When you hear the term “convoluted,” negative attributes usually come to mind. Somebody’s explanation of a technical process may have been too convoluted to understand, or a politician’s plan to save the economy may seem too convoluted to actually yield any concrete results.
Yet in the futon business, the word evokes a much different feeling. After all, Futon Planet’s most popular, best-selling, and arguably most comfortable mattress, the Venus, is constructed with a core of what is called convoluted foam. As you can see from the graphic, the convoluted foam is the blue shape that looks like a choppy cartoon ocean, or a soft bed of blue spikes, or whatever metaphor you prefer.
But why use convoluted foam, you ask? According to the experts at the Polyurethane Foam Associaton:
“The intent of creating convoluted foam is to alter the immediate surface feel of the foam, almost invariably to soften the initial touch of the cushion. This softened touch is accomplished by decreasing the initial contact area of the foam surface by using a contoured surface. The initial load bearing of the foam is only on the uppermost crowns of the contoured surface, creating a soft, cushy feel. The usefulness of convoluted foam to the furniture industry manifests itself as a wrapping material used around foam block cores in seat, back, or pillow constructions.”
Bingo. The physical design is ingenious - the steadily widening base of each convoluted foam cone ensures that you won’t sink too far into your futon, and the fact that it interlocks with, rather than lays flat upon its neighboring surface makes the mattress a more well-integrated whole.
If it seems familiar, it’s because you’ve probably seen it before. The usefulness of convoluted foam is not limited to the innards of a futon mattress - in fact, if you’ve ever received a package with “egg crate” cushioning, you’ve seen convoluted foam, and probably have appreciated how it protected your delicate gear inside.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 by aaron
Filed under: Futon News
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