MATTRESS TOPPER WITH VARYING FLOW RESISTANCE

摘要

A bed comprises a mattress and a topper resting atop the mattress and extending in longitudinal and lateral directions. The topper has a fluid flowpath having an inlet and an outlet. The flowpath exhibits a nonuniform resistance to fluid flow in at least one of the longitudinal and lateral directions. The bed also includes a blower connected to the inlet for supplying air to the flowpath. The resistance may be a monotonically varying resistance to fluid flow in at least one of the longitudinal and lateral directions and configured to preferentially drive fluid flow through the topper so that a larger proportion of the fluid flowing through the topper flows under a target region and a relatively smaller portion bypasses the target region.

主权项

1. A topper for a bed, the topper extending in longitudinal and lateral directions and including a longitudinal fluid flowpath defined by an inlet and an outlet, the longitudinal flowpath traversing a material that has a has first resistance to fluid flow at a longitudinal plane and monotonically increasing resistance to fluid flow in the lateral directions away from the longitudinal plane to a point of second resistance to fluid flow on one side of the plane, the second resistance higher than the first resistance, and a point of third resistance on the opposite side of the plane, the third resistance higher than the first resistance.