CA2176066A1

CA2176066A1 - Thermally insulating pad

Info

Publication number: CA2176066A1
Application number: CA002176066A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Gordon Deck
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-05-08
Filing date: 1996-05-08
Publication date: 1997-11-09

Abstract

A thermally insulating, flexible pad has a substrate sheet with an array of thermally insulating foam blocks secured to the upper surface of the substrate. A cover sheet is placed over the blocks and is secured to the substrate around the periphery of the array. The pad can be manufactured in any size and has many uses.

Description

THERMALLY INSULATING PAD
The present invention relates to thermally insulating pads, and more particularly to a flexible thermally insulating pad structure that has multiple uses.
5Insulating pads are useful for many different purposes. A
flexible insulating pad may be used, for example, in automobile, truck, tractor or other vehicle seating, including recrealional vehicles of various sorts. The pad will insulate an occupant or rider from a cold, uncomfortable vehicle seat. Such a pad may also be used as a seat cushion 10 in viewing outdoor sports, in ice fishing and for many other purposes where it is desired to insulate the body from a cold surface.
The present invention is concerned with a novel thermally insulatin~ pad construction.
According to the present invention there is provided a thermally 15 insulating pad comprising:
a sulsl,ate comprisin~ a sheet of pliant material; and a plurality of blocks of thermally insulating material secured in an array to the top surface of the subsl,dte.
The blocks are preferably sp~ced apart on a plastic material 20 subslrale. One particularly suitable ",aterial for the subslrale is a supple artificial leather which will conform to the configuration of a surface on which it is placed. The blocks are preferably made of a closed cell, thermally insulating, rigid foam, for example polystyrene foam.
To protect the blocks and to provide an aesthetic appearance, 25 the pad is preferably covered with a cover sheet, fixed to the sul,slrate around the periphery of the array of blocks. The cover sheet may be any desired material, for example a textile fabric that has an appropriate "feeln.

-The pads may be manufactured in any convenient size according to the intended end use. For example, seating pads may be relatively small, say 40 to 45 centimeters square, while a pad for use when Iying on the ground will be much longer, say 1.5 to 2 ~,-elers.
The block sizes may also vary although it has been found that a block size of approximately 2.5 cer,li--,eters square and about 1.25 centimeters in height is convenient.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a pad accordin~ to the present invention;
Figure 2 illusl.aLes the pad with the cover sheet removed; and Figure 3 is a partial cross section of the pad.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illusl.aLed a flexible pad 10 which is of rectangular shape. The pad has two spaced sides 12, two sp~ced apart ends 14, a bottom 16 and a top 18. The pad is flexible and will conform to the configuration of a surface on which it is placed.
The pad is constructed with a pliant plastic material sheet subsl.ate 20. Fastened to the top surface 22 of the subslrate is an array 24 of thermally insulating blocks 26. Each block is square and has a height approximately one-half its length and width dimensions. The blocks are secured to the top surface of the substrate with an adhesive 28. The blocks are made of a closed cell, rigid, thermally insulating foam.
A cover sheet 30 is placed over the blocks. This is a textile fabric sheet and is secured to the subslrate around the periphery of the array of blocks by a line of stitching 32.

As illustrated most particularly in Figure 2, the blocks are spaced apart in their array so that they may move relative to one another with movement of the substrate. This makes the pad flexible in all directions. The spacing between the blocks is less than the lateral 5 dimensions of the blocks themselves to avoid a "lumpy" feel.
A pad of this construction may be made in many different sizes for many different uses. It has excellent insulating properties and a low heat capacity so that the pad itself need not be heated extensively by the user's body. If desired, the pad can be rolled up for transportation.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention and are intended to be included herein.

Claims

1. A thermally insulating pad comprising:
a substrate comprising a sheet of pliant material; and a plurality of blocks of thermally insulating material secured in an array to the top surface of the substrate.

2. A pad according to Claim 1 wherein the blocks are spaced apart in the array.

3. A pad according to Claim 2 wherein the spacing between the blocks in the array is less than the lateral dimensions of each block.

4. A pad according to Claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein each block is rectangular.

5. A pad according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 including a cover sheet of pliant material extending over the blocks and secured to the substrate around the periphery of the array of blocks.

6. A pad according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the thermally insulating material comprises a closed cell, rigid foam material.

7. A pad according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the substrate comprises a synthetic plastic material.

8. A pad according to Claim 7 wherein the substrate comprises an artificial leather.

9. A pad according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the cover sheet comprises a textile fabric.