Pneumatic Mat Layout With Complementary Bladders to Cut Sheet Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic mats in the art result in significant waste material due to inefficient use of flexible sheets, leading to increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic mat design with a channel connecting two bladders, where regions between the bladders are shaped to complement each other, allowing for efficient cutting and bonding of sheets to minimize waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the channel has a smaller dimension than the bladders, then the reduced thickness reduces pressure on the user's spine, but the specific shape results in substantial waste material from flexible sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the channel region asymmetric in shape, specifically designed to complement the asymmetric shape of the bladder portions. This allows the regions to fit together like puzzle pieces, minimizing waste material when cutting from flexible sheets while maintaining the channel's reduced thickness for spinal pressure relief
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the nesting principle by making one region's shape substantially corresponding to another region's shape, allowing them to be nested or fitted together efficiently during manufacturing. This complementary shaping enables better material utilization from the flexible sheets
2Length of stationary object
If the channel has a smaller dimension than the bladders, then the mat becomes thinner in the channel area, but this creates a dog's bone shape that reduces manufacturing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric design of the channel and bladder regions allows for optimized cutting patterns from flexible sheets. The complementary shapes enable more efficient nesting and arrangement during manufacturing, improving ease of manufacture while maintaining the thin channel profile
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the two-dimensional layout of regions on the flexible sheet by designing complementary shapes that can be efficiently arranged in the plane. This dimensional optimization improves manufacturing efficiency without changing the three-dimensional thickness characteristics of the inflated mat
3Area of stationary object
If the channel has a smaller dimension than the bladders, then the cross section is reduced, but the specific shape configuration increases material waste significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric complementary shaping of regions allows for optimized utilization of flexible sheet material. By designing regions with shapes that correspond to each other, the patent minimizes the non-utilizable waste areas (W) when cutting multiple mats from a sheet, while maintaining the reduced cross-sectional area of the channel
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the regions, specifically designing the shape parameters so that one region's boundaries substantially correspond to another region's boundaries. This parameter optimization reduces material waste while maintaining the channel's reduced cross-sectional dimensions
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~2D
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate to a pneumatic mat (200) comprising a first pneumatic bladder (210), a second pneumatic bladder (220), and a channel (230) connecting the first pneumatic bladder (210) and the second pneumatic bladder (220). The shape of the mat is such that, when the mat is positioned to another similar mat rotated by 180 degrees, the two mats complement each other's shape at least partially, so that a manufacturing of a plurality of mats is made more efficient.