Pneumatic massage

A pneumatic module having an air passage formed therein, the air passage comprising:

• a first inlet zone at a first upstream position;
• a first splitter zone downstream from the first inlet zone;
• a first transfer zone fluidly connected to and downstream from the first splitter zone;
• a second transfer zone fluidly connected to and downstream from the first splitter zone;
• a second inlet zone fluidly connected to and downstream from the first transfer zone;
• a second splitter zone positioned downstream from the second inlet zone;
• a first bladder zone fluidly connected to and downstream from the second splitter zone;
• a second bladder zone fluidly connected to and downstream from the second splitter zone;
• a first vent zone fluidly connected to the first bladder zone;
• a second vent zone fluidly connected to the second bladder zone;
• a first feedback zone fluidly connected to the second vent zone and the first transfer zone;
• and
• a third splitter zone positioned such that the second transfer zone is located between the third splitter zone and the first splitter zone,
• wherein the first splitter zone is configured to create two unequal air pressure fields to deflect an airflow from the first inlet zone toward the first transfer zone, and wherein feedback from the first feedback zone to the first transfer zone causes the first splitter zone to switch the airflow from the first transfer zone to the second transfer zone.

A fluidic switching module comprising:

• a first subsystem having
• an inlet passage configured for fluid communication with a source of pressurized air, and
• a first air splitter downstream from and in fluid communication with the inlet passage to receive an airflow from the source of pressurized air,
• wherein the first air splitter includes a first outlet and a second outlet, and
• wherein the first air splitter is configured to create two unequal air pressure fields to deflect the airflow toward the first outlet;
• a second subsystem having
• a second air splitter downstream from and in fluid communication with the first air splitter through the first outlet to receive the airflow from the first air splitter,
• wherein the second air splitter includes a third outlet configured for fluid communication with a first bladder and a fourth outlet configured for fluid communication with a second bladder,
• wherein the second air splitter is configured to create two unequal air pressure fields to deflect the airflow toward the third outlet to inflate the first bladder;
• and
• a third subsystem having
• a third air splitter downstream from and in fluid communication with the first air splitter through the second outlet to receive the airflow from the first air splitter,
• wherein the third air splitter includes a fifth outlet configured for fluid communication with a third bladder and a sixth outlet configured for fluid communication with a fourth bladder, and
• wherein the third air splitter is configured to create two unequal air pressure fields to deflect the airflow from the first air splitter toward the fifth outlet to inflate the third bladder;
• wherein the second subsystem is configured such that when the first bladder reaches a first threshold air pressure sufficient to create a first pressure feedback, the second air splitter is configured to switch and deflect the airflow from the third outlet toward the fourth outlet to inflate the second bladder and deflate the first bladder,
• wherein when the second bladder reaches a second threshold air pressure sufficient to create a second pressure feedback, the second pressure feedback causes the first subsystem to switch and deflect the airflow from the first outlet toward the second outlet to deflate the second bladder and inflate the third bladder,
• wherein when the third bladder reaches a third threshold air pressure sufficient to create a third pressure feedback, the third pressure feedback causes the third subsystem to switch and deflect the airflow from the fifth outlet toward the sixth outlet to inflate the fourth bladder and deflate the third bladder,
• wherein when the fourth bladder reaches a fourth threshold air pressure sufficient to create a fourth pressure feedback, the fourth pressure feedback causes the first subsystem to switch and deflect the airflow from the second outlet back toward the first outlet to inflate the first bladder and deflate the fourth bladder, and
• wherein the fluidic switching module is configured to inflate and deflate the first bladder, the second bladder, the third bladder, and the fourth bladder in a predefined sequence.