Air curtain air-conditioned bed

Abstract

An air-curtain air-conditioned bed includes two systems: an air circulation system and a refrigeration system. The air circulation system mainly includes a fresh air duct, a return air duct, a supply air duct, a reducing duct placed at the head of the bed, a supply air outlet, a return air outlet, and a cavity at the foot of the bed. The refrigeration system includes an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The fresh air duct is inserted obliquely into the return air duct, and the fresh air and return air are mixed. The mixed air first enters the fan box and then is sent to the indoor unit, which has a built-in evaporator. This utility model relates to an air-curtain air-conditioned bed and belongs to the field of building energy conservation. The advantages of this utility model are that it adopts a blowing and suction air curtain structure, which has a fast response speed to the adjustment of the microenvironment near the bed, almost eliminating the need to turn on the air conditioning system in advance, thus saving energy; the sufficient fresh air volume can improve sleep quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an air curtain air-conditioned bed, which is an invention in the field of building energy conservation. Technical Background

[0002] Creating a comfortable microenvironment in specific areas instead of creating a comfortable environment throughout the entire space can save a significant amount of energy. During nighttime or midday rest, it's usually sufficient to create a locally comfortable thermal environment in the sleeping area, rather than air conditioning the entire bedroom or resting room. Air conditioning the entire room results in a large amount of cooling or heating being used to cool or heat furniture or dissipated through exterior walls and windows, leading to substantial energy waste. People's rest times are often fixed, and creating a comfortable indoor environment during rest requires pre-cooling or preheating the air conditioning system, which also consumes energy. Furthermore, many room air conditioning systems, especially split-type systems, lack a fresh air system. Fresh air infiltrates unorganized through exterior windows, and when the air conditioner is on, a slight positive pressure occurs indoors, making it difficult to introduce fresh air. This results in a situation where, although the indoor temperature and humidity reach comfortable levels, there is a severe lack of fresh air. This is why many people who have slept well all night with the air conditioning on still feel dizzy and lightheaded in the morning. Lack of fresh air has become a common problem in many residential buildings during air conditioning use.

[0003] There are already examples of air-conditioned beds, such as the published Chinese patent CN201320419777.2. In these cases, the air vents are located on both sides of the bed, which are easily blocked by clothing or bedding during sleep, preventing the creation of an air curtain. A single-blowing air curtain is ineffective in creating a suitable microenvironment around the bed. Without a fresh air system, air circulates only within a relatively enclosed space, leading to a decline in air quality in the sleeping area over time, thus affecting sleep quality. Furthermore, this air conditioning device does not consider winter use, offering only cooling without heating, resulting in a limited range of applications and failing to meet diverse user needs.

[0004] To address the above issues, a wind curtain air-conditioned bed is proposed. This air-conditioned bed employs a blowing and suction wind curtain structure with air supply at the head of the bed and return at the foot. The wind curtain and the bed frame form a relatively independent space, creating a comfortable environment only within the area from the head to the foot of the bed. A variable-diameter air supply duct is installed inside the head of the bed, its diameter gradually changing along the airflow direction and connecting to the air supply nozzles. The nozzles are flush with the outer surface of the head of the bed. The foot of the bed is formed as a closed cavity with a strip-shaped return air inlet. Both the air supply and return air inlets are located on the side facing the bed frame, connected to the variable-diameter duct and the air supply duct. Fresh air is introduced from the outside through a fresh air duct using the negative pressure of the fan box. The fresh air mixes with the return air and is then sent into the fan box, and subsequently to the indoor unit. The indoor unit contains an evaporator, where the mixed air releases heat and cools down. Air meeting specific temperature, humidity, and fresh air ratio requirements is delivered into a variable-diameter duct. The air outlets deliver air with suitable temperature and humidity. An axial fan within the fan housing draws in air from the outlets and entrains surrounding air through the return air vents. The outlets are located in the positive pressure section of the fan housing, creating a certain air velocity. Most of the air delivered from the outlets is drawn into the return air vents, forming a temperature- and humidity-controlled air curtain above the bed, creating a locally comfortable microenvironment. This air curtain responds quickly to the microenvironment around the bed, almost eliminating the need to pre-activate the air conditioning system, resulting in energy savings. Sufficient fresh air intake improves sleep quality. This air curtain air-conditioned bed only requires connection to the refrigerant pipe to the outdoor unit (a condensate pipe can be added to drain condensate from the evaporator, depending on the situation) and the section of duct that introduces fresh air from the outside. The manufacturing process is simple, space-saving, and convenient for transportation or on-site installation. Its applications can be expanded from bedrooms to hospital wards, sanatoriums, and military beds used in the field. With its wide applicability, its energy-saving benefits are considerable after large-scale application. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The basic idea of ​​this utility model is to address the problems of high energy consumption and insufficient fresh air introduction in current room air conditioning systems by using a blowing and suction air curtain to create a micro-environment for air conditioning on the upper part of the bed. A variable-diameter air supply duct is installed inside the headboard, with its diameter gradually changing along the airflow direction and connecting to the air supply nozzles. The nozzles are flush with the outer surface of the headboard. The footboard is made into a cavity with a strip-shaped return air inlet, allowing air to be supplied from the headboard and returned from the footboard. Fresh air is introduced from the outside and mixed with the return air. The mixed air first enters the fan box, then is sent to the indoor unit, and finally enters the evaporator of the refrigeration system, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs heat and vaporizes before entering the compressor, while the mixed air releases heat and its temperature decreases. A mixture of air with appropriate temperature and humidity is introduced into the air supply duct, then into the variable-diameter duct, and finally out through the air outlet. Finally, it is drawn in through the bed-shaped strip return air inlet, forming a blowing and suction air curtain. The air outlets are arched around the head of the bed, higher than the pillows and bedding, ensuring the airflow is not blocked. The airflow from the outlets forms an air curtain parallel to the bed surface, while the return air inlet draws air into the cavity at the foot of the bed, forming a closed air curtain barrier. This prevents direct airflow from blowing on the body and causing headaches or colds, thus creating a stable local microenvironment with consistent temperature, humidity, and cleanliness around the bed. The variable-diameter duct with a gradually decreasing cross-section compensates for pressure loss along the path, maintaining consistent static pressure at each nozzle. Simultaneously, the reduced cross-sectional area moderately accelerates the airflow, preventing dust accumulation in low-speed zones and whistling in high-speed zones. Conical nozzles accelerate the airflow through cross-sectional reduction, forming a tight, pencil-shaped jet. This airflow movement creates the air curtain. The synergistic acceleration effect of the variable-diameter duct and conical nozzles ensures that the airflow velocity and flow rate from each air outlet are the same, resulting in a more stable and uniform air curtain. The use of an arched array of air outlets creates a hemispherical covering above the bed, further stabilized by the mutual constraint between the jets, ensuring uniform coverage around the bed. The return air inlet at the foot of the bed is a strip-shaped louvered inlet. The inclined louvers decompose the turbulence into multiple layers of advection while creating a negative pressure zone in front of the inlet, drawing the moving airflow into the bed's rear cavity and improving return air efficiency.

[0006] The cooling system utilizes an airflow configuration similar to a split-type air conditioning system, except that the indoor unit is connected to the supply and return air ducts. In summer, the four-way reversing valve is in its default path (cooling mode), guiding the refrigerant towards the compressor, condenser, and evaporator. The gaseous refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant by the compressor, entering the outdoor condenser where it releases heat, becoming a high-pressure, medium-temperature liquid refrigerant. After being throttled and depressurized by the expansion valve, it becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant, entering the evaporator where it absorbs heat and becomes low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vapor, before returning to the compressor for further circulation. In this cycle, the two crucial heat exchange devices are the condenser and the evaporator. Outdoor air absorbs heat and its temperature rises as it passes through the condenser, thus releasing the heat contained in the refrigerant into the outdoor environment. The mixture of fresh and return air passes through the evaporator, releasing heat and decreasing in temperature. This low-temperature air enters the supply air duct, then the reducer duct, and is blown out from the air outlet, forming a cold air curtain. Simultaneously, a four-way reversing valve can convert the refrigeration system into a heating system. In winter, the solenoid coil inside the four-way reversing valve is energized, pushing the slider to switch the pipeline connection and guide the refrigerant flow to the compressor, evaporator, and condenser. The gaseous refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant by the compressor, enters the evaporator, releases heat, and becomes a high-pressure, medium-temperature liquid refrigerant. After being throttled and depressurized by the expansion valve, it becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant, enters the outdoor condenser, absorbs heat, and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vapor, before returning to the compressor for circulation. At this time, the mixed fresh air and return air pass through the evaporator, absorb heat, and rise in temperature. The high-temperature air enters the air supply duct, then the variable-diameter duct, and is blown out from the air outlet, forming a hot air curtain.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is that the diameter of the variable-diameter air duct gradually changes along the airflow direction, and its cross-section gradually decreases along the airflow direction. The cross-sectional area at the inlet end is larger than that at the end end. The variable-diameter air duct is connected to the air supply nozzles in a ring array. The nozzles are flush with the outer surface of the head of the bed. The foot of the bed is made into a cavity and is equipped with a return air inlet. The return air inlet is a strip-shaped louvered return air inlet. Air is supplied at the head of the bed and returned at the foot of the bed. Both the air supply inlet and the return air inlet are set to face the side of the bed. The variable-diameter air duct and the air supply duct are connected. The cavity at the foot of the bed and the return air duct are connected. The fresh air duct is equipped with a filter and a damper. The fresh air duct is inserted obliquely into the return air duct and connected to one end of the fan box through a flexible hose. The inside of the fan box is lined with sound-absorbing cotton and equipped with an axial flow fan. The indoor unit is connected to the air supply duct and the return air duct.

[0008] The dimensions of the variable-diameter duct, the number of supply air nozzles, and the size of the strip-shaped return air inlet are adjusted according to the different bed sizes. For example: the bed width is 1.8m, and the total air volume is 45m³ / h. 3At a speed of / h, the variable diameter duct is designed symmetrically on both sides. The inlet size of the horizontal duct section on one side is 100mm×100mm, and the end size is 70mm×70mm. The nozzle type is conical, with an inlet diameter of 15mm, an outlet diameter of 10mm, a length of 20mm, and a quantity of 7 nozzles with a nozzle spacing of 100mm. The vertical duct connecting to the end of the horizontal duct has an inlet size of 70mm×70mm, an end size of 45mm×45mm, and a quantity of 4 nozzles with a nozzle spacing of 100mm. The nozzle air supply velocity is approximately 6-7m / s. The strip-shaped return air inlet on the bed end cavity includes a horizontal return air inlet and a vertical return air inlet. The horizontal return air inlet is 30mm×1200mm, with one in total and a return air velocity of approximately 1.4m / s. The vertical return air inlet is 40mm×200mm, with two in total and a return air velocity of approximately 1m / s. The bed width is 1.5m and the total air volume is 38m³ / h. 3 At a speed of / h, the variable diameter duct is designed symmetrically on both sides. The inlet size of the horizontal duct section on one side is 85mm×85mm, and the end size is 60mm×60mm. There are 6 nozzles with a nozzle spacing of 100mm. The vertical duct connecting to the end of the horizontal duct has an inlet size of 60mm×60mm and an end size of 40mm×40mm. The nozzle type is conical, with an inlet diameter of 15mm, an outlet diameter of 10mm, and a length of 20mm. There are 4 nozzles with a nozzle spacing of 100mm, and the nozzle air supply velocity is approximately 6-7m / s. The strip-shaped return air inlet on the bed end cavity includes a horizontal return air inlet and a vertical return air inlet. The horizontal return air inlet is 25mm×1100mm, with one in total and a return air velocity of approximately 1.3m / s. The vertical return air inlet is 35mm×200mm, with two in total and a return air velocity of approximately 1m / s. The bed width is 1.2m and the total air volume is 30m³ / h. 3 At / h, the variable diameter duct is designed with double-sided symmetry. The inlet size of the horizontal duct section on one side is 65mm×65mm, and the end size is 45mm×45mm. There are 5 nozzles with a nozzle spacing of 100mm. The vertical duct connected to the end of the horizontal duct has an inlet size of 45mm×45mm and an end size of 30mm×30mm. The nozzle type is conical, with an inlet diameter of 15mm, an outlet diameter of 10mm, a length of 20mm, and a quantity of 4 nozzles with a nozzle spacing of 100mm. The nozzle air supply velocity is about 6-7m / s. The strip-shaped return air inlet on the bed end cavity includes a horizontal return air inlet and a vertical return air inlet. The horizontal return air inlet is 20mm×900mm, with one in total and a return air velocity of about 1.4m / s. The vertical return air inlet is 30mm×200mm, with two in total and a return air velocity of about 0.9m / s.

[0009] The fan unit incorporates vibration damping measures, utilizing four vibration-damping hangers. The upper end is suspended from the main keel of the bed frame, while the lower end suspends the fan unit, allowing it to suspend 50-80mm below the bed floor. The fan unit is not in contact with the bed frame on any side. Both ends are connected to the air duct via flexible hoses, and sound-absorbing cotton is lined inside to absorb noise. The fresh air duct inlet is equipped with an air valve, allowing for adjustable airflow, energy saving, noise reduction, odor isolation, and easy maintenance. An internal filter intercepts dust, improving the quality of the fresh air.

[0010] The advantages of this invention are: This air curtain responds quickly to the microenvironment around the bed, almost eliminating the need to turn on the air conditioning system in advance, thus saving energy; the ample fresh air volume improves sleep quality. It employs a variable-diameter duct with a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area to compensate for pressure loss along the flow path, maintaining consistent static pressure at each nozzle. Simultaneously, the reduced cross-sectional area moderately accelerates the airflow, preventing dust accumulation in low-speed zones and whistling in high-speed zones. Conical nozzles accelerate the airflow through cross-sectional reduction, forming a tight, pencil-shaped jet, which in turn creates the air curtain. The synergistic acceleration effect of the variable-diameter duct and conical nozzles ensures that the airflow velocity and flow rate from each outlet are the same, resulting in a more stable and uniform air curtain. The use of an arched array of air outlets creates a hemispherical covering above the bed, and the mutual constraint between the jets maintains the stability of the air curtain, ensuring uniform coverage around the bed. The return air vent at the foot of the bed is a strip-shaped louvered vent. The inclined louvers decompose turbulent airflow into multiple layers of advection, creating a negative pressure zone in front of the vent. This draws the moving airflow into the bed's cavity, improving the return air efficiency. The air supply at the head of the bed and the return air at the foot form a closed air curtain barrier, preventing direct airflow from blowing on the body and causing headaches or colds. This creates a stable local microenvironment with consistent temperature, humidity, and cleanliness around the bed. This air-curtain air-conditioned bed only requires connection to the refrigerant pipes of the outdoor unit and the duct for introducing fresh air from the outside. The manufacturing process is simple, it doesn't take up much space, and it's convenient for transportation or on-site installation. Its applicability can be expanded from bedrooms to hospital wards, sanatoriums, and military beds used in the field. With its wide range of applications, its energy-saving benefits are considerable after large-scale use. Attached Figure Description

[0011] This description includes six accompanying illustrations: Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an air curtain air-conditioned bed. Figure 2 This is a system diagram of an air curtain air-conditioned bed. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of an air curtain air-conditioned bed. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the headboard of an air-curtain air-conditioned bed. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a variable diameter air supply duct for an air curtain air-conditioned bed. Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the cavity at the foot of an air-curtain air-conditioned bed. In the diagram: 1. Air supply vent, 2. Return air vent, 3. Reducing duct, 4. Air supply duct, 5. Indoor unit, 6. Fan box, 7. Axial fan, 8. Return air duct, 9. Fresh air duct, 10. Headboard, 11. Cavity at foot of bed, 12. Bed frame, 13. Bed legs, 14. Refrigerant piping, 15. Outdoor unit, 16. Evaporator, 17. Four-way reversing valve, 18. Compressor, 19. Expansion valve, 20. Condenser, 21. Sound-absorbing cotton, 22. Filter screen, 23. Air valve, 24. Vibration damping bracket, 25. Flexible hose. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in the figures, an air curtain air-conditioned bed includes two systems: an air circulation system and a refrigeration system. The air circulation system mainly includes a fresh air duct 9, a return air duct 8, a supply air duct 4, a variable diameter air duct 3 placed in the head of the bed 10, a supply air outlet 1, a return air outlet 2, and a cavity 11 at the foot of the bed. The refrigeration system includes an outdoor unit 15 and an indoor unit 5. The fresh air duct 9 is inserted obliquely into the return air duct 8, and the fresh air and return air are mixed. The mixed air first enters the fan box 6 and then is sent to the indoor unit 5. The indoor unit 5 has an evaporator 16 built in it. After passing through the evaporator 6, the temperature of the mixed air decreases. The mixed air is then sent to the variable diameter air duct 3 through the supply air duct 4 and then sent out through the supply air outlet 1. The air drawn in by the return air outlet 2 enters the cavity 1 at the foot of the bed and then flows into the return air duct 8. The fan box 6, which provides the circulating air power, is placed in front of the indoor unit 5. An axial flow fan 7 is installed inside the fan box 6, and sound-absorbing cotton 21 is attached inside the fan box 6. The fan box 6 is suspended under the bed 12 by a shock-absorbing hanger 24, and the inlet and outlet of the fan box 6 are connected to the air duct through flexible hoses 5.

[0013] When the equipment is working, air is supplied to the head of the bed and returned to the foot of the bed, forming a relatively independent space between the air curtain and the bed frame, creating a comfortable environment only within the head and foot areas. The head of the bed 10 is equipped with a variable-diameter air supply duct 3, whose diameter gradually changes along the airflow direction and connects to the air supply nozzle 1. The nozzle is flush with the outer surface of the head of the bed 10. The foot of the bed is made into a cavity with a strip-shaped return air inlet 2. Air is supplied to the head of the bed 10 and returned to the foot of the bed. Fresh air is introduced from the outside, mixed with the return air, and then enters the evaporator 16 of the refrigeration system, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs heat and vaporizes before entering the compressor 18, while the mixed air releases heat and its temperature decreases. The resulting mixed air, with appropriate temperature and humidity, first enters the fan box 6, then the indoor unit 5, and finally the variable-diameter air duct 3, exiting from the air supply inlet 1 and then being drawn in through the return air inlet 2 at the foot of the bed, forming a blowing and suction air curtain. The air supply vents 1 are arranged in a ring around the headboard 10, and are higher than the pillow and bedding. The airflow will not be blocked by the pillow or bedding. The air supply vents 1 deliver an air curtain parallel to the bed frame 12, forming a closed air curtain barrier. The return air vents 2 draw in air at a low speed, ensuring that the airflow circulates without blowing directly on the human body and causing headaches or colds, thereby creating a stable microenvironment.

[0014] A refrigeration system is configured to achieve cooling through airflow. This system is similar to a split air conditioning system, except that the indoor unit is connected to the supply air duct 4 and the return air duct 8. In summer, the four-way reversing valve 17 is in the default path (cooling mode), guiding the refrigerant to flow to the compressor 18, condenser 20, and evaporator 16. The gaseous refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant by the compressor 18, and enters the outdoor condenser 20. In the condenser 20, heat is released, and the refrigerant becomes a high-pressure, medium-temperature liquid refrigerant. After being throttled and depressurized by the expansion valve 19, it becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant, enters the evaporator 5, absorbs heat, and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vapor, and then enters the compressor 18 to circulate. In this cycle, two important heat exchange devices are the condenser 20 and the evaporator 16. When the outdoor air passes through the condenser 20, it absorbs heat and its temperature increases. At this point, the heat contained in the refrigerant is thrown into the outdoor environment. The mixed air of fresh air and return air passes through the evaporator 16, releases heat, and its temperature decreases. The low-temperature air enters the air supply duct 4, then enters the variable diameter air duct 3, and is blown out from the air supply outlet 1, forming a cold air curtain. Simultaneously, a four-way reversing valve 17 can convert the refrigeration system into a heating system. In winter, the electromagnetic coil inside the four-way reversing valve 17 is energized, pushing the slider to switch the pipeline connection, guiding the refrigerant flow to the compressor 18, evaporator 16, and condenser 20. The refrigerant flow direction changes; the gaseous refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant by the compressor 18, enters the evaporator 16, releases heat, and becomes a high-pressure, medium-temperature liquid refrigerant. After being throttled and depressurized by the expansion valve 19, it becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant, enters the outdoor condenser 20, absorbs heat, and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vapor, then enters the compressor 18 again for circulation. At this time, the mixed fresh air and return air pass through the evaporator 16, absorb heat, and the temperature rises. The high-temperature air enters the air supply duct 4, then the variable diameter air duct 3, and is blown out from the air outlet 1, forming a hot air curtain.

[0015] Further measures include: installing active noise reduction equipment on the fan, as the noise level remains constant during continuous and stable operation, resulting in significant noise reduction. Temperature sensors are placed at the head of the bed to monitor temperature changes in real time, automatically adjusting the cooling or heating capacity of the refrigeration (heating) system to achieve optimal thermal comfort while saving energy.

Claims

1. An air curtain air-conditioned bed, characterized in that The air-conditioned bed includes two systems: an air circulation system and a refrigeration system. The air circulation system mainly includes a fresh air duct (9), a return air duct (8), a supply air duct (4), a variable diameter air duct (3) placed in the head of the bed (10), a supply air outlet (1), a return air outlet (2), and a bed tail cavity (11). The refrigeration system includes an outdoor unit (15) and an indoor unit (5). The fresh air duct (9) is inserted obliquely into the return air duct (8), and the fresh air and return air are mixed. The mixed air first enters the fan box (6) and then is sent to the indoor unit (5). The indoor unit (5) has an evaporator (16) built in it. After passing through the evaporator (16), the temperature of the mixed air decreases. The mixed air is then sent to the variable diameter air duct (3) through the supply air duct (4) and then sent out through the supply air outlet (1). The air drawn in by the return air outlet (2) enters the bed tail cavity (11) and then flows into the return air duct (8). The fan box (6) that provides the circulating air power is placed in front of the indoor unit (5).

2. The air curtain air-conditioned bed of claim 1, wherein: An axial flow fan (7) is installed inside the fan box (6), and sound-absorbing cotton (21) is attached inside the fan box (6).

3. The air curtain air-conditioned bed of claim 1, wherein: The fan box (6) is suspended under the bed (12) by a shock-absorbing hanger (24), and the inlet and outlet of the fan box (6) are connected to the air duct through a flexible hose (25).

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