Patent Publication Number: US-2010107334-A1

Title: Sleeping device with a heating or cooling apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a sleeping device for cooling and heating, and more specifically, to a movable sleeping device for cooling and heating which may save cooling and heating costs by locally cooling and heating a room. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Physical fatigue may be relieved during sleep and quality of sleep may be dependent on sleeping environments and conditions. A comfortable sleeping environment helps people to recover from fatigue. Especially temperature and moisture considerably affect the degree of fatigue recovery during sleep. Conventionally, auxiliary cooling and heating units have been used to adjust the temperature of room during sleep, such as cool air blowers, cooling fans, electric blankets, electric heaters, humidifiers, besides coolers and heaters operating in the room to provide a benign environment. And, a bed has been known, where warm air is drawn to the inside of the bed to allow for a local temperature adjustment and temperature may be differently adjusted with respect to each part of a human body. However, such a bed has a complicated configuration and radiates harmful electromagnetic wave, and therefore, deteriorates the quality of sleep. 
     In addition, cooling or heating units employing a way to circulate cold water or heated water for cooling or heating continue to circulate water along pipes installed in the mattress or inside the bed, and therefore, wastes may be accumulated in the pipes, which may cause malodor. 
     A Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-32206 discloses a heat-retaining bed which includes a heat-retaining bed comprising a heat-retaining cover having an air discharging hole and a central curtain 17, a receiving space for the heat-retaining cover between a body 2 and an inner body 3 that are arranged near one end of the heat-retaining bed, a guiding member arranged in an inner wall of a groove, a roller located at an end of a supporting member of the heat-retaining cover, a rotational supporting member located at one end of a left supporting member, and an extendable member located at each supporting member and shaped as the letter “X”. However, the heat-retaining bed has a disadvantage in that the body is integrally formed with the bed, so that the body alone may not be separated from the bed, and the bed occupies broad space, and this may be out of harmony with the room. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     The present invention has been designed to overcome the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sleeping device which may save costs for cooling and heating by locally cooling and heating a room. 
     The sleeping device may be also used even when a user sleeps on the floor as well as on the bed thanks to easy adjustment in height and convenient movement. 
     The sleeping device may be put aside in other places, with the heat-retaining cover folded, when not used. 
     Technical Solution 
     To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a sleeping device for cooling and heating including: a body having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment by a central partition, the body being opened at its front surface and its rear surface; a cooling unit mounted in the first compartment of the body; a heating unit mounted in the second compartment of the body; a leg supporting the body; a heat-retaining cover attached to an edge of a front surface of the body to reduce inflow and outflow of air; a supporter attached to the heat-retaining cover to support the heat-retaining cover; and a wheel attached to a lower end of the supporter and the leg to help the sleeping device to move. 
     The sleeping device for cooling and heating may further include a filter at the front surface and the rear surface of the body to purify air. 
     The sleeping device for cooling and heating may further include an air adjustment plate located at the front surface of the body, the air adjustment plate having a plurality of pores to adjust the amount of air coming out of the cooling unit and the heating unit; and an auxiliary plate adjusting a size of the pore provided in the air adjustment plate. 
     Each of the leg and the supporter may include a hollow supporting part contacting a floor, a height adjusting part inserted into the hollow supporting part, and a fixation member fixing the supporting part and the height adjusting part at a combination part of the supporting part and the height adjusting part. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     As described above, the sleeping device according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention may save cooling and heating costs by locally cooling and heating a room. 
     The sleeping device may be also used even when a user sleeps on the floor as well as on the bed thanks to easy adjustment in height and convenient movement. 
     The sleeping device may be put aside in other places, with the heat-retaining cover folded, when not used. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a sleeping device for cooling and heating according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a constructional view illustrating a body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a constructional view illustrating an air adjustment plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a constructional view illustrating a leg and a supporter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to like members. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a sleeping device for cooling and heating according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a constructional view illustrating a body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a constructional view illustrating an air adjustment plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5  is a constructional view illustrating a leg and a supporter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     The body  100  includes a first compartment  120  and a second compartment  130  separated from each other by a central partition  110 . A cooling unit  121  is mounted in the first compartment and a heating unit  131  is mounted in the second compartment. A heat-retaining cover  160  covers the front surface of the body  100  to reduce inflow and outflow of air. 
     A plurality of supporters  180  are attached to the heat-retaining cover  160  to maintain the shape of the heat-retaining cover. The supporter  180  is shaped as the letter n. The supporter  180  includes a hollow supporting part  181  and a supporter height adjusting part  182 . The supporter height adjusting part  182  has plural pores for height adjustment near a lower end thereof. The supporting part  181  has plural pores for height adjustment near an upper end thereof. The supporter height adjusting part  182  is inserted into the hollow supporting part  181 . The supporter  180  may further include a supporter fixation member  183  that is inserted into a hole of the supporter supporting part  181  and a hole of the supporter height adjusting part  182  overlapping each other to fix the supporter supporting part  181  and the supporter height adjusting part  182 . In addition, the supporter wheel  192  is attached to an end of the supporter supporting part  181 , which enables the heat-retaining cover  160  to be folded and unfolded as shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  depicts an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, where the heat-retaining cover  160  has been unfolded for sleep. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the heat-retaining cover  160  is attached to an edge of the front surface of the body  100 , which enables cold air or warm air generated by the cooling unit or heating unit to stay in the heat-retaining cover  160  for a long time, so that an optimum temperature for sleep may be maintained with reduced power consumption. In addition, the heat-retaining cover  160 , located opposite to the body  100 , may have an open portion as shown in  FIG. 2 , through which a user may put his head outside the heat-retaining cover  160  during sleep. Air circulation occurring in the heat-retaining cover  160  may prevent a sudden difference in temperature between the room and the inside of the heat-retaining cover  160 , and this may provide a better sleeping environment. 
     The body  100  further includes a leg  170  for supporting the body  100 . The leg  170  is composed of a hollow leg supporting part  171 , a hollow leg height adjusting part  172 , and a leg fixation member  173  similarly to the supporter  180  shown in  FIG. 5 . The hollow leg supporting part  171  have an upper part and a lower part. The upper part has several pores. A wheel body  191  is attached to the lower part. The hollow leg height adjusting part  172  has several pores at its lower part. The leg fixation member  173  is inserted into a pore of the leg supporter  171  and a pore of the leg height adjusting part  172  overlapping each other to fix the leg supporter  171  and the leg height adjusting part  172 . By doing so, the height of the leg  170  may be adjusted. The wheel  190  attached to the supporter  180  and the leg  170  permits the body  100  to be moved. Therefore, the sleeping device may be put aside in other places when not used. Furthermore, since the height of the leg  170  and the supporter  180  may be adjusted, the sleeping device may be used even when the user sleeps not on the bed but on the floor. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the body  100  may further include filters  140  at its front and rear surfaces to purify air. The filter  140  includes a front filter  141  and a rear filter  142 . The front filter  141  is located at the front surface of the body  100  to purify cooled or heated air flowing in the heat-retaining cover  160 . The rear filter  142  is located at the rear surface of the body  100  to purify air flowing in the cooling unit  121  and the heating unit  131 . Therefore, the rear filter  142  may enhance the durability of the cooling unit  121  and the heating unit  131  as well as purify air in the room. 
     An air adjustment plate  150  is placed before the front surface of the body  100 . The air adjustment plate  150  has several pores  151  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The air coming out of the cooling unit  121  and the heating unit  131  circulates while passing through the pores  151 , and therefore, there occurs a constant time interval between a point of time when the air comes out of the cooling unit  121  and the heating unit  131  and a point of time when the air reaches a user&#39;s skin. This plays a role in preventing the user&#39;s skin from being easily dried, and maintaining the temperature in the heat-retaining cover  160  constant. 
     The air adjusting plate  150  may further include an auxiliary plate  152  that adjusts the size of the pore  151 . If it is desired to swiftly adjust the temperature in the heat-retaining cover  160 , the auxiliary plate  152  may be kept open to increase the amount of flowing air. 
     The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description of the foregoing embodiments is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     SEQUENCE LISTING 
     sleeping device, body, cooling unit, heating unit