Patent Application
20180168355
The field of the present disclosure generally relates to sofa seat cushions. More particularly, the field of the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for a durable sofa seat cushion which conforms to a person's body and maintains an original shape and performance more effectively than conventional sofa seat cushions.
A couch or sofa is a piece of furniture in the form of a bench, with or without armrests, suitable for seating two or more people. Sofas typically are upholstered and fitted with tailored seat cushions. Sofa seat cushions generally comprise a core which includes one or more “support layers” and upholstery comprising one or more “comfort layers.” A conventional sofa seat cushion core typically comprises upholstery-grade polyurethane foam wrapped in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), known by the brand name “Dacron,” all of which covered in decorative upholstery. The Dacron provides friction to maintain the visual appearance of the cushion.
A drawback to conventional sofa seat cushions, however, is a limited capacity for conforming to a person's body, and thus limited comfort. Another drawback to conventional sofa seat cushions is they have a limited durability, and thus conventional seat cushions tend to quickly lose their original shape. What is needed, therefore, is a sofa seat cushion which conforms to a person's body and maintains an original shape and performance more effectively than conventional sofa seat cushions.
An apparatus and a method are provided for a sofa seat cushion comprising a cushion core including a multiplicity of pocketed springs enclosed within an upholstery foam envelope. The pocketed springs are positioned side by side in a spring layer arrangement and are independently operable. At least one memory foam layer positioned above the upholstery foam envelope comprises a material composition capable of molding to a person's body sitting on the sofa seat cushion and then quickly returning to an original shape once the person leaves the sofa seat cushion. In some embodiments, the memory foam layer comprises a gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam. A polyethylene terephthalate layer may be positioned above the memory foam layer. Directly below the upholstery foam envelope is an upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer. At least one polyethylene terephthalate layer may be positioned directly below the upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer. In some embodiments, one or more memory foam layers may be positioned between the upholstery foam envelope and the upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer. An exterior upholstery is configured to surround the cushion core and provide a plush seating surface.
In an exemplary embodiment, a sofa seat cushion comprises a cushion core including a multiplicity of pocketed springs enclosed within an upholstery foam envelope, at least one memory foam layer positioned above the upholstery foam envelope, at least one polyethylene terephthalate (“Dacron”) layer positioned above the at least one memory foam layer, an upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer directly below the upholstery foam envelope, and at least one Dacron layer directly below the upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer; and an exterior upholstery surrounding the cushion core.
In another exemplary embodiment, the multiplicity of pocketed springs are positioned side by side in a spring layer arrangement, the pocketed springs being independently operable. In another exemplary embodiment, each of the pocketed springs comprises a coil spring covered with a flexible wrap. In another exemplary embodiment, the flexible wrap comprises a fabric or textile material. In another exemplary embodiment, the coil springs are comprised of steel.
In another exemplary embodiment, the upholstery foam envelope comprises a bottom upholstery foam layer, a top upholstery foam layer, and a side upholstery foam layer. In another exemplary embodiment, the bottom upholstery foam layer is positioned directly beneath the multiplicity of pocketed springs, and wherein the top upholstery foam layer is directly above the pocketed springs. In another exemplary embodiment, the side upholstery foam layer borders a perimeter of the multiplicity of pocketed springs, the bottom upholstery foam layer, and the top upholstery foam layer. In another exemplary embodiment, the side upholstery foam layer comprises a single foam piece configured to extend around the perimeter of the multiplicity of pocketed springs. In another exemplary embodiment, the side upholstery foam layer comprises two or more foam pieces that are positioned end to end so as to border the perimeter of the multiplicity of pocketed springs.
In another exemplary embodiment, the memory foam layer comprises a material composition configured to contour a person's body in response to heat and pressure due to the person sitting on the sofa seat cushion, the memory foam layer being configured to quickly return to an original shape once the pressure and heat are removed from the sofa seat cushion. In another exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of the memory foam layer is comprised of a visco-elastic memory foam. In another exemplary embodiment, the at least a portion of the memory foam layer is comprised of a gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam.
In an exemplary embodiment, a method for a sofa seat cushion comprises arranging a multiplicity of pocketed springs into a spring layer arrangement; enclosing the spring layer within an upholstery envelope; positioning at least one memory foam layer above the upholstery envelope; extending at least one friction barrier between the at least one memory foam layer and an exterior upholstery; placing an upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer directly below the upholstery foam envelope; and extending at least one friction barrier between the upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer and the exterior upholstery.
In another exemplary embodiment, positioning comprises configuring a material composition of the memory foam layer capable of molding to a person's body in response to heat and pressure due to the person sitting on the sofa seat cushion, the material composition of the memory foam layer being configured to quickly return to an original shape once the pressure and heat are removed from the sofa seat cushion. In another exemplary embodiment, configuring comprises forming at least a portion of the memory foam layer of a visco-elastic memory foam. In another exemplary embodiment, configuring comprises forming at least a portion of the memory foam layer of a gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam. In another exemplary embodiment, extending at least one friction barrier comprises configuring at least one polyethylene terephthalate (“Dacron”) layer to discourage migration of the exterior upholstery. In another exemplary embodiment, placing the upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer further comprises positioning at least one memory foam layer between the upholstery foam envelope and the upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer.
The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure in which:
While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The invention should be understood to not be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, specific numeric references such as “first cushion,” may be made. However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the “first cushion” is different than a “second cushion.” Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term “coupled” is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or indirectly to the component through another component. Further, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein.
In general, the present disclosure describes an apparatus and a method for a sofa seat cushion comprising a cushion core surrounded by an exterior upholstery. The cushion core comprises a multiplicity of pocketed springs enclosed within an upholstery foam envelope. The pocketed springs are positioned side by side in a spring layer arrangement, such that the pocketed springs are independently operable. At least one memory foam layer is positioned above the upholstery foam envelope. The memory foam layer comprises a material composition capable of molding to a person's body in response to heat and pressure due to the person sitting on the sofa seat cushion and then quickly returning to an original shape once the pressure and heat are removed from the sofa seat cushion. In some embodiments, the memory foam layer comprises a gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam. At least one polyethylene terephthalate (“Dacron”) layer may be positioned above the memory foam layer. Directly below the upholstery foam envelope may be one or more upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layers. At least one Dacron layer may be positioned directly below the upholstery-grade polyurethane foam layer. The Dacron layers are configured to provide a plush surface so as to enhance the tailoring of the upholstery surrounding the cushion core.
In the illustrated embodiment of
It should be understood that the multiplicity of pocketed springs 116 enclosed within the upholstery foam layers 128, 132, 136 operate to provide support and durability to the sofa seat cushion 104. Each of the coil springs 120 is individually enclosed within the flexible wrap 124, thereby allowing the pocketed spring 116 to operate independently of the other pocketed springs within the cushion core 108. As such, when a person sits on the sofa cushion seat 104, the pocketed springs 116 operate similarly to a plurality of automobile shock absorbers, compressing to various degrees so as to contour the person's body and comfortably support the person's weight. It will be appreciated that incorporating the coil springs 120 into the cushion core 108 provides a greater degree of durability to the sofa seat cushion 104 than is possible with solely foam-based cushion cores. Further, enclosing the multiplicity of pocketed springs 116 within the upholstery foam layers 128, 132, 136 provides lateral support to the coil springs 120, as well as providing a soft cushion layer on the top and bottom of the sofa seat cushion 104. Thus, the upholstery foam layers 128, 132, 136 may generally operate to maintain the shape of the seat cushion 104.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the memory foam layer 140 may be comprised of a gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, when the person sitting on the sofa seat cushion 104 moves or changes position, the gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam will return to the original shape much more quickly than is possible with other materials. Further, the memory foam layer 140 comprising gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam conforms to the person's body better than does conventional polyurethane foam, as well as providing relatively greater body heat absorption and distribution. Thus, it should be recognized that coupling the foam-enclosed pocketed springs 116 with the memory foam layer 140 comprising gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam creates a unique, supportive, and comfortable seating surface not found in conventional sofa seat cushions.
As shown in the embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, a bottom memory foam layer may be positioned directly below the bottom upholstery layer 128. As with the memory foam layer 140, the bottom memory foam layer may be comprised of a gel-infused visco-elastic memory foam. As will be appreciated, when the person sits on the sofa seat cushion 104, in absence of the bottom memory foam layer, the person's body weight generally causes a bowing of the portion of the cushion 104 underneath the person. With the bottom memory foam layer present, however, the cushion 104 conforms to the person's body, as well as conforming to supportive structures under the cushion 104. Thus, the bottom memory foam layer operates to preserve the original shape of the cushion 104. In some embodiments, one or more layers of Dacron may be positioned directly below the bottom memory foam layer so as to enable an occasional flipping over of the seat cushion 104 so as to promote greater longevity of the cushion. It should be appreciated, therefore, that the bottom memory foam layer further contributes to a supportive, stable, and comfortable seating surface not found in conventional sofa seat cushions, as well as improving the longevity of the seat cushion.
While the invention has been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are variations of the invention, which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims, it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well. Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of, and priority to U.S. Provisional Application, entitled “Sofa Seat Cushion Core,” filed on Feb. 13, 2015 having application Ser. No. 62/116,028, the entirety of said application is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62116028 | Feb 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15017182 | Feb 2016 | US |
| Child | 15897616 | US |
