Adjustable sleeping system with force control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sleep systems fail to provide adequate user comfort and flexibility in controlling force distribution, which is crucial for addressing physiological and environmental factors affecting sleep quality, such as snoring and sleep position.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable sleeping system with individually controllable spring assemblies, managed by a bed controller, allows for precise control of force distribution across the sleeping surface, enabling functions like firmness adjustment, pressure point reduction, and massage, through a matrix of adjustable spring assemblies with motors and sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air bladders are used to create individual pockets of support, then user comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress is divided into multiple independent air bladders arranged in horizontal rows across the width of the mattress. Each bladder can be independently adjusted for air pressure, allowing individualized support zones while maintaining a unified mattress structure. This segmentation enables targeted comfort adjustment without requiring complete system replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The air bladder system serves multiple functions: providing support, reducing pressure points, and enabling user-adjustable firmness. The same structural elements (air bladders, pumps, controllers) that provide support also enable massage functions and position-dependent adjustment, reducing the need for separate specialized components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If foam combinations are used to reduce high force areas, then pressure point reduction is improved, but adaptability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Different zones of the mattress have different air pressure levels tailored to specific body regions. The system can create soft zones under the head and shoulders, medium zones under the torso, and firmer zones under the legs, allowing each area to provide optimal support for its specific function while adapting to the user's body shape and sleep position.
Solution Approach 2:
The air pressure in each bladder can be dynamically adjusted based on detected sleep position, user preferences, and real-time comfort needs. The system transitions from static foam support to dynamic air pressure adjustment, enabling adaptation to changing conditions throughout the night while maintaining pressure point reduction.
3Manufacturing precision
If individually adjustable spring assemblies are implemented, then force distribution control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring assemblies include integrated force sensors that automatically detect the force being applied and provide feedback to the control system. This self-measuring capability eliminates the need for complex external sensing systems while enabling precise force distribution control through automated feedback loops that adjust spring compression in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
Force sensors in each spring assembly continuously monitor the force being applied and feed this information back to the bed controller. The controller uses this feedback to automatically adjust the compression of individual springs, maintaining optimal force distribution across the mattress surface without requiring manual intervention or complex mechanical linkages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances user comfort by providing customizable support and reducing pressure points, improving sleep quality and addressing sleep-related issues like snoring, while offering a competitive advantage in the market.
Implementation Method 1
Each adjustable spring assembly comprises a spring and an actuator
Data Source
AI summary
Adjustable sleeping system with force control. At least one example embodiment is a method of operating a sleeping system, the method including: sensing an area of a sleeping surface of the sleeping system, the area upon which a person resides, the sensing by a bed controller communicatively coupled to an array of adjustable spring assemblies arranged such that a top of each adjustable spring assembly defines an upper surface parallel to the sleeping surface; and driving a plurality of the adjustable spring assemblies being the adjustable spring assemblies beneath the area, the driving to control force distribution among the plurality of the adjustable spring assemblies.