Vented mold and method for producing molded article

A process for making a molded seat cushion, comprising:

• disposing a lid and a bowl releasingly engageable between an open position and a closed position, the closed position defining a mold enclosure for receipt of a liquid foamable polyurethane composition that undergoes polymerization in said mold enclosure to form said seat cushion,
• at least one of the lid and the bowl having an inner mold surface with (i) a plurality of vents, each vent of said plurality of vents having a passageway for gas and for carbon dioxide formed during the polymerization of said polyurethane composition to exit the mold enclosure, and (ii) a plurality of interconnected grooves arranged to be in fluid communication with the plurality of vents,
• at least two of said plurality of vents being connected to each other through at least one of said plurality of grooves to permit said air and said carbon dioxide to exit the mold enclosure through one or both of said plurality of vents,
• each groove of said plurality of grooves being configured to have:
• (i) a depth of up to about 10 mm and a width, the depth being greater than the width, and
• (ii) a cross-sectional shape comprising an open end having a first width of up to about 5 mm and an apex portion having a second width less than the first width;
• dispensing a moldable composition in one of the lid and the bowl;
• translating gas in the mold enclosure to at least one groove of said plurality of grooves;
• translating gas from the at least one groove of said plurality of grooves to the passageway of at least one vent of said plurality of vents;
• substantially filling the mold enclosure with the moldable composition;
• and
• allowing gas to escape from the passageway of the at least one vent of said plurality of grooves to an exterior of the mold.

A process of producing a molded product, comprising:

• disposing a lid and a bowl releasingly engageable to define a mold enclosure for receipt of a liquid foamable polyurethane composition, the lid comprising:
• (i) a plurality of vents, each vent of said plurality of vents having a passageway for gas and for carbon dioxide formed during the polymerization of said polyurethane composition to exit the mold enclosure, and
• (ii) a plurality of interconnected grooves connected to the plurality of vents with at least two vents of said plurality of vents being in gaseous communication with each other through at least one of said plurality of grooves to permit said air and said carbon dioxide to exit the mold enclosure through one or both of said at least two vents, each groove of said plurality of grooves configured to have:
• (i) a depth of up to about 10 mm and a width, the depth being greater than the width, and (ii) a cross-sectional shape comprising an open end having a first width of up to about 5 mm and an apex portion having a second width less than the first width,
• dispensing a moldable composition in the bowl;
• translating gas in the mold enclosure to at least one groove of said plurality of grooves;
• translating gas from the at least one groove of said plurality of grooves to the at least one vent of said plurality of grooves;
• substantially filling the mold enclosure with the moldable composition;
• and
• allowing gas to escape from the at least one vent of said plurality of vents to an exterior of the mold.