Vehicle Seat Massage Bladder Sequencing for Continuous Rubbing Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seat massage systems using pneumatically operated bladders primarily apply pressure by filling and emptying bladders sequentially, mimicking spot massages rather than the rubbing or kneading movements of a manual massage.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where bladders are inflated and deflated in a specific sequence, with adjacent bladders maintaining a lower but perceptible pressure level, simulating a rubbing motion by maintaining pressure across the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bladders are filled and emptied in a set sequence with complete deflation, then the pressure point migrates across the body, but the rubbing or kneading effect of manual massage is not simulated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by maintaining a residual pressure in previously inflated bladders before they are completely deflated. When moving from one bladder to the next in the sequence, the current bladder is inflated while the previous bladder maintains a reduced but non-zero pressure, ensuring continuous pressure on the body and simulating the rubbing motion of manual massage rather than discrete pressure points
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the pressure levels of multiple bladders simultaneously rather than simply filling and emptying them in sequence. The control device manages varying pressure levels across different bladders to create a dynamic pressure distribution that mimics the continuous rubbing motion of manual massage, transitioning from static complete deflation to dynamic partial pressure maintenance
2Device complexity
If pressure is applied only at specific points by filling individual bladders, then the system is simple to control, but the massage feels more like spot massage rather than rubbing movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different pressure levels at different locations (bladders) simultaneously. Instead of uniform filling/emptying sequences, each bladder can be at a different pressure level, with the current active bladder at high pressure and adjacent bladders at progressively lower residual pressures, creating a gradient that simulates the localized yet continuous pressure of manual rubbing
Solution Approach 2:
The control device prepares adjacent bladders in advance by maintaining them at intermediate pressure levels before they become the active pressure point. This preliminary partial inflation ensures that as the active pressure migrates from one bladder to the next, there is already a residual pressure in place, creating the rubbing effect without requiring complex real-time adjustments
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 method and system create a sensation of continuous pressure migration akin to a manual massage, enhancing the perceived effectiveness of the massage experience.
Implementation Method 1
a pneumatically operated massage system with N massage bladders, wherein the bladders are periodically inflated and deflated in a predetermined sequence
Data Source
AI summary
A method for performing a massage program carried out by a massage system that is part of a vehicle seat system that includes a vehicle seat with a backrest and a seat part, and a pneumatically operated massage system with N massage bladders. The method involves selecting and starting a massage program to define a sequence of bladders which are inflated or deflated, wherein the sequence is defined such that successively inflated bladders are adjacent to one another, wherein the bladders are inflated and deflated according to the sequence so that the bladders are inflated one after the other to a first pressure level. If the nth bladder in the sequence is inflated to the first pressure level, the pressure level of at least the (n+1)th bladder and/or the (n−1)th bladder in the sequence is at a pressure level lower than the first pressure level but greater than zero.