FR2673822A1 - Bed-warmer, airer and diffuser with retractable supports - Google Patents

Abstract

The bed-warmer, airer and diffuser with retractable supports is made up of a housing, two sides of which are perforated, containing a fan, a resistor, a diffuser (6) and a number of supports (3) that can be retracted into the housing (1) for storage. When opened out, these supports define within a bed a volume between the sheets, through which the fan causes air to flow in a closed circuit in order to warm the bed, the resistor being on. For the purpose of airing the bed, the circuit =flow= of unheated air is open and the air renewed. (Bed slightly open); diffusion can be performed either in a closed circuit (bed only) or in an open circuit (bed and room). The fan and resistor are low-power. This apparatus warms a bed evenly, airs it and perfumes it without unmaking it. The comfort achieved in this way means that the temperature of a bedroom can be lowered by several degrees, so saving energy.

Description

 This device concerns the comfort of the bedding. The use of hot water bottles or bricks to heat a bed is well known, their disadvantage being to heat only a small place. The basin remedies this defect but requires embers and the drenching operation is long. Among more recent devices, electric blankets present dangers due to the poor aging of the insulation of electric cables.

 An old device called "monk", a copy of which can be seen at the Museum of "Popular Arts and Traditions" - gave a homogeneous heating thanks to a shape separating the sheets from each other.

The space thus created was heated by embers located in a container. A more modern version, published in a DIY magazine, uses a light bulb as a heat source. In addition to their size, these devices perform the heating function but neglect the ventilation function.

 Finally the portable bed heater object of patent NO 2 335 181 does not allow ventilation or diffusion. Its design makes it essential for a travel device.

 The bed heater - aerator - diffuser object of the present application overcomes these various drawbacks.

 It is made up of a box inside which two supports are retracted which, in the deployed position, are intended to keep the top sheet separated from the bottom sheet to create a volume.

 A fan located inside the case causes air circulation in this volume passing through the perforated walls of the boftier.

 For the ventilation function, this volume communicates with the outside of the bed (it is partially open). The air circulating inside the bed is constantly renewed and causes the ventilation of the bedding.

 For the heating function, an electrical resistance located inside the boot provides the calories which will be transmitted to the bedding by the circulation of air inside the volume formed between the sheets. (In this case the bed is closed).

 For the diffusion function, a diffuser located inside the boot lets evaporate a volatile product to diffuse and the circulation of air permeates the bedding.

 The electric control can be done by means of a double switch energizing either the fan alone for the ventilation and diffusion functions, or the fan and the resistance for the heating function. The resistor must not be able to be energized without the fan.

The supports retract inside the case by sliding like drawers, at the top of the two perforated side faces. They each consist of two sliding nesting frames
One inside the other.

 In the deployed position the supports have a lowering of their outer ends ~ towards the horizontal plane passing through the bottom of the shoemaker. This makes it easy to place the unit in a bed without fully opening it and gives a domed shape to the upper bedding.

 The diffuser may consist of a reservoir located in the upper part of the case, connected by a conduit to an evaporator made of porous material in the lower part.

 A variant could use solid commercial diffuser blocks. In this case, the diffuser described above will be replaced by an openwork drawer in which the diffuser block will be placed in the flow of the fan.

 Figure 1 shows the device in perspective deployed supports.

Only the right support is shown; the one on the left is symmetrical. The arrow indicates the direction of the air flow.

 Figure 2 shows the volume created by the device in a bed.

Figure 3 illustrates a top view of the air circulation inside the bed in "heating" function and Figure 4 in "ventilation" function. Figure 5 in section shows the supports in the deployed position, as well as a possible arrangement of the fan (9) of the resistor (10) and the evaporator (11) in the case. Figure 6 shows the supports in the retracted position and the possible arrangement of the drawer (7) variant of the diffuser. Figure 7 shows in partial enlargement and in section the principle of sliding of the nesting frames and a possibility of realization of the diffuser.

According to a particular embodiment, the case can be of rectangular shape with two solid side faces (1). The
two other side faces (2) are perforated as well as the faces
upper and lower.

The fan (9) fixed on a spacer inside the case directs its flow from an openwork side face to the other opposite side face also openwork. On the path of this flow will be fixed the resistance
electric (10) and the diffuser (11) or (7).

 The resistance- and the fan will be of very low power so as to allow long-term use without supervision and for minimal consumption.

A variant intended for Communities may include a more powerful fan and resistance, as well as a timer
intended to limit the operating times.

The supports (3) can be lowered towards their ends by the combination of the sliding games of the frames (4) in the frames (5) and of these in the case as well as by the flexibility of the frames (4).
The interior frames (4) may be longer
to that of the outer frames (5) and thus not fully retract inside the case: figure 6. The parts which then protrude in the closed position serve as handles for moving the case or for deploying the supports.

 The diffuser reservoir (6) or the drawer (7) variant of the diffuser - as well as the double switch (8) can be grouped on the same full side face.

 In conclusion, this device makes it possible to improve the comfort and hygiene of sleep while lowering the temperature of the rooms by a few degrees, which results in significant energy savings.

Claims (7)

 1) Apparatus for heating, ventilating a bed or diffusing a volatile product in a bed, characterized by the association in a case of a heating resistor, a fan, a diffuser as well as two deployable supports and retractable in the case.  2) Housing according to claim 1 characterized by walls of which at least two are perforated in the axis of the fan to allow - air circulation from the interior of the case to the interior of the bed and vice versa  3) Heating resistor and fan according to claim 1 characterized by a separate start-up of the fan for the aeration and diffusion function and a group start-up for the heating function.  4) Diffuser according to claim 1 characterized by a tank supplying by gravity an evaporator located below and placed in the air flow of the fan.  5) Variant of the diffuser according to claim 1 consisting of an openwork drawer for placing a commercial diffuser block in the air flow of the Fan.  6) Retractable supports according to claim 1 characterized by the sliding of two nesting frames, one inside the other and then the largest inside the case.  7) Retractable supports according to claim 6 characterized by sliding games and flexibility allowing the lowering of the free end towards the horizontal plane passing through the bottom of the shoemaker.