Laser-Welded Bladder Conduit Attachment Without Airflow Pinch

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for attaching air conduits to inflatable bladders in automobile seats often result in pinching or interference, leading to hindered air flow and potential collapse of the conduits, which affects the efficiency of bladder inflation and deflation.

Innovation Solution

The use of laser-welding to fuse thermoplastic urethane conduits to a polymer film carrier, ensuring minimal pressure application and fusion of the conduit and carrier, thereby maintaining the conduit's cross-sectional flow areas, thereby facilitating efficient and rapid inflation and deflation of the bladders, thereby maintaining its cross-sectional flow areas, thereby facilitating efficient and rapid inflation and deflation of the bladders.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional attachment methods are used to attach air conduits to inflatable bladders, then the conduits can be secured to the bladders, but the conduits may be pinched or interfered with, leading to hindered air flow and potential collapse

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidair flow reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical attachment methods (clamps, adhesives, stitching) with laser welding technology. The laser welding process uses optical energy to melt and fuse the thermoplastic urethane conduit to the polymer film carrier without mechanical pressure, thereby avoiding conduit pinching and maintaining cross-sectional flow areas while achieving strong attachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the attachment method from mechanical to thermal bonding by utilizing the thermoplastic properties of the urethane conduit. By controlling laser parameters (power, speed, focus) and material temperature, the conduit and carrier are fused together through controlled melting and solidification, achieving reliable attachment without mechanical interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If pressure is applied to attach conduits to bladders, then the conduits can be secured in place, but the cross-sectional flow areas may be reduced causing conduit collapse and hindered air flow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidcross-sectional flow area

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSArea of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces pressure-based mechanical attachment with laser welding that uses optical-thermal energy to bond the conduit to the carrier. This eliminates the need for compression forces that would reduce the conduit's cross-sectional area, maintaining full flow capacity while achieving secure attachment through localized melting and fusion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If laser-welding is used to fuse conduits to carrier, then minimal pressure is applied maintaining cross-sectional flow areas, but the process requires precise control of welding parameters

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair flow reliabilityVSAvoidwelding process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The laser welding process is self-regulating through the inherent properties of thermoplastic materials. The material's melting point and thermal conductivity provide natural feedback that limits heat penetration and controls weld depth, reducing the need for complex control systems while ensuring consistent, reliable results.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 laser-welding method maintains the cross-sectional flow areas of the conduits, ensuring efficient and rapid inflation and deflation of the bladders without causing collapse, thus enhancing the massage functionality of the seat system.

Implementation Method 1

a laser beam is directed at the carrier and moved relative to the carrier along a welding path that intersects the contact interface. The laser beam causes rapid localized heating of the carrier and the conduit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRapid localized heating: Laser Beam Welding

Implementation Method 2

The laser beam causes rapid localized heating of the carrier and the conduit, which causes localized melting in the carrier and the conduit that, upon solidifying, fuses the carrier and the conduit together

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMelting and solidification: Melting

Implementation Method 3

The carrier is substantially transparent to the laser beam, which penetrates through the carrier and impinges the conduit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser penetration through transparent material: Laser

Data Source

PatentUS20260001469A1Laser-welded conduit on inflatable bladder carrier

Publication Date: 2026.01.01 LEAR CORP

AI summary

A method includes arranging at least one laser-weldable conduit along a contact interface with a laser-weldable polymer film layer of a seat inflatable bladder carrier, directing a laser beam at the laser-weldable polymer film layer, and moving the laser beam along a welding path that intersects the contact interface. The laser beam penetrates through the laser-weldable polymer film layer and impinges the at least one laser-weldable conduit. The laser beam causes localized heating and welding along the weld path at the contact interface, to fuse the laser-weldable polymer film layer and the conduit together.