Personal support device with elongate inserts

A method for efficient manufacturing of comfort devices filled with elongate foam inserts formed by a cutting machine and cut from a block of foam material in batches, the method comprising:

• positioning a block of foam material onto an input conveyor belt of the cutting machine, the input conveyor belt defining an input axis;
• transferring the block of foam material along the input conveyor belt to a cutting area of the cutting machine;
• cutting the block of foam material to generate a first batch of elongate foam inserts, the step of cutting the block of foam material to generate the first batch comprising:
• cutting, with the cutting machine, the block of foam along a plurality of first horizontal cutting planes, thereby forming a plurality of horizontal layers, wherein a thickness of the plurality of horizontal layers defines a cross sectional height of the elongate foam inserts, the plurality of first cutting planes being parallel to the input axis;
• cutting, with the cutting machine, the plurality of horizontal layers along one or more second transverse cutting planes which extend transverse to the plurality of first horizontal cutting planes, a position of the one or more transverse planes defining a longitudinal length of the elongate foam inserts;
• cutting, with the cutting machine, the plurality of horizontal layers along a third transverse cutting plane that is transverse to both the first plurality of first horizontal cutting planes and the one or more second transverse cutting planes, a position of the third transverse cutting plane defining a cross sectional depth of the elongate foam inserts, thereby generating a first batch of elongate foam inserts having a cross sectional height defined by the plurality of first horizontal cutting planes, a longitudinal length defined by the one or more second transverse cutting planes, and a cross sectional depth defined by the third transverse cutting plane, the first batch comprising a number of elongate foam inserts sufficient to fully fill a single shell of a first comfort device;
• and
• moving the first batch of elongate foam inserts away from a remainder of the block of foam material so as to space the first batch of elongate inserts away from the remainder of the block of foam material prior to any additional batches of elongate foam inserts being cut from the remainder of the block of foam material;
• transferring the first batch of elongate foam inserts to a first output conveyor belt while the remainder of the block of foam material remains on the input conveyor belt;
• cutting a second batch of elongate foam inserts from the remainder of the block of foam material, the step of cutting the second batch comprising:
• cutting, with the cutting machine, the plurality of horizontal layers along a fourth transverse cutting plane that is transverse to both the plurality of first cutting planes and the one or more second transverse cutting planes, thereby generating a second batch of elongate foam inserts, the second batch comprising a number of elongate foam inserts sufficient to fully fill a second single shell of a second comfort device;
• wherein the second batch of elongate foam inserts is spaced at a predetermined distance from the first batch of elongate foam inserts;
• and
• filling the first shell of the first comfort device with the first batch of elongate foam inserts;
• and
• filling the second shell of the second comfort device with the second batch of elongate foam inserts.