Compactable Mattress and Method
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle loading surfaces, such as those in cars, often have irregular shapes due to combinations of trunk and folded rear seats, leading to discomfort during rest or sleep due to humps, pits, and height variations.
Innovation Solution
A compactable mattress with a support layer that can be adjusted to fit the vehicle's surface features, comprising inflatable air chambers and a comfort layer, which can be transformed between a usable and compacted state to provide a flat, comfortable surface by inflating the support layer to high pressure and using a foam element for comfort, along with fastening and aeration layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mattress is designed to fit irregular vehicle surfaces, then comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases due to shape-adjustable mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The support layer is made transformable between different states (flat and contoured) to adapt to the irregular vehicle surface. The air chambers within the support layer can be inflated or deflated to change the shape of the underside, allowing the mattress to dynamically adjust to surface irregularities while maintaining a simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The shape of the support layer is adjusted by changing the volume of air in the air chambers. By controlling the air pressure and volume parameters, the underside shape can be modified to match the vehicle surface contours, providing comfort without requiring complex mechanical structures
2Ease of operation
If the support layer is made thick to compensate for surface irregularities, then comfort is improved, but the volume in compacted state increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air chambers are nested within the support layer structure, allowing the support layer to achieve its thickness and shape-adjusting capability without significantly increasing the overall external dimensions of the mattress. The chambers are integrated into the existing structure, enabling compact storage when deflated
Solution Approach 2:
The support layer thickness is made dynamic through the transformable air chambers. When deflated, the support layer maintains a compact form factor for easy storage. When inflated, the air chambers expand to provide the necessary thickness to compensate for surface irregularities, ensuring comfort without permanently increasing the mattress volume
3Ease of operation
If the support layer is inflated to high pressure to provide a flat topside shape, then comfort is improved, but the energy required for inflation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support layer is divided into multiple air chambers that can be inflated to different pressure levels independently. This segmentation allows the system to achieve the required flat topside shape by distributing the inflation energy across multiple smaller chambers rather than requiring extremely high pressure in a single large chamber, thereby reducing the total energy required
Solution Approach 2:
The air chambers are inflated to a pressure level that is sufficient to achieve the desired flat topside shape and comfort, but not excessively high. The system uses just enough inflation pressure to accomplish the shape-adjusting function, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption while still providing effective compensation for surface irregularities
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 mattress offers a comfortable, flat sleeping surface by compensating for irregularities in the vehicle's surface, allowing easy storage and use, maintaining comfort without feeling bumps or humps, and efficiently transitioning between states for optimal space utilization.
Implementation Method 1
The gas pressure in the support layer is here with considered between one and for example 10 bar, such as between one and a half and 8 bar, such as between toolbar and 5 bar
Implementation Method 2
a foam element for comfort
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a compactable mattress for use on a predetermined arrangement surface. The compactable mattress may include: a support layer and a comfort layer, arrangeable at the support layer. The support layer may be provided with a predetermined underside shape for shape adjustable arrangeability relative to the predetermined arrangement surface. The support layer may be provided with a predetermined topside shape for arranging thereof of the comfort layer. The support layer may be transformable between a state of use and a compacted state.