A BODY-SUPPORTING COMPONENT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING A BODY-SUPPORTING COMPONENT

Abstract

A body-supporting component may have a main body. A 3D lattice structure of the main body may have deflection properties portions of the main body. The main body may be formed by a flexible material according to the 3D lattice structure combined with the deflection properties portions.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A body-supporting component, comprising: a main body and a 3D lattice structure of the main body defining deflection properties portions of the main body, wherein the main body is formed by a flexible material according to the 3D lattice structure combined with the deflection properties portions.

17. The body-supporting component according to claim 16, wherein the 3D lattice structure comprises at least a plurality of cells formed by a plurality of beam elements connected with each other.

18. The body-supporting component according to claim 17, wherein the beam elements have different thicknesses and/or lengths.

19. The body-supporting component according to claim 17, wherein the cells have different shapes and/or sizes.

20. The body-supporting component according to claim 16, wherein the main body is formed by at least one of the following flexible materials: a flexible polyurethane material, a elastomeric polyurethane material, a thermoplastic polyurethane material and thermoplastic elastomer material.

21. The body-supporting component according to claim 16, wherein the 3D lattice structure is 3D printed by the flexible polyurethane material or elastomeric polyurethane material.

22. The body-supporting component according to claim 21, wherein the 3D lattice structure is surrounded by a flexible material and/or filled by a filling material.

23. The body-supporting component according to claim 16, wherein said main body and said 3D lattice structure is configured as a monolithic component.

24. The body-supporting component according to claim 23, wherein the monolithic component comprises an upper outer surface forming an upper outer cover, an inner portion formed by the 3D lattice structure forming a flexible carrier or padding portion or cushion portion, wherein said padding or cushion portions are made of foam, and a lower outer surface forming a bottom support or lower outer cover.

25. A method of producing a body-supporting component according to claim 16, wherein the body-supporting component is produced as a monolithic component.

26. The method according to claim 25, comprising further steps of: providing a geometry body model of a desired main body, providing a 3D lattice structure of the main body defining deflection properties portions of the main body, forming the main body by a flexible material according to the 3D lattice structure combined with the deflection properties portions.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising providing the 3D lattice structure of the main body by a 3D printing process.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising filling the 3D lattice structure by a filling material, which includes at least one of a thermoplastic polyurethane and a thermoplastic elastomer.

29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising surrounding the 3D lattice structure by a flexible material, which includes at least one of a thermoplastic polyurethane and a thermoplastic elastomer.

30. The body-supporting component of claim 16, wherein the body-supporting component is a base component, cushion component, pad component, a pillow or upholstery for furniture, a vehicle seat, an aircraft seat, a seat pan, a backrest, headrest, an armrest or a motorcycle seat pan.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present disclosure, wherein:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a body-supporting component, e.g. a seat of a motorcycle/ATV,

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a 3D lattice structure for the body-supporting component,

[0032] FIG. 3A, 3B shows a perspective view of the 3D lattice structure according to FIG. 2 filled/surrounded by a transparent or shiny filling material and an opaque or dark filling material,

[0033] FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment of a body-supporting component with different body-supporting elements,

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a comparison of a well-known sear and the one-piece body-supporting component, and

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a 3D lattice structure for the body-supporting component.

[0036] Corresponding parts are marked with the same reference symbols in all figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a body-supporting component 1. The body-supporting component 1 comprises a main body 2 which is shaped in accordance to a body of e.g. an occupant sitting on the component 1. The component 1 shown in FIG. 1 is e.g. a seat for a motorcycle or an ATV.

[0038] The body-supporting component 1 is produced as a monolithic component 10. The main body 2 is formed by a 3D lattice structure 3 defining different deflection properties portions P1 to Pn of the main body 2. In particular, a deflection properties portion P1 forms a side surface of the body-supporting component 1. Another deflection properties portions P2 and P3 form a seat pan portion and a seat pan side portion of the body-supporting component 1. The deflection properties portions P1 to Pn are characterized by different properties regarding e.g. flexibility, elasticity, stiffness, insertion depth, mechanical strength. The different deflection properties portions P1 to Pn are created by e.g. different shapes, forms, dimensions of portions of the 3D lattice structure 3.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a lattice structure 3, e.g. a 3D lattice structure for the body-supporting component 1. The 3D lattice structure 3 of the main body 2 defines deflection properties portions P1 to Pn of the main body 2 by different lattice structure areas e.g. by close-meshed lattice structure areas A1 and broad-meshed lattice structure areas A2.

[0040] The 3D lattice structure 3 comprises further at least a plurality of cells C1 to Cm formed by a plurality of beam elements B1 to Bk connected with each other. In particular, the cells C1 to Cm may have different shapes and/or sizes to form the different deflection properties portions P1 to Pn of the main body 2 and thus of the body-supporting component 1.

[0041] FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the 3D lattice structure 3 according to FIG. 2 filled/surrounded by a filling material 4, in particular a transparent or shiny filling material 4.

[0042] FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of the 3D lattice structure 3 according to FIG. 2 filled/surrounded by another filling material 4, in particular an opaque or dark filling material 4.

[0043] The main body 2 is formed by e.g. a flexible polyurethane material (shortly called FPU), an elastomeric polyurethane material (shortly called EPU), a thermoplastic polyurethane material (shortly called TPU) and/or thermoplastic elastomer material (shortly called TPE) according to the 3D lattice structure 3 combined with the deflection properties portions.

[0044] In particular, the 3D lattice structure 3 is e.g. 3D printed by the FPU and is surrounded and/or filled by the filling material 4, e.g. by TPU or TPE to form the main body 2.

[0045] The body-supporting component 1 is produced as a monolithic component 10 which comprises e.g. an upper outer surface 10.1 forming an upper outer cover 10.2, an inner portion 10.3 formed by the 3D lattice structure 3 forming a flexible carrier 10.4 or padding portion or cushion portion and a lower outer surface 10.5 forming a bottom support 10.6 and lower outer cover 10.7.

[0046] The body-supporting component 1 as a monolithic component 10 can be produced in an additive manufacturing process by joining a material under computer control to create the 3D body-supporting component 1. Usual casting, moulding and removing of material from the product are avoided.

[0047] According to the method a geometry body model of a desired main body 2 is provided, wherein a 3D lattice structure 3 of the main body 2 defining deflection properties portions P1 bis Pn of the main body 2 is further provided e.g. as a geometry body model and wherein the main body 2 is formed by a flexible material according to the 3D lattice structure 3 combined with the deflection properties portions P1 to Pn in one of the additive manufacturing processes, e.g. by a 3D printing process.

[0048] In particular, the 3D lattice structure 3 of the main body 2 is produced by the 3D printing process to form the inner portion 10.3, e.g. the flexible carrier 10.4. The filling of the 3D lattice structure 3 by the filling material 4, e.g. by at least one of the thermoplastic polyurethane and thermoplastic elastomer, is produced e.g. by the 3D printing process of the 3D lattice structure 3 or separately by an injection moulding process into the 3D printed lattice structure 3.

[0049] The 3D lattice structure 3 can be further surrounded by the same or a different flexible material, e.g. by at least one of the thermoplastic polyurethane and thermoplastic elastomer. The surrounding process of the 3D lattice structure 3 to form e.g. an outer cover 10.2 and/or 10.7 can be provided during the 3D printing process of the 3D lattice structure 3 or in a separate processing step, e.g. by injection molding.

[0050] Such a produced monolithic body-supporting component 1 can be used as a furniture component, a base component, cushion component, pad component, a pillow or upholstery e.g. of a furniture, a vehicle seat, an aircraft seat, in particular a seat pan, a backrest, headrest, an armrest or a motorcycle seat pan.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment of a body-supporting component 1 having different body-supporting elements 1.1 to 1.n, e.g. a lateral supporting element 1.1, a seating supporting element 1.2, a headrest 1.3.

[0052] Each of the body-supporting elements 1.1 to 1.n may be configured by a respective main body 2 formed by a respective 3D lattice structure 3 of the respective main body 2. In particular, the respective main body 2 may be formed by a polyurethane material according to its 3D lattice structure 3 combined with the deflection properties portions P1 bis Pn as described above for the body-supporting component 1.

[0053] FIG. 5 shows a comparison of a well-known seat component having a seat attachment 5, a foam element 6 and a leather trim 7. The new body-supporting component 1 is a monolithic component 10 or a one-piece component which replaces the well-known multi-part seat component.

[0054] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a 3D lattice structure 3. The 3D lattice structure 3 comprises at least a plurality of cells C1 to Cm formed by a plurality of beam elements B1 to Bk connected with each other.

[0055] The beam elements B1 to Bk may have different thicknesses and/or lengths. The lattice structure 3 can be optimized to provide the deflection similar to foam by varying the thickness of the beam elements B1 to Bk and the density of the cells C1 to Cm of the lattice structure 3.

[0056] The cells C1 to Cm may have different shapes and/or sizes. A unique cell structure can be used to create a 3D lattice structure 3 that replaces the foam volume.

[0057] In particular, the beam elements B1 to Bk have different thicknesses d and/or lengths l to provide the different deflection properties portions P1 to Pn of the body-supporting component 1.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0058] 1 body-supporting component [0059] 10 monolithic component [0060] 10.1 upper outer surface [0061] 10.2 upper outer cover [0062] 10.3 inner portion [0063] 10.4 flexible carrier [0064] 10.5 lower outer surface [0065] 10.6 bottom support [0066] 10.7 lower outer cover [0067] 1.1 to 1.n body-supporting element [0068] 1.1 lateral supporting element [0069] 1.2 seating supporting element [0070] 1.3 headrest [0071] 2 main body [0072] 3 lattice structure [0073] 4 filling material [0074] 5 seat attachment [0075] 6 foam element [0076] 7 leather trim [0077] A1 close-meshed lattice structure area [0078] A2 broad-meshed lattice structure area [0079] B1 to Bk beam element [0080] C1 to Cm cell [0081] d thickness [0082] l length [0083] P1 to Pn deflection properties portion