Blanket Apparatus for Distributing Conditioned Air Into Zones of a Bed

Abstract

A 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 air flow. The blanket apparatus contains means to cover an entire bed while directing pressurized conditioned air to specific zones of the bed. The invention also contemplates 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

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Field of Use[0002]This 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]2. Description of Prior Art (Background)[0004]The body of...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention aims to provide a top bedding blanket assembly that is interconnected with an external apparatus that supplies a pressurized flow of conditioned air. The air can be evenly distributed within a bed without causing a feeling of rushing air to the occupants. The invention also aims to not introduce foreign textures or surfaces in contact with the bed occupants and to allow for sufficiently pressurized air flow into the blanket apparatus to evenly distribute air without a large ballooning effect of the blanket or bedding. The invention utilizes a lower layer sheet of cotton, cotton blend, or synthetic microfiber material with some permeability to air and an upper layer sheet of similar material with lower natural permeability to air. The layers are joined in a continuous closed path with allowance for an inlet port for pressurized conditioned air. The use of both layers being permeable to air increases the occupants comfort to a more natural bedding experience while pressurized air is not supplied.

Problems solved by technology

In such instances a person will often throw off the covering while asleep, which will then result in chilling.

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.

The obese and the bedridden are particularly troubled by these conditions of the air environment about the body.

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's bed.

Of these causes the physical comfort of the person attempting to sleep or rest is paramount, for if a person's ambient surroundings are not conducive to their personal comfort, sleep can become extremely difficult to achieve, if at all.

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'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.

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'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.

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 ballooning effect can cause the blanket to swell to 24″ over the surface of the bedding, creating an undesirable condition.

This invention is also deficient in that it utilizes an air impervious material for the upper layer, which is an uncommon characteristic of normal bedding and shall cause substantial temperature and humidity rise within the bed during moments when pressurized air is not supplied to the apparatus and thus causing discomfort to occupants who do not wish continuous use of pressurized air during all sleeping times.

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.

The prior arts fails to teach 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, the prior art introduces apparatus that introduce either foreign textures or objects to the user in the bed, which is a highly undesirable feature.

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