GB2500938B - Integrated air conditioned canopy and dual air conditioned care bed unit - Google Patents

Description

Integrated air conditioned canopy and dual air conditioned care bed unit

Prior Art Patent GB 2457702.

This device has industrial applicability and can be manufactured for all the usual sizes of bed. The single size bed has single mode air conditioning.

This Integrated bed unit comprises a headboard canopy unit, and a care bed unit. The canopy unit confines a local air temperature under user thermostatic control. The care bed unit provides separate thermostatically controlled air conditioning to each half of the bed, and allows normal physical relations to occur.

The users own bedclothes are held by a sliding panei, which is customisable to suit different users size and shape. The bedclothes height is controlled by a height adjustment bar. The slide length is adjusted by an extension panei secured by hook and burr.

After installation and the personal physical comfort adjustments have been made, the users set a thermostat for their own half of the bed to provide constant heating/cooling/airing to that side of the bed. The canopy and care bed can be safely left unattended to operate automatically.

The bed unit has been designed to provide help and care in the following ways:

Skin contact problems.

When bed linen is draped over a users' limbs, if they move or tum over, friction between sheet and body may cause bed or bum sores to weep, causing irritation and the covering bedclothes to be contaminated. This problem is helped by keepíng all the upper bedclothes away from the users. Bedclothes displacement problems.

An elderly or disabled user may have to untuck their side of the bed completely to get into bed and when in bed have to try to tuck themselves in to prevent linen displacement during the night. Also incontinent users may have to exit the bed quickly, or may soil the bed requiring it to be completely remade with new upper and lower sheets.

The soiling problem is lessened by only requiring the bottom sheet or pad to be removed.

The tucking in problem is completely solved by allowing the bedclothes to loosely fali to both sides of the bed, the width of the bedclothes support slide is slightly less than the width of the bed mattress thereby forming a satisfactory gravity air seal.

Getting into and out of bed problems.

People who may be monoplegic, paraplegic, suffered loss of limbs, and other mobility problems may have to have the whole of their half of the bedclothes pulled back to enter or leave the bed. By lightly pushing a slide toward and over the foot board, a large area of uncluttered mattress is exposed allowing the user to ílop' onto the mattress, and by pulling the overhanging bedclothes towards themselves, keep covered up and warm or cooled all night.

People with joint pains.

People with arthritis or other joint pains may find that in a cold bedroom cold damp bedclothes that rest on sensitive joints will make those joints feel painful. This problem is remedied by holding the bedclothes away and above the occupants' limbs. Also if the bed has to be 'made' the next day, it means that during the night the bedclothes have become displaced, uncovering parts or all of the occupants' bodies, which in a cold bedroom may lead to more joint pains, or even hypothermia.

This invention will now be explained solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1. Shows a perspective overview of the whole bed unit. The canopy unit comprises: A canopy with adjustable curtains; a thermostatically controlled radiator; cooling fans. The bed unit shows a headboard; a bedclothes support slide, shown as extended and supported on and by a foot board compartment, and permeable foam mattress.

Figure 2. Shows a perspective view of the bed unit with bedclothes support slide fully retracted.

Figure 3. Shows a perspective view of the bed unit with bedding support slide as fully extended.

Figure 4. Shows a cutaway side view of the position of a user with the slide extension panei mounted on the bedding support slide, and raised in height by the height adjustment bar; air conditioning currents of air circulating above, below, and around the user.

Figure 5. Shows a cutaway front view of the foot board air conditioning plant; the fresh air bleed under the radiator; the currents of air to below a mattress; currents of air circulating through and above the sleeping area; fan units; thermostats; radiator.

Figure 6. Shows the position of the two upper box fans; air flow passing in and out of two air ducts inside the bedclothes support slide; the height adjustment bar set to low height; the position of slide track wheels; length extension cover: track frame.

Figure 7. Shows the position of the two lower box fans; the passage of air currents through two air ducts inside the mattress support assembly.

Figure 8. Shows a theoretical electrical Circuit diagram of the air conditioning components; the safety power off circuits; user thermostats; radiators; and fault light indicator.

The operation of this bed unit is explained with detailed references from the above in five parts:

Part 1. The canopy.

Part 2. The bedclothes support.

Part 3. Dual air conditioning.

Part 4. Heat wave control.

Part 5. The electrical safety circuits.

Parti. The canopy.

When electrical power has been switched ’on’ to the foot board Figure 8. 55 the mains power passes to the Safety Circuit which examines all fans and radiators for an over temperature condition. If any sensor detects an over heated device, its internai switch will close causing the isolating relay at E F to remove all power. If no problem exists, then user switch 60 will supply mains power to the canopy. The canopy fans 36 and 37 are checked by sensors S7 and S8 33 and 34. The canopy radiator 38 is sensed by S2 28 and if thermostat TH C 35 senses that the canopy zone is too cold, then live mains power will pass 00 to PP causing radiator 38 to warm up causing air to rise up through convector housing Figure 1. 39 to warm the local air space inside the canopy. When the desired preset temperature is reached the thermostat Figure 8. 35 will switch from 00 to QQ applying power to fan 36 at TT. This power will then pass through fan 37 to W then to the mains neutral. Fans 36 and 37 are run at half power for sílent operation. The curtains Figure 1.40 can be adjusted for more ventilatíon, or to reduce the light from an over sunny bedroom.

Part 2. The bedclothes support.

The bed is made such that the users' bedclothes Figure 4.43 will overhang at the headboard end of the bed to cover the user 52, and to overhang to each side of the bed Figure 1. 43 to form an air seal with the mattress 24, and to overhang slide cover Figure 4.27 foot board end. The slide support tracks.

The slide support tracks comprises a rectangular frame Figure 6. 21 where both sides are formed to make a 'V shaped track Figure 5. 21. This track is supported and carried on two sets of two track wheels 20 and 26. The track slide movement is restrained by means of end stops Figure 6.56 and 50. Figure 2. shows a perspective view of the bed when the track slide is carrying the support cover 27 in the fully retracted position. Figure 3. Shows the support cover 27 when in the fully extended position.

The slide cover height adjustment.

The slide cover Figure 5. 27 is formed by a wood or composite material and is covered by a burr textured fabric with rounded sides; overhung; and padded for track assembly protection. The underside of support cover 27 is also burr fabric covered, and is held in place by hook fabric attached to the support slide 21. The support slide 27 is located on the track frame 21 by guide rails Figure 6.54 attached to the under side of slide cover 27. The height adjustment bar Figure 6. 51 and 25 comprises a thin length of wood covered with burr fabric 51, and a thicker length of wood covered with burr fabric 25. The thin burr fabric covered bar 51 is held in place by hook fabric attached to the headboard end ofthe track frame 21 and forms a low height adjustment Figure 4.51. The thicker bar 25 is also burr fabric covered and has a fabric hinge joining bar 51 to bar 25 such that bar 25 can be rotated as shown by dotted lines. When bar 25 is rotated away, the slide cover 27 will rest on thin bar 51 for low height position. When bar 25 is rotated to rest on bar 51 the slide cover 27 will be in a high height position. The slide cover length adjustment.

Users with severe joint or bums pains may require that all cold bedding be held away from their whole body. Other users may like to feel more bedding contact. To remedy these requirements a burr fabric covered detachable panei Figure 4. 57 is held in place by hook fabric attached to the underside of length adjusting panei 57. Figure 6. shows the size and shape of the length adjusting panei 57. The protruding length of the length adjusting panei 57 is adjusted by pulling off panei 57 and replacing it to a different position.

Part 3. Dual air conditioning.

For this explanation it is to be assumed that the bedroom temperature is 10° Celsius, and user 1 would like his side of the bed to be 28° Celsius, and user 2 would like her side of the bed to be 30° Celsius. User 1 will turn his thermostat Figure 6.8 to 28°, and user 2 will set her thermostat 4 to 30°. Both thermostats Figure 8.4 and 8 will be at 10° and so would be in demand mode. TH A 4 will switch live mains power through contact K to L to MM the oil filled radiator 22. Likewise TH B 8 will switch live mains power through contact P to Q to MM the radiator. The radiator will heat up causing the surrounding air to rise up pulling fresh air to pass through aperture Figure 5.11. The air inside of the foot board 41 will heat up. Relay coil Figure 8. A and relay coil B will be de-energised allowing live mains power to pass to A1 U to V to fan 1 at JJ through the fan to KK to fan 3 and LL to mains neutral. Likewise live mains power will pass B2 AA to BB through to fan 5 at GG to HH and fan 7 II to mains neutral. Fans 1 and 3 and 5 and 7 operate at half power for silent operation. Warm air from the foot board figure 5.41 is drawn into both air ducts 18 and 19 by wall apertures 44 and 45. to blow upwards past thermostats 4 and 8 through air grilles 14 and 17 and through the gap between foot board 41 and slide frame 21 into the sleeping space, and also up and through air ducts Figure 6.15 and 16 as shown by arrows to indicate air flow, and into the headboard end of the sleeping space warming the upper body. The sleeping space air is then sucked back into the foot board air ducts by air intake grilles Figure 5. 2 and 6. Also at this time part of the air in air duct 18 and air duct 19 is blown out by apertures 9 and 13 into an air duct under the mattress 24 to circulate through air ducts Figure 7. 58 and 59 which are able to operate independently for dual air conditioning by an air separation wall 46.

When thermostat Figure 5. 8 senses a temperature above 28° fan 7 and fan 5 will turn off by thermostat Figure 8. 8 TH B contacts changing to P to R. Contact R energises relay B causing contacts B2 to change from AA BB to AA CC. User 1 will now find that the warm air on his side of the bed stops circulating thereby stabilising his temperature at 28° C. The user 2 fans Figure 8. 1 and 3 will continue to draw and circulate warm air from radiator 22 to her side of the bed until her thermostat TH A 4 senses a temperature above 30° C, at which time TH A 4 will switch from K L to K M removing all power from the radiator 22, also energising relay A causes contacts A1 to switch from U V to U W. Because both user thermostats 4 and 8 have switched to heat wave mode the temperature of the sleeping area will quickly reduce back down below 30°. It should be noted that if the temperature on either side of the bed dropped below its set temperature, the radiator 22 would start to heat up; heat wave mode would be cancelled; and only fans on that side of the bed would operate, thereby drawing warm air to increase the temperature to that side of the bed.

Part 4. Heat wave control.

For this device, the term 'heat wave' refers to a bedroom temperature that is higher than the temperature setting of thermostats Figure 8. 4 and 8. Assuming a bedroom temperature of 35° Celsius, thermostats 4 and 8 would switch off power to radiator 22; energise relays A and B. The contacts in these energised relays would switch from normally closed to normally open. Fans 1 and 3 would be supplied with power from contacts A1 U to W then to Β1 X to Z. Fans 5 and 7 would be supplied with power from contacts B2 AA to CC then to A2 DD to FF. All the foot board fans will now be drawing unheated air and fresh air Figure 4.11 to cool the whole bed unit. The canopy thermostat Figure 1. 35 will have turned off radiator 38 by contacts in thermostat TH C Figure 8. 35 switching from 00 to PP to 00 to QQ supplying power to fan 36 at TT to UU then to fan 37 UU to W to mains neutral. All fans are now silently cooling by evaporation, the users bodies.

Part 5. The electrical safety circuits.

Sensors attached to or near all fans and radiators, will operate when exposed to a temperature above 60° Celsius. Sensors Figure. 8. 23, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 are miniature fixed sealed thermostats that will close normally open contacts applying live mains power to the fault relay at I to J lighting fault light. When this fault relay is energised, its contacts E to F will tum off power to all circuits. The fault condition is maintained by contacts G to H holding the fault relay energised. Contacts G to H act as a 'latch' to stop power being reapplied when a sensor cools down below 60°, If the bed unit was unattended, a faulty device would allow the power to be applied multiple times. If the user had caused the problem by blocking an air grille or other means, by turning the mains switch 55 off and then on again, and if all sensors are sensing all systems are working properly, the power would then be restored.

Claims (1)

1. 7 CLAIMS. Integrated air conditioned canopy and dual air conditioned care bed unit comprises an air conditioned canopy located at the headboard end of a dual air conditioned care bed unit that forms a partially enclosed cubical air space where by means of a suitable electrical convection heater draws in air from a relatively large unregulated bedroom air space through the lower half of the said heater which is controlled by a user thermostat located in the said cubicle where the warm rising currents of conditioned air form a satisfactory local breathable atmosphere for the user and where the heavier stale air expelled by the user evacuates from the lower half of said partially enclosed cubicle with the lighter stale air expelled by the user removed by fans at the apex of said cubical and these said fans together with said convection heater have attached safety over temperature sensors which control circuits that are located in a fabricated foot board compartment located and takes the place of the foot board of said dual air conditioned care bed unit wherein the power and said over temperature safety monitoring circuits are located and the said foot board compartment is constructed to house the electrical components to maintain a preferred sleeping temperature in the said dual air conditioned care bed unit by the use of two thermostats such that one thermostat is located in the left hand side fan powered air duct located in the left hand side of said foot board compartment the other thermostat is located in the right hand side fan powered air duct located in the right hand side of said foot board compartment such that when either of these two thermostats sense an under temperature condition power is applied to a suitable safety protected electrical convection heater located between said air ducts that form a heater compartment located in said foot board compartment such that when the said left hand side thermostat senses an under temperature condition power is applied to the said heater located in said heater compartment and the said heater starts to produce currents of warm rising air that will also draw in some fresh bedroom air through an aperture located under the said heater at the same time the upper and lower fans located in said left hand side fan powered air duct receive power such that the said lower fan blows conditioned air under the sleepefs mattress then back into said heater compartment located in said foot board compartment and this conditioned air is drawn upward by the said upper fan to mix with warmer air drawn through an aperture in and located at the left hand side of said heater compartment located in the said foot board compartment and the said upper fan then blows this conditioned air up and through an aperture located in the left hand side of a bedclothes carrying slide assembly where this conditioned air then passes inside said slide assembly to be ejected from the headboard end and also from the left hand side of said bedclothes carrying slide assembly into the left hand side of said dual air conditioned care bed unit such that this conditioned air after passing over and around the user is returned via an air intake grille located in the left hand side of said foot board compartment into the said left hand side fan powered air duct where the said left hand side thermostat samples this recycled air and if the preset temperature is sensed the electrical supply to the said left hand side fan powered air duct together with the said heater located in the said heater compartment both lose power and similar operations are performed for the right hand side of the said dual air conditioned care bed unit.