Heating Appliance Projection Part Load-Crush Profile

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heating implements do not effectively press the skin of a living body in a comfortable manner due to inadequate design of the projection parts, leading to excessive reaction forces and discomfort.

Innovation Solution

A heating implement with a sheet-shaped main body and projection parts that have a specific profile of load vs. crush relationship, featuring distinct regions for elastic deformation and buckling, allowing for gentle and gradual pressure application while preventing excessive force, thereby enhancing comfort and skin contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the projection part is made rigid to ensure stable contact with the skin, then the contact stability is improved, but the reaction force becomes excessive causing discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact stabilityVSAvoidreaction force
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The projection part is designed with specific material parameters (elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio) and geometric parameters (height, base area) that allow it to deform under load. This parameter optimization enables the projection to maintain stable contact while limiting reaction forces to comfortable levels through controlled elastic deformation and buckling behavior

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Force

If the projection part is made soft to reduce reaction force, then the comfort is improved, but the contact stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereaction forceVSAvoidcontact stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The heating implement uses a composite structure combining the projection part made of elastomeric material with the sheet-shaped main body. This composite design allows the projection to exhibit both softness (for comfort) and stability (for reliable contact) through the synergistic interaction between the deformable projection and the supportive main body structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Stress or pressure

If the projection part height is increased to enhance pressure effect, then the pressure intensity is improved, but the discomfort increases due to excessive force

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure intensityVSAvoiddiscomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The projection part height is optimized within a specific range (0.5-5mm) to achieve the desired pressure intensity. This parameter control ensures that the projection can deliver sufficient pressure for therapeutic effect while preventing excessive force that would cause discomfort, by balancing the height with the material properties and base area

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 heating implement provides comfortable skin pressure and effective heat application by managing the projection part's deformation regions, ensuring gentle pressure and efficient heat transfer through air permeability, thus stimulating meridians and acupuncture points effectively.

Implementation Method 1

a first region R1 in which the amount of crush increases as the load increases, and a second region R2 located on the side in which the value on the second axis is larger than that in the first region R1 and having a larger increase rate of the amount of crush associated with increase in the load than the first region R1

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a profile of a relationship between the load and the amount of crush of the projection part 12 includes a first region R1 in which the amount of crush increases as the load increases, and a second region R2 located on the side in which the value on the second axis is larger than that in the first region R1 and having a larger increase rate of the amount of crush associated with increase in the load than the first region R1

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBuckling:

Implementation Method 3

a sheet-shaped main body sheet 120 having an exothermic element 130

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentEP3777787B1Heating appliance
Publication Date: 2022.08.17 KAO CORP
  • EP3777787B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3777787B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3777787B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A heating implement includes a sheet-shaped main body sheet having an exothermic element, and a projection part sheet provided on a surface on one side of the main body sheet; the projection part sheet has a projection part projecting toward the one side; assuming that a magnitude of a load when the projection part is pressed in a direction opposite to a projecting direction of the projection part is a first axis, and an amount of crush of the projection part is a second axis, a profile of a relationship between the load and the amount of crush includes a first region (R1) in which the amount of crush increases as the load increases, and a second region (R2) located on a side in which a value on the first axis is larger than that in the first region (R1) and having a larger increase rate of the amount of crush associated with increase in the load than the first region (R1); and a range of the second region (R2) is wider than that of the first region (R1) in a direction of the first axis.