Cushioning grid with tapered walls

Abstract

The walls of a cushion with a plurality of interconnected walls that define hollow columns may be tapered. The tapering may reduce a weight and/or a thickness of the cushion relative to a conventionally configured cushion with a patterned grid defined by interconnected walls, while substantially maintaining a buckling profile and other cushioning characteristics of the conventionally configured cushion. In addition, the taper may have a draft that facilitates removal of the cushion (e.g., a cushion formed from an elastomeric gel, etc.) from a mold. Methods of designing cushions with reduced weights and/or thicknesses are also disclosed, as are methods of designing cushions to facilitate their release from molds and methods for manufacturing cushions.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A cushion, comprising:
 a plurality of walls formed from a compressible, resilient material, each wall of the plurality of walls including:
 an intermediate portion having a first thickness; 
 a base portion extending downwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a second thickness adjacent to a base edge of the wall; and 
 an upper portion extending upwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a third thickness adjacent to an upper edge of the wall, 
   the plurality of walls interconnected to define an array of cells extending between a base surface of the cushion defined by base edges of the plurality of walls and an upper surface of the cushion defined by upper edges of the plurality of walls.   
     
     
         2 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein the second thickness and the third thickness are the same. 
     
     
         3 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein edges of the plurality of walls are chamfered. 
     
     
         4 . The cushion of  claim 1 , wherein a taper of each wall of the plurality of walls comprises a draft. 
     
     
         5 . The cushion of  claim 4 , wherein the draft facilitates release of the cushion from a mold. 
     
     
         6 . The cushion of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one stiffener at a junction between interconnected walls of the plurality of walls.   
     
     
         7 . The cushion of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one stiffener replaces or restores at least one cushioning characteristic altered by a taper of each wall of the plurality of walls. 
     
     
         8 . A cushion, comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected walls formed from an elastomeric material, defining a plurality of hollow columns, with each wall of the plurality of interconnected walls including at least one taper.   
     
     
         9 . The cushion of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one taper comprises:
 an intermediate portion having a first thickness;   a base portion extending downwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a second thickness adjacent to a base edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls; and   an upper portion extending upwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a third thickness adjacent to an upper edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls.   
     
     
         10 . The cushion of  claim 9 , wherein the second thickness and the third thickness are the same. 
     
     
         11 . The cushion of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one taper comprises a draft that facilitates release of the cushion from a mold. 
     
     
         12 . The cushion of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 at least one stiffener in a junction between intersecting walls of the plurality of walls.   
     
     
         13 . The cushion of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one stiffener comprises an enlarged junction at the junction between the intersecting walls of the plurality of walls. 
     
     
         14 . The cushion of  claim 12 , wherein each dimension across each end of the enlarged junction exceeds a thickness of each wall of the plurality of interconnected walls joined at the enlarged junction. 
     
     
         15 . The cushion of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of hollow columns buckle when at least a portion of the cushion is placed under a load. 
     
     
         16 . A method for designing a cushion with a plurality of interconnected walls defining an array of hollow columns, comprising:
 designing the plurality of interconnected walls to include tapers comprises designing the plurality of interconnected walls to include:
 an intermediate portion having a first thickness across an entirety of the intermediate portion; 
 a base portion extending downwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a second thickness adjacent to a base edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls; and 
 an upper portion extending upwardly from the intermediate portion and tapering from the first thickness to a third thickness adjacent to an upper edge of the wall of the plurality of interconnected walls. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein designing the plurality of interconnected walls comprises designing the second thickness and the third thickness to be the same. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein designing the plurality of interconnected walls includes:
 designing at least one of the upper edge and the lower edge to include a chamfer.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 designing stiffeners on at least portions of the plurality of interconnected walls.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein designing the stiffeners comprises designing the stiffeners to include tapered portions, with at least one end of each stiffener having smaller cross-sectional dimensions that an intermediate portion of the stiffener.