CUSHIONING GRID WITH TAPERED WALLS
The walls of a cushion with a plurality of interconnected walls that define hollow columns may be tapered. The tapering may reduce a weight and/or a thickness of the cushion relative to a conventionally configured cushion with a patterned grid defined by interconnected walls, while substantially maintaining a buckling profile and other cushioning characteristics of the conventionally configured cushion. In addition, the taper may have a draft that facilitates removal of the cushion (e.g., a cushion formed from an elastomeric gel, etc.) from a mold. Methods of designing cushions with reduced weights and/or thicknesses are also disclosed, as are methods of designing cushions to facilitate their release from molds and methods for manufacturing cushions.
1 . A cushion, comprising:
a plurality of walls formed from a compressible, resilient material, each wall of the plurality of walls including:
an intermediate portion having a first thickness;
a base portion extending downwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a second thickness adjacent to a base edge of the wall; and
an upper portion extending upwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a third thickness adjacent to an upper edge of the wall,
the plurality of walls interconnected to define an array of cells extending between a base surface of the cushion defined by base edges of the plurality of walls and an upper surface of the cushion defined by upper edges of the plurality of walls.
2 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the second thickness and the third thickness are the same.
3 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein edges of the plurality of walls are chamfered.
4 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein a taper of each wall of the plurality of walls comprises a draft.
5 . The cushion of claim 4 , wherein the draft facilitates release of the cushion from a mold.
6 . The cushion of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one stiffener at a junction between interconnected walls of the plurality of walls.
7 . The cushion of claim 6 , wherein the at least one stiffener replaces or restores at least one cushioning characteristic altered by a taper of each wall of the plurality of walls.
8 . A cushion, comprising:
a plurality of interconnected walls formed from an elastomeric material, defining a plurality of hollow columns, with each wall of the plurality of interconnected walls including at least one taper.
9 . The cushion of claim 8 , wherein the at least one taper comprises:
an intermediate portion having a first thickness;
a base portion extending downwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a second thickness adjacent to a base edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls; and
an upper portion extending upwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a third thickness adjacent to an upper edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls.
10 . The cushion of claim 9 , wherein the second thickness and the third thickness are the same.
11 . The cushion of claim 8 , wherein the at least one taper comprises a draft that facilitates release of the cushion from a mold.
12 . The cushion of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one stiffener in a junction between intersecting walls of the plurality of walls.
13 . The cushion of claim 12 , wherein the at least one stiffener comprises an enlarged junction at the junction between the intersecting walls of the plurality of walls.
14 . The cushion of claim 12 , wherein each dimension across each end of the enlarged junction exceeds a thickness of each wall of the plurality of interconnected walls joined at the enlarged junction.
15 . The cushion of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of hollow columns buckle when at least a portion of the cushion is placed under a load.
16 . A method for designing a cushion with a plurality of interconnected walls defining an array of hollow columns, comprising:
designing the plurality of interconnected walls to include tapers comprises designing the plurality of interconnected walls to include:
an intermediate portion having a first thickness across an entirety of the intermediate portion;
a base portion extending downwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a second thickness adjacent to a base edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls; and
an upper portion extending upwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a third thickness adjacent to an upper edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein designing the plurality of interconnected walls comprises designing the second thickness and the third thickness to be the same.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein designing the plurality of interconnected walls includes:
designing at least one of the upper edge and the lower edge to include a chamfer.
19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
designing stiffeners on at least portions of the plurality of interconnected walls.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein designing the stiffeners comprises designing the stiffeners to include tapered portions, with at least one end of each stiffener having smaller cross-sectional dimensions that an intermediate portion of the stiffener.