Title of Invention

"DEVICE FOR HUMAN BODY SUPPORT AREA INTERFACE HEAT CONTROL AND METHOD THEREOF'

Abstract A device for body support area interface heat control and method thereof by controlled air flow resistance and distribution in collapse resisting, juxtapose air voids of interface surface supporting body contour by flexible non collapsing crest and trough communicative air voids and airflow duct member system.
Full Text The invention provides a device for body resting support area interface heat control and method thereof.
The objective in the art is to provide bio-functional, physical and thermal comfort to body at rest in various positions of seating and lying. The human body at rest needs physical support that is generally compatible to body contour of resting part to make it comfortable. On a contoured support surface the body part has lower pressure compared to flat surface because of the larger surface area of the rest surface for a given load and also thereby accommodation of body flesh parts takes place. This makes the body part more comfortable like a soft cushion compared to a flat seat plank. When instead of the flat wooden a curved seat of body contour is used it gives better seating comfort.
While the body is resting it continues to perform its bio-functions including metabolism, which requires air, givfng energy generation and other bio-operations on the rest surface areas.
The heat generation is a natural phenomenon, however when the body is resting this heat gets trapped, by the resting support surface generating higher temperature depending on nature of the resting surface. This causes disparity
in heat dissipation compared to exposed body area and influences the body functions. In hot and cold climate sweating and heat loss respectively are influenced. These inequalities besides influencing bio-function also give discomfort to human feelings.
Prior Art
The prior art provides several kinds of device. These broadly are fixed and cushion type. In the fixed type are flat and curved surface rigid and semi-rigid -netted and woven seat and bed with perforation as added feature. Their physical comfort is limited, as they do not give sufficient contour flexibility.
In the devices, which are having spherical/cylindrical beads, forming a layer spread on soft seat there is some added air in the support area but this is entrapped air as in the trough seat cover. The soft seat and the body parts on resting fill up the bead curve surface limiting air trapped therein. Spring coil, including set with coil plane oblique, because of the large pitch, collapse reducing space and air which gets entrapped besides the large pitch leads to concentrated loading thus increases the discomforting body contact pressure.
In the cushion type for indoor, outdoor and mobile transportation usage material like synthetic foam, rubber pads, rubberized and natural coir and like material are used. These give good contour flexibility but no or little air movement capability. The foam and coir have very small air gap space, which get pressed under body weight pressure in region of support. These materials then act more like a strong heat transmission insulator in the pressed condition compare to the depressed condition. Some of these materials are used extensively as heat insulation. This result in body heat getting trapped and cause temperature rise of up to 10°C, being subjective to heat generation and
dissipation of site condition. Due to temperature rise the body experiences excessive heat and discomfort. This is more pronounced in hot situations like geographical tropical areas, deserts, etc and exposed areas including automobiles and other transport system and buildings.
In prior art there are also devices in which the flexible foam, coir and like materials are fed with air through ducts. The air under pressure comes out from the ducts and spreads in the seat medium- foam, coil, etc. and travel through the medium to the periphery and exterior. The air has to travel through the entire medium length succeeding the air inlet port. The air experiences multiple flow resistance. Firstly the medium gets compressed at the body contact face with the support seat leading to little or no air passage. Thus air bypasses these compressed areas since air moves through path of least resistance. Secondly the length of travel to the periphery from point of release in the medium is long causing added air resistance thus reducing flow rate. Also generally qualities like heat transfer, airflow, moisture content, metabolism rate are function of gradient differences. The heat transfer depends on temperature difference other factors remaining same. Airflow rate depends on resistance to flow and pressure difference. In the prior act devices because the medium-foam, coir being soft, collapse under body support pressure, get compressed reduces air gap, increase air resistance causing little or no air flow leading to bypassing of the desired body rest surface contact area by no or little airflow. Also the air passes succeeding zones across the length of the support medium. As the air passes succeeding area the air picks up heat and gain in temperature. Thus succeeding areas have higher and higher temperature of the passing air. Since heat transfer is function of temperature difference the amount of heat taken away reduces with the increasing air temperature in succeeding support zones. These lead to. deteriorating functions -heat,
moisture, air, etc. of the air causing insufficient performance. The prior art because of the inherent multiple deficiencies do not provide an efficient system that gives the desired function herein fore described.
Description
The invention provides a device with an interactive means, which has body rest surface bearing face interface surface where the air interacts with the body rest area while it supports the body. The support is by close-pitched crests, high parts surfaces and trough linked air voids. These crests-high part surfaces may have many faces and shapes with corresponding sections. They can be of regular or irregular geometrical shapes and be flat spherical, cylindrical or combination top surface and be solid, hollow section and be rigid or semi-rigid structure. The crest and trough are close pitched thus body rest surface is uniformly supported without discomforting feeling of support concentrated bearing of weight, pressure. The crest have rigidity in themselves and do not collapse under the body weight- unlike the prior art crest that collapse and are with large pitch but in present invention the crest under support is flexible allowing the crest-high parts- pivot to move up down to adjust according to the body contour. The crest undersurface structure and the interactive means mounting structure yield and adjust. Thus the interactive surface and zone formed by crest and trough deforms to give contour support. The crest and troughs, gap between the crests are in fluid communication with the interconnected air voids system juxtaposed to the interactive means body interface surface. The here before described crest structure and void structure makes the air void collapse resisting while bearing the body at rest on the crest surface which takes the body contour giving body physical contour comfort. The voids may be of more than one and different shapes, size configurations and be interconnected directly or through connecting passages. These features give air in the air void in various interface zone of the interactive means easy moving and spreading capability unlike prior act and to interact with the body rest surface. The air voids through a system of air feed ports be in communication through feed ducts system with various interface zone and exterior of the interface area of the interactive means gives it as a matrix area distribution network. Another novel feature is the supply of the interactive means. This gives fresh i.e. not worked, unexposed air supply to various matrix zones of the device interactive means to give comfort to the part in contact.
After spreading and interacting with the body surface the air is passed led out through exit port in each matrix zone and through corresponding exit duct to the exterior of the device. Thus the body-exposed air is removed to exterior from each matrix zone without interacting with succeeding adjoining matrix zone area giving higher performance- heat transfer and air feed. This feature gives the advantage that the outgoing air, after performing its function is subjected to lower air flow resistance as it exits at the matrix zone exit port, not travel through all the succeeding zone area of the interacting means surface and through the exit duct.
The lower resistance experienced by the air allow more air volume flow for given air pressure difference overcoming the major prior art draw back where non-peripheral area do not get good air flow because of communicative air resistance experienced on account of length of travel and reduced, collapsed air void in the juxtapose zone of the body rest surface of the prior art. The invention provides a controlled airflow over the interactive face like experienced with an air stream directed on the rest area. The air supply can be pretreated like for temperature, humidity.

In this invention unexposed, virgin air after emerging from the inlet ports in the interactive means particular zone matrix spreads through the body juxtaposed air voids and passes scavenging body resting interface including covering thereof causing heat and mass-moisture transfer function and exit in the zone area exit port led out by the exits ducts. The ducts have larger clear air passage thus air experiences much lower flow resistance allowing higher air volume for given air pressure-gradient. In prior art, air is blocked at every stage, at entry point and flow through the entire length of the seat because of the collapsible medium- no measure to non-blocking port or collapse resistance is practiced, leading to very low or no flow making them inefficient.
The invention also provides variation in airflow on the interactive means surface for e.g. more in central area of a seat by having more number of ports and larger, smaller size of ports in the central area. The number and size for inlet port and outlet port can suitably be set.
The improved performance of the supply air is powered by air blower to above atmosphere pressure giving large airflow in the interactive means air voids. This flow is further increased by having a negative pressure i.e. below atmospheric pressure at the exit ports of the matrix to give more efficient performance. Powered air - forced, and/ or suction draft by fan, blower run by motor, prime mover, relative movement pressure as in moving transport vehicles- automobiles and like. Pressure gradient by one or more different creating means giving pressure gradient between ports and respective ducts to give short interface surface air flow. In a lower performing variation of the invention the air movement is without external powered air and caused by convective airflow generated due to body heat. When air contacts the body it gains heat from the body causing a slight temperature rise. This causes air to rise and flow to a gravitationally higher area of the body contoured interactive
means in the air voids. This heated air either escapes out from the air permeable peripheral part of the interactive means and covering whereof where body is not resting and covering or looses its heat to surrounding and flows down through air ducts to the gravitationally lower zone of the body contoured interactive means. Where air flows out of the interactive means. Periphery fresh airflow in duct air passages to the lower part setting a convection cycle.
The convective current is only possible because of good air passage in the interactive means and suitable air transfer- flowing duct system.
A device for body resting support area interface heat control comprising; a flexural contour adapting, collapse resisting air flow duct system (4,5,7,8) with atleast an interior (4,7) and atleast an exterior part;
a body contour adaptable flexural interactive means (21) being for body rest area supporting with air flow interaction, being with at least in a part of the means a body support interface surface char with body pressure collapse resisting, perceptible uniform surface being of a plurality of low pitch trough and crest (1,16) and at least a trough of the said trough connectable with intercommunicative collapse resisting at least an air void (2,17) juxtapose said surface, allowing air flow between said surface and said air void under body contour comfort adapting lateral (3) flexural form of said means in conformity with a support (14) thereof;
said interior of said duct system in communication with at least a said air void for air flow interaction with the body on said interface surface of said interactive means.
A method for body resting support area interface heat control device as claimed in claim 1 comprising process steps of;
resting the body on interface surface of an interactive means (21) with a covering and a support thereof, connectable with air duct system.
Flexing to body contour of said interface surface with collapse resisting and intrusion restraining by atleast a trough on said interface to the pressure of the body;
Airflow connecting of atleast a said trough with atleast a collapse resisting intercommunicative juxtapose interface surface atleast an air void in communication with interior of said duct system;
Passing and interconnecting of air between said interface surface of said interactive means said trough through said air void and to an exterior of said duct system through interior thereof;
spreading, interacting of air with said body through said air voids on said interface surface and communicating of air with the interior and atleast an exterior of said airflow duct system.
Devices based on the invention features can be made assembling various herein described function members and several of these be made into composite unit. Like interactive means features are made in combination with an air duct system features with various air inlet ports and exit ports distributed to form a matrix giving each zone different air flow capacity.
Brief description of the drawings,
Fig. 1 depicting schematic three dimension section part of a device embodiment
Fig. 2 depicting schematic top view of device embodiment
Fig. 3 depicting schematic section of device embodiment element
Fig. 4 depicting schematic an inside section of seating layout of device embodiment
Detailed Description
The schematic sectional perspective view in Fig.1 shows interactive means (21) a representative of the invention where the crest (1) as cylindrical slabs rising from the structure (3) of the interactive means (21). The gap between the crest constitutes opening of the air voids (2). The gap between the crests (1) is small so that body rest surface and covering cloth thereon shall in normal use not go deep in and substantially reduce the space of air void (2) and obstruct the air movement between inter communicative voids (2). The crest (1) can be of other shapes, square, round, etc and aspect ratio to have sufficient rigidity not to buckle or compresses under body pressure to cause the air voids (2) to collapse losing their air flowing character unlike the prior act where air get confined by collapsing passages. The void may be of various shape and size suitable to give airflow ability under body resting pressure. The base structure (3) hold the crest (1) where the air voids (2) are located. The material can be no-metal synthetic like plastic, elastomer or natural materials like rubber. The face of crest (1) rise is flat or slightly spherical with a small pitch to give body surface the feel of uniformity, non-over concentration of body pressure as one feels in spaced out beads, ribs or benches of prior art.
The crests (1) are solid non collapsing and thus the trough connected air voids
(2) form between are also collapse resisting inherently but the base member
(3) structure being lateral with respect to the body surface is flexible in the
lateral plane, thus when resting on soft surface (14) like foam, coir that yield
the entire interacting means (21) contours to the body support shape of
enhance surface area giving the body physical comfort like as experienced on
a cushion of foam coil and likes.
To facilitate the contour adaptability of the device the ducts and interactive means are made with thin walled material using folding, corrugated thin wall thereby reducing the lateral flexural rigidity while maintaining the air void and the duct passage collapse resistance to give, the body support contour uniformly of low pitch and low air flow resistance and made from suitable metal, non metallic, composite materials, schematically illustrated in Fig. 3, showing the sectional view with crest (16), air void (17) and air duct (18) instead of plane sides (3,5,6,8,9).
The strengthening of thin wall form can be also made by varying the wall thickness besides profile projection giving local collapse resistance while giving overall flexural capability. The collapse resistance gives good air passage over surface of body interactive air voids and air ducts. The use of thin wall reduces both the weight mass and the heat inertia of the embodiment to give quick interaction.In another manifestation of the invention the interface surface crest (1) and air void (2) are of limited, yieldable form thus under body pressure they reduce and deform to a lower dimension air void (2) but in this pressed, reduced deformed situation maintain air space that allow good air movement for body surface interaction, inter void and duct air movement sufficient to effect desired heat and air transfer objective depending on factors like ambient temperature, climate target heat transfer comfort level. For this material like plastic elastomer, spring helical, or oblique and combination may be use to make the interface surface in conjunction with ducts to make interactive means.
The ports (10), (12) in the base structure (3) connect air voids (2) to air ducts (4),(7) respectively. The duct (4) in one form of the invention is connected to an air forced draft (11) i.e. pressure higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure. Thus air (11) from interior of duct (4) enter through port (10) and spreads in the adjoining air voids interacting with the body rest surface supported on crest face (1) then enters the port (12)- exit port and pass out through the respective exit duct (7) and goes out into the atmosphere. The air draft (15) interacts in the short area about it, matrix, Fig. 2 schematic plan view, port (12) and port (10) and goes out through the exit port (12) and not travel the entire length of the interactive means (21) to reach its periphery at end, base or side, or a point on the support surface not covered by the resting body. Long air path in prior art gives very high air resistance causing a backpressure dissuading the incoming air draft resulting in poor or no airflow thereby failing the objective in prior art device. The exit port (12) connected through the duct (7) over comes a long path air resistance draw back of the prior art.
In an advance form of the invention the duct (7) interior is connected to a induce air draft source. Thus at duct (7) is at an air pressure lower than the atmosphere pressure thus increases the pressure difference at port (10) and port (12) thereby causing more air flow between the inlet ports (10) and exit port (12) giving higher interaction and better performance.In a simpler version the ducts (4), (7) are not connected to external draft and duct (4) does not have a forced draft, the heat of the body resting on top of the crest- riser (1) cause air in the air void (2) to gain heat and temperature making it rise and flows to gravitational high contact surface point on the contoured interactive means surface to a peripheral area where it escapes or losses heat. Cooled air or fresh air flows in through gravitational lower located other ports (10), (12) and ducts (7), (4) replace the rising body contact air void air. This set off a small convective cycle to dissipate and distribute the trapped body heat in its support area. Though it is less efficient than the powered air draft, force and/or induced draft system. Fig. 4 gives schematically sectional view in which the interactive means (20) is with duct (19) feeding air to the air voids in the interactive means where convective air rises up in a simple seat with back form. Air circulation by convictive airflow in a seat contoured by body weight takes place because of the air void and duct system. The contour gives different gravitational level to the interactive means and attached air duct member system. Because of the maintaining of air moving capability of the interface air voids herein described and duct system the convective current is set up by the body heat giving an air cycle carrying the heat from the interface surface trough though less than the powered air embodiment. The location of the ports and their sizes are proportionate to the volume of air draft, the location- central or peripheral of the seat, rest area. Central area has slightly more heat thus more air is directed in the middle matrix zone.
By having more and or large port sizes and shorter pitch run. This way a control of the air distribution is achieved on the specific seat rest area; besides controlling the supply air draft volume from a power air means like, an air blower means not illustrated and connected to the air duct member system (4), (7) inflow and outflow herein described and the air can be conditioned/pretreated like for cooling, heating and humidity.
The ports as an added feature have nozzle like peripheral structure that direct and prevent air-blocking and direct air to the interface support surface.
The interactive means has crest and voids that have feature of limited yield and deformation under body pressure. Thus the interactive means retains enough space that allow sufficient interactive air flow on the body supporting interface of the means under the air pressure herein described to give the thermal interactive transmission thereby giving the thermal and physical comfort.
The interactive means interactive face may have over the supporting and air void connected trough air thermal and or air permeable covering like cloth, perforated sheet, mesh of natural or synthetic material. The air on the interactive means air void creating air sheet film performs its functions in unison.
The invention besides giving energy saving, thermal and physical comfort to the resting body leads to room energy saving by giving uniform thermal comfort comparable to the room ambience, reduces extra energy needed to control the ambience to offset the seat discomforting of the prior art.
Integrated flexural thin wall air duct member system with ports like corrugated pipes, round or other section, juxtapose air voids and body supporting crests put together to make body supporting interactive means providing air inflow and outflow for the body support in another embodiment performing the invention. In this way matrix zone of the support surface has suitable air inflow and outflow on the interface surface fed by the integrated tubular duct member system under it thus ensuring air distribution pattern with limiting air resistance for effective interface control of the body rest surface.
The device with the invention feature can be as a separate unit put on conventional prior art body rest equipment like chain, bed or made integral to the equipment. The conventional surface like synthetic foam, rubberized pad, dunlop and natural coir and combination give the flexible, contour able support on which the device flexible interactive means and the duct system is put as an add on manifestation or as an integral attached interior feature of the rest equipment and is in the covering and under support. In another possible embodiment limited yield interface surface herein described shall give limited yield flexibility to the support surface.
There are many forms of manifestation of the invention feature some described herein and the scope of the specification is limited by the claims hereafter given.



Claims :
1. A device for body resting support area interface heat control comprising; a flexural contour adapting, collapse resisting air flow duct system (4,5,7,8) with atleast an interior (4,7) and atleast an exterior part;
a body contour adaptable flexural interactive means (21) being for body rest area supporting with air flow interaction, being with at least in a part of the means a body support interface surface char with body pressure collapse resisting, perceptible uniform surface being of a plurality of low pitch trough and crest (1,16) and at least a trough of the said trough connectable with intercommunicative collapse resisting at least an air void (2,17) juxtapose said surface, allowing air flow between said surface and said air void under body contour comfort adapting lateral (3) flexural form of said means in conformity with a support (14) thereof;
said interior of said duct system in communication with at least a said air void for air flow interaction with the body on said interface surface of said interactive means.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said exterior of said
airflow duct system is of a wall form with at least an exterior surface with
said trough and said projections, including corrugated profile wall,
forming said interactive means and said interior being in said
communication therewith.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said interior of said
airflow duct system in communication with said air void connected said
trough is through at least a port (10, 12), said port of one and more size
and of at least a location matrix layout to give at least an air distribution
including in and out flow, low resistance air flow across said interface
surface and said duct system.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein at least a said port
connectable with said trough being structured to restrain body intrusion
and unblock ably direct flow on said interface surface and a covering
thereof and spread air therein, said covering being flexible and with and
without air permeability.
5. The device as claimed in claim 1 and subsequent claims wherein
airflow between said interface surface through at least a said air void
and at least a part of said interior of air duct system to said exterior
being with a pressure gradient, convective and/or powered connected to
an air source in fluid communication therewith, including forced, and/or
suction, induced draft, with or without conditioning.
6. A method for body resting support area interface heat control
device as claimed in claim 1 comprising process steps of;
resting the body on interface surface of an interactive means (21) with a
covering and a support thereof, connectable with air duct system.
Flexing to body contour of said interface surface with collapse resisting
and intrusion restraining by atleast a trough on said interface to the
pressure of the body;
Airflow connecting of atleast a said trough with atleast a collapse
resisting intercommunicative juxtapose interface surface atleast an air
void in communication with interior of said duct system;
Passing and interconnecting of air between said interface surface of
said interactive means said trough through said air void and to an
exterior of said duct system through interior thereof;
spreading, interacting of air With said body through said air voids on said
interface surface and communicating of air with the interior and atleast
an exterior of said airflow duct system.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said steps being for said
interactive means integrated with the exterior of said duct system
including corrugated wail form.
8. The method as claimed in claim 6 includes step of providing
unworked air in each part, zone matrix of the rest area is by controlling
air flow distribution of low air resistance to a pressure gradient,
convective or powered with or without conditioned air, is by plurality of
inflow and out flow air port of one and more sizes of at least a location
layout - zone matrix, giving said spreading, interacting and
communicating of air between said interactive means said air void and
to said exterior of said duct system through said interior.
9. A device for body support area interface heat control and method thereof substantially herein described with description and accompanying drawing.

Documents:

970-del-2004-abstract.pdf

970-del-2004-claims.pdf

970-del-2004-correspondence-others.pdf

970-del-2004-correspondence-po.pdf

970-del-2004-description (complete).pdf

970-del-2004-drawings.pdf

970-del-2004-form-1.pdf

970-del-2004-form-18.pdf

970-del-2004-form-2.pdf

970-del-2004-form-5.pdf


Patent Number 210331
Indian Patent Application Number 970/DEL/2004
PG Journal Number 43/2007
Publication Date 26-Oct-2007
Grant Date 28-Sep-2007
Date of Filing 28-May-2004
Name of Patentee PRABHAT KUMAR
Applicant Address V-8, FIRST FLOOR, GREEN PARK EXTN., NEW DELHI-110016, INDIA.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 PRABHAT KUMAR V-8, FIRST FLOOR, GREEN PARK EXTN., NEW DELHI-110016, INDIA.
PCT International Classification Number H01L 23/34
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA