Fiber combination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077647-B2
Application number	US-201816036249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Jul 18, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A cushioning material includes fibers that define a fiber network and a foam material suspended within the fiber network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cushioning material comprising:
a plurality of uncrimped fibers that define a fiber network; and
a foam material suspended within the fiber network,
wherein the cushioning material comprises about 20% of the fiber network by volume and about 80% of the foam material by volume,
wherein the cushioning material is compressible from a first height to a second height that is about 25% of the first height, wherein a 25% force is required to compress the cushioning material from the first height to the second height,
wherein the cushioning material is compressible from a third height to a fourth height that is about 65% of the third height, wherein a 65% force is required to compress the cushioning material from the third height to the fourth height,
wherein the cushioning material has a support factor defined by a ratio of the 65% force to the 25% force, the ratio being about 4.5, and
wherein the 65% force is about 14.0 lbs and the 25% force is about 3.0 lbs.

2. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fibers comprise a siliconized material.

3. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam material comprises latex.

4. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam material comprises viscoelastic polyurethane.

5. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam material has a density between about 1.0 lbs/ft 3 and about 5.0 lbs/ft 3 .

6. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam material has a density between 1.8 lbs/ft 3 and 4.8 lbs/ft 3 .

7. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam material comprises chunks having a diameter between about 1.0 inch and about 2.0 inches.

8. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam material comprises chunks having a diameter between 1.0 inch and 1.5 inches.

9. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fibers are made from polyester.

10. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fibers are made from a non-elastic material.

11. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fibers have a denier between about 0.5D and about 3.0D.

12. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fibers have a denier between about 0.9D and about 2.8D.

13. A method of making a cushioning material, the method comprising:
opening fibers to form a fiber network of uncrimped fibers; and
blending a foam material with the fiber network such that the foam material is suspended within the fiber network,
wherein the cushioning material comprises 20% of the fiber network by volume and 80% of the foam material by volume,
wherein the cushioning material is compressible from a first height to a second height that is about 25% of the first height, wherein a 25% force is required to compress the cushioning material from the first height to the second height,
wherein the cushioning material is compressible from a third height to a fourth height that is about 65% of the third height, wherein a 65% force is required to compress the cushioning material from the third height to the fourth height,
wherein the cushioning material has a support factor defined by a ratio of the 65% force to the 25% force, the ratio being about 4.5, and
wherein the 65% force is about 14.0 lbs and the 25% force is about 3.0 lbs.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 , wherein opening the fibers allows free movement of the fibers around one another.

15. A cushioning material comprising:
a plurality of uncrimped fibers that define a fiber network, the fibers comprising polyester, the fibers have a denier between about 0.9D and about 2.8D; and
a foam material permanently suspended within the fiber network, the foam material comprising latex or viscoelastic polyurethane, the foam material comprising chunks having a diameter between 1.0 inch and 1.5 inches, the foam material having a density between 1.8 lbs/ft 3 and 4.8 lbs/ft 3 ,
wherein the cushioning material comprises 20% of the fiber network by volume and 80% of the foam material by volume,
wherein the cushioning material is compressible from a first height to a second height that is about 25% of the first height, wherein a 25% force is required to compress the cushioning material from the first height to the second height,
wherein the cushioning material is compressible from a third height to a fourth height that is about 65% of the third height, wherein a 65% force is required to compress the cushioning material from the third height to the fourth height,
wherein the cushioning material has a support factor defined by a ratio of the 65% force to the 25% force, the ratio being about 4.5, and
wherein the 65% force is about 14.0 lbs and the 25% force is about 3.0 lbs.

16. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the foam material has a density between 2.7 lbs/ft 3 and 4.4 lbs/ft 3 .

17. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material comprises 20% of the fiber network by volume and 80% of the foam material by volume.

18. A cushioning material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material comprises 30% of the fiber network by volume and 70% of the foam material by volume.

Assignees

• Bedgear Llc

Inventors

• Alletto Jr Eugene

Classifications

• D10B2503/06

  Bed linen · CPC title

• D10B2331/04

  polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET] · CPC title

• D06M2101/32

  Polyesters · CPC title

• D06M15/643

  containing silicon in the main chain · CPC title

• D01G9/08

  by means of air draught arrangements · CPC title