Seating sofa with laminated readily reboundable cooling-effect seating cushions

A cushion having a foam core sandwiched by opposing gel infused viscoelastic pads adhesively attached to the core, the assembly wrapped in a non-woven and received in an upholstery casing, for seating use of the cushion in a furniture piece that during use for seating, the upper one of the pads wicking body heat into the seating cushion away from the person sitting thereon to provide a perception of cooling and the compressed pad readily reboundable to a noncompressed state after occupancy, and the cushion rotatable to selectively alternate the seating pad for use.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to cushioned seating furniture. More particularly, the present invention relates to seating furniture having seating cushions that readily rebound in recovery from seating occupancy impressions while providing during occupancy a positive impact on perceived thermal seating comfort.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cushioned furniture such as sofas and chairs provide persons with seating furniture while also providing rooms with ornamentation arising from the style and materials of which the furniture is manufactured. The cushions provide a resilient and comfortable place for persons to occupy such as for reading, watching television, and talking with others such as parties or social events, among other purposes. The cushions are typically covered with ornamental fabrics and may be attached to frame members of the furniture or may be separate cushions held within upholstered casings. Such separate cushions enable removal for cleaning of the frame members of the furniture, for example, for cleaning dust and articles that may accumulate in the gaps between adjacent cushions. While cushions in furniture provide comfortable seating, occupancy by persons of upholstered cushions often have drawbacks which are typically tolerated as acceptable aspects of upholstered cushioned furniture. One drawback to cushioned furniture is involves cushions or pillows formed with feathers and/or down. The feathers break-down over time and usage, and result in reduced billowing for use as cushions for furniture. These pillows and cushions require re-fluffing, such as by manual fluffing of the enclosed feathers and down to allow the feathers and down to breathe and remain light and separated during non-use of the cushion to avoid clumping and reduce break-down during use.

Another drawback is a perception by the seating occupant of increased warmth created while sitting. The perception arises in response to body heat production local to the occupied seating. Typically, a normal core temperature for a person about is 98.6° F., while skin temperature is around 92° F. Because the ambient temperature is often lower than that, a person emits body heat to the surroundings. The cushions on which a person sits thereby become warmer, and as the area of occupancy becomes warmer, the person sitting on the cushion perceives an increase is ambient sitting temperature. For example, a person watching television may leave a seat which is then occupied by second person. The second person would likely detect the increased temperature of the recently-vacated seating area (adjusted for ambient room temperature and time since vacating the occupancy as the seating area returns to ambient temperature).

Further, the vacating person may also leave a depression or valley in the resilient cushion. The depression or valley forms in response to the compression loading of the person to the cushion. Typically, cushions rebound after vacating of the loading to a recovered relaxed, non-compressed state, although the time for such rebound varies depending on a number of factors including ambient temperature, occupancy time, occupant mass, and resilience performance characteristics of the cushions. While cushions typically rebound to a normal relaxed state, the appearance of such valleys is detracting and notwithstanding the responsive rebound, may over time and use, lose the rebounding performance and create rather a permanent valley which detracts from the ornamental appearance and useful life of the cushioned furniture.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for seating furniture having upholstered seating cushions that readily rebounds from seating occupancy impressions while providing during occupancy a positive impact on perceived thermal comfort by reducing increases in local ambient temperature arising from body heat production. It is to such that the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets the need in the art by providing a cushion for seating furniture pieces, comprising a pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads, each gel infused viscoelastic pad having a length, a width, and a thickness and defining a sitting side and an opposing adherence side. The gel infused viscoelastic pads sandwich a core foam pad having a core length, a core width, and a core thickness and defining opposing first and second core adherence sides. Each of the pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads laminate on the adherence side to a respective one of the opposing first and second core adherence sides to define an adherence boundary therebetween, whereby the core foam pad is disposed between the pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads. A covering sheet overlies the adherence boundary on a side face of the laminated core foam pad and gel infused viscoelastic pads. An upholstered casing receives and encloses the laminated core foam pad and gel infused viscoelastic pads as a seating cushion. The laminated gel infused viscoelastic pads have a first state and a second state, the second state defining a recessed valley in the sitting side of an uppermost one of the pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads by compressive loading of a person sitting thereon during use of the seating cushion by an occupant for sitting on a piece of furniture while the first state is relaxed therefrom to a substantially planar surface. The uppermost one of the gel infused viscoelastic pads of the seating cushion being occupied by the person for sitting on the piece of furniture, wicks body heat from the person inwardly of the seating cushion to reduce perceived changes in a seating temperature and defines the valley while readily rebounding to the first state relaxed from the second state upon egress from sitting by the occupant person.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a furniture piece with at least one seating cushion comprising a frame having a front and rear rail joined at opposing ends to opposing arm structures, each arm structure having front and back arm posts and an arm top, and a pair of legs extending downwardly to support the frame on a floor surface. A great rail extends between the opposing back posts and a seating foundation attaches to the frame. The seating foundation receives at least one seating cushion for occupancy by a person using the furniture piece for furniture piece purposes. The seating cushion comprises a pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads, each pad having a length, a width, and a thickness and defining a sitting side and an opposing adherence side, and a core foam pad having a core length, a core width, and a core thickness and defining opposing first and second core adherence sides. Each of the pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads laminate on the adherence side to a respective one of the opposing first and second core adherence sides to define an adherence boundary therebetween, whereby the core foam pad is sandwiched between the pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads. A covering sheet overlies the adherence boundary on a side face of the laminated core foam pad and gel infused viscoelastic pads. An upholstered casing receives and encloses the covered laminated core and pads. The laminated gel infused viscoelastic pads have a first state and a second state, the second state having a recessed valley defined in the sitting side of an uppermost a one of the pair of gel infused pads by compressive loading of a person sitting thereon during use of the seating cushion on the furniture piece. The one of the gel infused viscoelastic pads of the seating cushion being occupied by the person on the piece of furniture, wicks body heat from the person inwardly of the seating cushion to reduce perceived changes in a seating temperature and defines the valley while readily rebounding to the first state upon egress from sitting by the person.

Advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the drawings and in conjunction with the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawings in which like parts have like identifiers,FIG. 1illustrates in perspective cut-away view a laminated cushion10in accordance with the present invention. The cushion10comprises a core12of a foam material sandwiched on opposing sides by a pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads14. The core12has a length, width and thickness and defines first and second core adherence sides16,18. Each pad14also has a length, a width, and a thickness and defines a sitting side20and an opposing adherence side22. Each pad14laminates on its adherence side22to a respective one of the opposing first and second core adherence sides16,18. This defines an adherence boundary34between the core12and the pad14, whereby the core is sandwiched between the pair of gel infused viscoelastic pads14. A covering sheet30overlies at least the adherence boundary34on respective side faces of the cushion10. In an alternate embodiment, the covering sheet30envelopes and covers the laminated pads and core. An upholstered casing38receives, and encloses, the covered laminated core12and pads14. The casing38may be made of synthetic materials, leather, or woven fabrics. The casing38may include an opening selectively closable by a closing device such as a zipper, but may also be seamed closed and thereby restricting readily removing the covered laminated core12and pads14.

In the illustrated embodiment, the covering sheet30is a nonwoven fabric. Prior to wrapping, the outside surfaces of the laminated core12and pads14are lightly sprayed with an adhesive. The covering30wraps around the laminated core12and pads14and secures thereto with the adhesive.

The pads14are a dense foam material that is infused with a thermogel material40. The thermogel material readily wicks heat that otherwise would not communicate into or through the foam material that has an insulative effect. G FLEX gel infused pads are available from Flexible Foam Products, Inc., of Spencerville, Ohio 45887. The core12is a high density foam, a synthetic material, a rubber latex, polyurethane, or other resilient cushioning foam. The core12is preferably a high density polyurethane form. The core may have density in the range of about 1.5-2.5 pounds per cubic foot. HIGH COMFORT high resiliency polyurethane foam used in the illustrated embodiment is available from Flexible Foam Products, Inc., of Spencerville, Ohio 45887. In the illustrated embodiment, the core12has core length of 20 inches, a core width of 20 inches, and a core thickness of 5 inches. The pads12have respective pad length and width of 20 inches and a pad thickness of 2½ inches. It is to be appreciated that the length, width, and thickness may be changed to accommodate a particular furniture piece.

FIG. 2illustrates a furniture piece50that uses the upholstered cushion10. The illustrated furniture piece50is configured as a sofa, but seating furniture are similarly constructed. The furniture piece50includes a frame52with opposing front and back longitudinal rails54,56joined at opposing ends by arm structures58having front and back arm posts60,62and an arm top64. Legs66extend downwardly to support the frame52from a floor surface. A great rail68extends longitudinally between the opposing back posts62with spaced back uprights70extending between the back rail56and the great rail64. The opposing front and back rails support a seating foundation72, such as conventional jute webbing and spring members. Similarly, the back supports a jute and spring foundation between the back rail and the great rail. Padding and liners generally74conventional in the trade, such as cotton batting and burlap sheeting, attach to the foundations and the arm structures. The back cushions are made and covered with the selected ornamental fabric, and may be joined together side-by-side before attaching to the back. The seat cushions10are prepared with the selected fabric for the ornamental casing. The illustrated embodiment is sized for three seat cushions10.

FIG. 3illustrates in side schematic view a person occupying the seating provided by the cushion10supported on the foundation of the furniture piece50. The laminated pads14have a first state and a second state. In the first state, the surface of the upholstered cushion is substantially planar (as shown inFIG. 4) without seating recesses caused by an occupant/sitter loading the cushion. In the second state as shown inFIG. 3, the cushion10has one or more recessed valleys76defined in the upper seating one of the pair of gel infused pads14. The valley76forms in response to the compressive loading of a person sitting on the cushion10during use of the furniture piece50for seating.

By sitting on the seating cushion10, the person loads the seating cushion and the seating cushion10compresses to define the recess76in the seating surface. The gel infusion40in the upper pad14on which the person sits wicks body heat from the occupant through the upholstery38and into and through the gel infused pad, as indicated by the arrows78. The thermo-communicative gel therein effects a reduction in sitting temperature perceived by the occupant, and thereby produces a thermophysical sense of cooled seating as the seating surface of the cushion10tends to remain at about ambient temperature rather than increasing locally in response to body heat of the sitting occupant.

FIG. 4illustrates in side schematic view the cushion10after departure of the occupant, in which the gel infused pad14rebounds from the second state to the first state relaxed to a substantially planar surface79, for readily returning the furniture piece50to a perceived unused status. The gel infused viscoelastic pad14, being occupied by a person on a piece of furniture, wicks body heat from the person inwardly of the seating cushion to reduce perceived changes in seating temperature and defines the valley while readily rebounding to the relaxed first state upon egress from sitting by the occupant person.

The gel infused pads14laminated on opposing sides of the cushion core14make the cushion10reversible so that a consumer may readily flip the cushion. The seating cushion10accordingly readily rotates to dispose the second one of the pads14uppermost for seating and thereby distribute the wear from compressive loading on the pads14and core12, as well as even the wear on the outer fabric38.

The present invention accordingly provides the seating cushion usable in a furniture piece for cushioned seating of the occupant while effecting a perception of cooling seating as body heat wicks into the laminated seating cushion and readily rebounds from a compressed state to a relaxed planar state for ornamental effect for further seating use. The principles, preferred embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing specification with regard to an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment. The invention accordingly is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed as these are regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Moreover, variations and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the following claims.