Blanket Apparatus for Distributing Conditioned Air Into Zones of a Bed

Abstract

A blanket apparatus for accepting and distributing a pressurized flow of conditioned air into a zone around the body of a bed occupant. The apparatus includes an upper layer and lower layer of differing air permeability, joined to form a flow cavity between them for the pressurized air. A plurality of joining methods between the upper and lower layer is provided within the flow area to prevent the blanket from ballooning under the pressurized air flow. The blanket apparatus contains means to cover an entire bed while directing pressurized conditioned air to specific zones of the bed. The invention also contemplates connection of two independent supplies of conditioned air into a single top layer of bedding under which multiple bed occupants sleep, to evenly distribute such independent supplies into specific dual zone areas. The apparatus achieves its function by utilizing materials that are ordinarily used in existing bed linens and comforters.

1 . A blanket apparatus for receiving and distributing a pressurized air flow into a bed for the purposes of bed temperature control and ventilation, the apparatus comprising a:
 two sheet layers of a blanket in contact with each other in a one over the other relation and being over dual zones of a bed;   sealing means for forming an air cavity in a scaled manner between the two sheet layers and for joining the two sheet layers to each other accordingly, said sealing means being configured to interconnect the two sheet layers in a substantially continuous closed path yet leaving an unsealed air flow area of said upper and lower layers that is spaced inward from where the sealing means is located;   air inlet means communicating with the unsealed portion between the two sheet layers for making connection of two independent supplies of pressurized conditioned air into the upper one of the two sheet layers;   even distribution means for evenly distributing the independent supplies of pressurized conditioned air from respective ones of separate internal air flow cavities into the dual zones, said even distribution means including means for separating the air cavity into separate internal air flow cavities with a separation mechanism in a sealed manner, said even distribution means also including a lower one of the two sheet layers being configured to have a higher air permeability than that of an upper one of the two sheet layers so that a majority of the pressurized conditioned air exits from respective ones of the separate internal air flow cavities by passing through the lower one of the two sheet layers that has the higher air permeability;   preventing means for preventing ballooning of the blanket while the separate internal air flow cavities are under pressure from the flow of the pressurized conditioned air yet enabling contiguous flow of the two independent supplies of the pressurized conditioned air to pass through the separate internal air flow cavities, said enabling means including a plurality of thread stitchings between the upper and lower layers within the unsealed air flow area that are spaced apart from each other in a uniform manner.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus in  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized conditioned air within the separate internal air flow cavities is in a heated condition relative to that of ambient temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus in  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized conditioned air within the separate internal air flow cavities is in a cooled condition relative to that of ambient temperature. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus in  claim 1 , wherein the blanket covers substantially all of the bed but said even distribution means directs flow of the pressurized conditioned air towards only half or some zoned portion of the bed. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus in  claim 6 , wherein said separation mechanism between the two internal air flow cavities is configured in a removable manner to restore the blanket to a single zone air flow cavity upon removal of the separation mechanism. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing mechanism is thread stitching that joins the two sheet layers. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus in  claim 1 , wherein no visible holes, slits or apertures are present in the lower one of the two sheet layers that would tend to increase air permeability. 
     
     
         10 . A method for receiving and distributing a pressurized air flow into a bed via a blanket apparatus for the purposes of bed temperature control and ventilation, the method comprising:
 contacting two sheet layers of a blanket with each other in a one over the other relation and being over dual zones of a bed;   forming an air cavity in a sealed manner by scaling between the two sheet layers and joining the two sheet layers to each other accordingly, said sealing including interconnecting the two sheet layers in a substantially continuous closed path yet leaving an unsealed air flow area of the two sheet layers that is spaced inward from where the sealing occurs;   communicating an air inlet means with the unsealed portion between the two sheet layers for making connection of two independent supplies of pressurized conditioned air into the upper one of the two sheet layers;   evenly distributing the independent supplies of pressurized conditioned air from respective ones of separate internal air flow cavities into the dual zones by separating the air cavity into separate internal air flow cavities with a separation mechanism in a sealed manner and by configuring a lower one of the two sheet layers to have a higher air permeability than that of an upper one of the two sheet layers so that a majority of the pressurized conditioned air exits from respective ones of the separate internal air flow cavities by passing through the lower one of the two sheet layers that has the higher air permeability;   preventing ballooning of the blanket while the separate internal air flow cavities are under pressure from the flow of the pressurized conditioned air yet enabling contiguous flow of the two independent supplies of the pressurized conditioned air to pass through the separate internal air flow cavities by spacing apart a plurality of thread stitchings between the upper and lower layers within the unsealed air flow area from each other in a uniform manner.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing the pressurized conditioned air within the separate internal air flow cavities in a heated condition relative to that of ambient temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing the pressurized conditioned air within the separate internal air flow cavities in a cooled condition relative to that of ambient temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the blanket covers substantially all of the bed but with said evenly distributing of the pressurized conditioned air directing the pressurized conditioned air towards only half or some zoned portion of the bed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising restoring the blanket to have just a single zone air flow cavity by removing said separation mechanism between the two internal air flow cavities. 
     
     
         15 . The method in  claim 10 , wherein the sealing mechanism is thread stitching that joins the two sheet layers. 
     
     
         16 . The method in  claim 10 , wherein no visible holes, slits or apertures are present in the lower one of the two sheet layers that would tend to increase air permeability.