Pneumatic bladder arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat designs often fail to adapt to the body contours of users, leading to discomfort, especially in areas like the shoulder and thigh regions, due to the use of rigid mechanical elements that increase manufacturing costs and safety risks in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic bladder arrangement with inflatable bladders of varying thicknesses, configured to form wedge-like or trapezoidal shapes, which can be mounted in different regions of a seat to conform to the user's body shape, reducing the need for mechanical components and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If rigid mechanical elements (plates, pivots, joints) are used to modify seat shape, then the seat can adapt to different body shapes, but manufacturing cost increases and safety risks arise in vehicle collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid mechanical elements (plates, pivots, joints) with a pneumatic system consisting of inflatable bladders and air chambers. This substitution eliminates mechanical moving parts that could cause injury during collisions, while still achieving seat shape adaptation through pneumatic pressure adjustments. The soft, compliant nature of inflated bladders provides safety benefits compared to hard mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses pneumatic chambers and inflatable bladders to modify seat shape and provide support. By controlling air pressure in these chambers, the seat can adapt to different body shapes without requiring mechanical moving parts. This pneumatic approach resolves the safety issue by eliminating rigid mechanical elements while maintaining adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If rigid mechanical elements are used for seat shape modification, then support adjustment is possible, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms with a simpler pneumatic system. Instead of using multiple stacked chambers with pivotable mechanisms, the invention uses inflatable bladders that can be filled and deflated to provide support adjustment. This substitution significantly reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to adjust support.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses flexible inflatable bladders made of thin material to provide support adjustment. These flexible membranes can be easily manufactured and integrated into the seat structure, replacing expensive rigid mechanical components. The bladders conform to body shapes and provide support through inflation, offering a cost-effective solution.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional seat designs are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the seat cannot adapt to different body contours, causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible inflatable bladders that can be easily integrated into conventional seat structures. These thin-film pneumatic elements maintain manufacturing simplicity while providing adaptability to different body contours. The bladders can be inflated to various shapes and sizes to accommodate different users without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention achieves adaptability by changing the physical parameters (volume, pressure, shape) of the inflatable bladders rather than changing the seat structure itself. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity because the same bladder components can be adjusted to different states to accommodate different body types, avoiding the need for multiple seat configurations.
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 pneumatic bladder arrangement provides a comfortable, adaptable seating solution that reduces manufacturing costs and enhances safety by eliminating rigid mechanical parts, effectively addressing the limitations of existing seat designs.
Implementation Method 1
A pneumatic bladder arrangement for a seat comprises a plurality of inflatable bladders, wherein at least one of the plurality of inflatable bladders, when inflated, has a first edge with a first thickness and a second edge with a second thickness
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pneumatic bladder arrangement (100) for a seat (S) comprising a plurality of inflatable bladders (110), wherein at least one of the plurality of inflatable bladders (110), when inflated, has a first edge (111) with a first thickness (T1) and a second edge (112) with a second thickness (T2), wherein the first thickness (T1) is bigger than the second thickness (T2), the invention also relates to a seat (S) comprising the pneumatic bladder arrangement and to a manufacturing method for an inflatable bladder.