Company R, a manufacturer of medical and nursing care products, recently decided to work on improving the functionality of electric beds to improve the comfort of users. Mr. D from the development department had this to say:
"Motorized beds are often used by people who are bedridden. If the same position is maintained for a long period of time, pressure and moisture will be applied to the skin, which can lead to bed sores. To prevent bed sores, motorized beds have functions to change position and distribute body pressure. Pressure and friction can be resolved with the pressure distribution function, but distributing body pressure increases the contact area between the body and the mattress, making it even more prone to moisture buildup," said Dr.
In the new model of electric bed, we designed it so that it would blow air inside to expel moisture and eliminate stuffiness.
"We first considered using an air compressor for ventilation, but this requires installing it next to the bed. Not many nursing care facilities have enough space, so installing it on the floor would get in the way.
So we considered incorporating a fan into the mattress. However, because the density of the mattress is high and it is difficult for the air to escape, we chose a fan with a volume that would reach the entire bed, but it ended up being larger than the height of the mattress, so we couldn't incorporate it into the mattress." (Mr. D)
Taking into account the installation space available on-site, Mr. D considered attaching a fan to the mattress, but faced new challenges with the fan's performance and size.
Mr. D had been gathering information to solve the problems, and when he visited an exhibition in search of a solution, he stopped by SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. booth to discuss the issues. Later, a SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. sales representative visited R and, after hearing about the issues in detail, suggested that a blower would be suitable.
"We were considering axial fans. Axial fans are designed to take in air from the back and push it out to the front, so if we wanted a fan with a volume large enough to reach the entire bed, it would end up exceeding the height of the mattress.
However, the "San Ace Blower" proposed by SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. this time takes in air from the back and expels it to the side, so it can be placed in a lying position.
In addition, the San Ace Blower has high static pressure, so it is ideal for mattresses with high internal density that are difficult for air to escape." (Mr. D)
Company R immediately requested an evaluation sample of the "San Ace Blower" and began evaluating the prototype.
"After actually evaluating it, we were able to confirm that the air reached the entire mattress as expected, reducing stuffiness. It was the perfect solution for combating stuffiness. With the new model, we were able to incorporate the blower into the mattress, which is an important feature for use in the limited space available in care facilities." (D)
After that, the new product that officially adopted the "SanAce Blower" was released and contributed greatly to the sales of Company R. Mr. D said that he would like to continue consulting with SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. in the future.
For more information about blower fans, please also see "Features of Blower Fans."
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