Pneumatic Lift Actuator Bedding Foundation for Massage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable bed bases are heavy, difficult to transport, and expensive due to the hardware and electronics necessary for moving parts, while conventional stationary bedding foundations lack the desirable features of adjustable bed bases.
Innovation Solution
A bedding foundation with a generally rectangular frame made of hollow members, supported by legs and featuring multiple trays with lift actuators that raise and lower lift plates in a predetermined pattern, providing a massage effect or lumbar support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable bed bases include motors and moving parts to provide massage and lumbar support, then the massage and lumbar support function is improved, but the weight and transport difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional motor-driven mechanical systems with a pneumatic system. Compressors generate pressurized air that acts on diaphragms or bellows to create lifting and massaging motions, eliminating heavy motors, gearboxes, and control electronics while achieving the same massage and lumbar support functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic actuators consisting of diaphragms or bellows that expand and contract under pressurized air to produce vertical motion for massage effects and lumbar support. This pneumatic mechanism provides the required adaptability without the weight penalty of motorized systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable bed bases include motors and electronics for moving parts, then the massage and lumbar support function is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive motor assemblies, drivers, and control electronics with simpler pneumatic components (compressors, air lines, diaphragms, and bellows). This substitution dramatically reduces component count, manufacturing complexity, and overall cost while maintaining the massage and lumbar support functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic components used in the invention, particularly the diaphragms and bellows, are simpler and less expensive than motorized systems. These components can be manufactured at lower cost and are easier to replace if needed, reducing both initial manufacturing cost and long-term maintenance expenses.
3Weight of moving object
If conventional stationary bedding foundations are used, then the weight and cost are reduced, but the massage and lumbar support functions are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms a traditionally static bed base into a dynamic system by incorporating pneumatic diaphragms or bellows that can actively change shape and position. These components respond to pressurized air to create lifting motions for lumbar support and massaging motions, enabling the stationary foundation to provide adaptive support functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic diaphragms and bellows serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the mattress, create lumbar support through targeted lifting, and generate massaging motions through rhythmic expansion and contraction. This multi-functionality allows a single lightweight pneumatic system to replace what would traditionally require separate motorized components.
Data Source
AI summary
A bedding foundation has a linear actuator for moving a roller carriage forward and backwards. The roller carriage includes wheels which move along rails supported below a rigid platform having an opening extending through the platform. The roller carriage includes a lifter which raises and lowers a roller independently of the movement of the linear actuator. Regardless of the position of the linear actuator, the roller may be raised or lowered. The roller moves back and forth inside the opening extending through the rigid platform and imparts a massage movement to a mattress above the foundation.