3D Printed Padding with Open Cell Microarchitecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cycling pad manufacturing methods lead to issues such as 'hardening of edges,' high production costs, hazardous waste generation, CO2 emissions, adhesive-related problems, reduced elasticity, and discomfort due to heat retention and skin irritation, along with challenges in achieving zones with varying load-bearing capacities.
Innovation Solution
A 3D printing method using a microarchitecture of superimposed matrices with open cells of varying diameters, shaped like truncated pyramids or cones, to create a padding with controlled thickness and density, eliminating adhesives and optimizing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional polyurethane foam paddings are used with adhesives and thermoforming, then the padding provides initial cushioning, but the edges harden and create discomfort during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a porous foam material with an open-cell structure that allows air circulation and prevents heat retention. The porous structure provides cushioning while avoiding the hardening problem of conventional foam edges, as the material conforms to body contours without creating rigid seams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the padding material by using a gel-based composition with specific viscosity and temperature characteristics. The gel material maintains its cushioning properties without hardening at edge seams, and its temperature-responsive characteristics prevent heat retention during use.
2Strength
If polyurethane foam is used for padding, then cushioning is provided, but hazardous waste and CO2 emissions are generated during production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing polyurethane foam with a gel-based material. This substitution eliminates the hazardous waste and CO2 emissions associated with polyurethane production while maintaining the cushioning function through the gel's viscoelastic properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite gel material that combines multiple functional properties in a single substance. The gel composition integrates cushioning, breathability, and temperature regulation in one material, eliminating the need for separate polyurethane foam layers and their associated environmental hazards.
3Stability of the object's composition
If adhesives are used to assemble padding layers, then the padding is joined together, but skin irritation and delamination occur during use and washing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the adhesive layer from the padding assembly. Instead of using adhesives to join layers, the design employs mechanical interlocking and friction-based attachment, eliminating the source of skin irritation and delamination while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses homogeneous gel material throughout the padding structure, eliminating the need for distinct adhesive layers. The uniform gel composition provides both cushioning and structural bonding, preventing delamination while maintaining skin compatibility.
4Strength
If conventional foam paddings are used, then cushioning is provided, but heat retention and excessive localized heating occur during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous gel structure that allows air circulation and heat dissipation. The open-cell architecture provides thermal conductivity pathways that prevent heat retention, while the gel material maintains cushioning properties without the heat-trapping characteristics of conventional closed-cell foam.
5Strength
If conventional foam paddings are used, then cushioning is provided, but difficulty in drying occurs due to water absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a porous gel structure with controlled porosity that allows rapid air circulation. This architecture enables quick drying by allowing moisture evaporation through the porous network, while the gel material maintains its cushioning function without absorbing excessive water like conventional foam.
6Strength
If zones with different load-bearing capacities are created by varying foam density or thickness, then protection is optimized, but wearability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality variations through the gel material's inherent viscoelastic properties rather than changing foam density. By varying the gel composition or cross-linking density in different zones, the padding achieves different load-bearing capacities while maintaining a uniform, comfortable surface that preserves wearability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method results in a padding that maintains elasticity, reduces waste, has rapid drying times, is breathable, lightweight, and comfortable, while eliminating heat retention and skin irritation, and allows for customized load-bearing zones, enhancing both protection and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
it uses 3D printing by depositing a filament according to a microarchitecture
Implementation Method 2
a structure composed of individual open cells, which are mutually connected
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A method for providing a padding (1) which uses 3D printing by depositing a filament (2) according to a microarchitecture that entails the definition of superimposed matrices that are adapted to define a structure composed of individual open cells (6), which are mutually connected and arranged mutually opposite and side by side. Each of the open cells (6) has a shape in plan view with a variable diameter which is obtained by way of superimposing elements that are substantially shaped like a truncated pyramid or like a truncated cone with a polygonal base.