Flexible Sliding Power Rail for Thin Adaptive Massage Cushions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing massage cushions face issues with thickness, adaptability to different shapes, high development costs, and mechanical failures due to rigid conductive structures, leading to poor contact, derailment, and increased maintenance costs.

Innovation Solution

A flexible sliding power supply assembly using a flexible conductive rail with embedded conductive bars and a tunnel-type sliding conductive assembly, featuring a probe control sleeve and conductive probes, ensures stable connections and reduced wire count, allowing adaptation to various shapes and reducing mechanical failures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a spring-shape wire is used for conductive connection, then flexibility is improved, but the diameter increases making the cushion thicker and the wire prone to squeezing and malfunction

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidcushion thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) as the conductive connection structure. The FPC is a thin film structure that provides both flexibility and electrical conductivity without increasing cushion thickness. It can bend and deform to accommodate the movement of massage nodes while maintaining a thin profile, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and thickness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Stability of the object's composition

If a fixed conductive guide rail is used, then structural stability is improved, but it occupies large space and requires customized molds for different shapes, increasing development cost and period

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidadaptability to different shapes
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The FPC serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, electrical conductivity, and adaptability to different cushion shapes. As a universal component, the same FPC design can be applied across different massage cushion configurations without requiring customized molds, reducing development costs while maintaining structural stability and shape adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple wires are used to connect power supply to multiple groups of movements, then power distribution is improved, but machining difficulty and assembling cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower distribution capabilityVSAvoidwire count
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple electrical connection functions into a single FPC structure. The FPC integrates power supply connections, control signal transmission, and ground connections for multiple massage movement groups into one unified conductive component. This consolidation reduces the number of separate wires needed, simplifying machining and assembly processes while maintaining comprehensive power distribution capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4064466B1Flexible sliding power supply assembly, massage cushion, and control method therefor
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 SHENZHEN MONDIAL TECH CO LTD
  • EP4064466B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4064466B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4064466B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present disclosure discloses a flexible sliding power supply assembly, and a massage cushion and a control method therefor. A flexible conductive rail is provided with two or more fixing slots; conductive bars are mounted in the fixing slots in an embedded manner; a sliding conductive assembly is mounted on the flexible conductive rail; the sliding conductive assembly is in slidably electric connection with the conductive bars; and the conductive bars are correspondingly electrically connected to a power supply and a controller. The flexible conductive rail of the present disclosure can bend in a large arc in one direction to adapt to massage chairs with different shapes, so that the adaptability is good, and it can be used for both a common cushion and a curved cushion. In the flexible conductive rail, the tunnel type sliding conductive assembly can be made to be a standard component, so that it adapts to various kinds of cushions, the development cost is reduced, and assembling is facilitated. The flexible conductive rail is connected by a tunnel type probe control sleeve structure, so that reliable fixing is achieved during sliding guidance. In the present disclosure, one controller can be connected to a plurality of massage movements with the tunnel type sliding conductive assemblies, so that the number of wires is reduced, and the problems of breakage of wires of the massage cushion and twining of the wires on a massage head are completely solved.