Gelatinous composite article and construction

Details Gelatinous composite article and construction Gelatinous composite article and construction

1999-02-25

2002-09-10

Juska, Cheryl A. (Department: 1771)

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Two dimensionally sectional layer

Sections connected flexibly with external fastener

C428S058000, C428S061000, C005S613000, C005S620000, C005S909000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06447865

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention joins at least two gelatinous composite articles together.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The gelatinous elastomer material used in the present invention is fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,369,284, 4,618,213, 5,262,468, 5,336,708, and 5,508,334, (the inventor in each patent is Chen) which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. These patents disclose the various embodiments of the gelatinous elastomer material. This gel material has many attributes that are sufficiently set forth in the cited patents. However, the gel material has some problems. One such problem occurs when a parallel force is applied to the gel material. The parallel force pushes the gel material so it slides and gathers as a compressed state.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,708, Chen discloses a gelatinous elastomer composite article. These articles, as disclosed by Chen, “include: GMG, MGM, MG
1
G
2
M, M
1
M
2
G
1
G
2
, M
2
M
1
G
1
G
2
, G
1
MG
1
G
2
, MG
1
G
2
,G
1
G
2
M, G
2
G
1
M, GM
1
M
2
G, G
1
M
1
G
2
M
2
M
1
, M
1
GM
2
GM
3
GM
4
, (sic) ect, where G=gel and M=material. The subscript 1, 2, 3, and 4 are different and are represented by n which is a positive number. The material (M) suitable for forming composite articles with the gelatinous elastomer compositions can include foam, plastic fabric, metal, concrete, wood, wire screen, refractory material, glass, synthetic resin, synthetic fibers, and the like. Sandwiches of gel/material . . . are ideal for use as shock absorbers, acoustical isolators, vibration dampers, vibration isolators and wrappers. For example the vibration isolators can be (sic) use under research microscopes, office equipment, tables, and the like to remove background vibrations.” U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,708, col. 3, lines 35-51. Chen further discloses, “generally the molten gelatinous elastomer composition will adhere sufficiently to certain plastics (e.g., acrylic, ethylene copolymers, nylon, polybutylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene copolymers, and the like) provided the temperature of the molten gelatinous elastomer composition is (sic) sufficient high to fuse or nearly fuse with the plastic. In order to obtain sufficient adhesion to glass, ceramics, or certain metals, sufficient temperature is also required (e.g., above 250° F. [121° C.]).” U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,708, col. 9, lines 8-18 (emphasis added and brackets added for consistency of temperature comparison).
Chen provides antecedent basis for the phrase “the molten gelatinous elastomer composition” by defining it as follows: “the gelatinous elastomer composition of the present invention are prepared by blending together the components including other additives as desired at about 23° C. (73.4° F.) to about 100° C. (212° F.) forming a paste like mixture and further heating said mixture uniformly to about 150° C. (302° F.) to about 200° C. (392° F.) until a homogeneous molten blend is obtained.” U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,708, col. 6, lines 52-58 (parenthesis added for consistency of temperature comparison). As such, the term “molten” has the standard definition of “1 a obs: formed in a mold: cast b: fused or liquefied by heat: melted.” Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged 1456 (1966). In other words, the process to fabricate the gelatinous elastomer composite article requires the gelatinous elastomer material be in a melted state and formed upon the material (M). The resulting product, as illustrated in FIGS. 2
a
-2
c
of U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,708, is the gelatinous elastomer material, G, lying on or within the material, M. In no instance does the gelatinous elastomer material of Chen penetrate through a first material, M
1
, to contact a second material, M
2
, underlying the first material (M). Likewise Chen fails to disclose an underlying second material, M
2
, that penetrates through a first material, M
1
, to contact a gelatinous elastomer material.
In some instances, two gelatinous articles must be joined together. Prior to this invention, articles,
102
a
and
102
b,
were merely attached along a respective side
104
a,
104
b
of each article
102
a,
102
b.
In many instances, the articles are attached with a common adhesive
106
to form an elongated article
108
, as shown in
FIG. 4
(prior art).
As shown in
FIG. 5
, when a person
110
lies on the elongated article
108
, the article
108
is excessively rigid along the sides
104
a
,
104
b
. It is well known that the sides
104
a
,
104
b
are not structurally equivalent to the remainder of the article
108
. As such, the elongated article
108
is uncomfortable to the person
110
.
A problem to solve is to fabricate an elongated gelatinous article that provides equivalent structural properties when a person lies on the article. The present invention solves this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gelatinous composite article. The article has a first and a second heat formable and heat reversible gelatinous elastomer material, a first permeable layer, and a control gap. Each of the gelatinous materials is a three-dimensional shape having an upper side, a base side and at least one connecting side. The first connecting side and the second connecting side are adjacent to each other so the first and second materials are essentially side-by-side within the same horizontal plane. The first permeable layer has a top side and a bottom side. The top side attaches to the first and second connecting sides. The control gap is interspaced between the bottom side of the first permeable layer. This gap degrades the rigidity between each connecting side and provides an equivalent structural property throughout the article.


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