Capillary Control System for Air Suspended Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air control networks for inflatable vehicle seats are inflexible and costly due to the need for separate molds and precise placement of capillaries, leading to high failure rates and time-consuming production processes.
Innovation Solution
The use of extruded elements with capillaries integrated into a dual sheet bladder assembly, where extruded elements are coupled with sheets along bladder boundaries, allowing for flexible routing of air flow and inclusion of check valves for fluid communication between capillaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate molds are used for each routing pattern in dual hot plate vacuum forming process, then air distribution routing is achieved, but manufacturing flexibility is lost and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air distribution system is segmented into modular components: pre-formed capillary tubes are separated from the bladder formation process and positioned as discrete elements between sheets during assembly. This allows the routing pattern to be changed by repositioning capillaries rather than creating new molds, achieving routing flexibility while maintaining a single standardized bladder mold.
Solution Approach 2:
Capillary tubes are pre-formed and prepared separately before being positioned between the bladder sheets during assembly. This preliminary preparation allows the capillaries to be precisely configured for different routing patterns without affecting the bladder formation process, enabling flexible air distribution designs using standard manufacturing equipment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If individual capillaries are positioned between sheets during bladder unit formation, then air distribution routing is achieved, but production time increases and failure rate increases due to delicate nature and placement accuracy requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates capillary tube positioning from the bladder vacuum forming process. Capillaries are positioned between sheets as discrete modular elements after the bladder shape is formed, allowing parallel processing and reducing the critical path time while maintaining routing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The capillary tubes are positioned between protective sheets during assembly, which cushions and protects these delicate components from damage. This protective positioning approach reduces failure rates by preventing capillary breakage during the assembly process while still allowing precise placement for proper sealing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual capillaries are positioned between sheets during bladder unit formation, then air distribution routing is achieved, but production cost increases due to time-consuming and expensive process
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the capillary positioning step from the bladder formation process and using standard vacuum forming equipment with a single mold, the system eliminates the need for expensive custom molds for each routing pattern. Capillaries are simply repositioned between sheets, which is a low-cost operation compared to mold fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
A single standardized bladder mold and sheet assembly process serves multiple routing configurations. The universal bladder formation process combined with flexible capillary positioning allows one manufacturing setup to produce multiple routing patterns, eliminating the need for dedicated molds for each design and significantly reducing tooling costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A bladder unit includes upper and lower sheets defining opposed portions of a first bladder. The bladder unit further includes a first extruded element having upper and lower faces respectively coupled with the upper sheet and the lower sheet at a portion of a first boundary of the first bladder. A first capillary extends through the element and across the portion of the first boundary.