Bed Warming Device Using Hot Air Delivery for Even Heat Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bed warming devices are either complex, prone to spills or electrical hazards, and fail to evenly distribute warmth, making them unsafe and uncomfortable to use.
Innovation Solution
A bed warming device with a hot air supply assembly and delivery assembly that uses a heating element similar to a hair dryer, featuring a handle for sheet alignment, raised portions for airflow, and multiple openings for even heat distribution, allowing safe and tailored heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If electrically heated water is circulated for heating a bed, then heating effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases and safety hazards arise from water spills or electrical short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water circulation system from the heating device, replacing it with direct electrical heating elements positioned within the mattress. This eliminates the complex water circulation infrastructure while maintaining heating effectiveness, directly resolving the contradiction between heating performance and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control system with multiple temperature sensors and a microcontroller that mediates between the power source and heating elements. This intermediary layer enables precise temperature control and safety monitoring, allowing effective heating while preventing the safety hazards associated with uncontrolled electrical heating
2Area of stationary object
If a plurality of wires are used for electrical heating, then heating coverage is improved, but reliability decreases due to wire susceptibility to failure and harm to users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating system into multiple independent heating zones with separate control circuits. Each zone has its own temperature sensor and control logic, allowing localized heating without requiring extensive wire runs across the entire bed. This segmentation reduces wire usage while maintaining comprehensive heating coverage and improves reliability by isolating potential failure points
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible printed circuit boards (FPC) as the electrical connection medium instead of traditional rigid wires. These thin, flexible circuits can be embedded within the mattress structure, providing extensive heating coverage with minimal wire bulk, reduced mechanical failure risk, and improved user safety through integrated protective insulation
3Use of energy by moving object
If heating is concentrated in one section of the bed, then energy efficiency is improved, but user comfort decreases and burn risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality control by assigning different heating power levels to different zones of the bed based on real-time temperature sensor feedback. Each heating element can be independently adjusted to provide optimal warmth where needed while maintaining safety thresholds, thereby distributing heat evenly across the bed surface to prevent localized overheating and burns while preserving energy efficiency
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 device provides safe, efficient, and evenly distributed warmth throughout the bed, enhancing user comfort while preventing burns and sheet damage.
Implementation Method 1
uses a heating element similar to a hair dryer
Implementation Method 2
hot air delivery assembly that uses a heating element similar to a hair dryer
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a bed warming device that safely and effectively warms the interior space between the fitted sheet and the top sheet of a bed. The bed warming device includes a heating element similar to those used in hair dryers. The device includes a suction member that suctions ambient air to be heated and delivers it through a narrowing portion that increases the pressure of the heated air. The pressurized, heated air is then expelled to preselected locations of the bed using a plurality of openings located throughout the perimeter of the device's T-shaped hot air delivery assembly. The hot air delivery assembly can include raised portions configured to create a space between the openings and the top bed sheet, thereby maintaining efficient air flow.