Temper Foam

More than a decade ago, in a program designed toimprove crash protection for airplane passengers, AmesResearch Center developed a foam material with unusualproperties. Used for padding aircraft seats, thematerialmnow known as Temper Foam_----not onlyprovides better impact protection but also enhancespassenger comfort on long flights because it distributesbody weight and pressure evenly over the entire contactarea. Called a"memory foam," it flows to match thecontour of the body pressing against it and returns to itsoriginal shape once the pressure is removed. As a shockabsorber, a three-inch foam pad can absorb the impact ofa I 0-foot fall by an adult.

Temper Foam has become one of the most widelyused spinoffs from NASA technology. Examples of itsmany applications include seat cushioning fortransportation vehicles, padding for furniture, and a

variety of athletic equipment such as body pads andchest protectors. Medical applications includewheelchair padding, artificial limb socket lining, fingersplint and hand padding for burn patients, specialmattresses for the bedridden, and dental stools.

Production and sales fights are owned by Temper Foam,Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio and Boston, Massachusetts. Thematerial is manufactured under license by the Dewey and

Almy Division of Grace Chemical Corporation,Woodbury, New Jersey. The distributors--Kees GoebelMedical Specialties, Inc., Cincinnati, and Alimed, Inc.,Bostonmsell Temper Foam in bulk form to fabricators,who trim it to shapes required by their customers.

One such fabricator is Expanded Rubber and Plastics

Corporation, Gardena, California, which suppliesproducts for some new applications illustrated by theaccompanying photos.

Below left is the cockpit of the Wing Derringer, a

two-place twin-engine lightplane produced by WingAircraft Company, Torrance, California. Its seats are

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constructed of molded fiber glass and padded withTemper Foam to reduce pilot and passenger fatigue onlong flights.

At left is a product known as Accu-Back, ®manufactured by Accu-Back, Inc., Gardena, California.Accu-Back is an orthopedic seat for those who spendlong periods in wheelchairs, office chairs, auto or truckseats. Responding to body heat and temperature,Accu-Back's Temper Foam cushion distributes pressureevenly, providing a custom fit for the individual back andencouraging correct spinal disc alignment. Theoval-shaped parts are lumbar pads, mounted on the backpanel in a slightly angled fashion to duplicate the naturalcontours of the back; they can be moved up and down tosuit personal preference. An optional carry case makesthe five-pound Accu-Back a portable back support forsporting events, the theater, in jetliners, buses or trains.

In another Temper Foam application, shown below,the material is used in the cushions of the helicopteroperated by the Huntington Beach (California) PoliceDepartment for greater pilot comfort and less fatigue;department officials attest that the cushioning hasenabled an increase--from one hour to two--in patrolflying time, due to reduced vibration effect. The shockabsorbing qualities of Temper Foam also offer greaterprotection in hard landings.

*_Temper Foam is a registered trademark of Temper Foam, Inc.

c0 Accu-Back is a registered trademark of Accu-Back, Inc.

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