Foam Spring Filling Layers for Thin Large-Format Cushions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing filling materials, such as those for mattresses and furniture, face limitations in producing large or thin layers due to deformation and weak glued joints, leading to inconsistent shapes and weight issues.
Innovation Solution
The method involves providing cylindrical foam springs between two support layers, gluing their crosscut ends to the layers, and cutting through the support layers to create single-coated layers with connected foam springs, allowing for precise and consistent thin or large layer production, and further processing to achieve desired thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a large number of cylinders are mutually connected to form large layers, then the coverage area is improved, but the weight increases and the glued joints give way during manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The large layer is divided into multiple smaller layers, each containing a limited number of foam springs (e.g., 10-30 springs per layer). These segmented layers are then stacked and connected through the foam springs themselves, distributing the mechanical stress and avoiding the weakness of traditional side-by-side glued joints. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining large coverage area while preserving joint strength through vertical stacking rather than horizontal expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of expanding layers horizontally by connecting more cylinders side-by-side (2D expansion), the invention transitions to vertical stacking of multiple thin layers (3D expansion). Each layer remains manageable in size and weight, but the overall coverage is achieved by stacking multiple layers, with foam springs connecting corresponding positions across layers. This dimensional change eliminates the weight and joint strength problems associated with large single layers.
2Length of moving object
If thin layers are manufactured by cutting bundled cylinders, then the layer thickness is reduced, but the knife deforms the free ends and shape consistency is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The foam springs are pre-formed to the exact desired length and thickness requirements before being arranged into layers. This preliminary formation ensures that each spring is precisely dimensioned, and when assembled into layers and stacked, the final product achieves consistent thickness without requiring post-formation cutting that would deform the foam. The precision is built into the manufacturing of individual springs rather than achieved through subsequent cutting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful cutting operation that deforms foam spring ends is completely removed from the manufacturing process. Instead of forming thin layers by cutting thick bundled cylinders (which causes deformation), the invention extracts the cutting step entirely and achieves thin layer formation through the direct assembly of pre-formed thin foam springs. This eliminates the source of deformation and ensures shape consistency.
3Ease of manufacture
If cylinders are rolled up with longitudinal edges fixed to form foam springs, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the number of connectable cylinders is restricted due to weight and manageability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention maintains the simple cylindrical foam spring formation process but changes the assembly strategy from horizontal side-by-side connection (2D arrangement) to vertical stacking (3D arrangement). This allows unlimited scalability in the horizontal plane since each layer remains small and manageable, while the overall product size increases through stacking multiple layers. The simplicity of foam spring manufacture is preserved while productivity and scalability are dramatically improved through the vertical dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The large filling material is segmented into multiple thin layers, each containing a manageable number of foam springs (10-30 springs per layer). This segmentation allows each individual layer to remain easy to manufacture and handle, while the complete product achieves large size through the stack of multiple layers. The restriction on the number of connectable cylinders in a single layer is transformed into an advantage, enabling modular assembly of many small layers into a large structure.
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
This approach enables the cost-effective manufacturing of thin and large layers with reduced deformation and increased strength, enabling the production of high-quality filling materials for various applications, including the car and aeronautical industries, with improved air permeability and material savings.
Implementation Method 1
both far ends of the foam springs are connected to a support layer during the cutting operation, so that they are not deformed too much
Implementation Method 2
gluing the crosscut ends of the foam springs to the support layers
Data Source
AI summary
Method for manufacturing a filling material, characterised in that it consists at least in providing cylindrical foam springs (14) between two support layers (2,9) and in fixing them to the latter, for example by gluing the crosscut ends (15) to the support layers (2,9), after which the thus obtained double-coated layer (16) is cut, through the support layers (2,9), in two single-coated layers which each mainly consist of a single support layer (2, 9) with shorter foam springs (14) connected thereto.