Cushion with phase change material (pcm) containers

Abstract

A cushion comprising a body of cushioning material having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface. The first surface has a plurality of upwardly extending fingers and a plurality of spaced apart pockets defined between the fingers. The cushion has a plurality of phase change material (PCM) containers each containing a phase change material, each of the phase change material (PCM) containers being disposed in one of the pockets in the body of cushioning material.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A cushion comprising:
 a body of cushioning material having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the first surface having a plurality of upwardly extending fingers and a plurality of spaced apart pockets defined between the fingers; and   a plurality of phase change material (PCM) containers each containing a phase change material, each of the phase change material (PCM) containers being disposed in one of the pockets in the body of cushioning material.   
     
     
         2 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein each of the phase change material (PCM) containers has a side-to-side dimension of at least 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         3 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein each of the phase change material (PCM) containers has a side-to-side dimension or diameter of up to 50 millimeters. 
     
     
         4 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the phase change material (PCM) containers has a spherical shape having a diameter in a range of 15 to 25 millimeters. 
     
     
         5 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the phase change material (PCM) containers has a shape of an egg, a flattened sphere or a cylinder. 
     
     
         6 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the second surface has a plurality of upwardly extending fingers and a plurality of spaced apart pockets defined between the fingers. 
     
     
         7 . The cushion of  claim 6 , wherein some of the phase change material (PCM) containers are disposed in the pockets of the second surface in the body of cushioning material. 
     
     
         8 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material (PCM) containers have a first phase change temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The cushion of  claim 6 , wherein the phase change material (PCM) container on the second surface has a second phase change temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, visco-elastic, latex, fiber, down and feather. 
     
     
         11 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein each of the phase change material containers is fixed in thermal communication with the body of cushioning material. 
     
     
         12 . A cushion comprising:
 a body of cushioning material having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the first surface having a plurality of spaced apart pockets; and   a plurality of phase change material (PCM) containers each containing a phase change material, each of the phase change material (PCM) containers being disposed in one of the pockets in the body of cushioning material.   
     
     
         13 . The cushion of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the second surface has a plurality of spaced apart pockets; and   some of the phase change material (PCM) containers being disposed in the pockets of the second surface in the body of cushioning material.