CA1320595C - Gel-filled, variably-adjustable cushioning system for supporting a person - Google Patents
Gel-filled, variably-adjustable cushioning system for supporting a personInfo
- Publication number
- CA1320595C CA1320595C CA000584497A CA584497A CA1320595C CA 1320595 C CA1320595 C CA 1320595C CA 000584497 A CA000584497 A CA 000584497A CA 584497 A CA584497 A CA 584497A CA 1320595 C CA1320595 C CA 1320595C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- gel
- compartments
- compartment
- person
- variably
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
- A61G7/00—Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons
- A61G7/05—Parts, details or accessories of beds
- A61G7/057—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor
- A61G7/05738—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor with fluid-like particles, e.g. sand, mud, seeds, gel, beads
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
- A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
- A61G5/10—Parts, details or accessories
- A61G5/1043—Cushions specially adapted for wheelchairs
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
- A61G7/00—Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons
- A61G7/05—Parts, details or accessories of beds
- A61G7/057—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor
- A61G7/05715—Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor with modular blocks, or inserts, with layers of different material
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Nursing (AREA)
- Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
- Invalid Beds And Related Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
GEL-FILLED, VARIABLY-ADJUSTABLE
CUSHIONING SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING A PERSON
Abstract of the Disclosure A cushioning device, which can be a mattress, mattress pad or seat for supporting a person by distri-buting force over a support area of the person's body, comprises a gel-filled flexible enclosure assembly with variably-adjustable supportive force distribution to prevent pressure points and resultant decubitus ulcers (bed sores) in patients and others who must spend long periods of time in prone or seated positions. The flexible enclosure assembly has multiple gel-containing compartments each underlying a different portion of the supportive surface of the device and preventing the transfer of gel from one compartment to another.
Selectively openable and closable ports each com-municate between the interior of a respective compart-ment and the exterior of the enclosure for enabling the infusion or extraction of gel from a particular com-partment so as to variably adjust the distribution of supportive force. One or more gel containers, separate from the flexible enclosure, matingly couple with the respective ports for delivering gel to or receiving gel from the respective compartments. Gel is initially formed within each compartment by adding water to a highly absorbent gel-forming material provided in dry form with the compartment.
CUSHIONING SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING A PERSON
Abstract of the Disclosure A cushioning device, which can be a mattress, mattress pad or seat for supporting a person by distri-buting force over a support area of the person's body, comprises a gel-filled flexible enclosure assembly with variably-adjustable supportive force distribution to prevent pressure points and resultant decubitus ulcers (bed sores) in patients and others who must spend long periods of time in prone or seated positions. The flexible enclosure assembly has multiple gel-containing compartments each underlying a different portion of the supportive surface of the device and preventing the transfer of gel from one compartment to another.
Selectively openable and closable ports each com-municate between the interior of a respective compart-ment and the exterior of the enclosure for enabling the infusion or extraction of gel from a particular com-partment so as to variably adjust the distribution of supportive force. One or more gel containers, separate from the flexible enclosure, matingly couple with the respective ports for delivering gel to or receiving gel from the respective compartments. Gel is initially formed within each compartment by adding water to a highly absorbent gel-forming material provided in dry form with the compartment.
Description
1 3205q5 GEL--FILLED, VA~IABL~-ADJUSTA~LE CUSHI~NING
SYSTEM FO~ SUPPORTING A PEXSON
Back~round of the Invention _ This invention relates to cushioning pads, mattresses, and seats for supporting patients and others who must spend long periods in prone or seated positions. ~ore particularly, the invention relates to a system for variably adjusting the distribution of sup porting force imposed over a support area of a person's body by a gel-filled cushioning device so as to reduce the incidence o~ decubitus ulcers (bed sores).
A substantial number of mattresses and mattress pads have been developed in the past having as their objective the reduction of the incidence of decu-bitus ulcers in patients and others who must spend long periods in bed. These prior devices comprise fle~ible enclosures containing various cushioning materials such as air, liquid, gel, foam or granular materials as dis closed, for example, in U.S. patents Nos. ~,163,297, 4,454,615 and ~,628,557. Cushioning devices of the type shown in U.S. patents Nos. ~,163,297 and 4,628,557 further include a plurality of small pillow-like ele-ments or inserts to permit the support surface con figuration to be varied by the addition or removal o-f the pillow elements or inserts as the case may be, thereby enabling some adjustability oE the distribution of the supportive force over the person's body. How-ever, only adjustability in relatively large increments is provided by the addition or subtraction of such pillow elements or inserts, providing only a gross approxima-tion of the optimum distribution of supporting force required by any particular patient depending on his individual weight, body shape, and post~re required by his particular medical condition.
In an attempt to meet the need for a Einer, more in-Einite variability in the adjustment of cushion-ing devices for patients, mattresses have been proposed having separate in-ternal cells which are selectively inflatable and deflatable by connection with a set of patient-operated or automatically-operated valves which alternatively supply pressurized air to, or exhaust air from, the individual cells. While such a system pro-vides infinitely-adjustable variabilityr as opposed to variability by gross increments, valving and controls therefor make the system expensive. More important, such a system of inflation and deflation is practical only if employed with an air-filled mattress where the individual compartments can thus be easily Eilled from, and exhausted into, the surrounding air. Unfortunate-ly, alr-filled mattresses do not produce the lowest skin-surface pressures. Rather, the lowest skin-surface pressures are obtained using a gel as the cush-ioning material, as taught, for example, by Berjian, et al., "Skin Pressure Measurements On Various Mat-tress SurEaces In Cancer Patients," 62 American Journal of Physical Medicine 217 (1983~.
Accordingly, what is needed is a gel-containing cushioning device having separate compart-ments selectively capable oE receiving or exhaustinggel in infinitely variable incremen-ts to obtain infini-tely variable adjustability oE the distribution of sup-porting force on a person's body, together with an inexpensive external system for selectively receiving or delivering the gel as needed~
Summary of the Present Invention The present invention satisfies the Eoregoing need by providing a cushioning device, such as a mattress, mattress pad, seat cushiont or the like, in the form of a flexible enclosure having multiple, flex-ible, gel CGntaining compartments structurally inter-connected with one another for containing a flowable gel, each underlying a diEferent portion of a major supportlng surface for supporting a person's body. The enclosure may be of a unitary type having compartments permanently interconnected with one another or, alter-natively~ of a modular type composed of detachably interconnected compartments. A plurality of selec-tively openable and closable ports, each communicatingbetween the interior of a respective compartment and the exterior thereof, enable the flow of gel into and out of the respective compartments. An exterior gel container, separate from the compartments, has an aper-ture for matingly and sealingly coupling with the portsso that it can selectively deliver gel to or receive gel from each of -the compartments to variably adjust the distribution of supportive force exerted by the major supporting surface against the user's body. In this ~ay the exterior gel container becomes a highly portable and easily handled accessory to the cushioning device, serving as a convenient reservoir into which excess gel may be exhausted from a particular compart-ment underlying a portion of the supporting surface where pressure is to be reduced, or as a reservoir from which additional gel may be injected into a compartment underlying a portion of the supporting surface where pressure is to be increased to compensate for decreased pressure elsewhere. The gel container also includes means for forcing the gel to flow into the respective compartments, which could conceivably be a pump but, for greater economy, preferably constitutes merely a variable-volume feature of the gel con-tainer itself.
Preferably, Elexibly movable containment walls may be folded or rolled to decrease the volume of the gel con-_a~
tainer and thereby force the flowable gel into arespective compartmen-t.
The ports by which gel is injected into or exhausted Erom each compartment preferably include one--way checkvalves which permit the gel to Elow into thecompartment but prevent its exhaust therefrom unless mechanically opened by engagement with a valve-opening member associated with the gel container. Thus spillage of the flowable gel, in the process of injec~ing or exhausting it through the ports, is pre-vented.
In a preEerred embodiment oE the invention, a small amount of a highly water-absorbent, gel-forming solid is provided inside of each gel-containing com-partment in a predetermined quantity insufficient, byitself, to provide support but sufEicient, upon the addition of a greater quantity oE watex, to form a sup-porting gel filling within the compartment~ Accord-ingly, the user, upon placing the device in service, need merely inject a predetermined quantity of water into the compartment to Eorm the gel. This greatly facilitates the inikial shipping of the system by making it compact,~and also simplifies the initial placing into service of the system. After the initial injection of water and the mixing thereof with the gel-Eorming solid, the gel content of each compartment can be adjusted as described previously.
It is thereEore a principal objective of the invention to provide an inexpensive cushioning device which enables gel-containing flexible compartments to be employed compatibly with an infinitely-variable system for adjusting the distribution of supporting force provided by the cushioning device against the body of the user.
It is a Eurther objective of -the invention to provide a corresponding me-thod for providing such gel-containing cushioning consistent with such infinitely variable adjustability of Eorce distribution.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Descrlption of the Drawings FIG. l is a top view of an exemplary embodi-ment of a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention, with such pad joined at one edge to a second pad shown partially.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. l showing a junction separating respective gel-containing compartments.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. l, showing the joinder of the pair of pads.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view -taken along line 4-4 of ~IG. 1, showing a front view of an exemplary port by which a flowable gel may be injected into, or extracted from, a compartment of the pad.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the port taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a top view of an exemplary exterior gel container usable in conjunction with -the mattress pad of FIG. 1.
FIG 7 is a sectional view of the port of FIG. 4 showing its operative coupling with khe exterior gel container of FIG. 6.
1 3205q5 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alter-native embodiment oE a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention, wherein the pad is oE modular construction consisting of multiple detachably interconnected gel--containing comparkments.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the modular compartments of the mattress pad of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a schematic slde view showing how the individual compartments oE the mattress pad oE
FIG. 8 are detachably interconnected.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged exploded view of an alternative embodiment oE a port by which a flowable gel may be injected into or extracted from a compart-ment of the mattress pad of FIG. 80 Description of the Preferred Embodiment With reference to FIG. l, an exemplarymattress pad indicated generally as lO comprises a series oE flexible compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d encapsulating a gel. The mattress pad may be of single-bed width and length for use alone on a single bed or, in conjunction with a second mating gel-filled mattress pad lOa of similar construction, for use on a ~ing-size bed. Alternatively, the pad lO could be of one-half double bed width or one-halE queen bed width and equal to full bed length. Straps such as 12 secure the corners oE -the pad around the bottoms of the underlying corners of a conventional mattress, the straps such as 12a at the juncture of the two pads simply lying loose if not needed.
The top flexible panel 14 of the pad 10, com-posed of the flexible tops of the compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d, together with the flexible compart-ment sidewalls 15, is preEerably constructed of light,heat-formed vinyl approximately 0.02 inches thick coated on its exterior with a Eabric or foam rubber, although other Eluid-impervious flexible materials can also be used. The top panel 14 comprises the major supporting surface for distributing force over a sup-port area of the user's body. A bottom panel 16 of the same or similar material, but somewhat thicker (e.g.
0.025 inches thick), is glued or welded to margins 15a at the bottoms of the sidewalls 15 in a fluid-impervious manner~ Separating the compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d are a series of interior compartment sidewalls 15 welded or glued in a fluid-impervious manner to the bottom panel 16 along junctions 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Thus, each of the compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d, respectively, underlies a different portion of the major Elexible surface 14 of the pad 10 and is isolated by the interior sidewalls 15 from any other compartment. This prevents the transfer of gel portions, such as 22c and 22d, respectively (FIG 2), from one compartment to another. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, pads such as 10 and lOa may be joined together by mating Velcro~ strips 24a, 24b affixed to the respective pads, or by any other suitable means.
Additional mating Velcro~ strips 24c and 24d may optionally be provided so that all pads such as 10 and lOa may be of identical construction and yet always be capable of joinder. Each compartment has a respective selectively openable and closable port 26a, 26b, 26c or 26d mounted therein through which the gel can be selec-tively injected into or extracted from the respective compartments separately. To enable the effective use of the ports, the gel employed is a stable, flowable gel of any suitable known type, such as a mixture of methyl cellulose, water, preservative, coloring and bittering agent or, alternatively, a silicone gel.
With reEerence to FIG. S, each port preferably compri-ses a body 27 glued between the sidewall margin 15a and -the bottom panel 16, although mounting of the ports in the sidewalls or bo-ttom panel themselves is per-missible. Each port body 27 has a threaded aperture 28 therein into which a sealing plug 30 may be screwed when the port is not in use. On the inside of the port body 27~ a one-way checkvalve in the form of a flat-tened soft vinyl or rubber tube 32 is attached, suchtube normally assuming the collapsed condition sho~n in FIGS. 4 and 5 which prevents gel from escaping through the port from inside the compartment when the plug 30 is removed.
FIG~ 6 shows an exemplary flexible vinyl gel container bottle 34 having a threaded spout 36 sealed by a threaded cap 38. With reference to FIG. 7, when the cap 38 is removed preparatory to use of the gel container 34, the cap may be replaced by an internally and externally-threaded nozzle 40 which screws onto the spout 36 and is in turn screwed into the port body 27 after the plug 30 has been removed. The noz21e 40 has suEEicient length that its end 40a forces the sides of the normally collapsed tube 32 apart so as to permit the flow of gel through the port. ThUS, if it is desired to extract gel ~rom a particular compartment to lessen the supportive force applied to the user's body by the portion of the flexible supporting surface 14 overlying the compartment, pressure is applied exter-nally to the top of the compartment thereby forcing gelfrom the compartment through the nozzle 40 into the external gel container 34. When sufficient gel has been extracted from the compartment, the nozzle 40 is unscrewed from the port body 27 and, as it is withdrawn, the checkvalve tube 32 automatically reclo-ses to prevent any spillage. Thereafter the plug 30 may be reinserted in the port. Alternatively, if it is desired to add gel to the compartment -to increase its share of the supportive force, the gel container 34 is connected to the port as shown in FIG. 7 and its volume gradually decreased by squeezing, foldiny or rolling its flexible containment walls so as to Eorce gel through the nozzle 40 into the compartment. AEter the desired amount of gel has been added, the nozzle is withdrawn in the manner previously described and the plug 30 reinserted in the port.
In the foregoing manner gel may be trans-ferred from one compartment -to another, but only in a controlled, external manner rather than in an uncontrolled, internal manner, and without necessarily preserving a constant mass of gel within the pad 10.
In this way the distribution of supporting force against the user's body may be adjusted in an inEini-tely variable, controlled manner to suit each user's individual needs.
It is also within the scope oE the invention to equip the pad 10 with an electrically heated subpad, or with a cooled subpad, for heating or cooling the entire unit. Alternatively, if separate heating or 2S cooling subpads such as 42a, 42b (FIG. 2) or other separate internal or external heaters or coolers are provided for the separate compartments, heating or cooling of selected compartments individually for the treatment of localized arthritic condi~ions or injuries is possible.
FIGS. 8-11 depict an alternative embodiment oE a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention. A ma-ttress pad indicated generally as 50 in FIG. 8 comprises a plurality of modular flex-ible gel-containing compartments 52 detachably con-~lo--nected to one another. Each compartment 52 may beconstructed of the same materials previously specified for -the mattress pad 10. Along one longitudinal edge of each compartment 52 is a margin 54 having an upwardly-facing surEace containing Velcrol~ material 56.
Along the opposite longitudinal edge o the compartment 52 a mating downwardly-Eacing strip of Velcrol~ 5~ is mount.ed so that the respective compartments 52 may be detachably joined together in side-by-side relationship as shown in FIG. 10 to form the single-bed-size mattress pad 50 of E'IG. 8. Mating Velcro'~ material may similarly be placed on the transverse edges 60, 62 of each compartment 52 so that multiple mattress pad assemblies 50 can be detachably interconnected in side-by-side relation for larger bed sizes.
Each oE the compartments 52 is equipped with a port assembly 64 mounted in its bottom panel having a threaded connector 66 to which either a threaded cap 68 or a threaded connector 70a of a gel conduit 70 may be secured. The port assembly 64 is preferably equipped with a one-way check valve as previously described.
However, in the absence of a check valve, the port assembly 64 is nevertheless usable for gel injection or withdrawal if the compartment 52 is inverted so that the port 64 faces upwardlyO During such injection or withdrawal, the opposite threaded connector 70b of the conduit 70 may be connected to a gel container such as 34.
For initial filling o~ the gel-containing compartments 52 prior to placing them in service, it is preferable to provide each compartment 52 with a prede-termined minor quantity of a pol~meric gel-forming powder such as 72 within its interior space. The powder is poured into the interior oE each compartment 52 through the port 64 either by the user or, pre-1 ~205q5 ferably, by the manufacturer prior to shipment from the manufacturing plant. Thereafter, the user injects water into each compartment through the port 64 in a predetermined major amount which, when mixed with the powder 72, forms an initial quantity of supporting gel within the compartment. For this purpose, a highly water-absorbentr polymeric gel-forming powder material is preferred, such as a known partial sodium salt of cross-linked polypropenoic acid capable of absorbing a volume of water many times its solid volume. For example, for a modular gel container such as 52 having a length of 82 cm, a width of ~0.5 cm, and a thickness of 5 cm, approximately 60 ml of such gel-forming powder would be inserted into each compartment and approxima-tely 4.7 liters of water added by the user to each com-partment through the respective ports 64, after which additional gel could be injected or gel withdrawn as needed to adjust the degree of support prov`ided by the individual compartment. Alternative highly-absorbent polymeric gel-forming solids suitable for this purpose could include starch-graft copolymer compositions which are well known and described, for example, in U.S.
Patent No. 3,981,100.
By initially forming the gel within the compartments in this manner, both the shipping of the system and the initial placing in service of the system are greatly facilitated. This methodology is equally applicable to the permanently interconnected compart-ments of the mattress pad 10 of the previously described embodiment.
The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features 1 3205~5 shown and described or portions -thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which Eollow.
SYSTEM FO~ SUPPORTING A PEXSON
Back~round of the Invention _ This invention relates to cushioning pads, mattresses, and seats for supporting patients and others who must spend long periods in prone or seated positions. ~ore particularly, the invention relates to a system for variably adjusting the distribution of sup porting force imposed over a support area of a person's body by a gel-filled cushioning device so as to reduce the incidence o~ decubitus ulcers (bed sores).
A substantial number of mattresses and mattress pads have been developed in the past having as their objective the reduction of the incidence of decu-bitus ulcers in patients and others who must spend long periods in bed. These prior devices comprise fle~ible enclosures containing various cushioning materials such as air, liquid, gel, foam or granular materials as dis closed, for example, in U.S. patents Nos. ~,163,297, 4,454,615 and ~,628,557. Cushioning devices of the type shown in U.S. patents Nos. ~,163,297 and 4,628,557 further include a plurality of small pillow-like ele-ments or inserts to permit the support surface con figuration to be varied by the addition or removal o-f the pillow elements or inserts as the case may be, thereby enabling some adjustability oE the distribution of the supportive force over the person's body. How-ever, only adjustability in relatively large increments is provided by the addition or subtraction of such pillow elements or inserts, providing only a gross approxima-tion of the optimum distribution of supporting force required by any particular patient depending on his individual weight, body shape, and post~re required by his particular medical condition.
In an attempt to meet the need for a Einer, more in-Einite variability in the adjustment of cushion-ing devices for patients, mattresses have been proposed having separate in-ternal cells which are selectively inflatable and deflatable by connection with a set of patient-operated or automatically-operated valves which alternatively supply pressurized air to, or exhaust air from, the individual cells. While such a system pro-vides infinitely-adjustable variabilityr as opposed to variability by gross increments, valving and controls therefor make the system expensive. More important, such a system of inflation and deflation is practical only if employed with an air-filled mattress where the individual compartments can thus be easily Eilled from, and exhausted into, the surrounding air. Unfortunate-ly, alr-filled mattresses do not produce the lowest skin-surface pressures. Rather, the lowest skin-surface pressures are obtained using a gel as the cush-ioning material, as taught, for example, by Berjian, et al., "Skin Pressure Measurements On Various Mat-tress SurEaces In Cancer Patients," 62 American Journal of Physical Medicine 217 (1983~.
Accordingly, what is needed is a gel-containing cushioning device having separate compart-ments selectively capable oE receiving or exhaustinggel in infinitely variable incremen-ts to obtain infini-tely variable adjustability oE the distribution of sup-porting force on a person's body, together with an inexpensive external system for selectively receiving or delivering the gel as needed~
Summary of the Present Invention The present invention satisfies the Eoregoing need by providing a cushioning device, such as a mattress, mattress pad, seat cushiont or the like, in the form of a flexible enclosure having multiple, flex-ible, gel CGntaining compartments structurally inter-connected with one another for containing a flowable gel, each underlying a diEferent portion of a major supportlng surface for supporting a person's body. The enclosure may be of a unitary type having compartments permanently interconnected with one another or, alter-natively~ of a modular type composed of detachably interconnected compartments. A plurality of selec-tively openable and closable ports, each communicatingbetween the interior of a respective compartment and the exterior thereof, enable the flow of gel into and out of the respective compartments. An exterior gel container, separate from the compartments, has an aper-ture for matingly and sealingly coupling with the portsso that it can selectively deliver gel to or receive gel from each of -the compartments to variably adjust the distribution of supportive force exerted by the major supporting surface against the user's body. In this ~ay the exterior gel container becomes a highly portable and easily handled accessory to the cushioning device, serving as a convenient reservoir into which excess gel may be exhausted from a particular compart-ment underlying a portion of the supporting surface where pressure is to be reduced, or as a reservoir from which additional gel may be injected into a compartment underlying a portion of the supporting surface where pressure is to be increased to compensate for decreased pressure elsewhere. The gel container also includes means for forcing the gel to flow into the respective compartments, which could conceivably be a pump but, for greater economy, preferably constitutes merely a variable-volume feature of the gel con-tainer itself.
Preferably, Elexibly movable containment walls may be folded or rolled to decrease the volume of the gel con-_a~
tainer and thereby force the flowable gel into arespective compartmen-t.
The ports by which gel is injected into or exhausted Erom each compartment preferably include one--way checkvalves which permit the gel to Elow into thecompartment but prevent its exhaust therefrom unless mechanically opened by engagement with a valve-opening member associated with the gel container. Thus spillage of the flowable gel, in the process of injec~ing or exhausting it through the ports, is pre-vented.
In a preEerred embodiment oE the invention, a small amount of a highly water-absorbent, gel-forming solid is provided inside of each gel-containing com-partment in a predetermined quantity insufficient, byitself, to provide support but sufEicient, upon the addition of a greater quantity oE watex, to form a sup-porting gel filling within the compartment~ Accord-ingly, the user, upon placing the device in service, need merely inject a predetermined quantity of water into the compartment to Eorm the gel. This greatly facilitates the inikial shipping of the system by making it compact,~and also simplifies the initial placing into service of the system. After the initial injection of water and the mixing thereof with the gel-Eorming solid, the gel content of each compartment can be adjusted as described previously.
It is thereEore a principal objective of the invention to provide an inexpensive cushioning device which enables gel-containing flexible compartments to be employed compatibly with an infinitely-variable system for adjusting the distribution of supporting force provided by the cushioning device against the body of the user.
It is a Eurther objective of -the invention to provide a corresponding me-thod for providing such gel-containing cushioning consistent with such infinitely variable adjustability of Eorce distribution.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Descrlption of the Drawings FIG. l is a top view of an exemplary embodi-ment of a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention, with such pad joined at one edge to a second pad shown partially.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. l showing a junction separating respective gel-containing compartments.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. l, showing the joinder of the pair of pads.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view -taken along line 4-4 of ~IG. 1, showing a front view of an exemplary port by which a flowable gel may be injected into, or extracted from, a compartment of the pad.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the port taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a top view of an exemplary exterior gel container usable in conjunction with -the mattress pad of FIG. 1.
FIG 7 is a sectional view of the port of FIG. 4 showing its operative coupling with khe exterior gel container of FIG. 6.
1 3205q5 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alter-native embodiment oE a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention, wherein the pad is oE modular construction consisting of multiple detachably interconnected gel--containing comparkments.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the modular compartments of the mattress pad of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a schematic slde view showing how the individual compartments oE the mattress pad oE
FIG. 8 are detachably interconnected.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged exploded view of an alternative embodiment oE a port by which a flowable gel may be injected into or extracted from a compart-ment of the mattress pad of FIG. 80 Description of the Preferred Embodiment With reference to FIG. l, an exemplarymattress pad indicated generally as lO comprises a series oE flexible compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d encapsulating a gel. The mattress pad may be of single-bed width and length for use alone on a single bed or, in conjunction with a second mating gel-filled mattress pad lOa of similar construction, for use on a ~ing-size bed. Alternatively, the pad lO could be of one-half double bed width or one-halE queen bed width and equal to full bed length. Straps such as 12 secure the corners oE -the pad around the bottoms of the underlying corners of a conventional mattress, the straps such as 12a at the juncture of the two pads simply lying loose if not needed.
The top flexible panel 14 of the pad 10, com-posed of the flexible tops of the compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d, together with the flexible compart-ment sidewalls 15, is preEerably constructed of light,heat-formed vinyl approximately 0.02 inches thick coated on its exterior with a Eabric or foam rubber, although other Eluid-impervious flexible materials can also be used. The top panel 14 comprises the major supporting surface for distributing force over a sup-port area of the user's body. A bottom panel 16 of the same or similar material, but somewhat thicker (e.g.
0.025 inches thick), is glued or welded to margins 15a at the bottoms of the sidewalls 15 in a fluid-impervious manner~ Separating the compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d are a series of interior compartment sidewalls 15 welded or glued in a fluid-impervious manner to the bottom panel 16 along junctions 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Thus, each of the compartments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d, respectively, underlies a different portion of the major Elexible surface 14 of the pad 10 and is isolated by the interior sidewalls 15 from any other compartment. This prevents the transfer of gel portions, such as 22c and 22d, respectively (FIG 2), from one compartment to another. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, pads such as 10 and lOa may be joined together by mating Velcro~ strips 24a, 24b affixed to the respective pads, or by any other suitable means.
Additional mating Velcro~ strips 24c and 24d may optionally be provided so that all pads such as 10 and lOa may be of identical construction and yet always be capable of joinder. Each compartment has a respective selectively openable and closable port 26a, 26b, 26c or 26d mounted therein through which the gel can be selec-tively injected into or extracted from the respective compartments separately. To enable the effective use of the ports, the gel employed is a stable, flowable gel of any suitable known type, such as a mixture of methyl cellulose, water, preservative, coloring and bittering agent or, alternatively, a silicone gel.
With reEerence to FIG. S, each port preferably compri-ses a body 27 glued between the sidewall margin 15a and -the bottom panel 16, although mounting of the ports in the sidewalls or bo-ttom panel themselves is per-missible. Each port body 27 has a threaded aperture 28 therein into which a sealing plug 30 may be screwed when the port is not in use. On the inside of the port body 27~ a one-way checkvalve in the form of a flat-tened soft vinyl or rubber tube 32 is attached, suchtube normally assuming the collapsed condition sho~n in FIGS. 4 and 5 which prevents gel from escaping through the port from inside the compartment when the plug 30 is removed.
FIG~ 6 shows an exemplary flexible vinyl gel container bottle 34 having a threaded spout 36 sealed by a threaded cap 38. With reference to FIG. 7, when the cap 38 is removed preparatory to use of the gel container 34, the cap may be replaced by an internally and externally-threaded nozzle 40 which screws onto the spout 36 and is in turn screwed into the port body 27 after the plug 30 has been removed. The noz21e 40 has suEEicient length that its end 40a forces the sides of the normally collapsed tube 32 apart so as to permit the flow of gel through the port. ThUS, if it is desired to extract gel ~rom a particular compartment to lessen the supportive force applied to the user's body by the portion of the flexible supporting surface 14 overlying the compartment, pressure is applied exter-nally to the top of the compartment thereby forcing gelfrom the compartment through the nozzle 40 into the external gel container 34. When sufficient gel has been extracted from the compartment, the nozzle 40 is unscrewed from the port body 27 and, as it is withdrawn, the checkvalve tube 32 automatically reclo-ses to prevent any spillage. Thereafter the plug 30 may be reinserted in the port. Alternatively, if it is desired to add gel to the compartment -to increase its share of the supportive force, the gel container 34 is connected to the port as shown in FIG. 7 and its volume gradually decreased by squeezing, foldiny or rolling its flexible containment walls so as to Eorce gel through the nozzle 40 into the compartment. AEter the desired amount of gel has been added, the nozzle is withdrawn in the manner previously described and the plug 30 reinserted in the port.
In the foregoing manner gel may be trans-ferred from one compartment -to another, but only in a controlled, external manner rather than in an uncontrolled, internal manner, and without necessarily preserving a constant mass of gel within the pad 10.
In this way the distribution of supporting force against the user's body may be adjusted in an inEini-tely variable, controlled manner to suit each user's individual needs.
It is also within the scope oE the invention to equip the pad 10 with an electrically heated subpad, or with a cooled subpad, for heating or cooling the entire unit. Alternatively, if separate heating or 2S cooling subpads such as 42a, 42b (FIG. 2) or other separate internal or external heaters or coolers are provided for the separate compartments, heating or cooling of selected compartments individually for the treatment of localized arthritic condi~ions or injuries is possible.
FIGS. 8-11 depict an alternative embodiment oE a mattress pad constructed in accordance with the present invention. A ma-ttress pad indicated generally as 50 in FIG. 8 comprises a plurality of modular flex-ible gel-containing compartments 52 detachably con-~lo--nected to one another. Each compartment 52 may beconstructed of the same materials previously specified for -the mattress pad 10. Along one longitudinal edge of each compartment 52 is a margin 54 having an upwardly-facing surEace containing Velcrol~ material 56.
Along the opposite longitudinal edge o the compartment 52 a mating downwardly-Eacing strip of Velcrol~ 5~ is mount.ed so that the respective compartments 52 may be detachably joined together in side-by-side relationship as shown in FIG. 10 to form the single-bed-size mattress pad 50 of E'IG. 8. Mating Velcro'~ material may similarly be placed on the transverse edges 60, 62 of each compartment 52 so that multiple mattress pad assemblies 50 can be detachably interconnected in side-by-side relation for larger bed sizes.
Each oE the compartments 52 is equipped with a port assembly 64 mounted in its bottom panel having a threaded connector 66 to which either a threaded cap 68 or a threaded connector 70a of a gel conduit 70 may be secured. The port assembly 64 is preferably equipped with a one-way check valve as previously described.
However, in the absence of a check valve, the port assembly 64 is nevertheless usable for gel injection or withdrawal if the compartment 52 is inverted so that the port 64 faces upwardlyO During such injection or withdrawal, the opposite threaded connector 70b of the conduit 70 may be connected to a gel container such as 34.
For initial filling o~ the gel-containing compartments 52 prior to placing them in service, it is preferable to provide each compartment 52 with a prede-termined minor quantity of a pol~meric gel-forming powder such as 72 within its interior space. The powder is poured into the interior oE each compartment 52 through the port 64 either by the user or, pre-1 ~205q5 ferably, by the manufacturer prior to shipment from the manufacturing plant. Thereafter, the user injects water into each compartment through the port 64 in a predetermined major amount which, when mixed with the powder 72, forms an initial quantity of supporting gel within the compartment. For this purpose, a highly water-absorbentr polymeric gel-forming powder material is preferred, such as a known partial sodium salt of cross-linked polypropenoic acid capable of absorbing a volume of water many times its solid volume. For example, for a modular gel container such as 52 having a length of 82 cm, a width of ~0.5 cm, and a thickness of 5 cm, approximately 60 ml of such gel-forming powder would be inserted into each compartment and approxima-tely 4.7 liters of water added by the user to each com-partment through the respective ports 64, after which additional gel could be injected or gel withdrawn as needed to adjust the degree of support prov`ided by the individual compartment. Alternative highly-absorbent polymeric gel-forming solids suitable for this purpose could include starch-graft copolymer compositions which are well known and described, for example, in U.S.
Patent No. 3,981,100.
By initially forming the gel within the compartments in this manner, both the shipping of the system and the initial placing in service of the system are greatly facilitated. This methodology is equally applicable to the permanently interconnected compart-ments of the mattress pad 10 of the previously described embodiment.
The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features 1 3205~5 shown and described or portions -thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which Eollow.
Claims (6)
1. A cushioning device for supporting a person's weight by distributing force over a support area of the person's body in a variably-adjustable manner to prevent pressure concentration points in predetermined portions of said support area, said cushioning device comprising: an assembly for forming a major flexible surface for distributing supportive force over a support area of a person's body, said assembly including means defining multiple compartments for containing a gel separated by walls for preventing the transfer of said gel from one of said compartments to another, each said compartment underlying different portions of said major flexible surface, and means defining a plurality of selectively openable and closable ports each communicating between the interior of a respective one of said compartments and the exterior of said assembly, and characterized by gel container means, having means defining an aperture for matingly and sealingly coupling with said ports, for selectively delivering gel to or receiving gel from the respective interiors of said compartments so as to variably adjust the distribution of said supportive force, said gel container means including means for forcing gel to flow through said aperture and ports into the respective interiors of said compartments.
2. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said compartments are permanently attached to each other.
3. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said compartments are detachably attached to each other.
4. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said gel container means is of a variable volume type having movable containment walls for selectively decreasing or expanding its gel-containing volume.
5. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said gel container means has flexibly movable containment walls.
6. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein each of said ports includes one-way check valve means for normally permitting gel to flow through the respective port into the interior of a respective compartment, and means for selectively engaging and opening said one-way check valve means so as to permit gel to flow through the respective port out of the interior of the respective compart-ment.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US127,776 | 1987-12-02 | ||
US07/127,776 US4788730A (en) | 1987-12-02 | 1987-12-02 | Gel-filled, variably-adjustable cushioning system for supporting a person |
US25919488A | 1988-10-17 | 1988-10-17 | |
US259,194 | 1988-10-17 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
CA1320595C true CA1320595C (en) | 1993-07-20 |
Family
ID=26825961
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
CA000584497A Expired - Fee Related CA1320595C (en) | 1987-12-02 | 1988-11-29 | Gel-filled, variably-adjustable cushioning system for supporting a person |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0349620B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2579692B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA1320595C (en) |
DE (1) | DE3881037T2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1989005110A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (32)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH0565324U (en) * | 1992-02-17 | 1993-08-31 | パラマウントベッド株式会社 | Liquid mattress |
FR2689393B1 (en) * | 1992-04-02 | 1994-07-08 | Victor Katz | PERFECTED FLUIDIZED BED. |
GB9711276D0 (en) * | 1997-06-03 | 1997-07-30 | Medical Support Systems Limite | Cushion |
ATE305287T1 (en) * | 2001-08-07 | 2005-10-15 | Marinko Lovrinovic | PILLOW FOR POSITIONING PATIENTS |
US8356373B2 (en) | 2009-03-06 | 2013-01-22 | Noel Group Llc | Unitary composite/hybrid cushioning structure(s) and profile(s) comprised of a thermoplastic foam(s) and a thermoset material(s) |
US20130081209A1 (en) | 2011-09-30 | 2013-04-04 | Nomaco Inc. | Cellular mattress assemblies and related methods |
EP2496073A4 (en) * | 2009-11-05 | 2017-12-20 | Promat Inc. | Cushioning device for large animals |
USD693148S1 (en) | 2010-03-03 | 2013-11-12 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD693145S1 (en) | 2010-03-03 | 2013-11-12 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD693144S1 (en) | 2010-03-03 | 2013-11-12 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD688492S1 (en) | 2010-03-03 | 2013-08-27 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD694553S1 (en) | 2010-03-03 | 2013-12-03 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
JP5200086B2 (en) * | 2010-11-09 | 2013-05-15 | 株式会社タイカ | Bedsore prevention mat |
WO2012177321A2 (en) | 2011-04-29 | 2012-12-27 | Nomaco Inc. | Unitary composite/hybrid cushioning structures(s) and profile(s) comprised of a thermoplastic foam(s) and a thermoset material (s) and related mothods |
USD691400S1 (en) | 2012-02-10 | 2013-10-15 | Nomaco Inc. | Stackable base for mattress assembly |
USD692693S1 (en) | 2012-04-27 | 2013-11-05 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD693149S1 (en) | 2012-04-27 | 2013-11-12 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD694552S1 (en) | 2012-04-27 | 2013-12-03 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD693147S1 (en) | 2012-04-27 | 2013-11-12 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD693146S1 (en) | 2012-04-27 | 2013-11-12 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD697337S1 (en) | 2012-07-03 | 2014-01-14 | Nomaco, Inc. | Stackable base for mattress assembly |
USD690536S1 (en) | 2012-07-26 | 2013-10-01 | Nomaco Inc. | Motion isolation insulator pad |
USD692694S1 (en) | 2012-09-28 | 2013-11-05 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD694041S1 (en) | 2012-09-28 | 2013-11-26 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD688069S1 (en) | 2012-09-28 | 2013-08-20 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD701713S1 (en) | 2012-11-09 | 2014-04-01 | Noel Group, Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD709301S1 (en) | 2012-11-09 | 2014-07-22 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD707468S1 (en) | 2012-11-09 | 2014-06-24 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
USD707467S1 (en) | 2012-11-09 | 2014-06-24 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
WO2014176400A1 (en) | 2013-04-26 | 2014-10-30 | Noel Group Llc | Cushioning assemblies with thermoplastic elements encapsulated in thermoset providing customizable support and airflow, and related methods |
USD704962S1 (en) | 2013-09-09 | 2014-05-20 | Noel Group Llc | Mattress bed cushion |
CN111513511A (en) * | 2020-06-18 | 2020-08-11 | 杭州银众新材料科技有限公司 | Furniture convenient to transport and using method thereof |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2372218A (en) * | 1941-07-25 | 1945-03-27 | Frank G Manson | Pneumatic mattress |
US2700165A (en) * | 1949-01-22 | 1955-01-25 | Samuel C Talisman | Treating valve for pillows or the like |
US3721232A (en) * | 1968-05-24 | 1973-03-20 | Trenchard M | Surgical pad method for decubitus ulcer management |
GB1302522A (en) * | 1968-10-31 | 1973-01-10 | ||
US3583008A (en) * | 1969-02-26 | 1971-06-08 | Robert J Edwards | Compartmented bag having selective inflation controls |
GB1585662A (en) * | 1976-07-06 | 1981-03-11 | Beaufort Air Sea Equipment Ltd | Bed mattresses |
FR2435245A2 (en) * | 1978-09-07 | 1980-04-04 | Chabannes Jacques | Water-filled modular mattress - has three modules joined by strips of hooked-pile fastening fabric |
US4621383A (en) * | 1984-02-09 | 1986-11-11 | Christopher Gendala | Method and apparatus for inflating an article |
-
1988
- 1988-11-29 CA CA000584497A patent/CA1320595C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1988-11-30 JP JP50023789A patent/JP2579692B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-11-30 EP EP19890900161 patent/EP0349620B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-11-30 DE DE19883881037 patent/DE3881037T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1988-11-30 WO PCT/US1988/004222 patent/WO1989005110A1/en active IP Right Grant
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0349620A4 (en) | 1990-03-22 |
DE3881037D1 (en) | 1993-06-17 |
JPH02502344A (en) | 1990-08-02 |
DE3881037T2 (en) | 1994-01-05 |
EP0349620A1 (en) | 1990-01-10 |
JP2579692B2 (en) | 1997-02-05 |
EP0349620B1 (en) | 1993-05-12 |
WO1989005110A1 (en) | 1989-06-15 |
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