Therapeutic Seat Cushion Valve Control for Rearward Pressure Waves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing therapeutic seat cushions, such as those described in US 6 782 573 B2 and US 2016 / 317 370 A1, lack effective mechanisms to produce rearwardly advancing waves for enhanced comfort, massaging action, or to assist the body's natural blood pumping action.
Innovation Solution
A therapeutic cushion system that includes a pumping mechanism, inflatable cells arranged in series between a front and rear seat cushion edge, a manifold with inflation and deflation outlets, and an electronic control unit that adjusts a valve assembly to produce rearwardly advancing pumping waves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inflatable bladders are inflated one after another in series, then blood circulation in the legs is helped, but the system cannot produce effective rearwardly advancing waves for enhanced comfort and massaging action
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static sequential inflation to dynamic wave-based inflation. The inflatable elements are inflated and deflated in a coordinated sequence that creates rearwardly advancing waves, dynamically adapting to assist both blood circulation and provide massaging action through controlled pressure variations across different zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic inflation and deflation cycles of inflatable elements arranged in zones. By controlling the timing and sequence of these periodic actions across multiple elements, rearwardly advancing waves are generated that periodically compress and release, enhancing both circulation assistance and comfort through rhythmic massaging effects.
2Productivity
If a valve assembly with at least three different valve configurations is used, then rearwardly advancing pumping waves are produced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into multiple independent valve units, each controlling a specific zone of inflatable elements. This segmentation allows complex pumping wave patterns to be generated by coordinating simpler individual valve actions, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high productivity in wave generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control system as an intermediary that manages the coordination between multiple valve configurations. This intermediary layer simplifies the control logic by processing high-level commands and translating them into coordinated valve actions, reducing the complexity burden on the valve assembly itself while maintaining effective pumping wave generation.
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 system effectively produces rearwardly advancing pumping waves, enhancing comfort, providing a massaging action, and assisting the body's natural blood pumping action, thereby improving circulation and user comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a therapeutic seat cushion structured and controlled to produce rearwardly advancing waves, for enhanced comfort and massaging action or to assist the body's natural blood pumping action
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A seat cushion includes a plurality of inflatable cells, a pumping mechanism, and a manifold or valve system fluidly between the pumping mechanism and the inflatable cells. The manifold or the valve system, which may include a clutch and a motor, connect the pumping mechanism with, the inflatable cells such that a plurality of zones are created. A valve assembly can include a plurality of valves and is adjustable among at least three valve configurations to vary fluid connections to the inflatable cells to produce rearwardly advancing waves. The pumping action produced by the inflation and deflation of the inflatable cells assists in pumping blood in a user's legs back toward the heart.