PRESSURE-RELIEVING LAYER, MULTI-LAYER CUSHION, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PRESSURE-RELIEVING LAYER

Abstract

The present application provides a pressure-relieving layer, a multi-layer cushion, and a method of manufacturing a pressure-relieving layer. The pressure-relieving layer includes an integrally formed foam base and a plurality of foam supports. The foam base includes grooves extending in a first direction, which are open at an upper surface of the foam base. Each groove is embedded with multiple foam supports.

Claims

1. A pressure-relieving layer, comprising an integrally formed foam base and a plurality of foam supports, wherein the foam base comprises at least one groove extending in a first direction, with the at least one groove being open at an upper surface of the foam base, and each groove is embedded with multiple of the plurality of foam supports.

2. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 1, wherein the at least one groove and the plurality of foam supports form at least one pressure-relieving zone and a plurality of pressure-bearing zones on the foam base, the at least one pressure-relieving zone and the plurality of pressure-bearing zones being distributed at intervals along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and each pressure-relieving zone is adjacent to one of the pressure-bearing zones on either side thereof.

3. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 2, wherein the at least one pressure-relieving zone comprises a first region, a second region, and a third region, wherein the first region is located in a middle of the foam base, and the second region and the third region are located on both sides of the first region, respectively.

4. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 3, wherein the second region and the third region each comprise a plurality of grooves therein, a width of the second region along the second direction is greater than a width of the first region along the second direction, and a width of the third region along the second direction is greater than the width of the first region along the second direction.

5. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 3, wherein a number of the grooves in the second region is greater than a number of the grooves in the first region, and a number of the grooves in the third region is greater than the number of the grooves in the first region.

6. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 3, wherein the second region and the third region each comprise at least two types of the foam supports therein.

7. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 1, wherein each of the foam supports comprises a supporting surface and a bottom surface opposite to each other, wherein the bottom surface is in contact with the groove, and the supporting surface forms a supporting part that is flush with the upper surface of the foam base.

8. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 7, wherein an outer contour of the foam support does not extend beyond the groove, and an area of the supporting part is not greater than an area of the bottom surface.

9. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 7, wherein the foam support comprises a plurality of slots or a plurality of protrusions on an upper portion thereof, the plurality of slots or the plurality of protrusions being uniformly distributed on the supporting surface.

10. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 7, wherein the supporting surface is planar, and an area of the supporting part is not greater than an area of the supporting surface.

11. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 7, wherein the supporting surface is curved, and an area of the supporting part is less than an area of the supporting surface.

12. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 1, wherein the foam base comprises a plurality of grooves which extend through the foam base along the first direction, and the plurality of grooves have a same width along a second direction; and the multiple foam supports in each groove are arranged in a row and in contact with each other in sequence.

13. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 12, wherein the multiple foam supports in each groove have a same structure.

14. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of foam supports in different grooves have different structures.

15. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the foam base is greater than or equal to a depth of each groove, and the depth of the groove is equal to a height of the foam support located in the groove; and the depth of the groove ranges from 7 cm to 11 cm, and a volume of the foam support ranges from 2 cm.sup.3 to 7 cm.sup.3.

16. The pressure-relieving layer according to claim 1, wherein the groove extends through the foam base along the first direction, and the groove is provided with a foam encased at both ends thereof, wherein the foam encased is flush with side edges of the foam base.

17. A multi-layer cushion, comprising an upper-layer foam, a lower-layer foam, and the pressure-relieving layer according to claim 1; wherein the pressure-relieving layer is located between the upper-layer foam and the lower-layer foam.

18. The multi-layer cushion according to claim 17, wherein the multi-layer cushion further comprises a spring layer and a supporting layer, and the supporting layer and the spring layer are arranged in sequence from top to bottom between the pressure-relieving layer and the lower-layer foam; and the upper-layer foam is made of memory foam, and the lower-layer foam is made of regular foam.

19. A method of manufacturing a pressure-relieving layer, comprising: providing a foam base, and processing a plurality of parallel grooves in the foam base, wherein the plurality of parallel grooves extend along a first direction and are open at an upper surface of the foam base; providing a plurality of foam supports; and embedding multiple of the plurality of foam supports in each groove to form the pressure-relieving layer; wherein the foam supports have a first height, and the parallel grooves have a depth, and the first height is less than or equal to the depth.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the groove extends through the foam base along the first direction, an outer contour of the foam support does not extend beyond the groove, and the foam support is affixed to the groove; and top portions of the foam supports form a plurality of supporting parts that are flush with the upper surface of the foam base, the plurality of supporting parts being uniformly distributed above the groove and are arranged at intervals from each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] Accompanying drawings herein, which are incorporated into this specification and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments in accordance with this specification and, together with the specification, serve to explain principles of this specification.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pressure-relieving layer according to a first embodiment in the present application.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1 without a foam support installed.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a foam support according to an embodiment in the present application.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a pressure-relieving layer according to a second embodiment in the present application.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4 without a foam support installed.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a pressure-relieving layer according to a third embodiment in the present application.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a pressure-relieving layer according to a fourth embodiment in the present application.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a multi-layer cushion in the present application.

[0044] FIGS. 9A to 9K are schematic diagrams of foam supports according to other embodiments in the present application.

[0045] FIGS. 10A to 10H are schematic diagrams of pressure-relieving layers according to other embodiments in the present application.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0046] 100pressure-relieving zone; 101first region; 102second region; 103third region; 200pressure-bearing zone; [0047] 10foam base; 11groove; 12foam encased; [0048] 20, 20foam support; 21, 21supporting surface; 22, 22bottom surface; 23, 23supporting part; 24slot; 25protrusion; [0049] 30upper-layer foam; [0050] 40lower-layer foam; [0051] 50supporting layer; [0052] 60spring layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Hereinafter, technical solutions in embodiments (or implementations) of the present application will be described clearly and completely in combination with the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate the same or similar elements, unless otherwise specified.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present application, when involving directional or positional terms (e.g., up, down, left, right, front, rear, inner, outer, top, bottom, center, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, transverse, length, width, clockwise, counterclockwise, axial, radial, circumferential, etc.), such terms are only used to explain a relative positional relationship or movement between various components in a certain posture (as shown in the drawings). If the certain posture changes, the directional indication or positional relationship will change accordingly. In addition, terms, such as first and second, in the embodiments of the present application are only used for convenience of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance.

[0055] Next, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail.

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the present application discloses a pressure-relieving layer. The pressure-relieving layer includes an integrally formed foam base 10 and a plurality of foam supports 20. The foam base 10 has grooves 11 extending along a first direction and throughout the foam base 10, and the grooves 11 are open at an upper surface of the foam base 10. Each groove 11 is embedded with multiple foam supports 20. In this way, the foam base 10 simultaneously forms two types of supporting surfaces, which include a continuous planar surface and a plurality of small supporting surfaces distributed in a dot matrix.

[0057] In the drawings, the first direction is a length direction of the pressure-relieving layer. The pressure-relieving layer of the present application can be flexibly applied in the field of furniture such as sofas, seats, pillows, and thin cushions, depending on its size.

[0058] Pressure-bearing zones 200 are formed between adjacent grooves 11, and the grooves 11 form pressure-relieving zones 100. The pressure-relieving zones 100 and the pressure-bearing zones 200 are distributed at intervals along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each pressure-relieving zone 100 is adjacent to one pressure-bearing zone 200 on either side thereof. A width of the pressure-bearing zone 200 in the second direction is greater than a width of a single groove 11 in the second direction. A part of the supporting surface that is smaller than the width of the groove 11 in the second direction is defined, together with the grooves 11, as the pressure-relieving zone 100. For details, please refer to regions delineated by dashed lines in FIG. 1.

[0059] The pressure-relieving zone 100 includes a first region 101, a second region 102, and a third region 103, which are respectively used to support waist, back, and buttocks of a human body, so as to achieve a pressure-relieving effect. The first region 101 is used to support the waist of the human body, the second region 102 is used to support the back of the human body, and the third region 103 is used to support the buttocks of the human body.

[0060] The first region 101 is located in the middle of the foam base 10 and includes one groove 11. The second region 102 and the third region 103 are located on both sides of the first region 101, respectively. The second region 102 includes four grooves 11 with a same depth on one side, and the third region 103 includes four grooves 11 with a same depth on the other side.

[0061] In other embodiments, the pressure-relieving zone can also be used to support other parts of the human body such as a head, shoulders, and legs, depending on a position where the pressure-relieving zone 100 is located.

[0062] A width of the second region 102 along the second direction and a width of the third region 103 along the second direction are each greater than a width of the first region 101 along the second direction. Here, the width refers to a sum of widths in each region. The number of the grooves 11 in the second region 102 and the number of the grooves 11 in the third region 103 are each greater than the number of the grooves 11 in the first region 101. In this way, support for the back located in the second region 102 and support for the buttocks located in the third region 103 can be strengthened.

[0063] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the width of the first region 101 includes the width of one groove 11. The width of the second region 102 and the width of the third region 103 each includes a sum of widths of four grooves 11 and widths of planar surfaces between the grooves 11. The grooves 11 in the first region 101, the second region 102, and the third region 103 are of the same width.

[0064] The first region 101, the second region 102, and the third region 103 have a same type of foam supports 20 provided therein. Each foam support 20 includes a supporting surface 21 and a bottom surface 22 that are disposed opposite to each other. The bottom surface 22 is in contact with the groove 11, and the supporting surface 21 forms a supporting part 23 that is flush with the upper surface of the foam base 10.

[0065] When the foam support 20 in FIG. 3 is placed in the groove 11, a square structure at the bottom of the foam support 20 is in contact with the groove 11, and a curved surface at the top of the foam support 20 forms the supporting part 23 that is flush with the upper surface of the foam base 10. In this way, the foam support 20 in the groove 11 can provide support for the human body. Since the supporting surface 21 is a curved surface, an area of the supporting part 23 is smaller than an area of the supporting surface 21.

[0066] A plurality of supporting parts 23 are uniformly distributed above the groove 11 and arranged at intervals. There is a gap formed between upper portions of adjacent foam supports 20, and there is a gap formed between the plurality of foam supports 20 and the foam base 10. In this way, forces acting on the foam supports 20 can be dispersed to gaps around them, thereby reducing reaction forces acting on the human body and achieving a pressure-relieving function.

[0067] An outer contour of the foam support 20 does not extend beyond the groove 11. In this way, an overall thickness of the foam base 10 can be reduced to obtain a thin cushion.

[0068] The area of the supporting part 23 is not greater than an area of the bottom surface 22. This facilitates installation of the foam support 20 in the groove 11 and reduces squeezing of the foam base 10 during installation. Meanwhile, a gap is allowed to be formed between the plurality of foam supports 20 and the foam base 10, which is conducive to release of forces from the foam supports 20.

[0069] The foam base 10 is provided with a plurality of grooves 11, which extend through the foam base 10 along the first direction, and have the same width along the second direction. In each groove 11, the multiple foam supports 20 are arranged in a row and in contact with each other in sequence.

[0070] In another embodiment, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, at least two types of foam supports 20 are included within each of the second region 102 and the third region 103. Specifically, one type of foam supports 20 are embedded in three grooves 11 of each of the second region 102 and the third region 103 that are far away from the first region 101. Another type of foam supports 20 are embedded in one groove 11 of each of the second region 102 and the third region 103 that is close to the first region 101, and in the groove 11 of the first region 101, and another type of foam support 20 has a shape as shown in FIG. 9A.

[0071] A bottom surface 22 of the other type of foam support 20 is in contact with the groove 11, and another supporting surface 21 of the other type of foam support 20 forms a supporting part 23 that is flush with the upper surface of the foam base 10. The supporting surface 21 is a planar surface, and an area of the supporting part 23 is equal to an area of the supporting surface 21.

[0072] Each of the second region 102 and the third region 103 can also be provided with three or four or more types of foam supports according to different application scenarios and target populations.

[0073] The three grooves 11 of each of the second region 102 and the third region 103 that are far away from the first region 101 have the same first depth. The one groove 11 of each of the second region 102 and the third region 103 that is close to the first region 101, and the groove 11 of the first region 101 have the same second depth, where the first depth is greater than the second depth.

[0074] In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 6, the grooves 11 extend through the foam base 10 along the first direction and form five pressure-relieving zones 100. Each of the pressure-relieving zones 100 at two ends of the foam base 10 along the first direction has four identical grooves 11 provided therein, and three pressure-relieving zones 100 in the middle of the foam base 10 each have one groove 11 provided therein, where the grooves 11 in the five pressure-relieving zones 100 have the same depth. In this way, the head, neck, back, waist, buttocks, and legs of the human body can be supported.

[0075] One type of the same foam supports 20 are provided in the pressure-relieving zones 100 at two ends of the foam base 10 along the first direction, and another type of the same foam supports 20 are provided in the three pressure-relieving zones 100 in the middle of the foam base 10.

[0076] In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 7, the groove 11 extends along the first direction in the foam base 10, with foam encased 12 provided at both ends thereof. The foam encased 12 is flush with side edges of the foam base 10. An advantage of this embodiment is that since the width of the groove 11 is large in the second direction, the foam encased 12 can be designed to block the foam supports 20 in the groove 11, preventing the foam supports 20 from being squeezed out of the foam base 10.

[0077] In another embodiment, a thickness of the foam base 10 is equal to the depth of each groove 11, and the depth of the groove 11 is equal to a height of the foam support 20 located in the groove 11. That is, the foam base 10 is divided into multiple block-like parts. The upper and lower surfaces of the foam support 20 are respectively abutted against other layers to which the foam base 10 is attached.

[0078] FIGS. 9A to 9K further illustrate some feasible embodiments of the foam support. For example, FIG. 9B illustrates a foam support provided, on an upper portion thereof, with a plurality of protrusions 25, which are uniformly distributed on a supporting surface 21. FIG. 9C illustrates a foam support provided, in an upper portion thereof, with a plurality of slots 24, which are uniformly distributed on a supporting surface 21.

[0079] FIGS. 10A to 10H further illustrate some feasible embodiments of the foam base 10. The foam base 10 has grooves 11 extending along the first direction. The grooves 11 are provided on the upper surface, lower surface, or both the upper and lower surfaces of the foam base 10, and sizes of the grooves 11 are the same or change in a stepped manner, etc., to meet different pressure requirements.

[0080] The above embodiments can be applied to the foam base 10 alone, or in selective combination, which is not particularly limited herein.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 8, the present application further discloses a multi-layer cushion. The multi-layer cushion includes an upper-layer foam 30, a lower-layer foam 40, and a pressure-relieving layer which is located between the upper-layer foam 30 and the lower-layer foam 40. The upper-layer foam 30, the pressure-relieving layer, and the lower-layer foam 40 can be fixed to each other by adhesion.

[0082] The multi-layer cushion further includes a spring layer 60 and a supporting layer 50. The supporting layer 50 and the spring layer 60 are arranged in sequence from top to bottom between the pressure-relieving layer and the lower-layer foam 40. In this way, different levels of support forces can be provided by adjusting an elastic coefficient of springs in the spring layer 60. In addition, large gaps between the springs are conducive to air circulation, keeping the multi-layer cushion dry and breathable.

[0083] The upper-layer foam 30 is made of memory foam. In this way, the multi-layer cushion can gradually adjust its shape according to a user's body weight and temperature, to distribute the body weight evenly over an entire surface. This characteristic can effectively reduce pressure points and reduce pressure on various parts of the body. In addition, the multi-layer cushion of memory foam can be personalized to adapt to different body types and sleeping positions, providing comfortable support and helping users enjoy deeper and higher-quality sleep.

[0084] The lower-layer foam 40 is made of regular foam. In an example, the regular foam may be an injection-molded foam. However, the lower-layer foam 40 and other layers in the multi-layer cushion can also be made of memory foam. However, other layers can also be made of foam layers, fiber layers, gel layers, and waterproof layers, etc. Different layers described above can be combined according to application scenarios, so as to optimize the comfort and durability of the multi-layer cushion.

[0085] The present application further discloses a method of manufacturing a pressure-relieving layer. The pressure-relieving layer manufactured by this method has grooves 11 extending along the first direction in the integrally formed foam base 10, and each groove 11 is embedded with multiple foam supports 20. When a human body exerts forces on the foam base 10, the foam supports 20 provide support while dispersing the forces exerted by the human body to the surroundings, thereby reducing reaction forces acting on the human body and achieving a pressure-relieving function.

[0086] For example, in the case of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the method of manufacturing the pressure-relieving layer includes: providing a foam base 10, and processing a plurality of parallel grooves 11 in the foam base 10, where the plurality of parallel grooves 11 extend along a first direction and are open at an upper surface of the foam base 10; providing a plurality of foam supports 20, each of which is processed by one of wire cutting, turning, milling, grinding, additive manufacturing, molding, and laser internal engraving; and embedding multiple of the foam supports 20 in each groove 11 to form the pressure-relieving layer. The foam base 10 and the foam supports 20 can be processed synchronously and separately, without affecting each other.

[0087] The processed foam supports 20 each have a first height, and the processed parallel grooves 11 each have a depth. The first height is less than or equal to the depth. The depth of the groove 11 ranges from 7 cm to 11 cm, and a volume of the foam support 20 ranges from 2 cm.sup.3 to 7 cm.sup.3.

[0088] In another implementation, a thickness of the foam base 10 is equal to the depth of each groove 11, and the depth of the groove 11 is equal to the height of the foam support located in the groove 11. That is, the foam base 10 is divided into multiple block-like parts. The upper and lower surfaces of the foam support are respectively abutted against other layers to which the foam base 10 is attached.

[0089] Referring to FIGS. 3, 9A, and 9D to 9F, each of the foam supports has a smooth curved surface, so it is processed by one of additive manufacturing, molding, and laser internal engraving. Referring to FIGS. 9B, 9C and 9G to 9K, most of the foam supports have a planar structure, so they can be manufactured by wire cutting, turning, milling, or grinding, and they can also be manufactured by additive manufacturing, molding, or laser internal engraving.

[0090] The foam support obtained by the above method has a height equal to the depth of the groove 11 where it is located, and the outer contour of the foam support does not extend beyond the groove 11. The groove 11 extends through the foam base 10 along the first direction, and the foam support is affixed to the groove 11 by means of adhesion. Top portions of the foam supports form a plurality of supporting parts 23 that are flush with the upper surface of the foam base 10, and the plurality of supporting parts 23 are uniformly distributed above the groove 11 and arranged at intervals.

[0091] It should be noted that the technical solutions or technical features described in the above embodiments can be combined or supplemented with each other without conflict. The scope of protection of the present application is not limited to the precise structures as described in the above embodiments and shown in the drawings. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.