scrim structure 34 with the wire elements crossing their counterparts near the center. In the arrangement illustrated in
In order to more clearly illustrate circuit formation within the scrim structure 34,
As indicated previously, it is also contemplated that two or more pairs of heating and or sensor wires may be arranged in patterns running across separate portions of an insert layer to establish two or more different heating zones across the width of the warming mattress or mattress pad. By way of example only, and not limitation, one such arrangement is illustrated in
In the illustrated exemplary mattress or mattress pad 110, a first pair of heating wire elements 120, 120a and a first pair of sensor wire elements 122, 122a, extends away from a control element 128 for operative connection at a heating wire junction 124 and at a sensor wire junction 126. As shown, the heating wire elements 120, 120a, and the sensor wire elements 122, 122a, run back and forth along paths transverse to the lateral boundary of the scrim insert layer 118. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the wire elements are patterned across a first discrete width segment extending from adjacent a first edge of the insert layer 118 to an intermediate position at the interior of the insert layer. This discrete width segment thus defines a first heating zone 137 across the width of the mattress or mattress pad 110. As illustrated, a second pair of heating wire elements 120′, 120a′, and a second pair of sensor wire elements 122′, 122a′, extends away from a control element 128′ for operative connection at a heating wire junction 124′ and at a sensor wire junction 126′. As shown, the heating wire elements 120′, 120a′, and the sensor wire elements 122′, 122a′, run back and forth along paths transverse to the lateral boundary of the scrim insert layer 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the wire elements 120′ 120a′, and 122′, 122a′, are patterned across a second discrete width segment extending from adjacent a second edge of the insert layer 118 to an intermediate position at the interior of the insert layer. This discrete width segment thus defines a second heating zone 139 across the width of the mattress or mattress pad 110. Of course, it is contemplated that any number of discrete width heating zones may be used across the mattress or mattress pad 110 as may be desired.
On potential benefit for the use of two or more discrete width heating zones is the ability to separately control temperature at different segments of the mattress or mattress pad. Thus, in the illustrated arrangement each heating zone is operatively connected to an independent control unit and user setting device. However, it is likewise contemplated that two or more heating zones may be connected to a common control unit to provide a substantially uniform temperature across the entire mattress or mattress pad. Such an arrangement may be desirable in a mattress or mattress pad of substantial width.
By way of example only, and not limitation,
As illustrated, in the construction of
Still another patterning arrangement for a cooperating pair of wires is illustrated in
Another patterning arrangement for a cooperating pair of wires is illustrated in
Yet another patterning arrangement for a cooperating pair of wires is illustrated in
Of course, it is to be understood that any of the patterning arrangements may be used at multiple discrete zones across the width of the mattress or mattress pad if desired. Likewise, combinations of such patterns may be used at different zones if desired.
Although the heating and sensor wire elements perform different functions; it is contemplated that they may be of substantially similar construction. By way of example only, and not limitation, exemplary constructions for such elongate elements are illustrated in
In the construction illustrated in
Referring to the embodiment of
Of course, in separate heating zone embodiments such as illustrated in
While the present invention has been illustrated and described in relation to certain potentially preferred embodiments and practices, it is to be understood that the illustrated and described embodiments and practices are illustrative only and that the present invention is in no event to be limited thereto. While this invention is directed towards warming mattresses and mattress pads, it may also be used in warming blankets, comforters, duvets, pillows, or the like. It is fully contemplated that modifications and variations to the present invention will no doubt occur to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description and/or through practice of the invention. It is therefore intended that the present invention shall extend to all such modifications and variations as may incorporate the broad aspects of the present invention within the full spirit and scope of the invention.
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