Resilient Core Bore Geometry for Lightweight Thermal Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to enhance the thermal performance of lightweight resilient core mattress pads without compromising their weight reduction, stability, and core-to-fabric bonding characteristics, while addressing issues of convective and radiant heat transmission.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves creating resilient cores with columnar holes or arrays of columnar solids that incorporate thermal transmission mitigation means, such as geometric cross-section modifications, introduction of thermal barriers, and material treatments, to reduce heat transfer rates, particularly through the use of oblique holes and occluded bores that become more occluded under compression, and integrating radiant barriers to enhance insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If vertically oriented voids are introduced to reduce core weight, then weight is reduced, but thermal performance deteriorates due to convection and radiant heat transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing thermal barriers specifically within the voids rather than throughout the entire core. The thermal barriers are selectively placed in the regions where convection and radiant heat transmission occur, allowing the bulk of the core to remain lightweight while locally addressing the thermal performance issue in the void regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal barriers act as intermediary elements within the voids, mediating between the conflicting requirements of weight reduction and thermal performance. These barriers intercept convective and radiant heat transfer paths without requiring complete solidification of the core structure, thus maintaining weight advantages while improving thermal performance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If thermal barriers are introduced to improve thermal performance, then thermal performance is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than adding thermal barriers throughout the entire core, the invention applies them locally only within the void regions where heat transfer occurs. This selective placement minimizes the total amount of barrier material required, thus improving thermal performance while limiting weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the porous nature of the core with its voids to strategically position thermal barriers only where needed for heat interception. The porous structure allows efficient placement of minimal barrier material in the heat transfer pathways without requiring solidification of the entire core, thereby limiting weight penalty.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional die cutting is used to create voids, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies discarding and recovering by utilizing the material that would otherwise be waste from die cutting operations. The removed material is recovered and repurposed as thermal barriers placed within the voids, thus converting what was previously discarded waste into a functional component that improves thermal performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of material utilization by transforming waste material into a functional thermal barrier component. This parameter change converts a negative outcome (material waste) into a positive outcome (thermal performance improvement) without requiring additional manufacturing steps or materials.
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
This approach effectively improves the core's resistance to heat transfer beyond its innate insulative properties, maintaining lightweight and stable performance while minimizing convective and radiant heat transfer, thereby enhancing the overall thermal performance of the mattress pad.
Implementation Method 1
mitigate means were needed in order to retain desired performance of pads incorporating such cores... minimize convective and radiant heat transfer
Implementation Method 2
minimize convective and radiant heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
Resilient cores preferably for inflatable bodies having resilient slabs that define a plurality of generally columnar holes or resilient arrays of generally columnar solids, methods for making such slabs and arrays, and articles incorporating the same wherein the cores further includes thermal transmission mitigation means for improving a core's resistance to heat transfer beyond the core's innate insulative properties. Non-exclusive and non-exhaustive examples of such thermal transmission mitigation means in slab core embodiments include consideration to hole or bore geometric cross section, frequency, pattern and orientation, the introduction of a thermal barrier at or within at least some holes or bores, and/or slab material selection/treatment. Non-exclusive and non-exhaustive examples of such thermal transmission mitigation means in array core embodiments include consideration to the geometric cross section, frequency (density), pattern and orientation of the solids, the introduction of thermal barriers within inter-solid spaces and/or solid material selection/treatment.