Fluid-Tight Seat Pad with Spacer Structure for Contour Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat designs for vehicles are bulky and heavy, with significant structural volume requirements, which hinders ergonomic adjustment and comfort due to their complex construction.
Innovation Solution
A seat design featuring a fluid-tight shell containing a spacer structure with knitted fabric layers connected by spacer threads, allowing for contour adjustment via fluid control, which adapts to the user's body shape and can be fixed or adjusted for different firmness settings using a conveying device and pressure regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional cushioning materials (foam, rubber hair, loose filling) are used in seat design, then comfort and ergonomics are improved, but structural volume and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a fluid-tight shell (membrane) to enclose the spacer structure, replacing traditional bulky cushioning materials. The thin film structure provides the necessary containment while minimizing weight and volume, achieving comfort through the spacer structure's deformation under body weight rather than through thick cushioning layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fluid (air or gas) into the sealed shell containing the spacer structure. The fluid allows the structure to deform and adapt to the user's body shape while maintaining a lightweight construction. The pneumatic system enables contour adaptation without requiring heavy traditional cushioning materials.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable seat components (lumbar support, massage devices, multiple adjustment mechanisms) are added, then ergonomic customization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer structure with fluid-filled shell serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides cushioning, adapts to body contours, and enables ergonomic adjustment through fluid volume control. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components (lumbar support, cushioning layers, adjustment mechanisms), thereby reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves ergonomic adjustment by changing the volume of fluid within the sealed shell. By controlling the fluid amount, the structure's firmness and contour adaptation characteristics are modified, providing ergonomic customization without mechanical adjustment mechanisms. This parameter-based control simplifies the device structure compared to traditional mechanical adjustment systems.
3Ease of operation
If traditional cushioning structures are used, then comfort is achieved, but installation space and structural volume requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid-tight shell provides a thin-walled containment structure that encloses the spacer material. This thin film approach replaces thick traditional cushioning layers, achieving the necessary comfort function with minimal volume while maintaining structural integrity through the sealed membrane design.
Solution Approach 2:
The introduction of fluid into the sealed shell creates a pneumatic cushioning system that achieves comfort through controlled deformation. The fluid allows the structure to conform to body shapes without requiring large volumes of traditional cushioning materials, thereby reducing overall seat structure volume while maintaining comfort functionality.
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 provides a lightweight, compact seat with enhanced ergonomic adjustment and comfort, allowing for precise contour matching and adjustable firmness, improving seating experience while minimizing space and weight.
Implementation Method 1
Under the force exerted by the seat occupant S, the pad 2 and thus the spacer structure 10 are compressed, with air being displaced from the interior of the pad 2 at the same time
Implementation Method 2
Such textile spacing structures are distinguished by their elastic cushioning properties when pressure is applied to the surface of the knitted fabric
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A seat (30) is composed of a carrying structure (40) and a plurality of pads (2). The pads (2) cover the entire region of the seat surface (32) and the backrest (34) of the seat (30). Each of the pads (2) is formed by a textile spacer structure (10) which is accommodated in a fluid-tight jacket (20). The jacket (20) has a connection (26) for a hose line (28). Before a seat user (S) sits on the seat (30), the hose line (28) is open to the surrounding air. The pad (2) and therefore the spacer structure (10) are compressed under the action of force by the seat user (S), wherein at the same time air is displaced out of the interior of the pad (2). As a result, the pads (2) experience contouring according to the body shape of the seat user (S). After seating, this contouring of the pads (2) can be fixed by a shut-off device (50) in the hose line (28) being shut and therefore the reduced air volume in the interior of the pad (2) is separated from the surrounding air. In this way, the contouring of the pads (2) of the seat (30) is retained when the seat user (S) has left the seat (30).