Air-Cushioned Plastic Sheet Support Base for Appliance Shape Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliance support bases made of solid blocks of foamed polystyrene have significant environmental impact due to hydrofluorocarbons, are difficult to recycle, and cannot easily recover their shape after impact, while cardboard bases are damaged by moisture and lack resilience.
Innovation Solution
A support base composed of plastic conformable sheets with reinforcement columns surrounded by air, providing cushioning and shape recovery, and manufactured with reduced energy consumption, facilitating easy flattening for transport and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If solid blocks of foamed polystyrene are used for support base, then mechanical strength and cushioning ability are improved, but environmental impact increases due to hydrofluorocarbons and difficulty in recycling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses air as a porous filling material between the plastic sheets, replacing foamed polystyrene that contains hydrofluorocarbons. This eliminates the harmful chemical substances while maintaining the cushioning and thermal insulation properties through the air pockets, directly resolving the environmental impact issue while preserving mechanical strength
Solution Approach 2:
The support base combines plastic conformable sheets with air-filled spaces to create a composite structure. This composite design provides both the structural integrity needed for mechanical strength and the environmental benefits of eliminating foaming agents, allowing simultaneous achievement of strength requirements and reduced environmental harm
2Strength
If solid blocks of foamed polystyrene are used for support base, then cushioning ability is improved, but shape recovery capability deteriorates after impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs plastic conformable sheets that can flex and deform during impact to absorb energy, then return to their original shape. Unlike rigid foamed blocks that permanently deform, these flexible sheets maintain their structural integrity and shape recovery capability while providing effective cushioning protection
Solution Approach 2:
The air-filled spaces between the plastic sheets act as pneumatic cushioning elements that can compress during impact and then expand back to their original volume. This pneumatic mechanism enables the support base to absorb impact energy while fully recovering its shape, resolving the contradiction between cushioning ability and shape recovery
3Object-generated harmful factors
If plastic conformable sheets with air gaps are used, then environmental impact is reduced and shape recovery is improved, but mechanical strength may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic conformable sheets are designed with varying local properties - thicker and more rigid in areas requiring structural support, and more flexible in areas requiring cushioning. This local differentiation allows the structure to achieve both mechanical strength and environmental benefits without compromising either requirement
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of plastic conformable sheets with air-filled spaces creates a composite structure where the plastic provides structural framework and strength, while the air gaps provide cushioning and reduce overall density. This composite approach enables simultaneous achievement of reduced environmental impact and maintained mechanical strength
4Weight of moving object
If reinforcement columns are surrounded by air instead of solid material, then weight is reduced and environmental impact is lowered, but structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The air-filled spaces around the reinforcement columns act as counterbalancing elements that reduce the overall weight of the support base. The plastic conformable sheets provide the necessary structural framework that compensates for the reduced weight, maintaining structural stability while achieving weight reduction and lower environmental impact
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 solution supports heavy household appliances, cushions impacts, and reduces environmental impact by using less energy and recyclable materials, while maintaining shape resilience and ease of handling.
Implementation Method 1
must cushion the household appliance without permanently deforming it in the event of an impact
Implementation Method 2
recover their shape to a large extent
Implementation Method 3
the reinforcement columns of each support part strategically distributed along the corresponding lateral side distribute the vertical stresses
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Household appliance rectangular support base (100) for supporting at least one household appliance comprising an upper surface (S1), a lower surface, a first lateral side (L1), a second lateral side (L2), a front side (L3) and a rear side (L4). The support base (100) comprises a first and a second support part (10, 20), each configured to support at least part of an opposite side of a base of the household appliance. In addition, the support base (100) is formed by a plastic conformable upper sheet (101) comprising the upper surface (S1) and a plastic conformable lower sheet (102) comprising the lower surface, and comprises a plurality of reinforcement columns (5) in each support part (10, 20) distributed along the corresponding lateral side (L1, L2) and surrounded by air, each extending between the upper surface (S1) and the lower surface.