Active Bedding Air Blower Assembly for Firmness and Climate Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bedding systems fail to provide adequate adjustability in firmness and climate control to accommodate individual preferences and changing user needs, leading to discomfort and disrupted sleep due to limited resolution in air bladder arrangements and inadequate temperature regulation.
Innovation Solution
An active comfort controlled bedding system incorporating a unidirectional air blower assembly with a circuitous conduit, bidirectional air flow conduit, and adjustable valves, along with a foam-air hybrid design featuring interconnected air bladders and cradle foam layers, allows for bidirectional air flow and adjustable firmness, and includes a thermally conductive gel-infused comfort layer for climate control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional air bladders are used to provide adjustable firmness, then the system can accommodate different consumer preferences, but the resolution of adjustability is too low to resolve individual user variances
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress is divided into multiple independently controllable air chambers arranged in a grid pattern, allowing different zones to be adjusted to different firmness levels. This segmentation enables high-resolution adjustability to accommodate individual user preferences and body variations without requiring an excessive number of bladders spanning the entire bed width.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the mattress can be adjusted to different firmness levels based on local user needs and preferences. The system allows customization of specific zones (head, foot, sides, center) independently, providing local quality adjustment rather than uniform firmness across the entire mattress surface.
2Reliability
If body temperature is regulated during sleep, then deep uninterrupted sleep can be achieved, but the system becomes more complex requiring additional temperature control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The air circulation system serves multiple functions: it provides firmness adjustment through air pressure control, climate control through heated air circulation, and temperature regulation through the gel-infused comfort layer. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The comfort layer combines gel material with foam structure to create a composite material that provides both thermal regulation and comfort. The gel-infused foam layer acts as a thermal management component integrated into the comfort surface, regulating body temperature passively without requiring active mechanical systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a unidirectional air blower with circuitous conduit is used to provide bidirectional air flow, then climate control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using two separate blowers to achieve bidirectional flow, the system uses a single unidirectional blower with a circuitous conduit arrangement that redirects air flow in opposite directions through different ports. This inverts the conventional approach by achieving bidirectional functionality through flow path design rather than multiple active components.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuitous conduit acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the single unidirectional blower and the bidirectional air flow requirement. The conduit system with its inlet and outlet ports arranged in a circuitous path enables the blower to push air in opposite directions through different routes, effectively translating unidirectional force into bidirectional flow.
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 enhanced adjustability in firmness and climate control, improving user comfort by allowing personalized support and temperature regulation, leading to better sleep quality and longer duration of uninterrupted rest.
Implementation Method 1
a unidirectional air blower in fluid communication with a circuitous and continuous conduit; a bidirectional air flow conduit fluidly coupled to the circuitous and continuous conduit
Implementation Method 2
adjustable valves in the inlet port and in the conduit between the inlet port and the bidirectional air flow conduit; and adjustable valves in the outlet port and in the conduit between the outlet port and the bidirectional air flow conduit
Implementation Method 3
a thermally conductive gel-infused comfort layer for climate control
Implementation Method 4
a foam-air hybrid design featuring interconnected air bladders
Implementation Method 5
a plurality of air bladders disposed within the cavity
Data Source
AI summary
Active comfort controlled bedding systems and processes include an air blower assembly for variable climate control. The air blower assembly generally includes a unidirectional air blower configured to flow air to and from a mattress surface overlaying the bucket assembly.