Semi-Impermeable Pocketed Spring Core for Slow Compression Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seating and bedding products with visco-elastic foam pads provide a luxury feel but retain heat and are expensive to manufacture, while lacking alternatives that offer similar slow-compression and recovery characteristics without heat retention.
Innovation Solution
A pocketed spring core assembly using semi-impermeable fabric, such as spun-bonded polypropylene fabric coated with polyurethane, which slows air flow through the fabric, allowing springs to compress and recover slowly, mimicking visco-elastic foam behavior, and can be manufactured on existing equipment with minimal modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If visco-elastic foam pads are used to provide luxury feel and slow compression characteristics, then the comfort and luxury feel are improved, but heat retention increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses porous foam material with open cell structure instead of closed cell visco-elastic foam. The porous structure allows air circulation and heat dissipation while maintaining the slow compression characteristics. The foam density and porosity are specifically controlled to achieve both comfort and thermal regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple materials including porous foam, fabric layers with specific breathability ratings, and phase change materials in a composite structure. This multi-material approach achieves the luxury feel of visco-elastic foam while adding thermal regulation capabilities through the breathable fabric and phase change components.
2Ease of operation
If visco-elastic foam pads are used to achieve slow compression and recovery characteristics, then the luxury feel is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves slow compression characteristics by adjusting foam density, porosity, and thickness parameters rather than using expensive visco-elastic materials. The fabric breathability rating and layer thickness are also optimized to contribute to the slow compression effect at lower cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses cost-effective porous foam and standard fabric materials instead of expensive visco-elastic foam. The design achieves comparable comfort characteristics through material parameter optimization and layered construction rather than relying on premium materials.
3Ease of operation
If closed cell visco-elastic foam structure is used to provide luxury feel, then comfort is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces closed cell foam with open cell porous foam structure that allows air permeation. The fabric layers are selected with specific breathability ratings to facilitate air flow and heat dissipation while maintaining comfort. This porous structure enables both comfort and effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes air flow through the porous foam and breathable fabric layers to facilitate heat dissipation. The open cell structure acts as a pneumatic system allowing convection and evaporation to occur, enhancing heat loss from the body while maintaining comfort support.
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 cost-effective seating or bedding product with luxurious slow-compression and recovery characteristics similar to visco-elastic foam pads, without heat retention, using existing manufacturing processes and equipment with minimal adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
The fabric material, while permitting some air flow through the material, does so at a rate which retards or slows the rate at which a spring maintained in a sealed pocket of the fabric may compress under load or return to its original height when a load is removed
Implementation Method 2
the visco-elastic foam pad which is slow acting. That is, the visco-elastic foam pad is slow to compress under load and slow to recover to its original height when the load is removed
Data Source
AI summary
Spring cushions having slow-acting pocketed spring cores characterized by the individual springs of the cores being sealingly pocketed within semi-impermeable fabric material and a method of making such pocketed spring cores.