A unitary deflection member and a method for making a unitary deflection member is disclosed. The method can include the steps of: providing an additive manufacturing making apparatus; providing a material for the unitary deflection member, the material being compatible for use with the additive manufacturing making apparatus; generating a 3-D digital image of objects in a repeat element of the unitary deflection member, the objects including at least a reinforcing member and at least one protuberance of the unitary deflection member; assembling the objects into a digitized file including the at least one protuberance being on said reinforcing member; importing the digitized file to make numerical control file; and depositing the material using the additive manufacturing making apparatus to make the unitary deflection member.

A unitary deflection member. The unitary deflection member can have a backside defining an X-Y plane and a thickness in a Z-direction. The unitary deflection member can also have a reinforcing member and a plurality of protuberances positioned on the reinforcing member. Each protuberance can have a three-dimensional shape such that any cross-sectional area of the protuberance parallel to the X-Y plane can have an equal or greater area than any cross-sectional area of the protuberance being a greater distance from the X-Y plane in the Z-direction.

A method for manufacturing a deflection member is disclosed. The method may include the steps of providing an additive manufacturing apparatus that includes at least one radiation source and a vat containing a photopolymer resin, providing a reinforcing member, contacting a surface of the reinforcing member with the photopolymer resin, and directing radiation from the at least one radiation source towards a surface of the reinforcing member to at least partially cure photopolymer resin in contact with the surface of the reinforcing member to create at least a portion of a lock-on layer.

A unitary deflection member. The unitary deflection member can have a fluid pervious reinforcing member and a patterned framework. The patterned framework can have a plurality of regularly spaced protuberances extending from the reinforcing member. At least two of said protuberances can be similar in size and shape, and each protuberance can have a transition portion having a transition portion width and a forming portion having a forming portion width. The transition portion width can be less than the forming portion width.

A seamless unitary deflection member. The seamless unitary deflection member can have a backside defining an X-Y plane and a thickness in a Z-direction. The seamless unitary deflection member may also have a reinforcing member and a plurality of protuberances positioned on the reinforcing member. Each protuberance may have a three-dimensional shape such that any cross-sectional area of the protuberance parallel to the X-Y plane can have an equal or lesser area than any cross-sectional area of the protuberance being a greater distance from the X-Y plane in the Z-direction.

A deflection member that includes a reinforcing member and a plurality of tiles fastened to the reinforcing member.

A method for manufacturing a deflection member is disclosed. The method may include the steps of providing an additive manufacturing apparatus that includes at least one radiation source and a vat containing a photopolymer resin, providing a reinforcing member, contacting a surface of the reinforcing member with the photopolymer resin, and directing radiation from the at least one radiation source towards a surface of the reinforcing member to at least partially cure photopolymer resin in contact with the surface of the reinforcing member to create at least a portion of a lock-on layer.

A method for manufacturing a deflection member is disclosed. The method may include the step of incorporating a monomer, a photoinitiator system, a photoinhibitor, and/or a reinforcing member. A further step includes blending the monomer, photoinitiator, and/or photoinhibitor to form a blended photopolymer resin. Further steps may be emitting a first wavelength and emitting a second wavelength. A further step may be polymerizing the monomer to form a resinous framework comprising protuberance locked-on to the reinforcing member.

A deflection member. The deflection member can be a unitary structure having a plurality of discrete primary elements and a plurality of secondary elements. At least one of the secondary elements can be an elongate member having a major axis having both a machine direction vector component and a cross machine direction vector component. In an example, the secondary elements can be arranged in a Voronoi pattern.

A deflection member that includes a reinforcing member and a plurality of tiles fastened to the reinforcing member.