Heated body pillow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current heating systems, including residential heating, contribute significantly to carbon combustion and climate change, and there is a need for methods that reduce energy consumption while maintaining user comfort.
Innovation Solution
A heated body pillow with a power cord enclosed by a tubular shroud, allowing for temperature adjustment based on user commands, which can communicate with a thermostat to coordinate heating and potentially reduce overall energy usage by allowing lower building temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional heating systems are used to maintain residential temperature, then user comfort is ensured, but energy consumption and carbon combustion increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heating function into segments: instead of heating the entire residence uniformly, only the user's body area is heated through the pillow and blanket system. This localized heating approach reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining comfort where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system applies heat locally to the user's body through temperature-controlled elements in the pillow and blanket, rather than heating the entire residential space. This allows the thermostat to be lowered while maintaining user comfort, reducing energy consumption.
2Ease of operation
If heating systems operate at higher temperatures, then user comfort is improved, but contribution to climate change increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the temperature parameter distribution: high temperature is applied locally to the user's body contact areas (pillow and blanket), while the overall residential temperature can be reduced. This parameter change allows comfort maintenance with lower overall energy input and reduced climate change contribution.
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 heated body pillow provides comfort while reducing energy consumption by allowing users to lower residential heating temperatures, as it consumes less energy than traditional heating systems, thus mitigating climate change effects.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element located inside an outer covering of the pillow
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for a heated body pillow are described. The pillow may receive, from a user device, one or more commands for adjusting an operating temperature of a heating element located inside an outer covering of the pillow. A power cord coupled to the heating element may be at least partially enclosed by a tubular shroud external to and coupled to the outer covering. The pillow may adjust the operating temperature of the heating element based on receiving the one or more commands.