Ventilated Seat Pad Structure for Foam Expansion and Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing seat pads with ventilation members formed by integral expansion molding of expandable resin materials suffer from inadequate expansion of the resin material into the ventilation member, leading to a harder and less flexible foam, which compromises sitting comfortability due to increased density and reduced bonding between the ventilation member and the expanded resin foam.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a covering member with impregnation inhibiting material that covers at least a part of the ventilation member at the interface with the expandable resin material, preventing infiltration and ensuring proper expansion and bonding during the molding process, thereby maintaining flexibility and comfortability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the expandable resin material is injected into the mold with the ventilation member disposed therein, then the seat pad is formed by integral expansion molding, but the low-viscosity expandable resin material infiltrates into the ventilation member and is cured without sufficient expansion, resulting in higher density and harder foam that deteriorates sitting comfortability
Solution Approach 1:
A covering member is introduced as an intermediary between the ventilation member and the expandable resin material. This covering member has impregnation-inhibiting properties that prevent the low-viscosity resin material from infiltrating into the ventilation member during injection, while still allowing the material to expand properly and cure to form the seat pad with maintained comfortability
Solution Approach 2:
The covering member is selectively applied only at specific locations where infiltration occurs (at the interface between the ventilation member and resin material), rather than covering the entire ventilation member. This local application prevents resin infiltration while maintaining the ventilation function and allows proper expansion of the resin material
2Strength
If the expandable resin material infiltrates into the ventilation member and is cured, then bonding between the ventilation member and expanded resin foam is formed, but the infiltrated material has higher density and is harder than properly expanded foam, compromising sitting comfortability
Solution Approach 1:
The covering member serves as a mediator that controls the interaction between the resin material and ventilation member. It allows sufficient contact for bonding to occur while preventing excessive infiltration that would cause over-densification and hardening, thus maintaining both bonding strength and sitting comfortability
3Manufacturing precision
If the ventilation member is covered with a covering member having impregnation inhibiting material, then infiltration of the expandable resin material is inhibited and proper expansion is ensured, but bonding between the ventilation member and expanded resin foam may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The covering member is selectively applied only at the interface region where resin infiltration occurs, rather than completely enclosing the ventilation member. This localized coverage prevents infiltration and ensures proper expansion while leaving other areas exposed to allow bonding between the resin foam and ventilation member
Solution Approach 2:
The covering member is designed with specific impregnation-inhibiting properties that are applied only where needed, creating a selective barrier that copies the function of preventing infiltration only at the critical interface zone, while maintaining bonding capability in other regions
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 effectively inhibits the infiltration of the expandable resin material into the ventilation member, allowing for proper expansion and bonding, resulting in improved sitting comfortability and flexibility of the seat pad without compromising the bonding between the ventilation member and the expanded resin foam.
Implementation Method 1
the mold is heated to expand the expandable resin material, whereby a seat pad is molded integrally with the ventilation member included
Implementation Method 2
the low-viscosity expandable resin material infiltrates into the ventilation member from a molding surface of the mold
Data Source
AI summary
Providing a seat pad that can provide good sitting comfortability with bonding between a ventilation member and an expanded resin foam included in the seat pad ensured.A seat pad 10 including a ventilation member 20 having a function that lets air through to/from an outside, the seat pad 10 being formed by integral expansion molding of an expandable resin material M with the ventilation member 20 introduced therein, includes a covering member 30 that covers at least a part of the ventilation member 20 at an interface between the ventilation member 20 and the expandable resin material M, and the covering member 30 includes an impregnation inhibiting material having a function that inhibits infiltration of the expandable resin material M, the function being at least higher than that of the ventilation member 20.