Elongate Cushion Inserts for Durable, Breathable Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional personal cushion devices filled with small, randomly sized pieces of foam scrap suffer from durability issues, breakdown, and dust release due to concentrated stresses, and lack breathability and efficient manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
Using elongated ribbons of resilient material with lengths greater than 6 inches, entangled in random orientations, which distribute loads more evenly, providing tensile loading and improved airflow, and manufacturing them with alignable cross-sectional shapes for efficient production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If small, randomly sized pieces of foam scrap are used as fill, then the cushion device can be manufactured with available scrap material, but the material suffers from durability issues, breakdown, and dust release due to concentrated stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The foam is segmented into elongated pieces (at least 6 inches long) with controlled dimensions rather than using small random scrap pieces. This segmentation creates pieces with sufficient length-to-cross-section ratios that distribute stresses more effectively, preventing the concentrated stresses that cause breakdown and dust release in small irregular pieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The parameters of the foam pieces are changed from small, random sizes to elongated shapes with specific dimensional constraints (length of at least 6 inches, length at least 8 times the greatest cross-sectional dimension). This parameter change transforms the stress distribution characteristics, allowing the material to withstand compression and shear loads without breakdown.
2Reliability
If elongated pieces of resilient material are used, then tensile loading and improved airflow are achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By specifying that the length of elongated pieces be at least 8 times the greatest cross-sectional dimension, the patent creates a parameter threshold that ensures adequate entanglement and tensile loading capability while providing clear manufacturing guidance. This quantitative parameter simplifies the manufacturing process by establishing a clear dimensional target rather than requiring complex quality control.
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 elongated ribbons enhance durability, reduce dust release, and provide better airflow and manufacturing efficiency, resulting in a more comfortable and long-lasting personal cushion device.
Implementation Method 1
elongated ribbons of resilient material with lengths greater than 6 inches, entangled in random orientations, which distribute loads more evenly, providing tensile loading and improved airflow
Implementation Method 2
improved airflow
Data Source
AI summary
A comfort device comprising a plurality of elongate inserts is disclosed herein. The comfort device can include one or more compartments configured to store the plurality of elongate inserts. The plurality of elongate inserts can have a length and a cross-section, where the cross-section has a cross-sectional area and a plurality of dimensions. The length of the inserts can be at least eight inches and at least eight times a greatest dimension of the cross-sectional area. The comfort device can include one or more openings and fastening mechanism corresponding to the one or more openings. The plurality of elongate inserts can generate tensional force in response to a force applied to the comfort device, thus providing improved elasticity for the comfort device.