Temperature-Regulating Mattress

Abstract

A temperature-regulating mattress system provides dynamic adjustment of temperature and other parameters throughout a user's sleep cycle to maximize the quality of the user's sleep, Features of the system may include: (a) heating and cooling temperature regulation (with dynamic custom profiles that control humidity and are dual-zone); (b) smart controls (with remotes and apps that learn from users to optimize settings and work with smart home products such as Alexa and interactive lighting systems); (c) comfort (with a mattress that provide the necessary support for its users); and (d) sensors used for temperature and humidity estimation algorithms, control mechanism, and additional inferences from those sensors (pose, enrichment of biometric sensing data, etc.).

We claim: 
     
         1 . A mattress system comprising:
 a laterally extending comfort layer having a lower surface and an upper surface, said comfort layer comprising an opening extending through said comfort layer from the upper surface to the lower surface;   a tubular insert positioned within the opening of said comfort layer and having an upper end and a lower end, said tubular insert having an air-impermeable peripheral wall extending between the upper end and the lower end of said tubular insert, said tubular insert further comprising a first air-impermeable flange located at one of the upper end and the lower end of said tubular insert and extending around the opening at one of the upper surface and the lower surface of said comfort layer;   a laterally extending bottom layer joined to the lower surface of said comfort layer, said bottom layer having an aperture that is aligned with the opening at the lower surface of said comfort layer, the aperture being equal to or greater than the opening at the lower surface of said comfort layer;   a laterally extending top layer joined to the upper surface of said comfort layer and having an aperture that is aligned with the opening at the upper surface of said comfort layer, the aperture being equal to or greater than the opening at the upper surface of said comfort layer;   wherein one of said top layer and said bottom layer secures said first flange of said tubular insert to said comfort layer.   
     
     
         2 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein said tubular insert comprises a second air-impermeable flange located at the other one of the upper end and the lower end of said tubular insert, said second flange extending round the opening at the other one of the upper surface of said comfort layer and the lower surface of said comfort layer; and wherein the other one of said top layer and said bottom layer secures said second flange of said tubular insert to said comfort layer. 
     
     
         3 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein said laterally extending comfort layer comprises a plurality of layers. 
     
     
         4 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the opening in said comfort layer is vertical. 
     
     
         5 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein the opening in said comfort layer is slanted. 
     
     
         6 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein said tubular insert comprises an encapsulated coil spring. 
     
     
         7 . The mattress system of  claim 1 , wherein said air-impermeable peripheral wall of said tubular insert is accordion shaped, to allow for contraction and expansion of said tubular insert in response to changes in vertical loading on said insert. 
     
     
         8 . A mattress system comprising:
 a plurality of laterally extending foam layers joined together, said plurality of foam layers having an upper surface and a lower surface, said plurality of foam layers further having at least one opening extending between the upper surface and the lower surface of said plurality of foam layers;   an at least one foam insert positioned within said at least one opening, said at least one foam insert having an upper surface and a lower surface, said at least one foam insert further comprising a hole running from the upper surface of said at least one foam insert to the lower surface of said at least one foam insert; and   a fan located below said plurality of foam layers, said fan configured to force air through the hole in said foam insert toward the upper surface of said foam insert;   wherein the interior surface of said hole in the foam insert is air-impermeable;   wherein the upper surface of said at least one foam insert is aligned with the upper surface of said plurality of laterally extending foam layers; and   wherein the lower surface of said at least one foam insert is aligned with the lower surface of said plurality of laterally extending foam layers.   
     
     
         9 . The mattress system of  claim 8 , wherein the interior surface of said foam insert is air-impermeable due to a self-skinning property of said foam insert. 
     
     
         10 . The mattress system of  claim 8 , wherein the interior surface of said foam insert is air-impermeable due to a sealant applied to the interior surface. 
     
     
         11 . The mattress system of  claim 8 , wherein the hole in said foam insert is vertical. 
     
     
         12 . The mattress system of  claim 8 , wherein the hole in said foam insert is slanted. 
     
     
         13 . The mattress system of  claim 8 , further including a thermal conditioning element positioned between said fan and said foam insert, said thermal conditioning element enabling thermal conditioning of the air forced by said fan through the hole in said foam insert. 
     
     
         14 . A mattress comprising:
 a plurality of laterally extending foam layers joined together, said plurality of foam layers having an at least one opening therethrough, said opening located in a torso zone of said mattress;   a foam insert positioned withing the opening, said foam insert comprising a hole therethrough for allowing airflow between a top surface of said mattress and a bottom surface of said mattress;   wherein the interior surface of said hole in air-impermeable; and   wherein said foam insert increases support in the torso zone of said mattress.   
     
     
         15 . The mattress system of  claim 14 , wherein the interior surface of said foam insert is air-impermeable due to a self-skinning property of said foam insert. 
     
     
         16 . The mattress system of  claim 14 , wherein the interior surface of said foam insert is air-impermeable due to an applied sealant. 
     
     
         17 . The mattress system of  claim 14 , wherein the hole in said foam insert is vertical. 
     
     
         18 . The mattress system of  claim 14 , wherein the hole in said foam insert is slanted. 
     
     
         19 . The mattress in  claim 14 , wherein said foam insert is molded. 
     
     
         20 . The mattress in  claim 14 , wherein said foam insert comprises a plurality of stacked die cut foam layers.