Coated open-cell polyurethane foam structures with thermal absorption capabilities
The present disclosure provides for a coated flexible open-cell polyurethane foam structure. The coated flexible open-cell polyurethane foam structure includes a flexible open-cell polyurethane foam having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface. The coated flexible open-cell polyurethane foam structure further includes a flexible heat conductive material covering 30 to 90 percent (cov., expressed in %) of a surface area of the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam in a predefined shape to provide one or more gaps exposing the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam between defined edges of the flexible heat conductive material, where each gap of the one or more gaps has a gap width according to Formula I: gap width (mm)≤−0.196×cov. (%)+20.6 (Formula I) where a total surface area of the one or more gaps provides 70 to 10 percent of the surface area of the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam.
1. A coated flexible open-cell polyurethane foam structure, comprising:
a flexible open-cell polyurethane foam having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface; and
a flexible heat conductive material covering 50 to 70 percent (cov., expressed in %) of a surface area of the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam in a predefined shape to provide gaps exposing the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam between defined edges of the flexible heat conductive material, wherein each gap has a gap width of 4.3 to 9.0 mm for Formula I:
gap width (mm)<−0.155×cov. (%)+16.75 (Formula I)
wherein a total surface area of the gaps provides 50 to 30 percent of the surface area of the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam and wherein the relationship between the cov. (%) and the gap width, as defined by Formula I, provides a cooling of greater than 0.11° C. relative to a flexible open-cell polyurethane foam structure without the flexible heat conductive material and wherein the flexible heat conductive material contains an encapsulated phase change material having a latent heat of transition of 80 to 300 joules per gram of the flexible heat conductive material.
2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heat conductive material further comprises a gel.
3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heat conductive material further comprises a metal.
4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heat conductive material in the predefined shape have a thickness of 0.1 to 2 millimeter.
5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the predefined shape of the flexible heat conductive material is a single continuous strip on the first major surface of the open-cell viscoelastic polyurethane foam.
6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the single continuous strip on the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam has a serpentine shape.
7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the predefined shape of the flexible heat conductive material further comprises a series of parallel strips on the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam.
8. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the gap width for each gap of the gaps has the same value.
9. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the gap width for each of the gaps has a different value.
10. The structure of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the flexible heat conductive material forms an outer surface of the coated flexible open-cell polyurethane foam that is co-planar with the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam.
11. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heat conductive material is encapsulated in a polymeric membrane.
12. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam is a viscoelastic polyurethane foam.
13. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heat conductive material covers 50 percent (cov. expressed in %) of the surface area of the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam, the total surface area of the gaps provides 50 percent of the surface area of the first major surface of the flexible open-cell polyurethane foam and the gap width of each gap is 6.4 to 9.0 mm in width.
14. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the total number of the gaps is 23 to 35.