Lay in place capillary control system for air suspended seating

• US 10,391,912 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dry, Alan George
• Primary Examiner(s): Schneider, Craig M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Angelisa L.
• Application Number:
  US15/254,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20180056827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 2974521, 2972846
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/145 the closure elements being shaped as a solids of revolution, e.g. cylindrical or conical
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/20 specially designed for inflatable bodies, e.g. tyres connecting valves to inflatable bodies B60C29/00

Abstract

A bladder unit includes upper and lower sheets defining opposed portions of a first bladder. The bladder unit further includes a first extruded element having upper and lower faces respectively coupled with the upper sheet and the lower sheet at a portion of a first boundary of the first bladder. A first capillary extends through the element and across the portion of the first boundary.

Claims

1. A bladder unit, comprising:

upper and lower sheets defining opposed portions of a first bladder having an interior;

a tube extending through the interior of the first bladder and defining an outlet in communication between the tube and the interior; and

a first extruded element having;

upper and lower faces respectively coupled with the upper sheet and the lower sheet at a portion of a first boundary of the first bladder; and

a first capillary extending through the first extruded element and across the portion of the first boundary, the tube being in fluid communication with the capillary.

2. The bladder unit of claim 1, wherein:

the first extruded element defines a length; and

the length of the first extruded element is normal to the first boundary.

3. The bladder unit of claim 1, further including a second extruded element having:

upper and lower faces respectively coupled with the upper sheet and the lower sheet along a portion of a second boundary of the first bladder;

a second capillary extending through the element and across the portion of the second boundary;

wherein;

the second boundary is normal to the first boundary; and

the first and second capillaries are fluidically coupled together.

4. The bladder unit of claim 3, wherein:

the second extruded element defines a length; and

the length of the second extruded element is normal to the second boundary.

5. The bladder unit of claim 4, wherein:

the length of the first extruded element is further aligned with a third boundary of the first bladder; and

the third boundary is normal to the first boundary.

6. The bladder unit of claim 3, wherein the first extruded element defines a notch along a portion of a length of the first extruded element and open between two exposed ends of the first capillary, the bladder unit further including:

a T-coupling extending between the two exposed ends of the first capillary and further coupling with the second capillary.

7. The bladder unit of claim 6, further including:

a tube coupling the T-coupling to the second capillary, the tube defining an opening disposed within the first bladder; and

a check valve disposed between the T-coupling and the opening.

8. The bladder unit of claim 1, wherein the first extruded element further includes a second capillary extending generally parallel with the first capillary.

9. The bladder unit of claim 1, wherein the first extruded element is spaced along the first boundary between opposing second and third boundaries of the first bladder.

10. The bladder unit of claim 1, wherein:

the upper and lower sheets further define opposed portions of a second bladder that shares a portion of the first boundary with the first bladder; and

the first extruded element is in fluidic communication with the first bladder and the second bladder.

11. The bladder unit of claim 1, wherein the first extruded element defines a length and is generally trapezoidal in a cross section normal to the length.

12. The bladder unit of claim 1, further including a cuff valve coupled with the first extruded element and in communication with the first capillary, the cuff valve being disposed outside of the first bladder.

13. A method for assembling a bladder unit, comprising:

positioning a first extruded body over a length of a land defined by a first designated boundary of a bladder at least partially defined in a first sheet, the first extruded body defining a notch along a portion of a length of the first extruded body and open between two exposed ends of a first capillary of the first extruded body;

positioning a second sheet over the first sheet; and

coupling the first extruded body with the first sheet and the second sheet along the length of the land defined by the first designated boundary with the capillary of the first extruded body in fluid communication with the bladder T-coupling extending between the two exposed ends of the first capillary of the first extruded element and further coupling with a second capillary.

14. The method of claim 13, further including directly coupling the second sheet with the first sheet along at least one of a remaining portion of the first boundary or a second boundary of the bladder.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the coupling is achieved using one of adhesives or hot plate bonding.

16. The method of claim 13, further including vacuum-forming a portion of the bladder into the first sheet to define the first designated boundary of the bladder in the first sheet.

17. The method of claim 13, further including:

positioning a second extruded body over at least a portion of a second boundary of the bladder; and

coupling the second extruded body with the first sheet and the second sheet along the second designated boundary simultaneously with the coupling of the first extruded body with the first sheet and the second sheet along the first designated boundary.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the bladder is a first bladder, the first sheet further including a second bladder opposite the second boundary from the first bladder; and

a capillary of the second extruded body is in fluid communication with the second bladder.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first extruded element defines an opening along a portion of the first boundary, the method further comprising:

coupling a check valve with the opening and positioning the check valve within the bladder after the first extruded body is positioned over at least the portion of the first designated boundary.