Testing and Shipping Update - October 2022

We finally received a small part, bolt-on bolt-off, that allows us to increase the strength of the powered Ensven pad a little more. We managed to find a bit more weight compared to our previous test, an additional 25kg.

This gives total loads of - for details please see the previous update:

• 430kg or 950lbs without Ensven staff

• 530kg or 1,170lbs with Ensven staff

Importantly, while in previous testing units tended to stall at 505kg / 1,100lbs of load, in most recent testing with the small new part, the units keep going at 530kg / 1,170lbs of load. Check out the video below. We’ll try to find a bit more weight and see if we can stall out this latest configuration, but this is just to get this data point. The vast majority of beds available on the market, with two adults sleeping in them, will not reach such weights. If you have already received your Ensven system, and you feel your powered pad could use more power, then please let us know, we’ll take care of you.

The video also shows a few additional powered units being tested without load.

Testing and Shipping Update - September 2022

Before we ship units out we are testing them, particularly the powered pads that drive the motion. In the video below you can see a sofa bed being used as test rig for an Ensven system. The powered unit is covered because it is open during testing and we can’t share the insides publicly for IP reasons.

Load Testing

In the test shown in the video below the system is run at nearly full speed, at its lowest lateral strength because:

1. The driver motor is somewhat weaker at higher speeds

2. At higher speeds the acceleration that the system has to generate is higher. Since Force = mass times acceleration (F = M x a), this means that the mass that it can move is lower.

The load components are:

• Sofa bed - 100kg or 220lbs

• 10 pallets of 40 x 0.5 liter of water bottles for a total of 200kg or 450lbs

• 1 5 gallon water tank weighing 20kg or 45lbs

• 4 dumbbells weighing 22lbs or 10kg (numbers on dumbbells are in lbs)

• 3 cardboard boxes with Ensven steel components inside, each weighing 25kg for a total of 75kg or 170lbs

• Ensven staff member weighing 100kg or 220lbs

This gives total loads of:

• Total of 405kg or 900lbs without Ensven staff

• Total of 505kg or 1,100lbs with Ensven staff

As you can see in the video, at nearly full speed Ensven can move the 405kg / 900lbs load without problems. At full speed the system can briefly move 505kg or 1,100 lbs, but then eventually stalls out.

Although the weight bearing capacity is higher, at almost 2,000lbs, the load capacity of around 1,000lbs is what we are looking for to give a unit quality control approval. This kind of load encompasses the vast majority of beds with 2 adult people in them. We typically let a unit run for a few hours with this load to make sure it is able to handle it mechanically. We let it run for a few days without load to make sure that some of the internal electronic components that are not affected by load but only by being switched on and being active are OK and remain functional.

Stall Testing

The video also shows us testing what happens should a unit stall. It disengages and then tries to start running again, automatically. The system tries this 3 times, and then stops trying. This is for safety, just in case the reason the system is stalling is because a person is stuck behind the bed. We don’t want the system to indefinitely try to restart itself and push against the obstacle. As you can see in the video, to stop an almost fully loaded system by hand requires some force, although not a huge one. Should a system be loaded more lightly, the force required to stall it is larger. Yet, even at a light load the force the system generates would not be large enough to instantly harm a person; unless the bed has sharp or pointy objects pointing out from it for some reason. Please take care to keep the path of motion free of obstacles, people and pets. Please make sure the bed on top of Ensven has no sharp or pointy objects pointing out from it.

Production and Shipping Update - September 2022

We recently got in a new batch of fan motor drivers. Ensven has two tiny blower fans in the powered pads. With the old driver, the fans were nearly silent when the system was open. A slight whine could be heard when very close to the fans. Once the lid was closed, it was virtually inaudible. With the new driver, the fans are virtually silent even when the system is open, without a lid on. We' have replaced the already installed drivers in units not yet shipped and will be using the new drivers from now on. There isn’t really a performance difference, the power consumed is virtually the same. But if you have already got your powered pad and you can actually hear the fan motors and it bothers you, please let us know and we’ll take care of the issue.