Vehicle Seat Ventilation Duct With Corrugated Pipe for Seatback Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ventilation duct devices for folding vehicle seats face issues with increased manufacturing costs and decreased comfort performance due to the use of separate blowers for the seatback, as the distance between ducts increases with seatback rotation.
Innovation Solution
A ventilation duct device with a corrugated pipe and elastic support unit that allows air to be transferred between the seatback and seat cushion using a single blower, maintaining connection stability through a variable-length corrugated pipe and elastic support mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two blowers are used (one for seat cushion and one for seatback), then air supply to both areas is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic corrugated pipe that can extend and contract to accommodate the changing distance between the seat cushion and seatback during rotation. This dynamic structure allows a single blower to maintain reliable air supply to both areas throughout the seatback's range of motion, eliminating the need for a second blower while preserving air supply stability.
2Reliability
If two blowers are mounted on seatback and seat cushion, then ventilation is maintained during seatback rotation, but comfort performance of seatback decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic corrugated pipe maintains continuous air flow connectivity between the single blower on the seat cushion and the seatback throughout its rotation range. This ensures ventilation reliability is maintained during seatback rotation while avoiding the negative comfort effects associated with mounting a separate blower on the seatback.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid duct connection is used between cushion duct and back duct, then structural stability is maintained, but adaptability to seatback rotation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated pipe replaces the rigid duct connection with a flexible, dynamic component that can extend and contract. This allows the air supply system to adapt to the changing distance between the seat cushion and seatback during rotation, maintaining both structural integrity and rotational adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrugated pipe utilizes a flexible structure with corrugated walls that can expand and contract axially. This flexible design enables the duct to accommodate the varying distance caused by seatback rotation while maintaining a stable structural connection for air supply.
4Adaptability or versatility
If corrugated pipe is used to accommodate seatback rotation, then adaptability to distance change is achieved, but pipe stability during extension/restoration decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic support unit acts as a counterbalancing mechanism that applies restoring force to the corrugated pipe during extension and restoration. This elastic support compensates for the instability that occurs when the corrugated pipe changes length, maintaining pipe stability throughout its motion range.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic support unit modifies the mechanical parameters of the corrugated pipe system by introducing elastic restoring force. This changes the pipe's behavior from purely passive extension/contraction to an actively supported motion, stabilizing the pipe during distance accommodation.
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
Stable air transfer is maintained during seatback rotation without additional blowers, reducing costs and improving seatback comfort and cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic support unit connecting the corrugated pipe to the cushion duct and the back duct and assisting in restoring the corrugated pipe by elastic restoring force of the elastic support unit when the corrugated pipe is restored
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a ventilation duct device for a vehicle seat, includes a cushion duct, a blower coupled to the cushion duct, configured for air exiting the blower to enter the cushion duct, a back duct, a corrugated pipe, configured for air exiting the blower to enter the back duct via the corrugated pipe, an elastic support unit coupled to and at least partially located within the corrugated pipe, a first end of the elastic support unit coupled to the cushion duct, a second end of the elastic support unit coupled to the back duct, and a spring member coupled between the first end of the elastic support unit and the second end of the elastic support unit, and the spring member being at least partially located within the corrugated pipe.