Tear resistant gels, composites, and cushion articles

• US 20040249056A1
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Elastomerics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: John Y. Chen
• Inventors: Chen, John Y.
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/571
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/7843 Inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/025 modified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249952 At least one thermosetting synthetic polymeric material layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249992 Linear or thermoplastic

Abstract

SEEPS gel and gel foam molded shape articles for use in medical and sport health care, such use include therapeutic hand exercising grips, dental floss, crutch cushions, cervical pillows, bed wedge pillows, leg rest, cushions, mattress, bed pads, elbow padding, dermal pads, wheelchair cushions, helmet liner, cold and hot packs, exercise weight belts, traction pads and belts, cushions for splints, slings, and braces, cushions for the hand, wrist, finger, fore, knee, leg, clavicle, shoulder, foot, ankle,, back, rib, soles for orthopedic shoes, and the like.

Claims

1. A article comprising a gelatinous elastomer composition of:

(i) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more of a hydrogenated styrene isoprene/butadiene block copolymer(s) and from

(ii) about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with or without

(iii) a selected amount of one or more polymers or copolymers of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene)_n, poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene)_n, poly(styrene-isoprene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)_n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, or polyethylene, wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, radial, star-shaped, branched or multiarm copolymer.

5. An article of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein said hydrogenated styrene block copolymer is one or more of a block copolymer of poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) sand said article is a cushions for the hand, wrist, finger, fore, knee, leg, clavicle, shoulder, foot, or ankle.

6. An article of claim 1 or 4, wherein a source of said hydrogenated poly(styrene-isoprene/butadiene-styrene) block polymer being a Septon®

poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) block copolymer.

7. An article of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein said one or more (i) block copolymer(s) is poly(styrene-ethylene-ehtylene-propylene-styrene) and a source of said block copolymers being Septon®

4033, Septon®

4045 and Septon®

4055.

12. A article according to claims 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein said one or more (i) block copolymers is made from poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) and a source of said block copolymers being Septon®

4033, Septon®

4044, Septon®

4045, Septon®

4055, Septon®

4077, and Septon®

4099.

2. A article comprising a gelatinous elastomer composition of:

(i) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more of a hydrogenated styrene block copolymer(s) with 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene and 1,3-butadiene and

(ii) about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with or without

(iii) a selected amount of one or more polymers or copolymers of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene)_n, poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene)_n, poly(styrene-isoprene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)_n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, or polyethylene, wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, radial, star-shaped, branched or multiarm copolymer.

3. An article comprising a gelatinous elastomer composition of:

(i) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more of a hydrogenated styrene block copolymer(s) with 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene and 1,3-butadiene, wherein said hydrogenated block copolymer is one or more of a block copolymer of poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), and

(ii) about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with or without

(iii) a selected amount of one or more polymers or copolymers of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene)_n, poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene)_n, poly(styrene-isoprene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene ethylene-butylene)_n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, or polyethylene, wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, radial, star-shaped, branched or multiarm copolymer.

4. A composite article comprising a gelatinous elastomer composition, G, in contact with one or more of a selected substrate material, M, said gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(i) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more of a hydrogenated styrene isoprene/butadiene block copolymer(s), wherein at least one of said block copolymer is a high viscosity copolymer having a viscosity value at 5 weight percent solution in toluene at 30°

C. of about 90 cps and higher which corresponds to a viscosity at 10 weight percent of about 5800 cps and higher which corresponds to a viscosity at 20 weight percent solids solution in toluene at 25°

C. of at about 80,000 cps and higher, and

(ii) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil, and in combination with or without

(ii) a selected amount of one or more polymers or copolymers of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, or polyethylene, wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, branched, radial, star-shaped, or multiarm copolymer; and

n is an integer greater than one;

wherein said composite formed from the combination G_nM_n, G_nM_nG_n, M_nG_nM_n, G_nG_nM_n, M_nM_n M_nG_n, M_nM_nM_nG_nM_n, M_nG_nG_nM_n, G_nM_nG_nG_n, G_nM_nM_nG_n, G_GnM_nM_n, G_nG_nM_nG_nM_n, G_nM_nG_nM_nM_n, M_nG_nM_nG_nM_nG_n, G_nG_nM_nM_nG_n, G_nG_nM_nG_nM_nG_n, a sequential addition or a permutation of one or more of said G_n with M_n, wherein when n is a subscript of M, n is the same or different selected from the group consisting of foam, plastic, fabric, synthetic resin, or synthetic fibers; and

wherein when n is a subscript of G, n denotes the same or a different gel rigidity.

9. An article comprising a gelatinous elastomer composition, G, in contact with one or more of a selected substrate material, M, said gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(i) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) block copolymers and a source of said block copolymers being Septon®

4033, Septon®

4045 and Septon®

4055, and

(ii) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil, and in combination with or without

(iii) a selected amount of one or more polymers or copolymers of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene)n, poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene)n, poly(styrene-isoprene)n, poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)_n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, or polyethylene, wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, radial, star-shaped, branched or multiarm copolymer, wherein n is greater than one.

10. An article comprising a gelatinous elastomer composition, G, in contact with one or more of a selected substrate material, M, said gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(i) 100 parts by weight of a block copolymer of one or a mixture of two or more poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene block copolymers and a source of said block copolymers being Septon®

4033, Septon®

4045 and Septon®

4055, and

(ii) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil;

s aid article being a hand exercising grips, crutch cushions, cervical pillows, bed wedge pillows, leg rest, cushions, mattress, bed pads, elbow padding, dermal pads, wheelchair cushions, helmet liner, cold and hot packs, exercise weight belts, traction pads and belts, cushions for splints, slings, and braces, cushions for the hand, wrist, finger, fore, knee, leg, clavicle, shoulder, foot, ankle, , back, rib, soles for orthopedic shoes.

8. An article of claim 2, 3, or 10 wherein said thermoplastic, heat formable and heat reversible gelatinous elastomer composition is a dielectric encapsulant of an electrical, or an electronic component(s).

11. An article comprising a gelatinous elastomer composition, G, in contact with one or more of a selected substrate material, M, said gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(i) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) block copolymers and a source of said block copolymers being Septon®

4033 and Septon®

E 4055, and

(ii) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil, and in combination with or without

(iii) a selected amount of one or more polymers or copolymers of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene)n, poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene)n, poly(styrene-isoprene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)_n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, or polyethylene, wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, radial, star-shaped, branched or multiarm copolymer, wherein n is greater than one;

wherein said gelatinous elastomer composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 800 gram Bloom.