Micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system and method for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11892443-B2
Application number	US-201716480102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system evaluates heat and humidity comfort level of textiles. The system includes a bed-shaped partitioned platform having one or more non-temperature and humidity-controllable sections and one or more temperature and humidity controllable sections. One or more temperature and humidity control machine is in communication with the one or more temperature and humidity control sections for supplying air with a pre-set temperature and humidity. A central controller electrically is connected to the one or more temperature and humidity control machines. The micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system can perform partitioned control on the temperature and humidity in a micro-environment during sleep, and is used for studying the influence of the temperature and humidity on the comfort level of different regions of a subject.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping, comprising:
a bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 ) comprising one or more non-temperature and humidity-controllable sections ( 21 ) and one or more temperature and humidity controllable sections ( 22 ) which define a micro environment therein;
one or more temperature and humidity control machines ( 3 ) in communication with the one or more temperature and humidity control sections ( 22 ) respectively for supplying air with pre-set temperature and humidity; and
a central controller ( 4 ) electrically connected to the one or more temperature and humidity control machines ( 3 ); and
a controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ), wherein an air outlet ( 12 ) and an air return inlet ( 13 ) are respectively arranged at the top and bottom of the controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ), and a diffuser plate ( 11 ) is mounted below the air outlet ( 12 ); and
the bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 ) is arranged in the controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ), and the air return inlet ( 13 ) is further arranged at the bottom of the bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 ).

2. The system for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat and humidity comfort level detection sensing apparatus ( 5 ) comprising a physiological index sensor ( 51 ) for collecting physiological data, and an acceleration sensor ( 52 ) for collecting data of a body position of the subject and an activity amount associated with a change of body position of the subject during sleep on the platform; and
one or more sleep temperature and humidity sensors ( 8 ) for collecting the micro-environment temperature and humidity of various parts of the subject during sleep.

3. The micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping according to claim 1 , further comprising a test chamber temperature and humidity control machine ( 6 ) electrically connected to the central controller ( 4 ), wherein air emitted from the test chamber temperature and humidity control machine ( 6 ) passes through the air outlet ( 12 ) and then enters the controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ) through the diffuser plate ( 11 ).

4. The micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping according to claim 3 , wherein a test chamber temperature and humidity sensor ( 62 ) is further arranged at the air outlet ( 12 ), and the test chamber temperature and humidity sensor ( 62 ) is electrically connected to the central controller ( 4 ).

5. The micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more temperature and humidity control machines ( 3 ) are respectively in communication with one or more ventilation pipelines ( 31 ), and air outlets of the one or more ventilation pipelines ( 31 ) respectively correspond to and are in communication with one or more lower-layer air inlets ( 23 ) arranged at the bottom of the bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 ), and the one or more lower-layer air inlets ( 23 ) are respectively in communication with one or more section diffusers ( 24 ) arranged thereabove; and
a heat dissipation polyester layer ( 25 ) is arranged close to and above the one or more section diffusers ( 24 ), an upper-layer return air passage ( 26 ) is arranged above the heat dissipation polyester layer ( 25 ), and the upper-layer return air passage ( 26 ) is in communication with the controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ).

6. The micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping according to claim 5 , wherein air inlets of the one or more ventilation pipelines ( 31 ) are respectively provided with one or more temperature sensors ( 32 ), and the one or more temperature sensors ( 32 ) are respectively electrically connected to the central controller ( 4 ).

7. The micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity system for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping according to claim 1 , wherein a connection opening ( 14 ) is arranged on a side wall of the controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ), and data cables of the physiological index sensor ( 51 ) and the acceleration sensor ( 52 ) are connected to an external computer through the connection opening ( 14 ); and
a ventilation window ( 15 ) is further arranged on the side wall of the controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ), and a ventilation fan ( 16 ) is arranged in the ventilation window ( 15 ).

8. A micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity method for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping, comprising:
disposing a test textile on a bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 );
arranging one or more sleep temperature and humidity sensors ( 8 ) respectively under the surface of a mattress ( 29 ) of the bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 ) and in a corresponding position in the textile;
arranging a physiological index sensor ( 51 ) and an acceleration sensor ( 52 ) on the body of a subject;
setting and adjusting a controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 ) and the bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 ) to the same pre-set temperature and humidity, and then allowing the subject to enter the controllable temperature and humidity test chamber ( 1 );
receiving a completed heat and humidity comfort level psychological evaluation questionnaire from the subject and thereafter allowing the subject to lie on the bed-shaped partitioned platform ( 2 ) and entering a sleep state;
monitoring the sleep state of the subject all night and collecting data;
receiving a further heat and humidity comfort level psychological evaluation questionnaire and a sleep quality psychological evaluation questionnaire after a predetermined time period from the subject; and
analyzing the data obtained from performing the previous steps, and subjectively and objectively evaluating the test textile.

9. The micro-environment controllable temperature and humidity method for evaluating heat and humidity comfort level of textiles proximal a subject during sleeping according to claim 8 , the analyzing data and evaluating the test textile further comprises:
evaluating a heat and humidity transfer performance and a material uniformity of the test textile according to physical level data obtained by the one or more sleep temperature and humidity sensors ( 8 ), thereby evaluating an objective heat and humidity comfort level of the test textile;
evaluating a subjective heat comfort level of the test textile according to psychological level data obtained from all the questionnaires;
evaluating the sleep quality according to physiological data obtained by the physiological index sensor ( 51 ) and the acceleration sensor ( 52 ), thereby evaluating the objective heat and humidity comfort level of the test textile; and
comprehensively evaluating a sleep heat and humidity comfort level of the test textile according to different data and evaluation results in the previous steps,
wherein the steps before comprehensively evaluating are executed in an arbitrary order.

Assignees

• Hong Kong Res Inst Textiles & Apparel Ltd

Inventors

• Yao Lei
• Liao Xiao
• Lin Siyu

Classifications

• G01N33/36 Primary

  Textiles · CPC title

• A61M16/161

  with means for measuring the humidity · CPC title

• F24F11/0001

  for ventilation (F24F11/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F11/0008

  for air-humidification (F24F11/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F11/62 Primary

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title