Adjustable Bicycle Seat With Sensor-Recorded 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bicycle seats fail to provide individualized comfort and safety, leading to discomfort and potential issues like erectile dysfunction and urinary dysfunctions due to varying anatomical needs of users, as previous attempts at customization were either ineffective or impractical for real-time adjustment during use.
Innovation Solution
A device with individually moving parts capable of adjustment in x-, y-, and z-directions, equipped with sensors to detect and record user-specific adjustments, allowing for the creation of a customized 3D data file for 3D printing of a tailored bicycle seat that can be adjusted in real-time and replicated for future use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If mass production of standardized bicycle seats is used, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but individual comfort and anatomical fit are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by capturing 3D anatomical data of the user's perineum and buttocks region before seat production, and uses this data to pre-customize the seat geometry. Pressure mapping sensors are also used in advance to identify problematic pressure zones, allowing the seat to be designed with appropriate cushioning in those specific areas before manufacturing begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating seats with non-uniform cushioning distribution tailored to individual anatomical needs. Based on pressure mapping data, softer materials are placed in specific high-pressure zones (such as the perineum region) while maintaining firmer support in other areas, thereby optimizing both comfort and anatomical fit without requiring complete customization of the entire seat structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable bicycle seats with multiple moving parts are provided, then individual comfort can be improved, but device complexity and adjustment difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by incorporating adjustable elements that allow the seat to change its configuration based on user needs. The seat includes movable components such as adjustable cushioning layers and reconfigurable structural elements that can be modified to suit different anatomical shapes and riding positions, enabling the seat to adapt dynamically rather than being fixed in a single configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by allowing key geometric parameters of the seat (such as curvature, thickness, and contour) to be varied based on captured anatomical data. The manufacturing process adjusts these parameters to match the user's specific body measurements, thereby achieving customization without requiring excessive moving parts during use.
3Ease of operation
If real-time adjustment capability is added to bicycle seats, then user comfort during use is improved, but ease of operation and structural stability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the seat into multiple independent adjustable modules or zones. Each segment can be adjusted separately based on local anatomical requirements, allowing fine-tuned customization without compromising the overall structural integrity. This modular approach enables real-time adjustments while maintaining stability through the segmented design.
4Measurement precision
If pressure mapping sensors are used to identify problematic zones, then seat design accuracy is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by translating the pressure mapping data into specific geometric and material parameters for seat production. The identified pressure zones are converted into quantitative specifications for cushioning thickness, material density, and placement coordinates, which are then used by the manufacturing process to reproduce the desired pressure distribution characteristics.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device for individualizing a bicycle seat comprises a plurality of individually moving parts collectively having the shape of at least the top surface of a generic bicycle seat, the individually moving parts being movable relative to one another in the x-, y- and z- directions to adjust the generic bicycle seat to an adjusted final position that suits the individual comfort tastes of the user of said individualized bicycle seat; and a plurality of sensors connected to the plurality of individually moving parts to detect all adjustments made to the generic bicycle seat to achieve the adjusted final position. Information from the sensors can be downloaded to a computer to form a 3D data file that can be 3D-printed to an individualized bicycle seat. The invention also relates to a method of using the device, the individualized bicycle seat produced, and to a bicycle containing the individualized bicycle seat.