Cushioning device

Abstract

A cushioning device comprising a sticky surface, the device comprising a gel material bound to a thermoplastic film material having a polarity compatible with the gel material, wherein the thermoplastic film material further comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive located on a surface of the film material opposite to the surface that is bonded to the gel material.

1 . A cushioning device comprising a layer of polyurethane gel material comprising top and bottom surfaces, at least one layer of thermoplastic polyurethane film material bonded to the one or both of said top and bottom surfaces thereof, and a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive bonded to one of said at least one thermoplastic polyurethane film material, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is located on a surface of the thermoplastic polyurethane film opposite to the surface contacting said bottom surface of said polyurethane gel material. 
     
     
         2 . The cushioning device of  claim 1  wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises acrylic adhesives, methacrylate adhesives, rubber-based adhesives, 
     
     
         3 . The cushioning device of  claim 1  wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is an adhesive based on styrene copolymers or silicones and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The cushioning device of  claim 3 , wherein the styrene copolymers comprise styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymers with at least one tackifier, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The cushioning device of  claim 2 , wherein the acrylic adhesive comprises ethylene ethyl acrylate (EEA), ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA) copolymers, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive has a thickness of between about 0.0125 mm and about 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane gel material has a Shore 00 hardness of between about 10 and about 80 
     
     
         8 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane gel material has a Shore 00 hardness of between about 30 and about 60. 
     
     
         9 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane gel material has a Shore 00 hardness of Shore 00 hardness of about 50. 
     
     
         10 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane gel material has a thickness of between 0.3 and 3 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane film material has a Shore A hardness of between about 40 to about 95. 
     
     
         12 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane film material has a thickness of between 0.025 mm and 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein a layer of thermoplastic polyurethane film material is bonded to both of said top and bottom surfaces of polyurethane gel materials. 
     
     
         14 . The cushioning device of  claim 13 , wherein the individual layers of thermoplastic polyurethane film have the same thickness. 
     
     
         15 . The cushioning device of  claim 13 , wherein the individual layers of thermoplastic polyurethane film have different thicknesses. 
     
     
         16 . The cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one layer of the thermoplastic polyurethane film has a thickness of at least 0.025 mm. 
     
     
         17 . A gel cushioning device comprising a sticky surface, the device comprising a gel material bound to a thermoplastic film material having good compatibility with the gel material, wherein the thermoplastic film material further comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive located on a surface of the film material opposite to the surface that is bonded to the gel material. 
     
     
         18 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the gel material is a polyurethane gel material. 
     
     
         19 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic film material is a polyurethane material. 
     
     
         20 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the gel material is SEBS gel material. 
     
     
         21 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic film material is SEBS material. 
     
     
         22 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises acrylic adhesives, methacrylate adhesives, rubber-based adhesives, 
     
     
         23 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is an adhesive based on styrene copolymers or silicones and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The cushioning device of  claim 23 , wherein the styrene copolymers comprise styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymers with at least one tackifier, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The cushioning device of  claim 23 , wherein the acrylic adhesive comprises ethylene ethyl acrylate (EEA), ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA) copolymers, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive has a thickness of between about 0.0125 mm and about 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         27 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the gel material has a Shore 00 hardness of between about 10 and about 80 
     
     
         28 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the material has a Shore 00 hardness of between about 30 and about 60. 
     
     
         29 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the material has a Shore 00 hardness of Shore 00 hardness of about 50. 
     
     
         30 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the gel material has a thickness of between 0.3 and 3 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic film material has a Shore A hardness of between about 40 to about 95. 
     
     
         32 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic film material has a thickness of between 0.025 mm and 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         33 . The cushioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic film material has a thickness of at least 0.025 mm. 
     
     
         34 . A gel cushioning device comprising a sticky surface, the device comprising a layer of gel material having an upper and lower surface and two layers of thermoplastic film material, each film material comprising upper and lower surfaces, wherein the upper surface of the gel material is bonded with the lower surface of one of said layers of film material and the lower surface of the gel material is bonded with the upper surface of the other of said layers of film material, wherein at least one of the layers of film material comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive on a surface opposite the surface bonded to the gel material thereby providing the sticky surface of the device. 
     
     
         35 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the gel material is a polyurethane gel material. 
     
     
         36 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the thermoplastic film material is a polyurethane material. 
     
     
         37 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the gel material is SEBS gel material. 
     
     
         38 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the thermoplastic film material is SEBS material. 
     
     
         39 . The cushioning device of  claim 34  wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises acrylic adhesives, methacrylate adhesives, rubber-based adhesives, 
     
     
         40 . The cushioning device of  claim 34  wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is an adhesive based on styrene copolymers or silicones and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The cushioning device of  claim 40 , wherein the styrene copolymers comprise styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (US) copolymers with at least one tackifier, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The cushioning device of  claim 40 , wherein the acrylic adhesive comprises ethylene ethyl acrylate (EEA), ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA) copolymers, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         43 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive has a thickness of between about 0.0125 mm and about 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         44 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the gel material has a Shore 00 hardness of between about 10 and about 80 
     
     
         45 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the gel material has a Shore 00 it hardness of between about 30 and about 60. 
     
     
         46 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the gel material has a Shore 00 hardness of Shore 00 hardness of about 50. 
     
     
         47 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the gel material has a thickness of between 0.3 and 3 mm. 
     
     
         48 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the thermoplastic film material has a Shore A hardness of between about 40 to about 95. 
     
     
         49 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein the thermoplastic film material has a thickness of between 0.025 mm and 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         50 . The cushioning device of  claim 34 , wherein said thermoplastic film material has a thickness of at least 0.025 mm. 
     
     
         51 . A method of constructing a gel cushioning device comprising a sticky surface, which comprises loading gel material into a mold cavity comprising at least one layer of thermoplastic film material, said at least one layer of thermoplastic film material comprising upper and lower surfaces, and curing the gel material to form a solid gel, such that the cured gel material is bonded with the film material and wherein said at least one of the layer of thermoplastic film material comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive on a surface opposite the surface bonded to the gel material thereby providing the sticky surface of the device. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the mold cavity comprises two layers of thermoplastic film material such that when cured the gel material is bonded with the lower surface of one of said layers of film material and the upper surface of the other of said layers of film material. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said loading comprises injecting gel material into a mold cavity comprising said thermoplastic film material, at least one of said thermoplastic film materials comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive on a surface opposite the surface contacting the injected gel material. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said mold cavity further comprises a release liner material positioned between said pressure sensitive adhesive and said mold form. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said mold form further comprises a surface treatment that resists bonding of the pressure sensitive adhesive to the mold form. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the gel material is a polyurethane gel material. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the gel material is SEBS gel material. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising the steps of removing the cured gel material from the mold cavity and die cutting the material to a desired shape.