Lumbar Support Air Bladder Exhaust Using a Ventilation Blower
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat cushioning systems with air bladders lack sufficient adjustability to accommodate various user preferences, leading to discomfort due to residual air not being adequately exhausted, and require additional components like pressure sensors, increasing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A lumbar support device with a control valve system that connects to an air pump and a ventilation blower, allowing for repeated air supply and discharge from air bladders, with the blower driven after the massage function ends to quickly exhaust air, eliminating the need for separate pressure sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air bladders are individually adjusted using only natural exhaust within a set period of time, then the system structure remains simple, but air may not be sufficiently exhausted from the air bladders, causing user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ventilation blower (originally part of the ventilation system) with the air bladder exhaust function. The blower is integrated into the seat structure and reused for dual purposes: ventilation during operation and exhaust after operation, eliminating the need for separate exhaust components and achieving complete air discharge without increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilation blower is designed to perform multiple functions: it operates as a ventilation device during the air bladder operation mode and automatically switches to an exhaust device after the operation mode ends. This multi-functionality allows complete air exhaustion while avoiding additional component requirements
2Manufacturing precision
If pressure sensors and separate logic control are added to adjust air amount accurately, then air control precision improves, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing ventilation blower control logic to automatically manage air bladder exhaust after operation mode ends. The controller seamlessly transitions the blower from ventilation to exhaust function without requiring separate pressure sensors or additional control circuits, achieving accurate air control while minimizing component requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers and reuses the ventilation blower for exhaust functionality after its primary ventilation function completes. By repurposing an existing component for a secondary function, the system achieves precise air control without adding expensive pressure sensors or separate exhaust systems
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 solution ensures quick and complete air discharge from air bladders, enhancing user comfort by preventing residual air discomfort and reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for additional sensors.
Implementation Method 1
a ventilation blower connected to the control valve, wherein the ventilation blower is selectively driven, when a preset air bladder operation mode is terminated, so as to discharge the air remaining in the air bladder
Implementation Method 2
a control valve connected to an air pump configured to provide pneumatic pressure for expansion of the air bladder
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a lumbar support device for improvement of exhaust performance, the lumbar support device including a plurality of air bladders, each of the air bladders expanding or contracting, a control valve connected to an air pump configured to provide pneumatic pressure for expansion of the air bladder, wherein the control valve performs a control operation of supplying air supplied from the air pump to the air bladder or discharging the air supplied to the air bladder, and a ventilation blower connected to the control valve, wherein the ventilation blower is selectively driven, when a preset air bladder operation mode is terminated, so as to discharge the air remaining in the air bladder.