Alternating pattern gel cushioning elements and related methods

• US 20100183847A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Purple Innovation LLC (Global Partner Acquisition Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Edizone LC (Edizone)
• Inventors: Whatcott, Russell, Pearce, Tony M., Pearce, Terry V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,075,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/158
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/464 having projections or knives, e.g. for cutting-out or for forming local depressions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/222 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0001 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/372 provided with means for marking or patterning, e.g. numbering articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0011 combined with compression moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0012 combined with shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. foaming
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0018 combined with shaping by orienting, stretching or shrinking, e.g. film blowing B29C48/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/002 combined with surface shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/13 Articles with a cross-section varying in the longitudinal direction, e.g. corrugated pipes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/305 having a wide opening, e.g. for forming sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/08 Deep drawing or matched-mould forming, i.e. using mechanical means only
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/24 of plates or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/04 using rollers or endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2009/06 SB polymers, i.e. butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0026 : Flame proofing or flame retarding agents
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0032 : Pigments, colouring agents or opacifiyng agents
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0044 : Stabilisers, e.g. against oxydation, light or heat
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 : cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/045 : with open cells
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/046 : with closed cells
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 : Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2479/00 : Furniture upholstery B32B2601/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/28 : characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet , i.e. the layer having its entire thickness deformed out of the plane, e.g. corrugated, crumpled B32B29/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24496 : Foamed or cellular component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24529 : and conforming component on an opposite nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 : Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24636 : Embodying mechanically interengaged strand[s], strand-portion[s] or strand-like strip[s] [e.g., weave, knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24661 : Forming, or cooperating to form cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24669 : Aligned or parallel nonplanarities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24678 : Waffle-form
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24694 : Parallel corrugations

Abstract

An alternating pattern gel cushioning device and methods for making the same. The gel pattern may be two or three dimensional. The devices may be zoned or stacked. The device may be made by a variety of methods including roller molding, open face molding, injection molding, casting, extrusion, compression molding and other methods.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. An alternating pattern gel cushioning element comprising:

a gel cushioning element having a first face, a second face, and an outer periphery,

a plurality of first face gel protrusions extending from the first face of the gel cushioning element, the plurality of protrusions protruding away from the first face of the gel cushioning element in a direction generally orthogonal to the first face of the gel cushioning element;

a plurality of first face gel recesses formed in the first face of the gel cushioning element, each of the plurality of first face gel recesses being located adjacent to at least one of the plurality of first face gel protrusions,

a plurality of second face gel protrusions extending from the second face of the gel cushioning element, the plurality of protrusions protruding away from the second face of the gel cushioning element in a direction generally orthogonal to the second face of the gel cushioning element; and

a plurality of second face gel recesses formed in the second face of the gel cushioning element, each of the plurality of second face gel recesses being located adjacent to at least one of the plurality of second face gel protrusions;

wherein a combination of the plurality of first face gel protrusions and the plurality of first face gel recesses form a first face pattern; and

wherein a combination of the plurality of second face gel protrusions and the plurality of second face gel recesses form a second face pattern.

32. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, wherein the first face pattern is generally the same pattern as the second face pattern.

33. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, wherein the first face pattern is a different pattern from the second face pattern.

34. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, wherein at least one of the first face pattern and the second face pattern is a two dimensional pattern.

35. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, wherein at least one of the first face pattern and the second face pattern is a three dimensional pattern.

36. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, wherein at least one of the first face pattern and the second face pattern is zoned.

37. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, further comprising a sheet of fabric attached to at least two of the plurality of first face gel protrusions.

38. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, further comprising a base attached to the gel cushioning element.

39. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 38, wherein the base is attached to the gel cushioning element at least two of the plurality of second face gel protrusions.

40. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, wherein the alternating pattern gel cushioning element comprises a first alternating pattern gel cushioning element and further comprising a second alternating pattern gel cushioning element attached to the first alternating pattern gel cushioning element to form a layered cushioning device.

41. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 40, further comprising a layer of non-gel cushioning media between the first alternating pattern gel cushioning element and the second alternating pattern gel cushioning element.

42. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 41, wherein a gel pattern of the first alternating pattern gel cushioning element is the same as a gel pattern of the second alternating pattern gel cushioning element.

43. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 41, wherein a gel pattern of the first alternating pattern gel cushioning element is different than a gel pattern of the second alternating pattern gel cushioning element.

60. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 31, manufactured by a method selected from the group consisting of injection molding, open face molding, compression molding, roller molding, casting, and extrusion.

44. An alternating pattern gel cushioning element comprising:

a gel cushioning element having a first side, a second side and an outer periphery;

a plurality of first side gel protrusions extending from the first side of the gel cushioning element, the plurality of protrusions protruding away from the first side of the gel cushioning element in a direction generally orthogonal to the first side of the gel cushioning element; and

a plurality of first side gel recesses formed in the first side of the gel cushioning element, each of the plurality of first side gel recesses being located adjacent to at least one of the plurality of first side gel protrusions;

wherein a combination of the plurality of first side gel protrusions and the plurality of first side gel recesses form a first side pattern.

45. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 44, wherein the first side pattern is a two dimensional pattern.

46. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 44, wherein the first side pattern is a three dimensional pattern.

47. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 44, wherein the first side pattern is zoned.

48. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 44, further comprising a sheet of fabric attached to at least two of the plurality of first side gel protrusions.

49. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 44, further comprising a foam base attached to the alternating pattern gel cushioning element.

50. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 44, wherein the alternating pattern gel cushioning element comprises a first alternating pattern gel cushioning element and further comprising a second alternating pattern gel cushioning element attached to the first alternating pattern gel cushioning element to form a layered cushioning device.

51. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 50, further comprising a layer of non-gel cushioning media between the first alternating pattern gel cushioning element and the second alternating pattern gel cushioning element.

52. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 51, wherein a gel pattern of the first alternating pattern gel cushioning element is the same as a gel pattern of the second alternating pattern gel cushioning element.

53. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 52, wherein a gel pattern of the first alternating gel pattern cushioning element is different than a gel pattern of the second alternating gel pattern cushioning element.

59. The alternating pattern gel cushioning element of claim 44, manufactured by a method selected from the group consisting of injection molding, open face molding, compression molding, roller molding, casting, and extrusion.

54. A method for manufacturing an alternating pattern gel cushioning element comprising:

heating a non-flowable sheet of gel media to a temperature at which the sheet of gel media is capable of being formed to a desired alternating pattern;

directing the sheet of gel media through at least two of rollers having protrusions representing the desired alternating pattern; and

contacting the sheet of gel media with the protrusions of each of the at least two rollers to form a plurality of protrusions and recesses in the sheet of gel media.

55. The method as recited in claim 54, further comprising obtaining the sheet of gel media directly from an extrusion die.

56. A method for manufacturing an alternating pattern gel cushioning element comprising:

heating a sheet of gel media to a temperature at which the sheet of gel media is capable of being formed to a desired alternating pattern;

placing the sheet of gel media on an open face mold at least partially having a desired alternating pattern; and

forming an alternating pattern gel cushioning element from the sheet of gel media by causing the sheet of gel media to generally adapt to the desired alternating pattern of the mold.

57. The method as recited in claim 56, wherein forming an alternating pattern gel cushioning element from the sheet of gel media comprises applying a force against the sheet of gel media.

58. The method as recited in claim 57, wherein applying a force against the sheet of gel media comprises a technique selected from the group consisting of one or more of (a) moving a gas toward the sheet of gel media, (b) contacting the gel sheet media with a liquid, (c) permitting gravity to act upon the sheet of gel media, (d) contacting a plurality of pins with the sheet of gel media, (e) passing a roller over at least a portion of the sheet of gel media, and (f) contacting another mold or mold part with at least a portion of the sheet of gel media.