US 12,733,751 B2Granted

Cushions with virtual surface contouring

AssigneePurple Innovation, LLC

InventorsAhmed Jenan Mostafa, James T. Grutta

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Abstract

A cushion with virtual contouring may have a uniform or substantially uniform thickness or height, while different locations or areas of the cushion may have different cushioning characteristics. The cushion may include a patterned grid defined by interconnected walls. The different cushioning characteristics may result from features that stiffen or soften hollow columns of the patterned grid, such as enlarged junctions between interconnected walls, voids in the interconnected walls, the thicknesses of the interconnected walls, the cross-sectional shapes and/or sizes of the hollow columns defined by the interconnected walls, the materials from which the interconnected walls are formed, layering of different patterned grids, or the like, or any combination of the foregoing. Methods for designing, manufacturing, and using cushions with virtual contouring are also disclosed.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A cushion, comprising:

a first area comprising a first patterned gel layer including first interconnected walls formed from a first elastomeric material and defining a first plurality of hollow columns, the first area having a first stiffness and/or deformability;
and
a second area comprising a second patterned gel layer including second interconnected walls formed from a second elastomeric material and defining a second plurality of hollow columns, the second area having a second stiffness and/or deformability that is different than the first area,
the first area including at least one first stiffener comprising a first curved junction between two of the first interconnected walls and at least one first void extending vertically from a base of at least one first wall of the first plurality of interconnected walls, wherein the at least one first stiffener and/or the at least one first void imparts the first area with the first stiffness and/or deformability, and
the second area including at least one second stiffener comprising a second curved junction between two of the second interconnected walls and at least one second void extending vertically from a base of at least one second wall of the second plurality of interconnected walls, wherein the at least one second stiffener and/or the at least one second void imparts the second area with the second stiffness and/or deformability.

2 more elements

A method for manufacturing a cushion, comprising:

forming a first zone to include a first patterned gel layer with first interconnected walls defining first buckling columns, the first zone including at least one first stiffener comprising a first curved junction between two of the first interconnected walls and at least one first void extending vertically from a base of at least one first wall of the first interconnected walls, wherein the at least one first stiffener and/or the at least one first void imparts the first zone with a first cushioning characteristic;
and
forming a second zone to include a second patterned gel layer with second interconnected walls defining second buckling columns, the second zone including at least one second stiffener comprising a second curved junction between two of the second interconnected walls and at least one second void extending vertically from a base of at least one second wall of the second interconnected walls, wherein the at least one second stiffener and/or the at least one second void imparts the second zone with a second cushioning characteristic that differs from the first cushioning characteristic, and wherein the second zone is formed concurrently and integrally with the first zone.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.