GB2550198A

GB2550198A - Conditioner for mattress

Info

Publication number: GB2550198A
Application number: GB1608399.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Davis Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-05-13
Filing date: 2016-05-13
Publication date: 2017-11-15
Also published as: GB201608399D0

Abstract

A low voltage air conditioner to create a controlled air stream between a mattress 7 and bedding, comprising a power supply 1, a fan assembly 2, a flexible hose 3 to take the air from the fan assembly to the air distribution head 6, a bracket 5 to hold the hose and the air distribution head in place, and actuation and speed control means 4. The air distribution head can be rotated to direct air flow in a certain direction as required. In use, the apparatus reduces the temperature of the air between the mattress and duvet, providing a cool sleeping environment.

Description

Conditioner for mattress

Background

This invention relates to a low voltage fan based system used to deliver a controlled flow of lower temperature air from floor level in a bedroom to the sleeping space between the upper and lower bed covers.

Between 1 % and 3% of the population suffer from night sweats brought about by age, drugs and menopause symptoms. In addition to this with summer temperatures increasing and build standards focusing on heat insulation homes are becoming increasingly difficult to keep cool in summer. This latter effect means that as many as 8% of the population suffer from sleepless nights due to heat, on more than 20 occasions per year. The use of memory foam and similar products has also meant that many beds are in fact acting as heat stores, making them hotter when the body needs a cooler temperature to maintain sleep.

Current solutions drop into three categories fans, cooling pads and sheets and clothing. I will focus on the fan sector as the primary alternative to the present invention system. The fans are one of three types: ceiling, pedestal and air conditioning units. All three deal with the problem of overheating by moving or cooling air throughout the room. The ceiling fan pushes from high in the room (generally warmer) down onto the person, in order for a full cooling effect to be achieved the fan has to generally operate at higher speeds and the person's skin needs to be exposed. Similarly the pedestal fan requires high speed and skin exposure to achieve cooling. This high speed creates noise and turbulence within the room making sleep difficult. The air conditioning system is expensive and requires installing and can be very costly to run.

The system of the present invention takes air at floor level (generally cooler) and creates a controlled air stream that flows directly into the space between the top and bottom bed covers cooling the person directly. As the air stream is focused the volume of air required is lower and the power to run the system is lower. The air distribution head can be rotated to increase flow to a specific site in the bed ensuring the only the air that is required to cool is delivered and energy and cost are reduced.

There are many fans available of different kinds but after 3 years of searching there are no low voltage fans available that deliver air in a controlled fashion to the sleeping area of the bed. I am not getting any younger and neither is the rest of the baby boomer population. One of the by-products of getting older is lack of good quality sleep and in many cases this is caused by being too hot in bed. The present invention provides a simple low cost, low energy solution that will bring relief to all sufferers. Current estimates are that between 1 % and 3% adults over the age of 44 suffer regular nights sweats, that's from 400,000 and 850,000 people who suffering without a solution in the UK alone.

Where air conditioning is available the issue is not as intrusive as you can cool the whole room. Northern European homes have neither the space for air conditioning system nor the type of construction that would allow for retrofit. Northern European homes are focused on retaining heat for energy economy. However the lack of available cooling impacts not only the older population who may suffer with night sweats but also all ages, as the condition also arises through certain drug treatments. On top of this on average there are 20 nights a year when the whole of the UK achieves night time temperatures that make sleep very difficult.

In terms of general design being compact is essential as most European bedrooms are small and hence any larger projection into a bedroom space would have limited appeal. Noise is another characteristic we had very much in mind and the maximum noise level from the fan is less than any pedestal or ceiling fan we could find in operation. Cost of operation also came into play and the use of a 12 volt fan means the fan draws less power and results in an operational cost of less than 2p per night.

Statement of invention

The present invention is a conditioner for mattress with a low voltage fan system for delivering cooler air into the space between the mattress and covers of a bed to assist in cooling the person(s) in the bed so the person will not overheat due to medical or environmental conditions and this will assist them to sleep better and longer.

Advantages

The present invention aims at improving sleep for those troubled with any kind of in bed overheating. The present invention is a low voltage fan based system used to deliver a controlled flow of lower temperature air from floor level in a bedroom to the sleeping space between the upper and lower bed covers.

Preferably, the power required to run the system of the present invention is lower. Preferably, the system of the present invention is focused on low cost operations with 24 hour a day operation costing no more than two pound.

Preferably, the present invention does not create noise and turbulence within the room making sleep very easy.

Preferably, the present invention is not expensive and not requires installing and very cheap to run.

Introduction to drawings

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: * figure 1 shows the main parts of the present invention. * figure 2 shows the main parts of the present invention. figure 3 shows the fan assembly from the outside after assembled. • figure 4 shows all the parts of the fan assembly from inside. figure 5 shows the air distribution head 6 after assembled; and • figure 6 shows the parts of the air distribution head from inside.

Detailed description

The present invention is a low voltage fan based system used to deliver a controlled flow of lower temperature air from floor level in a bedroom to the sleeping space between the upper and lower bed covers.

The present invention aims at improving sleep for those troubled with any kind of in bed overheating. The system of the present invention is focused on low cost operations with 24 hour a day operation costing no more than two pound.

The parts of the present invention 1- Power supply. 2- Fan Assembly. 2 A- Labels. 2 B- Outer housing. 2 C- Left hand master housing. 2 D- Right hand master housing. 2 E- Fan assembly base. 2 F- Blower fan. 2 G- Hose cuff (swivel). 2 H- Hose collar. 2 I- Power control sockets and board. 3- Hose. 4- On/off speed controller. 5- Hose and head bracket. 6- Air distribution head. 6 A- Bottom air distribution head. 6 B- Top air distribution head. 7- Bed.

The materials of the present invention

The housing is made of injection moulded plastic which encases the fan and retains the PCB connection for the power supply and speed controller. The housing also has a connection to the flexible extendable delivery hose which is in turn connected to the delivery nozzle and stabiliser which are also made of injection moulded plastic. The fan shell is electrolysis board, the Impeller is aluminium sheet. The motor is DC brushless external rotor motor and the rotor is electrolysis board. The wire is lead Wire: AWG#22 UL 1007 with insulation: Class A. The power supply plug and controller are being purchased separately.

How does the present invention work simply

The user places the unit at the foot of the best and connects to the power supply and places the controller at pillow height on the bed or side table. The delivery hose and nozzle are fed between the mattress cover and the top cover i.e. where the person will sleep. The unit is switched on and it draws air from ground level in the room and pushes it between the covers and cools the person. The speed of the air is controlled by the thumbwheel controller placed at pillow height on the bed or on the side table.

The system takes air at floor level and creates a controlled air stream that flows directly into the space between the top and bottom bed covers cooling the person directly and reducing the humidity levels in the sleep space. As the air stream is focused the volume of air required is lower and the power to run the system is lower. The air distribution head can be rotated to increase flow to a specific site in the bed ensuring only the air that is required to cool is delivered and energy and cost are reduced.

The use of a low voltage fan and controls means that a very low use of energy is needed to achieve outstanding results.

How does the present invention work in details

The general reason for a sleep space being too hot is the heat generated by the body has no means of escape. The temperature builds up as does the humidity within the sleep space. On tests we have seen unvented sleep spaces with two adults sleeping achieve temperatures of more than 88 degrees C. With the introduction of the present system we have been able to drop that temperature to 72 degrees C (the ideal sleep temperature) in less than 10 minutes, without disturbing the sleepers. The system delivers lower temperature air from outside the bed space into the sleep space, the space between the top and bottom covers. The flow of unheated cooler air across the body wicks away sweat thereby reducing the body temperature. We use a low voltage blower fan that delivers a broad spectrum of air movement from 8 cu ft per minute to 60 cu ft minute. Through testing and trial we have devised the perfect combination of fan and control to achieve the best effects.

The blower fan of the present invention has a high static head meaning that if a blockage to the airflow happens it will continue to blow and find a way of delivering the air. The controller is sensitive and unobtrusive, giving fingertip adjustment to the airflow.

The system is compact, and with the specially designed hose and air delivery heads the range of effects available, range from a gentle flow to a solid blast of cool air on the hotter summer nights.

Referring to Figure 1 the present invention mainly consists of power supply 1, fan Assembly 2, hose 3, on/off speed controller 4, hose and head bracket 5, air distribution head 6 and the bed 7.

The power supply 1 is to deliver a 240/12V and supplies a constant feed to the unit, the on/off and speed controller 4 supplies a variable resistance to the main housing which supplies of between 0 and 5v to the volt of the fan assembly varying speed and flow 2, the fan assembly 2 draws air at floor level through apertures in the left hand master housings 2C and right hand master housings 2D, the drawn air in then projected through the safety grill into the hose 3 and up into the air distribution head 6 then up to the bed 7 to cool it. The hose 3 is 2.5” Polypropylene stretched hose with steel wire, the steel wire gives the hose properties that allow it to be compressed in length for easy storage and help hold the hose in position when in use. The steel wire also gives the hose protection against damage when in use. There is a hose and head bracket 5 to hold the hose 3 and air distribution head 6.

The hose system 3 is semi rigid but with a high degree of flexibility. The semi rigid nature of the hose 3 means that it would be very difficult to crush and block air flow. It also allows the hose 3 to be positioned for the best possible flow of cooler air. The hose 3 is up to 1 meter long which means the fan assembly 2 and air distribution head 6 can be positioned on different sides of the bed 7 if space was an issue.

Referring to Figure 2 the main parts of the present invention that we will explain in details are fan assembly 2 and air distribution head 6.

Referring to Figure 3 this is the fan assembly 2 from the outside after assembled.

Referring to Figure 4 these are the parts of the fan assembly 2, the main component of the system is the low voltage blower fan 2F. The blower fan 2F draws air at floor level through apertures in the left hand master housings 2C and right hand master housings 2D. The drawn air in then projected through the safety grill into the hose 3 and up into the air distribution head 6. The left hand master housings 2C and right hand master housings 2D also align and fix the fan system 2 and house the power control sockets and board 2I. The power is delivered via a 240/12V transformer power supply 1 and supplies a constant feed to the unit via the power supply 1. The on/off and speed controller unit 4 supplies and variable resistance to the main housing PCB which supplies of between 0 and 5v to the Fan 2 via the controller connector of the the on/off and speed controller 4.

The main outer housing 2B covers all assembly points and also adds to the dampening of any noise produced by the blower fan 2F. The fan assembly base 2E gives the system a low profile platform which stabilizes the system but without presenting an obstruction to foot traffic in the bedroom. The apertures at the bottom of the left hand master housings 2C and right hand master housings 2D, allow maximum airflow with the minimum of noise. The positioning of the apertures also makes it almost impossible to block air flow into the system. On the outer housing.2B there are two labels 2Asticked on the right and left sides. After assemble the bottom of the left hand master housings 2C and right hand master housings 2D on the fan assembly base 2E there is a hose cuff (swivel) 2G to put in the left hand master housings 2C and right hand master housings 2D, and there is a hose collar 2H to put into the hose cuff (swivel) 2G then we will put the hose 3 in the hose collar 2H.

Referring to Figure 5 this is the air distribution head 6 after assembled Referring to Figure 6 these are the parts of the air distribution head 6, the parts of the air distribution head 6 consists of the bottom air distribution head 6A and top air distribution head 6B. After assemble the bottom air distribution head 6A and top air distribution head 6B we put the hose 3 in air distribution head 6 then put inside the bed.

The air distribution head 6 has been designed to allow maximum airflow with minimum turbulence and reducing noise. The air distribution head 6 has been angled up to project air on the upper cover of the bed 7 ensuring maximum flow across the sleep space. The hose 3 and Hose and head bracket 5 allows easy fixing and positioning of the hose 3 by means of a “C” clip and additional permanent strap. This prevents the hose 3 from moving when used in situations of limited access and during occupant movement throughout the night.

Claims

Claims

1- A conditioner for bed and mattress with a low voltage fan system for delivering cooler air into the space between the mattress and covers of a bed to assist in cooling the person(s) in the bed so the person will not overheat due to medical or environmental conditions and this will assist them to sleep better and longer and improving sleep for those troubled with any kind of in bed overheating.
2- A conditioner for bed and mattress according to claim 1, in which the conditioner is focused on low cost operations with 24 hour a day operation costing no more than two pence.
3- A conditioner for bed and mattress according to claim 1, in which the conditioner does not create noise and turbulence within the room making sleep very easy.
4- A conditioner for mattress according to claim 1, in which the conditioner comprising: power supply, fan assembly, labels, outer housing, left hand master housing, right hand, master housing, fan assembly base, blower fan, hose cuff (swivel), hose collar, power control sockets and board, hose, on/off speed controller, hose and head bracket, air distribution head, bottom air distribution head and top air distribution head.
5- A conditioner for bed and mattress according to claim 1 and claim 4, in which the user places the unit at the foot of the best and connects to the power supply and places the controller at pillow height on the bed or side table, the delivery hose and nozzle are fed between the mattress cover and the top cover where the person will sleep, the unit is switched on and it draws air from ground level in the room and pushes it between the covers and cools the person, the speed of the air is controlled by the thumbwheel controller placed at pillow height on the bed or on the side table, the system takes air at floor level and creates a controlled air stream that flows directly into the space between the top and bottom bed covers cooling the person directly and reducing the humidity levels in the sleep space, as the air stream is focused the volume of air required is lower and the power to run the system is lower, the air distribution head can be rotated to increase flow to a specific site in the bed ensuring only the air that is required to cool is delivered and energy and cost are reduced.