Semi-Impermeable Pocketed Spring Core for Slow-Acting Cushions
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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 with a polyurethane coating, to slow down air flow and mimic the compression and recovery characteristics of visco-elastic foam pads, allowing for cost-effective manufacturing 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 extracts the heat retention problem from the visco-elastic foam system by removing the foam material entirely and replacing it with pocketed springs. The springs retain the slow compression characteristic through air resistance in sealed pockets while eliminating the closed-cell structure that caused heat retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent copies the slow compression effect of visco-elastic foam by using air-filled sealed pockets around springs. The semi-impermeable fabric creates similar resistance to compression as visco-elastic foam, replicating the luxury feel without the thermal retention properties.
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 replaces expensive visco-elastic foam with a more economical construction using standard springs and semi-impermeable fabric. The spring assembly with sealed pockets achieves the same slow compression effect at lower material and manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary substance within sealed fabric pockets to create the slow compression effect. The air resistance provides the luxury feel characteristic, while the simple fabric-sealing process keeps manufacturing costs low compared to visco-elastic foam production.
3Duration of action of moving object
If semi-impermeable fabric is used to slow air flow through pocketed springs, then slow compression and recovery characteristics are achieved, but air permeability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the air permeability parameter of the fabric from fully permeable to semi-impermeable. This parameter change creates resistance to air flow through the sealed pockets, which in turn slows the compression and recovery speed of the springs, achieving the desired slow acting characteristic.
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-acting compression and recovery, reducing heat retention and maintaining the luxury feel of visco-elastic foam pads without the associated heat issues, while being manufactured inexpensively on existing machinery.
Implementation Method 1
The fabric pocketing material within which the springs are contained is semi-impermeable to air flow through the fabric material
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing spring cushions (10) having slow-acting pocketed spring cores (12) characterized by the individual springs of the cores (12) being sealingly pocketed within semi-impermeable fabric material.