Cushions with reinforced corners
A cushion may include a cushioning element. The cushioning element may comprise an elastomeric material and one or more reinforcing features positioned at one or more exterior portions of the cushioning element.
1. A cushion comprising:
a plurality of intersecting walls, a common end of the plurality of intersecting walls defining a cushioning surface, the plurality of intersecting walls also defining a plurality of buckling columns that buckle around longitudinal axes oriented transverse to the cushioning surface when placed under a load applied transverse to the cushioning surface, the cushioning surface including an outer periphery with a plurality of corners, buckling columns comprising corner buckling columns disposed adjacent to each other of the plurality of corners and central buckling columns located laterally between the corner buckling columns,
at least one buckling column of the corner buckling columns comprising a reinforced buckling column, with:
a characteristic of the at least one corner buckling column stiffening the at least one corner buckling column relative to the central buckling columns;
a stiffener within at least one corner buckling column stiffening the at least one corner buckling column relative to the central buckling columns; or
the at least one buckling column comprising a solid column while the central buckling columns comprise hollow columns, and
wherein the at least one corner buckling column is diagonally offset from a nearest corner of the at least one of the plurality of corners and at least a buckling column width from an edge of the nearest corner of the plurality of corners and stiffened relative to the central buckling columns and the nearest corner of the at least one of the plurality of corners.
2. The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is a density of a wall of the at least one corner buckling column, with the density of the wall of the at least one corner buckling column exceeding densities of walls of the central buckling columns.
3. The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is a stiffness of the at least one corner buckling column, with the stiffness of the at least one corner buckling column exceeding stiffnesses of the central buckling columns.
4. The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is a width of a wall of the at least one corner buckling column, with the width of the wall of the at least one corner buckling column exceeding widths of walls of the central buckling columns.
5. The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the stiffener within the at least one corner buckling column comprises a plug formed separately from the cushion.
6. The cushion of claim 5 , wherein the plug is adhesively secured within a void extending through a height of the at least one corner buckling column.
7. The cushion of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the plug has a plug shape complementary to at least a portion of a shape of the void.
8. The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the stiffener comprises at least one additional wall extending at least partially across a void through a height of the at least one corner buckling column.
9. The cushion of claim 8 , wherein the stiffener comprises a plurality of additional walls extending least partially across the void.
10. The cushion of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of additional walls intersect each other.
11. The cushion of claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional wall extends completely across the void.
12. The cushion of claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional wall interconnects with at least one wall defining the at least one corner buckling column.
13. The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the stiffener comprises at least one protrusion extending from a base.
14. The cushion of claim 13 , wherein the stiffener comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from the base.
15. The cushion of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of protrusions intersect each other.
16. The cushion of claim 13 , wherein the stiffener is formed separately from each wall defining the at least one corner buckling column and insertable into a void of the at least one corner buckling column.
17. The cushion of claim 1 , wherein an entire height of the at least one corner buckling column is stiffened.
18. A cushion, comprising:
interconnected walls with ends that collectively define a cushioning surface that includes a periphery with a plurality of corners, the interconnected walls defining an array of buckling columns that buckle around longitudinal axes of the buckling columns when the buckling columns are placed under a load applied to the cushioning surface,
corner buckling columns of the array of buckling columns disposed in each corner of the cushioning surface, and central buckling columns of the array of buckling columns disposed laterally between the corner buckling columns, wherein at least one of the corner buckling columns is diagonally offset from a nearest at least one corner and at least a buckling column width from an edge of the nearest corner of the plurality of corners and stiffened relative to the central buckling columns and the nearest corner of the at least one of the plurality of corners by:
a characteristic of the at least one corner buckling column stiffening the at least one corner buckling column relative to the central buckling columns;
a stiffener within at least one corner buckling column stiffening the at least one corner buckling column relative to the central buckling columns; or
the at least one buckling column comprising a solid column while the central buckling columns comprise hollow columns.
19. The cushion of claim 18 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one wall of the at least one corner buckling column comprises:
a stiffness of a material of the at least one wall relative to a stiffness of another material of walls of the central buckling columns;
an elasticity of the material of the at least one wall relative to an elasticity of the other material of the walls of the central buckling columns;
a thickness of the at least one wall relative to thicknesses of the walls of the central buckling columns.
20. The cushion of claim 18 , wherein the at least one corner buckling column of the corner buckling columns includes a stiffener within a void extending through a height of the corner buckling column, the stiffener is manufactured separately from the cushioning element, and the stiffener is assembled with the cushion.