Expanded ptfe cushions

Abstract

An apparatus can include a cushion including an expanded PTFE layer and a frame that can include two lateral portions and a bridging portion therebetween. The lateral portions and the bridging portion can define a concave surface that is coupled to the cushion to support and provide a concave contour to the cushion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a cushion including an expanded PTFE layer; and   a frame including two lateral portions and a bridging portion therebetween, wherein the lateral portions and the bridging portion define a concave surface that is coupled to the cushion to support and provide a concave contour to the cushion.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded PTFE layer has an average pore size from 0.1 micron to 0.5 micron. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded PTFE layer has a level of porosity ranging from 1% to 99% and includes from 1 million to 15 billion pores per square inch. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded PTFE layer includes an oleophobic treatment, a hydrophobic treatment, or both an oleophobic treatment and hydrophobic treatment applied thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the concave contour provided by the frame includes a concave lip inversely shaped to support the cushion for positioning against a convex feature. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the frame is perforated. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a metal or a metal alloy selected from the group consisting of steel, titanium, lithium, aluminum, magnesium, nickel, copper, manganese, tungsten, gold, silver, zinc, platinum, molybdenum, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blend, polyglycolide, polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate, polyethylene adipate, polybutylene succinate, poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyamide, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer is the polyamide and has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 70,000 Mw to 300,000 Mw. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is an extended reality apparatus selected from the group consisting of a virtual reality goggle, a virtual reality helmet, an augmented reality goggle, an augmented reality helmet, a mixed reality goggle, a mixed reality helmet, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cushion includes an additional layer of a different material coupled to the expanded PTFE layer. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a cushion including an expanded PTFE layer coupled to a fabric substrate;   a frame including two lateral portions and a bridging portion therebetween, wherein the lateral portions and the bridging portion define a concave surface that is coupled to the cushion to support and provide a concave contour to the cushion; and   an extended reality display integrated with the frame.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the fabric substrate comprises a woven or fibrous layer including fibers selected from the group consisting of ceramic fibers, metal fibers, metal alloy fibers, metal oxide fibers, semi-metal oxide fibers, silicate fibers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, boron fibers, nitride fibers, polymer fibers, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising
 a cushion including an expanded PTFE layer coupled to a fabric substrate; and   a frame including two lateral portions and a bridging portion therebetween, wherein the lateral portions and the bridging portion define a concave surface that is coupled to the cushion to support and provide a concave contour to the cushion, wherein the frame includes an extended reality display receiving portion to receive and secure a separate extended reality display.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the fabric substrate comprises a woven or fibrous layer including fibers selected from the group consisting of ceramic fibers, metal fibers, metal alloy fibers, metal oxide fibers, semi-metal oxide fibers, silicate fibers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, boron fibers, nitride fibers, polymer fibers, and a combination thereof.