Air-conditioning bed

Abstract

An air-conditioning bed comprises a bed frame, a mattress placed on and supported by the bed frame, and a head panel located at one end of the bed frame. The mattress is associated with a first air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the body of the user of the bed, forming an air-conditioned space. The head panel is associated with a second air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the head of the user. The first and second air-conditioning systems include a thermoelectric module.

Description

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/396,958, filed Aug. 2, 2010 for Air-Conditioning Bed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bed; and, more particularly, to an air-conditioning bed.

2. Description of the Prior Art

To ensure a comfortable condition during sleeping, air-conditioning devices are generally installed in the bedroom. A conventional air-conditioning device usually cools down or warms up the whole space in which the air-conditioning device is installed. However, during sleeping time, it is not necessary to cool or heat the entire room because most of the space is not occupied. Therefore, the conventional air-conditioning device will cause a great amount of energy waste. Although nowadays some of the air-conditioning devices can operate at a sleeping mode specially designed for overnight use, the amount of energy consumed by the machine is still considerably large.

Moreover, air flow from the air-conditioning device has a relatively high speed and low temperature, and most of the air-conditioning devices cannot adjust the flow rate and temperature of the air flow on the basis of the condition change of the sleeper's body. In particular, the conventional air-conditioning device mainly controls the room temperature based on a thermostat disposed in the device, so that it cannot predict and control the air temperature near the sleeper, especially when the sleeper is covered by a blanket. It will adversely affect the condition of the sleeper in a room with the air-conditioning device working overnight.

Therefore, it is desired to have a new device which can provide a thermally comfortable environment around the head and body of the sleeper, while the energy consumption during sleep can be very much reduced. It is also desired to provide a new device, with which the flow rate and temperature of the air can be varied on the basis of the condition change of the sleeper's body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an air-conditioning bed, comprising a bed frame extending in the horizontal direction, a mattress placed on and supported by the bed frame, and a head panel located at one end of the bed frame. The mattress is associated with a first air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the body of the user of the bed, forming an air-conditioned space. The head panel is associated with a second air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the head of the user. Each of the first and second air-conditioning systems includes a thermoelectric module having a thermoelectric device.

By using the bed, the whole room does not need to be air-conditioned even during peak summer time. Compared with traditional air-conditioning devices, the air-conditioning bed provides the user with a closed contact air-conditioning condition. In other words, only space adjacent to the head and body of the user is air-conditioned. As a result, more than 95% of bedroom space is no longer cooled down or warmed up, thus significantly reducing the energy consumed. In the meantime, the micro environment provided by the air-conditioning bed can perfectly fit the specific thermal requirements of the sleeper, thus creating a more comfortable environment.

In one embodiment, the thermoelectric module of the first air-conditioning system is housed inside the mattress, and the thermoelectric module of the second air-conditioning system is housed inside the head panel. Alternatively, the thermoelectric module of the first air-conditioning system can be housed inside the wall close to the bed, or placed on the floor under the bed, so as to provide a quiet environment around the sleeper.

In one embodiment, the mattress includes a mattress body and a mattress surface layer, air channels being arranged in the mattress body to communicate the thermoelectric module of the first air-conditioning system with holes in the mattress surface layer. The air channel is preferably in a form of flexible pipe, and the hole is preferably provided with a valve for selectively closing the hole.

In one embodiment, an air layer is provided between the mattress body and the mattress surface layer, one side of the air layer being communicated with the air channels while the other side is communicated with the holes in the mattress surface layer.

In one embodiment, the air channels are divided into supply channels and return channels. A first set of the holes communicates with the supply channels while the other set of the holes communicates with the return channels. With this arrangement, supply air can be supplied from the first air-conditioning system to the air-conditioned space through the first set of holes via the supply channels, and return air can be drawn from the air-conditioned space to the first air-conditioning system through the second set of holes via the return channels. Preferably, the return air is re-supplied to the air-conditioned space after being slightly re-cooled or re-heated by the first air-conditioning system. In another example, the second air-conditioning system is operated under a 100% fresh air supply model when the return air temperature is approximately equal to the room temperature.

The air-conditioning bed further comprises a control system, including a first control unit for adjusting the temperature of the air-conditioned space as well as the flow rate of the supply air from the mattress and a second control unit for the second air-conditioning system so as to maintain the speed-of-contact of supply air to the region adjacent to head of the sleeper in a certain range. Preferably, the speed-of-contact is maintained between 0.1 m/s to 0.2 m/s while the flow rate of the supply air from the mattress is set at about 20 l/s.

The control system can be set so that the temperature of the air-conditioned space at the beginning and end of the sleeping time is higher than that at the middle part of the sleeping time. In this way, the air-conditioned space around the user's body can be in an optimal condition for the health of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention will be facilitated by consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the air-conditioning bed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the side view of the thermoelectric module;

FIG. 3 shows the front view of the thermoelectric module; and

FIG. 4 shows a graph of temperature in the air-conditioned space against sleeping time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the air-conditioning bed 100 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the air-conditioning bed 100 comprises a bed frame 1 extending in the horizontal direction. A mattress 30 is placed on and supported by the horizontal frame 1. The mattress 30 is associated with a first air-conditioning system, so that conditioned air could be delivered to the region above the mattress 30, generating an air-conditioned space 9 above the mattress 30. In other words, the mattress 30 forms a so-called “air-conditioning mattress”. In a preferred embodiment, the mattress 30, together with a blanket 5 covering the body of a sleeper on the bed 100, creates a substantially closed air-conditioned space 9.

In most cases, the head of a sleeper is not covered by the blanket 5. As a result, cool air within the air-conditioned space 9 can not be conveyed to the region near the head of the sleeper. To this end, the air-conditioning bed 100 according to the present invention also includes a head panel 20 located at one end of the bed frame 1. The head panel 20 is associated with a second air-conditioning system, so as to deliver air, warm or cool dependent on the particular season, to the space adjacent to head of the sleeper. Therefore, the head panel 20 and the mattress 30 of the bed 100 work together, creating a thermally comfortable zone for the sleeper. The temperature and amount of air supplied by the first and second air-conditioning systems are preferably determined on the computation of predicted mean vote (PMV) and the healthy condition of the sleeper.

According to one embodiment, the first air-conditioning system associated with the mattress 30 and the second air-conditioning system associated with the head panel 20 each include a thermoelectric module 40 to provide heating or cooling functions. The thermoelectric module 40 generates cool or warm air through thermoelectric effect, which is known to one skilled in the art as the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage. For the sake of conciseness, the principles and structures thereof are omitted here. It is understood that the first and second air-conditioning systems can include an air-conditioning unit in other forms.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the side view and front view of the thermoelectric module 40 respectively. As shown, the thermoelectric module 40 includes a thermoelectric device 41 having two sides, a blower 42 connecting to the thermoelectric device 41 and a control unit (not shown). When certain voltage is applied to the thermoelectric device 41, a temperature difference is created between the two sides due to the thermoelectric effect. Blower 42 is used to direct hot/cool air flow generated near the two sides, in order to deliver the particular air flow as needed to the region near the sleeper.

In one embodiment, the electrical and mechanical components of the first air-conditioning system, including thermoelectric device 41, power supply and control electronics etc., are all positioned inside the mattress 30. Such configuration is shown in FIG. 1, which can help to minimize the space occupied and is helpful to provide excellent mobility for the bed.

However, it should be noted that those electrical and mechanical components keep running and vibrating in operation, thus producing considerably more noise, which is absolutely unfavorable to the sleeper. Therefore, in an advantageous embodiment, the electrical and mechanical components of the first air-conditioning system are housed inside the wall where the bed is closed to, or placed on the floor under the bed. In other words, the electrical and mechanical components are arranged in a way that they do not have direct contact with the mattress 30 of the bed, so as to ensure a quiet environment during the night. It is understood that the electrical and mechanical components of the second air-conditioning system can be similarly arranged.

Referring back to FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, the mattress 30 includes a mattress body 2 and a mattress surface layer 3. The mattress surface layer 3 is perforated to allow air flowing in and out of the air-conditioned space 9. Air channels 60 are provided in the mattress body 2, so as to communicate the thermoelectric module 40 with the holes in the mattress surface layer 3. In one example, the air channel is in the form of flexible pipe. Preferably, the hole in the mattress surface layer 3 is provided with a valve, which can selectively close the hole as needed.

In one preferred embodiment, an air layer 22 is arranged between the mattress body 2 and the mattress surface layer 3. The air layer 22 can be used as an intermediate storing station between the air channel 60 and the mattress surface layer 3 for storing cool air or hot air therein, and at the same time can enable a uniform distribution of the air flow. In the case of the air layer 22 is provided, the quantity of air channels can be reduced, so that the structure of the mattress 30 is simplified and the manufacturing cost is lowered. The air layer 22 is also able to respond to external pressure, such that when a sleeper lies on the mattress, his weight will automatically press the air layer 22, thus pushing cool/warm air flowing from the mattress 30 through the holes in the mattress surface layer 3 to the air-conditioned space 9.

Normally, in summer, fresh room air is drawn into the thermoelectric modules 40 and cooled down. Such air, after absorbing heat from the sleeper's body and being warmed up inside the air-conditioned space 9, is discharged to the surroundings. When the sleeper is covered with a blanket, it may not be so easy for the warm air to escape through the blanket. Furthermore, in case the room air temperature is relatively high when the windows of the room are opened even during peak summer, for example over 30° C., the thermoelectric modules 40 have to repeatedly cool the room air down to a desired temperature, which may lead to significant energy consumption.

In view of this, in the present invention the air channels 60 are further divided into two groups, i.e. supply channels and return channels. In the meantime, the holes in the mattress surface layer 3 are divided into two sets also, one set of which communicate with the supply channels while the other set of which communicate with the return channels. For example, in summer, cool air from the thermoelectric module 40 is distributed to the air-conditioned space 9 through the first set of holes in the mattress surface layer 3 via the supply channels. Moreover, air with a higher temperature from the air-conditioned space 9 is drawn through the second set of holes in the mattress surface layer 3, and then return to the thermoelectric module 40 via return channels.

According to the present invention, return air from the air-conditioned space 9 is slightly re-cooled, say, by just a couple of degree Celsius, and then re-fed to the air-conditioned space 9. When the room temperature is higher than the return air temperature, re-cooling of the return air can help to minimize the energy consumed. On the other hand, when the return air temperature is more or less equal to the room temperature, the second air-conditioning system of the head panel 20 is operated under a 100% fresh air supply model, i.e. always cooling down room air to the desired temperature, say at 26° C. Therefore, a thermally comfortable region around the sleeper is obtained, while the energy consumed is kept low. In this case, it is unnecessary to cool the return air from the air-conditioned space 9.

According to the present invention, two control units are used to control the operation of the air-conditioning bed 100. The second control unit is used for the head panel 20, and adjusts the speed-of-contact and temperature of supply air onto the sleeper's head, preferably based on commands of the user via an interface. In one example, the air speed is precisely controlled so that the speed-of-contact of the air onto the head is maintained between 0.1 m/s to 0.2 m/s.

The first control unit works for the mattress 30. It adjusts the temperature of the air-conditioned space 9 and the flow rate of the supply air from the mattress 30 according to the user's requirement. The first control unit can include an infrared sensor 70 mounted in the mattress surface layer 3 for detecting the temperature of the air-conditioned space 9. In one example, temperature of the air-conditioned space 9 is kept at around 26° C. in both summer and winter, while the supply air temperature is set at 24° C. in summer and 28° C. in winter. The air supply rate through the holes is set at around 20 l/s.

With air flow supply rate at 20 l/s and a 2° C. of temperature difference between the supply and return air, it is estimated that at least 60 flexible air channels, each having a diameter of 3 cm, are needed for a single bed, provided that a sleeping human dissipates 50 W of heat. Of course, the quantity and the arrangement of the air channels can be freely adjusted to satisfy different needs. Furthermore, the air distribution from the mattress surface layer 3 can be further adjusted by using valves that can selectively close the holes.

FIG. 4 shows the change of temperature in the air-conditioned space 9 over sleeping time (from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am). As seen from the graph, the temperature in the air-conditioned space 9 is lower at the beginning and the end of sleep, but higher in the middle of the night. In response, temperature and flow rate of air supplied during the whole night should not be constant. In other words, it is preferable to have variations in both temperature and air flow rate during sleeping time, which can be achieved by the first and second control units. It should be noted that such profile should be individually adjusted to match the health, age and gender etc. of different sleepers.

Temperature control of a traditional air-conditioner is mainly based on the thermostat inside the machine. In most cases it is not preferred to place a bed very close to the air-conditioner. As a result, it would be difficult and almost impossible for the air-conditioning device to predict and even control the air temperature near the sleeper especially when he is covered with a blanket. By using the air-conditioning bed according to the present invention, it becomes possible to accurately measure and control the air around the body and head of the sleeper.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made in the air-conditioning bed of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It is intended that the present invention covers all the modifications and variations thereof provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning bed, comprising a bed frame extending in the horizontal direction, a mattress placed on and supported by the bed frame, and a head panel located at one end of the bed frame,

wherein the mattress is associated with a first air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the body of the user of the bed, forming an air-conditioned space, and the head panel is associated with a second air-conditioning system for providing air after being conditioned to the region adjacent to the head of the user,

and wherein each of the first and second air-conditioning systems includes a thermoelectric module having a thermoelectric device.

2. The bed according to claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric module of the first air-conditioning system is housed inside the mattress, and the thermoelectric module of the second air-conditioning system is housed inside the head panel.

3. The bed according to claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric module of the first air-conditioning system is housed inside the wall close to the bed, or placed on the floor under the bed.

4. The bed according to claim 1, wherein the mattress includes a mattress body and a mattress surface layer, air channels being arranged in the mattress body to communicate the thermoelectric module of the first air-conditioning system with holes in the mattress surface layer.

5. The bed according to claim 4, wherein an air layer is provided between the mattress body and the mattress surface layer, one side of the air layer being communicated with the air channels while the other side being communicated with the holes in the mattress surface layer.

6. The bed according to claim 4, wherein the air channel is in the form of flexible pipe.

7. The bed according to claim 4, wherein the hole in the mattress surface layer is provided with a valve for selectively closing the hole.

8. The bed according to claim 4, wherein the air channels are divided into supply channels and return channels, and a first set of the holes communicates with the supply channels while the other set of the holes communicates with the return channels, so that supply air can be supplied from the first air-conditioning system to the air-conditioned space through the first set of holes via the supply channels, and return air can be drawn from the air-conditioned space to the first air-conditioning system through the second set of holes via the return channels.

9. The bed according to claim 8, wherein return air is re-supplied to the air-conditioned space after being slightly re-cooled or re-heated by the first air-conditioning system.

10. The bed according to claim 8, wherein the second air-conditioning system is operated under a 100% fresh air supply model when return air temperature is approximately equal to the room temperature.

11. The bed according to claim 1, further comprising a control system including:

a first control unit for adjusting the temperature of the air-conditioned space as well as the flow rate of the supply air from the mattress; and

a second control unit for the second air-conditioning system so as to maintain the speed-of-contact of supply air to the region adjacent to head of the sleeper in a certain range.

12. The bed according to claim 11, wherein the speed-of-contact is maintained between 0.1 m/s to 0.2 m/s.

13. The bed according to claim 11, wherein the flow rate of the supply air from the mattress is set at about 20 l/s.

14. The bed according to claim 11, wherein the control system is set so that the temperature of the air-conditioned space at the beginning and end of the sleeping time is higher than that at the middle part of the sleeping time.