CUSHION FILLER MATERIAL

Abstract

A cushion filler material including a plurality of loose pieces of filler material and a plurality of gel material pieces is disclosed. The cushion filler material may be used in, for example, bedding products and furniture cushions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to a cushion filler material, and more particularly, to a cushion filler material for the inside of bedding products, furniture and other cushions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various cushion filler materials exist for cushions and pillows for the bedding and furniture industry. Conventional cushion filler materials can include feathers, polyester stable fiber and viscoelastic foam pads. However, these conventional cushion filler materials can be uncomfortable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The shortcomings of the prior art may be alleviated by using a cushion filler material constructed in accordance with one or more principles of the present invention. The cushion filler material may be used in any type of bedding or furniture product to provide enhanced comfort. Additionally, other uses may be made of the invention that fall within the scope of the claimed invention but which are not specifically described below.

In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cushion filler material comprising a plurality of loose pieces of filler material and a plurality of gel material pieces. The filler material may be, for example, a polyester staple fiber, feathers, down, latex, viscoelastic foam particles and polyurethane foam particles, or a combination of these materials. In one embodiment, the gel material pieces are made from a thermoplastic elastomer, such as, for example, a styrenic block copolymer compound.

In one example, the cushion filler material may comprise ten percent by weight of gel material and 90% by weight of filler material. In another example, the gel material may be shaped as beads or ball-shaped including diameters from two millimeters to four centimeters. In one aspect of the invention, the gel material produces a tacky or adhesive type characteristic for adhering or sticking to the plurality of filler material.

A cushion filler material constructed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention may be inserted into or disposed and retained or maintained within a cavity formed by the outer layers of a cushion or pillow.

Additional features and benefits will become apparent from the following drawings and descriptions of the invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the end of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a cushion filler material constructed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 depicts a cross-sectional view of a pillow including the cushion filler material depicted in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of a cushion filler material designed and constructed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments, or examples, illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe these. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the check valve invention relates.

Presented herein is cushion filler material comprising a plurality of loose pieces of filler material and a plurality of gel material. A cushion filler material constructed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention is useful in the manufacture of a variety of types of bedding products and furniture. By way of example only and without limitation, the cushion filler material may be used in the following types of cushions: mattresses, toppers or other mattress overlays, pillows, futons, zabutons, furniture, including, for example, cushions for sofas, loveseats, recliners, ottomans, and upholstered chairs, office chairs, wheelchair cushions, crib pads, diaper changing surfaces, pet beds, exercise benches, vehicle seats and armchairs, gymnastic pads, yoga pads, aerobic pads, neck cushions, and lumbar cushions.

In one embodiment, a cushion filler material may include a blend of a plurality of filler material and a plurality of gel material pieces. The filler material may be, for example, a plurality of loose pieces of polyester staple fiber, feathers, down, latex, viscoelastic particles (e.g. shredded memory foam), polyurethane foam particles, or a combination of these filler materials. The filler material may also include other materials typically used as filler materials for bedding products and furniture cushions and should not be limited to the list provided above. In one example, the filler material is a polyester stable fiber. Polyester stable fiber is a material produced from synthetic chemical compounds. The polyester stable fiber may include pieces of varying lengths and thicknesses. In one embodiment, the polyester stable fiber may have an average denier of greater than 0.5.

The gel material pieces may comprise a plurality of gel beads, balls or pellets. In one example, the gel material pieces may have a diameter ranging from two millimeters to four millimeters. In one aspect of the present invention, the gel material pieces used as part of a cushion filler material includes a very tacky or even an adhesively sticky characteristic. With this characteristic or feature, the gel material pieces stick or adhere to the plurality of filler material within a cushion cavity and will not release or bunch up at the bottom of the cushion. The gel material pieces, when mixed with the a plurality of non-gel filler material, will not fall off or bunch up at the bottom of the cushion or pillow and will be retained and distributed throughout the cushion filler material to provide a cooling and massaging feature without a concern of the gel material falling to the bottom section of the pillow or cushion.

The term “gel” may refer to a thermoplastic elastomer such as, for example, a styrenic block copolymer compound. One example of a styrenic block copolymer compound of the gel material is a hydrogenated styrene/butadiene copolymer. The gel material may be mixed with paraffinic oil. The gel material may also be made from, for example, a styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEEPS), or styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), or styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS) elastomer, or other elastomer, as desired. Other useful gel beads include polyurethane-based gels, silicone-based gels, PVC-based gels, acrylic-based gels, and many other.

A gel material provides a more comfortable and cooler feel that is desired over conventional filler materials in many cushions, such as, for example, mattresses and pillows and furniture cushions. Gel is able to buckle with more agility than stiffer elastomers, sometimes forming multiple curves during buckling where a stiffer elastomer may simply fold and thus not give gradual buckling failure, or refusing to buckle at typical cushioning pressures. Gel, especially gel with sufficient elastomer, also provides cushioning without buckling, due to its ability to flow to shape around a cushioned object.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a cushion filler material 100 including a plurality of polyester stable fiber 110 and a plurality of gel beads 120. As depicted in FIG. 1, gel beads 120 are distributed throughout the plurality of polyester stable fiber 110. The distribution of gel beads 120 throughout the plurality of polyester stable fiber 110 may be done by hand or mechanically by, for example, a mixer.

FIG. 2 illustrates a pillow 200 defining a cavity 210 for retaining or maintaining a cushion filler material constructed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. The amount and composition of the individual components of the cushion filler material can be varied to alter the characteristics, such as, for example, stiffness, of the pillow or cushion and the cost.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below, if any, are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of one or more embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain various aspects and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A cushion filler material, said cushion filler material comprising:

a plurality of loose pieces of filler material; and

a plurality of gel material pieces.

2. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said gel material pieces includes a hydrogenated styrene/butadiene copolymer.

3. The cushion filler material of claim 2, wherein said gel material pieces includes a mixture with paraffinic oil.

4. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said gel material pieces are in the form of pellets.

5. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said plurality of loose pieces of filler material includes a polyester stable fiber.

6. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said plurality of loose pieces of filler material includes viscoelastic foam.

7. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein the polyester stable fiber has a denier greater than 0.5.

8. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said gel material pieces include a diameter of less than 4 millimeters.

9. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said gel material pieces include a diameter of less than 2 millimeters.

10. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said plurality of gel material pieces comprise more than ten percent by weight of said cushion filler material.

11. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said plurality of gel material pieces are distributed throughout said plurality of loose pieces of filler material.

12. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said cushion filler material is retained within a pillow.

13. The cushion filler material of claim 1, wherein said cushion filler material is retained within a furniture cushion.