Air Cushion Protrusions for Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air cushions used in sports for absorbing bounces and impacts face challenges in balancing material strength and damping, leading to potential rupture or long recovery times due to high impact energies, necessitating a solution for increased pressure operation without compromising rigidity or safety.
Innovation Solution
The air cushion features a multiplicity of air-filled, column-like or tube-like protrusions with varying cross-sectional areas and permeable bases to reduce pressure upon impact, allowing air to escape and providing a softer landing, while maintaining structural integrity through connected materials like plastic polymers reinforced with fibers or fabrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the air cushion operates at higher pressures to reduce penetration depth and exit time, then the recovery time is shortened and performance is improved, but the risk of rupture or cracks in the air cushion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air cushion is divided into multiple independent air chambers instead of a single large chamber. Each chamber can independently absorb impact energy and release air through its own outlet, distributing the stress and preventing catastrophic failure. This segmentation allows the system to operate at higher pressures while maintaining safety through redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The air cushion incorporates porous structures that allow controlled air flow through the material. This porosity enables gradual pressure release during impact, reducing peak pressures and preventing rupture while still providing effective cushioning. The porous structure acts as a pressure-regulating mechanism that maintains reliability at higher operating pressures.
2Strength
If a rigid material is chosen for the air chamber to withstand high energy input, then the material strength is improved, but the air cushion becomes less compliant and causes deeper penetration and longer exit time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the air cushion system by introducing multiple small chambers and controlled air outlet mechanisms. This allows the soft air cushion material to operate at higher internal pressures, effectively increasing its strength without compromising compliance. The parameter change from low-pressure single-chamber to high-pressure multi-chamber configuration resolves the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
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
This design enables the air cushion to operate at higher pressures, reducing the depth of penetration and enhancing rapid exit, thus shortening recovery times and improving performance in competitive and training settings by providing a smoother, more efficient impact absorption mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
the protrusions are formed permeable to air at least in some areas. This measure will locally reduce air pressure, as a small amount of air may rapidly exit on impact
Data Source
AI summary
An air cushion for absorbing bounces, including at least one air chamber and one air inlet valve, characterized in that the air chamber has a multiplicity of protrusions in the direction of impact.