Gels, gel composites, and gel articles
AssigneeApplied Elastomerics, Inc.
InventorJohn Y. Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tear and fatigue resistant gels, gel composites, and gel articles including collapsible articles having two or more communicating internal volumes like cavities when depressed by external pressure or force is capable of collapsing unto itself in a controllable and directionally preselected manner by venting static air within said internal through openings in said gel article, said gel of said article having rigidity of from about 20 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom suitable for cushioning, cushioning composites, cushioning gel liners, cushioning composite gel liners, and other uses of selected shape gels, gel composites, and articles.
Claims11
A gel article comprising a soft gelatinous elastomer composition formed from (I) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more block copolymer(s);
- and (II) about 250 to about 1,600 parts by weight of one or more selected plasticizer(s) being in sufficient amounts to achieve a gel rigidity of from about 20 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom;
- said block copolymers selected from one or more (1) hydrogenated poly(styrene-isoprene/butadiene-styrene) block copolymer(s) comprising poly(styrene-ethylene/ethylene-propylene-styrene) and (2) hydrogenated controlled distribution poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) block copolymer(s) comprising poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-ethylene-butylene/styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);
- (III) said gel article comprising one or more arrays of two or more internal directionally collapsible cavities, said arrays selected from one or more of the group of radial arrays, sun burst arrays, slanted arrays, anti-symmetric arrays, off-centered arrays, symmetric arrays, random arrays, and selected profile arrays, said arrays capable of directionally collapsing under a selected pressure load applied to said gel article.
A gel article comprising a soft gelatinous elastomer composition formed from (I) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more block copolymer(s);
- and (II) about 250 to about 1,600 parts by weight of one or more selected plasticizer(s) being in sufficient amounts to achieve a gel rigidity of from about 20 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom;
- said block copolymers selected from one or more (1) hydrogenated styrene-isoprene/butadiene-styrene block copolymer(s) and (2) hydrogenated controlled distribution styrene-isoprene/butadiene-styrene block copolymer(s);
- (III) said gel article comprising one or more arrays of two or more internal directionally collapsible cavities, said gel article is in the formed of a gel liner for amputee prosthesis, said gel liner selected from (1) a gel G, (2) a combination of two or more different G as denoted by Gn, and (3) at least one Gn physically interlocked with a material M forming a composite;
- said combinations (2) and (3) as denoted by GnGn, GnGnGn, GnMn, GnMnGn, MnGnMn, MnGnGn, MnMnGn, MnMnMnGn, MnMnMnGnMn, MnGnGnMn, GnMnGnGn, GnMnMnGn, GnGnMnMn, GnGnMnGnMn, GnMnGnMnMn, MnGnMnGnMnGn, GnGnMnMnGn, GnGnMnGnMnGn, and permutations of one or more Gn and Mn, wherein when n is a subscript of M, n is the same or different materials of the group of fabric, synthetic resin, or synthetic fibers selected from cotton, wool, nylon, polyester, spandex, polyimides, polyesters, polyisocyanurates, polyisocyanates, polyurethanes;
- wherein when n is a subscript of G, n denotes the same or a different gel rigidity of from less than about 20 gram to about 1,800 gram Bloom and higher.
A gel article comprising a soft gelatinous elastomer composition formed from (I) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more block copolymer(s);
- and (II) about 250 to about 1600 parts by weight of one or more selected plasticizer(s) being in sufficient amounts to achieve a gel rigidity of from about 20 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom;
- said block copolymers selected from one or more (1) hydrogenated styrene-isoprene/butadiene-styrene block copolymer(s) and (2) hydrogenated controlled distribution styrene-isoprene/butadiene-styrene block copolymer(s);
- (HI) said gel article comprising one or more arrays of two or more internal directionally collapsible cavities, said gel article is in the formed of a gel liner, said gel liner selected from (1) a gel G, (2) a combination of two or more different G as denoted by Gn, and (3) at least one Gn physically interlocked with a material M forming a composite;
- said combinations (2) and (3) as denoted by GnGn, GnGnGn, GnMn, GnMnGn, MnGnMn, MnGnGn, MnMnGn, MnMnMnGn, MnMnMnGnMn, MnGnGnMn, GnMnGnGn, GnMnMnGn, GnGnMnMn, GnGnMnGnMn, GnMnGnMnMn, MnGnMnGnMnGn, GnGnMnMnGn, GnGnMnGnMnGn, and permutations of one or more Gn and Mn, wherein when n is a subscript of M, n is the same or different selected from the group consisting of fabric, metal, ceramics, synthetic resin, or synthetic fibers;
- wherein when n is a subscript of G, n denotes the same or a different gel rigidity of from less than about 20 gram to about 1,800 gram Bloom and higher.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.