Bed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11779126-B2
Application number	US-202017091723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Apr 7, 2020
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A bed includes a mattress set on which a user's body is placed, an adjustable bedframe to adjust a position or orientation of the mattress set for various sitting and sleeping positions, and a dryer to dry the mattress set. The dryer includes a fan, a filter, and a heater to discharge filtered hot air toward the dryer to reduce mildew and mites. A humidity sensing sheet may be provided to sense a humidity level at different regions or areas of the bed, and the dryer may be controlled to supply hot air to regions of the bed having a higher humidity level than a predetermined humidity level or humidity range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling mattress humidity, comprising:
sensing a humidity at a plurality of points on a mattress;
determining respective average humidity values for a plurality of regions of the mattress based on the sensed humidity at the plurality of points; and
performing a drying operation based on the determined average humidity values,
wherein sensing the humidity at the plurality of points on the mattress includes:
repeatedly sensing the humidity;
determining a difference between a current sensed humidity and a previously sensed humidity;
comparing the determined difference to a predetermined error range;
when the determined difference is within the predetermined error range for a first predetermined time period, proceeding to the determining of the respective average humidity values for the plurality of regions of the mattress; and
when the determined difference the predetermined error range for a second predetermined time period, stopping sensing for a third predetermined time period and repeating the repeatedly sensing of the humidity after the third predetermined tithe period, and

wherein performing the drying operation includes:
comparing the respective average humidity values for the plurality of regions to a predetermined humidity range; and
operating at least one fan provided below the mattress to suction air and selectively discharge air toward at least one of the regions of the mattress having ones of the respective average humidity values that exceed the predetermined humidity range to dry the at least one of the regions of the mattress.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the drying operation further includes operating at least one heater to heat air discharged to the mattress.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the drying operation further includes operating at least one damper to discharge air toward the at least one of the regions of the mattress to be dried during the drying operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the drying operation further includes operating a motor to raise at least one air dispenser.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a humidifying sensing sheet is provided on the mattress to sense the humidity at the plurality of points, the humidifying sensing sheet having a plurality of electrode lines configured to measure humidity or moisture.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the respective average humidity values for the plurality of regions of the mattress;
generating an image based on the processed average humidity values; and
outputting the image on a display.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a user interface configured to receive at least one of an automatic command or a manual command is provided on a remote controller having a display.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein, upon receiving an automatic command based on a user input into a user interface, the step of performing the drying operation includes operating the fan for a predetermined time period based on the determined average humidity values for the at least one of the regions of the mattress exceeding the predetermined humidity range.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein, after the predetermined time period, sensing the humidity, determining the average humidity value, and performing the drying operation is repeated until the determined average humidity value for each of the regions of the mattress is inside the predetermined humidity range.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a season of the year,
wherein, upon receiving an automatic command based on a user input into a user interface, the step of performing the drying operation includes comparing the determined average humidity values to a predetermined humidity range for the determined season, and the step of performing the drying operation includes operating the fan for a predetermined time period if the determined average humidity values for the at least one of the regions of the mattress exceed the predetermined humidity range for the determined season.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sensing a temperature of the mattress; and
determining the predetermined humidity range based on the sensed temperature.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein, upon receiving a manual command based on a user input into a user interface, the step of performing the drying operation includes:
selecting a desired humidity value via the user interface, and
determining the determined average humidity value based on the desired humidity value.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sensing a temperature; and
operating a heater for a predetermined time if the sensed temperature is less than a predetermined temperature.

14. A method of controlling a mattress humidity, comprising:
performing a humidity scan of the mattress;
storing data from the humidity scan;
determining, using the stored data, average humidity values corresponding a plurality of regions of the mattress;
generating, via the processed data, a humidity image reflecting the humidity values at the plurality of regions;
outputting the humidity image on a display;
comparing the determined average humidity values to predetermined humidity values; and
performing a drying operation to dry the mattress based on the the comparing of the determined average humidity values to the predetermined humidity values,
wherein performing humidity scan includes:
repeatedly sensing the humidity;
determining a difference between a current sensed humidity and a previous sensed humidity;
comparing the determined difference to a predetermined error range;
when the determined difference is within the predetermined error range for a first predetermined time period, proceeding to the step of determining the average humidity values; and
when the determined difference is not within the predetermined error range for a second predetermined time period, stopping sensing for a third predetermined time period, and repeating the step of repeatedly sensing; the humidity after the third predetermined time period, and

wherein performing the drying operation includes selectively discharging air toward at least one of the regions of the mattress having ones of the respective average humidity values that exceed the predetermined humidity values to dry the at least one of the regions of the mattress.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined humidity values are selected based on a user selection via a user interface provided on a remote controller, the remote controller having the display.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined humidity values are determined based on at least one of past user selections provided via a user interface, a season of year, an ambient temperature, or a comparison of all of the determined humidity values to each other.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein performing the drying operation includes operating at least one of a fan or a heater.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein performing the drying operation includes operating at least one fan to suction and discharge air and at least one damper to control the at least one of the regions of the mattress where air is supplied.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein performing the humidity scan includes sensing a plurality of pressures using a pressure sensor sheet provided on the mattress.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Daewoong
• Oh Minkyu
• Lee Deukwon
• Kim Yongnam
• An Seongwoo
• No Yanghwan
• Jung Hojae

Classifications

• A47C21/044 Primary

  with active means, e.g. by using air blowers or liquid pumps · CPC title

• A47C20/041

  by electric motors · CPC title

• A47C23/002

  with separate resilient support elements, e.g. elastomeric springs arranged in a two-dimensional matrix pattern · CPC title

• A47C23/34

  with provisions for giving extra support for the head or the legs · CPC title

• A47C27/053

  with only one layer of foamed material · CPC title