Active comfort controlled bedding systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bedding systems fail to provide adequate adjustability in firmness and temperature control to accommodate individual preferences and changing user needs, leading to discomfort and disrupted sleep.
Innovation Solution
An active comfort controlled bedding system featuring a plurality of air bladders with pressure sensors, a manifold, and a control unit that adjusts pressure in a repeating pattern to provide variable firmness and climate control, integrated with foam layers for enhanced support and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional air bladders are used with limited numbers spanning the width of the bed, then device complexity is reduced, but adjustability resolution is insufficient to accommodate individual user variations
Solution Approach 1:
The air support system is divided into multiple independent air bladders arranged in arrays across the mattress surface. Each bladder can be independently controlled by the pump and valve system, allowing localized adjustment of firmness in different zones to accommodate variations in user body shape, weight distribution, and sleep preferences across the entire bed surface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple firmness models are released for each bedding line, then consumer preference coverage is improved, but manufacturing complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress system transitions from static firmness levels (different physical models) to dynamic adjustability where a single mattress can be electronically controlled to provide varying firmness levels. The pump and valve system allows users to adjust air pressure in real-time, covering the full range from soft to firm without requiring multiple manufacturing variants.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of manufacturing different physical mattress models with varying foam densities or constructions, the system changes the physical parameter of air pressure within the bladders to achieve different firmness levels. This single parameter control (pressure) replaces the need for multiple product variants.
3Reliability
If body temperature is regulated during sleep, then sleep quality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress system uses the user's own body heat as the heat source for thermal regulation. The air circulation system passes air over the user's body to absorb excess heat during warm periods, and can reverse or modulate flow to provide warmth when needed, eliminating the need for external heating or cooling systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes phase change materials or air temperature phase transitions to regulate heat. Air is circulated through heat exchange channels where it absorbs or releases heat to the user's body, leveraging the high specific heat capacity of air and potential phase transitions to maintain optimal sleep temperature with minimal energy input.
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 offers customizable firmness and temperature regulation, improving sleep quality by accommodating individual preferences and changing user needs, providing a massaging action and therapeutic benefits while maintaining optimal body temperature.
Implementation Method 1
the repeating pattern is defined by a pressure increase and subsequent decrease in a selected one of the plurality of air bladders followed by a pressure increase and subsequent decrease in a selected other one of the plurality of air bladders to provide a massaging action
Implementation Method 2
each one of the plurality of air bladders includes a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure within a respective air bladder
Data Source
AI summary
Active comfort controlled bedding systems include a variable firmness control and/or variable climate control. The active comfort controlled bedding systems generally include a plurality of air bladders, each one of the plurality of air bladders includes a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure within a respective air bladder. A control unit configured to selectively operate a pump and valves to sequentially adjust a pressure in two or more of the plurality of the air bladders having an applied load of an end user thereon to provide a repeating pattern within the two or more plurality of the air bladders, wherein the repeating pattern is defined by a pressure increase and subsequent decrease in a selected one of the plurality of the air bladders followed by a pressure increase and subsequent decrease in a selected other one of the plurality of the air bladders to provide a massaging action.