Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C21/00—Attachments for beds, e.g. sheet holders, bed-cover holders; Ventilating, cooling or heating means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses
  • A47C21/04—Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating
  • A47C21/048—Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating for heating
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C21/00—Attachments for beds, e.g. sheet holders, bed-cover holders; Ventilating, cooling or heating means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses
  • A47C21/04—Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating
  • A47C21/042—Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating for ventilating or cooling
  • A47C21/044—Devices for ventilating, cooling or heating for ventilating or cooling with active means, e.g. by using air blowers or liquid pumps
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C27/00—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas
  • A47C27/002—Mattress or cushion tickings or covers
  • A47C27/007—Mattress or cushion tickings or covers permeable to liquid or air in a special way
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C31/00—Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
  • A47C31/007—Anti-mite, anti-allergen or anti-bacterial means

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of controlling house dust mites in beds in accordance with the preamble of the independent method Claim, and bed mite controlling apparatus according to the preamble of the independent apparatus Claim.
• House dust mites thrive in the dwellings of warm-blooded animals.
• the mites live on epithelium, from human beings, among others.
• the mites therefore thrive and propagate best in bedding and in mattresses.
• the excretion from house dust mites is highly allergenic This allergen is one of the most common of the allergens, parallel with pollen and animal epithelium , to which human beings are subjected.
• the allergy frequency is directly associated with the amount of mites in the environment. Recent reports have shown that the occurrence of mites in dwellings in Sweden is increasing.
• the object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for controlling bed mites and therewith the production of antigenic substances.
• the invention is based on the realization that the growth of mites can be effectively prevented at humidities beneath about 7 g water per kilo air, which corresponds approximately to a 50% relative humidity at +21°C.
• Mites which are microscopic arachnids ⁇ have a life span of about twenty-one days. Mites thrive best in temperatures in the range of +25°C to
• the occurrence of mites in beds/bedding is reduced or eliminated by removing the primary survival conditions for mites, i.e. the moisture.
• This is achieved in accordance with the invention by passing through the lying surface of the bed/the mattress an air flow that has a moisture content of less than 7 g/kg, so as to take up moisture therefrom.
• the injection of air through the bed/mattress can be terminated when the humidity of the exhaust air from said bed/mattress is beneath 7 g/kg air.
• the moisture content of the lying surface can be measured directly with known methods, so as to obtain an indication that the air blown through the bed/mattress has removed the mite life supporting conditions.
• the air is conveniently blown in a direction normal to the lying surface of the mattress or pillow, for instance from without and inwards or from within and outwards.
• the bed, or bedstead may be fitted with an individual air blower for blowing air through the lying surface of the bed.
• This blower may conveniently be provided with an air filter.
• the blower may also serve several beds.
• the moisture content of the air will preferably be lowered before the air is blown through the mattress or pillows. This reduction in moisture content can be achieved in a conventional manner, by heating the supply air and/or by demoisturizing the supply air.
• a bed need not necessarily be provided with its own fan, since air can be caused to pass through the lying surface of the mattress/bed by connecting the mattress or pillows to a source of subpressure (a central vacuum cleaner) , or to a compressed air outlet (often provided in hospital wards) .
• a source of subpressure a central vacuum cleaner
• a compressed air outlet often provided in hospital wards
• blowing of air through the lying surface is controlled by a timer, so that the air will be blown through the lying surface during those times at which the bed is not used for sleeping purposes. This ensures that the person using the bed will not be disturbed by draughts, fan noise, etc., associated with mite control.
• This control of the air blown through said lying surface may also include a sensor which detects bed moisture content and activates the blower solely when the need arises.
• sensor means that detect the moisture level of the exhaust air and which cuts-off the air supply when the moisture content of the exhaust air falls beneath a predetermined value.
• the bed/mattress are permeable to air over the whole of their effective lying surface, and for this reason the outer bed covering comprises a generally air-permeable material so as to allow air to pass therethrough.
• the mattress may include an air distributing system, for instance an air distributing chamber or a distributing chamber system, so as to provide uniform distribution of through-passing air across the lying surface.
• the spring accommodating space can be used as an air distributing chamber.
• the uppermost layer of the mattress may be formed from foam that has open air-permeable cells, wherein an air distributing system, for instance a perforated hose, may be laid in a loop between the uppermost mattress layer and the mattress layer immediately therebeneath.
• an air distributing system for instance a perforated hose
• mites can be controlled by air injection or that mites can be controlled by blowing air through bedding surfaces that have come into contact with a person, such as to dry these surfaces to a moisture content at which mites are no longer able to survive.
• the known technique requires air to be blown through the mattress while the bed is occupied.
• Fig. 1 illustrates inventive apparatus comprising a blower device and a mattress served thereby schematically and from above.
• Fig. 2 is a schematic section view taken on the line II-II in Fig. 1.
• Fig. 3 is a schematic view corresponding to Fig. 2 and illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows from above a mattress 6 which has beneath its outer layer an air distribution conduit 7 having perforations 8 and being positioned to provide a generally uniform flow of air upwardly through the lying surface of the mattress.
• Air is supplied to the conduit 7 by means of an electric air pump 3.
• the supply air is first fed through an air filter 5 upstream of the pump 3.
• a sensor G2 is provided for sensing the humidity of the air leaving the air pump 3.
• G2 activates an air heater 4 when the air exiting from the pump 3 has a humidity that exceeds 7 g/kg, such that the air entering the conduit 7 will preferably have a humidity of essentially less than 7 g/kg air.
• the air passing through the outer layer 62 of the mattress 6 (for instance, a foamed plastic layer) shall be capable of drying the lying surface of said outer layer 62 to an extent at which mite survival conditions no longer exist.
• a moisture sensor GI may be arranged to sense the humidity in the outer layer 62.
• the sensor GI may be adapted to stop the air pump 3 and its associated devices (e.g. the heater 4) when the lying surface or outer surface of the mattress or bedding is sufficiently dry for the intended purpose.
• a timer 2 may be connected in the current supply circuit to the pump 3 and the heater 4, such as to activate the pump and heater during those times when the mattress 6 is not used as a bed, for instance during the day when the owner of the bed is at work. It will be understood that the invention does not necessarily require a specially constructed mattress/bed.
• an air distribution device that comprises two textile sheets 71, 72 for instance, having a size corresponding to the size of the bed sheets for instance, these textile sheets 71, 72 being joined mutually around a region that corresponds to the lying surface of the mattress/bed 6 so as to establish between the sheets 71, 72 an air distribution chamber 73 which is connected to an air supply conduit corresponding to the conduit 7 in Fig. 1.
• the desired air distribution and drying of said surfaces can be achieved by suitable selection of the air-permeability of the sheets 71, 72.
• An air distribution device may also be provided in a pillow, this device comprising, for instance, perforated conduits that are connected to an air pump (suction or pressure) similar to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
• Bed moisture is concentrated generally on the pillow and mattress, which thus need to be dried by blowing air through those surfaces thereof that come into contact with the person lying in the bed.
• the bed clothes such as duvet, blankets and the like may, of course, be dried in a corresponding manner, although when the air flow is directed vertically upwards, the exhaust flow from the mattress will also act on the undersurfaces of the bed clothes and therewith dry the bed clothes to a suitable extent.

Landscapes

• Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20400285

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1995
  • 1995-11-20 SE SE9504129A patent/SE510120C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1996
  • 1996-11-20 EP EP96940209A patent/EP0957727B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-11-20 AU AU77151/96A patent/AU7715196A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-11-20 DE DE69620039T patent/DE69620039D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-11-20 WO PCT/SE1996/001509 patent/WO1997018738A1/en active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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