3D printed air bladder mesh elastomer material
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorZainab I. Ali
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-dimensional printed vehicle component including an integral lattice and one or more fluid chambers including an aperture for accessing an interior of the chamber. The chamber can be expanded and contracted by delivering a fluid via the aperture to and from the interior of the chamber. The vehicle component can include top and bottom sheets sandwiching the lattice and chambers. The top and bottom sheets can be integrally printed with the lattice and chambers, or can be attached thereto with an adhesive. The duration, number, frequency, and intensity of such delivery can be controlled to provide various haptic sensations to a vehicle occupant. The haptic sensation can include a massage, an indication, or a firmness of touch.
Claims20
A printed vehicle component comprising:
- a network of interconnected braces defining an array of cells;
- and
- a fluid chamber arranged within the network and including an aperture providing access to an interior of the chamber;
- wherein the network and the chamber are integrally formed of a flexible polymer material.
A method of providing a haptic sensation to a vehicle occupant from a printed component comprising:
- a network of interconnected braces defining an array of cells, and
- a chamber arranged within the network and including an aperture providing access to an interior of the chamber,
- wherein the network and the chamber are integrally formed of a flexible polymer material,
- the method comprising:
- transporting a fluid to the interior of the chamber via the aperture to thereby expand the chamber from a first volume to a second volume that is larger than the first volume;
- and
- transporting the fluid from the interior of the chamber via the aperture such that the chamber contracts from the second volume to the first volume
- wherein the occupant feels the chamber expanding from the first volume to the second volume and contracting from the second volume to the first volume.
A method of making a vehicle assembly comprising:
- three dimensionally printing with a flexible polymer material to produce a printed component including:
- a network of interconnected braces defining an array of cells, and
- a chamber arranged within the network and including an aperture providing access to an interior of the chamber,
- wherein the network and the chamber are integral with one another,
- arranging the printed component over a substrate;
- and
- covering the printed component with a top layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.