Fluid distribution device, pneumatic comfort system and massage method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of fluid distribution devices, in particular to a fluid distribution device, a pneumatic comfort system and a massage method. The fluid distribution device comprises a shell, a plurality of gas supply units and a plurality of second valve modules are arranged in the shell, each gas supply unit comprises a main gas channel and a first valve module, and the first valve modules are arranged in the main gas channels to control the main gas channels to communicate with an external gas source or an external environment; the second valve module comprises an actuating assembly, a plurality of second valve cores connected with the actuating assembly and a plurality of mutually independent valve chambers, the valve chambers are in one-to-one correspondence with the main air passages, and the valve chambers are provided with second valve ports communicated with the corresponding main air passages and inflation ports communicated with the air bags; the second valve elements are arranged in the valve chambers in a one-to-one correspondence mode. The actuating assembly is used for actuating the multiple second valve elements so as to control opening and closing of the multiple second valve ports at the same time. By means of the mode, the number of the first valve modules (the fast switching valves) can be reduced, the cost of the fluid distribution device is reduced, the size is reduced, and noise and heat productivity are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of fluid distribution devices, and in particular to a fluid distribution device, a pneumatic comfort system, and a massage method. Background Art

[0002] Pneumatic comfort systems (for example, pneumatic massage systems or pneumatic support systems, etc.) usually include an air source device, a fluid distribution device, and an air bag connected to the air source device through the fluid distribution device. During operation, the air source device supplies air and the fluid distribution device controls the inflation and deflation of the air bag.

[0003] At present, in the pneumatic comfort system, the fluid distribution device contains multiple air valves, which are mainly responsible for controlling the flow direction, pressure and flow rate of compressed air. It is the core component of the entire pneumatic comfort system and accounts for the highest cost. In the pneumatic comfort system, there are usually a large number of air bags, each of which requires at least one air valve to control its inflation and deflation, resulting in too many air valves in the fluid distribution device, making the overall volume of the fluid distribution device large and the cost high. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application aim to provide a fluid distribution device, a pneumatic comfort system, and a massage method, so as to at least reduce the cost and size of the fluid distribution device.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a fluid distribution device, which includes a shell, in which a plurality of air supply units and a plurality of second valve modules are arranged, the air supply unit includes a main air channel and a first valve module, the first valve module is arranged in the main air channel to control the connection between the main air channel and an external air source or an external environment; the second valve module includes an actuating assembly, a plurality of second valve cores connected to the actuating assembly, and a plurality of independent valve chambers, the valve chambers corresponding one-to-one to the main air channels, the valve chambers are provided with second valve ports connected to the corresponding main air channels and an inflation port for connecting to an air bag; the second valve cores are arranged one-to-one in the valve chambers; the actuating assembly is used to actuate the plurality of second valve cores to simultaneously control the opening and closing of the plurality of second valve ports; wherein the switching speed of the first valve module is greater than the switching speed of the second valve module.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first valve module includes a first valve core, a first valve port for communicating with an external air source, and a first air leakage port for communicating with an external environment; the first valve core is capable of moving between a first position and a second position in the first valve module; when the first valve core is located at the first position, the first valve port is opened and the first air leakage port is closed; when the first valve core is located at the second position, the first air leakage port is opened and the first valve port is closed.

[0008] In some embodiments, a second air leak is further provided on the side wall of the valve chamber; the actuating assembly is capable of driving the second valve core to move between a third position and a fourth position; when the second valve core is located at the third position, the second valve port is opened and the second air leak is closed; when the second valve core is located at the fourth position, the second air leak is opened and the second valve port is closed.

[0009] In some embodiments, the number of the main airways is three.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first valve module is a solenoid valve, a piezoelectric valve, an electroactive polymer actuated valve, or a pilot-operated proportional pressure control valve.

[0011] In some embodiments, the time taken by the first valve module to control the first valve core to switch from the first position to the second position or to move from the second position to the first position is less than or equal to 10 ms.

[0012] In some embodiments, the time taken by the first valve module to control the first valve core to move from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position is less than or equal to 3 ms.

[0013] In some embodiments, the time length for the second valve module to control the second valve core to switch from the fourth position to the third position is greater than 50 ms.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second valve module is an SMA valve, the actuating assembly includes an actuator and a reset member, the actuator includes an SMA wire and a circuit board, each second valve core located in the same second valve module is connected to the middle part of the SMA wire through a valve core connecting rod, both ends of the SMA wire are connected to the circuit board, one end of the reset member abuts against the side of the second valve core away from the second valve port, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the valve chamber.

[0015] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a pneumatic comfort system, which includes an air bag, an external air source and the fluid distribution device, and the air bag is connected to the external air source through the fluid distribution device.

[0016] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a massage method, which is applied to the pneumatic comfort system, and the method includes:

[0017] Get massage mode;

[0018] When the massage mode is the preset first massage mode, all the second valve ports in the corresponding at least one second valve module are opened by the actuating assembly of at least one second valve module;

[0019] Through multiple first valve modules, the first valve ports of the corresponding first valve modules are controlled to open and close alternately in a first preset order, so that the air bags connected to the inflation port of at least one second valve module in an open state are inflated and deflated alternately.

[0020] In some embodiments, when the massage mode is the preset first massage mode, the first valve modules in each main airway are controlled to cyclically execute the following steps in sequence according to a predetermined timing: the first valve core is controlled to maintain the first position for a first period of time, and then the first valve core is controlled to maintain the second position for a second period of time.

[0021] In some embodiments, when the massage mode is a preset second massage mode, the method further includes:

[0022] Controlling a first valve module in at least one main air channel to perform the following steps: controlling the corresponding first valve core to maintain at a first position for a third time period, and then controlling the first valve core to maintain at a second position for a fourth time period.

[0023] In some embodiments, when the massage mode is a preset third massage mode, the method further includes:

[0024] Opening a first valve port through at least one first valve module so that the corresponding main air channel is in an open state connected to an external air source;

[0025] By at least one second valve module, the second valve ports on the corresponding valve chambers are controlled to be alternately opened and closed in sequence according to a second preset sequence, so that the plurality of air bags corresponding to at least one main air channel in an open state are periodically inflated and deflated.

[0026] The fluid distribution device, pneumatic comfort system, and massage method of the embodiments of the present application realize the inflation and deflation of multiple air bags respectively through multiple first valve modules and multiple second valve modules, thereby reducing the number of first valve modules (quick switching valves), and in the second valve module, multiple second valve cores are actuated simultaneously by only one actuating assembly to control the air path connection of multiple different valve chambers, thereby significantly reducing the cost of the valve module in the fluid distribution device, and the volume of the valve module is also smaller, that is, the volume of the fluid distribution device is reduced.

[0027] Furthermore, the fast switching valve generates a large amount of heat and greater noise due to high-frequency fast switching, and the reduction in the number of fast switching valves in the embodiment of the present application can also effectively reduce the noise and heat generation of the fluid distribution device.

[0028] In addition, the pneumatic comfort system provided in the embodiment of the present application can provide different massage modes according to the needs of the user. The product is more flexible and has a wider range of applicable scenarios.

[0029] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by corresponding drawings, which do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations unless otherwise stated.

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a fluid distribution device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 is a gas circuit schematic diagram of a fluid distribution device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the fluid distribution device;

[0034] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the fluid distribution device;

[0035] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A partial half-section view of the fluid distribution device;

[0036] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the first valve module;

[0037] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of the fluid distribution device;

[0038] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a massage method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of another massage method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig.10 This is a flow chart of another massage method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] The reference numerals in the specific implementation manner are as follows:

[0042] 100. Fluid distribution device;

[0043] 1. Shell; 11. Air inlet;

[0044] 2. Air supply unit; 21. Main air duct;

[0045] 22, first valve module; 221, first valve core; 222, first valve port; 223, first air release port; 224, first air inlet port;

[0046] 3. Second valve module;

[0047] 31. Actuating assembly; 311. Actuator; 3111. SMA wire; 3112. Circuit board; 3113. Valve core connecting rod; 3114. Connecting seat; 3115. Elastic member; 312. Reset member;

[0048] 32, second valve core; 321, extension portion; 33, valve chamber; 331, second valve port; 332, inflation port; 333, second deflation port;

[0049] 4. Cover plate; 5. Air bag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. It should be noted that when an element is described as "fixed on" another element, it can be directly on another element, or there can be one or more centered elements therebetween. When an element is described as "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element, or there can be one or more centered elements therebetween. It should be noted that, if there is no conflict, the various features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, all within the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, although the functional modules are divided in the device schematic diagram and the logical order is shown in the flow chart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order from the module division in the device schematic diagram or the flow chart.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0052] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0053] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the use of words such as "first" and "second" to define components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above words have no special meanings and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0054] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0055] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0056] Embodiment 1:

[0057] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The embodiment of the present application provides a fluid distribution device 100, which is used to controllably distribute gas from an external gas source to a plurality of air bags 5, so as to independently inflate and deflate the plurality of air bags 5, thereby achieving massage.

[0058] See also Figures 3 to 5The fluid distribution device 100 includes a housing 1, in which a plurality of air supply units 2 and a plurality of second valve modules 3 are arranged. The air supply unit 2 includes a main air channel 21 and a first valve module 22, wherein the first valve module 22 is arranged in the main air channel 21 to control the main air channel 21 to communicate with an external air source or an external environment; the second valve module 3 includes an actuating assembly 31, a plurality of second valve cores 32 connected to the actuating assembly 31, and a plurality of mutually independent valve chambers 33, wherein the valve chambers 33 correspond to the main air channel 21 one by one, and the valve chambers 33 are provided with second valve ports 331 communicating with the corresponding main air channel 21 and inflation ports 332 for communicating with the airbag 5; the second valve cores 32 are arranged in the valve chambers 33 one by one; the actuating assembly 31 is used to actuate the plurality of second valve cores 32 to simultaneously control the opening and closing of the plurality of second valve ports 331.

[0059] The number of the main air passages 21 may be three.

[0060] The number of the second valve modules 3 may be four.

[0061] The following description is made by taking the case that the number of the gas supply units 2 is three and the number of the second valve modules 3 is four. Figures 3 to 5 As shown in and can be found in Figure 2 , the number of air supply units 2 is three, and the three first valve modules 22 respectively control the opening and closing of the three main airways 21; the number of second valve modules 3 is four, and each second valve module 3 includes an actuating assembly 31, three second valve cores 32 and three valve chambers 33. In each second valve module 3, the three valve chambers 33 are respectively connected to the three main airways 21 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the actuating assembly 31 is simultaneously connected to the three second valve cores 32, so that the opening and closing of all the second valve ports 331 in the corresponding second valve module 3 can be controlled by one actuating assembly 31. For example Figure 3 The leftmost actuating assembly 31 can control the three leftmost second valve cores 32, that is, control the second valve ports 331 of the three leftmost valve chambers 33, and then cooperate with the three first valve modules 22 to control the three inflation ports 332 to inflate and deflate the respective air bags 5. Similarly, in each second valve module 3, the three inflation ports 332 can be controlled to inflate and deflate the respective air bags 5 by the actuating assembly 31 in cooperation with the three first valve modules 22, that is, the twelve inflation ports 332 can be controlled to inflate and deflate the respective air bags 5 by four actuating assemblies 31 and three first valve modules 22. In this way, the number of first valve modules 22 can be reduced. For example, when the first valve module 22 is a solenoid valve, the number of solenoid valves can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost and volume of the fluid distribution device 100, and reducing the noise and heat generation of the fluid distribution device 100. In addition, in the second valve module 3, only one actuating assembly 31 simultaneously actuates multiple second valve cores 32 to control the gas path connection of multiple different valve chambers 33, which significantly reduces the cost of the valve module in the fluid distribution device 100 and the volume of the valve module is also smaller.

[0062] Among them, the switching speed of the first valve module 22 is greater than the switching speed of the second valve module 3. That is, in the embodiment of the present application, the first valve module 22 is a fast switching valve, and the second valve module 3 is a slow switching valve, then the switching speed characteristics of the first valve module 22 and the second valve module 3 can be used to realize the fast massage mode and the slow massage mode. For example, the second valve module 3 is set to the normally open state, and then the first valve module 22 is quickly switched to realize the fast massage mode; or, the first valve module 22 is set to the normally open state, and then the second valve module 3 is slowly switched to realize the slow massage mode. It should be noted that the fast massage mode and the slow massage mode here are relative, that is, compared with the slow massage mode, the air bag 5 is generally not completely deflated before being inflated in the fast massage mode, the frequency of pressing the air bag 5 will be faster, and the massage force will be comfortable; the fast switch and the slow switch here are also relative, that is, the execution cycle of the fast switch is less than the execution cycle of the slow switch. By utilizing the switching speed characteristics of the first valve module 22 and the second valve module 3 to realize the fast massage mode and the slow massage mode, it is not necessary to set a more expensive valve module with adjustable switching speed, which is conducive to reducing the cost of the fluid distribution device 100. In addition, the fast switching valve will generate a large amount of heat and greater noise due to high-frequency fast switching, and some valve modules in the embodiment of the present application use the second valve module 3 (slow switching valve), which can reduce the number of the first valve modules 22 (fast switching valve), and can further reduce the noise and heat generation of the fluid distribution device 100.

[0063] It is understandable that the air bag 5 needs to be deflated, and in the embodiment of the present application, the first valve module 22 and / or the second valve module 3 are deflated as an example for illustration. In some other embodiments, deflation can also be performed in other ways, such as by additionally providing a deflation valve.

[0064] For the first valve module 22, see Figure 6 The first valve module 22 includes a first valve core 221, a first valve port 222 for communicating with an external air source, and a first air leakage port 223 for communicating with an external environment; the first valve core 221 can move between a first position and a second position in the first valve module 22; when the first valve core 221 is located at the first position, the first valve port 222 is opened and the first air leakage port 223 is closed; when the first valve core 221 is located at the second position, the first air leakage port 223 is opened and the first valve port 222 is closed.

[0065] Exemplarily, when the second valve module 3 is set to the open state and the first valve core 221 is located at the first position, the gas from the external gas source flows into the corresponding main air channel 21 from the first valve port 222, then flows into the corresponding valve chamber 33 from the main air channel 21, and then flows into the corresponding inflation port 332 and the air bag 5 from the valve chamber 33 to inflate the air bag 5. At this time, if the first valve core 221 is switched to the second position, the gas in the air bag 5 flows back to the corresponding valve chamber 33, then flows into the corresponding main air channel 21 from the valve chamber 33, and then flows into the corresponding first valve module 22 from the main air channel 21 and is discharged from the first deflation port 223 to deflate the air bag 5.

[0066] It is understandable that when the first valve core 221 is between the first position and the second position, the first valve port 222 and the first air release port 223 are both open, and the air bag 5 may be in an inflated state or in a deflated state. However, the time for the first valve core 221 to switch back and forth between the first position and the second position is short, so when the first valve core 221 is between the first position and the second position, the air bag 5 can be identified as a constant pressure state. For example, in some embodiments, the time for the first valve module 22 to control the first valve core 221 to switch from the first position to the second position or the time for it to move from the second position to the first position is less than or equal to 10ms. Further, in some embodiments, the time for the first valve module 22 to control the first valve core 221 to move from the first position to the second position or the time for it to move from the second position to the first position is less than or equal to 3ms.

[0067] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 and Figure 6 The first valve module 22 includes a first air inlet 224, which is in communication with the main air passage 21. When the first valve core 221 is located at the first position, the first valve port 222 is opened and the first air leakage port 223 is closed, and gas can pass into the first air inlet 224 through the first valve port 222, and then pass into the main air passage 21 through the first air inlet 224; when the first valve core 221 is located at the second position, the first air leakage port 223 is opened and the first valve port 222 is closed, and gas cannot pass into the first air inlet 224 and the main air passage 21, and gas in the main air passage 21 can be discharged through the first air leakage port 223.

[0068] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 and Figure 6 The housing 1 is provided with an air inlet duct 11 , which is communicated with the first valve ports 222 of the plurality of first valve modules 22 , so that the plurality of main air passages 21 are communicated with an external air source through the one air inlet duct 11 .

[0069] In some embodiments, the first valve module 22 is a solenoid valve, a piezoelectric valve, an electroactive polymer actuated valve or a pilot proportional pressure control valve. The solenoid valve is a control valve driven by an electromagnetic coil and a permanent magnet, which is widely used and has high reliability. The piezoelectric valve is a two-position (or proportional) control valve made by using the principle that a functional ceramic sheet produces bending deformation under the action of voltage. To control the action of the piezoelectric valve, only sufficient voltage needs to be provided, and the power consumption is almost zero, which is conducive to reducing power consumption. The electroactive polymer actuated valve is controlled by the electroactive polymer producing a slight deformation after being electrically stimulated. This polymer has the characteristics of strong strain capacity, light weight, high driving efficiency and good shock resistance. Therefore, the electroactive polymer actuated valve also has corresponding beneficial effects. The pilot proportional pressure control valve controls the opening of the pilot valve through a pressure sensor and an electronic control circuit, has the characteristics of stable output pressure, and has high sensitivity, high reliability and good performance.

[0070] For the second valve module 3, see Figure 7 A second air leakage port 333 is also provided on the side wall of the valve chamber 33; the actuating assembly 31 can drive the second valve core 32 to move between the third position and the fourth position; when the second valve core 32 is located at the third position, the second valve port 331 is opened and the second air leakage port 333 is closed; when the second valve core 32 is located at the fourth position, the second air leakage port 333 is opened and the second valve port 331 is closed.

[0071] Exemplarily, when the first valve module 22 is set to the open state and the second valve core 32 is located at the third position, the gas in the main air channel 21 flows from the second valve port 331 into the corresponding valve chamber 33, and then flows from the valve chamber 33 into the corresponding inflation port 332 and the air bag 5 to inflate the air bag 5. At this time, if the second valve core 32 is switched to the fourth position, the gas in the air bag 5 flows back to the corresponding valve chamber 33, and then flows from the valve chamber 33 into the corresponding second deflation port 333 to deflate the air bag 5.

[0072] It is understandable that when the second valve core 32 is located between the third position and the fourth position, the second valve port 331 and the second air release port 333 are both open, and the air bag 5 may be in either an inflated state or a deflated state. However, the switching speed of the first valve module 22 is greater than the switching speed of the second valve module 3, so when the second valve core 32 is located between the third position and the fourth position, the first valve module 22 may also be controlled to be in a closed state to reduce the loss of the external air source.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second valve module 3 controls the second valve core 32 to switch from the fourth position to the third position for a duration greater than 50ms. Therefore, the movement speed of the second valve core 32 is much slower than that of the first valve core 221. By replacing part of the first valve module 22 with the second valve module 3, noise can be reduced. Optionally, the second valve module 3 controls the second valve core 32 to switch from the fourth position to the third position for a duration of 100ms to 500ms. Optionally, the second valve module 3 controls the second valve core 32 to switch from the third position to the fourth position for a duration of 1000ms to 3000ms.

[0074] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 The second valve module 3 is a SMA (Shape Memory Alloys) valve. The actuating assembly 31 includes an actuator 311 and a reset member 312. The actuator 311 includes an SMA wire 3111 and a circuit board 3112. Each second valve core 32 in the same second valve module 3 is connected to the middle of the SMA wire 3111 through a valve core connecting rod 3113. Both ends of the SMA wire 3111 are connected to the circuit board 3112. One end of the reset member 312 abuts against the side of the second valve core 32 away from the second valve port 331, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the valve chamber 33. The circuit board 3112 is used to supply power to the SMA wire 3111 to heat the SMA wire 3111. When the temperature of the SMA wire 3111 increases, it contracts and pulls the valve core connecting rod 3113 and the second valve core 32, so that the second valve core 32 moves to the third position. When the circuit board 3112 stops supplying power to the SMA wire 3111, the SMA wire 3111 cools naturally and gradually expands, and the second valve core 32 gradually moves to the fourth position under the action of the reset member 312. Optionally, the reset member 312 is a spring.

[0075] In some embodiments, the material of the SMA wire 3111 includes nickel-titanium alloy, copper-zinc alloy,

[0076] In some embodiments, the second valve core 32 includes an extension portion 321, which extends from the second air leakage port 333 and is connected to the valve core connecting rod 3113. The extension portion 321 extends through the second air leakage port 333, which can reduce the number of openings in the valve chamber 33. The outer surface of the extension portion 321 can be provided with a groove to improve the problem of the extension portion 321 blocking the second air leakage port 333; or the outer diameter of the extension portion 321 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second air leakage port 333, so that there is a gap between the extension portion 321 and the inner wall of the second air leakage port 333.

[0077] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 and Figure 5The actuator 311 further includes a connection seat 3114 and an elastic member 3115. The connection seat 3114 is connected to the middle of the SMA wire 3111. One end of the elastic member 3115 is connected to the connection seat 3114 and the other end is connected to the valve core connecting rod 3113. The elastic member 3115 transmits the contraction force of the SMA wire 3111 to the valve core connecting rod 3113, which can improve the problem of the SMA wire 3111 breaking or causing damage to the second valve core 32 and the valve core connecting rod 3113 due to excessive contraction of the SMA wire 3111. Optionally, the elastic member 3115 is a straight spring, one end of the elastic member 3115 adjacent to the second valve core 32 abuts against the connection seat 3114, and the other end of the elastic member 3115 abuts against the valve core connecting rod 3113.

[0078] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 3 The fluid distribution device 100 further includes a cover plate 4 , which is disposed on the housing 1 and covers the first valve module 22 and the second valve module 3 to protect the first valve module 22 and the second valve module 3 .

[0079] The fluid distribution device 100 of the embodiment of the present application realizes the inflation and deflation of multiple air bags 5 respectively through multiple first valve modules 22 and multiple actuating assemblies 31, thereby reducing the number of first valve modules 22 (fast switching valves), reducing the cost and volume of the fluid distribution device 100, and reducing the noise and heat generation of the fluid distribution device 100. By utilizing the switching speed characteristics of the first valve module 22 and the second valve module 3 to realize the fast massage mode and the slow massage mode, there is no need to set a more expensive valve module with adjustable switching speed, which is conducive to reducing the cost of the fluid distribution device 100.

[0080] Embodiment 2:

[0081] The embodiment of the present application provides a pneumatic comfort system (not shown), which includes an air bag 5 (not shown), an external air source (not shown) and a fluid distribution device 100, wherein the air bag 5 is connected to the external air source through the fluid distribution device 100. The pneumatic comfort system has the structural features and beneficial effects of the fluid distribution device 100, which will not be described in detail here.

[0082] Embodiment three:

[0083] An embodiment of the present application provides a massage method applied to a pneumatic comfort system.

[0084] The massage method of the embodiment of the present application can realize multiple massage modes, and three massage modes are used as examples for explanation. Among them, the first massage mode and the second massage mode are to realize the fast inflation and deflation of the air bag 5 through the first valve module 22, and realize the fast massage mode, that is, the first massage mode and the second massage mode are the fast massage mode; the third massage mode is to realize the slow inflation and deflation of the air bag 5 through the second valve module 3, and realize the slow massage mode, that is, the third massage mode is the slow massage mode. The difference between the first massage mode and the second massage mode is mainly the difference in the time control mode of inflation and deflation of each air bag 5.

[0085] Each massage mode may include multiple massage types. The massage types in the same massage mode may differ in terms of massage intensity, massage time, etc.

[0086] When the massage mode is the first massage mode, See also Figure 8 , methods include:

[0087] S100: Get massage mode.

[0088] The pneumatic comfort system may include buttons or a touch screen, through which the user may input the massage mode he or she desires.

[0089] It is understandable that the pneumatic comfort system further includes a controller (not shown), which is used to obtain the massage type based on a button or a touch screen, and to control the first valve module 22 and the second valve module 3. The pneumatic comfort system may also include a communication module, which is connected to a network or a nearby smart device for communication, and the massage type may be input through a smart device such as a mobile phone, or through a wireless controller such as a remote controller.

[0090] When the massage mode is the preset first massage mode, step S200 is executed.

[0091] S200 , opening all second valve ports 331 in the corresponding at least one second valve module 3 through the actuating assembly 31 of at least one second valve module 3 .

[0092] When all the second valve ports 331 of a second valve module 3 are open, all the air bags 5 corresponding to the second valve module 3 are in a standby state. At this time, only the first valve module 22 needs to be opened or closed to inflate or deflate the air bags 5 corresponding to the first valve module 22 and in standby state, so as to achieve massage.

[0093] S300, through multiple first valve modules 22, the first valve ports 222 of the corresponding first valve modules 22 are controlled to open and close alternately in sequence according to a first preset order, so that the air bags 5 connected to the inflation ports 332 in at least one second valve module 3 in an open state are inflated and deflated alternately.

[0094] The first preset sequence is the starting time point when each first valve module 22 starts to perform the alternating opening and closing action of the first valve port 222. Therefore, when the first valve ports 222 of the corresponding first valve modules 22 are controlled to open and close alternately in sequence according to the first preset sequence, each first valve port 222 is opened and closed asynchronously, and then each air bag 5 is inflated and deflated asynchronously to achieve massage.

[0095] The first preset order can be formulated according to the actual position of the airbag 5. For example, when the number of the first valve modules 22 is three and the number of the second valve module 3 is one, the three airbags 5 corresponding to the three first valve modules 22 are airbags A, B, and C respectively. The first preset order can be ABC, ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB or CBA.

[0096] The first valve port 222 is alternately opened and closed once for one cycle, and one cycle includes the time when the first valve port 222 is opened and the time when the first valve port 222 is closed. By controlling the overlap of the opening time and the closing time of the plurality of first valve ports 222, different massage effects can be achieved.

[0097] For example, in some embodiments, when the massage mode is the preset first massage mode, step S300 further includes:

[0098] The first valve modules 22 in each main air channel 21 are controlled to cyclically perform the following steps in sequence according to a predetermined timing: the first valve core 221 is controlled to maintain at the first position for a first time period, and then the first valve core 221 is controlled to maintain at the second position for a second time period.

[0099] The first valve core 221 is maintained in the first position for a first time period, that is, the first valve port 222 is opened for the first time period, and the air bag 5 is inflated for the first time period; the first valve core 221 is maintained in the second position for a second time period, that is, the first valve port 222 is closed for the second time period, and the air bag 5 is deflated for the second time period.

[0100] Taking two first valve modules 22 adjacent to each other in a first preset order as an example, the air bags 5 corresponding to the two first valve modules 22 are air bags A and B. By controlling the overlap between the first time length and the second time length of the two first valve cores 221 of the two first valve modules 22, the air bags A and B can have a variety of massage effects as a whole.

[0101] Massage effect 1: The starting time point of the first duration of the latter first valve core 221 is within the second duration of the former first valve core 221, that is, when the air bag 5 corresponding to the former first valve module 22 is deflated, the air bag 5 corresponding to the latter first valve module 22 begins to inflate. In this effect, the overall fluctuation of air bags A and B is small.

[0102] Massage effect 2: The starting time point of the first duration of the latter first valve core 221 is within the time period of the first duration of the former first valve core 221, that is, when the air bag 5 corresponding to the former first valve module 22 is inflated, the air bag 5 corresponding to the latter first valve module 22 begins to inflate. In this effect, the overall fluctuation of air bags A and B is relatively large.

[0103] Massage effect three: the starting time point of the first duration of the latter first valve core 221 is at the ending time point of the second duration of the former first valve core 221, that is, when the air bag 5 corresponding to the former first valve module 22 is just deflated, the air bag 5 corresponding to the latter first valve module 22 starts to inflate. In this effect, the overall fluctuation of air bags A and B is the largest.

[0104] When the massage mode is the second massage mode, See also Fig. 9 , methods include:

[0105] S100: Get massage mode.

[0106] When the massage mode is the preset second massage mode, step S400 is executed.

[0107] S400 , opening all second valve ports 331 in the corresponding at least one second valve module 3 through the actuating assembly 31 of at least one second valve module 3 .

[0108] S500, controlling the first valve ports 222 of the corresponding first valve modules 22 to open and close alternately through the first valve module 22, so that the air bags 5 connected to the inflation ports 332 in at least one second valve module 3 in an open state are inflated and deflated alternately.

[0109] By controlling the inflation and deflation of each air bag 5 separately, each air bag 5 can be inflated and deflated synchronously or asynchronously to achieve massage.

[0110] The first valve port 222 is alternately opened and closed once for one cycle, and one cycle includes the time when the first valve port 222 is opened and the time when the first valve port 222 is closed. By controlling the synchronization of the opening and closing times of the multiple first valve ports 222, different massage effects can be achieved.

[0111] For example, in some embodiments, when the massage mode is the preset second massage mode, step S500 further includes:

[0112] The first valve module 22 in at least one main air channel 21 is controlled to perform the following steps: controlling the corresponding first valve core 221 to maintain at the first position for a third time period, and then controlling the first valve core 221 to maintain at the second position for a fourth time period.

[0113] The first valve core 221 is maintained in the first position for the third time period, that is, the first valve port 222 is opened for the third time period, and the air bag 5 is inflated for the third time period; the first valve core 221 is maintained in the second position for the fourth time period, that is, the first valve port 222 is closed for the fourth time period, and the air bag 5 is deflated for the fourth time period.

[0114] Taking the case where the number of the multiple first valve modules 22 is three and the corresponding three air bags 5 are air bags A, B, and C as an example, the air bags A, B, and C can be inflated and deflated synchronously or asynchronously. By controlling the opening time and the synchronous relationship of closing of the multiple first valve ports 222, the air bags A, B, and C can have a variety of massage effects as a whole.

[0115] Massage effect 4: The starting time points of the third duration of one or more first valve cores 221 coincide with each other, that is, one or more air bags 5 are controlled to be inflated and deflated synchronously, for example, a single air bag A is controlled or air bags A, B, and C are controlled to be inflated and deflated synchronously. By controlling the inflation and deflation of one air bag 5, a percussion massage can be achieved; by controlling the inflation and deflation of multiple air bags 5 synchronously, a vibration massage can be achieved.

[0116] Massage effect five: the starting time points of the first durations of any two first valve cores 221 do not overlap, that is, the multiple air bags 5 are controlled to be inflated and deflated asynchronously, for example, air bags A and B are controlled to be inflated and deflated asynchronously, or air bags A, B, and C are controlled to be inflated and deflated asynchronously. A tapping massage is achieved by asynchronous inflation and deflation, and the massage position is changed alternately or cyclically.

[0117] In this embodiment, airbags A, B, and C can be inflated and deflated alternately in sequence. For example, the starting time point of the third duration of the first valve core 221 corresponding to airbag B is within the time period of the fourth duration of the first valve core 221 corresponding to airbag A, and there is a time interval greater than the complete deflation time between the starting time point of the third duration of the first valve core 221 corresponding to airbag B and the starting time point of the fourth duration of the first valve core 221 corresponding to airbag A. Thus, in appearance, airbag B starts to inflate when airbag A is in a completely deflated state, that is, airbags A and B are inflated and deflated alternately. The complete deflation time refers to the time required for airbag 5 to be deflated from a fully inflated state to a fully deflated state.

[0118] Massage effect six: the starting time points of the first durations of at least two first valve cores 221 overlap, and the starting time points of the first durations of at least two first valve cores 221 do not overlap, that is, at least two air bags 5 are controlled to be inflated and deflated synchronously, and at least two air bags 5 are controlled to be inflated and deflated asynchronously, for example, air bags A and B are controlled to be inflated and deflated synchronously, and air bag C is inflated and deflated asynchronously with air bags A and B. By combining asynchronous inflation and deflation with synchronous inflation and deflation, a composite massage including percussion massage and vibration massage is achieved. Among them, during multiple cycles, the two air bags 5 that are inflated and deflated synchronously can change continuously. For example, in the current cycle, air bags A and B are inflated and deflated synchronously, and in the next cycle, air bags A and C can be inflated and deflated synchronously.

[0119] For ease of reading, the contents in the second massage mode that are the same as those in the first massage mode are briefly described. For contents not described in detail in the second massage mode, please refer to the first massage mode.

[0120] When the massage mode is the third massage mode , see Fig.10 , methods include:

[0121] S100: Get massage mode.

[0122] When the massage mode is the preset third massage mode, step S600 is executed.

[0123] S600 , opening the first valve port 222 through at least one first valve module 22 , so that the corresponding main air channel 21 is in an open state connected to an external air source.

[0124] When the first valve port 222 of a first valve module 22 is opened, all the air bags 5 corresponding to the first valve module 22 are in a standby state. At this time, only the second valve module 3 needs to be opened or closed to inflate or deflate the air bags 5 corresponding to the second valve module 3 and in standby state to achieve massage.

[0125] S700, through at least one second valve module 3, the second valve ports 331 on the corresponding valve chambers 33 are controlled to open and close alternately in sequence according to a second preset sequence, so that the multiple air bags 5 corresponding to at least one main air channel 21 in an open state are periodically inflated and deflated.

[0126] The second preset sequence is the starting time point when each second valve module 3 starts to perform the alternating opening and closing action of the second valve port 331. Therefore, when the second valve ports 331 of each corresponding second valve module 3 are controlled to open and close alternately in sequence according to the second preset sequence, the second valve ports 331 of each second valve module 3 are opened and closed asynchronously, and then the air bags 5 corresponding to each second valve module 3 are inflated and deflated asynchronously to achieve massage.

[0127] The second preset order can be formulated according to the actual position of the airbag 5. For example, when the number of the second valve modules 3 is four and the number of the first valve module 22 is one, the four first valve modules 22 correspond to the three airbags A1, A2, A3, and A4 respectively. The first preset order can be A1-A2-A3-A4, A4-A3-A2-A1, A1-A3-A2-A4, A2-A4-A1-A3, etc.

[0128] The second valve port 331 is alternately opened and closed once for one cycle, and one cycle includes the time when the second valve port 331 is opened and the time when the second valve port 331 is closed. By controlling the opening time and closing time of multiple second valve ports 331, different massage effects can be achieved. The specific implementation method can be similar to the opening and closing control of the first valve port 222 in step S310 and step S510.

[0129] For ease of reading, the contents in the third massage mode that are the same as those in the first massage mode are briefly described. For contents not described in detail in the third massage mode, please refer to the first massage mode.

[0130] The massage method of the embodiment of the present application realizes massage based on the fluid distribution device 100. By setting one of the first valve module 22 and the second valve module 3 to an open state and realizing the inflation and deflation control of the air bag 5 through the other module, a fast massage mode and a slow massage mode can be realized; by independently controlling each first valve core 221 in the first valve module 22, a variety of massage effects can be achieved, such as kneading, tapping and vibration massage.

[0131] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Under the concept of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments may also be combined, the steps may be implemented in any order, and there are many other changes in different aspects of the present application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of simplicity. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A fluid distribution device, characterized in that: It comprises a shell, in which a plurality of air supply units and a plurality of second valve modules are arranged, the air supply unit comprises a main air channel and a first valve module, the first valve module is arranged in the main air channel to control the main air channel to communicate with an external air source or an external environment; The second valve module comprises an actuating assembly, a plurality of second valve cores connected to the actuating assembly, and a plurality of mutually independent valve chambers, wherein the valve chambers correspond to the main air channels one by one, and the valve chambers are provided with second valve ports communicating with the corresponding main air channels and inflation ports for communicating with the airbags; the second valve cores are arranged in the valve chambers one by one; The actuating assembly is used to actuate the plurality of the second valve cores to simultaneously control the opening and closing of the plurality of the second valve ports; Wherein, a switching speed of the first valve module is greater than a switching speed of the second valve module.

2. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first valve module comprises a first valve core, a first valve port for communicating with an external gas source, and a first air release port for communicating with an external environment; the first valve core can move between a first position and a second position in the first valve module; When the first valve core is located at the first position, the first valve port is opened and the first air leakage port is closed; When the first valve core is located at the second position, the first air leakage port is opened and the first valve port is closed.

3. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A second air release port is also provided on the side wall of the valve chamber; The actuating assembly is capable of driving the second valve core to move between a third position and a fourth position; When the second valve core is located at the third position, the second valve port is opened and the second air leakage port is closed; When the second valve core is located at the fourth position, the second air leakage port is opened and the second valve port is closed.

4. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of the main airways is three.

5. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first valve module is a solenoid valve, a piezoelectric valve, an electroactive polymer actuated valve or a pilot-operated proportional pressure control valve.

6. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The time taken by the first valve module to control the first valve core to switch from the first position to the second position or to move from the second position to the first position is less than or equal to 10 ms.

7. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The time taken by the first valve module to control the first valve core to move from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position is less than or equal to 3 ms.

8. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second valve module controls the second valve core to switch from the fourth position to the third position for a time period greater than 50 ms.

9. The fluid dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second valve module is an SMA valve, and the actuating assembly includes an actuator and a reset member. The actuator includes an SMA wire and a circuit board. Each second valve core located in the same second valve module is connected to the middle part of the SMA wire through a valve core connecting rod. Both ends of the SMA wire are connected to the circuit board. One end of the reset member abuts against the side of the second valve core away from the second valve port, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the valve chamber.

10. A pneumatic comfort system, characterized in that: include: Airbags; External air source; The fluid distribution device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the air bag is connected to the external air source through the fluid distribution device.

11. A massage method, applied to the pneumatic comfort system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The method comprises: Get massage mode; When the massage mode is the preset first massage mode, all the second valve ports in the corresponding at least one second valve module are opened by the actuating assembly of at least one second valve module; Through multiple first valve modules, the first valve ports of the corresponding first valve modules are controlled to open and close alternately in sequence according to a first preset order, so that the air bags connected to the inflation port of at least one second valve module in an open state are inflated and deflated alternately.

12. The massage method according to claim 11, characterized in that: When the massage mode is the preset first massage mode, the first valve modules in each main airway are controlled to cyclically execute the following steps in sequence according to a predetermined timing: the first valve core is controlled to maintain at the first position for a first time period, and then the first valve core is controlled to maintain at the second position for a second time period.

13. The massage method according to claim 11, characterized in that: When the massage mode is a preset second massage mode, the method further includes: Controlling a first valve module in at least one main air channel to perform the following steps: controlling the corresponding first valve core to maintain at a first position for a third time period, and then controlling the first valve core to maintain at a second position for a fourth time period.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that When the massage mode is the preset third massage mode, the method further includes: Opening a first valve port through at least one first valve module so that the corresponding main air channel is in an open state connected to an external air source; By at least one second valve module, the second valve ports on the corresponding valve chambers are controlled to be alternately opened and closed in sequence according to a second preset sequence, so that the plurality of air bags corresponding to at least one main air channel in an open state are periodically inflated and deflated.

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