Vehicle Seat Massage Cell Stack with Restraining Straps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air cell stacks for vehicle seats exhibit non-uniform vertical expansion and a tendency for air cells to slide horizontally, leading to inadequate localized pressure distribution during massage applications.
Innovation Solution
A massage cell stack with a sequence of inflatable air cells connected by flexible portions and restraining straps to ensure uniform vertical expansion and prevent horizontal movement, limiting expansion in regions that would otherwise expand the most and maintaining vertical alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If air cells are arranged in a vertical stack connected by flexible connecting portions, then the structure achieves compactness and simplified manufacturing, but the air cells exhibit non-uniform vertical expansion and horizontal sliding tendency
Solution Approach 1:
The restraining straps are selectively positioned at specific locations on the air cell stack to provide localized constraint. The straps are arranged to specifically limit horizontal sliding between air cells while allowing vertical expansion, creating different mechanical properties at different locations of the same structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The restraining straps introduce asymmetric constraint to the otherwise symmetric air cell stack. The straps are positioned to constrain horizontal movement in specific directions while allowing the natural vertical expansion pattern, breaking the symmetry to achieve the desired stability without compromising the compact stacked structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If restraining straps are added to limit vertical expansion, then uniform expansion is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The restraining straps are implemented as flexible elements that can accommodate the expansion and contraction of the air cells. These thin, flexible straps provide the necessary constraint force while maintaining compatibility with the flexible nature of the inflatable air cells, avoiding rigid complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of constraining vertical expansion directly (one-dimensional approach), the restraining straps work by constraining horizontal sliding (perpendicular dimension). This indirect approach in another dimension achieves the goal of uniform vertical expansion without requiring complex vertical constraint mechanisms.
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 achieves more uniform vertical expansion and prevents horizontal movement between air cells, enhancing the massage experience by providing consistent pressure distribution and maintaining the vertical alignment of air cells.
Implementation Method 1
the two cells of the pair are connected by a flexible connecting portion including a flow channel providing fluid communication between the two cells
Implementation Method 2
a sequence of at least two inflatable air cells... for inflating and deflating it
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Massage cell stack for a vehicle seat, comprising a sequence of at least two inflatable air cells (1, 2, 3), wherein for each pair of subsequent air cells of the sequence the two cells of the pair are connected by a flexible connecting portion (4) including a flow channel providing fluid communication between the two cells, the connecting portion (4) being folded over and the two cells being arranged on top of each other to form a vertical stack of air cells from a lowermost to an uppermost air cell, wherein at least one restraining strap (10) extends between and is connected to vertically aligned circumferential regions of at least two air cells of the vertical cell stack, wherein at least one restraining strap is connected to the lowermost air cell (1) and at least one restraining strap (10) is connected to the uppermost air cell (3), and wherein the at least one restraining strap (10) is arranged and has a length such that it limits vertical expansion of the massage cell stack when being inflated.