Gelatinous cushions with buckling columns

• US 6,026,527 A
• Filed: 08/13/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edizone LC (Edizone)
• Original Assignee: Edizone LC (Edizone)
• Inventors: Pearce, Tony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US08/968,750
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 5/655.5, 5/654, 5/653, 5/740, 5/706, 5/420, 5/690, 5/953, 5/948, 5/909, 5/652.1, 5/652, 5/724, 428/137, 428/138, 428/131
• US Class Current: 5/654
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/085 of liquid type, e.g. filled with water or gel
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/144 inside the mattress or cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/15 consisting of two or more layers A47C27/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 4/54 Inflatable chairs connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/021 Detachable or loose seat cushions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/009 after shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/50 using pressure difference, e.g. by extrusion or by spraying B29C44/468 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/583 for making articles with cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/022 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/11 comprising two or more partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. honeycomb-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/9135 of flat articles, e.g. using specially adapted supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/919 using a bath, e.g. extruding into an open bath to coagulate or cool the material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/60 Multitubular or multicompartmented articles, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0016 Plasticisers
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/01 Hydrocarbons C08K5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/006 grafted on to block copolymers containing at least one sequence of polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 : of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/025 : modified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/909 : Flowable viscous, e.g. gel material containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/948 : Body support with unique, specific filler material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/953 : Comprising structurally defined foam material or configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 : Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 : including nonapertured component

Abstract

A cushioning element that has a number of substantially parallel elongate columns which buckle under an appropriate load. The cushioning element may be formed from a soft, easily deformable elastic or visco-elastic cushioning media. As a force is exerted against the cushioning element generally parallel to a column, the cushioning media may compress, and eventually the walls of the column may buckle. This equalizes pressure across the contact area of the object being cushioned.

Claims

1. A yieldable cushioning element that includes a flexible, resilient, gel cushioning media having shape memory and being substantially solid and non-flowable at temperatures below 130 degrees Fahrenheit, the cushioning element comprising:

a quantity of gel cushioning medium formed to have a top, a bottom, and an outer periphery, said cushioning medium being compressible so that it will deform under the compressive force of a cushioned object,

a plurality of hollow columns formed in said cushioning medium, each of said columns having a longitudinal axis along its length, each of said columns having a column wall which defines a column interior, and each of said columns having two ends;

wherein the cushioning element is adapted to have a cushioned object placed in contact with said top;

wherein each of said column ends is positioned at two different points of said column axis;

wherein at least one of said columns is positioned within said cushioning medium such that said column axis is positioned generally parallel to the direction of a compressive force exerted on the cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact with said cushioning medium; and

wherein at least one of said column walls is capable of buckling beneath a protuberance that is located on the cushioned object.

2. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one other of said columns is positioned within said cushioning medium such that said column axis is positioned generally non-parallel to the direction of a compressive force exerted on the cushioning element by the cushioned object in contact with said cushioning medium.

3. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said column ends of at least one of said columns is open to said column interior.

4. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein both of said column ends of at least one of said columns is open to said column interior.

5. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 4, wherein said column interior is hollow so that air may pass through said column to one of said column ends to ventilate a cushioned object in contact with said one column end.

6. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said gel cushioning medium is selected from the group consisting of gelatinous elastomers and gelatinous visco-elastomers.

7. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning medium generally retains its structure at normal useable temperatures of the cushioning element.

8. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning medium does not escape from a puncture on said cushioning element.

9. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein a cross section of one of said columns taken orthogonal to said longitudinal axis of said column has a shape selected from the group consisting of triangular, square, rectangular, pentagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, round, oval, and n-sided polygonal where n is an integer.

10. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning element has shape memory so that when a cushioned object is removed from contact with the cushioning element, the cushioning element has a tendency to return to a shape that approximates the shape of the cushioning element before the cushioning element and the cushioned object came into contact with each other.

11. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein the cushioning element is configured to have a low overall thermal mass and a low rate of thermal transfer, compared to the rate of thermal transfer of solid gel cushioning elements, in order to provide a comfortable cushioning element.

12. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said columns has a column interior that has a greater measurement orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of that column at a first point on the longitudinal axis of the column than at a second point on said longitudinal axis.

13. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 12, wherein said column is tapered between the first of said column ends and the second of said column ends.

14. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 12, wherein said column is stepped between the first of said column ends and the second of said column ends.

15. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein both ends of at least one column are sealed so that said column interior is not in direct fluid or gas communication with a region outside of said column interior.

16. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 15, wherein said column interior contains a quantity of fluid cushioning medium therein.

17. A cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said columns has a firmness protrusion located at one of said column ends, said firmness protrusion being adapted to provide support within said column when said column buckles under a compressive force so that the cushioning element can readily yield in the vicinity of said column under a cushioned object until the cushioned object begins to compress said firmness protrusion, whereupon said firmness protrusion retards further movement of the cushioned object into the cushioning element.

18. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said columns is adapted to buckle by having a portion of its column wall bulge outward away from the column interior.

19. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said columns is adapted to buckle by having a portion of its column wall bulge inward toward the column interior.

20. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said columns is adapted to yield along its longitudinal axis by buckling of its column wall.

21. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein the cushioning element has a total volume contained within the boundaries of the cushioning element top, bottom and outer periphery and wherein said cushioning element total volume is occupied by not more than about 50% by volume of cushioning medium.

22. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning medium has a Shore A hardness of less than about 15.

23. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning medium has a Shore A hardness of less than about 3.

24. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning medium comprises a triblock copolymer and a plasticizer.

25. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 24, wherein said cushioning medium comprises about one part by weight triblock copolymer and about one to about 25 parts by weight plasticizer, based on the total weight of the cushioning medium.

26. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 25, wherein said copolymer is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene-poly(ethylene/butylene)-polystyrene, polystyrene-polyethylene-polystyrene, medium includes a blowing agent such as SAFOAM®

FP-40, which is added to the non-liquid polystyrene-polypropylene-polystyrene, polystyrene-polybutadiene-polystyrene, polystyrene-polybutylene-polystyrene, polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene, polystyrene-poly(ethylene/propylene)-polystyrene, polystyrene-poly(isoprene+butadiene)-polystyrene and polystyrene-poly(ethylene/butylene+ethylene/propylene)-polystyrene.

27. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 25, wherein said copolymer is polystyrene-hydrogenated poly(isoprene+butadiene)-polystyrene.

28. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 25, wherein said copolymer is polystyrene-poly(ethylene/butylene)-polystyrene.

29. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning medium comprises a gelatinous visco-elastomer.

30. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 29, and further comprising a cover.

31. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 1, wherein said cushioning medium is a lightweight flowable cushioning material contained within an elastomeric cover.

32. A yieldable cushion comprising:

a cushioning element having a top, a bottom, a center and an outer periphery, said cushioning element comprising a quantity of gel cushioning media and a plurality of contiguous, adjacent hollow columns located within said cushioning media, said columns each having a column interior, a column wall, and a longitudinal axis,

wherein a plurality of said columns are positioned such that said column axis is generally parallel to a compressive force exerted on said top of said cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact therewith;

wherein at least one other of said columns is positioned such that said longitudinal axis of said other column is generally non-parallel to a compressive force exerted on said top of said cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact therewith;

wherein said cushion is responsive to the compressive force exerted thereon; and

wherein said yieldability of the cushion results from said cushioning media being compressible and from said columns being bucklable, so that the cushion is able to substantially conform to the shape of the cushioned object.

33. A yieldable cushioning element that includes a flexible, resilient, gel cushioning media having shape memory and being substantially solid and non-flowable at temperatures below 130 degrees Fahrenheit, the cushioning element comprising:

a quantity of cushioning medium formed to have a top, a bottom, and an outer periphery, said cushioning medium being deformable so that it will deform under the compressive force of a cushioned object,

a plurality of hollow columns formed in said cushioning medium, each of said columns having a longitudinal axis along its length, each of said columns having a column wall which defines a column interior, and each of said columns having two ends;

wherein the cushioning element is adapted to have a cushioned object placed directly or indirectly in contact with said top;

wherein each of said column ends is positioned at two different points of said column axis;

wherein a plurality of said columns are positioned within said cushioning medium such that said column axes are positioned generally parallel to the direction of a compressive force exerted on the cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact with said cushioning medium;

wherein at least one of said column walls is capable of buckling beneath a protuberance that is located on the cushioned object; and

wherein said cushioning medium exhibits elastomeric properties.

34. A yieldable cushioning element that includes a flexible, resilient, gel cushioning media having shape memory and being substantially solid and non-flowable at temperatures below 130 degrees Fahrenheit, the cushioning element comprising:

a quantity of cushioning medium formed to have a top, a bottom, and an outer periphery, said cushioning medium being deformable so that it will deform under the compressive force of a cushioned object,

a plurality of hollow columns formed in said cushioning medium, each of said columns having a longitudinal axis along its length, each of said columns having a column wall which defines a column interior, and each of said columns having two ends;

wherein the cushioning element is adapted to have a cushioned object placed directly or indirectly in contact with said top;

wherein each of said column ends is positioned at two different points of said column axis;

wherein a plurality of said columns are positioned within said cushioning medium such that said column axes are positioned generally parallel to the direction of a compressive force exerted on the cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact with said cushioning medium;

wherein at least one of said column walls is capable of buckling beneath a protuberance that is located on the cushioned object; and

wherein said cushioning medium exhibits visco-elastomeric properties.

35. A yieldable cushioning element comprising:

a quantity of a first cushioning medium formed to have a top, a bottom, and an outer periphery and a hollow center,

a quantity of a second cushioning medium disposed within said first cushioning medium, said second cushioning medium being deformable so that it will deform under the compressive force of a cushioned object,

a plurality of hollow columns formed in said first cushioning medium, each of said columns having a longitudinal axis along its length, each of said columns having a column wall which defines a column interior, and each of said columns having two ends;

wherein the cushioning element is adapted to have a cushioned object placed directly or indirectly in contact with said top;

wherein each of said column ends is positioned at two different points of said column axis;

wherein a plurality of said columns are positioned within the cushion such that said column axes are positioned generally parallel to the direction of a compressive force exerted on the cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact with the cushion;

wherein at least one of said column walls is capable of buckling beneath a protuberance that is located on the cushioned object; and

wherein said second cushioning medium is a gel cushioning medium.

36. A yieldable cushioning element comprising:

a quantity of gel cushioning medium formed to have a top, a bottom, and an outer periphery, said cushioning medium being deformable so that it will deform under the compressive force of a cushioned object,

a coating material adhered to said top, said bottom and said outer periphery,

a plurality of hollow columns formed in said cushioning medium, each of said columns having a longitudinal axis along its length, each of said columns having a column wall which defines a column interior, and each of said columns having two ends;

wherein the cushioning element is adapted to have a cushioned object placed directly or indirectly in contact with said top;

wherein each of said column ends is positioned at two different points of said column axis;

wherein a plurality of said columns are positioned within said cushioning medium such that said column axes are positioned generally parallel to the direction of a compressive force exerted on the cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact with said cushioning medium; and

wherein at least one of said column walls is capable of buckling beneath a protuberance that is located on the cushioned object.

37. A yieldable cushioning element comprising:

a quantity of gel cushioning medium formed to have a top, a bottom, and an outer periphery, said cushioning medium being deformable so that it will deform under the compressive force of a cushioned object,

a first plurality of hollow columns formed in said cushioning medium, each of said first columns having a first longitudinal axis along its length, each of said first columns having a first column wall which defines a first column interior, and each of said first columns having two ends;

a second plurality of hollow columns formed in said cushioning medium, each of said second columns having a second longitudinal axis along its length, each of said second columns having a second column wall which defines a second interior, and each of said second columns having two ends;

wherein the cushioning element is adapted to have a cushioned object placed directly or indirectly in contact with said top;

wherein each of said first column ends is positioned at two different points of said column axis;

wherein a plurality of said first columns are positioned within said cushioning medium such that said first column axes are positioned generally parallel to the direction of a compressive force exerted on the cushioning element by a cushioned object in contact with said cushioning medium;

wherein a plurality of said second columns are positioned within said cushioning medium such that said second column axes are positioned generally parallel to one another and generally non-parallel to said first column axes; and

wherein at least one of said first column walls is capable of buckling beneath a protuberance that is located on the cushioned object.

38. A yieldable cushioning element as recited in claim 37, wherein at least one of said first columns intersects at least one of said second columns.