US 12,435,768 B2
Elastomeric cushion members including perforated skins and related methods
Russell B. Whatcott, Eagle Mountain, UT (US)
Assigned to Purple Innovation, LLC, Lehi, UT (US)
Filed by Purple Innovation, LLC, Alpine, UT (US)
Filed on Mar. 7, 2016, as Appl. No. 15/062,847.
Prior Publication US 2017/0254379 A1, Sep. 7, 2017
Int. Cl. A47C 27/00 (2006.01); A47C 27/08 (2006.01); F16F 3/087 (2006.01); F16F 13/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16F 3/0873 (2013.01) [A47C 27/00 (2013.01); A47C 27/085 (2013.01); F16F 13/06 (2013.01); F16F 2226/04 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An elastomeric cushion member, comprising:
a plurality of interconnected buckling walls comprising an elastomeric material, the elastomeric material comprising an elastomeric polymer and being resiliently compressible, the interconnected buckling walls together defining a plurality of columns of substantially equal length laterally enclosing spaces extending substantially through a thickness of the elastomeric cushion member, each column of the plurality of columns extending from a first open end to a second open end; and
a first membrane and a second membrane, each of the first and second membranes comprising the elastomeric material formed integrally with the plurality of interconnected buckling walls and extending across the spaces defined by at least some columns of the plurality of columns, transversely to lengths of the at least some columns, and only partially covering a space defined by at least one column of the at least some columns, without extending across other columns of the plurality of columns, wherein one of the first or second membranes defines at least two airflow passages in at least one space of the spaces to establish fluid communication between the at least one space of the spaces and an exterior of the elastomeric cushion member and the other of the one of the first or second membranes comprises an airflow passage laterally offset from the at least two airflow passages, and
wherein at least one of the first or second membranes is located at intermediate locations along the lengths of the at least some columns of the plurality of columns between the first open ends and the second open ends of the at least some columns of the plurality of columns.