Convective seating and sleeping systems
First Claim
1. A convective cushion comprising:
- a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around a perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing a modular air flow structure therein, said top surface adapted for convective air flow delivered from said modular air flow structure;
an air inlet in fluid communication with the air flow structure;
a power unit having a blower in fluid communication with the air inlet for delivering air of a selectively variable temperature and quantity to the modular air flow structure through the air inlet; and
wherein said modular air flow structure comprises a plurality of removable pockets, each of said pockets containing a plurality of air permeable tubular spacer material arranged in a generally parallel configuration therein, and wherein positioning said plurality of pockets within said plenum is adapted to deliver said air of a selectively variable temperature and quantity from said air inlet to the top surface of the plenum.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A convective seating and sleeping system with a plenum for use as a mattress, cushion or as part of seat or other structure to deliver air flow to a user or users. The convective cushion includes a modular plenum made of removable pockets and a thermocouple to provide control data to selectively control the temperature and/or quantity of the air delivered to the cushion. The cushion includes the use of tubular spacer material. The cushion has deep styling lateral and longitudinal pleats and air flow structures around the pleats to provide a controlled air flow to the cushion. The invention includes an improved Stirling cycle heat pump with magnetic bearing structures and relative humidity controls and an improved thermoelectric heat pump that selectively controls the relative humidity of the air delivered to the cushion. The cushion can be activated and operated by remote operation from a telecommunications device.
-
Citations
47 Claims
-
1. A convective cushion comprising:
-
a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around a perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing a modular air flow structure therein, said top surface adapted for convective air flow delivered from said modular air flow structure;
an air inlet in fluid communication with the air flow structure;
a power unit having a blower in fluid communication with the air inlet for delivering air of a selectively variable temperature and quantity to the modular air flow structure through the air inlet; and
wherein said modular air flow structure comprises a plurality of removable pockets, each of said pockets containing a plurality of air permeable tubular spacer material arranged in a generally parallel configuration therein, and wherein positioning said plurality of pockets within said plenum is adapted to deliver said air of a selectively variable temperature and quantity from said air inlet to the top surface of the plenum. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
4. The convective cushion of claim 4 further comprising a face plate attached to at least a portion of an outer surface of the blower.
-
11. A convective cushion comprising:
-
a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around its perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing a plurality of air permeable tubular spacer material therein, the longitudinal axes of the tubular spacer material arranged in a mutually parallel configuration;
an air inlet in fluid communication with the tubular spacer material, said air inlet adapted to deliver selectively variable temperature air from a power unit having a blower to the tubular spacer material; and
wherein said plenum includes at least one pleat through said plenum, said pleat extending in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the tubular spacer material and along the plenum, whereby the air from the air inlet is delivered to said top surface through said tubular spacer material. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
-
13. A convective cushion comprising:
-
a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around its perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing a plurality of air permeable tubular spacer material therein, the longitudinal axes of the tubular spacer material arranged in a mutually parallel configuration;
an air inlet in fluid communication with the tubular spacer material, said air inlet adapted to deliver selectively variable temperature air from a power unit having a blower to the tubular spacer material; and
wherein said plenum includes at least one pleat through said plenum, said pleat extending in a lateral direction relative to the longitudinal axes of the tubular spacer material along the plenum, whereby the air from said air inlet is delivered to said top surface through said tubular spacer material. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A convective cushion comprising:
-
a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around a perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing an air flow structure therein, said top surface adapted for convective air flow delivered from the air flow structure to the top surface;
an air inlet in fluid communication with the air flow structure;
a power unit having a blower in fluid communication with the air inlet for delivering air of a selectively variable temperature and quantity to the air flow structure through the air inlet;
wherein the power unit comprises a free piston Stirling cycle heat pump configured to provide reciprocal movement of a piston within a cylinder in a sealed housing during operation, and comprising a magnetic bearing permanent magnet and pole assembly secured to the cylinder and adapted to interact magnetically with a magnetic ring insert on the piston so as to substantially maintain the piston and magnetic ring insert on center within the cylinder during the reciprocal movement of the piston. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method for remote control of a convective cushion in a vehicle, the steps comprising:
-
providing a receiver, the receiver in communication with a controller that selectively controls the operation of a power unit and blower in fluid communication with the convective cushion to control the delivery of air from the blower to the convective cushion;
transmitting a control signal to the receiver from a telecommunications unit located remotely from the vehicle to activate delivery of air from the blower to the convective cushion. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A convective cushion comprising:
-
a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around a perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing an air flow structure therein, said top surface adapted for convective air flow delivered from the air flow structure to the top surface;
an air inlet in fluid communication with the air flow structure;
a power unit comprising a blower in fluid communication with the air inlet for delivering air of a selectively variable temperature and quantity to the air flow structure through the air inlet;
wherein the power unit comprises a free piston Stirling cycle heat pump adapted for reciprocal movement of a piston within a cylinder to produce a cold end of a sealed housing during operation and having a reheater and a master controller to control the operation of the free piston Stirling cycle heat pump and reheater such that the master controller selectively activates and controls the reheater to control the relative humidity of cooled air from the blower to be delivered to the air inlet. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A convective cushion comprising:
-
a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around its perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing tubular spacer material therein, said top surface adapted for convective flow of air delivered from the tubular spacer material to the top surface and wherein the plenum is divided into a first section and a second section by a divider, said divider configured to provide a substantially air impermeable barrier within the plenum between said first section and said second section;
a first air inlet in fluid communication with the tubular spacer material within the first section;
a second air inlet in fluid communication with the tubular spacer material within the second section; and
a power unit having at least two independently controlled outputs such that a first output is in fluid communication with the first air inlet for delivering air of a selectively variable temperature to the first air inlet for the first section and a second output is in fluid communication with the second air inlet for delivering air of a selectively variable temperature to the second air inlet for the second section. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. A convective cushion comprising:
-
a plenum defined by a bottom surface secured around a perimeter to a generally air permeable top surface and containing an air flow structure therein, said top surface adapted for convective air flow delivered from the air flow structure to the top surface;
an air inlet in fluid communication with the air flow structure;
a power unit comprising a blower in fluid communication with the air inlet for delivering air of a selectively variable temperature to the air flow structure through the air inlet;
wherein the power unit comprises a thermoelectric heat pump and having an auxiliary fan and a reheater with an adjacent reheater air duct such that the auxiliary fan draws ambient air into the reheater air duct so as to transfer heat from the ambient air to the cooled air from the blower and thereby control the relative humidity of cooled air from the blower to be delivered to the air inlet. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
-
Specification