The present invention relates to an adjusting system and method, and more particularly to a static equilibrium adjusting system and method of a field of bladder technology.
Air sacs and air mats that are generally air-inflatable and deflatable are commonly used in a variety of fields of merchandise, such as seat cushions, pillows, and bed mattresses and is structurally connected with a valve, so that through opening and closing of an opening of an air compartment inside the valve, the valve may control charging and discharging of air into and out of the air bags and air mats.
However, when such air sacs and air mats are used, for example a human body, such as the head or the torso, applying a pressing force to such air sacs or air mats, the valve is only allowed to release air and is incapable of inducing counteracting forces of different magnitudes to resist different pressing force acting on the air sacs or air mats (due to such as the weight of the head or the torso). Thus, the supportability (meaning softness/stiffness) and height of the air sacs or air mats are not adjustable to suit personal needs of the users. And, further, variety of products to which the air sacs and air mats may be applied is limited and practical utilizations thereof are poor.
Thus, the existing air sacs and air mats are generally imperfects in respect of the structure and effectiveness thereof.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a static equilibrium adjusting system that is operable to adjust the supportability (namely softness/stiffness) and height of a bladder by applying “static equilibrium”.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a static equilibrium adjusting method that applies “static equilibrium” to adjust the supportability (namely softness/stiffness) and height of a bladder.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a static equilibrium adjusting system, which comprises: at least one bladder, which has an interior space in which an elastic restoration device is arranged to support an external pressing force; at least one regulation valve, which is in communication with the bladder to provide a reverse-resisting force that is adjustable to resist an air pressure generated, in a direction toward the regulation valve, by the bladder in receiving the external pressing force acting thereon; the external pressing force pressing down the bladder and the elastic restoration device, and through selection among bladders having interior spaces of different sizes and selection among elastic restoration devices of different densities and elastic properties, negative pressure rebounding forces of different magnitudes are generated to cooperate with an equilibrium force generated through setting of adjusting of the regulation valve, so as to provide the bladder with a supporting force of a negative pressure difference to achieve an effect of static equilibrium among the external pressing force, the bladder, and the regulation valve, and the bladder is adjustable for supportability and height and the bladder is automatically positioned and shaped through an effect of negative pressure after the adjusting of the supportability and height.
In the above system, the elastic restoration device comprises one of a foaming material, a foam, rubber, a spring, and an elastic plate.
In the above system, the regulation valve comprises a valve opening, a valve diaphragm, an elastic element, and a push member, wherein the valve opening is arranged in an interior of the regulation valve and in communication with the bladder; the valve diaphragm is positionable in tight engagement with and seals and closes the valve opening; the elastic element is in elastic contact engagement with the valve diaphragm; the push member is arranged at one side of the regulation valve to push the elastic element.
In the above system, the elastic element comprises a spring.
In the above system, the push member is movable threading engagement with the regulation valve.
In the above system, the push member is arranged on the regulation valve in a pushable manner.
In the above system, the bladder is in communication with a self-charging valve, the self-charging valve comprising a plurality of apertures, an airtight sealing element being arranged in an interior of the self-charging valve and between the plurality of apertures, the airtight sealing element being selected as an elastic material, so that the airtight sealing element elastically seals and closes the apertures.
In the above system, a plurality of such bladders are arranged in a lined-up form inside a pillow, the pillow being received in a pillow cover to form a pillow product; wherein a central bladder and two side bladders are independent operating bladders that are not in communication with each other, the central bladder being provided with an air tube in communication with interior and exterior in order to allow air inside of the central space to be discharged at a proper amount when being pressed down.
In the above system, the self-charging valve is provided, in an interior thereof, with a separation board to support an additional airtight sealing element, so that when the bladder carries out air suction for self-charging, the additional airtight sealing element provides an airtight sealing effect for preventing the bladder from sucking in air from the regulation valve and a tube line thereof.
In the above system, a concave surface is arranged on a circumference of the valve opening of the regulation valve, and the valve diaphragm is provided with a convex surface corresponding to the concave surface, so that the concave surface and the convex surface are in matched engagement with each other and a positioning peg is provided on an underside of the valve diaphragm to extend through the valve opening but not blocking and contacting the valve opening.
In the above system, the bladder and the regulation valve are provided in two sets or more than two sets and a box receives and holds the regulation valves.
In the above system, the external pressing force is a force generated by taking the bladder as an acted body, while an acting body actively applies a pressure to the bladder.
In the above system, the external pressing force is an opposite counteracting force that is generated by taking the bladder as acting body moved toward and snugly around an acted body.
In the above system, the bladders are set in a stacked and connected arrangement, a connected site being formed with a passage hole, air inside the bladders of the stacked arrangement being allowed to flow through the passage hole toward each other, so as to increase a support height and when the external pressing force varnishes, the bladders of the stacked arrangement are charged with air simultaneously, and the elastic restoration devices inside the bladders of the stacked arrangement simultaneously generate negative pressure rebounding forces to expand the bladders.
To achieve said another objective, the present invention provides a static equilibrium adjusting method, which comprises:
By adopting the above solutions, corresponding to different pressing forces (such as a weight of a human head or torso) that act on an air sac or an air mat, the present invention provides counteraction forces of different magnitudes to resist the pressing force acting on the air sac or air mat, so as to achieve adjustment of supportability (softness/stiffness) and height of the air sac or air mat that suit personal needs, to thereby enhance practical utilization thereof.
Referring to
The regulation valve 20 is connected to and in communication with the bladder 10 to provide an adjustable reverse-resisting force to resist an air pressure that is generated, in a direction toward the regulation valve 20, by the bladder 10 upon receiving the external pressing force 30 acting thereon.
In an embodiment, the elastic restoration device 11 comprises one of a foaming material, a foam, rubber, cotton-like material (such as cotton), chemical fiber cotton, for generating a rebounding force.
In an embodiment, the regulation valve 20 comprises a valve opening 21, a valve diaphragm 22, an elastic element 23, and a push member 24, wherein the valve opening 21 is arranged in an interior of the regulation valve 20 and in communication with the bladder 10; the valve diaphragm 22 is positionable in tight engagement with and seals and closes the valve opening 21; the elastic element 23 is in elastic contact engagement with the valve diaphragm 22; and the push member 24 is arranged at one side of the regulation valve 20 to push and press down the elastic element 23.
In an embodiment, the elastic element 23 is selected as a spring.
Referring to
When the external pressing force 30 presses down the bladder 10 and the elastic restoration device 11, such as a human head leaning on the bladder 10, the valve opening 21 generates an air pressure pushing open the valve diaphragm 22 to allow a portion of air to release out of the regulation valve 20 through the through opening formed in the regulation valve 20, and then, the elastic element 23 and the valve diaphragm 22 elastically seal and close the valve opening 21 to provide an opposite, corresponding reverse-resisting force to resist the air pressure that the bladder 10 generates, upon receiving the external pressing force 30, in a direction toward the regulation valve 20, to thereby achieve an effect of equilibrium support of the bladder 10.
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In a next use of the bladder 10, the height of the bladder 10 follows the reverse-resisting force adjusted and set by the regulation valve 20 to generate a static equilibrium effect, maintained at a memorized keeping state for being high/low or soft/stiff.
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By rotating the push member 24 to induce movements of different extents for pushing the elastic element 23 to generate different degrees of deformation, the valve diaphragm 22 is made to induce reverse-resisting forces of different magnitudes for resisting the air pressure of the bladder 10 to achieve an effect of adjusting the supportability and height of the bladder 10 based on personal needs, meaning the extent of softness/stiffness of the bladder 10 can be adjusted.
Further, after the adjustment of the supportability and height, the bladder 10 may automatically position and shape based on an effect of negative pressure. For example, when a human head lies on the bladder 10, in addition to the adjustment of the supportability and height of the bladder 10 based on personal needs, the automatic positioning and shaping of the bladder 10 makes it more snugly around the human head to enhance comfortability.
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Through pushing and moving the push member 24 to achieve displacements of different extents the elastic element 23 is pressed to generate different degrees of deformation, so that the valve diaphragm 22 may resist the air pressure of the bladder 10 with reverse-resisting forces of different magnitudes.
At the contact site between the regulation valve 20 and the push member 24, a wavy and ridge-like corrugation engagement structure may be arranged for automatic positioning of the push member 24 after the displacement.
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In such an arrangement, a central bladder 10 and two side bladders 10 are not in communication with each other and acts as individual and independent bladders. The central bladder 10 is provided with an air tube 12 for communication between interior and exterior thereof, so that when the central space 12 is depressed down, interior air can be discharged with a proper amount.
As such, when a human head lies on the pillow 60, a center-low and two-side-high condition may be presented to be snugger, supporting, and stabilizing the head, meeting human head ergonomics and enhancing stress relief effect.
Further, the regulation valve 20 is in communication with two independent bladders 10, and each of the independent bladders 10 is individually provided with an independent self-charging valve 40.
As such, such a structure is applicable to a pillow and, in the pillow, a plurality of static equilibrium adjusting zones that are each independent of each other are formed. Each one of the independent bladders 10 is of an independent operation for regulation with the regulation valve 20. Air flowing inside each of the independent bladders 10 is not affecting each other. In other words, the pillow may exhibit an effect of adjusting only at the zone that is pressed by the human head, while the other zones that are not in contact with the human head are not showing any effect of adjusting. As such, preciseness of adjustment of each independent one of the bladders 10 is enhanced, and the snugness and comfortability of the pillow are also enhanced.
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As such, either in a condition of closing the valve opening 21 or in a condition of being pushed by an air pressure to open the valve opening 21, the valve diaphragm 22 can be retained on and positioned at the valve opening 21 to enhance the preciseness of opening and closing of the valve opening 21 by the valve diaphragm 22.
Referring to
The present invention comprises two regulation valves 20, wherein one of the regulation valves 20 is set in communication with two independent bladders 10 and two independent self-charging valves 40, two bladders 10 being arranged at two sides, wherein another one of the regulation valves 20 is in communication with one independent bladder 10 and one independent self-charging valve 40, the bladder 10 being arranged at the center.
As such, different ones of the regulation valves 20 are operable to individually control independent ones of the bladders 10 for application to a pillow product, so that when a human head lies thereon, each of the bladders 10, based on a pressing force acting thereon, may individually adjust the supportability (namely softness/stiffness) and height to enhance preciseness of adjustment of the bladder 10, and the snugness and comfortability of the pillow are also enhanced.
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Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202011560261.0 | Dec 2020 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2021/140386 | 12/22/2021 | WO |