Body support structure comprising topper having opposed surfaces with varying firmness

Abstract

A body support structure comprising a support layer; and at least one topper layer above the support layer and comprising a first material, a first surface, a second surface, and gel bodies embedded in the first material. Each gel body may have a first portion in proximity to the first surface that has a first firmness and a second portion in proximity to the second surface that has a second firmness, and/or the gel bodies are a plurality of first gel bodies and a plurality of second gel bodies, wherein each first gel body has a first firmness and is closer than any second gel body to the first surface, and each second gel body has a second firmness and is closer than any first gel body to the second surface. I also disclose methods and systems for manufacturing such body support structures.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A body support structure, comprising:
 a support layer; and   at least one topper layer above the support layer and comprising a first material, a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of gel bodies embedded in the first material, wherein each gel body has a first portion in proximity to the first surface that has a first firmness and a second portion in proximity to the second surface that has a second firmness.   
     
     
         2 . The body support structure of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the body support structure comprises a first topper layer and a second topper layer, wherein one side of the first topper layer is adjacent to one side of the second topper layer.   
     
     
         3 . The body support structure of  claim 2 , wherein the first firmness of the first portions of the gel bodies of the first topper layer is substantially the same as the first firmness of the first portions of the gel bodies of the second topper layer, the second firmness of the second portions of the gel bodies of the first topper layer is substantially the same as the second firmness of the second portions of the gel bodies of the second topper layer, the first surface of the first topper layer is closer than the second surface of the first topper layer to the support layer, and the second surface of the second topper layer is closer than the first surface of the second topper layer to the support layer. 
     
     
         4 . The body support structure of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one layer below the support layer.   
     
     
         5 . The body support structure of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one layer between the support layer and the at least one topper layer.   
     
     
         6 . The body support structure of  claim 1 , wherein each gel body has a shape in top view selected from the group consisting of squares, rectangles, diamonds, parallelograms, other quadrilaterals, triangles, polygons with other than four sides, circles, ellipses, raindrops, and other curved shapes. 
     
     
         7 . The body support structure of  claim 1 , wherein each gel body comprises an inner gel portion and an outer, non-gel portion. 
     
     
         8 . The body support structure of  claim 7 , wherein the inner gel portion comprises by weight: Styrene block copolymer 2-80%, plasticized oil 10-90%, thermoplastic polystyrene—polybutadiene-polystyrene block copolymer 5-80%, and essential oil additive 0.01%-3%. 
     
     
         9 . The body support structure of  claim 8 , wherein the essential oil additive is green tea oil at 0.3%. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 forming a support layer of a body support structure;   forming from a first material at least one topper layer, wherein the at least one topper layer comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of gel bodies embedded in the first material, wherein each gel body has a first portion in proximity to the first surface that has a first firmness and a second portion in proximity to the second surface that has a second firmness; and   affixing the at least one topper layer to the body support structure above the support layer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 forming the at least one topper layer comprises forming a first topper layer and a second topper layer, wherein one side of the first topper layer is adjacent to one side of the second topper layer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first firmness of the first portions of the gel bodies of the first topper layer is substantially the same as the first firmness of the first portions of the gel bodies of the second topper layer, the second firmness of the second portions of the gel bodies of the first topper layer is substantially the same as the second firmness of the second portions of the gel bodies of the second topper layer, and
 the affixing comprises affixing the first surface of the first topper layer in proximity to the support layer, and affixing the second surface of the second topper layer in proximity to the support layer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 forming at least one layer of the body support structure below the support layer.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 forming at least one layer of the body support structure between the support layer and the at least one topper layer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein forming the at least one topper layer comprises forming each gel body to have a shape selected from the group consisting of squares, rectangles, diamonds, parallelograms, other quadrilaterals, triangles, polygons with other than four sides, circles, ellipses, raindrops, and other curved shapes. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein forming the at least one topper layer comprises forming each gel body to comprise an inner gel portion and an outer, non-gel portion. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming the at least one topper layer comprises forming the inner gel portion of each gel body to comprise by weight: Styrene block copolymer 2-80%, plasticized oil 10-90%, thermoplastic polystyrene—polybutadiene-polystyrene block copolymer 5-80%, and essential oil additive 0.01%-3%. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the essential oil additive is green tea oil at 0.3%. 
     
     
         19 . A system, comprising:
 a user interface configured to receive a first user preference between at least a first firmness and a second firmness;   a manufacturing system configured to:
 form a support layer of a body support structure; 
 form from a first material at least one topper layer, wherein the at least one topper layer comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of gel bodies embedded in the first material, wherein each gel body has a first portion in proximity to the first surface that has the first firmness and a second portion in proximity to the second surface that has the second firmness; and 
 affix the at least one topper layer to the body support structure above the support layer, such that (a) the first surface is in proximity to the support layer if the first user preference is for the second firmness or (b) the second surface is in proximity to the support layer if the first user preference is for the first firmness. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the user interface is further configured to receive a second user preference between at least the first firmness and the second firmness; and   the manufacturing system is further configured to:   form a first topper layer and a second topper layer, and   affix the first topper layer and the second topper layer to the body support structure such that one side of the first topper layer is adjacent to one side of the second topper layer.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the manufacturing system is further configured to affix the second topper layer to the body support structure above the support layer, such that (a) the first surface of the second topper layer is in proximity to the support layer if the second user preference is for the second firmness or (b) the second surface of the second topper layer is in proximity to the support layer if the second user preference is for the first firmness. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the manufacturing system is further configured to form at least one layer of the body support structure below the support layer. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the manufacturing system is further configured to form at least one layer of the body support structure between the support layer and the at least one topper layer. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the manufacturing system is further configured to form each gel body to have a shape selected from the group consisting of squares, rectangles, diamonds, parallelograms, other quadrilaterals, triangles, polygons with other than four sides, circles, ellipses, raindrops, and other curved shapes. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the manufacturing system is further configured to form the at least one topper layer by forming each gel body to comprise an inner gel portion and an outer, non-gel portion. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the manufacturing system is further configured to form the at least one topper layer by forming the inner gel portion of each gel body to comprise by weight: Styrene block copolymer 2-80%, plasticized oil 10-90%, thermoplastic polystyrene—polybutadiene-polystyrene block copolymer 5-80%, toner 0.03-3%, and essential oil additive. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the essential oil additive is green tea oil.