Climate-Controlled Bed Zoning for Uniform Thermal Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional climate control systems fail to provide individualized and efficient temperature modification for beds, leading to discomfort due to uneven heating or cooling, especially in poorly ventilated environments.
Innovation Solution
A climate-controlled bed design featuring a core with passageways, fluid distribution members, comfort layers, and fluid modules that include thermoelectric devices for selective thermal conditioning, allowing for targeted fluid distribution and temperature regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional climate control systems are used for entire buildings or spaces, then the overall environment is cooled or heated, but individualized temperature control for the bed area is not achieved, leading to discomfort in poorly-ventilated environments
Solution Approach 1:
The bed is divided into multiple independently controllable zones with separate fluid distribution members, allowing different temperature control for head, foot, and side sections. This segmentation enables individualized climate control for each body region while maintaining overall system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bed are provided with customized thermal characteristics through selectively positioned heating and cooling fluid distribution members. The system creates locally optimized thermal environments matching specific body zone requirements, such as cooler areas for heat-generating regions and warmer areas for extremities.
2Temperature
If normal air-conditioning is used, then the ambient temperature is reduced, but the bed occupant's back and pressure points remain sweaty due to insufficient localized cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and isolates the cooling function from general ambient air-conditioning by implementing dedicated cooling fluid distribution members that deliver cooled fluid directly to specific body contact areas. This separates the localized cooling need from the global temperature control, enabling targeted sweat prevention at pressure points independent of room temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
A fluid distribution member acts as an intermediary between the cooling system and the occupant's body, delivering conditioned fluid through a network of channels and pores directly to the skin surface at pressure points. This intermediary mechanism enables precise localized cooling without requiring extensive ambient air circulation.
3Temperature
If heating units are used to warm the indoor space in winter, then the overall room temperature increases, but the bed takes too long to warm up, reducing occupant comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system can pre-warm the fluid circulating through the bed's heating members before the occupant enters or immediately upon entry. This preliminary thermal conditioning of the fluid reservoir and distribution system enables rapid bed surface warming, reducing the time lag between entering a cold room and achieving comfortable bed temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses fluid circulation through embedded heating members to transfer thermal energy directly to the bed structure and occupant contact surfaces. This hydraulic thermal transfer mechanism provides faster and more efficient heating compared to ambient air heating alone, as the fluid can be rapidly heated and circulated through the bed's thermal network.
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 provides uniform thermal coverage and enhanced comfort by efficiently distributing conditioned air or fluids to specific areas of the bed, addressing the issue of uneven heating and cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a thermoelectric device for selectively thermally conditioning fluids being transferred by the fluid transfer device
Implementation Method 2
The core includes at least one passageway extending from the top core surface to the bottom core surface. The fluid distribution member is in fluid communication with at least one passageway of the core
Implementation Method 3
The fluid distribution member is configured to at least partially distribute fluid within said fluid distribution member
Data Source
AI summary
According to certain arrangements, a climate controlled bed includes an upper portion comprising a core with a top core surface and a bottom core surface. The core includes at least one passageway extending from the top core surface to the bottom core surface. The upper portion of the bed further includes at least one fluid distribution member positioned above the core, wherein the fluid distribution member is in fluid communication with at least one passageway of the core. The fluid distribution member is configured to at least partially distribute fluid within said fluid distribution member.