Cushions with virtual surface contouring
A cushion with virtual contouring may have a uniform or substantially uniform thickness or height, while different locations or areas of the cushion may have different cushioning characteristics. The cushion may include a patterned grid defined by interconnected walls. The different cushioning characteristics may result from features that stiffen or soften hollow columns of the patterned grid, such as enlarged junctions between interconnected walls, voids in the interconnected walls, the thicknesses of the interconnected walls, the cross-sectional shapes and/or sizes of the hollow columns defined by the interconnected walls, the materials from which the interconnected walls are formed, layering of different patterned grids, or the like, or any combination of the foregoing. Methods for designing, manufacturing, and using cushions with virtual contouring are also disclosed.
1 . A cushion, comprising:
a first area comprising a first patterned gel layer including first interconnected walls formed from a first elastomeric material and defining a first plurality of hollow columns, the first area having a first stiffness and/or deformability; and
a second area comprising a second patterned gel layer including second interconnected walls formed from a second elastomeric material and defining a second plurality of hollow columns, the second area having a second stiffness and/or deformability that is different than the first area,
the first area including at least one first stiffener comprising a first curved junction between two of the first interconnected walls and at least one first void extending vertically from a base of at least one first wall of the first plurality of interconnected walls, wherein the at least one first stiffener and/or the at least one first void imparts the first area with the first stiffness and/or deformability, and
the second area including at least one second stiffener comprising a second curved junction between two of the second interconnected walls and at least one second void extending vertically from a base of at least one second wall of the second plurality of interconnected walls, wherein the at least one second stiffener and/or the at least one second void imparts the second area with the second stiffness and/or deformability.
2 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein a first number of the at least one first stiffener in a unit area of the first area exceeds a second number of the at least one second stiffener in a unit area of the second area.
3 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first stiffener is larger than the at least one second stiffener.
4 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein a first number of the at least one first void in a unit area of the first area exceeds a second number of the at least one second void in a unit area of the second area.
5 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first void is smaller than the at least one second void.
6 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the second area lacks stiffeners and/or voids in at least one of the second walls.
7 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the first elastomeric material and the second elastomeric material are the same elastomeric material.
8 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a first number of the first patterned gel layer, the first elastomeric material, and a geometry of the first patterned gel layer differs from the second number of the second patterned gel layer, the second elastomeric material, and the geometry of the second patterned gel layer.
9 . The cushion of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gradient between the first area and the second area, the gradient defined by at least one of stiffeners and/or voids in walls of adjacent portions of the first area and the second area.
10 . The cushion of claim 1 , wherein the first area and the second area are integrally formed.
11 . A method for manufacturing a cushion, comprising:
forming a first zone to include a first patterned gel layer with first interconnected walls defining first buckling columns, the first zone including at least one first stiffener comprising a first curved junction between two of the first interconnected walls and at least one first void extending vertically from a base of at least one first wall of the first interconnected walls, wherein the at least one first stiffener and/or the at least one first void imparts the first zone with a first cushioning characteristic; and
forming a second zone to include a second patterned gel layer with second interconnected walls defining second buckling columns, the second zone including at least one second stiffener comprising a second curved junction between two of the second interconnected walls and at least one second void extending vertically from a base of at least one second wall of the second interconnected walls, wherein the at least one second stiffener and/or the at least one second void imparts the second zone with a second cushioning characteristic that differs from the first cushioning characteristic, and wherein the second zone is formed concurrently and integrally with the first zone.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of a first size of the at least one first stiffener and a first number of the at least one first stiffener per unit area of the first zone differs from a second size of the at least one second stiffener and a second number of the at least one second stiffener per unit area of the second zone.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of a first size of the at least one first void and a first number of the at least one first void per unit area of the first zone differs from a second size of the at least one second void and a second number of the at least one second void per unit area of the second zone.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the first zone comprises forming the first patterned gel layer to have a first geometry and forming the second zone comprises forming the second patterned gel layer to have a second geometry, the first geometry differing from the second geometry.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the first zone comprises forming the first zone from a first elastomeric material and forming the second zone comprises forming the second zone from a second elastomeric material, the first elastomeric material differing from the second elastomeric material.
16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
defining a gradient from the first cushioning characteristic of the first zone to the second cushioning characteristic of the second zone.