Cushioning devices, gelatinous elastomer materials, and devices made therefrom

• US 7,060,213 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edizone LC (Edizone)
• Original Assignee: Edizone LC (Edizone)
• Inventors: Pearce, Tony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eashoo, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/059,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20030096899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 524/476, 524/127, 264/141, 264/171.1, 264/176.1, 264/331.13
• US Class Current: 264/176.1
• 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 cushion that includes a cushioning element. The cushioning element has a number of substantially parallel elongate columns formed in a soft, easily deformable elastic or visco-elastic cushioning media. The columns are configured so that when a force is applied to the cushioning element in a direction that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the columns, the cushioning element will yield by compressability or deformability of the cushioning media, bucklability of the walls of the columns, or a combination of both. In particular, the walls of columns which are located beneath a protruberance on an object being cushioned tend to buckle, permitting the cushioning element to conform to the shape of the cushioned object while evenly distributing a supporting force across the contact area of the cushioned object and avoiding pressure peaks. The preferred cushioning media is a gelatinous elastomer or gelatinous viscoelastomer. Various configurations of cushioning elements, including sidewall supports, are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a gelatinous elastomer article comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a plasticizer,

(b) selecting a triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A that includes SEEPS,

(c) premixing said plastizer and said copolymer,

(d) using a compounding screw to compound said premixed plasticizer and copolymer,

(e) receiving compounded gelatinous elastomer from said screw,

(f) permitting said compounded gelatinous elastomer to cool,

(g) cutting said cooled compounded gelatinous elastomer into smaller pieces,

(h) storing said gelatinous elastomer pieces for a period of time,

(i) heating said gelatinous elastomer pieces, and

(j) forming said gelatinous elastomer pieces into a desired article.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein a mixture including about 20 weight percent of said triblock copolymer and about 80 weight percent toluene, the weight percentages based on the total weight of the mixture, at from about 25 degrees Celsius to about 30 degrees Celsius, does not form a solution.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said forming step is carried out by use of a tool selected from the group consisting of dies and molds.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said triblock copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 300,000.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising mixing microspheres in order to form a gelatinous elastomer containing microspheres in which an amount of physical volume is occupied by said microspheres so that a gelatinous elastomer is achieved which has a lower specific gravity than said gelatinous elastomer without said microspheres.

6. A method for manufacturing a gelatinous elastomer article comprising the steps of:

compounding a plasticizer with an SEEPS triblock copolymer to form a gelatinous elastomer, and

forming said gelatinous elastomer pieces into a desired article.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said compounding step is accomplished by a method selected from the group consisting of melt blending and screw compounding.

8. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said forming step is performed using a tool selected from the group consisting of extrusion dies and casting molds.

9. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said triblock copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 300,000.

10. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising mixing microspheres in order to form a gelatinous elastomer containing microspheres in which an amount of physical volume is occupied by said microspheres so that a gelatinous elastomer is achieved which has a lower specific gravity than said gelatinous elastomer without said microspheres.

11. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising the step of foaming said gelatinous elastomer.

12. A method for making a gelatinous elastomer article comprising the steps of:

compounding a plasticizer with an SEEPS A-B-A triblock copolymer to form molten gelatinous elastomer,

forcing molten gelatinous elastomer through an extrusion die, and

receiving a formed gelatinous elastomer article from said extrusion die.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said A-B-A triblock copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least 300,000.