Pneumatic Bladder Seat Design to Reduce Weight and Manufacturing Cost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional adjustable vehicle seats are costly and heavy due to complex moving parts and motors, which negatively impact fuel efficiency, and they lack fine control over cushioning, potentially leading to discomfort and increased risk of injury during accidents.
Innovation Solution
An extensively reconfigurable seat design utilizing a pneumatic bladder system with individually adjustable air pockets, controlled by a central supply and valves, allowing for customizable cushioning and real-time pressure adjustments based on occupant preferences and vehicle conditions, incorporating machine learning and additive manufacturing for reduced weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional adjustable seat designs with motors and moving parts are used, then seat adjustability is achieved, but manufacturing cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pneumatic bladder system with multiple air pockets that can be individually inflated or deflated to adjust seat cushioning and support. This replaces traditional motorized mechanical adjustment systems, significantly reducing weight while maintaining adaptability. The bladders are controlled by valves that regulate air pressure in each pocket independently, enabling fine-tuned adjustment without heavy motors or complex moving parts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional adjustable seat designs with motors and moving parts are used, then seat adjustability is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic bladder system eliminates expensive motors, gears, and mechanical linkages. The bladders can be integrated directly into the seat cushion foam using additive manufacturing or molding techniques, simplifying the manufacturing process. The control system uses simple valves and pressure sensors instead of complex motor control circuits, reducing both component costs and assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adjusts seat properties by changing the pressure parameter in each air pocket rather than physically moving components. This allows infinite adjustment positions within the pressure range, providing superior adaptability compared to discrete mechanical positions. The pressure can be continuously modified by the control system based on user preferences or detected conditions.
3Ease of operation
If traditional adjustable seat designs are used, then basic cushioning is provided, but fine control over cushioning is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The seat cushion is divided into multiple independent air pockets or bladders, each controllable by its own valve. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of different zones (e.g., lumbar, thigh, buttock support), providing fine-grained control over cushioning characteristics. Each pocket can be pressurized to different levels to create customized support profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the seat cushion can have different pressure levels in their respective air pockets, creating locally optimized support. For example, the lumbar region can be firmer while the thigh area is softer, tailored to the user's specific needs. This local differentiation is achieved through individual pressure control of each segmented pocket.
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 provides a lightweight, cost-effective seat with fine control over cushioning, enhancing comfort and safety by adapting to different driving conditions and occupant profiles, while minimizing the risk of injury during accidents.
Implementation Method 1
A vehicle seat can include a seat cushion portion including multiple individually adjustable bladders
Implementation Method 2
Air flow in these channels, e.g., in the spaces between the pressurized pockets/bladders/chambers, can make the seat 'breathable'
Data Source
AI summary
An extensively reconfigurable seat design can include a vehicle seat system including: a vehicle seat defining a vehicle occupant accommodating space, the vehicle seat including a seat cushion portion including multiple individually adjustable bladders, where each of the multiple individually adjustable bladders has a connected valve that controls fluid communication with an internal space of the individually adjustable bladder to adjust a pressure level within the internal space of the individually adjustable bladder, and an associated sensor configured to detect the pressure level within the internal space of the individually adjustable bladder. A computer can actively sense and control the pressure levels within the bladders, using the sensors and valves, to provide customization, adaptive, ride-active and intelligent control over a reconfigurable cushion for a vehicle.