Abstract:
A bed covering or blanket apparatus for accepting and distributing a pressurized flow of conditioned air into a zone around the body of a bed occupant. The apparatus includes an upper layer and lower layer of differing air permeability, joined to form a flow cavity between them for the pressurized air. A plurality of joining methods between the upper and lower layer is provided within the flow area to prevent the blanket from ballooning under the pressurized airflow. The bed covering or blanket apparatus contains means to cover an entire bed while directing pressurized conditioned air to specific zones of the bed. There is connection of two independent supplies of conditioned air into a single top layer of bedding under which multiple bed occupants sleep, to evenly distribute such independent supplies into specific dual zone areas. The apparatus achieves its function by utilizing materials that are ordinarily used in existing bed linens and comforters.

Description:
REFERENCE TO COPENDING PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 14/276,162 that was filed May 13, 2014. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a blanket apparatus for distribution of a flow of pressurized conditioned air into a zone around the body of a bed occupant. More specifically, the invention relates to an engineered layer of bedding that connects to a supply of pressurized conditioned air that evenly distributes such conditioned air to a single specific zone of the bed. The invention additionally contemplates connection of two independent supplies of conditioned air into the single layer of engineered bedding to evenly distribute such independent supplies into specific dual zone areas about the multiple bed occupants, thus providing independently conditioned zones within the bed for each occupant. The invention further avoids the feeling of foreign and unnatural apparatus in the bed to the occupants by providing for a bedding texture against the skin of ordinary cotton linens and comforters. 
         [0003]    The body of the average person releases a substantial amount of heat through skin loss and moisture due to perspiration to the surrounding air. The usual practice of covering the body during sleeping has the effect of insulating the body from the surrounding room air and thereby holds such released heat and moisture in the air about the body. 
         [0004]    In cold weather when the room temperature may be below 70 F. heavy covering is frequently employed so as to minimize the exchange of air about the body with the surrounding room air and thus has the effect of increasing the air temperature and humidity about the body. In such instances a person will often throw off the covering while asleep, which will then result in chilling. 
         [0005]    In warm weather when the room temperature is above 70 F., a lighter covering is usually employed but the moisture which results from perspiration is still retained about the body by the insulating covering, causing personal discomfort and results in poor rest. 
         [0006]    The obese and the bedridden are particularly troubled by these conditions of the air environment about the body. Many home and hospital patients have body temperature conditions which ideally require controlled surrounding air and humidity conditions within the bed environment. 
         [0007]    Room air conditioners which have heretofore been provided for regulating the room air temperature and humidity conditions have the disadvantages of handling large volumes of air, requiring special electrical power, and are relatively expensive for installation, operation and maintenance costs. Even with room air conditioners, the person usually employs some form of covering which insulates the body from the surrounding air so there remains no suitable means of exchanging the air between the body and the covering of the occupant&#39;s bed. 
         [0008]    There are a many causes of the various known sleep disorders. Of these causes the physical comfort of the person attempting to sleep or rest is paramount, for if a person&#39;s ambient surroundings are not conducive to their personal comfort, sleep can become extremely difficult to achieve, if at all. One factor in the person&#39;s environment that has a bearing on their ability to achieve sleep is the ambient temperature. If the temperature of the surroundings of a person is either too hot or too cold, restful sleep may be impossible. Of particular concern is the case where the surroundings are too hot, because in such cases the body&#39;s ability to control its internal temperature may be effected to the point where the body begins to sweat, and it is nearly impossible to achieve restful sleep while sweating. Thus, maintaining the ambient temperature at a level which is conducive to sleep is a key to enabling a person to sleep. 
         [0009]    Means for controlling the ambient temperature in a person&#39;s surroundings are known to include the provision of “air conditioning” in which an air conditioner utilizing the principles of Joule-Thomson cooling is employed to extract heat from a volume of air, such as a bedroom. While air conditioners are highly effective at coarsely controlling the temperature in a room, the customary preference for persons to sleep beneath one or more bed sheets, covers, blankets, etc., coupled with the body&#39;s tendency to liberate heat during its normal operation translates to the well-known situation in which the person resting beneath the sheets cannot get comfortable because they are too hot, which is compounded by the proposition that if they remove the covers or sheets from themselves then they become too cold. 
         [0010]    Owing to variance between selected individual human subjects&#39; metabolism, genetics, etc. the method used in the fine tuning control of one&#39;s body temperature becomes a matter of personal taste or preference, and many individuals have typically been observed to develop their own personal habits of effecting such fine tuning, such as sleeping with more or less clothing, permitting part of the body to be exposed to the open air, etc. It is a common observation that two individuals sharing a bed may have widely different requirements of hot and cold within the ambient air of the bedding for comfortable sleep. 
         [0011]    In spite of these efforts, however, perfect control of the temperature of ambient surroundings of persons in a bed desiring to sleep has been fleeting, with particular difficulty for partners who share a bed with different sleep temperature preferences. This fact is evidenced by the myriad of schemes and contrivances provided by workers in the prior art for effecting thermal control over a bed or region in which a person normally rests for sleep utilizing a pressurized flow of air, the following few of which are exemplary, and are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
         [0012]    While there are conventional devices and methods that achieve to a greater or less extent their desired objectives, they are nevertheless lacking features which have heretofore prevented their widespread adoption by large numbers of people. They fail to provide a bedding apparatus that can evenly distribute a pressurized flow of air through a bed into both one or two independent zones, while not causing ballooning of bedding due to flow of air. Moreover, there are conventional devices and methods that introduce either foreign textures or objects to the user in the bed, which is a highly undesirable feature. 
         [0013]    Thus, there exists a need for an improved system for distributing both warm and ventilated or cool conditioned air throughout a bed into one or two zones, while not introducing elements or textures to the users that were previously foreign to the bed, while also avoiding giving rise to a ballooning effect of the bedding while delivering the pressurized air. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The foregoing and other problems are overcome, and other advantages are realized, in accordance with the presently preferred embodiments of these teachings. 
         [0015]    One aspect of the invention provides a top bedding blanket assembly interconnected with an external apparatus which supplies a pressurized flow of conditioned air, such that the air can be evenly distributed within a zone of a bed and not provide the feeling of “rushing air” to the occupants. 
         [0016]    Another aspect is the provision of a top bedding blanket assembly accepting two independent flows of conditioned air from external apparatus for even distribution into two independent zones within the bed, thus accommodating two occupants&#39; different bed temperature preferences while simultaneously allowing a single top bedding blanket apparatus to cover both occupants without separation between the occupants. 
         [0017]    Yet another aspect of the invention is the provision of accepting both heated, ambient and cooled air as a means of establishing multiple zones of temperature within a bed 
         [0018]    Yet another aspect of the invention is to avoid introducing foreign textures or surfaces in contact with the bed occupants other than those that are already commonly used in existing residential bedding such as cotton, cotton blends, and synthetic microfiber materials. 
         [0019]    A further aspect of the invention is to allow for sufficiently pressurized airflow into the blanket apparatus to evenly distribute air without a large ballooning effect of the blanket or bedding 
         [0020]    In accordance with one embodiment of the invention is a lower layer sheet comprised of a cotton, cotton blend, or synthetic microfiber, or other similar material commonly used in residential bedding that has some permeability to air, that is joined to an upper layer sheet of similar material but of tighter weave with a lower natural permeability to air. The joining of the two layers, such as with thread stitches, thus creates an interior space for the flow of air. The upper layer is arranged in a major surface area contacting relation with the lower layer. The joining is preferably arranged in a substantially continuous closed path with allowance for an inlet port for pressurized conditioned air. The lower layer sheet and upper layer sheet are preferably joined by a plurality of joining methods within the air flow area that enables contiguous connection to the air flow stream while preventing ballooning of the blanket apparatus while under natural pressure from the flow of pressurized air. 
         [0021]    A differential in air permeability can be used advantageously to promote airflow to desired regions of bedding. For instance, layers that are joined together to form regions of lower air permeability and regions of higher air permeability can be sized to promote a desired effect to promote airflow, because the airflow tends to migrate toward the regions of higher air permeability and away from regions of lower air permeability. 
         [0022]    In accordance with the invention, therefore, it is preferable to have regions of bed covering that is further way from the foot of the bed (when the bed covering is laid upon a bed) to have higher air permeability than the region closer to the foot of the bed where air inlets are provided to allow for entry of forced air into the bed covering. One way to accomplish this result is to add a layer of woven material to the region of the bed covering that is closer to the foot of the bed that does not extent to the region of the bed covering that is closer to the head of the bed when the bed covering is laid out over a bed. Another way is to may the weave of the region closer to the head of the bed less tight or dense that the region closer to the foot of the bed. 
         [0023]    With respect to lower and upper layers of the bed covering (between which airflow is introduced), it is preferably to make the upper layer less air permeable than the lower so as to promote substantially more of the airflow to be directed toward the occupants who are beneath the lower layer in the bed. Doing so also has the added advantage of avoiding the need for an unsightly appearance from arising because of the presence of any holes, apertures or other venting means or textures in the lower and upper layers which would not normally be present in conventional bedding sheets or comforters. If both of the upper and lower layers are permeable to air, such a condition increases the occupants&#39; comfort to a more natural bedding experience during times when pressurized air is not supplied. 
         [0024]    In accordance with another embodiment of the invention another feature of the apparatus is a limited flow zone area, where the pressurized conditioned air is directed to only half or some portion of a bed, while the blanket apparatus still covers the entire bed area. As an another option, a dual zone flow area, is provided for which one flow area is sealed from the other and both have independent inlets for pressurized conditioned air, thus creating a two zone conditioning system for the bed. 
         [0025]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, multiple inlets in different locations are provided to accommodate different style beds. For example beds with footboards may not be easy to plug the air supply in at the foot of the bed. By providing for multiple locations for the inlet ports to accommodate different beds, the air supply may be plugged in from either of the sides or from the foot of the bed. The inlet ports are sealable if not used. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims. 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an exterior view of a blanket in accordance with an embodiment of the invention that distributes conditioned air into zones of a bed. 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an exterior view of an uninflated blanket in accordance with a dual zone embodiment of the invention that distributes conditioned air into zones of a bed. 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an interior view of an internal layer of the dual zone embodiment in accordance with the dual zone embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of an exterior view of a non-inflated blanket in accordance with a single zone embodiment of the invention that distributes conditioned air into zones of a bed. 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of an interior view of an internal layer of the single embodiment in accordance with the single zone embodiment of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a hose seal in an open position accordance with the invention to show snaps about an opening. 
           [0033]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a hose seal in the open position accordance with  FIG. 6  but turned in a manner to reveal an elastic band. 
           [0034]      FIG. 8  is an isometric view of a hose seal in a closed position in which the elastic seal and snaps are hidden from view. 
           [0035]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of the further blanket of  FIGS. 2 and 3  after inflation of the blanket. This seems like its  FIG. 9 , not  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is the air inlet/snap/elastic assembly 
           [0036]      FIGS. 10 and 11  show a blanket before and after inflation, respectively. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0037]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a pictorial illustration of a bed covering in accordance with the invention. There is an unsealed area  1  between upper and lower sheets where a pressurized airflow can be supplied by a hose or other means into the flow area. However, there is a sealed edge  4  between the upper and lower layer sheets. As a consequence of the sealed edge  4 , the sealed upper and lower sheets form a flow area  7 . A thermal layer may be sewn onto either of the upper and lower sheets to provide a greater thermal insulating characteristic to the bed covering than from just the upper and lower sheets. In so doing, the bed covering can be considered to be a blanket. 
         [0038]    There are plurality of thread stitches  2  between the upper and lower layer sheets allows open flow paths, but prevents a ballooning effect of the joined sheets from arising when under pressurized airflow. Such a ballooning effect is avoided in accordance with the construction of the bed covering or blanket in accordance with the invention because of the placement of the thread stitches  2  in a uniform manner in the central region of the bed covering or blanket. Instead of the thread stitches  2 , glue or mechanical fasteners or any form of joining means may be used to join together the upper and lower sheets. The thread stitches  2  may be tack stitches. 
         [0039]    An optional sealing line  3  between the upper and lower layers may be provided to further distinguish a smaller zone in the bed that will not need to be inflated. An additional optional sealing line  5  between the upper and lower layers may be provided to create an independent dual zone flow area. The sealing lines  3 ,  5  may be in the form of a sealing mechanism such as a conventional hook and loop fastener strip that fastens the hooks and loops to each other in a releasable manner, or ordinary thread stitching 
         [0040]    An additional unsealed area  6  between the upper and lower sheets may be provided for a second independent conditioned flow of air to support the dual zone airflow nature of the apparatus. The unsealed areas  1 ,  6  constitute ports or access areas for accommodating insertion of ends of air hoses that discharge pressurized conditioned air from a source into the flow area  7 . 
         [0041]    Turning to the dual zone embodiment of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the single zone embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the bed covering or blanket  10  has upper and lower sheet layers  11  with an interior (or middle) layer  12  between and optionally a thermal layer sewn to one of the upper or lower sheet layers  11  to provide a higher thermal insulating characteristic than is afforded just by the upper and lower sheet layers  11  and the interior layer  12 . The interior layer  12  is shorter than the upper and lower sheet layers  11  and may be sewn onto a bottom portion and topside of the lower one of the sheet layers  11  to form a double layer section. This double layer section serves to create two different zones of air permeability to force more air to exit towards the top of the sheet. The interior layer  12  is also preferably sewn to side and bottom sheet seams and may be anchored to a row of tack stitches  2  at the locations indicated in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . As an alternative and not shown in the drawings, the interior layer  12  could be sewn instead to the bottom portion and underside of the upper sheet layer  11 . 
         [0042]    The upper one of the sheet layers  11  is preferably a downproof sateen and and the lower one of the sheet layers  11  as well as the interior layer  12  are preferably of percale. The lower one of the sheet layers  11  are more air permeable than the upper one of the sheet layers  11 . The upper portion of the lower sheet layer is more air permeable than the lower portion of the lower sheet layer due to the double layer. As a result, blowing air into the flow area  7  between the upper and lower sheet layers  11  will result in most of the blown air permeating through upper regions of lower sheet layer  11  that are away from the lower regions where the interior layer  12  is present. 
         [0043]    There are two sealing lines  5 A,  5 B in  FIGS. 2 and 3  that extend centrally from an optional sealing line  3  to the bottom edge of the upper and lower sheets  11 . The sealing lines  3 ,  5 A,  5 B may be in the form of a stitching thread or a conventional hook and loop fastener strip that fastens the hooks and loops to each other in a releasable manner. Thus, one may convert the bed covering or blanket  10  of  FIGS. 2 and 3  having dual zones into one having a single zone in the manner of that of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , except there would still be the two openings  14 A,  14 B at the bottom as in  FIGS. 2 and 3  as opposed to just a single bottom opening  14  as in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0044]    Additional sealing lines  15 A,  15 B are provided that extend from the bottom edge of each of the side openings  13 A,  13 B in a direction inwardly and then turn to run adjacent to respective sides of the bottom openings  14 A,  14 B. In addition, there is an additional sealing line  15 C that run from the remaining sides of the bottom openings  14 A,  14 B inwardly and the across as shown. The purpose is to shrink the total flow area of the sheet system to only those areas of the bed where flow is desired. 
         [0045]    In the case of the bed covering or blanket  10  being for king size, there are five tack stitches per row on each side joining top and bottom layers, evenly spaced apart from each other starting at the center seam. In the case of the bed covering or blanket  10  being for a queen size, there are four tack stitches per row on each side instead of five. In the case of the bed covering or blanket  10  being for double size, there may be three track stitches per row on each side instead of four for the queen size and instead of five for the king size. 
         [0046]    Since the dual zone embodiment of  FIGS. 2 and 3  has dual zones, each of the zones is provided with its own set of side and bottom openings  13 A,  13 B, and  14 A,  14 B. Since the single zone embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5  has a single zone, there are side openings  13 A,  13 B, but only a single centrally located bottom opening  14 . Multiple inlet openings are provided into the same flow area to provide flexibility to the user to determine air inlet location most suitable to their bed setup or preference. 
         [0047]    The flow areas  7  throughout the bed covering or blanket  10  become inflated around the thread stitches  2 . Even though the bottom portion of the bed covering or blanket  10  lacks tack stitches  2 , the enhanced reduction in air permeability afforded by the interior layer  12  in effect causes the air to flow or migrate under pressure to the portion of exterior layer  11  that has greater air permeability. The net effect is to allow inlet of air from the lower portion of the bed covering where the feet would commonly be located, and to have much of this air bypassed to the area of the bed covering where the torso would be located. 
         [0048]    In the case of the single zone embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the number of tack stitches per row on each “side” is the same as for the dual zone embodiment of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , except there is an additional tack stitch provided at the center between the two “sides”, where arises the central divider space  15  for the dual zone embodiment of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Also, the sealing lines  15 A,  15 B each extend from respective areas adjacent the lower sides of the side openings  13 A,  13 B inwardly until turning to run adjacent respective sides of the single centrally located bottom opening  14 . The sealing lines  15 A,  15 B ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ) and the sealing line  15 C ( FIG. 2 ) may each in the form of common thread stitching 
         [0049]    The unsealed area  1  and  6  of  FIG. 1 , the side openings  13 A,  13 B of  FIGS. 2-5 , the bottom openings  14 A,  14 B of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the bottom opening  14  of 
         [0050]      FIGS. 4-5  each constitute an “access area” when open for the introduction of pressurized conditioned air via an air hose from a source of such pressurized conditioned air. The open position of the access area is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  and the closed position of the access area is shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0051]    That is, the “access area” is opened to form an opening  21  by unsnapping snaps  22  to gain access to the flow areas  7  of  FIGS. 1-5 . An air discharge end of an air hose may be inserted into the opening  21 . An elastic band  23 , which is secured to the bed covering or blanket about the periphery of the opening  21 , may be stretched about the hose to help retain and create a seal around the air hose in its inserted position for discharging air into the flow areas  7 . 
         [0052]    The opening  21  may be closed by snapping closed the snaps  22 . Once the snaps  22  are closed, the snaps  22  and the elastic band  23  act such that they cannot be seen exteriorly as depicted in  FIG. 8 . Instead, all that can be seen is a fold line  25  that forms from the blanket fabric as a result of the closed snaps. 
         [0053]    Indeed, the user is given a choice of using either a side opening ( 1 ,  6 ,  13 A,  13 B of  FIGS. 1-5  as applicable) or a bottom opening ( 14 ,  14 A,  14 B of  FIGS. 2-5  as applicable) for the air hose. The side or bottom openings that are not used for the air hose, therefore, may be closed by snapping closed the snaps  22 , thereby hiding the elastic band  23  and the snaps  22  from view in the manner of  FIG. 8 . This hidden opening appearance is strongly preferred for the multiple redundant access areas that may not be used. The result from inflation of the bed covering or blanket is shown in  FIG. 9 . As can appreciated, the location of the tack stitches  2  in a uniform manner prevents giving rise to a ballooning effect. 
         [0054]    Turning to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a simple sheet assembly with an interior air cavity is shown before and after its inflation, respectively. Indeed, the bed covering in  FIG. 11  could be even more “balloony” than shown. Unlike the embodiments of the invention, there are no uniformly spaced apart joining means, such as thread stitches, to join together the plurality of sheets that comprising the bed covering. The presence of the thread stitches  2  of  FIGS. 1-5 and 9  arranged in the uniform manner throughout the central region of the bed covering prevents the full ballooning effect of  FIG. 11  from arising. The absence of such thread stitches, as in the bed covering of  FIGS. 10 and 11 , enables the ballooning effect to arise upon inflation of the internal airflow cavity. In practice this ballooning could result in a vertical inflation of more than 18 inches, which is very undesirable. 
         [0055]    While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.