Bed with foot warming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11844433-B2
Application number	US-202017091094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A bed can include a mattress and a foot warming system. The mattress can include a mattress cover and a support structure that is positioned under and covered by the mattress cover. The foot warming system can include a heating unit an envelope, a power source, and an electrical connector electrically connecting the heating unit to the power source. The heating unit can be positioned inside the envelope between the envelope top and the envelope bottom. The heating unit and the envelope can be positioned at a foot of the bed under mattress cover between the support structure and the mattress cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bed system comprising:
a mattress cover;
a first layer having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the top surface covered by the mattress cover, the first layer configured to permit airflow through the first layer;
an air chamber positioned under the first layer and covered by the mattress cover;
a heating unit between the top surface of the first layer and the mattress cover, the heating unit being electrically controlled to increase a temperature at a foot portion of the bed system;
a pad positioned on top of the air chamber and configured to permit airflow therethrough; and
an air controller configured to move air through the pad to thereby control a temperature at a portion of the top surface of the first layer that corresponds to the pad.

2. The bed system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power source configured to supply electrical power to the heating unit; and
a controller configured to:
selectively power the heating unit to generate heat;
monitor a sleeping routine of a user over multiple days via one or more sensors to determine a learned sleep schedule; and
drive the heating unit to heat the foot portion of the bed system as a function of the learned sleep schedule.

3. The bed system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power source configured to supply electrical power to the heating unit; and
a controller configured to:
selectively power the heating unit to generate heat;
determine whether a user is asleep as a function of sensed data; and
drive the heating unit as a function of whether the user is determined to be asleep.

4. The bed system of claim 3 , wherein the sensed data comprises at least one of sleep tracking data and user entering and leaving the bed data.

5. The bed system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power source configured to supply electrical power to the heating unit; and
a controller configured to:
selectively power the heating unit to generate heat,
determine an expected bed time for a user of the bed, and
drive the heating unit to heat the foot portion of the bed system to reach a target temperature prior to the expected bed time.

6. The bed system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to detect the user laying on the bed system, wherein the sensor is in communication with the controller and wherein the controller is further configured to reduce power to the heating unit upon the sensor detecting the user laying on the mattress.

7. A bed system comprising:
a mattress cover;
a first layer having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the top surface covered by the mattress cover, the first layer configured to permit airflow through the first layer;
a heating unit between the top surface of the first layer and the mattress cover, the heating unit being electrically controlled to increase a temperature at a foot portion of the bed system;
a pad positioned and configured to permit airflow therethrough; and

an air controller configured to move air through the pad to thereby control a temperature at a portion of the top surface of the first layer that corresponds to the pad, wherein the heating unit is positioned only at the foot portion of the bed system such that no heating units are positioned at a middle portion of the bed system and no heating units are positioned at a head portion of the bed system.

8. The bed system of claim 7 , wherein the heating unit is configured to increase the temperature at the foot portion of the bed system while the pad is configured to decrease a temperature at a portion of the bed system that corresponds to the pad.

9. The bed system of claim 7 , wherein the air controller is configured to draw ambient air from the pad to decrease a temperature at a portion of the bed system that corresponds to the pad, while the heating unit is configured to increase the temperature at the foot portion of the bed system.

10. The bed system of claim 7 , wherein the air controller is configured to supply ambient air to the pad to decrease a temperature at a portion of the bed system that corresponds to the pad, while the heating unit is configured to increase the temperature at the foot portion of the bed system.

11. The bed system of claim 10 , wherein the air controller is configured to heat or cool the ambient air.

12. A bed comprising:
a mattress comprising:
a mattress cover;
a support structure that is positioned under and covered by the mattress cover, wherein the support structure of the mattress comprises a first air chamber sized for supporting a first user, a second air chamber sized for supporting a second user, and a foam layer positioned above the first and second air chambers; and
a foot warming system, wherein the foot warming system comprises:
a first heating unit positioned at a foot portion of the mattress between the support structure and the mattress cover, the first heating unit connected to the foam layer above the first air chamber;
a second heating unit positioned at the foot portion of the mattress between the support structure and the mattress cover, the second heating unit connected to the foam layer above the second air chamber;
a power source; and
electrical connectors electrically connecting the first heating unit and the second heating unit to the power source,
wherein at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit is attached to the foam layer via an envelope having an envelope opening, wherein the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit is removable through the envelope opening.

13. The bed of claim 12 , further comprising:
a pad disposed on top of at least one of the first air chamber or the second air chamber and configured to permit airflow therethrough; and
an air controller configured to move air through the pad to control a temperature at a portion of the support structure that corresponds to the pad.

14. The bed of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit comprises a flexible layer of electrically conductive fabric.

15. The bed of claim 14 , wherein the flexible layer of electrically conductive fabric allows the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit to be compressed within the envelope, wherein the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit is positioned inside the envelope between an envelope top and an envelope bottom, and wherein the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit and the envelope are positioned at the foot portion of the mattress under the mattress cover.

16. The bed of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit is configured to lay flat within the envelope.

17. The bed of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit comprises a plurality of fabric heating elements spaced apart at specified gaps.

18. The bed of claim 17 , wherein the specified gaps are between 0.2 and 0.7 inches.

19. The bed of claim 12 , wherein the support structure defines a pathway through which the electrical connectors extend between the at least one of the first heating unit or the second heating unit and the power source.

20. A bed comprising:
a mattress comprising:
a mattress cover;
a support structure that is positioned under and covered by the mattress cover;
a foam layer positioned above the support structure and below the mattress cover; and
a foot warming

Assignees

• Sleep Number Corp

Inventors

• Karschnik Kody Lee
• Sayadi Omid
• Palashewski Wade Daniel
• Demirli Ramazan
• Rose Eric
• Chhaparwal Saurabh

Classifications

• A47C21/048 Primary

  for heating · CPC title

• A47C27/002

  Mattress or cushion tickings or covers · CPC title

• A47C27/15

  consisting of two or more layers (A47C27/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47C31/001

  Fireproof means · CPC title

• A47C31/008

  Use of remote controls · CPC title