MATTRESS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR FOAM SPRINGS IN ONE OR MORE SIDE-TO-SIDE CHANNELS

Abstract

A mattress comprising a first layer comprising at least one trench extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer; a plurality of support members disposed in each trench; and a second layer disposed over at least the at least one trench. Another mattress comprising a first layer comprising at least one channel extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer; a plurality of support members disposed in each channel; and a second layer encompassing the first layer. A mattress assembly comprising one of the mattresses and a mattress foundation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

Generally, the present disclosure relates to bedding, and, more specifically, to a mattress comprising a plurality of support members in one or more side-to-side trenches or channels.

Description of the Related Art

Foam mattresses, such as viscoelastic or so-called “memory foam” mattresses, provide desirably high levels of firmness and support for many users. However, mattresses comprising only viscoelastic foam may lack sufficient support for some users. Also, mattresses comprising only viscoelastic foam may lack desired levels of support for certain regions of a user's body.

The present disclosure may address and/or at least reduce one or more of the problems identified above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the disclosure. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure, or to delineate the scope of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is discussed later.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a mattress, comprising a first layer comprising at least one trench extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer; a plurality of support members disposed in each trench; and a second layer disposed over at least the at least one trench.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a mattress, comprising a first layer comprising at least one channel extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer; a plurality of support members disposed in each channel; and a second layer encompassing the first layer.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a mattress assembly, comprising a mattress, comprising a first layer comprising at least one trench extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer; a plurality of support members disposed in each trench; and a second layer disposed over at least the at least one trench; and a mattress foundation disposed under the mattress.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a mattress assembly, comprising a mattress, comprising a first layer comprising at least one channel extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer; a plurality of support members disposed in each channel; and a second layer encompassing the first layer; and a mattress foundation disposed under the mattress.

The present disclosure may provide for mattresses with improved comfort for users reclining thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a stylized top view of a mattress, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a stylized sectional view of the mattress shown in FIG. 2 or 3, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 5 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 7 illustrates a stylized sectional view of the mattress shown in FIG. 6, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 8 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 9 illustrates a stylized sectional view of the mattress shown in FIG. 8, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 10 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress assembly, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 11 illustrates a stylized side view depiction of the mattress foundation of FIG. 10, in accordance with embodiments herein;

FIG. 12 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress, in accordance with embodiments herein; and

FIG. 13 illustrates a stylized side view of a mattress, in accordance with an alternative embodiment herein.

While the subject matter disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood; however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various illustrative embodiments of the disclosure are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will, of course, be appreciated that, in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

The present subject matter will now be described with reference to the attached figures. Various structures, systems and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and to not obscure the present disclosure with details that are well known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the present disclosure. The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase.

Embodiments herein are directed to mattresses comprising both comfort and support layers. Some embodiments herein provide support layers that may include individual support structures. For example, cylindrical shaped or polygon shaped support members may be arranged in one or more layers. The polygon shaped support members may be of a polygon shape, a hexagon shape, a heptagon shape, etc. These support structures may be capable of providing support while providing sufficient flexibility such that comfort is also provided. The support structure may be a foam support member, e.g., a tubular foam spring. In some embodiments herein, the support structures may be formed in one or more cavities in a layer of a mattress. In this embodiment, additional material (e.g., a foam material) may be implemented such that the additional material may be configured to provide an overlying layer over the support structures. In other embodiments, the additional material may be configured such that it encompasses a set of support structures. In yet other embodiments, the additional material may be configured to encompass individual support structures. These embodiments may enhance the stability and comfort provided by the support structure.

Turning to FIG. 1, a stylized top view of a mattress 100, in accordance with embodiments herein, is illustrated. The mattress 100 has a generally rectangular profile in top view, with opposed shorter sides 103, 105 each having a dimension 101, and opposed longer sides 104, 106 each having a dimension 102. Typically, the shorter sides 103, 105 provide the head and foot ends, respectively, of the mattress 100, and the longer sides 104, 106 provide the sides of the mattress 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates a stylized side view of the mattress 100, in accordance with embodiments herein.

The mattress 100 includes a first layer 120. The first layer 120 comprises at least one trench 122, e.g., as shown in FIG. 2, five trenches 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, and 122e, each extending laterally from a first side (e.g., side 104) to an opposite side (e.g. side 106) of the mattress 100. Disposed in each trench 122 is at least one support element 124, such as tubular foam springs 124a-124e. In the side view of FIG. 2, in each trench 122a-122e, only one tubular foam spring 124a-124e is visible. Arrangements of tubular foam springs 124 in trenches 122 will be described in more detail below.

The first layer 120 may comprise a visco-elastic foam, a non-viscoelastic foam, or a polyurethane foam, among other materials. In one embodiment, the first layer 120 comprises a non-viscoelastic foam.

In the depicted embodiment, the mattress 100 may also comprise a second layer 130 disposed over at least one trench 122. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the second layer 130 may be disposed over substantially the entirety of the first layer 120. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the second layer 130 may be disposed in each trench 122a-122e and above the support elements 124a-124e.

The second layer 130 may form a top-side encasement of the support elements 124a-124e. The second layer 130 encasement may be such that it covers all of the support elements 124a-124e in the manner exemplified in FIG. 2. In an alternative embodiments, the second layer 130 encasement may be configured that each individual is separately encased over each trench 122, as exemplified in FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, the second layer 130 may be contact with the support elements 124a-124e. In an alternative embodiment, the second layer 130 may normally not be in contact with the support elements 124a-124e during which no force is applied to the mattress 100, and when a predetermined amount of force or weight is applied to the mattress 100, the second layer 130 may come into contact with the support elements 124a-124e, thereby providing additional support and stability when a predetermined amount of force or weight is applied to the mattress 100.

In an additional embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the second layer 130 may be disposed in each trench 122a-122e and above and along the sides of the support elements 124a-124e, i.e., the second layer 130 may encompass support elements 124a-124e on at least the top and sides. In a further embodiment, similar to that shown in FIG. 5, the second layer 130 may encompass (i.e., be disposed on top, below, and on the sides of) the first layer 120.

The second layer 130 may comprise any desired material. In one embodiment, the second layer 130 may comprise the same material as the first layer 120. In other embodiments, the second layer may comprise a foam, such as a visco-elastic foam.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the mattress 100 may further comprise a comfort layer 135. The comfort layer 135 may comprise any material and/or assemblage of sublayers suitable for providing comfort to a user reclining on the mattress 100. In one embodiment, the comfort layer 135 comprises a foam. In a particular embodiment, the comfort layer 135 comprises a viscoelastic foam. For example, the viscoelastic foam may have a density from about 25 kg/m³ to about 250 kg/m³, such as from about 50 kg/m³ to about 120 kg/m³. In an even more particular embodiment, the viscoelastic foam may have a density of about 80-85 kg/m³. Alternatively or in addition, the viscoelastic foam may have a hardness from about 5 N to about 20 N, such as a hardness of about 10 N. Alternatively or in addition, the comfort layer 135 may include a base sublayer and a pillow-top sublayer.

The first layer 120 and the second layer 130 may be bonded together by any suitable adhesive. The combination of the first layer 120 and the second layer 130, and the comfort layer 135 (if any) may be assembled using any process and/or equipment known in the art.

For the avoidance of doubt, and in accordance with practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, none of the present figures are to scale.

The first layer 120 will now be described in more detail, with reference to FIGS. 2-13.

As depicted, the trenches 122 may comprise one or more tubular foam springs 124a-124e generally having a tubular resilient body made of foam.

Further, the disclosure is not necessarily limited to cylindrical tubular foam springs 124, but can also be applied to other shapes of springs, such as polygon shapes (e.g., pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, etc.). Additionally, the disclosure may be applied to support elements other than tubular foam springs, such as foam spheres or foam hemispheres, among others.

Turning to FIG. 4, a sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIGS. 2-3, in accordance with embodiments herein, is shown. This sectional view looks down across the middle of the first layer 120. As shown, each trench 122a-122e comprises a plurality of tubular foam springs. FIG. 4 illustrates sets of tubular foam springs 124a-124b, appearing as rounded features, configured within respective trenches 122a-122e. The trenches 122a-122e may be formed from multiple first layer portions.

As shown in FIG. 4, each trench 122a-122e may comprise the same number of tubular foam springs 124. In alternative embodiments, some of the trenches 122a-122e may comprise different numbers of tubular foam springs and/or other support elements 124. Further, in a subset of these alternative embodiments, the tubular foam springs and/or other support elements 124 may be arranged in an alternating pattern.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4 is exemplary in the number of trenches 122 and the number of tubular foam springs and/or support elements 124 in the trenches 122. The person of ordinary skill in the art may vary these and other parameters of the mattress 100 as a routine matter and remain within the spirit of embodiments herein.

Turning to FIG. 5, a stylized side view of a mattress 500, in accordance with embodiments herein, is presented. The mattress 500 may comprise a first layer 120 comprising at least one channel 522 (e.g., channels 522a-522e) extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer; a plurality of support members 124 (e.g., tubular foam springs 124a-124e) disposed in each channel 522; and a second layer 130 encompassing the first layer 120. In some embodiments, a full encasement of a plurality of support elements 124a-124e may be provided, wherein the layer 130 is configured to fully encapsulate one or more support elements 124a-124e.

In an additional embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of layers 130 each may fully encapsulate a portion of the support elements 124a-124e. In this manner, a particular layer in the mattress may include a first set of encapsulated support element 129a and a second set of encapsulated element 129b. In other embodiments, additional sets of encapsulated support elements may be implemented. In some examples, varying number of sets of encapsulated support elements may be implemented in certain portions of the mattress 100. For example, additional sets of encapsulated support elements may be configured in the shoulder regions of the mattress 100 (i.e., where a user's shoulder is expected to be located during normal use) and/or in the knee regions of the mattress 100 (i.e., where a user's knees are expected to be located during normal use).

In one embodiment, the layer 130s may be contact with the support elements 124a-124e. In an alternative embodiment, the layers 130 may normally not be in contact with the support elements 124a-124e during which no force is applied to the mattress 100, and when a predetermined amount of force or weight is applied to the mattress 100, the second layer 130 may come into contact with the support elements 124a-124e, thereby providing varying support and stability when a predetermined amount of force or weight is applied to the mattress 100. In some examples, depending upon the force or weight applied to different portions of the mattress 100, layer 130 corresponding to the second set of encapsulated element 129b may come into contact with its corresponding support elements (522c, 522d, 522e), while the layer 130 corresponding to the first set of encapsulated element 129a may not come into contact with its corresponding support elements (522a, 522b).

Turning now to FIGS. 6-7, another embodiment of a mattress 600 in accordance with embodiments herein is shown. Many of the elements of the mattress 600 are identical to elements of the mattress 100 described earlier. Such identical elements will be given the same reference numeral and will not be described further.

As shown in FIGS. 6-7, in some embodiments herein, the first layer 120 of the mattress 400 may be considered to comprise at least a first zone and a second zone. The different zones may differ in ways that are differentially impactful on the support of the mattress 400 experienced by a user reclining thereon.

As shown in FIG. 6, each zone has one or more trenches 122 disposed laterally therein. Each of the first zone and the second zone have a density of trenches, by which is meant one or both of: (a) the length of each zone divided by the number of trenches 122 per zone, or (b) a distance between neighboring trenches 122 in the zone. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the mattress 600 is a standard North American queen or king mattress with a length of 80″ (203 cm). A first zone (e.g., near the head end 103 of the mattress 600) has a length of 26.67″ (68 cm) and a second zone (e.g., near the foot end 105 of the mattress 600) has a length of 40″ (102 cm). In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the first zone comprises two trenches 122a and 122b, and the second zone comprises three trenches 122c, 122d, and 122e. In both zones, the distance between neighboring trenches is 6″ (15 cm). In this embodiment, accordingly, the first zone and the second zone have the same density of trenches under either definition, (a) about 13.33″/trench or (b) about 6″ between neighboring trenches.

In alternative embodiments additional zones may be formed, wherein the density of trenches may be varied or alternated.

FIG. 7, a top sectional view of the mattress 600 taken along line B-B′ in FIG. 6, in accordance with embodiments herein, shows that the first zone and the second zone may differ in the number of tubular foam springs 124 per trench 122. The number of tubular foam springs 124 per trench 122 in each zone may be termed the “density of tubular foam springs” of the zone. For example, as depicted in FIG. 7, the trenches 122a and 122b of the first zone may each contain five tubular foam springs 124, whereas the trenches 122c, 122d, and 122e of the second zone may each contain nine tubular foam springs 124, i.e., the second zone has a greater density of tubular foam springs than the first zone. Consequently, the second zone may be perceived by a user reclining on the mattress 600 as providing greater support than the first zone. If the second zone is located proximal to the foot 105 of the mattress 600, the second zone may hence provide greater support to the legs and/or lower back of the user than the first zone provides to the upper back and head of the user.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-7 is of course exemplary in the number of trenches 122 in the first layer 120, the number of trenches 122 in each zone, the number of zones of the first layer 120, the number of tubular foam springs 124 in the trenches 122 of the first zone, and the number of tubular foam springs 124 in the trenches 122 of the second zone. These figures are also exemplary regarding any dimension of the trenches 122 and the tubular foam springs 124. The person of ordinary skill in the art may vary these and other parameters of the mattress 600 as a routine matter.

Turning now to FIGS. 8-9, an alternative embodiment of a mattress 800 comprising a first zone and a second zone having differential impacts on perceived user support, in accordance with embodiments herein is depicted. The mattress 800 has many elements identical to elements of the mattress 100. Such identical elements will be given the same reference numeral and will not be described further.

As shown in FIG. 8, the first layer 120 of mattress 800 may be considered to comprise at least a first zone and a second zone. The exemplary mattress dimensions are the same as shown in FIG. 6. However, in contrast to the mattress 600 shown in FIG. 6, the first zone of the mattress 800 has a trench density of (a) about 13.33″/trench or (b) about 6″ between trenches, whereas the second zone of the mattress 800 has a trench density of (a) 40″ divided by four trenches, or about 10″/trench or (b) about 3″ trenches. In other words, the mattress 800 of FIG. 8 has a first zone having a first trench density and a second zone having a second trench density, wherein the first trench density differs from the second trench density.

FIG. 9 shows a top sectional view of the mattress 800 taken along line C-C′ in FIG. 8. In FIG. 9, the first zone and the second zone have the same number of tubular foam springs 124 per trench 122.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 8-9 is of course exemplary in the number of trenches 122 in the first layer 120, the number of trenches 122 in each zone, the number of zones of the first layer 120, the number of tubular foam springs 124 in the trenches 122 of the first zone, and the number of tubular foam springs 124 in the trenches 122 of the second zone. These figures are also exemplary regarding any dimension of the trenches 122 and the tubular foam springs 124. The person of ordinary skill in the art may vary these and other parameters of the mattress 800 as a routine matter.

In another embodiment, not shown, a mattress in accordance with embodiments herein may comprise a first layer 120 comprising a first zone and a second zone, wherein the first zone has one or more trenches at a first trench density, and a first density of tubular foam springs in each trench and the second zone has one or more trenches at a second trench density, and a second density of tubular foam springs in each trench; wherein either the first trench density differs from the second trench density; the first density of tubular foam springs differs from the second density of tubular foam springs, or both.

In another embodiment, as depicted in stylized side view in FIG. 10, the present disclosure relates to a mattress assembly 1000, in accordance with embodiments herein. The mattress assembly 1000 comprises a mattress as described above, such as a mattress 100 comprising a plurality of channels 122a-122e, each comprising at least one tubular foam spring 124a-124e. The mattress assembly may comprise other mattresses described herein, with such other mattresses being substitutable for the mattress 100 in the mattress assembly 1000 as a routine matter for the person of ordinary skill in the art.

The mattress assembly 1000 also comprises a mattress foundation 1040 disposed under the mattress 100. The mattress foundation 1040 may comprise any structure known to the person of ordinary skill in the art for the support of mattresses. Exemplary mattress foundations 1040 include, but are not limited to, box springs; metal frames; and adjustable supports, including electromechanically adjustable supports; among others.

FIG. 11 illustrates a stylized depiction of the mattress foundation of FIG. 10, in accordance with embodiments herein. In some embodiments, the mattress foundation may be comprised of two or more sections. For example, the mattress foundation 1040 may comprise a 1^st section 1140a, a 2^nd second section 1140b, a 3^rd section 1140c, and a 4^th section 1140d. Some or all of the sections 1140a-1140d may be configured to move independently, as indicated by the dotted lines over the 1^st section 1140a, the 3^rd section 1140c, and the 4^th section 1140d.

Each of the 1^st through 4^th section 1140a-1140d may be connected to pivot points to allow for independent movements. For example, the 1^st section 1140a and the 2^nd section 1140b may be movably coupled to a 1^st pivot point 1110a. In one embodiment, the 1^st section may move up and down about the 1^st pivot point 1110a. The 1^st section 1140a may be at the head of a bed.

The 2^nd section 1140b and the 3^rd section may be movably coupled to a 2^nd pivot point 1110b. In one embodiment, the 3^rd section may move up and down about the 2^nd pivot point 1110b.

The 3^rd section 1140c and the 4^th section 1140d may be movably coupled to a 3rd pivot point 1110c. In one embodiment, the 4^th section may move up and down about the 3^rd pivot point 1110c. In one embodiment, the 4^th section may be at the foot of a bed. Those skilled in the art would appreciate that additional sections and/or pivot points may be implemented onto the mattress foundation 1040 and remain with the spirit and scope of embodiments herein.

In some embodiments, one or more of the pivots 1110a, 1110b, 1110c may comprise a motor that may cause the pivots to be controllably operated. In some embodiments, the pivots 1110a, 1110b, 1110c may be controlled by one or more external motors. In some embodiments, the pivots 1110a, 1110b, 1110c may be operated using a remote electronic device, such as mobile phone, a laptop, a television, etc.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the disclosure may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. For example, the process steps set forth above may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is, therefore, evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.

Claims

1. A mattress, comprising:

a first layer comprising at least one trench extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer;

a plurality of support members disposed in each trench; and

a second layer disposed over at least the at least one trench.

2. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the second layer is disposed over substantially the entirety of the first layer.

3. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising:

a comfort layer disposed above the second layer.

4. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a foam.

5. The mattress of claim 4, wherein the foam is a viscoelastic foam.

6. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a non-viscoelastic foam.

7. The mattress of claim 1, wherein at least one support member is a tubular foam spring.

8. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises at least:

a first zone having one or more trenches at a first trench density, and a first density of support members in each trench; and

a second zone having one or more trenches at a second trench density, and a second density of support members in each trench;

wherein the first trench density differs from the second trench density, the first density of support members differs from the second density of support members, or both.

9. A mattress, comprising:

a first layer comprising at least one channel extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer;

a plurality of support members disposed in each channel; and

a second layer encompassing the first layer.

10. The mattress of claim 9, further comprising:

a comfort layer disposed above the second layer.

11. The mattress of claim 9, wherein the second layer comprises a foam.

12. The mattress of claim 11, wherein the foam is a viscoelastic foam.

13. The mattress of claim 9, wherein the first layer comprises a non-viscoelastic foam.

14. The mattress of claim 9, wherein at least one support member is a tubular foam spring.

15. The mattress of claim 9, wherein the first layer comprises at least:

a first zone having one or more channels at a first channel density, and a first density of support members in each channel; and

a second zone having one or more channels at a second channel density, and a second density of support members in each channel;

wherein the first channel density differs from the second channel density, the first density of support members differs from the second density of support members, or both.

16. A mattress assembly, comprising:

a mattress, comprising: a first layer comprising at least one trench extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer, at least one channel extending laterally from a first side of the layer to an opposite side of the layer, or both at least one trench and at least one channel; a plurality of support members disposed in each trench or each channel; and a second layer disposed over at least the at least one trench or encompassing the first layer if no trench is present in the first layer; and

a mattress foundation disposed under the mattress.

17. The mattress assembly of claim 16, wherein the second layer is disposed over substantially the entirety of the first layer.

18. The mattress assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a comfort layer disposed above the second layer.

19. The mattress assembly of claim 201, wherein the second layer comprises a viscoelastic foam.

20. The mattress assembly of claim 16, wherein the first layer comprises at least:

(A) a first zone having one or more trenches at a first trench density, and a first density of support members in each trench; and

a second zone having one or more trenches at a second trench density, and a second density of support members in each trench;

wherein the first trench density differs from the second trench density, the first density of support members differs from the second density of support members, or both;

(B) a first zone having one or more channels at a first channel density, and a first density of support members in each channel; and

a second zone having one or more channels at a second channel density, and a second density of support members in each channel;

wherein the first channel density differs from the second channel density, the first density of support members differs from the second density of support members, or both; or

(C) both (A) and (B).