Abstract:
Airflow through a piece of furniture, such as a ventilated mattress of an infant sleep system, is conditioned. When applied to an infant sleep mattress, the conditioning improves the infant&#39;s sleep environment to promote the infant&#39;s health and/or enhance sleep. The conditioning can include the distribution of beneficial gases, vapor, heat, or other conditioning elements into the airflow. The conditioning can also include filtration of the airflow.

Description:
FIELD 
     The invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to ventilated furniture in which an airflow is produced through the furniture for the benefit of an individual sitting, standing, lying on or otherwise occupying the furniture. One preferred application of the invention is for a ventilated mattress used in infant bedding. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Accumulation of carbon dioxide in bedding is believed to be a cause or contributing factor in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Many efforts have been made to produce a mattress assembly which will prevent or reduce the occurrence of SIDS. Included among these approaches is the use of a ventilated mattress in which an airflow is created through the mattress to dissipate carbon dioxide accumulation adjacent the infant&#39;s nose and mouth. 
     It is believed that ventilated mattresses, as well as other ventilated furniture such as chairs, sofas, loveseats, etc., would have benefits for individuals other than infants, including bed-ridden individuals who often suffer from bed sores. 
     It would be advantageous to further enhance the beneficial properties of ventilated furniture, particularly a ventilated mattress for an infant sleep system. 
     SUMMARY 
     The provision of airflow through a piece of furniture affects the environment immediately adjacent the occupant(s) of the piece of furniture. Thus, the airflow provides an opportunity to alter the environmental conditions of the air space around the occupant(s) and provide a variety of benefits to the occupant(s). 
     In one specific application, the airflow through a ventilated mattress of an infant sleep system is conditioned, thereby improving the infant&#39;s sleep environment to promote the infant&#39;s health or enhance sleep. The conditioning can include the distribution of beneficial gases, vapor, heat, or other conditioning elements into the airflow before it flows to the infant. The conditioning can also include filtration of the airflow. 
     In one version of the invention, as claimed, a furniture piece comprises a base defining an interior space, and a cover disposed on the base and covering the interior space to form, along with the base, a plenum. The cover includes a plurality of apertures that place the plenum in flow communication with an exterior of the furniture piece. In addition, a fan is mounted on the base, with the fan being configured to draw air into the plenum and create an airflow from the plenum through the apertures of the cover. The furniture piece also includes means for conditioning the air that is drawn into the plenum by the fan, with the means for conditioning being disposed downstream of the fan. 
     In another aspect of the invention, as claimed, a mattress assembly comprises a base including a bottom and side walls, with the bottom and side walls defining an interior space. A cover is disposed on the base and covers the interior space to form, along with the base, a plenum. The cover includes a plurality of apertures that place the plenum in flow communication with an exterior of the mattress assembly. In addition, the invention includes a fan that is configured to force air into the plenum and create an airflow from the plenum through the apertures of the cover, and a filter for filtering the air forced by the fan into the plenum. 
     In another aspect as claimed, a mattress assembly comprises a base including a bottom and side walls, with the bottom and side walls defining an interior space. A cover is disposed on the base and covers the interior space to form, along with the base, a plenum. The cover includes a plurality of apertures that place the plenum in flow communication with an exterior of the mattress assembly. The invention also includes a fan mounted on the base, with the fan being configured to draw air into the base and into the plenum and create an airflow from the plenum through the apertures of the cover, and conditioning apparatus mounted on the base and disposed downstream of the fan for conditioning the air drawn into the base by the fan. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention as claimed, a mattress assembly comprises a base defining an interior space, and an apertured sleep surface is disposed on the base and covers the interior space to form, along with the base, a plenum. The apertured sleep surface is oriented generally in a plane and includes a plurality of apertures extending therethrough that place the plenum in flow communication with an exterior of the mattress. A fan is configured to force air into the plenum and create an airflow from the plenum through the apertures of the apertured sleep surface. Further, a filter layer is disposed adjacent the apertured sleep surface and is oriented in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the apertured sleep surface. 
     These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying description, in which there is described a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a mattress assembly in accordance with the principles of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view illustrating the manifold downstream of the fan. 
     FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, showing possible locations for the filter. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As used herein “furniture piece” is meant to encompass a mattress, a chair, a sofa, a loveseat and other types of furniture upon which an individual sits, stands, lays on or otherwise occupies. 
     It is contemplated by the inventor that the invention described herein is particularly useful with respect to infant bedding and the reduction of SIDS, and the invention will be specifically described with respect to infant bedding. However, it is also contemplated that the invention has other useful applications such as on adult bedding, as well as on other furniture items. 
     One specific implementation of a mattress assembly  10  according to the invention is illustrated in FIG.  1 . The mattress assembly  10  includes a base  12 , an inner spring  14 , an apertured cover  16 , bedding  18  and a bumper assembly  20 . 
     The base  12  includes a bottom wall  22  and side walls  24  extending upward from the bottom wall  22  and defining therewith an open space  26 . The inner spring  14  is designed to fit in the open space  26 , and the apertured cover  16  attaches to the base  12  and covers the interior space  26  to form, with the base  12 , a plenum  28  (see FIGS.  2  and  3 ). The apertured cover  16  forms a sleep surface upon which an infant or other individual(s) sleeps. The bedding  18  fits over the cover  16  and connects to the base  12 , and the bumper assembly  20  rests on the base  12 . As seen in FIGS. 1-3, the apertured cover  16  includes a plurality of apertures  30  thereby placing the interior space  26  and the plenum  28  in flow communication with the exterior of the mattress assembly  10 . A low voltage fan  32  is positioned in one of the side walls  24  of the base  12 , and has a child resistant switch  34  for operation thereof. 
     Further details of the base  12 , inner spring  14 , apertured cover  16 , bedding  18  and bumper  20  can be found in applicants co-pending application Ser. No. 08/782,249, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     The mattress assembly  10  further includes a filter  40  comprising a layer of a filter media disposed directly underneath the apertured cover  16 . In the preferred embodiment, the filter  40  rests on top of the inner spring  14  underneath the cover  16 . The filter layer is oriented generally in a plane that is generally parallel to the plane of the cover  16 , whereby the air blown upwardly through the cover  16  by the fan  32  is filtered by the filter  40  before the air exits the apertures  30  and reaches the infant or other individual on the mattress assembly  10 . The filter  40  is preferably an electrostatic filter media of a type that is well known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,344,776 and 5,846,308, amongst others, describe electrostatic filter media. 
     Filtering the air removes aeroallergens such as pollen, dust, dust mites, tobacco smoke, mold spores, bacteria, and other air-borne particles, thereby conditioning the air before it reaches the individual and improving the sleep environment which provides health benefits and enhances sleep. In addition to conditioning the air, the filter  40  is believed to provide sound dampening of fan noise and noise created by the inner spring  14 . 
     It is contemplated that the mattress assembly  10  could be used without the bumper assembly  20 . However, particularly beneficial results are obtained when the bumper assembly  20  and filter  40  are used together. In particular, Applicant has discovered that the presence of the bumper assembly  20  improves the filtration efficiency of the filter  40  dramatically, compared to when no bumper assembly is present. For instance, the average filtration efficiency when no bumper is present was found to be approximately 83.4%. With the bumper assembly  20  in place, the average filtration efficiency was found to be approximately 98.7%. 
     The filter  40  is illustrated as being disposed underneath the cover  16 . However, it is also contemplated that the filter  40  could be disposed on top of the cover  16  and underneath the bedding  18 . Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 4, filter media  42  could be disposed over the fan inlet or outlet, either in addition to, or more preferably in place of, the filter  40 . However, placing the filter  40  either below or above the cover  16  is the preferred location, and depending upon the density of the filter media used, would not seriously impact the airflow rate from or through the cover  16 . 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate an alternate means for conditioning the airflow, that can be used either separately from, or in combination with, the filter  40 . As illustrated, a manifold  44  is secured within the base  12  downstream from the fan  32  in the fan&#39;s outlet. A supply pipe  46  runs from the manifold  44  to one of the side walls  24 , and connects to a fitting  48  disposed on the exterior of the side wall  24 . The fitting  48  permits connection with an external supply hose or the like in order to supply conditioning media to the manifold  44 . 
     The conditioning media supplied to the manifold  44  through the supply hose, the fitting  48  and the supply pipe  46  includes oxygen and other beneficial gases, medications in vapor form, humidity, heat, scents such as eucalyptus and the like, and other conditioning media. A suitable control mechanism, such as a valve, will be provided on the supply hose or at the supply of condition media in order to control the supply of conditioning media. 
     By placing the manifold  44  downstream of the fan  32 , the turbulent airflow from the fan  32  is used to uniformly distribute the conditioning media throughout the plenum  28  before it flows through the cover  16  and to the individual and the environment above the cover  16 . As illustrated in FIG. 2, the manifold  44  includes a plurality of generally vertical pipes  50  and a horizontal pipe  52  interconnecting the pipes  50 . The manifold  44  is disposed over a relatively large area of the fan&#39;s outlet so that the conditioning media exiting the manifold  44  is entrained in a large portion of the airflow. 
     The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.