Inflatable bladder

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional inflatable bladders with circular configurations hinder dense packing due to their shape changes during inflation and deflation, leading to inadequate support and comfort in seating applications, and require additional foam to compensate for lack of support when deflated, which increases cost and weight and causes discomfort.

Innovation Solution

A non-flat, three-dimensional inflatable bladder with a rectangular configuration that maintains a constant lateral dimension during inflation and deflation, featuring expansion joints or convolutions only in the longitudinal direction, allowing for closer packing and improved support without lateral expansion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional circular inflatable bladders are used, then they can provide cushion support when inflated, but they cannot be densely packed together in an array due to their shape changes during inflation and deflation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacking densityVSAvoidbladder configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The bladder is segmented into two distinct skins (upper and lower) that are coupled together at their peripheries, creating a pocket structure. This segmentation allows each skin to maintain its circular shape independently while the overall structure can be densely packed in an array without interfering with adjacent bladders during inflation and deflation cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat disk configuration to a three-dimensional structured bladder with defined volume. By coupling the upper and lower circular skins at their peripheries to form a pocket, the bladder gains vertical dimension while maintaining a compact footprint, enabling dense packing in arrays while providing adequate support when inflated

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Strength

If conventional circular inflatable bladders are used, then they can expand to provide support when inflated, but they provide virtually no cushioning when fully deflated requiring additional foam

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecushioning supportVSAvoidseat weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The bladder structure is designed to maintain a minimal three-dimensional form even when deflated, with the upper and lower skins coupled at peripheries creating a pocket that preserves some structural form. This beforehand cushioning allows the bladder to provide baseline support when deflated, eliminating the need for additional foam materials and reducing overall seat weight

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Strength

If additional foam is added to compensate for lack of support when deflated, then cushioning is improved, but cost and weight increase and body heat dissipation is obstructed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecushioning supportVSAvoidseat weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the cushioning function entirely from foam materials and relocates it to the inflatable bladder structure itself. By designing the bladder with coupled upper and lower skins that maintain structural form in both inflated and deflated states, the foam material becomes unnecessary, eliminating its weight, cost, and thermal insulation properties that would otherwise obstruct body heat dissipation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If conventional circular inflatable bladders are used, then they can provide support when inflated, but they interfere with neighboring bladders when placed close together in an array

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearray densityVSAvoidbladder operation independence

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bladder is segmented into an upper circular skin and a lower circular skin coupled at their peripheries, creating independent structural elements. This segmentation allows each bladder in an array to operate independently during inflation and deflation cycles, as the coupled skin structure maintains stable boundaries that prevent interference with adjacent bladders even at high packing densities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4260763A1Inflatable bladder

Publication Date: 2023.10.18 GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORP

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AI summary

An inflatable bladder includes, but is not limited to, a bladder body having a wall, a longitudinal dimension, and a lateral dimension. The wall defines an interior volume enclosing a fluid. The wall further defines an opening in fluid communication with the interior volume. The bladder body is fluid tight when the opening is closed. The wall is configured to facilitate an expansion of the longitudinal dimension during an ingress of the fluid into the interior volume and a contraction of the longitudinal dimension during an egress of the fluid from the interior volume. The wall is further configured to maintain a constant lateral dimension during the ingress of the fluid into the interior volume and a constant lateral dimension during the egress of the fluid from the interior volume.