Inflatable air mattress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inflatable air mattresses deform irregularly during inflation, leading to discomfort for patients and potential air leakage, which reduces the service life of the mattress.
Innovation Solution
The inflatable air mattress features air cells with a structural configuration that includes an envelope, an elastomer, and restriction straps. These straps limit the deformation of the air cells, preventing irregular shapes and reducing the likelihood of air leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If air cells are inflated using an inflation device, then the air mattress provides massaging and rolling functions for patients, but the air cells deform irregularly causing discomfort and air leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The air cell is segmented into a body portion and a head portion, with the head portion having a smaller cross-sectional area than the body portion. This segmentation allows different regions to deform independently during inflation, enabling massaging and rolling functions while preventing irregular deformation that causes air leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The head portion is designed with different structural characteristics (smaller cross-sectional area) compared to the body portion. This local quality difference allows the head portion to deform in a controlled manner during inflation, providing therapeutic massaging effects while maintaining overall structural integrity and preventing air leakage.
2Force
If air cells are inflated using an inflation device, then the air cells expand to provide support, but the air cells form irregular shapes that are uncomfortable for patients
Solution Approach 1:
The air cell is divided into a body portion and a head portion with distinct cross-sectional areas. This segmentation enables the body portion to maintain a stable, comfortable shape while providing inflation support, and the head portion to deform in a controlled manner for therapeutic effects without creating irregular shapes that cause discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of allowing the entire air cell to deform uniformly during inflation, the design inverts the approach by creating a head portion with smaller cross-sectional area that is intended to deform differently. This inverted design principle ensures that the main body maintains a comfortable, regular shape while the head portion provides controlled deformation for massaging functions.
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 prevents over-deformation of air cells, maintaining a comfortable shape for patients and extending the service life of the air mattress by minimizing air leakage.
Implementation Method 1
The elastomer is located in the air chamber defined by the envelope and is capable of providing a deflation supporting force when the air cell is in a deflated state
Implementation Method 2
Each of the restriction straps includes two connection sections vertically spaced from each other and a covering section located between the two connection sections. The two connection sections on each of the restriction straps are connected to the same locating zone on the envelope, such that a communicating gap is formed between the covering section of the restriction strap and the envelope
Implementation Method 3
The envelope internally defines an air chamber that is inflatable to expand, such that the envelope is capable of providing an inflation supporting force when the air cell is in an inflated state
Data Source
AI summary
An inflatable air mattress includes a plurality of air cells arranged side by side. Every air cell includes an envelope, an elastomer, and a plurality of restriction straps. The envelope is inflatable and the elastomer is located inside the envelope. Each restriction strap includes two connection sections connected to a locating zone on the envelope, and a covering section located between the two connection sections to cover a part of the locating zone, such that a communicating gap is formed between the covering section and the envelope and the locating zone is divided into a central restricted area and an outer expandable area. The outer expandable area and the central restricted area are different in deformability. With the restriction straps, it is able to prevent the locating zones on the envelope from being over-deformed when the envelope is inflated and to prevent the deformed envelope from having an irregular shape.