Abstract:
An apparatus for conditioning a volume of air is provided. The apparatus includes a housing having an electric heating element; a high-pressure variable-speed centrifugal blower for providing constant velocity air flow. The apparatus also includes a controller adaptable to control the electric heating element and the high pressure variable speed blower to raise the temperature within the zone by substantially 15 degrees, or more, in substantially 7 minutes or less. The apparatus also includes an air output flange for disposition between the zone and an air duct disposed between the housing and the air output flange.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is related to, claims the earliest available effective filing date(s) from (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications; claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications), and incorporates by reference in its entirety all subject matter of the following listed application(s) (the “Related Applications”) to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith; the present application also claims the earliest available effective filing date(s) from, and also incorporates by reference in its entirety all subject matter of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Application(s) to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith:
   1. U.S. provisional patent application 61/966,042, entitled “Forced air thermal device for a bed with integrated wireless RF remote controls and optional wi-fi/Bluetooth controls”, naming Mark Darius Aramli as inventor, filed 6 Nov. 2013.   
 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    1. Field of Use 
         [0004]    This invention relates to an improved apparatus for regulating the temperature and humidity of the air about the body of a bed occupant. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for quickly adjusting the temperature and air circulation within a zone bounded by upper and lower bedding. 
         [0005]    2. Description of Prior Art (Background) 
         [0006]    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. 
         [0007]    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. 
         [0008]    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. 
         [0009]    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. 
         [0010]    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. 
         [0011]    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. 
         [0012]    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. 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. In spite of these efforts, however, perfect control of the temperature of ambient surroundings of persons desiring to sleep has been fleeting. 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, the following few of which are exemplary, and are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 1,142,876 discloses a mattress having perforated conduits disposed along the edges of the mattress, and deflectors overhanging the perforations. There is a means for sucking air simultaneously through the perforations of all of the conduits. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,097,751 provides a mattress comprising a bedstead having: a) two bed posts; b) an air pump; c) a conduit leading from the air pump to the first of the bed posts; d) a manually operable valve in the conduit disposed adjacent to the first bed post; and e) a tube rotatably-journalled in the first two bed posts. The tube has a plurality of apertures disposed in a straight line, with one end of the tube being connected to the valve and the opposite end of the tube being closed by a plug carried in the second bed post. There is also provided a means for rotating the tube. Air is forced in jets through the apertures by the pressure generated by the pump and may be directed at any desired angle to the vertical. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,461,432 teaches an air conditioning device for beds having a bedstead, a mattress supported on the bedstead and constructed with inlet and outlet ports and passages through the interior of the mattress connecting the ports. The invention includes a wall means surrounding the mattress above the top surface thereof. There is also a passage means from above the top of the mattress to the inlet, and a means for circulating air through the mattress passages by way of the inlet port, the passages, and the outlet port into the wall surrounded space, above the mattress, and then via the passage means back to the inlet port for recirculation through the mattress passages. There is also a means for causing a change in the temperature of the circulated air prior to its entry into the mattress passages. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,922 sets forth an apparatus for regulating the temperature and humidity about the body of a person in a bed by circulating air in a progressive flow around the person&#39;s body. The invention uses a double-chambered bellows having inlet and outlet provisions for each chamber. The device includes a thermostat-controlled refrigeration device. 
         [0017]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,182 describes a device for elevating clothing above a bed and warming the air beneath the clothing. The invention utilities two hollow tubular arms which are vertically mounted on a side of the bed, and at a flexible line over which the clothing is draped. There is a small blower having a heating unit disposed beneath the bed, whose discharge is directed into the bed through passages formed in the flexible line. 
         [0018]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,486 provides a portable apparatus for cooling a selected region, such as around a bed, the apparatus comprising a portable enclosure for encompassing the region and defining an opening at the upper part of the region, the enclosure comprising: i) a frame for extending around the periphery of the region; ii) a frame support means for supporting the frame at a predetermined elevation relative to the region; and iii) a flexible sheet material hanging from the frame for encompassing the region and for defining an opening at the upper part of the region. The frame is pivotally mounted to the frame support means, and the enclosure further includes a torsion spring on the frame support means, whereby the spring may be engaged with the frame for biasing the frame to a normal position generally parallel with the floor, but permitting pivoting of the frame from the normal position to facilitate ingress and egress. There is also a portable cooling assembly including (i) a movable support structure for being positioned on the floor adjacent the region and having an upper end for being positioned adjacent the opening, (ii) a heat exchanger mounted to the upper end of the support structure for being positioned at an elevation adjacent the opening over a portion of the region, and (iii) means for circulating coolant through the heat exchanger whereby ambient air is cooled by the heat exchanger and flows downwardly into the region. 
         [0019]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,688B2 claims an apparatus comprising a ventilating device together in combination with a bed and bed cover. The apparatus includes an injection molded base portion of single construction, an air conduit channel, and an inline fan, wherein the fan is disposed within the base portion so that air is discharged from the base portion in a substantially vertical direction and flows upwardly through the air conduit channel so that air is expelled out of an air outlet end portion of the air conduit channel and into a volume of air defined between the a surface of a mattress and a bed covering. 
         [0020]    While each of the prior art devices and methods achieve to a greater or less extent their desired objectives, they are nevertheless not without features which have heretofore prevented their widespread adoption by large numbers of people. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,688B2 claims simple inline fans for moving ambient air underneath a bed covering. However, U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,688B2 fails to teach an apparatus that can quickly adjust the temperature and air circulation within a zone bounded by upper and lower bedding. Moreover, typical simple inline fans cannot deliver pressurized air flow necessary to overcome the pressure exerted by common heavy bedding on the volume of air between the heavy bedding and the mattress without significant and undesirable noise. 
         [0021]    Thus, there exists a need for a system and method for quickly adjusting the temperature and air circulation within a zone bounded by upper and lower bedding 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0022]    The foregoing and other problems are overcome, and other advantages are realized, in accordance with the presently preferred embodiments of these teachings. 
         [0023]    In accordance with one embodiment of the invention a feature of the invention is the capability to raise the temperature of the bedding/sheets of a king or queen sized bed by 15 degrees F, or more, in less than 5 minutes. 
         [0024]    In accordance with another embodiment of the invention another feature of the invention is that it provides heating to more than 75% of the sleeping surface area of king or queen size bedding (including both lower and upper extremity of the user) with a just a very small (less than 8″) protrusion into the bottom of the bed of the air delivery outlet duct/flange. 
         [0025]    In accordance with the invention another feature is implementing a high pressure variable blower/fan that delivers between 30 to 100CFM of air flow at minimum 0.3″static pressure, and up to 1″ static pressure without stalling. The flow rate is variable by a user setting to accommodate for different bed sizes and bedding types. This very specific flow rate and static pressure has been determined to be a key element provide even heating to 75% of the bedding surface area of a king or queen size bed with just a small air outlet duct protrusion into the bottom of the bed. Using a very specific air flow rate and static pressure delivery range, a tenting effect of the top layer of bedding above the mattress is created, i.e., 75% or more of the top layer of bedding covering the mattress surface area is lifted from the mattress by several inches via a cushion or air. This cushion of air layer created in between the bedding and mattress enables a turbulent air from the blower to freely distribute the heat (or ambient temperature air) throughout the bedding surface area. 
         [0026]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention an apparatus for adjusting the temperature and air circulation within a zone bounded by upper and lower bedding is provided. The apparatus includes a housing having an electric heating element; a high-pressure variable-speed centrifugal blower for providing air flow. The high-pressure variable-speed centrifugal blower includes an air input port adaptable for drawing air from an air reservoir and an air output port. The apparatus further includes a remote selector selecting heated air or ambient air to be provided to the zone; a controller for controlling the electric heating element and the high-pressure variable-speed blower. The controller is adaptable to control the electric heating element and the high pressure variable speed blower to raise the temperature within the zone by substantially 15 degrees or more in substantially 7 minutes or less. The apparatus also includes an air output flange for disposition between the zone and an air duct disposed between the housing and the air output flange. 
         [0027]    The invention is also directed towards a system for conditioning a volume of air. The system includes a centrifugal blower motor for providing a first constant velocity air stream, wherein the centrifugal blower motor includes an air input port adaptable for drawing air from an air reservoir and an air output port. An air duct adaptable to being coupled to the centrifugal blower motor is matched to the first constant velocity air stream to minimize flow noise. The system also includes an air output flange adaptable to being coupled to the air duct, wherein the air output flange is shaped to roil the first constant velocity air stream into the volume of air which provides fast mixing of the volume of air with the first constant velocity air stream. Acoustic noise absorbing material is used in the enclosure to reduce intake noise, and or additional noise absorbing material can be used in the air duct exit to reduce exhaust noise. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial illustration of the invention in operational setting; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram in accordance with the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial illustration of the air duct retainer shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0032]    The following brief definition of terms shall apply throughout the application: 
         [0033]    The term “comprising” means including but not limited to, and should be interpreted in the manner it is typically used in the patent context; 
         [0034]    The phrases “in one embodiment,” “according to one embodiment,” and the like generally mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present invention (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment); 
         [0035]    If the specification describes something as “exemplary” or an “example,” it should be understood that refers to a non-exclusive example; and 
         [0036]    If the specification states a component or feature “may,” “can,” “could,” “should,” “preferably,” “possibly,” “typically,” “optionally,” “for example,” or “might” (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or to have the characteristic. 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a pictorial illustration of an operational use in which the invention is implemented.  FIG. 1  shows a bed having a mattress  16  and box spring  17  equipped with forced air thermal device  10 . In this figure are shown the respective locations of the various elements of the forced air thermal device  10 . The various elements include centrifugal blower motor  11 , acoustic foam  11 A, low profile housing  102 , receiver  103 , housing air coupler  12 , air duct  13 , air duct retainer  104 , and air output flange  15 . 
         [0038]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , centrifugal blower motor  11  may be any suitable blower which increases the speed of air stream with rotating impellers. The kinetic energy of the impellers increase the pressure of the air stream which in turn moves them against the resistance caused by ducts, dampers and other components of the blower. In general, centrifugal blower motor  11  accelerates air radially, changing the direction of the airflow. 
         [0039]    For example, centrifugal blower motor  11  may be a suitable brushless Direct Current (DC) motor capable of having a broad flow range between heating and cooling modes. 
         [0040]    Centrifugal fan  11  is a constant cubic feet per minute (CFM) device or, stated differently, a constant volume device. Thus, at a constant speed, the centrifugal blower  11  draws in air from the ambient surroundings, or air reservoir (see  FIG. 2-14A ), and pumps a constant volume of air rather than a constant mass. This means that the air velocity in air duct  13  may be substantially fixed even if mass flow rate through the blower  11  is not. As will be discussed herein, air duct  13  with a known air velocity provided by blower  11  is selected for minimal air flow noise. In one embodiment, the air duct may be a substantially 2-3½ inch diameter ribbed hose. The air duct may comprise a plastic walled duct having at least 3:1 length compressibility with shape memory. Stated differently the plastic walled duct maintains its shape once fixed into position. 
         [0041]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , housing  102 , which houses the blower  11  and controller circuitry (discussed herein) may be any suitable housing such as a thermoplastic polyolefin injection molded shell or shell halves, or any suitable number of pieces necessary to form the housing. In one embodiment the housing  102  is a low profile housing not exceeding seven inches in height. 
         [0042]    Housing air coupler  12  couples air duct  13  to housing  102 . The coupler may be any suitable coupler such as, for example, a reducer coupler. 
         [0043]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , air duct  13  is selected, or matched to, the constant velocity of air provided by blower  11  such that air flow noise is less than 60 dB at the air output flange  15 . 
         [0044]    Air duct retainer  104  may be any suitable clamp or ring type retainer for holding air duct  13  one end and the other end slipping between upper mattress  16  and box spring  17 . The air duct retainer  104  will be discussed in more detail herein. 
         [0045]    Air output flange  15  is coupled to air duct  13  and is shaped to roil or provide a substantially turbulent air flow into air volume area  18 . It will be appreciated that blower  11  provides sufficient air flow  14  such that a support bar for holding bedding away from air output flange  15  is not necessary as in other prior art solutions. Similarly, blower  11  air flow is also sufficient for providing heated air or ambient temperature air throughout at least 75% of bedding that may become irregularly bunched, e.g., bed not perfectly made. Air output flange  15  may also include a bedding retention device  17 A such as clips or tacky surface to help prevent the bedding from sliding off during operation. 
         [0046]    It will be appreciated that in alternate embodiments air volume  18  may be any suitable air volume, such as, for example air volumes within gloves, shoes, or rooms. 
         [0047]    Still referring to  FIG. 1  receiver  103  may be any suitable receiver for receiving wireless or remote control signals generated by a device  105  for enabling activation of device  10 . For example, signals may be transmitted or received over a radio frequency (RF) band substantially between 2400 MHz and 2480 MHz; or any suitable RF band and any suitable wireless technology standard such as Bluetooth. For example, other suitable RF frequencies include 315 MHz or 433 MHz. In alternate embodiments receiver  103  may be a transceiver for transmitting status data as well as receiving control signals. 
         [0048]    Referring also to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a functional block diagram in accordance with the system shown in  FIG. 1 . The functional block diagram includes air filter  29 , blower motor  24 , heat sink  204 A, thermal overheat switch  26 , heater element  25 , cooling element  25 A, microcontroller  22 , temperature sensors  204 B, mechanical air coupling  27 , light emitting diode (LED) status indicators  28 , receiver  202 , and alternating current (AC) power source  201 . 
         [0049]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , air filter  29  may be any suitable air filter for removing solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the ambient air reservoir  14 A. One example of a suitable air filter is a high-efficiency particulate absorption (HEPA) air filter. 
         [0050]    Blower motor  24 , as discussed earlier, may be any suitable centrifugal blower motor which increases the speed of filtered air stream  29 A with, usually, rotating impellers. The kinetic energy of the impellers increase the pressure of the air stream which in turn moves them against the resistance caused by ducts, dampers and other components of the blower. Centrifugal blower motor  24  accelerates air radially, changing the direction of the airflow. 
         [0051]    Centrifugal fan  24  is a constant cubic feet per minute (CFM) device or, stated differently, a constant volume device. Thus, at a constant speed, the centrifugal blower  24  pumps a constant volume of air rather than a constant mass. This means that the air flow  14  velocity in air duct  13  is fixed even if mass flow rate through the blower  24  is not. As discussed earlier, air duct  13  (see  FIG. 1 ) with a known air velocity provided by blower  24  is selected, or tuned, for minimal air flow noise. 
         [0052]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , heater element  25  heats the air output from blower motor  24 . Heater element  25  may be any suitable heater element, and may be adjustable. One example is a 1500 W positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater element using Nichrome wire or ceramic heating elements sized to 13 Ampere power consumption. It will be understood that the PTC heater element is a self-limiting temperature device. 
         [0053]    It will be understood that heater element  25  when in an off condition allows the passage of air from blower motor  24  without heating and may be used for cooling the volume of air. In alternate embodiments the air may be further cooled by cooling element  25 A. Also shown is thermal overheat switch  26 . Overheat switch  26  is set to disrupt main AC power in the event of an overheat condition associated with the PTC heater element  25  or cooling element  25 A. 
         [0054]    Microcontroller  22  controls blower  24 , PTC heater element  25  in accordance with manual controls or remote signals transmitted by Bluetooth device  101  received by optional Bluetooth receiver  202  and decoded by microcontroller  22 , and temperature information received from dual thermistor temperature sensors  204 B. In addition, microcontroller  22  outputs status to LED status lights  28 . Status lights may indicate temperature, error code, on/off status or any other suitable status indication. It will be appreciated that microcontroller  22  with PCT heater element  25  comprises circuitry and logic for maintaining a steady or substantially constant air flow temperature for all flow rates provided by blower motor  24 . 
         [0055]    Microcontroller  22  also includes timer module  22 A. It will be appreciated that time module  22 A may be collocated with microcontroller  22  or elsewhere within or external to system  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . Timer module  22 A may be set to any suitable time for heating or cooling the volume of air. For example, the timer may be set to one minute increments when in heating mode or, alternatively, one hour increments when in cooling mode. 
         [0056]    It will be further appreciated that microcontroller  22 , timer module  22 A, and thermistor temperature sensors  24 B operate to keep the temperature below a predetermined burn temperature. 
         [0057]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , mechanical air coupling  27  couples the constant velocity air from blower motor  24  to air duct  13  (see  FIG. 1 ). Mechanical air coupling  27  may be any suitable air coupler. 
         [0058]    Also shown in  FIG. 2  is scent module  27 A. It will be appreciated that the human olfactory senses have powerful physiological and psychological effects. Different scents may elicit different responses from individuals. These responses may include antiemetic properties, bronchodilation, calming effects, and other positive emotions. For example, aromatherapy may be used to help patients with postoperative nausea and vomiting and to relieve tension and stress. Similarly, aromatherapy may also help to induce sleep. Thus, scent module  27 A may be any suitable scent module or aromatherapy device. In addition, while scent module  27 A is shown in  FIG. 2  as attached to mechanical air hose coupling  27 , it will be appreciated that scent module may be positioned anywhere in the airstream such that the scented or aromatic air  14 B is delivered to the air volume area  18  shown in  FIG. 1 . Furthermore, scent module  27 A may be an independent module in that the module  27 A is placed within the airstream or, in alternate embodiments, scent module  27 A may be controlled by microcontroller  22 . 
         [0059]    Referring also to  FIG. 3  there is shown a pictorial illustration of the air duct retainer  104  shown in  FIG. 1 . The air duct retainer  104  includes clips  104 A for holding bedding, spring clamp  104 B sized to hold air duct  9  firmly, retainer riser  104 C, and retainer horizontal extension. It will be appreciated that retainer riser  104 C may be any suitable rise height. Similarly, retainer horizontal extension may be any suitable width or length. 
         [0060]    It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Thus, various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. For example, blower motor may be operated in one or more stages, one to quickly warm the air volume  18  and a second slower mode to maintain sufficient air flow to maintain the aromatic dispersion into air volume  18 . Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.