WO2020036784A1

WO2020036784A1 - High-temperature pest eradication enclosure

Info

Publication number: WO2020036784A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/045501
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gary Dean Ragner; Andrew T. HAYES
Original assignee: Ragner Cleanbed Tech, Ltd
Priority date: 2018-08-12
Filing date: 2019-08-07
Publication date: 2020-02-20

Abstract

A pest eradication system includes a thermal enclosure that receives and completely encapsulates an article of furniture, wherein the thermal enclosure provides an entry means through which the article of furniture is received, wherein closing the entry means seals the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure, a plurality of heating elements coupled to the thermal enclosure and arranged to heat a top and four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure, and a programmable module communicably coupled to the thermal enclosure to regulate operation of the plurality of heating elements. The programmable module is programmed to selectively operate the thermal enclosure to reach a thermal death point of at least one insect pest or a microorganism, and the thermal enclosure remains encapsulating the article of furniture while the article of furniture is used for an intended purpose of the article of furniture.

Description

HIGH-TEMPERATURE PEST ERADICATION ENCLOSURE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/717,834, filed on Aug. 12, 2018, titled:“HIGH-TEMPERATURE PEST ERADICATION MATTRESS ENCLOSURE,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, including any figures, tables, equations or drawings.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Bedbugs are incredibly difficult to control because they are capable of hiding in tiny cracks and crevices and, over time, have become increasingly resistant to common insecticides used for their control. Moreover, viable insecticides should not be used on common household items like clothes, furniture, bedding, and mattresses.

[0003] Heat is an effective killer of not just bedbugs, but also mold, bacteria, ticks, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, body lice, fleas and other insect pests, is non-toxic, and can kill all life stages including bedbug eggs. The thermal death point (the temperature and time at which a bedbug, tick, dust mite, scabies, cockroach, body lice, flea and other insect pests die) for most insects and their eggs is dependent on temperature and the amount of time exposed to elevated temperatures. Bedbugs, for example, will die if exposed to H3°F for 90 minutes or more, and they will die within 20 minutes if exposed to 1 l8°F. Bedbug eggs must be exposed to H8°F for 90 minutes to reach 100% mortality. Approximate example temperatures and times needed to kill other pests and organisms include:

[0004] Mold l40°F for 30 minutes

[0005] Ticks l40°F for 15 minutes

[0006] Bacteria l3 l°F for 15 minutes

[0007] Dust mites l22°F for 20 minutes

[0008] Cockroaches l20°F for 29 minutes

[0009] Scabies l20°F for 10 minutes

[0010] Bedbugs 1 l8°F for 20 minutes

[0011] Body lice 1 l6°F for 60 minutes

[0012] Fleas l05°F for 60 minutes [0013] The above temperatures and times can be considered examples of some of the many thermal death points for these pests.

[0014] Heat is commonly applied to kill bedbugs in the form of steam, hot dryers, and portable heat chambers. Larger heat chambers can be used to treat furniture, while professional heating systems can be used to treat entire rooms and structures. However, heat treatment of any kind is only temporary and bedbugs can re-infest the day after treatment, not to mention the cost, hardware and setup time. Still, heat treatment is one of the more effective tools in the fight against bedbugs, mold, bacteria, ticks, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, body lice, fleas and other insect pests and organisms.

[0015] Since bedbugs, mold, bacteria, ticks, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, body lice, fleas and other insect pests are difficult to access, and insecticides are not always available or function properly, homeowners and pest management professionals are continually searching for novel ways to kill such insect pests inside a structure, particularly those near human sleeping areas.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0016] The presently disclosed high-temperature pest eradication systems can be used for generating high-temperatures to kill insect pests and microorganisms, such as bedbugs, mold, bacteria, ticks, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, body lice, fleas and other pests and organisms in and on various articles of furniture and fabric items (e.g., a box spring, a mattress including bedding, a sofa, a couch, a futon, a chair, etc.). The disclosed high-temperature pest eradication systems include a thermal enclosure that is designed to completely cover (encapsulate) the fabric surfaces of the articles of furniture and remain on that article of furniture between heat treatments and while the article of furniture is being used for its intended purpose. For example, the intended purpose of a bed assembly is to be slept on, and the bed assembly may be used for its intended purpose while the presently disclosed high-temperature pest eradication systems are installed on one or both of the mattress and the box spring. Moreover, the intended purpose of a sofa, a couch, a futon, and a chair is to be sat on, and the couch, futon, and chair may be used for their intended purpose while the presently disclosed high-temperature pest eradication systems are installed thereon. As will be appreciated, this reduces the labor of constantly having to install and then remove the pest eradication system over and over again. [0017] As mentioned above, the thermal enclosure(s) of the presently disclosed high- temperature pest eradication systems is/are designed to completely cover (encapsulate) the fabric surfaces of the articles of furniture. In some embodiments, for example, the thermal enclosure(s) may be manufactured to closely conform to the shape and outward geometry of the particular article of furniture. In such embodiments, the thermal enclosure(s) may provide similar surface qualities to the article of furniture to enable the article of furniture to be used for its intended purpose while encapsulated within the thermal enclosure.

[0018] The heat from the presently disclosed pest eradication systems can be distributed through natural convection and conduction to heat various articles of furniture and thereby kill the aforementioned insect pests and microorganisms. To kill mold, for example, a temperature greater than l40°F for at least thirty minutes can be used. To kill ticks, a temperature greater than l40°F for at least fifteen minutes can be used. To kill bacteria, a temperature greater than l3 l°F for at least fifteen minutes can be used. To kill dust mites, a temperature greater than l22°F for at least fifteen minutes can be used. To kill scabies and cockroaches, a temperature greater than l20°F for at least thirty minutes can be used. Temperatures greater than l50°F can quickly kill nearly all insect pests (e.g., ticks, fleas, bedbugs, dust mites, etc.) and mold. At temperatures below H3°F, the effective time durations needed to kill many pests may be too long for the user’s patience. More rapid eradication of heat-tolerant pests (e.g., ticks and mold) can require temperatures above l40°F, but will die at lower temperatures if longer treatment times are used. As will be appreciated, as temperatures increase, the amount of time needed to kill certain pests decreases. If longer application times are used, l25°F can kill most ticks, fleas and bedbugs.

[0019] In some embodiments, the disclosed pest eradication systems may be employed to kill insect pests and microorganisms present on a bed assembly. In such embodiments, the pest eradication system can include a high-temperature, sealable thermal mattress enclosure along with an optional high-temperature, sealable thermal box spring enclosure, and an optional set of bedbug traps for the feet or legs of the bed being heat treated. Each of these three components can be used by themselves to reduce bedbugs and other pests in ones bed, but these systems used together produce a lethal combination to most insect pests. This combination can provide maximum protection for the person using the bed by first trapping any bedbugs and other pests within the thermal mattress enclosure and the thermal box spring enclosure, second by using heat to kill any bedbugs or other pests that get on the thermal mattress enclosure, thermal box spring enclosure, bed sheets and blankets, and third by using a set of bedbug traps placed under the legs of the bedframe to prevent new bedbugs from crawling onto the bed.

[0020] The thermal mattress enclosure can be placed over a mattress and zipped closed to seal and trap any pests inside the thermal mattress enclosure. The thermal box spring enclosure can similarly be zipped closed around the box spring to seal and trap pests and prevent re-infestation. Heating elements within both the thermal mattress enclosure and the thermal box spring enclosure are designed to work together to heat all surfaces of the mattress and at least the top and side surfaces of the box spring to a thermal death point temperature for bedbugs and other pests and microorganisms in a reasonably short period of time. In alternate embodiments, the heating elements on the underside (i.e., bottom surface) of the thermal mattress enclosure can instead be installed on the top surface of the thermal box spring enclosure to provide the same surface heating as disclosed in Fig. 1.

[0021] The pest eradication system may be automated. The disclosed pest eradication systems can have a timer that automatically turns off heat after a predetermined period of time. Standard blankets and comforters can be used to insulate and otherwise hold in the heat for eradicating insect pests and microorganisms for each of the disclosed pest eradication systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the present disclosure, and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and equivalents in form and function, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0023] Fig. 1 is an exploded schematic illustration of an example pest eradication system in combination with a prior art bed assembly.

[0024] Fig. 2A is a schematic illustration of a second example thermal mattress enclosure.

[0025] Fig. 2B is a schematic illustration of a second example thermal box spring enclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present disclosure is related to pest control and, more particularly, to a programmable pest eradication system that uses thermal exposure over predetermined time periods to eliminate bedbugs and other pests on an article of furniture, such as a mattress and/or a box spring.

[0027] Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an example pest eradication system 5, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the pest eradication system 5 works in combination with a conventional bed assembly that can comprise a bedframe 10, a box spring 12 and a mattress 14. In this example, the pest eradication system 5 is designed to substantially enclose the mattress 14 and/or the box spring 12, and provide high- temperature heat to all fabric surfaces of that article of furniture. In the illustrated embodiment, the pest eradication system 5 can comprise a thermal box spring enclosure 30 for fully enclosing (encapsulating) the box spring 12, a thermal mattress enclosure 20 for fully enclosing (encapsulating) the mattress 14 and a plurality of pest traps 15 placed under the legs 13B of the bedframe 10. This combination of three pest-fighting systems produces a highly effective pest eradication system for bedbugs and other pests that might find themselves in one’s bed or mattress. In some instances, where the mattress 14 is used by itself as a bed, only the thermal mattress enclosure 20 is needed for pest eradication.

[0028] While the pest eradication system 5 is described and depicted herein as configured to eradicate insect pests from conventional bed assemblies, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that similar concepts and systems can be used to provide fitted thermal enclosures that completely enclose other articles of furniture, such as a sofa, a couch, a futon, an upholstered chair and others.

[0029] The bedframe 10, box spring 12 and mattress 14 can be of standard design and may include a headboard and footboard, if desired. The bedframe 10 can comprise a bedframe body 13, four head-board/foot-board mounting brackets 13A for mounting the headboard and/or footboard, if needed, and four or more support legs 13B. The bedframe 10 and box spring 12 can be optional components, and either one can be used with the mattress 14 by itself, if desired. Accordingly, while Fig. 1 depicts the mattress 14 and box spring 12 on top of the bedframe 10, this is merely for illustrative purposes and should not be considered limiting to the scope of the present disclosure. The size of the mattress 14 and box spring 12 determine the size needed for the thermal mattress enclosure 20 and thermal box spring enclosure 30, respectively, so that these thermal enclosures fit properly around the mattress 14 and box spring 12, respectively. In some embodiments, for instance, the thermal mattress enclosure 20 and the thermal box spring enclosure 30 may be designed and otherwise manufactured to closely conform to the shape and outward geometry of the mattress 14 and the box spring 12, respectively. Moreover, the thermal mattress enclosure 20 and the thermal box spring enclosure 30 may provide similar surface qualities to the mattress 14 and the box spring 12, respectively, to enable the mattress 14 and the box spring 12 to be used for its intended purpose while encapsulated within the enclosures 20, 30.

[0030] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the pest traps 15 can be placed one under each foot (i.e., support leg 13B) of the bedframe 10 and comprise any of a number of prior art pest traps designed for this purpose. These pest traps 15 can help prevent re-infestation of the bed assembly with bedbugs and other pests by preventing insect pests from being able to crawl up the support legs 13B and onto the bed assembly.

[0031] The thermal mattress enclosure 20 (hereafter“thermal enclosure 20”) can comprise a programmable module 18, a zipper 21 (closure device) with one or more zipper tabs 21 A, a top cover 22 with one or more heating elements 22 A, a bottom cover 24 with one or more heating elements 24A, a wireless transmitter/receiver 23, a user interface 25, a control cord 26, a power connector 27, an adaptor 28 and a power source cord 29. The zipper 21 and zipper tab(s) 21A can be a standard prior art zipper that at least partially opens the thermal enclosure 20 to allow the mattress 14 to be slipped inside and zipped back up. In some embodiments, closing the zipper 21 will effectively seal the thermal enclosure 20 such that insect pests will be unable to enter or exit the thermal enclosure 20. As illustrated, zipper 21 can be used to nearly open the entire top cover 22 of the thermal enclosure 20 for allowing access to the mattress 14. In other embodiments, the zipper 21 may extend only a short distance from the right side of the thermal enclosure 20 and just open enough to allow the mattress 14 to slide into the thermal enclosure 20. Making the zipper 21 shorter can save on the costs of the zipper 21 by reducing the length of zipper material used. In some embodiments, the zipper 21 and other zippers disclosed herein, can be replaced with VELCRO® style hook and loop closure systems.

[0032] The top and bottom covers 22 and 24 respectively, can each comprise a flat sheet of fabric and/or polymer sheet bonded respectively to the one or more heating elements 22A and 24A. As illustrated, the top and bottom covers 22 and 24 can use a single heating element for each heating element 22A and 24A, respectively, for heating substantially the top, bottom and side surfaces of the mattress 14 to provide a thermal death point for all surfaces of the mattress 14. In alternate embodiments, the top and bottom covers 22 and 24 may have multiple heating elements (see Fig. 2A). In other embodiments top and bottom covers 22 and 24 may extend to the middle on all side surfaces to provide substantially identically shaped top and bottom covers which can be sewn together around the enclosure’s midpoint. In some embodiments, the heating elements 22A and/or 24A can be split into one or more left and right side heating elements to allow the user to select different comfort temperatures for left and right sides of the mattress 14. During a“kill mode” (high-temperature) both the left and right side heating elements can be set to reach the same thermal death point criteria for killing specific pests. In other embodiments, the side surfaces of thermal enclosure 20 can be heated by separate heating elements (i.e., different from top and bottom heating elements 22A and 24A, respectively) which only covers the side surfaces of the thermal enclosure 20 (e.g., heating elements 32A). In these embodiments, the zipper 21 can be sewn along the seam between the top and bottom covers, or between the top or bottom cover and a side cover, if used (see side cover 32).

[0033] The wireless transmitter/receiver 23 can allow remote operation of the thermal enclosure 20. The user interface 25 can allow the user to select different modes, such as, but not limited to comfort settings “Lo”, “Med”, “Hi” and various “Kill Pests” settings. In some embodiments, the control cord 26 can connect the user interface 25 to the thermal enclosure 20 and allow wired control of the heating elements 22A and 24A. The power connector 27 can plug into additional heating devices, such as, the thermal box spring enclosure 30 (hereafter“thermal enclosure 30”) and allow the programmable module 18, wireless transmitter/receiver 23 and user interface 25 to control electrical power to heating elements within the thermal enclosure 30. The adaptor 28 allows direct connection of the programmable module 18 to the thermal enclosure 20. In alternate embodiments, the programmable module 18 can communicate with the thermal enclosure 20 through the wireless transmitter/receiver 23. The power source cord 29 can be a standard electrical power cord that is sized for the particular wattage consumed by the thermal enclosure 20 plus any additional thermal systems (i.e., thermal enclosure 30) attached through the power connector 27. [0034] In alternative embodiments, the top and bottom covers 22 and 24 can be constructed with equivalent cross-shaped designs that are sewn at the comers to produce two box-shaped halves that can cover equal halves of the outer surface of the mattress 14. These two open box-shaped halves can be sewn together near a centerline of this alternative thermal enclosure, such that, these alternative top and bottom covers can be wired in substantially the same manner (i.e., heating elements 22A and 24A having substantially identical layouts within their alternative top or bottom cover). A portion of this sewn centerline can include an alternate zipper, similar to the zipper 21, to allow the insertion of the mattress 14 within this alternative thermal enclosure and then to allow the alternative thermal enclosure to be zipping it closed. Further, by placing the alternate zipper along the centerline, the alternate zipper can be sewn between the two open-box halves more easily than for zipper 21, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2A, because the alternate zipper will have less comers to be sewn around. The use of similar open box-shaped halves provides the advantage that only a single design can be used for both the top and bottom covers (i.e., in place of top and bottom covers 22 and 24).

[0035] In alternate embodiments, the programmable module 18 can comprise a simple mechanical timer that connects to the power source cord 29 and can simply turn on power to the heating elements 22A, 24A and/or other heating elements for a predetermined amount of time that is known to generate thermal death point temperatures and time periods in a mattress and/or box spring. The heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A can be designed to operate at the proper power level without additional controls. Prototype systems were made with a simple mechanical timer and operated at a power output of approximately ten watts per square foot provided by a plurality of prototype heating elements. The timer could be set for one hour, which allowed the prototype systems to easily reach the thermal death point temperatures and time periods needed to kill most insects, including bedbugs and their eggs. When the time period was increased to one and one-half hours, the prototype reached a thermal death point for every insect pest mentioned herein and reached temperatures of greater than 150F.

[0036] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the thermal enclosure 30 can comprise a zipper 31 with one or more zipper tabs 31 A, a side cover 32, a top cover 33, a bottom cover 34 and a power socket 37 for receiving the power connector 27. The zipper 31 and zipper tab(s) 31A can be a standard prior art zipper that opens the top cover 33 and allows a box spring to be slipped inside and zipped back up. In some embodiments, closing the zipper 31 will effectively seal the thermal enclosure 30 such that insect pests will be unable to enter or exit the thermal enclosure 30. As illustrated, the zipper 31 can be used to open nearly the entire top cover 33 of the thermal enclosure 30 for allowing access to the box spring 12. In other embodiments, the zipper 31 may extend only a short distance from the right-side of the thermal enclosure 30 and still allow the box spring 12 to slide through the opening on the right end of the thermal enclosure 30. This can save on the cost of zipper 31 by reducing the length of zipper material used. The side cover 32 can cover the sides of the box spring 12 during use and comprise one or more heating elements 32A to provide the heat needed to reach the thermal death points to kill bedbugs and other pests.

[0037] The top cover 33 can comprise a fabric and/or polymer sheet material depending on the user’s preference and can be quilted for aesthetic reasons. The bottom cover 34 is preferably made of a slick (smooth) polymer film material like polypropylene, vinyl, high- density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyester, etc. so that bugs tend to slip off of the bottom cover if they try to crawl on its underside to get away from heat generated by the heating elements 32A. In alternate embodiments, the bottom cover 34 can be a woven fabric sheet.

[0038] The power socket 37 comprises an electrical power socket designed to allow connection of the power connector 27 and provide electrical power to the heating elements 32A within the thermal enclosure 30 as needed. In some embodiments, the programmable module 18, wireless transmitter/receiver 23 and user interface 25 can be used to control the amount of electrical power transmitted through the power connector 27, the power socket 37 and to the heating elements 32A.

[0039] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the thermal enclosure 20 and thermal enclosure 30 may be sized and otherwise configured to enclose a particular sized mattress or box spring for use. In the illustrated embodiment, the thermal enclosure 20 may generally take the form of a fully enclosed mattress cover having a top, a bottom and four contiguous sides. The top and bottom covers 22 and 24, respectively, may be shaped to cover the top and bottom of the thermal enclosure 20, as well as the four contiguous sides, and be sized to be received over the exterior of the mattress 14 or box spring 12.

[0040] In some embodiments, the thermal enclosure 20 may incorporate an elastic material that holds it around the bottom of the mattress 14. In some embodiments, the top and bottom covers 22 and 24 may be comprised of an insulating fabric, a flexible insulation panel, an insulating polymer panel and/or other thermal insulating structure. As illustrated, the thermal enclosure 20 can heat all sides of the mattress 14. In contrast, the thermal enclosure 30, as illustrated has heating elements only on the sides which provide heating to the sides of the box spring 12 (i.e., within side cover 32). Thus, one combination of the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A is illustrated, which can heat all surfaces of the box spring 12 and mattress 14 except the bottom cover 34 of the box spring 12. This is efficient use of the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A, with the bottom cover 34 not being heated since many pests cannot hold onto the slick plastic material that the bottom cover 34 can be made from. Thus, as bedbugs try to escape the heat generated by the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A and try to crawl on the bottom cover 34 they slip off and onto the floor. However, if the pest traps 15 are used on all the legs 13B of the bedframe body 13, they cannot easily get back onto the mattress 14 and/or box spring 12. Thus, when the thermal enclosure 20 is combined with the thermal enclosure 30 and pest traps 15, the pests are either killed or trapped to eliminate them from the bed assembly. In alternate embodiments, the bottom cover 34 can also comprise a heating element similar to the heating elements 22A, 24A or 42A-B (see Fig. 2A).

[0041] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the thermal enclosure 20 may be capable of generating a thermal gradient sufficient to exterminate a variety of insect pests including, but not limited to, bedbugs (and their residual bedbug larva and eggs), ticks, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, body lice, fleas and other pests. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the thermal enclosure 20 may be used to kill various dangerous microorganisms, such as, but not limited to, mold and other fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and other microbes. To accomplish this, the thermal enclosure 20 includes the heating elements 22A and 24A and positioned on the top and bottom covers 22 and 24, respectively. In some embodiments, the heating elements 22A and 24A may be embedded within the material of the thermal enclosure 20. In some embodiments, however, the heating elements 22A and 24A may be positioned on the underside of the thermal enclosure 20 and otherwise in direct contact with all the outer surfaces of the mattress 14. In at least one embodiment, the thermal enclosure 20 may comprise one or more heating elements (e.g., heating element 22A) on a top only portion of the top cover 22, one or more heating elements (e.g., heating elements 24A) on a bottom only portion of the bottom cover 24 (underside only) and one or more side heating elements on the four side portions of the thermal enclosure 20. [0042] In other embodiments, the heating elements 22A may cover the top portion of the mattress 14 and all four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure 20 (i.e., no heating elements on the bottom). With such a five-heated surface construction, the underside (i.e., bottom) of the mattress 14 will not be heated. However, if two similar thermal enclosures (i.e., with only five heated surfaces) are used to cover both the box spring 12 and mattress 14, then similar surfaces are heated to the thermal death point as the pest eradication system 5 illustrated in Fig. 1. Similarly, if the top cover 33 of thermal enclosure 30 is covered with heating elements similar to the heating elements 22A (but covering only covering the top cover 33), then the resulting thermal box spring enclosure would have five heated surfaces (i.e., top and four sides). If a second thermal box spring enclosure (i.e. with five heated surfaces) were then used to also enclose the mattress 14, this could provide equivalent surface heating to the box spring 12 and mattress 14 as with the pest eradication system 5 illustrated in Fig. 1. These five heated surface thermal enclosures can be constructed in various ways, including using a single top cover that covers the top and four sides and contains heating elements throughout. The bottom cover, which might only cover the bottom surface of the thermal enclosure, can be unheated and sewn, glued or otherwise bonded to the edges of the single top cover.

[0043] In some embodiments, the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A may all be in electrical communication with the power source cord 29. In the illustrated embodiment, the power source cord 29 comprises a power cord capable of being plugged into a local power outlet to provide electrical power to the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A, and thereby energize and increase the temperature of the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A. In other embodiments, however, the power source cord 29 may instead be plugged into a localized (non-power grid) source of power, such as one or more rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries, one or more fuel cells, or a renewable energy source with associated capacitors, such as one or more solar panels that can be positioned to generate power from solar energy. In some embodiments, the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A can have approximately the same power output per square foot of surface area. In some embodiments, the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A can have different power output per square foot of surface area to provide specific user heating needs. For example, the heating elements 24A may dissipate a disproportionate amount of the energy supplied by the power source cord 29 so that natural convection can cause heat to rise through the mattress 14 more efficiently than if heat must penetrate downward from the top cover 22. [0044] The thermal enclosures 20 and 30 may be communicably coupled (either wired or wirelessly) to the programmable module 18, which is configured to regulate operation of the thermal enclosure 20 and/or 30. In some embodiments, for example, the thermal enclosure 20 may include the wireless transmitter/receiver 23 powered by the power source cord 29 and configured to wirelessly communicate with the programmable module 18. In such embodiments, suitable wireless protocols that may be employed include, but are not limited to, radio frequency (RF) transmission, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, near field communication (NFC), infrared, or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, however, the thermal enclosure 20 may communicate with the programmable module 18 via wired means, such as by plugging the adaptor 28 of the thermal enclosure 20 into a local network in communication with the programmable module 18 or directly into the programmable module 18 itself. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the thermal enclosure 20, with its programmable module 18, can communicate with the thermal enclosure 30 through the power connector 27 and the power socket 37.

[0045] The programmable module 18 may be programmed to selectively operate the thermal enclosure 20 and/or 30 to reach a thermal death point for insect pests and/or microorganisms, as defined herein. As used herein, the phrase“thermal death point” refers to the temperature and time constraints necessary to kill insect pests and/or microorganisms. The thermal death point for bedbugs and their eggs, for example, may require a temperature that meets or exceeds 1 l8°F and maintains the temperature at or above that temperature for at least 90 minutes, while other insect pest may require more or less temperature and/or time.

[0046] In operation, the thermal enclosure 20 and thermal enclosure 30 may enclose all surfaces of the mattress 14 and box spring 12, respectively. Once properly closed around the mattress 14 and box spring 12, operation of the thermal enclosures 20 and 30 may be triggered through communication with the programmable module 18. In some embodiments, for example, the programmable module 18 may allow a user to manually initiate operation of the thermal enclosures 20 and 30 as desired. In such embodiments, the programmable module 18 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) or another type of user input that enables the user to input a desired temperature and a desired time period for the thermal enclosures 20 and/or 30 to operate. In at least one embodiment, however, the programmable module 18 may simply include a“kill mode” option that can be selectively initiated by the user as desired. The“kill mode” may comprise an algorithm programmed into the programmable module 18 to operate the thermal enclosures 20 and/or 30 to achieve the thermal death point.

[0047] In other embodiments, the programmable module 18 may be programmed to autonomously operate the thermal enclosures 20 and/or 30 on a predetermined schedule or as needed. In such embodiments, for example, the programmable module 18 may be programmed to operate the thermal enclosures 20, 30 once a day, once a week, or once a month, but may be programmed to operate the thermal enclosures 20, 30 at intervals greater or less than once a day, once a week, or once a month, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0048] In at least one embodiment, the thermal enclosures 20 and/or 30 may be used in a hotel setting or a similar type of habitation accommodation business. In such embodiments, the programmable module 18 may be incorporated into or otherwise communicable with a hotel computer system. More specifically, the programmable module 18 may be programmed to communicate with the internal hotel booking or room management software and initiate operation of the thermal enclosures 20 and/or 30 at various predetermined times or when a particular room receives a status change. Example status changes include, but are not limited to, when the room is booked, when a guest checks out of the room, a predetermined time before guest check-in, after the room has been cleaned, when the room has not been booked for a predetermined time period, a predetermined time after any of the foregoing status changes, or any combination thereof.

[0049] In some embodiments, the programmable module 18 may be programmed to cease operation of the thermal enclosure 20 once a guest checks in and the room is assigned to be occupied. In some embodiments, a guest at the hotel may have the option of manually operating the thermal enclosures 20 and 30 when desired to provide peace of mind. The thermal enclosure 20 can comprise the user interface 25 connected wirelessly to the programmable module 18 and/or hard wired to the programmable module 18 through the control cord 26. The user interface 25 can be used to control the thermal enclosure 20 and the heating elements 22A and/or 24A to provide a desirable heating (significantly less than the thermal death point) for the guests sleeping preferences.

[0050] Apart from the operational characteristics of killing bedbugs, mold, ticks, bacteria, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, body lice, fleas and other pests, the thermal enclosure 20 may also operate as a general use heating mattress cover that may help enhance the performance (e.g., comfort) of the underlying mattress and heat the top of the mattress (and possibly a couple sides) as controlled by a user. Accordingly, the thermal enclosure 20 may be designed to be covered with traditional bedding materials, such as sheets and blankets. The thermal enclosure 20 is designed to remain on the mattress 14 when the other bedding materials are removed for laundering. Consequently, the thermal enclosure 20, as well as the other thermal enclosures disclosed herein, can remain in place while the mattress 14 is used for its intended purpose (e.g., sleeping on) for extended periods of time and be used multiple times without being removed from the mattress 14. Accordingly, in some cases, the thermal enclosure 20 may be characterized as a “permanent” fixture that is never removed from the mattress 14. Alternatively, the thermal enclosure 20, as well as the other thermal enclosures disclosed herein, may be removed periodically for washing. Similarly, the box spring thermal enclosure 30 can remain encapsulating the box spring 12 while the box spring 12 is used for its intended purpose even when the bedding materials are removed and laundered.

[0051] Fig. 2A shows a schematic illustration of a second example thermal mattress enclosure 40 (hereafter“thermal enclosure 40”) comprising the programmable module 18, the zipper 21 with zipper tab(s) 21 A, the wireless transmitter/receiver 23, the bottom cover 24 with heating element 24A, the user interface 25, a second user interface 25A, the control cord 26, the power connector 27, the adaptor 28, the power source cord 29, and a top cover portion 42 with a left heating element 42 A and a right heating element 42B.

[0052] The top cover portion 42 can comprise a fabric or other sheet material which may be sewn to the bottom cover 24 to form a rectangular enclosure when the zipper 21 is zipped closed. In some embodiments, the opening formed by the zipper 21 can be much smaller than illustrated and actually only needs to be large enough to allow the mattress 14 to be slipped inside of the thermal enclosure 40. As illustrated, the thermal enclosure 40 has the left and right heating elements 42A and 42B on its top surface, which can be controlled with user interfaces 25 and 25A, respectively. This allows individual users, when using one of the comfort settings, to control the temperature on their side of the bed with the user interfaces 25 and 25B. In some embodiments, the heating elements 42A and 42B can each comprise two or more heating elements depending on the design of the thermal mattress enclosure 40 and size of the mattress 14 for which it is designed. In the“kill mode”, all the heating elements 24A, 42A and 42B can be activated to provide a thermal death point for all surfaces of the mattress 14 and thermal enclosure 40.

[0053] Fig. 2B shows a schematic illustration of a second example thermal box spring enclosure 30A comprising the zipper 31 with its zipper tab(s) 31 A, the side cover 32 with its heating elements 32A and one or more pleat traps 35, the top cover 33, the bottom cover 34 and the power socket 37 for connecting the power connector 27. The thermal box spring enclosure 30A (hereafter“thermal enclosure 30A”) can be substantially the same as the thermal enclosure 30 with the pleat traps 35, which can comprise a simple fold of fabric or other soft structure that is inviting to bedbugs to live in (occupy). In other embodiments, the pleat traps 35 may be replaced with one or more pockets, pouches or flaps that are inviting to a bedbug or other insect pest. The pleat traps 35 can comprise pleats in the side cover 32 or additional fabric strips sewn onto the side cover 32 or may be a pleated piece of fabric attached to the side cover 32. The pleat traps 35 are designed to give bedbugs and other pests an attractive place to hide while remaining within the high-temperature“kill” areas produced by the heating elements 32A. Pests like bedbugs, for example, prefer small crevices to hide in, thus the pleat traps 35 can provide such crevices for the bedbugs to feel safe so they do not leave the mattress and box spring area of the bed and thus stay within the“kill zone.”

[0054] In alternate embodiments, the pleat traps 35 can comprise a fabric skirt that may be removable from the side cover 32 or the side portions of the thermal enclosure 20 or 40. In alternate embodiments, the pleat traps 35 can comprise a fabric skirt that is attached with VELCRO® to allow easy removal for washing.

[0055] In some embodiments, the thermal enclosure 40 can be combined with either thermal enclosure 30 (Fig. 1) or 30A, or a standard box spring enclosure (no heat). In each combination, the pest traps 15 (Fig. 1) can be added under the legs of the bed frame 10 (Fig. 1) to prevent re-infestation of the box spring 12 and mattress 14. These arrangements, without the thermal enclosure 30 or 30A (i.e,. without the high-temperature side heating elements 32A) will tend to be less effective than using the complete pest eradication system 5, but can still remove most pests through multiple uses over time.

[0056] The thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and 40 may be capable of generating a thermal gradient within the mattress 14 or box spring 12 sufficient to exterminate any of the insect pests and microorganisms mentioned herein, and nearly any other insect residing within or on the box spring 12 and/or mattress 14. To accomplish this, in at least one embodiment, the thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and/or 40 can heat various exterior surfaces of the mattress 14 and/or the top and sides of the box spring 12 above H8°F. In other embodiments, the thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and/or 40 can heat the exterior of the mattress 14 and/or the top and sides of the box spring 12 from l20°F to over l60°F. In order to reduce heat loss at the higher temperatures, one or more standard blankets and/or comforters can be placed over and around the thermal enclosure 20 or 40 and mattress 14. These standard blankets and/or comforters provide insulation to help retain the heat within the mattress 14 and box spring 12 making it easier to reach a lethal temperature over the entirety of the box spring 12, mattress 14 and any sheets and blankets laying against them. As mentioned above, apart from the operational characteristics of killing insect pests and microorganisms, the thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and 40 may also provide soothing warmth for someone resting on the bed.

[0057] In other embodiments, the thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and 40 can be reshaped to receive and conform to other articles of furniture, such as, sofas, couches, futons, upholstered chairs and others furnishings where pests can hide in fabric and/or crevices within the furniture. For some upholstered chairs, the reshaped thermal enclosure can include seals that fit snugly around the feet of the upholstery chair or provide structure that conforms aesthetically around the feet or legs of a piece of furniture so that the feet or legs of the article of furniture are exposed but the remainder of the article of furniture is completely enclosed within the reshaped thermal enclosure.

[0058] The pest eradication system 5 of Fig. 1 may be assembled as shown, with the box spring 12 arranged within the thermal enclosure 30 and then zipped closed with the zipper 31 and with the mattress 14 arranged within the thermal enclosure 20 and then zipped closed with the zipper 21. Each leg 13B of the bedframe 10 may rest in the middle of a corresponding pest trap 15. The power connector 27 may be plugged into the power socket 37 to provide power to the thermal enclosure 30. In alternate embodiments, the power source cord 29 may be attached to the thermal enclosure 30 instead of the thermal enclosure 20 so that power instead flows from the power socket 37 into the power connector 27 to power the thermal enclosure 20 (and also thermal enclosure 40). [0059] During use, a user might select a particular algorithm with the user interface 25, or through the wireless transmitter/receiver 23, for activating the heating elements 22A, 24A and/or 32A to raise the temperature of the box spring 12 and mattress 14 to a particular selected thermal death point of a particular pest. The programmable module 18 can be used to control the heating process to reach the particular selected thermal death point. In operation, the power output from the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A can vary greatly to achieve the desired temperature for the selected thermal death point. The use of insulation (fabric comforters, blankets, etc.) to surround the thermal enclosure 20 and thermal enclosure 30 is critical to allow the enclosures 20, 30 to operate at lower power outputs. Without external insulation, very high power levels might be needed to heat the mattress 14 and box spring 12 to high thermal death point temperatures (e.g., l40°F for killing mold). In general, one or more heavy comforter and/or multiple blankets can be used to hold in heat and allow mattress covers, sheets and blankets placed on top of the thermal enclosure 20 to also be heated to the selected thermal death point.

[0060] For proper operation, the thermal enclosures 20 and 30 should be completely covered with heavy comforters and/or blankets on the top surface of the bed and all vertical sides of the thermal enclosures 20 and 30. In general, the underside (i.e., bottom) of the box spring 12 does not need to be thermally covered since that surface is designed to be slick and not to support bedbugs and other crawling creatures. If the mattress 14 and thermal enclosure 20 or 40 are being used alone (i.e., no box spring 12 or bed frame 10), then the heavy comforters and/or blankets need to cover all exposed surfaces of the thermal enclosure 30 (i.e., top and four sides). The edges of the heavy comforters and/or blankets can rest against the floor or be tucked in under the mattress 14 to hold in heat. The floor can act as an insulating layer for the bottom portion of the thermal enclosure since most household floors comprise multiple layers of insulating material (i.e., wood, carpet, concrete, etc.).

[0061] In experiments, power outputs of about 10 watts per square foot (W/ft²) were used in a heating element structure similar to the thermal enclosure 20. This ten watts per square foot was sufficient to heat not only the mattress, but also a mattress cover, a fitted sheet, a regular sheet and a blanket placed over the heating element structure, to a temperature of over l50°F when insulating the heating element structure with a siliconized hollow polyester fiber filled comforter with a fabric weight of 250 GSM (grams per square meter). This l50°F temperature is more than enough to kill nearly every insect pest known to mankind in the mattress cover, the fitted sheet, the regular sheet, the blanket and the inside surface of the 250 GSM comforter. With additional insulation (extra blankets and/or comforters added on the top and sides of the thermal enclosures 20 and 30) the power requirements can be further reduced, and during tests, power output as low as 6 W/ft² was still able to achieve temperatures over l40°F in multiple layers of the mattress cover, sheets and blankets under a double layer of external comforters. Thus, during operation, one or two layers of comforters and/or blankets can be used to surround pest eradication system 5 (i.e., thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and 40) and help retain heat to reduce the power requirements and ensure that pests are eradicated. In some embodiments, custom comforters can be used that are designed to surround the top and sides of pest eradication system 5. In other embodiments, multiple blankets and comforters typically found in a home can be used to reach these high thermal death point temperatures.

[0062] In one example use of the pest eradication system 5, the thermal enclosure 20 may be installed over the mattress 14 so that both the top, bottom and sides of the mattress 14 can be substantially covered by the thermal enclosure 20. The power source cord 29 can be plugged into an electrical wall socket to provide electrical power for the pest eradication system 5. Sheets, blankets, comforters and/or other insulating materials may be placed over the thermal enclosure 20. The sheets, blankets, comforters and other insulating covers may provide insulation to trap heat within the mattress 14 and box spring 12. Power to the heating elements 22A and/or 24A can be activated through either the user interface 25, the programmable module 18 and/or the wireless transmitter/receiver 23.

[0063] Control systems within the programmable module 18 and/or user interface 25 can provide power from the power source cord 29 to the heating elements 22A and/or 24A. The wireless transmitter/receiver 23 may comprise a temperature sensor to alert the programmable module 18 when the desired “thermal death point” temperature is reached. Then the programmable module 18 and/or user interfaces 25 and 25 A can maintain the desired thermal death point temperature for a predetermined time period consistent with ensuring the eradication of bedbugs and their eggs on and within the box spring 12 and thermal enclosure 30 or 30A and the mattress 14 and thermal enclosure 20 or 40. After the predetermined time period is reached, the programmable module 18 and/or user interface 25 can turn off power to the heating elements 22A, 24A and/or 42A-B and the mattress 14 and box spring 12 are allowed to cool down before use. [0064] In some embodiments, the pest eradication system 5 may use the two user interfaces 25 and 25A, each with controls for their side of the thermal enclosure 40. The user interface 25 can be a master user controller for setting“kill mode” while also controlling the heating elements 42A on the left-side of the thermal enclosure 40 for personal comfort temperatures. Similarly, the second user interface 25A may have controls for only controlling the heating element 42B on the right-side of the thermal enclosure 40. In this way, two users can control their desired level of heat for their side of the thermal enclosure 40 for individual comfort.

[0065] The pleat traps 35 can be placed nearly anywhere on the exterior of the thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A or 40 to encourage pests, like bedbugs, to occlude themselves in the folded fabric of the pleat traps 35. Thus, in some embodiments the pleat traps 35 can be installed on the sides of the thermal enclosures 20, 30 and 40 and/or 30A as illustrated. Bedbugs and other pests can occlude themselves in the folds of fabric in the pleat traps 35, but when the pest eradication system 5 is activated in“kill mode”, the heat from the heating elements 22A, 24A and 32A literally cooks the pests to death. In some embodiments, where the pleat traps 35 are removably attached to the thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and 40 by VELCRO® or other detachable means (e.g., a zipper), the user can detach the pleat traps 35 and wash them without having to remove and wash the entire thermal enclosures (e.g., thermal enclosure 20, 30, 30A or 40).

[0066] From the above pest eradication system illustrations, it should be apparent to the reader that many variations exist for arranging heating elements within the thermal enclosures and also variations on the way their top, bottom and side covers are shaped and attached to each other. For example, the side portions of top and bottom covers 22 and 24 might be separated similar to the way the thermal enclosures 30 and 30A are constructed with a separate top cover 33, side cover 32 and bottom cover 34 that can be sewn together to form a rectangular box shaped enclosure (i.e., thermal enclosure 30). Similarly, the thermal enclosures 30 and 30A may be constructed with top and bottom covers that fold over similar to the top and bottom covers 22 and 24 respectively on the thermal enclosure 20. In other embodiments, a substantially identical construction can be used for both the top and bottom covers 22 and 24 to form the upper and lower half of the modified thermal enclosure, that would then be sewn together along the middle of the side portions of the thermal enclosure. Using this substantially identical construction for the top and bottom covers can save cost since their construction and assembly can be identical (i.e., the upper half of a box spring or mattress generally has the same size and shape as its lower half). This identical construction for the modified top and bottom covers can allow the same assembly line and construction materials to be used for both. In this substantially identical construction design, the zipper or other entry means can then be placed along the centerline of the side portions (i.e., along the seam between the modified top and bottom covers) to allow access to the box spring 12 or mattress 14.

[0067] Also, many different insulation means exist for thermally insulating the thermal enclosures 20, 30, 30A and 40 from the outside environment long enough to generate lethal temperatures under those insulating means. In practice, around one inch of insulation, whether comforters or blankets, can provide sufficient insulation to easily heat the exterior of the mattress 14 and box spring 12 to temperatures sufficient to kill bedbugs and other pests.

[0068] Computer hardware used to implement the various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, methods, and algorithms described herein can include a processor configured to execute one or more sequences of instructions, programming stances, or code stored on a non-transitory, computer-readable medium. The processor can be, for example, a general purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, a programmable logic device, a controller, a state machine, a gated logic, discrete hardware components, an artificial neural network, or any like suitable entity that can perform calculations or other manipulations of data. In some embodiments, computer hardware can further include elements such as, for example, a memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable read only memory (EPROM)), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMS, DVDs, or any other like suitable storage device or medium.

[0069] Executable sequences described herein can be implemented with one or more sequences of code contained in a memory. In some embodiments, such code can be read into the memory from another machine-readable medium. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the memory can cause a processor to perform the process steps described herein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement can also be employed to execute instruction sequences in the memory. In addition, hard-wired circuitry can be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement various embodiments described herein. Thus, the present embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and/or software.

[0070] As used herein, a machine-readable medium will refer to any medium that directly or indirectly provides instructions to a processor for execution. A machine-readable medium can take on many forms including, for example, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media can include, for example, optical and magnetic disks. Volatile media can include, for example, dynamic memory. Transmission media can include, for example, coaxial cables, wire, fiber optics, and wires that form a bus. Common forms of machine-readable media can include, for example, thumb drives, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, other like magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, other like optical media, punch cards, paper tapes and like physical media with patterned holes, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, and flash EPROM.

[0071] Embodiments disclosed herein include:

[0072] A. A pest eradication system that includes a thermal enclosure that receives and completely encapsulates an article of furniture, wherein the thermal enclosure provides an entry means through which the article of furniture is received and closing the entry means seals the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure, a plurality of heating elements coupled to the thermal enclosure and arranged to heat a top and four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure, and a programmable module communicably coupled to the thermal enclosure to regulate operation of the plurality of heating elements, wherein the programmable module is programmed to selectively operate the thermal enclosure to reach a thermal death point of at least one insect pest or a microorganism, and wherein the thermal enclosure closely conforms to a shape and geometry of the article of furniture and remains encapsulating the article of furniture to enable the article of furniture to be used for an intended purpose of the article of furniture.

[0073] B. A pest eradication system that includes a first thermal enclosure that receives a mattress and completely encapsulates the mattress, a first plurality of heating elements arranged throughout the first thermal enclosure to supply heat to all exterior surfaces of the mattress, a second thermal enclosure that receives a box spring and completely encapsulates the box spring, a second plurality of heating elements arranged throughout the second thermal enclosure to supply heat to some or all exterior surfaces of the box spring, and a programmable module in communication with the first and second thermal enclosures to regulate operation of the first and second pluralities of heating elements, wherein the programmable module is programmed to selectively operate the first and second thermal enclosures to reach a thermal death point of at least one insect pest or a microorganism, and wherein the first and second thermal enclosures closely conform to a shape and geometry of the mattress and the box spring, respectively, and remain encapsulating the mattress and the box spring while the mattress and the box spring are used for an intended purpose of the mattress and the box spring.

[0074] C. A method of eradicating insect pests and microorganisms from an article of furniture, the method including receiving the article of furniture within a thermal enclosure and completely encapsulating the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure, applying heat to the article of furniture with a plurality of heating elements coupled to a top surface and four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure, regulating operation of the plurality of heating elements with a programmable module communicably coupled to the thermal enclosure and thereby selectively operating the plurality of heating elements to reach a thermal death point for the insect pests and the microorganisms, and using the article of furniture for an intended purpose of the article of furniture while the article of furniture is encapsulated within the thermal enclosure.

[0075] Each of embodiments A, B, and C may have one or more of the following additional elements in any combination: Element 1 : wherein the article of furniture is selected from the group consisting of a mattress, a box spring, a sofa, a couch, a futon, an upholstered chair, and any combination thereof. Element 2: wherein the at least one insect pest or the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of bedbugs, ticks, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, lice, fleas bacteria, any larva or eggs of the foregoing, mold, and other fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoans, other microbes, and any combination thereof. Element 3 : further comprising one or more pleat traps arranged on one or more of the four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure. Element 4: wherein the entry means comprises at least one of a zipper and one or more hook and loop attachment strips. Element 5: wherein the plurality of heating elements are further arranged to heat a bottom surface of the thermal enclosure, whereby an entirety of the article of furniture is heated by the plurality of heating elements. Element 6: wherein the thermal enclosure provides a bottom cover made of a smooth polymer film material. Element 7: wherein one or more of the plurality of heating elements are embedded within a material of the thermal enclosure. Element 8: wherein the thermal enclosure further includes a wireless transmitter that communicates with the programmable module. Element 9: wherein the thermal enclosure is a first thermal enclosure and the pest eradication system further comprises a second thermal enclosure, wherein the programmable module regulates operation of the first and second thermal enclosures. Element 10: wherein the programmable module is programmed to autonomously operate the thermal enclosure on a predetermined schedule. Element 11 : wherein the programmable module is communicable with a hotel computer system and programmed to communicate with an internal hotel booking or room management software. Element 12: wherein the programmable module is programmed to cease operation of the plurality of heating elements when a hotel guest checks in and a hotel room is assigned to be occupied.

[0076] Element 13 : further comprising one or more pleat traps arranged on an exterior of one or both of the first and second thermal enclosures. Element 14: wherein the thermal enclosure further includes a wireless transmitter that communicates with the programmable module. Element 15: wherein the thermal enclosure defines a bottom cover made of a smooth polymer film material.

[0077] Element 16: further comprising installing insulating materials around the top and four sides of the thermal enclosure and thereby slowing heat loss from sufficient to reach the thermal death point. Element 17: wherein the article of furniture is a mattress and the insulating materials are selected from the group consisting of bed comforters, blankets, sheets, quilts, duvet covers, towels and other fabric items. Element 18: wherein receiving the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure comprises receiving the article of furniture into the thermal enclosure through an entry means, and sealing the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure by closing the entry means.

[0078] By way of nondimiting example, exemplary combinations applicable to A, B, and C include: Element 11 with Element 12; and Element 16 with Element 17.

[0079] Therefore, the disclosed systems and methods are well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative only, as the teachings of the present disclosure may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended by the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered, combined, or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. The systems and methods illustratively disclosed herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element that is not specifically disclosed herein and/or any optional element disclosed herein. While compositions and methods are described in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or“including” various components or steps, the compositions and methods can also“consist essentially of’ or“consist of’ the various components and steps. All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form,“from about a to about b,” or, equivalently,“from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently,“from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and range encompassed within the broader range of values. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles“a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the elements that it introduces. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent or other documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted.

[0080] As used herein, the phrase“at least one of’ preceding a series of items, with the terms“and” or“or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase“at least one of’ allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases“at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A pest eradication system, comprising:

a thermal enclosure that receives and completely encapsulates an article of furniture, wherein the thermal enclosure provides an entry means through which the article of furniture is received and closing the entry means seals the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure; a plurality of heating elements coupled to the thermal enclosure and arranged to heat a top and four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure; and

a programmable module communicably coupled to the thermal enclosure to regulate operation of the plurality of heating elements, wherein the programmable module is programmed to selectively operate the thermal enclosure to reach a thermal death point of at least one insect pest or a microorganism, and

wherein the thermal enclosure closely conforms to a shape and geometry of the article of furniture and remains encapsulating the article of furniture to enable the article of furniture to be used for an intended purpose of the article of furniture.

2. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the article of furniture is selected from the group consisting of a mattress, a box spring, a sofa, a couch, a futon, an upholstered chair, and any combination thereof.

3. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one insect pest or the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of bedbugs, ticks, dust mites, scabies, cockroaches, beetles, lice, fleas bacteria, any larva or eggs of the foregoing, mold, and other fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoans, other microbes, and any combination thereof.

4. The pest eradication system of claim 1, further comprising one or more pleat traps arranged on one or more of the four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure.

5. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the entry means comprises at least one of a zipper and one or more hook and loop attachment strips.

6. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of heating elements are further arranged to heat a bottom surface of the thermal enclosure, whereby an entirety of the article of furniture is heated by the plurality of heating elements.

7. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the thermal enclosure provides a bottom cover made of a smooth polymer film material.

8. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of heating elements are embedded within a material of the thermal enclosure.

9. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the thermal enclosure further includes a wireless transmitter that communicates with the programmable module.

10. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the thermal enclosure is a first thermal enclosure and the pest eradication system further comprises a second thermal enclosure, wherein the programmable module regulates operation of the first and second thermal enclosures.

11. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the programmable module is programmed to autonomously operate the thermal enclosure on a predetermined schedule.

12. The pest eradication system of claim 1, wherein the programmable module is communicable with a hotel computer system and programmed to communicate with an internal hotel booking or room management software.

13. The pest eradication system of claim 12, wherein the programmable module is programmed to cease operation of the plurality of heating elements when a hotel guest checks in and a hotel room is assigned to be occupied.

14. A pest eradication system, comprising:

a first thermal enclosure that receives a mattress and completely encapsulates the mattress;

a first plurality of heating elements arranged throughout the first thermal enclosure to supply heat to all exterior surfaces of the mattress; a second thermal enclosure that receives a box spring and completely encapsulates the box spring;

a second plurality of heating elements arranged throughout the second thermal enclosure to supply heat to some or all exterior surfaces of the box spring; and

a programmable module in communication with the first and second thermal enclosures to regulate operation of the first and second pluralities of heating elements,

wherein the programmable module is programmed to selectively operate the first and second thermal enclosures to reach a thermal death point of at least one insect pest or a microorganism, and

wherein the first and second thermal enclosures closely conform to a shape and geometry of the mattress and the box spring, respectively, and remain encapsulating the mattress and the box spring while the mattress and the box spring are used for an intended purpose of the mattress and the box spring.

15. The pest eradication system of claim 14, further comprising one or more pleat traps arranged on an exterior of one or both of the first and second thermal enclosures.

16. The pest eradication system of claim 14, wherein the thermal enclosure further includes a wireless transmitter that communicates with the programmable module.

17. The pest eradication system of claim 14, wherein the thermal enclosure defines a bottom cover made of a smooth polymer film material.

18. A method of eradicating insect pests and microorganisms from an article of furniture, comprising:

receiving the article of furniture within a thermal enclosure and completely encapsulating the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure;

applying heat to the article of furniture with a plurality of heating elements coupled to a top surface and four side surfaces of the thermal enclosure;

regulating operation of the plurality of heating elements with a programmable module communicably coupled to the thermal enclosure and thereby selectively operating the plurality of heating elements to reach a thermal death point for the insect pests and the microorganisms; and using the article of furniture for an intended purpose of the article of furniture while the article of furniture is encapsulated within the thermal enclosure.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising installing insulating materials around the top and four sides of the thermal enclosure and thereby slowing heat loss from sufficient to reach the thermal death point.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the article of furniture is a mattress and the insulating materials are selected from the group consisting of bed comforters, blankets, sheets, quilts, duvet covers, towels and other fabric items.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure comprises:

receiving the article of furniture into the thermal enclosure through an entry means; and sealing the article of furniture within the thermal enclosure by closing the entry means.